Seeing Double (+1 Bonus Track)

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 01:00:43
Young popsters S Club keep the hits flowing with SEEING DOUBLE, which contains the songs "Alive," "Bittersweet," and "Hey Kitty Kitty." The U.K. edition comes with one exclusive track. CD contains 1 bonus track. Personnel: Tim Laws (guitar, keyboards, programming); Paul Gendler, Milton McDonald, Alan Simpson (guitar); Jesper Riis, Roddy Lorimer (trumpet); Simon Ellis (keyboards, programming); David Frank (keyboards, drum programming); Stephen Lipson (programming); Wayne Wilkins (keyboard programming, drum programming); Simon Hill (drum programming). Audio Mixers: Daniel Frampton; Dave Way; Nigel Butler; Tim Laws; Peter Mark; Heff Moraes; Tom Nichols; John Brough; Steve Fitzmaurice; Ben Chapman; Bob Kraushaar. Audio Remixer: Almighty Associates. Recording information: Angel Studios, Islington, London, England; Deekay Studios, Denmark; Olympic Studios, London, England; Reeverb Canyon; RFP Studios, London, England; Roundhouse, London, England; Strongroom Studios; The Aquarium; The Sweatbox; T-Rox Studios. Photographer: Sean McMenomy. Arrangers: Martin Larsson; David Frank; Nigel Butler; Mike Rose; Alastair Gavin; Lars Jensen; Nick Foster; Steve Kipner; Nick Ingman. Their first release since the departure of Paul Cattermole, Seeing Double was intended to show that the all-singing, all-dancing pop outfit S Club (who had since, understandably, dropped the "7" from their name) could survive with one less member, and reign supreme over their increasingly popular pre-teen spin-off, S Club Juniors. Instead, it proved to be their swan song, as the latter's debut rather embarrassingly peaked 12 places higher, while "Alive" became their first lead single to miss the Top Two, suggesting their split six months later may have been about six months too late. However, while there are a couple of lazy attempts to restore former glories -- such as the aforementioned "Alive," whose funky rhythms, swirling strings, and flashes of vocoder echo the watered-down Studio 54 vibes of chart-topper Don't Stop Movin', and the group's co-written, schmaltzy, sub-Disney, orchestral ballad "Straight for the Heart" -- its rather generous 14 tracks in fact provide the most mature and adventurous album of their admittedly brief four-year career. The Cathy Dennis-penned "Who Do You Think You Are" and the sci-fi inspired "Gangsta Love" are convincing forays into Liberty X-esque 2-step garage territory, although the latter's "street talk" isn't fooling anybody, the elasticated synths and sparse hypnotic beats of "Dance" recall the stylish robotic electro of Madonna's "Music," while there are rare solo performances from Hannah on the slinky disco of "Hey Kitty Kitty," of Tina on the flamenco-tinged R&B of "Secret Love," and Jon on the laid-back slow jam "In Too Deep." Without anything as infectious as "Reach," as anthemic as "S Club Party," or as melodic as "Never Had a Dream Come True," it's not difficult to see why their career ended with a fizzle and not a bang, but compensating for the lack of immediate pure pop hits, Seeing Double is a surprisingly grown-up affair which suggests the original S Clubbers still had more to offer. ~ Jon O'Brien
録音 : ステレオ (Studio)