Customer Reviews

Voodoo Dollies: Best of Gene Loves Jezebel

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Not quite new wave, nor Goth, or even pop, Gene Loves Jezebel falls into that catagory of hybrid. Having been a fan for 15 years, I am forever on the hunt for c.d.s, comps, etc., and found that most are out of print, including the excellent Kiss of Life and Immigrant albums. But this collection culls the best from their six albums, including the aforementioned ones. As expected, Desire is on this c.d., but also songs from 'Promise' (Bruises, Upstairs) and 'Immigrant' (Steven). All the tracks are prime examples of how this band really was during the late eighties. My faves are Bruises, Sweetest Thing, Twenty Killer Hurts and Jealous, but overall this is the best album you could buy as an introduction to the band. You will wonder why they weren't bigger than they were!

this is by far the best "greates hits" compilation ever! i'm kind of an 80's freak so i know good music when i hear it! every songs is really good especially break the chain,jealous,desire,sweetest thing,kiss of life, & motion of love. it's really hard to find any GLJ cds out there for they are OOP. so if u stumble across this in the music store where you live,you best not ignore it! you wont be dissapointed with this one it's great! jay aston(& michael) are 2 of the best musicians of the 80's and shouldnt be forgotten. to say the least, ENJOY!

GLJ is yet another example an excellent 80's post-punk band being rediscovered, though perhaps not to the extent deserved. If you've never heard them then this is probably the best place to start as it covers all of their different sounds pretty evenly. All of the songs are presented more or less chronologically and depending on your tastes you'll either gravitate toward the beginning, middle or end of the collection. Goths tend to like the 1st 2 albums which are represnted on here by the 1st 6 songs; "Bruises" is one of my favorite GLJ songs. The middle marks the transition period when they, and nearly every alternative act at the time, were shifting from the darker early sound to a more rock-oriented concept. "Heartache" and "Desire" were alt radio smashes at the time and made a name for the band. Then came the slightly harder rock feel of the songs from 'House of Dolls', tacks 11-13. The last stage of the album represents an attempt to go mainstream with "Jealous" and "Kiss of Life"... I think this stage stinks but it was fairly popular.

To understand the group it is important to look at the overall body of work and also consider the time. GLJ followed a trajectory of many postpunk bands that started a bit Goth, then moved to general alternative and perhaps dabbled a little in metal... Jezebel actually almost exactly mirrors the progression of the Cult up until about '87. Overall this is a great collection that showcases all of the band's stages and offers some bang for the buck.

When I saw this disc I knew I had to buy it. It has all the nice songs this band released. Forget the hairdos and the unflattering clothes they wore during the era of bad hair and clothes and simply focus on their music. Although they were not a big hit in the US except probably "Desire" and have disbanded in the early nineties, the band can still tickle the fancy of a person who is very much stuck in the 80's. Thanks to the twins!!!!

GLJ had the musical hooks, sensible lyrics, and just the right amount of thumpin' rock-goth style to standout from the rest of the crowd in the 80's. Despite their lack of proper recognition in the states, they still made a strong and lasting impression on a lot of die-hard 80's music rock fans and so-called rock album/pre-alternative stations...Tracks like Desire, 20 KillerHertz, and Suspicion are the standout tracks with hook-laden rhythms and everything else to boot !

The only tracks I really knew before I got this collection was the hit "Desire (come and get it)", and the two from the "Kiss Of Life" album. After numerous listens, I'm quite impressed, and the whole disc is consistently good. To my ears, they're similar to The Cult or Love & Rockets, and are a rough mix of pop/goth/rock. The earlier material here like "Bruises" is definitely more moody, yet enjoyable, while the later stuff like "Jealous" is really going for the hook-filled alt-rock sound. Both eras are great though. I'm glad "Voodoo Dollies" is in chronological order, and my current favorite songs are "Stephen", "Sweetest Thing", "Motion Of Love", and "Break The Chain". All equally strong. The last track "Who Wants To Go To Heaven?" is a nice almost sing-a-long, and a great way to end the disc. In short, if you like any of the above mentioned bands or genres, you should love Gene Loves Jezebel. Nice written history and photos as well.

My teenage daughters turned me on to Gene loves Jezebel, back in the early 90's. I love the songs "Desire" and "Beyond Doubt", drove myself to distraction figuring out how to play them both on my keyboard. Great dance tunes, and a unique sound.

I was very pleased with this cd. I just wished it had more songs that I really loved but overall I am pleased with my purchase.

I must admit,the only song from this 80's group i'm familiar with is the Motion of Love. Their songs were not frequently given air time and are hard to avail during this time. But after listening to there Voodoo Dollies album, i must say the music industry has been unfair to GLJ. They are the Cure with more pop appeal- even better. I really enjoyed listening to this "the best" album. No song is boring--a must buy.

I had to replace my old cassettes, this album had all songs I like on it. Memorable "Desire (come and get it) was my favorite and the reason why I got interested in that band. Second favorite "Upstairs" has a nice bass loop. Third would be "Beyound doubt". "Influenza" is a cute percussion song with mostly only xylophone and keyboard. "Heartache", "Kiss of life", "Kiss of life", "Break the chain" and "Bruise" are nice songs.

They still make albums but they got too folk for my taste and voice of singer is more low tone.