Hot Under The Collar! (Fever - Kylie Minogue)

Member Name: TigerTiger

Product:	Fever - Kylie Minogue
Date:	12/03/02 (393 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I'd buy it for "can't get you out of my head" alone, an exceptional track, Kylie just keeps on producing some great tunes, Appeals to many people

Disadvantages: Some mediocre tracks

If you had been asked in 1988 to bet money on Kylie Minogue still reaching the top of our charts in the new milennium would you have done it? Probably not. The very nature of "pop" music means that it doesn't tend to have a very long shelf life. Kylie Minogue is one of the exceptions to survive in pop music and 2001 was probably her best year to date and 2002 is going pretty well as well with Brit Awards, another top 5 single and a contract to promote the new convertable Ford Ka. Can she do no wrong?

I've grown up with Kylie, she was there through my childhood and teens. I was in love with Jason Donovan (I despair at that when I see the state of him today, but I was young!) and so I wanted to be her in Neighbours and then she went on to have many great chart hits and it appeared that she could do no wrong. She also happened to be gorgeous. At 33 little seems to have changed for the Aussie who still looks better than most 21 year olds, however, over the years there have been some changes.

Kylie is undoubtedly the come back queen and she has the ability to change with the times and re-model herself accordingly, as Madonna does. There has been many a time over the past decade when I never expected to hear from Kylie again, think her disasterous turn at Indie music. However, She's back and doing what she does best, charty pop numbers which fill the dance floors and Kylie has quite frankly never been cooler, bum job or not!

"Fever" was released towards the end of 2001 and I have owned it since the week of release, however, it is only now that I am getting round to writing about it. When I first played it I worried that there were only 2 tracks on the cd that I actually liked. I worried that it was very mediocre. However, I played it in the car daily for 3 weeks on the way to work and now I know every single word and like it a great deal. it is very easy to listen to and definitely her best album in a long while,
maybe even ever.

Here are reviews of the 12 tracks:

1. More More More

Kylie just can’t get enough it seems, as she wants more more more. “Fever” starts off with a true pop tune which would be enough to get most people on the dance floor.
The first time I played the cd I was disappointed that this was chosen as the opening track as there are many stronger tracks, but it grows on you and like me after a few listens you will be singing along knowing each and every word. The track shows Kylie reaching some of the highest notes and it is definitely a slick number which follows her usually successful format.

Rating: 6.5/10

2.Love at First Sight

A medium paced pop-py track which wants to tell us about falling in love at first sight, how just when everything was going wrong this person turned up and everything got better, all the problems were solved. I doubt this will be a single as it just doesn’t stand out enough. However, I wouldn’t describe it as a “filler” as such as it is a good track to listen to, just not number one material.

Rating: 6.5/10

3. Can't get you out of my head

If you don't know this track then you must have been on another planet for the past year quite frankly. I actually wanted it to win record of the year, however, it was pipped to the post by S Club 7. However, for me this is my favourite song of 2001. Written by the likes of 80's pop star Cathy Dennis, who helped with a number of the tracks on "Fever", it was a big chart and club hit country wide and is now gaining popularity in the US.
The song was fabulously infectious, but the video was superb and especially for the male viewers I imagine.

Rating: 9.5/10

4. Fever

"Fever" is the title track of the album and a very up beat and lively number. It starts off slowly though and initially I didn’t think
it was anything special. However, gradually Kylie kicks in and she provides another good pop style track which has the type of chorus that everyone sings along to.

Rating: 7/10

5. Give it to me

This starts with some dubious sound effects, sounding quite cheap actually. This worried me somewhat. “Give it to me” is very punchy and not as dancy as most of the other tracks. This is probably the weakest track on the album.

Rating: 4.5/10

6. Fragile

“Fragile” sounds different to the other tracks on the cd and I like it a lot. It is a little slower than most other tracks and at times Kylie sounds slightly haunting with the echo on her voice. The vocals in “Fragile” talk about how you go all “fragile” and silly when the person they are in love with is around. You know when you go all girlie and useless, acting as if you need help and protecting. I guess I’ve been there on the odd occasion.

Rating: 7/10

7. Come into my world

This is beaty, punching and very infectious. Kylie blasts in singing “Come, come, come into my world”. I like the beat that goes with the track and it definitely makes you want to tap your feet. This is a likeable number, but there is nothing very novel about it.

Rating: 6.5/10

8. In your eyes

"In Your eyes" was the second single to be released from Fever and in February it entered the charts at Number 3. It is fair to say that it would have done better released at any other times. However, it had the likes of Enrique and Hero and Westlife to contend with. Never underestimate the power of girlies buying the records, as demonstrated with the voting on Popidol.
“In your eyes” has the same winning formula as “can’t get you out of my head”, it builds up to a great dance tune, the lyrics are catchy and it has a great video to accompany. The
track definitely has an exotic feel to it, and that was the first thing that struck me when I heard it. Some of it was very reminiscent of her earlier track “spinning around” which was the only downside for me.

Rating: 8/10

9. Dancefloor

“On the dance floor, on the dancefloor” booms on about being messed about by a guy and how being on the dance floor and losing herself in the music is the best way to get over it. It’s the whole look at me, see what you have lost, but I’m over you mentality. The thing is you could actually imagine Kylie in her hotpants doing just that. Another infectious chorus which will stick in your head.
I think with a bit of revamping (a good mix!) that this could be a big club hit, it hasn’t happened yet though.

Rating: 7/10

10. Love Affair

When I first sat in my car playing this I thought this sounds a bit familiar. Not in that I recognized the song, but her voice sounded like someone else. Then I realized she sounded a little like Gwen Steffani from No Doubt in parts, especially the chorus. This is one of my favourite songs from “Fever” actually which may shock some people as it is an odd choice. I like the lyrics, I like the things that it has to say. I like the way the verses and chorus are very different, yet fit together very well and I like the Kylie’s voice sounds. It is different and so it stands out. Definitely worth a listen.

Rating: 8.5/10

11. Your Love

“Your Love” has a Spanish sound in the background and you can imagine if Kylie ever released this she would be wearing some skimpy flamenco number doing her bit on the dance floor, no doubt with a sexy man on her arm. The song follows the same Kylie formula, but it is easy to listen to and most will like.

Rating: 7/10

12. Burning up

It starts slow with nice lyrics and a good guitar accompaniment.
Then Kylie bursts in with “I’m burning up baby” which is repeated time and time again. I have to admit I would have preferred a different song to end the album on. In one sense it is good to have a combination of slow and fast, electro beats and guitar, however, I wouldn’t buy it as a single. Hmmmm, I just can’t make my mind up about this one.

Rating: 5/10

~~~Concluding thoughts~~~

Kylie has a winning formula and this has definitely been her year. A lot of people had high hopes for her album and hence she has received a fair bit of criticism because it hasn’t lived up to their expectations. However, I think most people approached it thinking that they were going to get 12 “can’t get you out of my heads” and I’ll be honest I think that was an exceptional track for Kylie. I like Kylie a great deal and I have done for her entire career. However, few of her tracks have been exceptional.

If you compare this album with her others then it compares very favourably, especially against her last couple. There are 6 tracks on here I class as very good and about 3 that are good and 3 questionable.

I would recommend you buying this album as no doubt Kylie will release a couple more tracks from it and it will work out cheaper than buying the singles.

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