Fan reviews of The Origin of Love

suzie · 13-09-2012, 09:50 PM

robertina · 13-09-2012, 10:03 PM

ace!

I hope to write mine soon

and I already know it will be positive

racinghorse83 · 14-09-2012, 12:28 AM

Listening party? What did I miss?

guylainem123 · 14-09-2012, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by racinghorse83

Listening party? What did I miss?

France is having a listening party, but it's not available to the rest of the world.

Christine · 14-09-2012, 03:46 AM

This album is such an extraordinary surprise. I never imagined Mika would make an album like this and never quite understood the full scope of the electronic sound he created from what we had heard before the snippets were released. And I avoided the snippets entirely so this was not what I was expecting.

I’ve had a general sense that I would love this album for longer than I can remember but you just never know exactly how that amazingness will manifest itself until you actually hear it.

Firstly why is Stardust not THE single?

With all the discussion on MFC lately about singles I’ve thought that I don’t really know what would make a good single in which market. In the past Mika’s music has been so diverse and atypical that it’s hard to imagine what would work and how. Even Grace Kelly was an anomaly in its time. But Stardust is exactly what is in the charts in the UK. It’s not my #1 favourite on the album but I can’t imagine any rational reason this wouldn’t get airplay on top 40 radio in the UK. Not Radio 2, Radio 1.

Mika has talked about using real instruments to give the electronic sounds heart but I connect with many of these songs because they are so authentically ‘70s. He namechecks Fleetwood Mac and the Bee Gees but what I’m really hearing are so many songs that were typical in the charts from 1975-1978. Adele, Amy Winehouse, Cee Lo Green and Janelle Monáe have all revived ‘70s sounds with old school R&B, soul and funk. But I have never heard anyone do this with pop music.

I don’t know if others will be affected by this or even hear it like I do, but this was the music I grew up with. Not just a few records I found later in life but the songs I heard all day every day when I was a child. I think your mind is affected by this music you are exposed to as a child in the same way it is shaped by the language(s) you learn.

Of course there are much more modern sounds overlaid in production. From autotune to vocoders to what I can only describe as a Calvin Harris quasi-trance mix (though it came long before Calvin). But there is this authentic ‘70s essence at the heart of many of the songs.

The new mix of Make You Happy slips back into the ‘60s like Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite meets Eleanor Rigby meets Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. The strings are f*cking amazing. Can’t get enough of this. I think it will always be one of my favourites.

I’m slightly disappointed with Underwater but this was to be expected. Even Adele does not come close to her gutwrenching live performances of Someone Like You on the album. Underwater is not bad but the live version is far superior.

Overrated is really interesting, especially the range of Mika’s vocals. That quick climb from low to inhuman falsetto is hauntingly amazing. The synthesizer sounds are what I love the most about electronic music and it goes back and forth from some early ‘80s new wave boops to the Calvin Harris trance build ups. I love it and it’s really original. Well if it’s not original then I’ve been listening to the wrong music I guess.

Kids and Heroes are a bit meh for me at this point but I’ll give them another chance in the coming weeks.

As soon as I heard the title for Love You When I’m Drunk it reminded me of a Barenaked Ladies song, Alcohol. “I love you more / than I did the week before / I discovered alcohol” Funnily enough the whole song sounds very BNL, especially the melody and the bridge. Not the greatest song Mika’s ever written but really fun and a great fit with the album.

I’ve been hearing through the grapevine that Step with Me is too boybandish but I totally disagree. I think this song, more than any other, captures that ‘70s vibe. A time when all those boy band boys were still in diapers or not even a twinkle in their daddies’ eyes

I usually find Mika sounding a bit cheesy singing a song at this tempo but this is so much better than anything he’s done in the past. The super low notes and the female backing singer keep it from sounding like any boy band.

I could do without Mika’s super groanworthy rapping in Popular, but oh this song is fantastic.

Priscilla is brilliant and it’s so nice to hear a Mika song with a real rhythm. It’s such a shame that Mika didn’t write the melody of the chorus because he can sing it so so perfectly. It sounds like it was written for his voice like Love Today was written for it.

Okay well, I love it. That is all.

racinghorse83 · 14-09-2012, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guylainem123

France is having a listening party, but it's not available to the rest of the world.

Waah

exclusivity!

