One record at a time: 55. Chromeo - Head Over Heels

This is my third attempt at writing this post as I have been struggling to address the criticism of this album and its apparent attitude towards relationships and women. Having got myself lost in the arguments on either side, I have decided to simply offer my conclusion.

I consider Chromeo to be an 'act' in which Dave and Pee are playing parts (even their adopted Dave One and Pee Thugg monikers point to this). At the centre of this performance is a reflection on the absurdity of geeky guys entering into relationships with beautiful, confident and glamorous women. Their tales of failed relationships and sexual politics are part of the joke rather than being a reflection of their attitudes. I think Chromeo are delivering a self deprecating satire wrapped in an earnest desire to produce great music. Everything is delivered 'tongue in cheek' to make you dance with a smile on your face.

Originally I had a paragraph here discussing the cover image and the arguments around it. Again, I have decided to remove the text and just offer my conclusion that, however successful (or not) you judge it to be in redressing the balance, it was well intended.

On the musical side, pockets of existing fans seemed to regard this album as being overly commercial or too pop for their taste. When an artist sets out to produce a "bona fide all-stars album" with "top 40 producers" they are clearly setting their sights on increasing their commercial appeal. As a consequence, some long term fans who were initially attracted to a different attitude and sound are bound to be disappointed. Personally, I like the polished nature of this album and I enjoy its more pop orientated approach. However, I do agree with some fans who felt that there were too many collaborators and guest vocalists diluting the aesthetic. As good as this album is, there's always a little bit of sand in the Vasoline. 

Chromeo Live: highly recommended

Another issue I have with this album is the use of profanity. Whilst previous albums may have contained a cheeky one liner or an occasional mild swear word, this record is strewn with some quite strong expletives. Whilst I am not a prude (and have even been known to utter the occasional four-letter-word myself), I feel Chromeo are more sophisticated than this. To my mind, Chromeo's music is characterised by funky beats, retro synth styling and great melodies. They should leave the swearing to Snoop.

Having said that, "Head Over Heels" was on constant rotation in my house during the summer of 2018 and it remained so for most of the proceeding winter. My personal favourites are "One Track Mind", "Bad Decision" and "Room Service". The lead single "Juice" is an excellent example of the band's funk/pop/electronic hybrid sound and even the interlude "Right Back Home To You" is better than most bands could produce.

I own the limited edition yellow vinyl which was released in the band's home country of Canada. I imported my copy direct from Last Gang Records which saw the thieves at Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Royal Mail almost double the cost of the record with tax and arbitrary charges.  

I also went to see the band on tour in October 2018 and they were brilliant. Chromeo don't visit England very often and when they do it is largely for festival appearances. Fortunately, I saw them at one of the two headline shows on the tour. The performance and the musicianship were outstanding; I would recommend them very highly as a live act (the support act were a bit weird though). 4/5

One record at a time: 54. Chromeo - White Women

Recently I found myself reading an interview with Dave and Pee where they mention the influence of Helmut Newton and his book "White Women". As I read this things fell into place: the images used on the artwork for "Business Casual", their unique keyboard stands and the title for this album all suddenly made sense.

This record is the European version which was released on 180g double vinyl in 2014. This is another album I don't own on CD and this continues to cause me slight anxiety. It is worth noting that the running order on the vinyl is different from the CD and digital version. I presume this change was dictated by the amount of space on each disc and the desire to cut the album with as much dynamic range and volume as possible. The sound reproduction is good (without being outstanding) and there is little or no surface noise. 

Every successive Chromeo album raises the bar in terms of songwriting and production, and this one is no different. The production by the band and Oligee is excellent and as an admirer of Dave Bascombe, it was a pleasant surprise to see he mixed the majority of tracks. There are several pop orientated songs here and according to last.fm "Jealous (I Aint With It) remains their second most popular song amongst listeners. Another single "Old 45's" is the other significant highlight that would draw in the more casual listener. Personally, I like the final track "Fall Back 2 U" and their second collaboration with Solange Knowles "Lost On The Way Home". I can happily let this album play through from start to finish without feeling the need to skip a track. 4/5

One record at a time: 53. Chromeo - Business Casual

I was shopping one evening (more accurately I was following my wife around as she shopped for clothes) when this album began to play in a shop. I was aware the record had been released, but I had decided that there wasn't enough in Chromeo's previous efforts to warrant purchasing it. How wrong I was.

By track three (we were in the shop a long time) I had resolved to find the nearest record outlet and buy a copy immediately. 

Fortunately I didn't get to buy the CD that night as I may have just ended up with a vanilla copy of the UK CD. Instead I later acquired an imported copy of the deluxe edition from the USA. I have no idea where I bought the CD from, but I do remember enjoying it. In 2014 I ordered a copy of the vinyl from amazon. 

To my mind this album is where we finally meet the real Chromeo. The production is highly polished and there is an amazing confidence in the performance. Whereas previous albums featured a selection of semi-instrumental grooves, "Business Casual" contains nothing but highly competent songs with impressive vocals. Tracks such as "Night By Night", "Don't Turn The Lights On" and "I'm Not Contagious" combine toe tapping beats, clever hooks and a unique sense of humour. 

"When The Night Falls" sees Solange Knowles sing a couple of lines and some ad libs to great effect. As a composition this song is highly underrated and it deserves a wider audience. The next two tracks feature orchestral arrangements with "J’ai Claqué La Porte" being the most successful. So there isn't a bad track on the album but you might need a few plays to fully appreciate some of these ear worms. 4/5

One record at a time: 52. Chromeo - Fancy Footwork

I bough the CD of this album back in 2008, but this 10th anniversary vinyl came out in 2017. I seem to remember this was only released in North America and I had to import it at considerable expense. 

