Dirty Vegas

Dirty Vegas

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 4, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000066HP6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,321 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Not exactly dance-pop as commonly defined by Erasure or the Pet Shop Boys, Dirty Vegas's self-titled album nonetheless fits into the genre. In fact, "trace-pop" is arguably the best definition, as it is the likely offspring of Madonna's Ray of Light and Electronic's seminal debut CD. Promising, yes, but the songs become rather indistinguishable from one another, mainly because the vocals--compressed and folky--lend a sameness to tracks that are otherwise diverse in tone and pace. About half the album really shines. "I Should Know" marries a thumping techno beat with a euphoric Disney-like wonderment. "7AM" boasts the best melody on the album. The instrumental "The Brazilian" showcases the song's strength underneath the homogenizing vocals. And finally, "Days Go By," featured in a popular car commercial, mesmerizes with synthesized bongos and cosmic rhythmic brush strokes. --Beth Massa

From URB Magazine

Realize it or not, but you and most of mainstream American society are already intimately aware of UK trio Dirty Vegas. Thanks to the increasingly interesting world of car commercials mining the best of left-field electronic music for their soundtracks, we now have the world's first band to debut as part of a Mitsubishi campaign. Their electro-heavy "Days Gone By" will instantly invoke images of that hot brunette in the sexy cap dancing her cute little butt off, pop-lock style, from the heavily rotated advert (apologies to those with better things to do than watch TV). So when track 4 rolls around, prepare for anyone within earshot to ask, "What is this song?" Marketers around the world simultaneously weep with joy.

For the most part, Dirty Vegas play up the notoriety by not straying too far from the template set by "Days Gone By," with dance-intensive tracks like "Throwing Shapes," sharing the Mitsubishi song's thick psychedelic undertones, gurgling electro bass tones and slightly treated vocals of Steve Smith. Still, these fellows have their eyes set on more than just the dance floor, as they delve into straight pop-rock songwriting on numbers like "All or Nothing" (think an album track from mid-period Genesis. If you can't, your dad might have some in the den) and an acoustic version of "Days Gone By." From there the album kicks into cruise control, riding the easy-listening thump of "Alive" and the higher BPMs of "7am." So you want to go for a ride?

Timothy Brown

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is good but not the best, July 3, 2002

By	Clarissa "MoonGoddess" (Ontario, California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Like most people I heard about Dirty Vegas through the Mitsubishi Eclipse commercial which featured the electronic dance hit, Days Go By. And while that song is really quite enjoyable, radio killed it after excess airplay. That's the main reason why I bought the album; to hear what else Dirty Vegas had to offer. What I heard, however, sort of surprised me. Now I'm not saying that I was disappointed... NO WAY!... it just shocked me to find a lot of acoustic and folk influences in addition to the dancy funk vibes expected. I actually feel that "Ghosts" is his most impressive song on here just because of its showcasing of both worlds with an acoustically folkish beginning that breaks through to infectious tech-pop. "7AM" and "The Brazilian" actually carry the hardest techno/trance beats with consistant flows that will turn your room into an all-night dance party while "Throwing Stones" has more of a progressive house sound that's quite addicting. I must explain, though, how this album is not entirely a dance album but rather trance-pop with the aforementioned acoustic guitars and folkish-pop singing. His voice even resemles that of David Gray...(at least to me...) My absolute favorite song, however, would have to "Simple Things Part 2" which samples some vocals from Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall pt. 2". I also really enjoy the acoustic version of "Days Go By" which is a break from the overplayed mainstream version.

