With the current trend for serious young men thrashing their guitars and with the stadium set earnestly gnawing their knuckles over Third World debt, you may be forgiven for wondering whether Popular Music is ever going to be fun and sexy again. I mean I like Pink Floyd but when their reformation becomes the main talking point and the best set at Live Aid 2005 you must wonder.
If you are in need of some glitz and glamour you may care to indulge yourself in the sci-fi comic strip world of PRINCESS SUPERSTAR. ‘My Machine’ represents the larger than life performer’s fifth long-player and is something of a departure from her normal Hip Hop heavy releases. Sure there is plenty of that genre and its Rapping sister act but PRINCESS SUPERSTAR has obviously been expanding her tastes to take in rock, punk, metal and other dance styles to flesh out the 25 tracks on this lengthy concept album. It also helps that she’s been hanging out with the likes of Felix Da Housecat, Jacques Lu Cont and Arthur Baker (who executively produces).
The album’s ‘concept’ is of a dastardly plan by MS. SUPERSTAR to clone herself 10,000 times in order to become the sole entertainer on the planet and beyond, monopolising all Media and eliminating everyone who stands in her way: including clones who show signs of ageing. Essentially a critique of the pointless cult of celebrity and the sad sacks of the world who live their lives vicariously through these powder puffs ‘My Machine’s’ protagonist is a female Ziggy Stardust for the 21st Century with the attitude of Grace Jones. Whilst popping the egos of celebs is hardly a ground-breaking innovation it is obvious that PRINCESS SUPERSTAR – someone in ‘The Biz’ and a complete show-off in her own right – is in a better position to put some spice and thought into bursting their collective bubbles than bitchy hacks rehashing tabloid tit-bits for glossy weeklies.
‘My Machine’ is laudably ambitious and like a certain beverage makes a refreshing change but unsurprisingly for such grand largesse this bold musical offering is not without its flaws. The main problem is the running time: well over one hour and counting. It’s hard work sitting through the whole piece mainly because its ‘in your face’ attitude would benefit from some breathing space and a change of mood now and again. And while the concept is easy to grasp it is laboured as if PRINCESS is unsure of the IQ of her audience and feels the need to repeat her ideas on a regular basis. However, there is also much fun to be had with her caustic and unreserved observations that ignore PC agendas: to wit, ‘Famous’ and its piss-take of divas, male and female replete with a suitably soulless and whiny chorus line of “I wanna be famous”. And you’ve got to love a song that begins with the narcissistic line “Oh my God…I mean…oh my Self” (I’m So Out Of Control).
|
Musically there are great highlights: the ironic jollity of ‘Quitting Smoking Song’, the Goldfrapp-like electronic stomp of ‘I’m So Out Of Control’ and ‘Coochie Coo’ (a Goldfrapp title if ever I heard one), the old school beats and backing track of ‘Perfect’ and the punk disco epic ‘The Happy’ (that wouldn’t look out of place on a compilation featuring The Rapture and Radio 4).
Stylistically covering territory occupied by everyone from Kelis to Gwen Stefani via Debbie Harry, Eminem and Missy Elliot PRINCESS attacks each track with breathless aplomb and is clearly enjoying every moment in her mega global spotlight. You’ll be hard pushed to find a better ‘performance’ on record this year. In fact, taken as a whole, ‘My Machine’ is a far more rewarding listening experience than say having to sit through Coldplay’s ‘X&Y’, certainly less po-faced and far more entertaining.
So whilst ‘My Machine’ is sporadic, often misses the mark and overplays its ideas, the lyrical and musical highs are more than compensatory. In fact with a little judicial editing it’s easy to make yourself a very good album from the material on offer, clocking in at around the 40 minute mark. Indie kids will hate it, mind.
|
