18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Lords greatest works, a must for any techno fan, December 19, 2003
Lords of Acid first appeared on the scene with their debut album "Lust", a mix of club-savvy techno, tongue-in-cheek humor, and come-hither lyrics. While tracks like "I Must Increase My Bust" and "Rough Sex" gained them attention, the music itself was not much different from the rest of the dance world at the time. Perhaps aware of this themselves, the Lords (Oliver Adams, Praga Khan, and Jade 4 U) went back to the studio and released a fanastic 2nd album, the wonderful "Voodoo U."
"Voodoo" takes the lords in a different direction than "Lust", fusing dynamic club rhythms to the grit of industrial rock to form a deliciously bitter hybrid. While the tone of "Lust" was playful and light, "Voodoo" delves into a much darker form of humor and a more nihilistic view of sexuality. To be sure, the lyrics are just as sexually-charged, if not more, but when taken with the tone of the album, the Lords' shadowy collective id is much more apparent.
Several classic Lords tracks can be found here, including the undeniably driving "Crablouse" (both in its original form and in an interesting if not entirely superior remix), the creepily seductive "Out Comes The Evil", and the aggressively raunchy "She And Mrs. Jones." "Mister Machoman" and "Young Boys" give Jade 4 U (whose vocals are superb throughout) the chance to play dominatrix-as-berserker, and she does it so well that you can't help but want to give in to her, no matter what. Jade even tones it down for the sensual, alluring bonus track "The Real Thing", purring like the hottest 60's sex-kitten that never was.
It's when the Lords diverge from their erotic focus that the tracks' quality becomes tenuous. Several tracks on "Voodoo" are an attempt by the Lords to be serious, to talk about darker issues. Sometimes, like the hilarious ode to an irreedemable stoner "Marijuana In Your Brain" and the wrenchingly emotional tale of abuse "Special Moments", these work to a great degree. Other times, like the heavy-handed anti-drug "Blowing Up Your Mind" and the song attacking the pimp "Dirty Willy", the songs come off as preachy, with simplistic lyrics that reduce the impact that the song might have had. An unrelated misstep comes in the form of "Do What You Wanna Do", a well-intentioned but ultimately mediocre song.
Regardless of these few instances, this is a solid album, and a must for any fan of the Lords. While not wildly divergent in its style, the tracks are all wonderfully arranged and delivered: even when they don't connect well with the listener, you have to admire the effort put into them. Of special note in this regard is the bonus track "Young Boys Go To Studio 54", re-imagining the grunge of "Young Boys" into a disco number so masterfully crafted in retro style that you'd swear it's the Village People-Donna Summer duet that was never released.
All in all, a fantastic album with only a few flaws that deserves to be in any techno enthusiats' collection. 4 out of 5.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is great stuff..., September 25, 1999
By A Customer
If you listen to this album and expect Lust, you're not gonna get it. The Lords stay contemporary by adapting their sound, and do so masterfully. The cover speaks volumes: what you see is what you get!
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For a wonderful romantic evening......, February 11, 2004
What does this sound like? I think the cover says it best. Musically it's mostly aggressive techno. Lyrically it's pretty hardcore, which is good. The song titles say alot. The only band comparison I can think of, might be some "My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult" on speed, hold the Satan, pass the sex and drugs. With songs like "The Crablouse", "Do What You Want To Do", and "Out Comes The Evil", this is easily their best album, and probably better than "Greatest T*Ts".
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