Customer Reviews

When I Was Born for the 7th Time

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

"Colorful" is the adjective that came to mind while listening to this music. There is a delectable offering of sitar, tabla, flute ("Keep it on the Left Side"), and strings set against the backdrop of sparkling percussion. In terms of popular music, the sitar has come a long way since the Beatles-- simply put, it enhances every piece of music it touches, even when it's the cartoonish tune of "Butter the Soul." Particularly enjoyable is the offering of India that is "We're in Yr Corner."

Cornershop don't go for a powerful Chemical Brothers or Prodigy punch. Taking its precious time, this music invites the listener to relax while tickling the fancy with sweet nuggets of sound. Only later, as "It's Indian Tobacco My Friend" swirled about, did I realize that its tentacles had gradually seduced me into a drone-like submission.

The album's weaknesses can be avoided by programming so as to exclude tracks four, and six through eight. "Chocolat" (4), a brief instrumental, and the corny "Funky Days"(6) have neither fire nor beauty, and "What is Happening" (7) and "When the Light Appears Boy" (8) are bland sound collages.

Cornershop fans will likely enjoy Joi's "One and One is One" (REALWORLD), Transglobal Underground's "rejoice" (MCA), and "Talvin Singh presents Soundz of the Asian Underground."

A cornershop is the British equivalent of a convenience store. It's also the name of Tjinder Singh's Asian-dance-rhythm-scratch-loops group. It's an exotic collection that smells of super hot curry vindaloo, chapatis, popadoms, and chutney.

"Sleep On The Left Side" has a thumping drum and bass, accompanied by a chirpy flute-like synthesizer. Tjinder Singh both sings and has monologues in this piece.

Then comes the catchy innovative single "Brimful Of Asha", with its infectious rhythm guitar, later accompanied by a string section. This is Singh's loving paean to the performers who provided singing for the actors in many a Bollywood cinema. He praises Mohammed Rafi, who was the masked man Enid was dancing to in Ghost World's opening moments, Solid State Radio, Lata Mangeshkhar, the queen of vocalists and record-holder of songs sung, and her sister Asha Bhonsle, the Asha of the song. "Brimful of Asha on the 45" indeed. "She's the one who keeps the dreams alive." I think he speaks for every guy when he says "Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow."

There's a deal of scratching turntable distortion in the instrumental "Butter The Soul" so no, there's nothing wrong with the disc or your player. And there's some sitar music that comes in to give it that special Asian flavour.

"Chocolat" is another instrumental that could be used in a curry western. The Hindustani-sung "We're In Yr Corner" is a wonderful sitar song with a steady drum backbeat. The final minute is instrumental to give the song that extra spicy curry.

"Funky Days Are Back Again" is a mid-paced Asian funk and beat pop. The experimental "What Is Happening?" has various vocal samples set against a tabla and some trippy and weird effects. Not as weird as "Revolution No. 9" but you'll get the idea.

"When The Light Appears Boy" is written and recited by Allen Ginsberg set against Cornershop's brass section, which gets louder once he's done with his poem.

Phat beats and sitars, some looped, constitute the brief "Coming Up," yielding to "Good S---" which has a similar backbeat to "Brimful of Asha." There's a slight western tinge on "Good To Be On The Road Back Home Again," which has a nostalgic tone good for road trips. Paula Frazer, who sounds like Chrissie Hynde, comes in as guest vocalist.

"It's Indian Tobacco My Friend" is another instrumental with drums, looped intoned voices, echoed percussions. "Candyman" is more Asian funk with Hindu singing and English monologues/raps. "State Troopers (Part One)" is low-key funk with pronounced bass, scratching. Their cover of the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" in Hindi, and that sitar really matches the mood of that classic.

An interesting confection cooked up by Cornershop. Nice if you want something with exotic

I really do think the reason for most of the 1-2 star reviews is because some of these reviwers thought they were getting an album where "all the tracks sound the same(redundance)". They wanted all the tracks to resemble "Brimful of Asha", which has an 'instant cheap hook'(not saying it's a bad song). It's basically what the kids want these days. That's why we have bands such as "Limp Bikit" or "Kid Rock" dominating the charts. It's pitiful, really! The kids don't want to hear an interesing and engaging album like "When I Was Born...", with such artful expression, ecclecticism and groove.

Other reviewers claim the first two tracks (Sleep on the left side, Brimful of Asha) are probably the strongest tracks. Not true! Those two are probably the best tracks, but only when it comes to rock standards, and not the other genres of music they attempt to incorporate into the rest of the album. Some claim the album dies a slow death after the second track. Not true! If people would only stop being close minded for a while; if they would ignore all they know about rock standards and just let loose to allow the music to take them places, they would see that it's not nonesense, it's art! Take "Good to be back on the road", for example. It's a good candidate for 'most creative country music tune'. The vocal delivery is one of a kind! The instrumental tracks like "Butter the Soul", and "Chocolat", are some of the best "Trip Hop"(or whatnot) ive heard. "Funky Days" sounds like a wacky improvisational track, and I still can't stop smiling whenever I hear that song! Songs like "Candyman" qualify as 'interesting hip hop'. Overall, it's a fantastic experience.

