Main Features | |
Year | 2001 |
1. Here with me 2. Hunter 3. Don't think of me 4. My love's gone 5. All you want 6. Thank you | 7. Honestly OK 8. Slide 9. Isobel 10. I'm no angel 11. My life 12. Take my hand |
written by NikkiH. on 27/01/2003
With the Brit Awards being held next month, I cast my mind back to last year, and wondered where has Dido gone? A former student at the Guildhall School of Music when she was the tender age of 10, her tutors marvelled at her talent as she was a competent pianist, violinist, and a keen recorder player! Even though the album was released in 1999 after 3 years in the making, 2001 into 2002 was her year, in much the same way it is for Ms Dynamite at the moment, as she seemed to come from nowhere, and was catapulted to fame with a multi platinum debut album that was hailed by every music critic and music lover, and no matter which single she released, she was guaranteed a hit, and was the a betting man's dead cert for any industry award that was on offer at any given time. I liked and still do like the music that Dido released, but the claims that she is here to say seem to be pretty unfounded, as after last year's Ivor Novello awards, where she won the coveted best songwriter award, she split with her long term fiance and seemed to go underground, and other than an appearance with her brother Rollo's band Faithless in May and inclusion on a couple of compilation albums, she has produced nothing new at all, although her website is promised much more activity and possibly a new album in 2003, and I think if she does not want her fans to move on without her then she needs to move quickly. All that aside, what about the aforementioned debut album 'No Angel'? I will give the fame away, I love it, and it is something that although I do not listen to it as frequently as I should, it fills me with such a sense of wellbeing that I know I should listen to it more. At times, I did question the amount of hype that surrounded the album, because we all know the British press love nothing more than building someone up just to enjoy knocking them down, but to date this has not happened with Dido. Opening track is the haunting 'Here With Me'. A beautiful song, but it is spoiled by the incessant beeping which is present for much of the song amongst the background music, and once your hearing hones in on it, it is all you can hear, and then the song is lost. It appears on the soundtrack to the Sky drama Roswell High, but I am always left with the feeling that whilst this is a brilliant song, it is overpowered by a ridiculous beeping noise!! As an opening track, even the weaknesses did not stop you wondering what was to follow. 'Hunter' is the song that she performed at the Brit awards ceremony last year, and it is certainly one of my favourites without a doubt. It is about a woman who wants to leave her lover who is trying to control her life. Her rich vocals flow over each word of the lyrics, and it is certainly a song which gives me a lift when I listen to it, and it is a really powerful song for women, urging us to be proud and stand up for what we want out of life rather than what our chosen partner deciding what we can have. 'Don't Think Of Me' is another song about a love affair that did not work out, and here Dido is telling an ex boyfriend to move on with his life and not concentrate on what happened between them in the past, as she realises that he has met someone else and needs to get her out of his mind, but the torture she endures watching the new relationship blossom is plain to see (or hear as the case may be), and at times there is a feeling of bitterness and jealousy in amongst the eloquent lyrics and silky vocals. 'My Lover's Gone' is a folk influenced song, which I am sure come from her family roots, as some of her family were from Northern Ireland, and is very nice background music, but in truth it is nothing more, and it could be, because the subject matter is so strong. Again, it is about lost love, but this time it is because her boyfriend has died, and she feels alone and abandoned, but knows that she must find the strength to get her through this part of her life. This is a much mellower track that we have been presented with so far. 'All You Want' is a a stronger song, which certainly has rock and folk influences. It is a change in direction, as here the woman is quite submissive, and is asking her boyfriend to come back to her. I like the lyrics, and I like the general feel of the song, as it is quite upbeat, and mocks the subject matter a little bit. It is the kind of song I would expect to hear if I ever ventured into one of those relaxation tanks, as it certainly makes me kick back and just listen without feeling the need to do anything more. Eminem has a lot to answer for in many people's books, and I am sure very few of you reading this actually like him (although I do have to admit that I do like his material), but we must all be thankful that he decided to use a sample of the divine 'Thank You' in his song 'Stan', and then as if that was not enough exposure he also included Dido in the video so we could see who this women was who made the Eminem song such a success. Dido actually wrote the song for her then fiance Bob, and it was about the first day that they met, and it is ten times better than the sample used by Eminem. 