I shall have patience...

nas · 14-09-2012, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christine

This album is such an extraordinary surprise. I never imagined Mika would make an album like this and never quite understood the full scope of the electronic sound he created from what we had heard before the snippets were released. And I avoided the snippets entirely so this was not what I was expecting.

I’ve had a general sense that I would love this album for longer than I can remember but you just never know exactly how that amazingness will manifest itself until you actually hear it.

Firstly why is Stardust not THE single?

With all the discussion on MFC lately about singles I’ve thought that I don’t really know what would make a good single in which market. In the past Mika’s music has been so diverse and atypical that it’s hard to imagine what would work and how. Even Grace Kelly was an anomaly in its time. But Stardust is exactly what is in the charts in the UK. It’s not my #1 favourite on the album but I can’t imagine any rational reason this wouldn’t get airplay on top 40 radio in the UK. Not Radio 2, Radio 1.

Mika has talked about using real instruments to give the electronic sounds heart but I connect with many of these songs because they are so authentically ‘70s. He namechecks Fleetwood Mac and the Bee Gees but what I’m really hearing are so many songs that were typical in the charts from 1975-1978. Adele, Amy Winehouse, Cee Lo Green and Janelle Monáe have all revived ‘70s sounds with old school R&B, soul and funk. But I have never heard anyone do this with pop music.

I don’t know if others will be affected by this or even hear it like I do, but this was the music I grew up with. Not just a few records I found later in life but the songs I heard all day every day when I was a child. I think your mind is affected by this music you are exposed to as a child in the same way it is shaped by the language(s) you learn.

Of course there are much more modern sounds overlaid in production. From autotune to vocoders to what I can only describe as a Calvin Harris quasi-trance mix (though it came long before Calvin). But there is this authentic ‘70s essence at the heart of many of the songs.

The new mix of Make You Happy slips back into the ‘60s like Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite meets Eleanor Rigby meets Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. The strings are f*cking amazing. Can’t get enough of this. I think it will always be one of my favourites.

I’m slightly disappointed with Underwater but this was to be expected. Even Adele does not come close to her gutwrenching live performances of Someone Like You on the album. Underwater is not bad but the live version is far superior.

Overrated is really interesting, especially the range of Mika’s vocals. That quick climb from low to inhuman falsetto is hauntingly amazing. The synthesizer sounds are what I love the most about electronic music and it goes back and forth from some early ‘80s new wave boops to the Calvin Harris trance build ups. I love it and it’s really original. Well if it’s not original then I’ve been listening to the wrong music I guess.

Kids and Heroes are a bit meh for me at this point but I’ll give them another chance in the coming weeks.

As soon as I heard the title for Love You When I’m Drunk it reminded me of a Barenaked Ladies song, Alcohol. “I love you more / than I did the week before / I discovered alcohol” Funnily enough the whole song sounds very BNL, especially the melody and the bridge. Not the greatest song Mika’s ever written but really fun and a great fit with the album.

I’ve been hearing through the grapevine that Step with Me is too boybandish but I totally disagree. I think this song, more than any other, captures that ‘70s vibe. A time when all those boy band boys were still in diapers or not even a twinkle in their daddies’ eyes

I usually find Mika sounding a bit cheesy singing a song at this tempo but this is so much better than anything he’s done in the past. The super low notes and the female backing singer keep it from sounding like any boy band.

I could do without Mika’s super groanworthy rapping in Popular, but oh this song is fantastic.

Priscilla is brilliant and it’s so nice to hear a Mika song with a real rhythm. It’s such a shame that Mika didn’t write the melody of the chorus because he can sing it so so perfectly. It sounds like it was written for his voice like Love Today was written for it.

Okay well, I love it. That is all.

that's what i thought the very first time from the snippets and on hearing the full thing i love it even more...

great overall review christine!!

I agree with you for the most part, so right now any review of mine would be superfluous

chimacuito · 14-09-2012, 04:39 AM

I can just describe this album with one word : DELICIOUS

krjsantos · 14-09-2012, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christine

This album is such an extraordinary surprise. I never imagined Mika would make an album like this and never quite understood the full scope of the electronic sound he created from what we had heard before the snippets were released. And I avoided the snippets entirely so this was not what I was expecting.

