- Audio CD (13 Aug 2010)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Import
- Label: Capitol
- ASIN: B000GW8S10
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 239,621 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Smile |
| 2. Knock 'Em Out |
| 3. LDN |
| 4. Everything's Just Wonderful |
| 5. Not Big |
| 6. Friday Night |
| 7. Shame For You |
| 8. Littlest Things |
| 9. Take What You Take |
| 10. Friend Of Mine |
| 11. Alfie |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Being, as she is, the daughter of prominent British actor Keith Allen, the cynics could easily dismiss the rise of Lily Allen as an act of backroom nepotism, talent-free starlet helped to the stage by the right connections. One listen to her debut album Alright, Still, dispels any doubts about young Ms Allen’s star quality. Possessed of a feisty wit and taste for urban storytelling that should see her compared to Mike "The Streets" Skinner, these eleven tracks of sunshine-friendly reggae pop cover topics including frustrating potential closing-time suitors ("Knock ‘Em Out"), being happy when your ex is having a bad time ("Smile"), and having a little brother who likes a bit of a smoke--and not just of the tobacco variety ("Alfie"). Wisely, however, Allen doesn’t let the grittiness of the subject matter tarnish the golden pop suss of the songs, a suite of gleaming productions by names including Mark Ronson and Gwen Stefani collaborator Greg Kurstin that take inspiration from at the lighter end of reggae and vintage rocksteady. Doubtless some corners of the press will pillory her as a poor role model, but there’s an engaging honesty to the likes of "LDN" - a love song to a city filled with teenage muggers, pimps and crackwhores, narrated by someone who’s cycling because "the filth took away my license". Like father, like daughter .--Louis Pattison
Review
Lily Allen: her of heart-shaped earrings, fluorescent eye liner and summer anthem "Smile", has created a neat, cohesive debut, describing urban life from the clever girl's perspective. The cockney accent and little melodies will invite comparison to chavvy soul-brother Mike Skinner, but these are songs in a completely different league: laugh out loud funny, clever, and satisfyingly vengeful.
We're talking about bad credit ratings, unattractive coke abuse, unwanted chat ups, useless lovers and colourful nightclub politics, like "Friday Night", set to a backing reminiscent of the Specials' "Ghost Town". This girl's far too smart for the crappy nights out, rubbish mates and loser exes she wryly describes.
Many of her reggae-fused songs stick in your head whilst you desperately suss out why they're familiar, but she rips off her influences with a comic acknowledgement, like "Shame For You", which blatantly lifts the chorus hook from "You Don't Love Me (No No No)" by Dawn Penn. I'm just sad that her song about her nanna being covered in cat hair didn't make it. Maybe on the follow up ... --Lucy Davies
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I bought this import version of the wonderful album from Lily Allen because it has a few extra tracks, however, please note that its a CLEAN lyric version - i.e all the 'F' words are faded out ! The Smile remix is not bad, and Nan You're A Window Shopper is OK (available as a B side on one of her singles)
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I'm a stuffy old codger who couldn't stand Lily Allen when she first elbowed her way into the spot light from the ghettoes of Hammersmith and private schools. She seemed far too perky and rude to appeal to me and so I dismissed her from my thoughts and ears for a long time.
Unfortunately I did this before I'd actually listened to any of her songs, and so I shall take this opportunity to apologise whole-heartedly for my prejudices and hope these five orange stars make up for it somewhat.
And now that I have listened, I think all her songs are deliciously perky and rude and tongue-in-cheek and serious and fantastic. Each one different, but each bearing her very distinctive style.
She's a product of today's society no doubt, swearing, leering and pseudo-celebrity-common, but she swears so well and leers so prettily that she makes today's society seem rather big and rather clever.
Even for someone as curmudgeonly as me...
Unfortunately I did this before I'd actually listened to any of her songs, and so I shall take this opportunity to apologise whole-heartedly for my prejudices and hope these five orange stars make up for it somewhat.
And now that I have listened, I think all her songs are deliciously perky and rude and tongue-in-cheek and serious and fantastic. Each one different, but each bearing her very distinctive style.
She's a product of today's society no doubt, swearing, leering and pseudo-celebrity-common, but she swears so well and leers so prettily that she makes today's society seem rather big and rather clever.
Even for someone as curmudgeonly as me...
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
First of all, I should point out that yes, while Lily does talk with a 'posh' accent and sing in a 'chav' accent, and her music is quite 'chavvish' in flavour, I sincerely doubt that it's a move to sell records. I suspect it's simply the sort of music she is into, and if we all went by that argument, then we should also lambast the likes of Eric Clapton for playing 'black' music, and so forth.