This is a double 180g, white vinyl edition which includes 7 additional remixes and is titled "Fancier Footwork". The sound is great but there are some brown smears on side one which detract from the visual appeal (without affecting the audio). In fact, I haven't bought many white records that are free of imperfection. It must be hard to manufacture.

On this LP, things have moved on a bit from their debut as, whilst the songs may not yet be as polished as later efforts, Dave seems to have found his voice. The title track is a good example of the band's increasing confidence to write and deliver their unique flavour of funk. If you compare the version of "Fancy Footwork" on this album to the recent live version on "Date Night", you can hear how Dave and Pee continue to turn up the wick and have developed into consummate showmen. This album was the first step on that journey to electronic funk perfection.

The only other tracks from this period that the band continue to play are "100%" and "Bonafide Lovin" which are good songs revealing an increasingly complex sonic pallet. Other highlights are "Momma's Boy" and "My Girl Is Calling Me (A Liar)" which demonstrate the bands sense of humour alongside their ability to create a stunning groove. 

I almost forgot. The second disc has remixes of various album tracks alongside a collaboration with D.J. Mehdi titled "I am Somebody". Surprisingly most of the remixes are very good and many have an element of the French house sound. The best tracks are probably the MSTRKRFT remix of "Tenderoni" and Lifelike's remix of "Needy Girl". 3/5

One record at a time: 51. Chromeo - She's In Control

I discovered Chromeo as they were a recommendation on last.fm based on my listening habits. I seem to have first dipped my toes in the water with "Needy Girl" and "Me and My Man" from their first album "She's In Control". 

As per my usual pattern before 2015, I bought the CD and acquired this vinyl more recently. The sound quality on this European double vinyl is best described as 'variable', but it is generally adequate.

Whilst this album has great songs with solid production, they sound rather sparse and a little naive when compared to the highly polished funk the band produce today. The beats are a little too 'retro' and some tracks fail to evolve further than the initial idea. There are a lot of instrumentals or songs that feature heavily processed vocals too. The real Dave One hadn't yet emerged from the chrysalis on "You're So Gangsta" or "Woman Friend". A personal favourite is "Rage!" which is a clear precursor to the catchy funk they would go on to perfect on albums like "White Women" and "Head Over Heels". Whilst I like this album, it serves more as a historical document to chart the rise of the band, rather than being amongst the Funklordz best. 2/5

One record at a time: 50. The Chemical Brothers - No Geography

We've finally come to the tenth and last LP by The Chemical Brothers in my collection, "No Geography". Personally, I'm not a fan of the artwork for this album and I can't understand why they have reused a photo from the booklet of a Godley and Creme album. It's not as if this image has particular artistic merit or conveys something no other photo could. Anyway, the packaging is OK and even the vinyl sounds good to say it is pressed by GZ Media.

As I dropped the needle and "The Eve of Destruction" began to play my 5 year old daughter ventured out of her room to ask, "What is that robot saying Daddy?" We skimmed over the rapping in Japanese. As confusing as this track may be, the bass guitar is brilliant and Mark Ralph deserves special mention. Whilst "Bango" and the title track tick along quite nicely, they are a mere prelude to the amazing sound of "Got To Keep On". I could listen to this song all day and it is definitely in my top 3 tracks the band has ever created. The visuals that accompany this song live are very effective and I was mesmerised by them when I saw the band live in 2019. 

Elsewhere "Gravity Drops" sounds like a bad copy of B12 and "Free Yourself" fulfils the quota for a song with annoying sample. "MAH" is an acid workout featuring a great sample from an old El Coco record and comes highly recommended. This album conforms to the usual Chemical Brothers formula of closing with something downbeat by including "Catch Me Falling". I generally find these tracks rather disappointing but this time it sounds like a perfect denouement. Like its predecessor, this album has relatively few collaborations with vocalists and it sounds all the better for it. I look forward to their next offering. 3/5

One record at a time: 49. The Chemical Brothers - Born In The Echoes

This album came out at a time when I made the momentous decision to stop buying CDs and concentrate on vinyl and digital files. Therefore "Born In The Echoes" is the first album by The Chemical Brothers that I don't own on CD. I still feel nervous about this; its almost as if I don't really own it without a shiny silver silver disc to prove it. 

Whilst the vinyl here seems to have eleven tracks, the digital version on my PC has two additional songs and two extended mixes. I'm not sure if the download is the one that came with the album or if it was acquired from, ahem, 'another source'.

I've seen people on the internet describing this record as sounding "nothing like a Chemical Brothers album", whilst others go as far as branding it their worst work. Conversely you can also find praise for the typical nineties big beat sound of tracks such as "I'll See You There" and "A Taste of Honey" and the album in general.

The dichotomy of opinion on the album is illustrated quite well by the track "Wide Open". This collaboration with Beck is rightly lauded as the best song on the album, but it is also criticised for being 'pop' and not conforming to the typical Chemical Brothers sound. Seems you just can't win.

Personally I like a lot of what this album has to offer. The afore mentioned "Wide Open" is indeed the best track on here, but "EML Ritual", "Go" and "Sometimes I Feel So Deserted" are also great tracks. "Reflexion" revives The Chemicals love of an really annoying synth riff (à la "Swoon") but they just about get away with it.

This album has a more 'electronic' feel and I really like that. The more typical nineties sounding tracks on this album are probably the weakest as they are put into such stark contrast by the superlative "Wide Open". The Chemical Brothers probably took big beat to some kind of zenith in the late nineties and I really don't need another "Block Rockin' Beats". However, I do need another "Wide Open" and I for one hope that there will be another Beck collaboration one day. 4/5