S:BWWEXXII: Wherein I review The Good The Bad And The Queen one year too late

So I gave the Damon Albarn pet project The Good The Bad And The Queen another chance after writing it off a year ago. I listened to the whole CD just now and wrote whatever popped into my head in real time, which is almost never a good idea. I dismissed it after just a cursory listen when it came out, because it seemed too mellow for me. And it is. Here's the run-down, track by track:

History Song- Not bad. Nice reggae bass from Simonon. Could be a sleepy throwaway from Sandinista. The ending is kind of dumb.

80’s Life- This song could really use some drums. The background vocals in the foreground make this worth listening to. Another really lazy sounding song. Maybe that’s what they were going for. Damon Albarn sounds bored throughout. Where are the fucking drums? Another shoddy ending.

Northern Whale- Sweet synth. The absence of drums actually doesn’t take away from this tune. Nice atmospherics. This one could be a Blur b-side. I like this one. Another too-long ending.

Kingdom of Doom- Here’s another one that could be a Blur tune if it had any fucking drums. I love the piano sound. The fuzz guitar is nice too. Good lyrics. No drums. This one ends.

Herculean- Hey, drums! Heavily treated and probably fake, but drums nonetheless. I’ll give this one a thumbs-up just for that. Good song too. This is my favorite one yet. Next.

Behind The Sun- This is most certainly not a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover. I am starting to get the distinct impression that I’m not going to hear anything resembling rock music on this record, which is weird when you think that this is coming from founding members of The Clash and Blur. I guess we all mellow with age. This song is already over. I didn’t really listen.

The Bunting Song- Only British people could’ve made this stuff up. So far this record sounds like it could’ve been made in one day using Garage Band, an acoustic guitar, a bass, a keyboard, a microphone, and a Danger Mouse. This shit’s a little too mellow for me.

Nature Springs- Drums, that’s good. I like this one too. Ooh, whistling. Is this record more about atmospherics than songs? It seems like it.

A Soldier’s Tale- Ah, I don’t know. It’s good? I’m getting bored. Maybe I should be drinking wine instead of coffee.

Three Changes- Crazy drums is better than no drums. One of the Chipmunks (which one? Booklet doesn’t say) on background vocals. Too much “weird for weird’s sake” ruins what might’ve been a cool song. Not into it.

Green Fields- I like this song. It sounds to me like some actual effort was put into it. I appreciate that. Good lyrics. I’m not even bothered by the lack of any percussion whatsoever.

The Good The Bad And The Queen- Whew, seven minutes long, huh? Hey, this sounds like a pop tune. This is the best song on here already. I wish there were more songs like this on the record. And then it speeds up! Nice touch. Guess what this is? This is Rock Music, is what it is. Way back at the end of the record. Well ya fooled me, guys. Way to go. Oop – another song that doesn’t know how to end. Gimme a fucking break.

There you have it. I'm going to go listen to The Great Escape. Your vidjeo: