Love. Angel. Music. Baby.

Gwen Stefani

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 23, 2004)
• Original Release Date: November 23, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B00064AEJW
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (930 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,351 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On No Doubt's great Rock Steady, Gwen Stefani was a "girl that hangs with the boys... just sippin' on chamomile." Three years and a KROQ-nerd Talk Talk cover later, she presents a solo debut that wants it all--Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano, backseat love and lifetime devotion, '70s pop throwbacks and hip-hop beats as well as Clash adoration (she continues to be managed by the firm of Rebel Waltz, named for a mournful Sandinista! cut). Among the standout tracks are the stomping, Neptunes-driven "Hollaback Girl," the tongue-in-cheek Eve/Dr. Dre collaboration "Rich Girl," and the girl-power manifesto "What You Waiting For?"; another tune, "The Real Thing," nods toward role-model Madonna's "Holiday." Though it can't match Rock Steady's inexorable track-by-track flow, Love, Angel, Music, Baby is such state-of-the-art pop that the description almost feels like damning it with faint praise. --Rickey Wright

Product Description

In her own unique way, Gwen Stefani has managed to shift our culture since coming onto the scene as the lead singer of No Doubt. With years of defining style and 30 million in record sales under her belt, she will again turn heads with this debut record that is as fresh as it is retro and as progressive as it is feel-good familiar.

With this project, she has enlisted some of the biggest names in music (Dr. Dre, Eve, The Neptunes, Andre 3000, Nellee Hooper, Dallas Austin, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Linda Perry and Tony Kanal) to create a genre bending masterpiece that is guaranteed to be one of the most talked about records of this year (2004) and beyond.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars why?... dear god why, April 24, 2005

By	John H. Kalin (Blacksburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This album is amazingly awful. The most tolerable track, and the first single, was "whatcha waiting for"... I didn't care for it especially, but it wasn't all bad; I could shrug it off as an experimental phase for which we cant fault gwen.

After that we have "rich girl". The lyrics to this song seem like they were written in a different language then translated to three or four other languages before being translated to english. Of course I know that this is not the case. But generally you pick a decent song to cover, you can put all the seasonings you want on a piece of crap... but it's still a piece of crap.

Now we have "hollaback girl"... I've convinced myself that the only reason it gets any video play is because it has gwen in skimpy outfits that so excite 14-year-old boys. The lyrics of this song leave much to be desired. I like comparing it to the rap portion of blondie's "rapture"... but at least the rest of rapture was catchy. I mean... in the middle of this song, gwen repeatedly spells 'bananas'... it hurts it hurts.

Having said that, if you like the songs above you will like the album as a whole. But if that's the case, I fear for the future of popular music.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars New Twist on New Wave, December 2, 2004

By	A reader (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews

Let me just say first of all, that I'm not a No Doubt fan. I grew up in Orange County in the '90s when they were starting to get popular. As a teenager with a serious case of oppositional identity I found them grating and annoying.

However, I absolutely love New Wave so when I heard this album, some of the tracks instantly called to me. This stuff is nothing like No Doubt.

A few songs are just cringe-worthy bad..."Harajuku Girls" being most representative.

But a few just might get stuck in your head for good--my personal favorite is "Serious" which has every '80s nuance that you've heard before but can't quite remember from where.

The single "What You Waiting For" gets less interesting over time, unfortunately, but is still a strong track.

"The Real Thing" features Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook. For that reason, it sounds like Gwen Stefani singing a New Order song. Expect no surprises here but the emotion in her voice saves it from banality. (If you are looking to hear New Order then just pick up a New Order album...but if you REALLY want something new and you're tired of all your old '80s CDs then this might get your blood pumping again).

Basically, one shouldn't take this album too seriously. If you long for a little nostalgia and something to lift your spirits, then listen to tunes like "Bubble Pop Electric" or the Depeche Mode-sounding "Danger Zone" and remember the time when it was cool to spray Aquanet over your hair gel...

If you're looking for something deep and profound then you just might hate this. Some of the lyrics are so astonishingly bad that its tempting to throw this album in the wastebasket right away. When Gwen misses, she misses badly ("Hollaback Girl" makes me want to run for the hills), but as a serious student of New Wave, she hits every note perfectly.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars dear god what happened?!?!, January 9, 2005

By	tsk tsk tsk (sf, ca) - See all my reviews

If only there was a choice for 0 stars...

I would like to say that this girl is amazing on her own, but I can't. This cd is full of childish lyrics. The likes of which are more infantile than teen singers like avril levigne or hillary duff. It makes me wonder how so many people can just shake their head in disappointment at her lyrics and then shrug their shoulders and say "oh well, I LOVE it anyway." I would have hoped for more out of a matured woman and icon for the masses. What are you waiting for, Gwen? GROW UP. But as many of reviewers have said, "But it's about the music, right?"

With the music in mind, it is like she was a kid in the candy store. She overwhelmed herself with too many interests in various genres. I find her songs to sound weak in comparison to any of the ones they reflect. We all know that The Isley Brothers' song "Between the Sheets" holds it's on as being a great R&B beat that has been reused many a time. Gwen's lyrics and style of singing made me want to cry out in pain when juxtaposed with the chill beat. The same goes with her bastardization of New Order. I think my ears were literally bleeding. Her song "Crash" mimics that of 80's girl rappers, but how can she compare? Le Tigre did it so well. Fanny Pack is doing it well now. Even Peaches sounds like butter. Although this is her first solo album, I don't buy it as strong or groundbreaking. When Bjork split from the Sugarcubes and made her first album, "Debut," she quickly and solidly defined her style. From there she was able to evolve within her music over the years. Unfortunately, Gwen is still lost down the rabbit hole when it comes to finding her individual musical talent.