This album has more hands on it than any album I’ve seen in a long time. There are seven producers and arrangers employed to make it one of the most polished albums you’ll hear all year. They are William Orbit (Madonna, Beth Orton, Blur, and Ricky Martin), Marius De Vries (Fiona Apple and Madonna), Rick Nowels (‘NSYNC and Madonna), Rhett Lawrence (Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson), Craig Armstrong (U2), Patrick McCarthy (Madonna and Ricky Martin), and Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, and Tom Petty). Pretty impressive, indeed. The most obvious trend is the use of Madonna’s producer and writers; it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Mel C. idolizes her.
The first track, “Go!”, is actually good. I’m surprised yet not too surprised. And I think the most impressive aspect of all of this is Mel’s voice. It is better than I had anticipated. After hearing the Geri Halliwell vocal fiasco, I didn’t expect much from another Spice Girl. “Goin’ Down” is a twisted piece. Distorted vocals, guitars raring, and rayguns blasting make for one interesting track.
“I Turn To You” is mysterious. It goes from being gentle into a full-fledged dance track. It’s wildly entertaining. A few slow tracks meet in a row and bore me to tears. Then comes the Turtles-meet-Oasis, “Suddenly Monday”. This track is so beautiful, reminiscent of the great happy tunes from the ’60’s. It marches along with a well-intentioned temperament that brings my scowl to a smile.
“Ga Ga” is a silly title, but not a dopey song. Instead of being sloppy, silly, and lovey-dovey, it’s exactly the opposite. The closing song, “Feel The Sun”, is a beautiful and fitting end to what is a thrilling album. I was exhausted after listening to most of it due to its pace. The ups and downs are draining, both physically and emotionally. If someone had told me this morning that I would be enjoying a Sporty Spice album, I would have called them crazy. Maybe I am crazy, but I like it.
+ rae gun
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