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Spice World

Spice World

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Ever Wonder What Melanie C stood for?
Review: Melanie B = Melanie Black

Melanie C = Melanie Cracker

LMFAO!! Spice Girls are like 40 and they still have a new album... Gah!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Mixture for Spiceworld is a perfect formula
Review: Recipe for Spiceworld

Spices: one dose each of baby (extra cute), sporty, scary, and posh (special black gucci mixture). Oh, and lots of extra ginger (super hot)

Music: pop with cheery keyboards, drum programming, with a layer of strings and orchestral arrangements, and a pinch of brass.

Medium: one standard CD, 6 cm radius

Preheat CD player to desired volume, insert CD and press play. Makes 10 servings per listen.

Yes, this was the soundtrack to their movie, though without their cover of Gary Glitter's "Leader Of The Gang." However, there's a noticeable overall consistent sound in all the songs, making it more polished, more pop, and less R&B, meaning that the differences in sound (pop vs. R&B), Stannard & Rowe vs. Absolute that was noticeable on Spice has been totally blurred, despite the fact that both producers return here. But it's a formula that works and made it one of my favourite albums of the year. I shall do a blow-by-blow on the songs in order that they were played in the movie (minus the stuff from Spice, of course) for the benefit of those wanting to play the songs that way.

"Too Much" is the nice string-laden ballad that opens the movie, introducing Nutmeg, Paprika, Sage... oops! I mean Baby, Posh, Ginger, Scary, and Sporty, with the quintet trading lines in the verses while singing in unison. As usual, Mel C's got the keynote role here singing.

"Do It", another upbeat song done when the Girls leave the recording of "Too Much" and into a throng of screaming and cheering fans, also features keyboards and programming by Magnus Fiennes, the man who launched techno-classical quartet Bond into stardom.

"Denying" does have some identifiable R&B motifs key to producer Absolute's style.

Another fun tune and highlight, the mid-tempo "Saturday Night Divas," was used when they were trying different costumes, even each others'. There's a TLC-sounding quality when they sing "Get down get deeper and down" in unison. All this and some computerized noises and string synths, too.

A brass section and the snappy drums highlight the energetic and fun-loving disco of "Stop," emphasizing playing hard instead of being on the go. One of the best songs here, and a single that deserved better in the US, but maybe that was soured with the then-recent news of Geri's departure.

Another engaging track that owes something to 70's style disco, with string arrangements courtesy of former Art of Noiser Anne Dudley, "Never Give Up On The Good Times" could've been a Rick Astley tune during his early Stock-Aitken-Waterman days.

Another ballad, "Viva Forever", with strings arranged by Anne Dudley once again, and some Spanish-type acoustic guitar, was another single and standout cut.

"Spice Up Your Life" is an infectious Spanish-inspired dance number that was done in the movie's climactic concert scene. While a good number, I rate other numbers here over this one.

"The Lady Is A Vamp" played over the credits, features a 40's sound, complete with orchestral arrangements, alternating between Andrews Sisters style harmonies and slow, lazy slow striptease music, replete with a flurry of references to pop culture icons such as Elvis, Jackie Onassis, Marilyn Monroe, Charlie's Angels, in contrast with the new female icon, "a power girl in a 90's world."

Either I missed it or "Move Over," the song used for their Pepsi commercial, with their salute to "Generation Next" was not in the movie. A fierce electric guitar is used during the chorus, and the round-robin rap done by them is another catchy technique used to bridge the gap between verses.

Still a wonderful album despite the cooling off of the Spice years, this was the apex of their popularity, made all too evident with Geri Halliwell's departure the following year. And what happens when you leave out Ginger Spice from an album? Answer: a lack of flavour in their next album. Stay tuned.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: One Of My Guiltiest Pleasures
Review: Everybody has something that they enjoy and just can't explain. They might even be a little embarassed to admit that they like it. Well, I'm not embarassed to admit that the Spice Girls are one of my guilty pleasures. Granted, their music may be a little hokey, but they sure are fun to listen to. In "Spice World," the girls take on a world tour with Bond-esque style. This movie isn't fantastic, but it is fun enough for the whole family to watch. It's silly, it's goofy, and, at times, it is brilliant. You get a feel of what these ladies had to put up with on a daily basis, albeit in a grand and over-the-top style. There are cameos abound in this flick as well. The acting isn't that bad and the girls seemed to enjoy making the movie.

