Kylie Minogue - Body Language

List Price: $18.98
Our Price: $5.94
You Save: $13.04 (69%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases

Music CD Cover

Free Music Notes for Body Language

Free Music Review: Deftly focused, fun, an amazing production
Hit: 5 Stars

Long review and why I need to recommend/justify Kylie: First of all let me say that I am not normally a "pop" fan in the vein of Britney, Madonna, Cher, etc..... so this isn't just another review from a typical top 40, teeny-bopper listener (I'm a 38 yo male). I have an extremely eclectic taste in music which runs from more "serious" artists like John Hiatt to jazz like Pat Metheny, Michael brecker, Miles Davis, to classical like Bach, Schubert, folks/art/blues Norah Jones, and "alternative" like, Morrissey/Smiths, the Jayhawks, Soundgarden, Henry Rollins. I love "good" music and cannot stand formulaic pop.
But who the hell decides on what is good? Ultimately music is about what hits you in the heart, the head, and sometimes the [bottom]. Kylie makes your heart heal when you are down, lifts the seriousness off your head when love gets too deep and hurts, and it does so while making your [bottom](and toes) move!
To tell the truth, I actually tried to GET AWAY from the Kylie over-hype a few years back, thinking oh, she's just another pop wanna-be, regurgitating the same old formula for pop success. I didn't want to be a victim. I did't care to see what her music was all about. It couldn't be that good I thought.
But after her appearance on Saturday Night Live with the song Can't Get you Out of My Head, I was a little intrigued. She seemed so sweet and humble to me despite it being the number 1 song in the world. Her 2nd song on the show seemed interesting, a disco song with a twist. Again, she performed it so unapologetically, so unassuming, without flash that I was knocked over by her becasue she DIDN'T try to knock me over.
So when a used CD came up at a local used CD store, I thought well let's see if it's there's anything to this Kylie character. I was flabbergastedly surprised. Virtually every song on the CD is quite good! The various emotions one goes through when in love is captured here, but of course set to a good beat. The thing I noticed most about Fever is that it is flaweless in its production. The production is actually quite complex and the sounds the musicians and artist generate are intricate and the weaving of the different elements are crisp and intrigueing. There are very seasoned artists in the production of this CD.
Kylie's music is not some deep earth-shattering life-altering work. But it does not pretend to be either. What it does accomplish is that is pop-art in it's highest purest form. Kinda like the Andy Warhol of music. It's fun, colorful, tongue-in-cheek (have you seen the costumes of the dancers in her videos????! They're so artistic and avant-garde and totally amazingly fresh). There are some out there (like me) who wouldn't think of owning this CD and placing it next to your Van Morrisons, U2s, and gasp! your Mozart. But all music is ultimately about the wide range of the human experience. It's nice to spend some time with Bach, and Norah Jones sometimes, but there are other times, when you need to just have fun and even feel a bit sensuous. And her last 2 CDs are at the apex of what a "pop" production can attain.
I was a former punk rocker in the 80's while in H.S. and Kylie to me is in a way like punk music at its most core. I remember that the punk bands wanted to MAKE music regardless of their musical pedigree, their musical "correctness", lyrical depth, even their musical ability. And sometimes their music and lyrics made no sense because they didn't think or care for what OTHERS thought (think B-52s and Devo). They played the hell out of whatever they had at their disposal. It's about being true to form and true to yourself. Artists enjoy making things and sharing something they want others to enjoy.

And that's what I get out of Kylie and the whole vibe she puts out. Kylie does not pretend to have the best voice, the best song-writing (although I think it is actually good and nuanced), or the most original sounds -- the same things the punk movement claimed should be their right: everyone should have the chance to MAKE music unconditionally. Kylie makes the MOST out of her 5'2" frame and she has embraced who she is and not what she is not. Therefore she can wear different personas, pretend to be a pop princess, sultry (...)-kitten etc. But I truly get this vibe from her that she just wants to entertain and it really comes across somehow in her music. She is not trying to make profound statements, I think her and her music is honest that way. And that comes across to me as integrity - set to a good beat. You'll have fun with these 2 CDs if you think this way about what I think she puts out as her vibe. She is not trying to be Britney or Madonna but if and when she does, who cares, enjoy it, hope you "get" tongue-in-cheek aspect of it. I've had the Fever CD now for 2 years and after listening to it hundreds of times (really) I've never tired of it. I can't the same of Outkast's song Hey Ya. Now I do love Outkast and that song but to me it does not seem have staying power in my head -- isn't it annoying anyone else by now?!
Kylie's Fever and now Body Language are both terrific CDs if you give them an honest chance and take it for what they are: pure polished pop gems delivered in a non-nonsense, a don't-take-yourself-too-seriously package. And that's the genius behind Kylie Minogue for me. If you listen to it or expect anything more "deep" than pop in its highest form and respect it as such, than you are spoiling the ride that's meant to be nothing more than a fun positive ride. Like Fever, 5 out of 5 stars!

Body Language Poster

Dance & DJ Music CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop