Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Almost 4 stars..., May 30, 2002
I was torn, but despite the fact that there are couple briliant songs on here, the whole CD doesn't quite come together well enough to give it 5 stars. I first heard the band when I Touch Myself came out, and I was surprised such an overt song would get airtime on mainstream, Canadian AM radio. The song is more than just a bubble gum pop song -- when you think about it, it's a very empowering song celebrating female sexuality, a subject that is usually considered taboo. I like Lay Your Body Down for the same reason. I'm On Your Side is one of my favorite ballads. Overall, however, even though the rest of the songs aren't bad, they aren't anything brilliant, either. A good, solid, standard rock album that you won't be disappointed in, though it likely won't warrant heavy rotation in your CD player, either.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different, but a success, January 24, 2005
By the time this album came out, gone were the days of Christina Amphlett wearing rat pins, frumpy schoolgirl outfits and a mass of seemingly unwashed hair. She was now a full-fledged sexpot, and wasn't afraid to show it.
That is why it was hard to dive into this album without expecting disappointment. The band worked so well before that this one, with all of its changes, had to be a step down, right? Not really.
While it's not as good as "Desperate," "What a Life" and "Temperamental," "diVINYLS" is a stellar collection of music. The songs are sleeker and sexier than before, really giving Christina a chance to show off her rocker babe charm.
"I Touch Myself," the one everybody knows, is a perfectly crafted pop song. It is disappointing, though, that this is the one they're known for as it is rather unrepresentative of their overall sound.
"If Love Was a Gun" is a beautiful slow song in which Christina goes from sounding fragile and on the verge of tears to like an enraged siren. "I hope there's an angel watching over you," she repeats with conviction, and you can't help but wonder whether she means it as a heartfelt prayer or a bitter warning.
"Follow Through" is a song that really grows on you -- at first it seems rather unexciting but after a few listens you start to feel it. It's got a mellow vibe that's complimented perfectly by Christina's pensive lyrics and subtle vocal delivery.
"Bless My Soul" is the closest thing to a real rocker here, and with its tongue-in-cheek rock-n'-roll-is-sin-lyrics, it is a lot of fun.
"Love School" and "Lay Your Body Down" are melodic, moody and sexy. If you never saw Ms. Amphlett as a temptress, take a listen to these.
"Make Out Alright" and "Bullet" are smooth mid-tempo numbers, while "Need a Lover" has a toe-tapping groove set to whimsical lyrics regarding Christina's search for romance through fairy-tale circumstances.
There is nothing here that has the urgency of "Boys in Town," the new wave melody of "Only Lonely," or the hard-hitting rock of "Temperamental," but it is nevertheless an essential Divinyls recording. The other albums are Christina straddling the line between holding your hand and spitting in your face. Here, she is giving you a nice big kiss.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sultry, December 20, 2002
That is the best way to describe the self-titled release from the Divinyls. With Christina Amphlett's sultry, powerful voice, and Mark McEntee's guitar work, this album really isn't that bad. We've all heard the song and seen the video that left little to the imagination, but the album is actually more than just that. I applaud the Divinyls for "I Touch Myself" because there is a tendency in this country to be too uptight. At the same time though, I like music, and don't want to waste my money on shock.There are several pretty good songs on here that will make it worth your money. Personally, I like a female singer who can belt out tunes with raw tenderness, and Amphlett fits that bill. Her voice is a bit deeper, with a hint of her native Australian accent to flavor it. She's has a great growling tremolo that can be heard in the acappella opening of "Bless My Soul (It's Rock-N-Roll)". Amphlett alone doesn't make this band any good. She has a well-rounded guitarist in McEntee behind her. He's a very solid guitarist that focuses mostly on rhythm with some brief exploits into soloing. Within each song he is good a varying the rhythm just a bit, sticking in an extra strum here and there, to keep it interesting. He lays down some cool grooves on "Lay Your Body Down", "Bullet", "Bless My Soul" and "Follow Through". This album is good rock and roll from the pre-Seattle explosion. It is worth more than their infamous song, and is a good listen.
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