Overall I feel that Dirty Vegas's debut album definitely has potential it just falls short when it comes to originality. I still recommend this album but when it comes to dance music there are much better things to choose from, such as Leftfield's LEFTISM, Kylie Minogue's FEVER and The Crystal Method's VEGAS. Don't let that disgruntle you, though, because this really is a good album. It's just not the best in its genre.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Musical Alchemy, July 12, 2002

By	James Calamera (Sebastopol, CA United States) - See all my reviews

It's likely that you're already familiar with the first release from the debut album by Dirty Vegas. Days Go By, an almost haunting pop house tune made popular by the 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse car commercial. You know, the one where the riders let loose with strange dance extensions to the throbbing beat with the simple but memorable lyrics..."you / you're still a whisper on my lips / a feeling at my fingertips / pulling at my skin... / days go by and still I think of you / days when I couldn't live my life without you / without you..." There's a touch of electronica, acoustic rock, and soulful vocals that you can bop to and yet somehow it's also relaxing. Yes, it's perfect driving music.

But Dirty Vegas is no one hit wonder. This is one of the best albums of the year. Here is modern musical alchemy pushing the edge of two popular genres- acoustic rock and dance. The British trio is comprised of Steve Smith (vocals/percussion/guitar), Paul Harris (keyboards/production) and Ben Harris (guitars/production). It's tempting to say that Steve's soulful singing and talented songwriting are what make this album shine. But Paul and Ben are musicians in their own right, Paul one of the top DJ's in London for the last decade, and Ben was once a guitarist in a band then moved on to produce house records. They've been doing remixes as The Hydrogen Rockers for a few years, but for some reason decided to change names for their debut album.

This album is difficult to categorize. There are soothing acoustic tracks like Candles and All or Nothing that gently rock with Steve's sultry vocals and percussion, and amazing rhythm guitar & bass work by Ben and Paul. I was often reminded of music by Seal, David Gray, and Duncan Sheik. Then there are interesting rock/electronic hybrids like Days Go By and I Should Know where the guitars and vocals seamlessly give way to catchy dance beats. Ghosts, the second single from the album (and perhaps the best song here) also fits into this hybrid category, showcasing the best of Steve's endearing vocals, a groovy baseline, and a sweet, galloping electronic beat.

The album falls short of greatness on two instrumental tracks, Throwing Shapes and The Brazilian. Sounding like "B" sides of beat-heavy techno records, cutting these ten minutes would benefit the album. But two bad apples don't ruin the whole bunch, so don't let that stop you from grabbing this stylish gem that is as hip and sexy as the glossy, 80's retro art that comprises the album jacket by photo realist painter Richard Phillips.

The album closes with two great tracks that underline this trio's strengths. The Simple Things, Pt. Two again melds beats, a groovy baseline and great singing/songwriting. Take these words to heart, fellas, and drop those tech-heavy instrumental tracks. "It's the simple things that make you smile" Smith sings... and just as the song nearly finishes, he breaks into lines from Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall. It comes across with spontaneity, and whether this was improvisation in the recording studio or not, it somehow all works. The album then closes with an acoustic-only version of Days Go By. I've been listening to this album for more than two weeks now, and it continues to grow on me. Go ahead and get Dirty. This may very well be the best album of the year.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All or nothing - this album is just groovy, June 8, 2002

By	Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I think by now we all have heard "Days Go By" in the Mitsubishi car ad with the young people heading out to go clubbing. The song itself is just fantastic. It blends the best of house music with chillout music. The beats are rapturous and the vocals are heavenly to listen to. I will admit that I picked up "Dirty Vegas" for that song alone. Now that I have heard the entire cd, I have to say that "Dirty Vegas" is the dance album of the year. I dont' count Kylie Minogue's "Fever" because it was released late last year. Like I have said before, "Dirty Vegas" blends the best of house music with chillout music. Danceable yet you can still chillout listening to this album at the same time. The vocals are so smooth that the listener would almost die listening to. I love how Dirty Vegas sampled Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall pt.2" for "Simple Things Part 2". Then there is the hidden track of the acoustic version of "Days Go By" which just threw me for a loop. I didn't expect to hear that which is a good thing. I totally dug hearing an acoustic version of the dance-pop hit "Days Go By". Truly unique for a dance song. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this album a whole lot. I definitely have to say that it is one of the best albums to come out this year.