I made a special trip to Vintage Stock to buy the movie Stick It. If you haven't heard about Stick It, it is comedic gold that was released circa 2006. After lead actress Haley Graham, played by Missy Peregrym, had a run-in with the law, Graham was forced into rejoining the gymnastics world after a brutal retirement in attempts to re-civilize. Although this movie is great, I found something even better just three aisles down: the 2010 Gorillaz Plastic Beach Album. Clearly, I am about six years late to this party, but better late then never. I had only heard two songs prior to buying this record, but after a quick analysis of the cover art, I figured it would be a good purchase. I was right. LOOK AT THIS.
What is this guy thinking? Don't know. Where did he come from? Probably Plastic Beach. Who's the chick? Your guess is as good as mine.
Gorillaz is a British virtual band that began in 1998 by Daman Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. Gorillaz consists of four band members: 2D on keyboard and the lead singer, Murdoc on bass guitar, Noodle on guitar, keyboard and supporting vocals and Russell on drums. Each band member is 100% fictional. It took me a second to grasp this concept, but if you take another look at that cover art above, Gorillaz is extremely talented in not only the music department but in the fictional universe. Albarn and Hewlett created characters that would appear in music videos, short films and in website content. Gorillaz released Plastic Beach in March of 2010 and intend on releasing Phase Four: the untitled studio album in 2016.
So the second I get home I slap this album on my record player and the first song is a phenomenal orchestra intro that ill-prepares you for the epic ride that this album takes you on. Second song comes on, Welcome To The World of The Plastic Beach. THE WHOLE SONG IS SNOOP D-O-DOUBLE-G. Snoop ripped the rug out from underneath my feet and laid me on my ass prior to the second song, White Flag. With a bashy undertone, Gorillaz reminds you that this is 'no superficial shit, just real flow'.
After recovering from Snoop's feature, I was right back to square one with Rhinestone Eyes. Rhinestone Eyes was initially intended to be a non-album single release but Gorillaz held onto it for a little longer in order to incorporate elements of their unreleased demo "Electric Shock" into the song. Turned out quite well, I believe.
My experience through the remainder of Plastic Beach was essentially a systematic pattern of becoming more and more impressed with each song. Gorillaz, I am sorry I was entirely too late to the party that is, Plastic Beach. I came, I went, and I loved every second of it.