Sometimes, albums don't require a "great production" to be considered interesting. They can do alone with soul, charm, an awesome talent for delivery...oh and of course good ideas. "When I was Born..." seems to have it all.

This is the way music should be made. Musicians should not be afraid to experiment, even if they risk being criticized. In this album, Cornershop put a 'whole different spin' on Rock n' Roll by playing around with funk and hip hop standards, among others. This is one of those rare albums that I believe can never be duplicated. For that reason alone, I am not hesitant to claim it as one of the best albums the 90s decade brought us. Beilieve it or not!

When I Was Born for The 7th Time is a delicious, delirious stir-fry of an album which opens with an accordion, ends with sitars and in-between takes you on a magical mystery tour around the world of music. The scratchy hip-hop of Butter The Soul snuggles down with the touched-by-the-hand-of Nancy Sinatra vibes and flutes country 'n' Eastern road ballad It's Good To Be On The Road Back Home Again; Allen Ginsberg reads a poem in his kitchen and The Automator whips up some hypnotic bass loops; and the return of dungaree chords is heralded in Funky Days Are Here Again. This is an awesome, heart-warming album, full of joy and blessed with Brimful Of Asha, a sublime three-chord trick which is a love song to Indian movie star Asha Bhosle and a glowing tribute to vinyl singles. This is the sound of summer, the sound of the Velvet Underground lazily strumming a cover of Roadrunner and, by the time you hear the "everybody needs a bosom for a pillow" refrain, you've already decided that this is the song you want to marry and start a family with. I grinned till my face hurt and tapped my little toes right off: I promise you'll do the same.

I agree with the guy who said this cd is very boring. The first two tracks are decent and nothing more but after that the cd drags with cheezy beats and dumb lyrics. I read so many reviews which raved this cd. I had to buy it to see for myself and was very disappointed. They compared this to Beck's Odelay? Yeah right! This doesn't even come close. To make a long story short, I sold this cd back to the used record store a few weeks later.

most all of the songs on here have the coolest, upbeat, artistic vibe. SPIN magazine put this as the number 1 album of 1997 (and OK Computer #2) they've since admitted to being embarassed by that, and rightfully so, but this IS a great album, and probably one of the top 5 of that year. it's a sound collage of an album, like "Odelay", or "Pauls Boutique", but it's more organic than those two, steering more towards live instruments. if you like that type of music, this'll be up your alley.

I had to write a little something just to bring up the average rating. To those of you who are upset because it's "weird" or "tacky" or reminiscent of "60's & 70's hippie music" - well, I suppose you're right, those are all reasonable descriptors of the album (except it really isn't all that weird.) But I don't see what's wrong with any of those things, at least taken in moderation. This is among my favorite albums of the 90s, an incredibly fun mixture of cheesy pop tunes, turn-table experimentalism, social consciousness, and off-kilter funk. Also check out Tjinder Singh's latest effort, the even funkier and slightly less innovative "People Power in the Disco Hour" (the band is called Clinton.)

The first two tracks are wonderfully upbeat and fun, combining pop/hip-hop beats with world (Eastern) sprinkles added in for flare. "Asha" is particularly catchy with one of the great lines in recent pop "everybody needs a bosom for a pillow...mine's on the 45." But the rest of the album falls short for me. The songs merely are boring hip-hop beats with what sounds like just some sitars and other "world music" textures added on as an afterthought. After repeated listens, the songs that were boring the first time don't reveal any new depth and are still boring. I just don't see, or rather hear, what all the hoopla is about. All that said, the album is better than most of the stuff that came out that year and would make a sound purchase if you're looking for some fun dorm-room music or background tunes for hanging out.

Brimful of Asha may be a pop classic, in both original and remixed form, but the rest of the album is poorly produced (it sounds very shoddy and underdone), the tracks are often lazy and disinteresting over-usages of technology, and it seems unsure what type of music it wants to be. I've tried, listened to it several times, but still it is an indistinct mess.

Well, at least now I know what he was saying! I'd first heard that song years ago when it got some radio play, and could not for the life of me figure out what Mr. Singh was talking about. Then, I heard it again recently on XM, I think it was channel 75 and the title and name of the group finally got to me.

Frank Sinatra used to say if you've got one song that everyone loves and wants to hear, you've got yourself a career. Well, Cornershop has moved on with other recordings and I daresay they've got one. "Brimful of Asha" is an irresistable pop hook, two guitar chords and the sampling work somehow add up to a good song. Asha for those who don't know if apparently Singh's muse, a Bollywood actress (who may be the woman on the cover, but I am not sure).

Cornershop is a melding of Indian culture, music and rhythms with Brit-pop sensitivity, and while it's fine for one song I'm sorry to say there's not much here that really moves me. The production sounds like it was done in somebody's bedroom. In a way that is not bad, sounds a bit organic, but in any case most of the songs after "Asha" just don't work for me.

I think you could say this was a start at better things for Cornershop, and I certainly hope so. I have in fairness not heard any other recordings, so I am sure the art will improve with time. For now, this is OK, but I was hoping for a bit more stretching out.