Funny moments abound in this flick, but some of my personal favorites are when the girls first get on their tour bus and they complain about how hot it is. They say that they could use a fan and, in perfect British comedic style, a young, pre-teen girl comes through the door screaming with glee and then runs back out the door. The girls sigh with comfortable relief. Another funny moment is the expensive, special-effects laden tour-bus jumping a draw-bridge with Posh behind the wheel scene. Finally, in the end credits, the girls "interact" with the audience. They remark on people making out, wonder why folks watching their video can't find anything good on the "telly" and audience member clothes. The entire movie is just a fun little trip.

Alan Cumming(X-Men 2, Josey and the Pussycats) takes a turn as a reporter attempting to document the lives of these ladies. George Wendt(Norm, of 'Cheers' fame)is a movie producer looking for a film to put the girls in and cash in on their fame. Meatloaf is the bus driver for the girls. Some of the better-known cameos that American audiences will recognize are Elton John, Bob Hoskins and Roger Moore. If you're a die-hard fan of British film and television, you'll recognize many of the other cameos as well.

The only reason I'm giving this movie three stars is because,obviously, this movie isn't for everyone. In fact, many people might think that this movie is just too silly to watch. On my personal scale, I would give this flick four stars for the simple fact that I love to watch it and because the Spice Girls don't take themselves too seriously in the movie.

Overall, this is a silly, blatantly cheesy movie that lets you laugh at and with the Spice Girls. They poke fun at themselves and have a good time doing it. A good movie to watch when you have a little time to kill or just want to forget about the world(but not the 'Spice World') for awhile.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The best of the Spice Girls
Review: This album is by far the best album by this talented group. It starts off with their famous dance song, "Spise up your Life!" and the fun keeps going all the way down to the wonderful "Viva Forever" . Also, another focal point is "Too Much". The girls really blend together well in this album. And Victoria has changed from a background vocalist to a soloist, so you know it has to be fun. So if you are just sitting around and listening to the sample songs, BUY IT!!!! It is a must have.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: No Better Then Their Debut
Review: This album, Spiceworld, came out in the same year as the group's debut, a pretty bold maneuver for artists this new. Many people would think this album would seem rushed but in fact, this album is pretty much the same as their debut. More of the tracks stand out and the lyrics have improved slightly. After this album, however, the girls were out of the spotlight until word got out the Geri had left the group to pursue a solo career. After this, virtually nothing was heard about this group until all of the girls came out with their own CDs and finally, one last group effort. It seems as though pop music changed with the disappearance of the Spice Girls but at least this album was a decent effort before they're disappearance.

Spice Up Your Life- A big hit for the girls. This is by far one of their most catchy dance songs. Unfortunately, this means many of the lyrics do not make much sense. ("We moonwalk the foxtrot and polka the salsa"). I am aware that pop music does not have to make sense but it does help if the lyrics even remotely resemble sentences. The girls in some places sound like they are shouting. A good dance song but it is far too fast to understand the lyrics (although that doesn't make much difference since they don't make sense.) 3/5

Stop- One of the better upbeat/mid-tempo songs. The girls sound great in this one and the lyrics make some amounts of sense. If I remember correctly, this song also started a pretty big dance craze although it did fade out fairly quickly. The message of this song, although a little hard to grasp, is pretty good. The song is trying to say that you shouldn't take things too fast. 3.5/5

Too Much- A well-sung mid-tempo song. The girls sound amazing together and individually in this track and it really showcases their vocal talent. The lyrics, although slightly confusing, do make sense. The girls sound great in this style of song but it is the only one of its kind on the CD.
The lyrics are a little repetitive but the vocals are good enough so it doesn't matter. 4/5

Saturday Night Divas- A very uninspiring and repetitive track. The chorus is extremely irritating ("Get down, get deeper and down, get down, get deeper and down, Saturday night"). Once again, the beat is decent but the lyrics do not make sense. ("you're a twisted lover, kiss and telling on a superstar"). The vocals in some parts are good but this time they do not save the track. 2.5/5

Never Give Up- One of the faster tracks but as with all of the girls fast tracks, the lyrics are far too repetitive. The chorus is long and repetitive but it goes by fast at least. This song actually has a good message but it doesn't fit well with the tune. The vocals in the middle of the song really improve. The girls seem to be really into the song at that point but they go downhill slightly again. 3/5

