What was your first record?

Over on the BBC website they have a story about what people's first records were (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21140268).

For me it is two releases at their polar opposites. On one hand my first non-compilation album was Aqua's 'Aquarium', a 1997 package of cheesy pop delights suitable for an eleven year old with a love of pop music.

For my first single, perhaps connected to its Hanna-Barbera cartoon name, was 'Scooby Snacks' by The Fun Lovin' Criminals,  which isn't particularly cheesy. It's a great tune but I don't think my parents were much impressed by its opening Pulp Fiction sampling line of 'don't any of you kids move, or I'll execute every last m*****f*****g one of you'. Quite.

So what was your first single and album?

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REVIEW: Aqua - Megalomania

First things first: if you are expecting a third album in the style of Aquarium and Aquarius, filled with bubble gum pop and family-friendly radio tunes, then you will be disappointed. Not that this is a bad album, in fact quite the opposite, but this is a serious maturing of the band even from their new tracks on their Greatest Hits album. Of course, this depends if your definition of maturity is making club tunes and throwing in liberal use of the F-Word.

This was always an album I was going to pick up. Aqua was one of my favourite bands of my childhood and tracks such as 'Cartoon Heroes', 'Doctor Jones' and 'Around The World' still stand up today, as well as their more mature offerings such as 'Turn Back Time', 'Be A Man' and 'Belong To The Sea', not to mention 'My Mamma Said' from a couple of years ago. It's been ten years in the making but has been worth the wait.

Opening with 'Playmate To Jesus', single number three, the album gets off to a slow start and is a questionable opening, considering what follows, but the track itself is a beautiful ballad with a great mix of vocals between Lene and Rene, that shows off their new lyrical maturity.

'Dirty Little Pop Song', unsurprisingly from the title, brings the first examples of Aqua potty mouth to the fore. Aside from this surprise to the unexpected ear (I was familiar already with track four so not too surprised) it's the first of many top class club tunes that would easily fit in with the current pop-club scene. With a catchy chorus and good bass it's a song that really kicks off the album.

The un-Aqua titled 'Kill Myself' is not one of the strongest tracks on the album but the chorus is great, and leads into the best track on the album 'Like A Robot', which is the closest the band will ever get to a sexy track, focussing on Lene's frustration of her partner failing to satisfy her in bed. A massive club track that is easily the catchiest tune on the album, again balancing the styles of the lead singers, and mixing the poppiness of their past with their new outlook.

'Viva Las Vegas' is another good slice of pop with interesting production effects and is a contender for their next single, even if it does resort to both production and lyrical cliches at time. 'No Party Patrol' is possibly the weakest on the album but still a track worth listening to.

'Come N' Get It' is much more of a duet, sounding like the sort of thing Timbaland would make (whether that's good or not is down to your opinion on that producer!) and certainly fits in with the current popularity of RnB.

'Sucker For A Superstar' is back to the band's poppy past and, though dropping a few cringey lyrics, is a weird mix of Steps and Bowling For Soup, with the good qualities of both of those. 'Be My Saviour Tonight' returns to club / ballad territory and continues the flow before first single 'How U Doin' returns to full club territory with memorable lyrics and full singability, if that's a word.

The album closes and brings it just shy of the forty minute mark with the excellent ballad 'If The World Didn't Suck (We Would All Fall Off)' which is up there with 'Turn Back Time' as one of their great slower-tracks and brings the album to a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, this is an album that will be a shock to those familiar with their older albums but, if like me, you've gone from a teenager to an adult in the same time, will appreciate their maturing in musical style and lyrics and offering something refreshing. This could easily have been released under a different name and probably do better, escaping the poppy shackles that come with being called an 'Aqua' album, which is a shame as there is much to enjoy here that doesn't involve the bubblegum and cheesiness of their earlier albums. I love the old Aqua but I love the new Aqua. A great listen.

[8.5 / 10]

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Brand new Aqua single!

Yes... after ten years it's finally that time for a new Aqua single and album, and here is the former... now time to hunt down where I can buy the album from!

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The Nine Songs You Should Be Listening To Now! (Part 1)

Over the next three days I'll be doing something a little bit different, bringing you the best nine new tracks around at the moment for you to listen to...

The Feeling feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Leave Me Out Of It

First heard by me live on Lee Mack's saturday night show on the BBC this is quite possibly one of the most beautifully sounding tracks of the year. Weirdly there doesn't seem to be a video yet but this deserves to do well in the charts with its simple but emotive lyrics about love that say far more than an of your r'n'b sex-on-the-dancefloor tunes.



'Weird Al' Yankovic - Perform This Way

The master of parody is back with this great pastiche of Lady GaGa's fashion over her hit 'Born This Way'. The song is great, the video is both funny and technologically amazing, and it stands up as a tune on its own.



Aqua - Fuck Me Like A Robot

The title might be so un-Aqua it's unbelievable but it's still a nice slice of catchy pop that bodes well for their album, which looks to have a bit more credible theme, if credible means shoving some potty words into it.



Part two coming tomorrow!

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