Gorillaz - D-Sides
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Free Music Notes for D-Sides
Free Music Review: A great, very complete compilation
Hit: 4 Stars
Unlike the band's first rare track compilation disc G-Sides, D-Sides is a longer, more significant chapter in the series of Gorillaz releases thus far. With two discs both close to an hour each in length, D-Sides delivers a glimpse at pretty much all of the non-album music which Gorillaz produced in between their debut and the release of Demon Days. Disc #1 features exclusively B-sides and tracks previously not released on CD, such as The Swagga (previously a Multimedia track only), We Are Happy Landfill (previously only available through a feature of the Gorillaz website which requires a DVD activation key), and Rockit (previously only featured as a music video). The other tracks on the first disc are all B-sides from CD singles, and Gorillaz completists such as myself will appreciate that absolutely every original Gorillaz track featured on the considerably rare Demon Days CD singles is now available for a much more reasonable price here on the D-Sides compilation. As for the remix disc, a few notable ones are absent (such as the Dirty Harry Chopper Remix or the Kids With Guns Tomboy Remix) but most of the finest mixes are present, namely the incredible Junior Sanchez Remix of Dare which I consider to be better than the original version. Only nine mixes are included on Disc #2, but all of them are of considerable length and sound more or less just as catchy as the original versions with entirely new beats and rhythms backing the Damon Albarn vocals. The only weak track is the Jamie T's Turn to Monsters mix, which sounds much too cluttered and barely contains a trace of the original melody and music of Kids With Guns. On Disc #1, most of the tracks sound almost more like Blur than Gorillaz due to an overall less electronic sound, but still offer plenty of awesome catchy rhythms and beats. My favorites of the first 13 tracks were Murdoc is God (a noisy, rebellious-sounding piece) and the demo version of Don't Get Lost in Heaven, which in my opinion is far superior to the version which was inserted onto Demon Days as track fourteen. Overall, D-Sides is an admirably complete compilation with some great Gorillaz music to offer. I would rate both discs four stars, and recommend this set for any hard-core Gorillaz fan.Free Music Review: Decent, but not for the faint of heart
Hit: 4 Stars
I downloaded this album (sans remixes) when it came out, and to be honest, I'm still not sure what to think. Don't get me wrong, I'd buy it all over again, but the compilation is definitely a mixed bag. The first disc is strongest at the start, with "People," "Hong Kong," "Highway (Under Construction)," and "Rockit" emerging as the real gems. From "Bill Murray" on, the tracks descend into a more experimental and dissonant style. None of the songs are bad per se, but if you're feeling a bit irate to begin with, some of these tunes will grind your nerves till you foam at the mouth and pound the "next" button on your player with reckless abandon. The only track that I feel could have been omitted is "Murdoc is God." Seriously, the shrieking guitar riffs sound like someone choking an army of harpies. "Stop the Dams" closes out the disc nicely, though, with a great accompaniment that showcases Albarn's haunting vocals.
Despite all its faults, D-Sides is a decent album (the first disc anyway. Can't really say much about the second as I haven't listened to it - but really, what's the point of remixing a Gorillaz song?) Don't buy it if you're just a casual listener - this is for true fans who don't mind slogging through a bit of musical muck to get a peak at what makes this phenomenal group tick.
Free Music Review: If you love Gorillaz, you should D-Side to buy D-Sides
Hit: 4 Stars
Gorillaz have had three hit albums with a handful of addictive singles on each of them. D-Sides is a great collection of alternative tracks, some of which were included as B-sides to hit singles. This two-disc set also features a collection of remixes and alternative versions of great hits like D.A.R.E., Feel Good Inc. and Kids With Guns. The Chinese New Year redo of Dirty Harry is entertaining and inherently funny, and a great listen.
"Rockit," which is included on the main disc, was actually released on its own by Gorillaz with an accompanying music video, and it's not listed on any of the regular LPs, so you have to get it here. This collection is a great break from the concepts and themes of the three studio albums if you're just looking to enjoy some great beats and typical Gorillaz style.
Free Music Review: Good mix of songs
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a pretty good compilation of Gorillaz songs, and most of the remixes are good. I didn't like the Jamie T. remix of "Kids with Guns", it ruined the song. I listen to the second disc more often, but the first one has good songs like "Highway", "Rockit", "Hongkongaton" and "Spitting out the Demons". "People", "Bill Murray" and "68 State" aren't too good IMO, they don't really have any direction lyrically, just kinda slow and repetitive. I paid less than the current price, and wouldn't say this set is worth $22.Free Music Review: Chillaz and Fillaz with the Gorillaz.
Hit: 3 Stars
By the underwhelming number of reviews for "D-Sides" I am guessing my review is going to be overlooked. Also believe that no one was sucker enough to buy "D-Sides", except myself, of course. Like last week's The Killers' "Sawdust", the Gorillaz "D-Sides" is hit and miss. I feel this is a cash grab since the band has only released two cds when no band should release a b-sides compilation until they have at least five albums under their belt.
That said, there are 22 tracks on the version I have. Amazon lists 23 tracks with "El Manana" appearing twice on the remixed second disc. I only have it once, and that's the "El Manana (Metronomy Remix)".
Disc One: For the most part I liked the first disc consisting entirely of b-sides. There aren't any tracks that have a wow factor, but some that stood out to me were the interesting seven minute "Hong Kong" and the much shorter "Hongkongaton". "Bill Murray" and "The Swagga" are fairly memorable as are "68 State", "People" and "Stop The Dams". They could have shredded and trashed the awful "Murdoc Is God" and the throwaway demo version of "Don't Get Lost In Heaven". Overall, I felt that the 13 tracks fluctuated between dub/ambient/hip hop that give the disc a chill out feel.
Disc Two: Nine remixes of songs we already have with "Dare" and "Kids With Guns" sharing three versions a piece. Right away I could have done without the 12 minute version of "Dare (DFA Remix)". Unless you are going to do something interesting with a song, there's no need for a 12 minute version of it. Likewise, the 10 minute version of "Kid With Guns (Quiet Village Remix)" was disposable. In fact, I didn't like the other two versions "Kids With Guns (Jamie T's Turns To Monsters Mix)" or "Kids With Guns (Hot Chip Remix)" either. "Dare (Soulwax Remix)" and "Dare (Junior Sanchez Remix)" were average. "Feel Good Inc (Stanton Warriors Remix)" didn't add anything to the original. "El Manana (Metronomy Remix)" was okay. The best song, really, was "Dirty Harry (Schtung Chinese New Year Remix)". The original was good, but this Chinese version with oriental instrumentation, made the song just different enough while retaining the essence of the original that I will probably only keep that song on my player.
In general, unless you're a hardcore Gorillaz fan, or you really like cutting room floor songs and remixes, I'd recommend passing on this one.