Year: 2007

Track: ABOUT YOU NOW – SUGABABES

Comment: Sugababes v2 still plugging on. Still competently and rather showily produced, but the law of diminishing returns has hit hard here

Rating: C

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Year: 2006

Track: WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE – MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

Comment: I quite enjoyed that, not at all familiar with the Chemical’s oeuvre. Confident segue from a May-inspired military riff to Green Day indie and back again. Good stuff.

Rating: A-

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Year: 2005

Track: PUSH THE BUTTON – SUGABABES

Comment: Sugarbabes v2. Not bad, but not as good as Hole in the Head. Diminishing returns from the SBs

Rating: C+

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Year: 2004

Track: CALL ON ME – ERIC PRYDZ

Comment: Oh dear, more work out music with a video that verges on lycra-porn. Better than “Gym and Tonic” but only because of the Stevie Winwood sample, otherwise dross

Rating: D-

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Year: 2003

Track: HOLE IN THE HEAD – SUGABABES

Comment: Complete banger from SugaBabes v1.1. I know that they are completely manufactured, but I’m not too hung up on “authenticity”. We all know where the quest for the “authentic” ends up … prog rock.. and we really don’t want to go there.

Rating: B+

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Year: 2002

Track: DILEMMA – NELLY FEATURING KELLY ROWLAND

Comment: Nice slice of smooth urban groove. Mr Nelly does his best, but it’s Rowland’s vocal that lifts this above the ordinary.

Rating: B+

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Year: 2001

Track: BECAUSE I GOT HIGH – AFROMAN

Comment: Not heard that before, kinda fun in a stoner De La Soul way. Probably won’t play it again but it didn’t outstay it’s welcome

Rating: C+

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Year: 2000

Track: STOMP – STEPS

Comment: Finally I get a bit of disco, pity it’s third rate Steps disco. The backing track sounds like its lifted directly from the infinitely better “Everybody Dance” by Chic so I suppose I can always block out the vocal and listen to that

Rating: C-

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Year: 1999

Track: GENIE IN A BOTTLE – CHRISTINA AGUILERA

Comment: Christina before she got “Dirrty” and became a Cher tribute act. Accomplished sub-Britney single but nothing more than that

Rating: C+

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Year: 1998

Track: GYM AND TONIC – SPACEDUST

Comment: I initially had to go to YouTube for this and I wish I hadn’t. To quote YouTube commenter michealleacy “The worst and most pointless No.1 in the history of music. Who bought this shite?” And that’s being generous.

Rating: Z-

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