{"product_id":"gorillaz-s-t-cassette","title":"Gorillaz - S\/T : CASSETTE","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCASSETTE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's tempting to judge Gorillaz -- Damon Albarn, Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett, and Dan \"The Automator\" Nakamura's virtual band -- just by their brilliantly animated videos and write the project off as another triumph of style over substance. Admittedly, Hewlett's edgy-cute characterizations of 2-D, Gorillaz' pretty boy singer (who looks a cross between the Charlatans' Tim Burgess and Sonic the Hedgehog), sinister bassist Murdoc, whiz-kid guitarist Noodle, and b-boy drummer Russel are so arresting that they almost detract from Gorillaz' music. The amazing \"Thriller\"-meets-Planet of the Apes clip for \"Clint Eastwood\" is so visually clever that it's easy to take the song's equally clever, hip-hop-tinged update of the Specials' \"Ghost Town\" for granted. And initially, Gorillaz' self-titled debut feels incomplete when Hewlett's imagery is removed; the concept of Gorillaz as a virtual band doesn't hold up as well when you can't see the virtual bandmembers. It's too bad that there isn't a DVD version of Gorillaz, with videos for every song, à la the DVD version of Super Furry Animals' Rings Around the World. Musically, however, Gorillaz is a cutely caricatured blend of Albarn's eclectic Brit-pop and Nakamura's equally wide-ranging hip-hop, and it sounds almost as good as the band looks. Albarn has fun sending up Blur's cheeky pop on songs like \"5\/4\" and \"Re-Hash,\" their trip-hop experiments on \"New Genious\" and \"Sound Check,\" and \"Song 2\"-like thrash-pop on \"Punk\" and \"M1 A1.\" Despite the similarities between Albarn's main gig and his contributions here, Gorillaz isn't an Albarn solo album in disguise; Nakamura's bass- and beat-oriented production gives the album an authentically dub and hip-hop-inspired feel, particularly on \"Rock the House\" and \"Tomorrow Comes Today.\" Likewise, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Miho Hatori, and Ibrahim Ferrer's vocals ensure that it sounds like a diverse collaboration rather than an insular side project. Instead, it feels like a musical vacation for all parties involved -- a little self-indulgent, but filled with enough fun ideas and good songs to make this virtual band's debut a genuinely enjoyable album.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA1        Re-Hash  3:40\u003cbr\u003eA2        5\/4    2:42\u003cbr\u003eA3        Tomorrow Comes Today    3:14\u003cbr\u003eA4        New Genious (Brother)    3:59\u003cbr\u003eA5        Clint Eastwood  5:43\u003cbr\u003eA6        Man Research (Clapper)    4:32\u003cbr\u003eA7        Punk    1:38\u003cbr\u003eA8        Sound Check (Gravity)    4:42\u003cbr\u003eB1        Double Bass    4:46\u003cbr\u003eB2        Rock The House    4:11\u003cbr\u003eB3        19-2000. 3:29\u003cbr\u003eB4        Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)3:38\u003cbr\u003eB5        Starshine  3:33\u003cbr\u003eB6        Slow Country    3:37\u003cbr\u003eB7        M1 A1    3:57\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Analog Record Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45121555038408,"sku":null,"price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0348\/8505\/files\/s-l1600_3a60c8c6-9fe1-4e9d-9855-5384f5ecdac2.webp?v=1782176868","url":"https:\/\/www.analogrecordshop.com\/products\/gorillaz-s-t-cassette","provider":"Analog Record Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}