Everything in its Right Place? (Everything Is Wrong - Moby)

Member Name: TJ-Mackey

Product:	Everything Is Wrong - Moby
Date:	04/08/02 (191 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: variety

Disadvantages: variety

Everything is Wrong is possibly one of the most diverse albums I own, and yet that's not particularly surprising when it's produced by as versatile an artist as Moby. Prior to 1999's hugely successful Play, which featured samples from (amongst other styles) blues and gospel music, he also released records across various genres ranging from techno right through to punk rock.

On Everything is Wrong, most of these genres are covered on the one album, and suffice to say, if you've enjoyed any of Moby's previous work, I'd recommend you give it a listen - there should be at least something here for you! Released back in 1995, some time after the highs of 'Go' (surely one of the best dance singles of the nineties), this album is probably Moby's most eclectic, but that's perhaps it's biggest strength.

On its first play, the most noticeable aspect of the album, other than the diversity of style, is the discontinuity between tracks. You'll be thrown straight from the slow, calming piano and synthesisers of the opening track, 'Hymn', to the jumping break-beats of 'Feeling So Real' with barely time to catch your breath. The loud opening vocals - "Sound system a-rockin! Sound system a-rockin!" - couldn't be further from the blissful tones of the previous song. Similarly, the energetic electronic-dance of 'Anthem' drops straight into the slow, almost sorrowful piano chords of the title track. This incongruous selection is possibly Moby's attempt to convey the 'everything is wrong' theme of the record, which is much more explicitly referenced in the inlay notes; advocating vegetarianism, denouncing corporate evils and providing a multitude of disturbing facts about our present society.

With different styles though, come different moods. The first half of the album consists of mainly upbeat songs before progressing onto the more introspective nature of the la
ter tracks, although there is the odd exception. The fast-paced 'Feeling So Real' and 'Everytime You Touch Me' are very club-oriented and are guaranteed to get you up and dancing, whilst the extremely heavy rock sounds of 'What Love' seem curiously out-of-place. But then again, that makes perfect sense in the context of the rest of the record!

By far my favourite tracks from Everything is Wrong are the chilled ambience of the later offerings. The down-tempo sounds of 'First Cool Hive' are probably the most similar to the standout songs from Play; 'Into the Blue' soothes your mind with its calming lyrics; and 'God Moving Over the Face of the Waters' is a truly beautiful instrumental piece. Slowly building upon an infectious piano intro, this is a complicated, multi-layered track that rises to almost anthem-like levels - and what's more, it's easily the best on the album. These three tracks are perfect for simply lying back, relaxing and taking in the mood.

What's most noticeable on the album as a whole is Moby's talent for combining sampled vocals, traditional instruments and electronic sounds and then adapting and combining them to fit in with his chosen style. Hence we see heavy guitars, synthesisers and elegant piano arrangements, set to vocals ranging from loud screaming (Moby himself on a couple of the tracks) to the soft, delicate female voice found towards the end of the album ('Into the Blue' and 'When it's Cold I'd Like to Die').

Of course, with such a variation in styles of music, it's doubtful the entire album will appeal to anyone. What's more likely is you'll find yourself listening to some of the tracks again and again, whilst skipping others that you're not so keen on. Which is fine - you can rarely please all of the people all of the time. As I said before, fans of Moby's other albums will undoubtedly find much to appr
eciate in Everything is Wrong, and even those who considered Play to be massively over-rated may be surprised by some of the material here.

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I bought my copy of Everything is Wrong from play.com last year and it's still available there for £9.99 (although I notice the track ordering now appears to be slightly different). Amazon.co.uk have it for £11.99, and they're also selling the 'DJ Mix' double-cd version of the album for the same price.

Further information on Moby is available on his website at: www.moby-online.com

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