- Audio CD (1 Jan 2001)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Wall of Sound
- ASIN: B00005BILW
- Other Editions: Vinyl
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 175,336 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The brainchild of Les Rhythmes Digitales' Jacques Lu Cont and brothers Adam and Johnny Blake, Zoot Woman are a knowing throwback to new romanticism's age of style, synths and pansticked glamour. Living in a Magazine is built around the concept of people living their life through magazines and could easily have been little more than a post-modern pastiche but the songwriting carries it along nicely, particularly the opening salvo "It's Automatic", which sounds like Hall & Oates produced by Soft Cell, "Living In A Magazine" with its fuzzed-up synth riff and The Human League-saturated "Information First". The toned down cover of Kraftwerk's "The Model" dovetails neatly but just to demonstrate they're not totally one-dimensional there's an acoustic number, "Losing Sight". If they can become less referential Zoot Woman could be onto something. --Mike Pattenden
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Wow, why didn't anyone else think of this before? (well I mean *since* the first time around!) I guess the Zoots wanted to wait until we'd all *really* forgotten what the best bits of the early 80's were all about - make-up, airbrushing, gloss, hairspray and synths - before throwing them all back at us in such a faithful nod to the greats of the time. In a way I can't believe that this album is a new release - not only are the instruments and suits straight of the Top of the Pops stage circa 1983, but the lyrics are so appropriate to the time - there was a time when the charts were littered with songs about Jessie, and here's another one! If I were to say the words 'advertise', 'plastic', 'beautiful' and 'image', you already KNOW what this album is like!
I've given this 5 stars because I was 12 in 1983 and it was pop like this that accompanied me through my formative years. And yes, I do also own the best of Hall and Oates and the odd Flock of Seagulls tape somewhere. Track 6 is pure Bladerunner soundtrack, but the highlight is a thumping rebirth of Kraftwerk's 'The Model' - I'd like to play it all the time, it's understood! As a kitsch, retro nod to all those 'I love 1980' programmes, this definitely hits the spot, but without a hint of irony or lack of original songs. These guys get my vote.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Zoot Woman could be construed simply as a trendy 80s retro synth band, who dare to include a cover of Kraftwerk's The Model in their repertoire, and who have nothing of substance behind their uniform appearance. This would be so wrong....
This is a fantastic album, with it's wash of harmonies, driving bass rhythms and lush synthesisers. It epitomises everything that was new and original about the electronic music boom and production techniques of the 1980s and gives it a subtle 21st century twist. Tracks like Nobody Knows (Part One), Jessie and Holiday Home with those sumptious melodies, overlayered synths and wistful lyrics are a delight. The re-working of Kraftwerk's The Model is the real surprise though, taking it in a new warmer, sexier direction with the aid of backing vocals and a thrumming bass, but strangely in keeping with the original.
This album is a reminder of so many 80s bands at their peak - Human League (Dare), Ultravox (Vienna) and Kraftwerk (of course). Zoot Woman however have a style all of their own, and on the strength of this debut album, I for one can't wait to see what will follow.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Okay ,like some other reviews, the album was a bit of a disappointment at first after hearing such good things about the band.
But then the strangest thing happened. I went on holiday - and forgot to take any music except this album which was already in the car. So I played it again... then again and again and before you know it I'm hooked!
Well worth checking out for all the reasons given by other reviewers (who have a far better grasp of the english language than me).
So why only four stars? Well - I'm still not entirely convinced...
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The faster songs are better
When ZW do their Hall and Oates-esque songs, it just doesn't really grab me. I bought this album on the strength of 'Information First', and for that reason alone, it gets the... Read more
Published on 2 Nov 2003 by Jay M
Just One Misstep...
... But what a dramatic one: I'm referring to the risible acoustic ballad "Holiday Home". Ouch. So despite that, what we have here is a very strong album by two brothers and... Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2002 by "armadillos_are_great"
dude who likes all music but is blatantly Dyslixic says...
Living in a Magazien is a brilliant and honest album and what wipe's me out is all this 80's nonsence; me being born 30/4/80 spent my formative years in the 90's and im still... Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2001
Hits The 80s Spot In Places, Elsewhere Rather Eh
I picked this up after reading the gushy reviews here, since I've always loved the early 80s/new wave/synthpop sound, and I have to admit I'm a little disappointed with the... Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2001
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