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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Kirsty MacColl's third album in a disappointingly sporadic solo career is a homage to her infatuation with the music of South America and the Caribbean. The songs are decorated with sounds borrowed from the environments that inspired it: the rattling of marimbas, the yelpings of mariachi trumpets, the twittering of songbirds or, occasionally, what sounds like the squawkings of macaques. None of which is a problem in so far as MacColl's voice would still bestow a certain human warmth on an album of martial marches, but too much of Tropical Brainstorm nonetheless rings hollow. The problem with this sort of musical tourism is that the performer often concentrates too much on getting the details right and not enough imposing their own vision on proceedings. Here, MacColl has roped in capable musicians, but spends too much time lapsing into Spanishchoruses as if to remind us that she knows her stuff as well. It doesn't help that her own usually sure lyrical touch is somewhat lacking--songs that sneer at online onanists ("Here Comes That Man Again") and conspicuous consumers ("Designer Life") are not the sign of an imagination firing on all cylinders. Towards the end of the album, the unfussy, plaintive and ruthlessly direct he-done-me-wrong song "Wrong Again" is a suggestion of what might have been; tellingly, it's the least Cuban-sounding song on the record. --Andrew Mueller
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This album deserves "Rumours" status.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Tropical Brainstorm (Audio CD)
Who pays any attention to official reviews anyway?If you were asked to list your "Top 20 Albums Ever" there would be many different selections but some albums achieve cult status; the kind of albums you reach for again, even though you've played them a hundred times before. I'm thinking of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, or Paul Simon's Gracelands, to name but two. In my view Tropical Brainstorm is another one of those and it belongs in everybody's record collection. Kirsty's lyrics are clever and funny, her melodies are well-crafted, and her band really rocks! I was lucky enough to get to one of her Tropical Brainstorm concerts, and it proved what a great live performer she was, as well as an accomplished studio artist. After yeas of producing some very fine songs which nevertheless failed to get much air play Kirsty was just getting into top gear as a songsmith, and I'm sure would have released much more excellent material, possibly even better than this. But as a farewell album, this is truly going out on a high note. Let's celebrate the life of a fine musician. Turn up the volume and dance!
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Superb,
This review is from: Tropical Brainstorm (Audio CD)
Sadly Kirsty is no longer with us so this album was to become her swansong . Luckily it's absolutely magnificent. It's an album of some of Kirsty's strongest songs ever. The flavour is South American obviously influenced from her time living there. Don't be put off by that, try it, it's not that scary.In terms of quality of songwriting, it's on a par with the songs on career best album 'Kite' but as I say the flavour of the songs is completely different. As ever Kirsty's pop sensibilities never leave her and her humour is prevalent throughout most of these songs , 'In These Shoes?' and 'England 2 Columbia 0' particularly. Kirsty is sorely missed and I would have loved to have heard the follow up to this album. So much talent. It you've only ever bought and loved the compilation 'Galore', go get this, you'll love it too.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dancing around in his socks,
This review is from: Tropical Brainstorm (Audio CD)
A musician and songwriter as talented and versatile as Kirsty was too often discussed in relation to other people, as Ewan MacColl's daughter, producer Steve Lillywhite's ex-wife, as backing vocalist to an a-list of Brit stars including Morrissey, the Happy Mondays and Alison Moyet, even as the girl who put the album tracks in order on U2's the Joshua Tree. It's about time she was recognised in her own right for the fine legacy of solo work she left behind her. While few longstanding Kirsty fans will prefer Tropical Brainstorm to her career-defining Kite, it's the work of a mature artist developing and redefining her sound. Not everyone will love the Cuban flavour - it can on a couple of occasions sound mannered - but who could fail to laugh at the wit of a track like In These Shoes? I last saw Kirsty performing England 2, Columbia 0 on Later... a few months before her death - a superb tale of wronged love and wounded pride. The other stand out is Treachery, a very English take on the stalking fan that could almost be a riposte to Eminem's Stan - and a fitting epitaph to an unconventional talent taken away years too early.
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