'Honestly OK' is a track that I love to chill out to. Sit down with a nice glass of wine, low lighting and this moody, mid tempo number in the background, and it is pure relaxation, and has earned Dido many comparison to the critics darling Beth Orton, but I think that is selling Dido short as her talent is far more wide ranging than that of folk based Orton. Here Dido tries to convince people that she is fine being alone, when in truth she is so alone that she does not even get comfort from her own company. 'Slide' is a lovely song, and reminds me a lot 'Hunter', and in the chorus there is a real folk theme, and I had flashes of Clannad when I first heard it. In it Dido gives me the feeling that she is reminiscing, and trying to right the wrongs that have come about when she has judged people harshly, as she now realises that everyone makes mistakes. Very nice song to start and wind the album down, as we are now into the final few tracks. Don't worry though you can always go straight back to the beginning again! From folk and Gaelic, Dido moves gracefully onto an African influenced track with 'Isobel'. This is a song about close friends, and could be written about any of us out there. The lyrics describe the two friends, and how they are taking stock of their lives, and thinking about things that they have experienced together. Here Dido's voice is ultra soothing, and is almost strokes your eardrums with it's velvet touch. It is so beautiful here that this song gives me goosebumps whenever I listen to it. 'I'm No Angel' is the closest to a title track that you will find on this album. Again, it is an anthem for women, and urges us to be strong, admit our mistakes, but not feel that we need to constantly apologise for them, otherwise we might as well lie down and die, because nobody is perfect, and people who make us feel inferior for not being perfect do not deserve places in our lives. This is where she really comes into her own, and she does not need vicious lyrics, or fierce vocals to get her point of view across. Laidback is the only word I can find that will describe 'My Life'. It is blissfully mellow, and the kind of song Dido really performs so well, as it allows her to portray so many emotions. I am afraid that we have now come to the end of the album, and the last track is 'Take My Hand'. This is as close to the power ballad that has made Celine Dion and Mariah Carey so famous. It is slightly more uptemp than the majority of the tracks on the album, but again the subject is love, which has been the theme throughout. The production team (which included Rollo) on this album need as much credit as the artist, as this is a well defined and produced classic album, which even if the comeback we are expecting does not materialise, then it will still remain a favourite of so many people. It is an album full of emotion, and although she may not exactly wear her heart on her sleeve, and the breast beating, anst ridden ballads which so many female artists favour nowadays are notably absent, she still makes the listener have an experience whilst listening to her music. If I was trying to recommend this, I could not simply put this into a single genre of music. It has folk, it has pop, it touches on electropop in parts, and it certainly comes into the dance music genre at times. All I can say is that if you are a music lover, then this will surely hit the right note with you (pardon the pun!). Dido has a really rich voice, which is also very soft and soothing, and reminds me of Sarah McLachlan regularly throughout the album, although both are still unique, but one thing is for sure, that their music will take you on a journey of emotion and experiences, without the normal filler tracks that are present on so many releases nowadays. Buy this album, it is truly beautiful and it should feature in everyone's collection, and it is certainly worthy of every accolade bestowed upon every minute of the 52 minutes that the album lasts.
written by James Peterson. on 04/04/2001
1. Here with me - 10/10
Deep moody song, full of passion and beauty.
2. Hunter - 8/10
Soft and relaxing.
3. Don't think of me - 9/10
Thoughtful and very listenable.
4. My Lover's Gone - 10/10
Another slow and moody ballad. Beautiful enchanting vocals.
5. All You - 5/10
Theory has it that all CD's must contain one boring track. If the theory is true, this is it.
6. Thankyou - 11/10
I first heard this on Stan like most people. This version is far far superior.
7. Honestly OK - 7/10
Good rhythm and interesting sound effects.
8. Slide - 9/10
Another cracking tune with beautiful moody vocals
9. Isobel - 7/10
Effective drumming make this song work
10. I'm No Angel - 10/10
Superb song with beautiful vocals and rhythm.
11. My Life - 8/10
Sunday morning music after a party please.
12. Take My Hand - 7/10
More rousing than the other songs. Good, but the violin sounding part irritates me.
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