Day 61 equals Now! #61, which came out on 25th July 2005.
Hoping for some festival rock anthems here and not too much saccharine pop! Fingers crossed.
Track 1: James Blunt – You’re Beautiful
Overplayed and ludicrously saccharine, but it’s been parodied so much and become so infamous that I actually find it quite funny now.
Track 2: 2Pac and Elton John – Ghetto Gospel
Track from 2Pac’s posthumous 2004 album. It samples Indian Sunset, hence the Elton John credit. The sample is beautifully used, and works really well with the rap here.
Track 3: Coldplay – Speed Of Sound
Nice tune, nice piano, nice atmosphere. Quite like this one.
Track 4: Gorillaz and De La Soul – Feel Good Inc
Great beat, great danceable track. Good stuff.
Track 5: The Black Eyed Peas – Don’t Phunk With My Heart
There’s a bit too much going on here for me, but the sung vocal is quite nice.
Track 6: Audio Bullys and Nancy Sinatra – Shot You Down
Yes, their grammatically correct name should be ‘Audio Bullies’. Urgh.
The track is basically a remix of Nancy Sinatra’s version of Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down). The sample is great, but the rest of the track is pretty dull.
Track 7: Jem – They
Oh, it’s this one! Really like the vocal harmony hook that runs throughout the track.
Track 8: Natalie Imbruglia – Shiver
It’s quite a nice atmosphere, but the tune’s not interesting enough for me.
Track 9: KT Tunstall – Other Side Of The World
Boring tune, and it’s too acoustic-y for me.
Track 10: Oasis – Lyla
Bland Oasis-by-numbers track. Nothing interesting here at all.
Track 11: Razorlight – Somewhere Else
Nice anthemic festival rock, really like this one.
Track 12: Bodyrockers – I Like The Way
Love the guitar riff, but it takes until the chorus for the track to get going properly.
Track 13: Kaiser Chiefs – Everyday I Love You Less And Less
It should be ‘every day’, not ‘everyday’.
It’s a great song though – that first Kaiser Chiefs album was really good. I remember seeing them play an awesome set at T in the Park 2005.
Track 14: Caesars – Jerk It Out
Oh, it’s this one! Great hook, great tune – really like this track.
Track 15: The Killers – Smile Like You Mean It
Not the most exciting track off the Hot Fuss album, but it’s still a really nice song.
Track 16: Hard-Fi – Hard To Beat
Really like this track – interesting tune, good beat.
Track 17: Weezer – Beverly Hills
Good rock beat, but the tune’s a bit lacking for me.
Track 18: Rob Thomas – Lonely No More
I quite like the tune until it gets to the uninspired chorus.
Track 19: The Magic Numbers – Forever Lost
At the time, I was really not keen on the Magic Numbers as I found their stuff very twee. I’m still not the biggest fan, but I don’t hate this track as much as I used to. The tune’s okay.
Track 20: Jack Johnson – Good People
Not my kind of thing – it’s too acoustic-y and I’m not keen on the tune.
Track 21: U2 – Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
Nice tune, but it’s too slow for my liking.
Track 22: Akon – Lonely
The sample of the sped-up chipmunk version of Bobby Vinton’s Mr Lonely is inspired, and the rest of the track’s okay to listen to.
Track 23: Mario – Let Me Love You
Boring, generic tune. Not my kind of thing.
Track 24: Gwen Stefani and Eve – Rich Girl
Interesting vocals, great take on If I Were A Rich Man. It’s actually a cover of the Louchie Lou and Michie One song from 1993, but I’m not familiar with that version.
Track 25: Will Smith – Switch
Great beat, but the song’s a bit dull.
Track 26: MVP – Roc Ya Body (Mic Check 1 2)
Really like the sung vocals on the chorus, and it’s got a good beat.
Track 27: Mariah Carey – It’s Like That
Generic tune, not keen on this one.
Track 28: Nelly – N Dey Say
Love the sample of Spandau Ballet’s True, but the rap over the top just annoys me.
Track 29: Bobby Valentino – Slow Down
Boring tune, nothing redeeming here.
Track 30: Faith Evans – Again
Not keen on the tune – just find it very bland.
Track 31: Joss Stone – Don’t Cha Wanna Ride
Good beat, but again the tune’s pretty dull.
Track 32: Roll Deep – The Avenue
I like the sample of ’80s hit Heartache Avenue, though I’m not too keen on the rap over the top. This seems to be a theme today.
Track 33: Charlotte Church – Crazy Chick
This was the album where Charlotte Church basically rebelled against her wholesome opera-voiced kid image and went pop instead. The song’s a bit twee, and the tune’s nothing special.
Track 34: Rachel Stevens – So Good
Great instrumentals, great atmosphere, but the vocals are pretty generic.
Track 35: Inaya Day – Nasty Girl
Cover of the ’80s Vanity 6 song. Good beat, but it’s another dull, generic tune.
Track 36: Deep Dish – Say Hello
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Quite like the tune on the instrumentals, but the vocals annoy me.
Track 37: Freeloaders and The Real Thing – So Much Love To Give
The Real Thing’s contribution here is the sample. Great tune as a result, but it’s a little repetitive.
Track 38: Kylie Minogue – Giving You Up
Good tune, interesting vocals – quite like this one.
Track 39: Girls Aloud – Wake Me Up
Good atmosphere, but I just don’t find the tune interesting enough.
Track 40: Crazy Frog – Axel F
I mentioned my disdain for this awful ringtone-advert cover of the Harold Faltermeyer track way back in my review of the original on Now! #5. Why anybody spent money on this stuff is beyond me.
Track 41: Tony Christie – Avenues And Alleyways
Tony Christie still riding his wave of resurgence post-Amarillo. This is a nice tune and the classic style is a refreshing change from regular chart music.
Track 42: McFly – You’ve Got A Friend
Cover of the Carole King classic. It’s very uninspired and far too acoustic-y for me.
Track 43: Heather Small – Proud
Re-release of the 2000 hit in honour of 2005’s successful London 2012 Olympics bid. I literally last heard this two days ago, over the PA while waiting in the start pen for the Blaydon Race – it’s still used a lot for sporting events and things like that. It’s quite a nice, uplifting song.