Review

Without You I'm Nothing

By Peter Zangari - Labor Council Information Centre

British pop music doesnt come any better than Placebo.

Established London based bands like The Cure, Suede and Blur will be spewing at the arrival of this fresh three piece out of their own backyard without their permission. Placebo can be categorised next to the said bands but I'd like to put them in a category of their own. They deserve to be.

Answering the reasons why this album is so accessible to the ear may be an attempt to strip Placebo of their claim to fame. There is no simple reason why this album grows on you after several listens.

The first single Pure Morning was the song that established Placebo's presence on the Australian music market. Constant flogging on the airwaves meant that Brian Molko's unique voice has become as instantly recognisable as lets say, Robert Smith's from the Cure (Personally, I think Molko's vocals are stronger than Smith's and a little less nasal). Molko's voice has become associated with the opening lyric "A friend in need's a friend indeed, a friend with weed is better" and so on.

Other stand out tracks on the album include My Sweet Prince which is a slow ode to melancholy while Every You Every Me is a memorable hit from the soundtrack to the less memorable movie "Cruel Intentions".

I know very well that Placebo wants to stand up for a generation of post gen-xers and this can be heard in the track You dont care about us. The choice of a new generation? Well as Molko says " Its a matter of trust". Talking about a new generation, these guys will be touring soon with the spokesemen for a generation of alienated youth, silverchair. Get your tickets before they sell out.

For those of you interested in hidden tracks, there's a dark untitled ripper at the end of the album which nearly scared the living daylights when it was discovered 9 minutes after the last listed track. Not only do you get a quality pop album, you also get an extra seven minute track thrown in for good measure. But only for those patient enough to appreciate the creative but silent nine minutes after Burger Queen .

So here we have an album that doesnt cover new musical territory but represents a generation of bands that can churn out quality music as well as quality lyrics. This is something that is becoming rarer as the day goes on because there are alot of manufactured artists out there that record companies promote as the next best thing. Placebo may not have the polished appeal of Savage Garden or Matchbox 20 but they sure have the cred which will take them further than a platinum debut album ever will.

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  Issue 20 contents

»	Direct Links to Timor Militia Revealed
»	Child Laws Cause School Camp, Sport Chaos
»	False Advertising Complaint on Second Wave
»	Its Official. Howard's Public Sector Cuts Hurt Everyone
»	Hard-Hats Only as Builders Strip for Outworkers
»	Unions Unite to Protect Jobs in the Bush
»	Square Eyes Workplace Warning
»	WorkCover Scheme Has Passed Use-By Date
»	Bruised Not Beaten: FSU Battles On
»	Gordonstone Miners Win Battle, But Robbed of Justice
»	Currawong Spots Up For Grabs
»	Workers Online Turns 21!

»	Guest Report
»	Sport
»	Trades Hall
»	Piers Watch

»	Thanks from the Hyde Park Hyatt
»	The Chant of a Jilted project Co-ordinator
»	Have the Times Really Changed?
»	You've Got to be Kidding!

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