Tag: Roland Gift

audio review : Roland Gift ( album ) … Roland Gift

audio review : Roland Gift ( album ) ... Roland Gift

If you listen to this album; Roland Gift’s solo debut; expecting the aesthetic equivalent of the long-awaited third Fine Young Cannibals project, you’re in for a disappointment. “The voice” is here; it’s a joy to hear that gay falsetto after all these years; but the songs aren’t up to par.

A Girl Like You and Lady DJ evoke vintage FYC; the only thing missing is Gift fully utilizing his signature ad-libs during their peaks; and Looking For A Friend is a melodic highlight, but the set is merely decent on the whole. The worst thing about it is the lazy 1980s-throwback self title.

my rating : 3 of 5

2002

Johnny Come Home ( song lyrics ) … Fine Young Cannibals

Johnny Come Home ( song lyrics ) ... Fine Young Cannibals

Nobody knows the trouble you feel.
Nobody cares. The feeling is real.

Johnny, we’re sorry. Won’t you come on home.
We’re worried. Won’t you come on.
What is wrong in my life that I must get drunk every night?

Johnny, we’re sorry.

Use the phone. Call your mom.
She’s missing you badly, missing her son.
Who do you know? Where will you stay?
Big city life is not what they say.

Johnny, we’re sorry. Won’t you come on home.
We’re worried. Won’t you come on.
What is wrong in my life that I must get drunk every night?

Johnny, we’re sorry.

You’d better go. Everything’s closed.
Can’t find a room. Money’s all blown.
Nowhere to sleep. Out in the cold.
Nothing to eat. Nowhere to go.

Johnny, we’re sorry. Won’t you come on home.
We’re worried. Won’t you come on.
What is wrong in my life that I must get drunk every night?

Johnny, we’re sorry. Won’t you come on home.
We’re worried. Won’t you come on home.
Johnny, won’t you come on home.
We’re worried. Won’t you come on home.

1985

audio review : Don’t Let It Get You Down ( song ) … Fine Young Cannibals

The beginning of the second chorus section is out of sync. “When my plans,” it starts, but Roland Gift says it a little too fast. It’s a technical flaw that could’ve been fixed with a redo or post delay. How it got by, after being either ignored or accepted by the people involved, and made it onto a major album release is beyond me.

The rest sounds fine. The techno beat is mixed at a considerably lower volume than the vocals, which is abnormal for the genre, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m more bothered by the fact that I’m not bothered by Roland Gift’s homoerotic falsetto. In fact, I like it, especially when he screams the title phrase like a mad woman.

my rating : 4 of 5

1989

audio review : The Raw And The Cooked ( album ) ... Fine Young Cannibals