Hmm, interesting post. I had never heard any of these, not even "She's the one". (If I've heard any of the covers, they didn't register.) You cite the dichotomy between grunge and this sort of pop rock, but I think what really nuked pop rock was hip-hop. In any case, I knew I had checked out of the American pop scene by the 90's, and this sort of confirms it. My taste runs to harder and more technical (but still melodic), so it's no surprise. I agree with you: "Rolling off a Log" is the best song on the album (I listened to the samples and a few of the full clips, and for me it's a slam-dunk!) This guy was clearly an impressive multi-instrumentalist, but the album feels cliched, sort of like early Badfinger, just two decades on. That's the danger of being from the Lennon-McCartney school, as you put it. Finally, your point about mis-attribution is so important. As we've discussed in your comments to my column, whole categories of artists were unjustly erased from the canon. Great to put the word out on their behalf, no matter how belated.
Thanks, Steve. I was totally into World Party for the first 3 albums and then stopped listening. Perhaps 4 years was too long? Who knows. One of my favorites was always ‘And I Fell Back Alone’ from Goodbye Jumbo. Somehow, after all these years, I‘ve never heard Egyptology. Sounds like it’s time I give it a spin on Spotify. Perhaps it will save me from tomorrow.
Thanks, Steve, for your well-written introduction (for me!) to Karl and WP! I had heard of them in the '80s/early '90s, and was told by a couple friends, "Ooh, Brad, you have to check out this World Party band...they're right up your alley!" Plus, a couple album reviews sounded promising, but after a couple listens to something they had out then (30 years ago), nothing stuck!
I'm hearing less of a Beatles influence than one of Fab Four acolytes, ELO, just far less bombastic, minus the chugging cellos and omnipresent ork. I'm amazed by Wallinger's tenacity, and the ability (and desire, for some reason) to, as a right-hander, play a right-handed guitar upside down...left-handed (I just read that)!
Plus, he attended Charterhouse about 5 years after most of Genesis (Gabriel, Rutherford, Banks), meeting there as fledgling schoolboy songwriters!
I'm disgusted by how he and his art were man-handled by Chrysalis and Robbie Williams! Happy things worked out, royalty-wise, but I still can't help but wonder, why no lawsuit?
I still want to listen to the whole of "Egyptology," but, again, as one of the few music writers who actually makes me think, wonder, and learn, thank you tons, Steve!✨👏🎉😁👍
Wow - thanks, Brad! It's pretty great about his left-handed upside-down stringing guitar playing, right? That is what Paul McCartney did with bass, no? Or were the strings not flipped? Either way, it is yet another aspect of The Beatles that Wallinger took on.
I like your ELO comparison. I hear that too, though it's sort of a chicken and the egg thing, especially considering how directly Jeff Lynne evokes the Fab 4.
Yeah - if you want to get more enraged at the Crysalis/Williams story, listen to the podcast I linked to in the piece. Jump to about half way in to get to that part of the WP story. I think the "no lawsuit" is likely because he was getting tons of royalties, and was trying to recover from a brain aneurysm and adding more stress wasn't worth it. Probably something in his contract with Chrysalis may have played a role in it too.
Great post!! Had neither heard any of the songs, nor the artist - or if I did, long forgotten. Definitely hear the Lennon/McCartney influence! Good to hear of his recovery - thanks for the earworms!
Hmm, interesting post. I had never heard any of these, not even "She's the one". (If I've heard any of the covers, they didn't register.) You cite the dichotomy between grunge and this sort of pop rock, but I think what really nuked pop rock was hip-hop. In any case, I knew I had checked out of the American pop scene by the 90's, and this sort of confirms it. My taste runs to harder and more technical (but still melodic), so it's no surprise. I agree with you: "Rolling off a Log" is the best song on the album (I listened to the samples and a few of the full clips, and for me it's a slam-dunk!) This guy was clearly an impressive multi-instrumentalist, but the album feels cliched, sort of like early Badfinger, just two decades on. That's the danger of being from the Lennon-McCartney school, as you put it. Finally, your point about mis-attribution is so important. As we've discussed in your comments to my column, whole categories of artists were unjustly erased from the canon. Great to put the word out on their behalf, no matter how belated.
Thanks, Steve. I was totally into World Party for the first 3 albums and then stopped listening. Perhaps 4 years was too long? Who knows. One of my favorites was always ‘And I Fell Back Alone’ from Goodbye Jumbo. Somehow, after all these years, I‘ve never heard Egyptology. Sounds like it’s time I give it a spin on Spotify. Perhaps it will save me from tomorrow.
Well, since tomorrow never knows, I’d say you were good either way. But it’s worth listening to it just in case.
Thanks, Steve, for your well-written introduction (for me!) to Karl and WP! I had heard of them in the '80s/early '90s, and was told by a couple friends, "Ooh, Brad, you have to check out this World Party band...they're right up your alley!" Plus, a couple album reviews sounded promising, but after a couple listens to something they had out then (30 years ago), nothing stuck!
I'm hearing less of a Beatles influence than one of Fab Four acolytes, ELO, just far less bombastic, minus the chugging cellos and omnipresent ork. I'm amazed by Wallinger's tenacity, and the ability (and desire, for some reason) to, as a right-hander, play a right-handed guitar upside down...left-handed (I just read that)!
Plus, he attended Charterhouse about 5 years after most of Genesis (Gabriel, Rutherford, Banks), meeting there as fledgling schoolboy songwriters!
I'm disgusted by how he and his art were man-handled by Chrysalis and Robbie Williams! Happy things worked out, royalty-wise, but I still can't help but wonder, why no lawsuit?
I still want to listen to the whole of "Egyptology," but, again, as one of the few music writers who actually makes me think, wonder, and learn, thank you tons, Steve!✨👏🎉😁👍
Wow - thanks, Brad! It's pretty great about his left-handed upside-down stringing guitar playing, right? That is what Paul McCartney did with bass, no? Or were the strings not flipped? Either way, it is yet another aspect of The Beatles that Wallinger took on.
I like your ELO comparison. I hear that too, though it's sort of a chicken and the egg thing, especially considering how directly Jeff Lynne evokes the Fab 4.
Yeah - if you want to get more enraged at the Crysalis/Williams story, listen to the podcast I linked to in the piece. Jump to about half way in to get to that part of the WP story. I think the "no lawsuit" is likely because he was getting tons of royalties, and was trying to recover from a brain aneurysm and adding more stress wasn't worth it. Probably something in his contract with Chrysalis may have played a role in it too.
JT=Justin Timberlake?
No comment. But you should know the answer to that.:)
Great post!! Had neither heard any of the songs, nor the artist - or if I did, long forgotten. Definitely hear the Lennon/McCartney influence! Good to hear of his recovery - thanks for the earworms!
Thanks for the nice words! All of his albums are worth checking out if you like this one.