ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC?

Tubeway Army

I've never quite managed to work out why Cars has been remixed and reissued so many times, while the best this song's had until now (at least that I can recall) was to help launch the profile of Sugababes Version 2.0 to dizzying heights. Talk about drawing the short straw. Let's be honest, Are 'Friends' Electric? is a great song, but it really, really shouldn't be because if there was a manual in existence showing you how to make a classic song, then this particular number would probably be doing nearly everything wrong. For a start, there's no chorus anywhere - schoolboy error or what? Not only that, but the singer (some bloke called Gary) can't seem to decide whether he wants to sing or speak the words - I mean, come on, the song's five minutes plus, surely that's plenty of time to decide. It's also incredibly repetitive... but as I said before, it's great. Maybe it's because the song's five minute's long that the tune's got plenty of room to manoeuvre, and while it's repetitive, that also works in its favour because this isn't a cheerful song, and because it goes on a bit there's no let up - if you want all-out pop music, listen to Wham! or Modern Romance. I know I wouldn't. And as for Mr Numan's vocals - even that works. The song's so highly regimented that it needs something to break things up a little and his monologues, whether they're sung or spoken, are just the job. Anyway, I'm reviewing this one because it's getting a limited re-release on 7" only. Just thought you'd like to know.

6 OF 1 THING

Craig David

That's strange, I could've sworn I reviewed Wet Wet Wet's new single last week. It says Craig David on the cover, but it sounds for all the world like one of Wet Wet Wet's happier offerings... oh hang on, someone's started singing and it isn't Marti Pellow. It's easy to tell, because when Marti Pellow sings these songs you know damn well he's got a dirty great big grin on his face throughout the entire proceedings, but Craig David sounds... well... he actually sounds a bit serious and businesslike to me, and considering it's a fun tune he sounds a little out of place. It's a bit like putting 20 middle-aged bank managers into the Big Brother house and watching them come to terms with the fact that, thanks to the set designer throwing caution (and electrical safety) to the wind, the diary room can only be accessed via the swimming pool. It doesn't quite work, that's what I'm trying to say, but if Mr David had sounded a little more cheery, he might've got away with it.

FLOODS

Fightstar

I love it when I'm proved right, even if it is only sort of halfway right. A few years back, I reviewed a single by Charlie Simpson's previous band (which I'm pretty sure he won't want mentioned... probably ever again), and I recall saying that if the band cut out the jolliness and nonsense, then they stood a chance of surviving more than a couple of years. Of course, things didn't quite work out like that, but at least one of the band's members has cut out the nonsense - and then some. This is closer to Muse than McFly, in every possible way. It starts out with a piano solo, then the band kicks in and does its bit, but if anything, rather than going all out the whole thing's been underplayed. It even slows down for a breather halfway through, which may sound a little unecessary for a song that doesn't even reach the four minute mark. The last time I heard a Fightstar song was when they released Paint Your Target, and at that point they sounded like a band trying to find its own identity. Well, they've found it, and fair play to them. They're not commercial and they're sure as hell not full of the joys of spring, but they've put out a good single here. I'd describe it as a rock song for grown-ups, but that sounds too similar to Driving Rock, and it's anything but that. Ought to be a hit, but as is the way, it probably won't be.