Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)

Groove Armada

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 11, 2001)
• Original Release Date: September 11, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jive
• ASIN: B00005NNQO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,777 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Dance & Electronic > Trip-Hop

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Following a tide of critical acclaim and numerous appearances on every other chill-out compilation since records began, Groove Armada's Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub) has an awful lot to live up to. Vertigo, released in February 2000, was a phenomenal success, critically and commercially, spawning hits like "If Everybody Looked the Same" and the sun-drenched "At the River." Having found their niche in downbeat, Groove Armada explore the style even further on Country. The opening track, "Suntoucher," is a slow-burning dub plate, featuring Jeru The Damaja, which breaks out a supercool horn riff midway through. It's a fantastic start to the album, but it does begin to feel a little long as the song unspools. Even the slightly more uptempo numbers, like first single "Superstylin'" and "Fogma," don't rush into anything, building slowly before the bass hook and drums kick in with a lukewarm impact. Goodbye Country is another musical triumph for Groove Armada, with every track as good as the one before. Still, it's a shame they veer so strongly in a downbeat direction, as they mostly leave behind the quirky house style that helped distinguish their earlier work. --David Trueman

From URB Magazine
If there's one thing to love about Groove Armada's latest offering, it's that we can finally - and happily - move past the overused "Shakin' That Ass" references. It may not be a strong case for picking up the album, but it may be the best excuse. After all, it's hard for any band with the hype Groove Armada garnered with Vertigo to answer back with an equally satiating follow-up. Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub) (not an exception, by the way) more than else proves that despite the possibility for creative ingenuity, recording in a vacuum doesn't always work (the Brit duo holed themselves up for nine months in the studio for this album). You risk compiling a cafeteria plate of items, which this is.

For example, "Suntoucher" is an ineffectual hip-hop tune that falls flat. "Fogma" has a body-bouncing groove that we've heard too many times before and is at least a minute too long. "Join Hands" is a buttery kiss tainted with bad breath in the form of boring vocals underlined by easy drums. But when there are moments, they strike and wittingly pull bodies off seats. The rubbery "Superstylin'" is the "I See You Baby" of the album, with its thunderous, gritty bass nets and surprise video-game ending. Soul man Richie Havens saves "Little By Little" with his husky vocals. Side dishes include the self-reflective, solemn "Lazy Moon" and "Edge Hill" (both of which could have come from collabos with Air) and "Drifted," an open-space, Beach Boys-on-downtempo sunny seaside number. It's desserts like these that make a mediocre album worth the trip back, if you're still hungry, that is.

Phuong-Cac Nguyen

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goodbye "Shake Your Ass" Hello "Best of 2001", October 8, 2001

By	diro (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

The duet of Groove Armada is back and their sophomore release is a much more mature and complex piece of work then their critically acclaimed 1999 release, "Vertigo". (Reviewer's note: I thought Vertigo was one of the best CDs I picked up that year)

"Goodbye Country" fuses a blend of soulful-hiphop, house vibes, dub-style beats, down tempo rhythms, and nicely orchestrated traditional instruments. This album has much more depth and width to it than Vertigo. While there are enough tracks that could easily be played at your favorite dance hall for pumping beats (Suntoucher, Superstylin, Fogma, Raisin' the Stakes), there are several tracks which are downtempo enough for those late Sunday afternoons and late night chill sessions (Healing, Edge Hill, Join Hands). What is most evident in Groove Armada's latest release is the variety of musical talent and cross-section of musical styles that were gently and delicately incorporated together.

This is probably the best new release of 2001 that I have picked up this year, hands down. Cato and Findlay won't disappoint. Set the EP speed on "groove" and enjoy. Moving in stereo - d.i.roberts

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This CD blew me away, May 18, 2003

By	Rob Banzai (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

I had heard maybe one track from this CD on internet radio and decided to dive in and buy it.
I was blown away. The styles are amazingly varied from song to song without the transitions seeming jarring. Production is great with layered sounds straight through and you have everything from dance/hip hop to softer ambient stuff.
A solid, solid album.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get into This "Groove.", August 13, 2002

By	The Groove (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

In a world of connect-the-dots pop, Groove Armada offers an alternative to the instant gratification dance music that dominates our airwaves. "Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)" is a winning hodgepodge of soul, hip hop, house, and pop that reaffirms the group's status as one of the leading names in down-tempo electronica. Merging electronic beats with real instruments, the tracks feature warm vocals, textured melodies, and bangin' beats. They soothe the soul like a tall glass of iced tea in July. Like most novices, my first exposure to Groove Armada was through a handful of chillout albums I own. Intrigued by their work, I decided to grab this CD, and from the first beat I was impressed. There's the familiar tune "My Friend," but the disc reaches its high point on the downright funky "Raisin' The Stakes." Elsewhere, the disc is as smooth as a brush of velvet. Get into this groove and buy this CD today.