The Honeymoon Is Over
The Cruel Sea
Star Rating: 4.5
review by: Susan Richards
The Cruel Sea
Star Rating: 4.5
review by: Susan Richards
I was pleasantly surprised when I found this CD on Amazon, after years of looking for the track for downloading (legally, of course). It was used, and I ordered it fairly inexpensively—and what a steal, I must say; this album turned out to be much better than its bargain-bin price.
“The Honeymoon Is Over” is, of course, famous for its appearance in the film Empire Records. The opening chords of the song play over the fade-in to a shot of the store, and then movie history is made. Taken out of the context of the album, the song sounds much different; I was honestly expect the Cruel Sea, a band out of Australia, to sound like every other alternative pop band of the era. Man, was I wrong!
“The Honeymoon Is Over” is, of course, famous for its appearance in the film Empire Records. The opening chords of the song play over the fade-in to a shot of the store, and then movie history is made. Taken out of the context of the album, the song sounds much different; I was honestly expect the Cruel Sea, a band out of Australia, to sound like every other alternative pop band of the era. Man, was I wrong!
Let me first say that the cover art is simple but lovely, with roses overlooked by what looks like a melting glass ball. What’s even better is that the insert actually has lyrics in it. This is something I don’t see very often anymore, and I love it. One can’t always trust the online lyrics sites (example: almost all of the lyrics for the song “Romeo and Juliet” by Dire Straits say that Romeo sings a “streetsuss serenade.” What in the hell is a “streetsuss”? Could it in fact be, “Sings the streets a serenade”? Use a little logic, people!), so it’s nice to go straight to the source. I just wonder why the lyrics for “Woman With Soul” aren’t in there. I’m not going to complain, though.
The music itself is a mix of bluesy songs, rock songs (like “The Honeymoon Is Over”), and dreamy blues instrumentals. I really loved “Naked Flame,” which has low, gritty vocals and had an almost reggae backbeat. Then there's "Blame it on the Moon," which has that same seductive song styling with the added benefit of Dan Rumour's guitar work; the guitar elevates that song from so-so or tedious into a melodic, flowing endcap to the CD. Tex Perkins’s and James Cruickshank’s vocals shine in this album; they’re straightforward and real, and they don’t try to sing songs that they can’t pull off. Some of the later instrumentals are, to be honest, a little too pop-y for my taste; overall, though, I’d say that the album is a good one. If you’re a blues fan or a rock and roll fan, you’ll like this album.
The music itself is a mix of bluesy songs, rock songs (like “The Honeymoon Is Over”), and dreamy blues instrumentals. I really loved “Naked Flame,” which has low, gritty vocals and had an almost reggae backbeat. Then there's "Blame it on the Moon," which has that same seductive song styling with the added benefit of Dan Rumour's guitar work; the guitar elevates that song from so-so or tedious into a melodic, flowing endcap to the CD. Tex Perkins’s and James Cruickshank’s vocals shine in this album; they’re straightforward and real, and they don’t try to sing songs that they can’t pull off. Some of the later instrumentals are, to be honest, a little too pop-y for my taste; overall, though, I’d say that the album is a good one. If you’re a blues fan or a rock and roll fan, you’ll like this album.