I’ve had a general sense that I would love this album for longer than I can remember but you just never know exactly how that amazingness will manifest itself until you actually hear it.

Firstly why is Stardust not THE single?

With all the discussion on MFC lately about singles I’ve thought that I don’t really know what would make a good single in which market. In the past Mika’s music has been so diverse and atypical that it’s hard to imagine what would work and how. Even Grace Kelly was an anomaly in its time. But Stardust is exactly what is in the charts in the UK. It’s not my #1 favourite on the album but I can’t imagine any rational reason this wouldn’t get airplay on top 40 radio in the UK. Not Radio 2, Radio 1.

Mika has talked about using real instruments to give the electronic sounds heart but I connect with many of these songs because they are so authentically ‘70s. He namechecks Fleetwood Mac and the Bee Gees but what I’m really hearing are so many songs that were typical in the charts from 1975-1978. Adele, Amy Winehouse, Cee Lo Green and Janelle Monáe have all revived ‘70s sounds with old school R&B, soul and funk. But I have never heard anyone do this with pop music.

I don’t know if others will be affected by this or even hear it like I do, but this was the music I grew up with. Not just a few records I found later in life but the songs I heard all day every day when I was a child. I think your mind is affected by this music you are exposed to as a child in the same way it is shaped by the language(s) you learn.

Of course there are much more modern sounds overlaid in production. From autotune to vocoders to what I can only describe as a Calvin Harris quasi-trance mix (though it came long before Calvin). But there is this authentic ‘70s essence at the heart of many of the songs.

The new mix of Make You Happy slips back into the ‘60s like Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite meets Eleanor Rigby meets Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. The strings are f*cking amazing. Can’t get enough of this. I think it will always be one of my favourites.

I’m slightly disappointed with Underwater but this was to be expected. Even Adele does not come close to her gutwrenching live performances of Someone Like You on the album. Underwater is not bad but the live version is far superior.

Overrated is really interesting, especially the range of Mika’s vocals. That quick climb from low to inhuman falsetto is hauntingly amazing. The synthesizer sounds are what I love the most about electronic music and it goes back and forth from some early ‘80s new wave boops to the Calvin Harris trance build ups. I love it and it’s really original. Well if it’s not original then I’ve been listening to the wrong music I guess.

Kids and Heroes are a bit meh for me at this point but I’ll give them another chance in the coming weeks.

As soon as I heard the title for Love You When I’m Drunk it reminded me of a Barenaked Ladies song, Alcohol. “I love you more / than I did the week before / I discovered alcohol” Funnily enough the whole song sounds very BNL, especially the melody and the bridge. Not the greatest song Mika’s ever written but really fun and a great fit with the album.

I’ve been hearing through the grapevine that Step with Me is too boybandish but I totally disagree. I think this song, more than any other, captures that ‘70s vibe. A time when all those boy band boys were still in diapers or not even a twinkle in their daddies’ eyes

I usually find Mika sounding a bit cheesy singing a song at this tempo but this is so much better than anything he’s done in the past. The super low notes and the female backing singer keep it from sounding like any boy band.

I could do without Mika’s super groanworthy rapping in Popular, but oh this song is fantastic.

Priscilla is brilliant and it’s so nice to hear a Mika song with a real rhythm. It’s such a shame that Mika didn’t write the melody of the chorus because he can sing it so so perfectly. It sounds like it was written for his voice like Love Today was written for it.

Okay well, I love it. That is all.

WOW

Great review

Thank you so much

robertina · 14-09-2012, 07:27 AM

Thank you Christine, I was there in the 70s and with more years on my shoulders than you, but I cannot recall all that. I was more into Psychedelic Rock and Glam, and whatever was considered no-pop.
We used to dismiss pop as unworthy

but the Beatles.

So thanks for the info.

I only know I love it in FULL and I admit I was fully wrong in my first sensations, even after the listening in Milan

.

My favourites are Overrated and Tah-dah, today.
who knows what tomorrow will bring!

I'd like to have a complete review, but I need more time, especially in English.

Kata · 14-09-2012, 07:31 AM

I can't write a review as I'm so in love with Tah Dah that I barely listened to the rest

But great review Christine and I agree about Stardust, my daughter picked it as instant favourite and it should definitely have been THE single

IngievV · 14-09-2012, 08:16 AM

I will come back here next week