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Album Review
by SashaS
13-5-2002
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| Moby's '18' (songs) |
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Moby: '18'
(Mute)
Moby’s ‘18’ authenticates his Master Of the Best Y’all status
Moby’s album ‘Play’ shares one (dubious?) distinction with Dido’s album ‘No Angel’: each and every song has been licensed to movies, commercials or tele-programmes. Moby’s never appeared fazed with the fact that it propelled its sales to 10 million units (15 in Dido’s case) globally ‘cause he’s so levelheaded it is almost embarrassing. But then, he’s also a man who is well aware of his visual-disadvantage and readily admits that Gwen Stefani (of No Doubt, appearing in his vid-clip) helped him become “an MTV-face”. For all his off-stage humility, there is hardly anything modest when Moby boots up his studio ‘machinery’ for his one-man creative spell, with few guests.
Richard Melville Hall’s new disc ‘18’ “expands upon, updates and surpasses ‘Play’, moving through anthemic nu-new wave, sample centred gospel and blues, electro, funk, warm orchestration and lush instrumentals,” boasts the official press release and, uncustomary, it is – factual. The album also features a brilliant line-up of guest vocalists including Sinead O'Connor (spellbinding ‘Harbour’), Azure Ray, MC Lyte and Angie Stone.
First taste of ‘18’ was the Kraftwerk-meets-Pet Shop Boys-in-electro-disco of the single, ‘We Are All Made Of Stars’ and its video-clip featuring a number of familiar faces: Tommy Lee, Thora Birch, Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction (ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers), Vern Troyer (aka - Mini Me), Kato Kaelin (of the disgraced OJ Simpson’s murder trial) and Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges from 80’s TV show ‘Diff’rent Strokes’. A mix, like the music.
The rest of the album is a wide spectrum of sounds and topics – the New York City WTC disaster is subject of ‘Sleep Alone’ and ‘Sunday (The Day Before My Birthday)’, the latter being especially poignant as his DOB is 11 September – that have interested Moby over the career that’s stretching back over two decades. (And what he doesn’t sing about, his essays cover…)
It’s been a long slog to ‘sudden success’ of ‘Play’ that also brought the responsibility of maintaining it near the level of the previous album’s sales but he handles it well. There are rare moments when he lets his quality-control slip a bit – ‘Signs Of Love’ is too queen Elton-y – but not a majorly dramatic drop. There are many more gems, the choicest cut being ‘Extreme Ways’, an epic fusion of funky organ, hip-hop drums and lyrics about a life of excess.
Even if Moby simply made ‘Play II’, it would’ve been fine for some of the 10 million awaiting the next dosage… But he ain’t that kinda artiste.
8/10
SashaS
14-3-2005
Moby’s album ‘18’ is released 13 May 2002 on Mute
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