Demon Days by Goril
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Title: Demon Days
Artist: Gorillaz
Release Year: 2002
Genre: Rock, Hip-Hop
Track Listing: Intro — Last Living Souls — Kids With Guns — O Green World — Dirty Harry — Feel Good Inc. — El Mañana — Every Planet We Reach Is Dead — November Has Come — All Alone — White Light — Dare — Fire Coming out of the Monkey’s Head — Don’t Get Lost in Heaven — Demon Days
Run Time: 52 minutes
Review: The late 90s saw an explosion of “virtual” bands, most often animated characters that served as a front for real performers. Gorillaz is the only one of these that’s really still around, and there’s a good reason – they’re great at what they do. Their core membership is musically solid (and rooted with Blur’s Daman Albarn as the voice of 2D); their virtual presence (animated by Jamie Hewlett of “Tank Girl” fame) is colorful and usually tells a story within context of the album; and their guest talent ranges from Mos Def and Snoop Dogg to Lou Reed and Grace Jones. It’s dark pop, it’s super catchy, and it tells a story in a unique fashion.
Demon Days is Gorillaz second album, and their first foray into overt political tones. Released in 2002, it features De La Soul, Neneh Cherry, Roots Manuva, MF Doom, Ike Turner, Dennis Hopper (featrued in the track “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head”), the London Community Gospel Choir, and a children’s choir. The song “Feel Good Inc.” is probably the best known track, and is exemplary of much of their early work. “Kids With Guns” and “Dirty Harry” are more political in nature, being inspired by school violence and child soldiers. “November Has Come” is probably my favorite track on the album. The beat is slower, 2D’s chorus is hypnotic, and the hip-hop verse by MF Doom is smooth and funky. And the combined tracks of “Don’t Get Lost in Heaven” and “Demon Days” end the album with a choral flourish and an upbeat note.
Three words that describe this album: Eclectic, Funky, Catchy
Give this a try if you like… Blur, Danger Mouse, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Mike Snow
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Post by Sarah Baker, Circulation Assistant
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