Move Over- As I'm reading through the lyrics of this song, it seems like one short song repeated twice since the lyrics are all repeated until towards the end where it seems as through the girls were trying to say all the words that rhyme with generation. ("dedication, celebration, anonimation, good vibration" among others) which have absolutely nothing to do with the song and don't add much to the vocals either. 2/5

Do It- In this song, the girls sing quietly in some lines and then shout the next lines. This kind of resembles what Mariah Carey does but Mariah is actually singing notes when she does this rather then speaking to a beat. The vocals on the pre-chorus are good but that's about it. This song leaves a lot to be desired and could have easily been left off. 2/5

Denying- The second best track on the album. It took me awhile to appreciate this song since it didn't really stand out until I played this CD years after I bought it. This seems to be a song about someone who denies who they really are. The vocals in this song are amazing as they always are when the girls harmonize in songs at this tempo. The lyrics for once make sense which makes the song that much better. 4.5/5

Viva Forever- By far the best (and longest) song on the album and possibly they're best song ever. This track has their best lyrics and vocals ever. ("Slipping through your fingers, like the sand of time"). This song has a bit of a Spanish feel including one Spanish line (Hasta manana meaning "see you tomorrow" as far as I know). Although this line is kind of random, it adds to the effect of the song really well. The girls sing quietly yet audibly in this song and it sounds simply stunning. 5/5

The Lady Is A Vamp- This does not sound good at all after the amazing Viva Forever. This seems to be a tribute of some sort but it is very hard to follow and the vocals are incredibly annoying. This track goes from slow and whiny to fast so suddenly that it seems almost like two different songs. The lyrics also leave a lot to be desired. ("the lady is a vamp, she's a vixen not a tramp, she's a da da da da da da da da"). 2/5

Highlights:
Denying
Viva Forever
Too Much

Overall Mark: 3.15/5

Given that this is the girls' second album in a year, you would expect some improvement however they stick to the same formula. There are only three really stellar songs on this album and none of them are the fast-paced dance tracks. Maybe if the girls concentrated more on the slower tracks like Viva Forever, their albums would be better. The girls have good enough voices but their vocals do not fit with their music. This is another CD that was probably amazing at the time when it was released but doesn't stand out much today. You might want to go for something more modern.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: positive review
Review: First of all in response to some of the other reviews - just to give a little clarity for real Spice Girl fans -

At the end of "The Lady is a Vamp" Mel B laughs and Geri says "Thank you very much" is her elvis presley voice - when the four Spice Girls were doing the tour Mel B kept laughing while Victoria said thank you very much in her Victoria Beckham voice

Sandy Denny is not given tribute in "Lady is a Vamp". If one were to listen to the rest of the line, sung my Melanie C, goes "Sandy Danny Summer Love - Ladies T-birds..." clearly a reference to Grease. Also, during the dress-up montage in the film "Spiceworld" each girl dresses up as each legend they mention in "The Lady is a Vamp" - which has Emma and Mel C playing Sandy and Danny - and not some random folk singer (or whoever Sandy Denny is)

Speaking of the film - no wait why am i speaking of it? - this is an albulm review - not of the movie of the same title - so with that

I find "spiceworld" to be a very strong addition to the Spice Rack and an excellant follow up to "Spice"

The difference between the two is that "spice" has a more homogenous sound to it. With Spiceworld the girls stepped out of their "funky spunky beats" and chose to create a cornucopia of pop sound. We have Latin Pop with "Spice Up Your Life" and "Viva Forever" - Motown in "Stop" - Disco in "Never Give Up on the Good times" - Remember the swing craze of the late-90's? - it's there with "Lady is a Vamp" and "Too Much" also has a 40's style -"Move Over" is a great song- claiming the girls nitch in Pop culture - The rest are very good 90s-pop -each song has a beat with great harmonies - great music of that carefree time before the 2000's

And don't forget to check out the third Spice Girls albulm "Forever" the best underated albulm of 2000 - and remember that each Spice girl has excellant solo material - especially emma and victoria at the moment

cheers SGF

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Nice & Fun
Review: "Spiceworld" is not as good as "Spice", but much better than "Forever". It's a fun album to listen too.

1. Spice Up Your Life - This song is okay. It tends to grind on the nerves a little for some reason, and a little on the dull side.

