What Is The Trouble With Harry? (The Trouble With...harry - Harry)

Member Name: delawney

Product:	The Trouble With...harry - Harry
Date:	29/04/03 (1382 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Rocks

Disadvantages: No lyrics on CD insert - bah!

THE QUICK REVIEW (For those in a hurry)

Kerrang! says "If you give your heart to a rock goddess this year let it be Harry". Well, to be honest my heart's not really on the market, and if it were I'm not sure it would really bond with a rock goddess. But my ears might be willing to give it a go.

"The Trouble With... Harry" is the debut album from rock chick Harry. Purchased by me on the strength of her excellent cover of "Imagination" and the excellent "Under the Covers" e.p., despite having a few not so hot tracks, as a whole it has not proved to be a disappointment.

Harry will appeal to you if you like your music loud, raunchy, rebellious in a traditional-rocky kind of way (that's a deliberate oxymoron) and at times experimental.

Standout tracks have to include "Imagination", but also "10 Things", "So Real" and "Eye".

As a whole, an excellent album.


THE FULL OP

Anyone remember a somewhat tedious 1980s hit "Imagination" by Belouis Some? You'd remember it if you heard it. It was OK, but it didn't really do a lot.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I was watching Kerrang! TV in the hope they'd play "Tribute" again (I just never tire of that video), and suddenly I'm hearing "Imagination", but it doesn't sound at all how I remember it. Suddenly it's raunchy, it's rocky, and well, the video's a bit, rude. Just slightly. Probably more to the taste of the men (or women who like women) as the song was performed by Harry, and Harry is most definitely a girl. And she likes stockings.

Having spied Harry's "Under the Covers" e.p. for sale at just £1.99, curiosity got the better of me. Along with "Imagination" I was treated to covers of Salt 'n' Pepa's "Push It" and Bauhaus' "She's
in Parties". Oooh, and that rather raunchy video. I was impressed. (With the music, not the raunchy vid!). I was hooked.

So, the album "The Trouble With... Harry" came out last Tuesday (22 April) and I spotted it in Virgin for £9.99. Since it was not on CD Wow and more expensive at Amazon, I couldn't resist!

When you look at Harry's website and the links to artists Harry loves, you immediately pick up on their influence in her music. These artists include Madonna, PJ Harvey, The Strokes, Bauhaus, Gary Numan, Hole and David Bowie.

So, preamble over, onto the review!


*** The Packaging ***

Hmmm, I think they might be focusing on a particular market here. All Harry pics in stockings and suspenders and long blonde hair everywhere.

No lyrics unfortunately (I hate that!), but these are available at the website www.h-a-r-r-y.com. (although not all of them, as it turns out, and there are typing errors!).

What I do find a little strange is though I've trawled through the CD insert and the website, I can't find any reference to any musicians. Whether that means they're just not listed, or whether Harry plays most of the instruments, I have not the faintest idea. If anyone can shine any light on this for me I'd be grateful!


*** The Track Run-Down ***

*** GODDESS ON THE FLOOR ***

"I am the Goddess on the floor
The daughter, the wife
The vixen whore"

Having got you all in the mood for a storming rock album, I'm going to confuse you all by telling you that the first track is almost like a techno track - with Harry emitting breathy vocals here and there. When she does start to sing properly. she almost sounds like Toyah (which is no bad thing in my view - I quite like Toyah!).


*** 10 THINGS ***

"And I always do what you tell me to
And I kill myself trying
Finding it
hard to respect myself
And I feel the love I had dying"

Most of you will be glad to know she stops sounding like Toyah from this track onwards. A piano/keyboard opening, some funky drum beats, cue Harry with the half-sung half-rapped verses before the catchy chorus. This is moderately upbeat number, though not exactly pounding.

This is an excellent song - it's both catchy and moody, and you really get to appreciate Harry's voice.


*** SO REAL ***

"Wouldn't it be so nice to feel something so real
You wouldn't have to live at all"

This is an out and out cracking pop song with some loud guitars. It's bouncy, it's fun, it's a great sing-a-long.

I think this is going to be one of the future singles.


*** FOLLOW ME ***

Starts with a techie drum sound and a distant guitar riff, before the guitar comes a little more to the fore. The verses are almost shouted/rapped rather than sung (almost a la Blondie, if I dare make the obvious Harry comparison...). The chorus has a great sing-a-long/swaying kind of vibe. I gather this is also going to be a future single.

Harry describes this song as being about things she shouldn't have been doing at 16...

I find this song really catchy, although I have to confess I'm not really sure why!


