Music : No Virginia

Rating: - Ultra Amazing Vinyl!
This is a German-only vinyl for this dolls' compilation of 4 unreleased recordings, one old demo, one cover song, and five new recordings!. This is a 180 gram [audiophile] vinyl, and it makes it 100% better and enjoyable. This is an amazing opportunity to get all the amazing punk cabaret attitude on vinyl!, you won't regreat !!

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Rating: - You Can Never Have Too Much Dresden Dolls!
48 minutes of glorious Dresden Dolls madness. An excellent selection of songs with intriguing lyrics - the punk cabaret is growing up but it's still there with its tongue firmly in its cheek and a glint in its eye.

A few favourites:

'Dear Jenny' is a new song with the marvellous opening line of, 'Boys wear overcoats in the heat like this to keep themselves from showing..' - when was the last time you heard a song opening with a rationale for wearing a coat?

'The Mouse And The Model' is six minutes of glory for Brian going well overboard with his delicate and wild and careful drumming proving (if it's needed) what a great drummer he is.

'The Gardener' is a strange song, menacing with the threat of 'we will plant brambles in your bed'. It's very atmospheric and spare, showing what good musicians they both are, creating moods and terror with a gentle tap on the keyboard or drum. It ends with the refrain, 'The Gardener's coming to collect...'.

'Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner' is one of my long-term favourites, the 'B' side to 'Sing' from 'Yes, Virginia'.

'Pretty In Pink', the Psychedelic Furs classic from the film. It's a great version of the song and I love Amanda's world-weary tone throughout the song.

'Boston' is a trademarked Amanda song, whispering one minute, shouting the next, but with some interesting piano twiddles and seduction lyrics, keeping score for who you've had sex with. "Come back to bed my darling" Amanda croons...

I'm very pleased with this small slice of heaven. They make so much noise for a duo that the noise-demons must have them on the payroll.

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Rating: - Doubling entendres with the voicings
Back in May 2006 I reviewed the album Yes, Virginia... by the Dresden Dolls, and I quote myself (after all, nobody else is going to quote me):

"You'll need to keep an open mind for this one, but The Dresden Dolls are the most excitingly different duo that I've come across in ages."

Fast forward to 2008 and here's "No, Virginia..." which isn't technically a new album, because it's made up of left-over tracks from previous albums and B-sides, but it's definitely good enough to qualify for "new" status.

Amanda Palmer is as brilliant as ever with her dark, edgy lyrics, pounding piano and impossible-to karaoke vocal performances. This type of music (punk cabaret) may be an acquired taste, but for originality and audacity it can't be beaten.

The songs that I have been playing from this album are:

"Dear Jenny"- listen for the howling at the end

"Night Reconnaissance", where she observes "Nothing is crueler than children who come from good homes"

"Lonesome Organist R@pes Page-Turner" - not only a naughty name, but witty lyrics such as "So on the bench I watched his left hand crossing / While doubling entendres with the voicings"

"Sorry Bunch" - great piano performance

"Pretty in Pink" - my favorite track. Begins like Dire Straits "Walk of Life", and just gets better

"The Kill" - love the lyrics

"The Sheep Song" - a punk cabaret lullaby

If you know somebody whose musical taste is off-mainstream, you might want to put this on your Christmas list to convince them that Santa Claus is alive and cabaretting.



Amanda Richards

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Rating: - I think this one will be a grower...
...but so far it's not there yet.

This is nothing like as coherant as anything else the Dolls have done album-wise, but then that's kind of the point. Cohesiveness of albums is something I have an odd relationship with - sometimes it's vital; Kid A's biggest strength is that it fit's together as a single whole, ( ) by Sigur Ros, equally, I don't see as an album but one single instrumental. Other times I like it when things feel like "collections".

To refer back to Radiohead again, Pablo Honey is great because it effectively a "Best of" album from their early, pre-EMI days.

So I'm sure yet, where this will come into No, Virginia.
I found my attention drift sometimes, when listening to it. Some tracks are brilliant; Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner, followed by a cover of Pretty in Pink are fantastic. Other times, you think "This is just more of the same".

Which I suppose is kind of the idea. I think it would have been interesting to see what Yes, Virginia would have been like, had it had different tracks on it - a lot of the tracks on No, Virginia would have worked very well on Yes, Virginia, and I'm quite tempted to make a complilation of "Maybe, Virginia" and see what happens.

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Rating: - return to form
I have to say, when I heard this album was a collection of b-sides, reworkings and rarities I was skeptical, but I decided to keep my pre order and give it a go......and I have to say i'm in love!!!!!!

In my humble opinion its a return to the glory days of the first album, im not saying yes, virginia was bad, it just seemed to lack something compared to their debut.

My personal favourite Lonesome Organist Rapes Page-Turner (disturbing I know) is a quirky tune in the vein of sex changes from the second album and is definatly the best track as far as im concerned, however the rest of the album is also amazing!

Amandas vocals are perfect and the combination of fast and slow songs with some frantic and some longing is just everything you would expect from the dresden dolls!

Now I just need to find out where I can see them live..........