Onto the album - while most of the single pulls are reggae-flavoured (Smile, LDN), there is also straightforward pop (Everything's Just Wonderful, Alfie), although Lily's delivery is far from sugar-coated. Her lovely soft voice weaves effortlessly through the music and her sense of rhyming and timing are inspired at times. The album does come with a Parental Guidance sticker for a reason, though - Lily has slipped in the odd swear word in just about every song, or a reference to sex, so while the cursing isn't constant, be warned that the c-word does crop up, as does the t-word in Alfie and in both cases you get the feeling that Lily slipped them in because she finds it funny and could have easily left them out.
Subject matter seems to be split fairly equally between wry observations of the world around her (Friday Night, Knock 'Em Out) and digs at her ex-boyfriends (Smile, Not Big). Each song is varied and strong enough to stand out from the one that comes before. My personal favourites are Knock 'Em Out with its stuttering drumbeat (about unwanted attention from undesirables), Everything's Just Wonderful (a well-written anthem about the burdens of most young people these days) and Friend Of Mine, although I think that just abut every song on here is a winner. However, Take What You Take is an awful pop-by-numbers song which should have been left off in favour of the far more superior B-side Nan, You're A Window Shopper.
I believe that this is a fine album and one that proves Lily Allen to be a consummate songwriter and singer.
Onto the album - while most of the single pulls are reggae-flavoured (Smile, LDN), there is also straightforward pop (Everything's Just Wonderful, Alfie), although Lily's delivery is far from sugar-coated. Her lovely soft voice weaves effortlessly through the music and her sense of rhyming and timing are inspired at times. The album does come with a Parental Guidance sticker for a reason, though - Lily has slipped in the odd swear word in just about every song, or a reference to sex, so while the cursing isn't constant, be warned that the c-word does crop up, as does the t-word in Alfie and in both cases you get the feeling that Lily slipped them in because she finds it funny and could have easily left them out.
Subject matter seems to be split fairly equally between wry observations of the world around her (Friday Night, Knock 'Em Out) and digs at her ex-boyfriends (Smile, Not Big). Each song is varied and strong enough to stand out from the one that comes before. My personal favourites are Knock 'Em Out with its stuttering drumbeat (about unwanted attention from undesirables), Everything's Just Wonderful (a well-written anthem about the burdens of most young people these days) and Friend Of Mine, although I think that just abut every song on here is a winner. However, Take What You Take is an awful pop-by-numbers song which should have been left off in favour of the far more superior B-side Nan, You're A Window Shopper.
I believe that this is a fine album and one that proves Lily Allen to be a consummate songwriter and singer.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Clever, funny and sad
Lily Allen's take on London and (mostly loveless) love is smart and funny, and her unique sound makes me want to listen and to like her. Read more
Published 2 months ago by MideastMC
amazing
one of the best cds around do you seriously think lily allen rleased a bad album, no, then why you looking at this review anyways???
Published 8 months ago by rubber duck man
cd
Bought as gift.
Awful CD in my adult opinion. Appears to be all about trying to shock the listener with the odd f**k thrown into every some when it just is not needed. Read more
Awful CD in my adult opinion. Appears to be all about trying to shock the listener with the odd f**k thrown into every some when it just is not needed. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Steve Bevers
Naughty but Nice... Lily is here to stay!!!
Loved It! firstly her original voice is a welcome change to the same old droning heard on todays music scene. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Joe
Great CD
Great CD with some fab songs on and very well sung. Really good deal, swiftly sent, well packed and at a reasonable cost.
Published 22 months ago by P E Simms
Wow
Cheeky, funny and musical. Shame about some of the swearing but better than most conversations.
Published on 3 May 2010 by D. Aitken
Lilly allen alright,still
A WISE BUY! WHATEVER YOUR MUSICAL PREFERENCE,LILY DELIVERS THE,GOODS!
A TREAT FOR,YOUR EARS!
A TREAT FOR,YOUR EARS!
Published on 29 Jan 2010 by Jameson Wisdom
Lily Allen Rocks!
I listen to this CD on my way to work all the time. It'll make you smile. It is funny and sassy. Modern day poetry perhaps, London style. Read more
Published on 21 Nov 2009 by Ej Bell
The begining of a fatastic career.
Like any pop album these days Alright Still can't help beig a product of many different musical styles but the overriding one found with Lilly Allen is Reggae so how you feel about... Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2009 by B. Connell
great album
yes this is a great debut album from Lily Allen and some great videos too.
Published on 7 Aug 2009 by Ms. N. J. White
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