2. Stop - This is a great, fun song to listen to. One of the best on the album. Everything about this song is catchy.

3. Too Much - My second favorite Spice Girl song. It's a pretty song, and never gets old. The girl's voices are great here, and everything about it is great.

4. Saturday Night Divas - This song is an alright song. Not the best, and not the worst. It sounds like a disco type song, but also sounds like a lame filler for the next song "Never Give Up on the Good Times".

5. Never Give Up On the Good Times - This is another great song on this album. It has a great beat and is much better than "Saturday Night Divas" which should have been left off the album. The lyrics are good, and it's fun to listen too.

6. Move Over - Worst song from the Spice Girls. I hate it.

7. Do It - This is a pretty good song. It's catchy as well and a good song to recover to from the mess of "Move Over".

8. Denying - Another great song. It sounds different from most of their songs on this album, with a funky type of beat.

9. Viva Forever - Another good song. It's a sleepy song, and can lull you to sleep for the girls sound great on it.

10. The Lady Is A Vamp - A horrible closing song. Should had been left off the album, and the girls sound terrible.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not So Spicy!!
Review: This is not so spicy as the groups music is. I love the Spice Girls music but when I saw Spice World ... I thouht that I may not even LISTEN to them no more much less WATCH them. This movie, while being spicy and sorta on the verge, was not what I expected. When I saw it in theathers I though it was a really good movie. So good that I ACTURALLY bought the movie on VHS and then updated to DVD. I watched it on VHS and it was okay but when I popped in the DVD ... it lost it's magic. First off ... a few things where wrong with the dvd.

1.) Quality - The picture was great. Clear and perfect. The only problem with the picture was it was too dark to even see who was who.

2.) Music - Couldn't they had put more felling into the music and acturally, I don't know, sing for once. I know you lip-sing in music videos but, if you really want to get the crowd going and yelling for a sequel or another Spice movie, just sing and don't be scared and stupid as lets say, Britney Spears is.

3.) Special Feautures - There were only 2 special features on the disc at all. People usually upgrade to DVD's for the special features. Am I right?? Of course I Am!

This movie, while being sporty and spicy, this is not a movie I would recommend you upgrade to DVD. If you have the VHS ... keep it. Don't upgrade to the DVD. Your just wasting your money! Read my other DVD reviews and listen to my advice. It's the best on this website!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I just felt like criticizing something nobody cares about...
Review: My amazon friend Mr Buckeley just wrote a great 1-star review for this, so I just felt like it too...

Needless to say, in 97-98,, i don't think I could've lived through a worst fad than THIS one... i mean it was like you didnt have to be anywhere NEAR a TV or radio and you would still hear the hellish sound of "If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends" or "Stop right now, thank you very much".... god it was horrid... This was back when I was around 13-14, when I wasn't really into music as much as I am now, but I did like Rob Zombie a lot, and he was just PERFECT to get that trash out of my head!

Onto this movie... If you want a movie about a GOOD British band, check out "This IS Spinal Tap"

well at least the Spice Girls didnt call theirselves 'punk', unlike another band that rhymes with Hood Farlette....

and ill admit that Ginger was hottt... and smart to leave the group....

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I Love The '90s...
Review: ...but not enough to be able to stand this mind-numbing, annoying, ditzy, unintellegent, preposterous, discreditable throw-away of a movie that was no more than an attempt to cash in on a pointless late '90s fad. (I admit I had a crush on Baby Spice, but other that that, BLEECCCCHHHHH.)

Right about when these talentless hacks became popular, I was in fifth grade, and every girl in my class (plus a couple of guys...) had to have EVERYTHING with their stupid faces on it. Me and my friends were starting to get into nu-metal like KoRn and Wimp Bizkit (hey, we were in fifth grade, give us a break), and everywhere you went, you got attacked by a bunch of prissy peabrains running around going "GIRL POWER!!!!" Oy vey. Well, that's okay. Thank god that these mental midgets are no longer around to sully the media any further.

This garbage, along with those ever-annoying Hansons, get my vote for the worst fads of the late '90s. Both "acts" are illogical, dull-witted, implausible, unreasoned, muddled, stupid, cloddish, thickheaded, nettlesome, maddening, harassing, and just plain flat out a waste of some perfectly good blank DVD's/CD's. Nobody likes/cares about them anymore (no, not even the girls in my class), so now they are out of sight, and out of mind forever.

But all kidding aside, what are we going to do with J. Lo??


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