*** VALLEY ***

A gentle opening this time - yep we're into the ballad zone! But it does pick up tempo a little for the chorus. This is a nice little number where we get to hear a bit more of the softer side of Harry's voice (other than shouting and sexy, breathy whispering). A nice little number, and one that's really a bit of a grower. I thought it was a bit boring at first, but the more I heard it, the more I liked it.


*** UNDERGROUND ***

Is it me or have we slipped into 80s Lita Ford territory? No, I stand corrected, it
9;s way better than Lita Ford, but you do feel a bit like you've slipped into a bit of a time warp here. Actually, now I think of it the guitar sound is almost Thin Lizzy-esque - we're 70s not 80s, I take it all back! Not a bad track, but not one that really gets my juices flowing. You kind of feel you've reached the middle of side two a bit early...


*** EYE ***

This has more of an 80s New Romantic/bordering on goth sound to it in it's opening bars. Obviously Harry's spent too much time at Slimelight (where she used to work the doors - only been there once myself).

Then we find ourselves melting in the chorus of:
"Hail hail, honey honey
Hail hail, honey honey
Oh yeah"
which is sung almost mantra-like, and it sounds fantastic, mixed well into the foreground over some pounding guitars.

I love this track - it has a real haunting kind of edge to it. It is also quite probably the most creative and original track on the album.


*** PUSH IT (REAL GOOD) ***

"I bet you look at me and think that I'm a dumb blonde
But you have no idea how far I've actually come from
I've lived right on the edge that I almost became it
I can't believe the things that I've done and I can't change it"

Yep, it's the Salt 'n' Pepa cover, and it has to be said it's pretty darned good! Now, as Harry has a writing credit here, I'm assuming that she may well have tampered with the lyrics somewhat, but not exactly being familiar enough with the words of the original.

It definitely sounds enough like the original that you are in no doubt what the song is, but she has definitely covered it with a Harry "twist" - well, it rocks - in a kind of semi-disco way. I guess you have to hear it.

(Incidently, this proved to be a great song for painting kitchen cupboards to...).

Top stuff. <
br>

*** I DO WHAT I DO ***

"I do what I do and I hate to regret"

A hard rocking guitar intro this time.

I was going to become repetitive and say this was another one with a sing-a-long chorus, but actually it's more of a shout-a-long chorus.

This song is nothing special. It is not inventive, it is not breaking any new ground, but it is a belting rocky/poppy number and unashamedly so. I really like it.


*** TASTE LIKE KISSES ***

There's some interesting synth sounds where you can pick up on the Gary Numan influence.
The bridge is quite nice too. This one seemed a bit tedious on first listening, but it has layers and it's definitely a grower. It's one of those that seeps into your subconscious...


*** HEROIN ***

Once more, a pretty good rock/pop track, more synth sounds but not the best track on the album.


*** NOTHING REALLY MATTERS ***

"Educated strippers and cross-dressing vicars
Disgusting politicians and animal petitions"

I love this track! Harry kind of drawls her way through the verses against they're rock/techno/hint of industrial background, while the chorus is somewhere off in the background. The whole song has a really kicking, funky vibe, and it just oozes atmosphere. It's a kind of strange blend of anger and apathy. Brilliant.


*** IMAGINATION ***

"She blamed excesses on the American dream
So seldom witnessed, never seen

Imagination, will make a man of you
Imagination, can make me love you too
Imagination, is all I want from you"

So, she saves the debut single for last. It has to be said that this is a truly excellent version of what was initially quite a dull song. Now, while the chorus really rocks, the verses ooze sex and naughtiness creating wonderful contrast. Of course, she sells the sex for all it's w
orth in the video!



*** The Verdict? ***

So what is the trouble with Harry? According to the lady herself on the promo for the album they keep showing on Kerrang! TV, it's that she just can't say no.

I think that the trouble with Harry is that she's too blooming good! This is an excellent album. Some of the tracks on here are absolutely fantastic - they either truly kick ass, or they are delightfully original. To say when she's good, she's very very good sums it up well. She's never really bad, but for the sake of balance I do have to say that one or two tracks really don't have the same impact. Although that could be because the good songs are so good.

Thus, my overall verdict is going to be four stars. There are some truly fantastic tracks here, but the one or two slightly weaker tracks lose a star for me.

But take my word for it, Harry is destined for big things!



*** The Useful Information ***

For more information, the "Imagination" and "So Real" videos and various audio samples check out the website at www.h-a-r-r-y.com

"The Trouble With... Harry" 2003
Dirty World/Telstar Records DWRCD004

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