Chumbawamba Album: “What You See Is What You Get”

Although many casual radio listeners have written off Chumbawamba as one-hit wonder now that the anarchist ensemble's "Tubthumping" has started to fade from airwaves, movie trailers, and sports highlights clips, long-time fans might recall that the group's artistic apex came more than a decade ago. On albums such as Pictures of Starving Children Sell Millions and Never Mind The Ballots, Chumbawamba combined Crass' art-punk and radical discourse with Peter, Paul, and Mary-style harmonies. Later, the group replaced high-speed drum beats with mellow programmed dance rhythms, and while some cried "Judas" and abandoned it immediately, others decided to wait to see where Chumbawamba was heading with this seeming concession to the mainstream. In interviews, various members of the group explained that they were looking to reach a wider audience, to bring its political ideology into the Walkmans of mall-shopping pop fans rather than continuing to preach to the converted at packed punk clubs. The plan succeeded, as its latest album went multi-platinum while inspiring television shows and magazines to offer its members a forum to share their beliefs. However, with the group's follow-up WYSIWYG, the question becomes: Is anyone still listening? If not, it's their loss. WYSIWYG is an amazing collection of 22 compact tunes that pair caustic commentary and cheery music in a manner reminiscent of The Smiths. The album's first single, "She's Got All The Friends," sees the band unloading on an easy target (popular rich girls), but its abundant pop hooks and ingenious doo-wop interlude make it easy to forget the tune's relatively uncreative subject matter. Fortunately, the rest of the record, which is packed with upbeat horn accents, Beatles-type melodies, and airtight harmonies, is as compelling lyrically as it is musically. Among the highlights are "Pass It Along," a Pet Shop Boys-style dance-floor rant about the sense of isolation created by Internet shopping and home-security systems, "I'm Not Sorry, I Was Having Fun," a perky tune about the riots at Woodstock and Seattle, and "I'm Coming Out," a biting track directed at homosexual celebrities who choose to spend their careers in the closet. Brief diversions such as "Ladies For Compassionate Lynching" and "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Jerry Springer" offer a humorous jolt while contributing to the album's seamless flow. On WYSIWYG, Chumbawamba takes accessibility to new extremes. The victims of these barbs, such as Charlton Heston ("Moses With A Gun") and Florida's wealthy resort-home dwellers ("Celebration, Florida"), could hear these tunes on their favorite easy-listening station and hum along mindlessly, unaware of the venom directed their way. It's been said that music soothes the savage beast, but Chumbawamba suggests that the converse is true -- a sharp-teethed political animal can use melody to charm its way into the homes of an apathetic populace.

From the boy-band skewering "I'm With Stupid" tobegin Chumbawamba's latest effort, to the 21 tracks thereafter, youKNOW this band is evolving and isn't pulling any punches. Even with "She's Got All The Friends" sounding very evocative of "Tubthumper", the album and that song in particular still hold their own very well. Such irreverence makes for some of the best music in ages. I challenge you not to feel the burning acidity against Microsoft in "Where do you want to go today? Somewhere you can never take me" from the track "Pass It Along". The talented lads (and lasses) from Leeds just decided to mix subtlety along with the "club you over the head" messages. The aforementioned "She's Got All The Friends" files as an excellent entry in the latter category. And who can't get hooked on the mad-violin backed "I'm Coming Out" or the unescapably catchy "Smart Bomb"?. And just the title "The Impossibility of Death In the Mind Of Jerry Springer" bears even a casual listen. Another point to note, not all of the 22 file under what most would call "songs"......yet one such short interlude "Knickers", warning "There's a hole in your knickers, dear Calvin", though a very short statement, invites oodles upon oodles of metaphorical comparisons. Definitely not a detractor, if anything, a strong point. I beg you, dear listener....do not expect an album full of "Tubthumper" clones. But DO expect an exceptional album worth all the praise it may receive. An excellent buy, fully worth your money.

I have all of Chumbawamba's CDs, and I think this is my favorite of them all (although their overall body of work is consistently strong with no real weak links). WYSIWYG is a concept CD--every song (except one) is under 3 minutes, making for lots of songs aiming at lots of targets. It skewers modern political, social, and pop culture.

Chumbawamba explains the CD concept best in the liner notes: "All power to the Focus Groups! For now Peter Mandelson, spin doctor supreme, gathers around himself a think-tank of buffoons who try to guess what 'the people' would like. What would we like? A huge Dome, with Disneyland inside it. We'd like Pat Boone, Cliff Richard, and Puff Daddy to sing three-part harmonies at the opening. MC Hammer could dance, Britney Spears and a troupe of pre-pubescent girls could sing to old men about sex. We'd like soaps, Titanics, and sliced white bread. We want Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' in a clip frame, and our football goalposts made bigger so we get more goals. And we want our political experiences distilled into three-minute pop songs by Chumbawamba."

If you listen to this, it will be hard not to truly laugh, wince, and feel thrilled that there is still great art being made, by people who really care. In a word, it's special.

Like a lot of people, I thought this band was a one hit wonder; that hit being the "drinking song" from Tubthumper. Most people did'nt even bother to listen to the whole CD, which is loaded with great tunes. I found out later about this politically charged band has released several albums. This is the third Chumbawumba CD that I have purchased and it is my third favorite. Most of the tunes are very entertaining but nothing was as memorable as say "Don't Try This At Home". But it is much better than most of the "pop" music pablum that is currently clogging up the airwaves and record stores. Give it a try, you will probably like it better than I did.

Enough to turn most anybody into an anarchist, if only for 70 mins.