IT’S RAINING MEN

Geri Halliwell

Imagine the mess if it did. All things considered, I find myself wondering – why? Why bother re-recording this song when the original did the job it set out to do perfectly well in the first place (and that’s coming from someone who hates the original)? If it was to prove that Geri Halliwell can’t sing too well, then I’m pretty sure that Schizophonic ended that argument once and for all. If it was to bring the song kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century, then why didn’t they get somebody like Jason “I’ll-Remix-Anything-I’m-Not-Fussy” Nevins in to overhaul the original? But hang on, isn’t it in a movie? There you go then, there’s your explanation. To be honest, it reeks of a marketing gimmick to me and the fact that it’s just a straight follow-on with very little deviation from what the Weather Girls did God knows how many years ago doesn’t do it any favours at all. Yes, it’s cute, bright and cuddly, but so’s my cat. It’s not that this is terrible, far from it, but there’s just no logical reason why this particular cover version needs to exist when the original is still doing the rounds.

3 16

New Order (DVD)

This is different. For your money, you get two concerts and a 25 minute interview, so at least you won’t feel ripped off. The first one’s from New York in 1981 and it’s one of their earliest gigs (man). The cameramen are so close to the band that I seriously doubt any of the crowd got a good view and all that they do is play the songs. Nothing is said to the audience and after 45 minutes they walk off the stage with the drum machine and keyboards still playing! Next, it’s Reading 1998 and it’s like a totally different band. Before a note is played Bernard Sumner says “Hi, we’re New Order” – four words more than he said throughout the entire 1981 concert and then for about an hour they dance around the stage having a great time (Sumner and Peter Hook even do a high-five at the end of one song). As for the interview, it’s fun but it’s not what you paid for. This is certainly one of the best music DVDs I’ve seen – you ought to buy this too.