Disco de Chumbawamba: “Tubthumping [Germany Bonus Track]”

This is one of those albums where you simply have to look at each song individually...because no two are even remotely similar. Here goes:

1. Tubthumping - It should be pretty obvious to anyone that this is by far the *dumbest* song on the album. And given that it's their massive blowout hit, that's about a lead pipe cinch that it isn't in any way indicative of their work as a whole. Nothing wrong with that, of course, just keep that in mind. I don't really care for this one.

2. Amnesia - Fairly easygoing rock number about memory loss. And...ah, those who suffer from memory loss. Listenable and mostly nonserious.

3. Drip, Drip, Drip - One of those non-hip hop talky pieces. Pretty much the same deal as Amnesia.

4. The Big Issue - This, IMHO, *should* have been their breakthrough. Completely mainstream, harmless pop/rock, message notwithstanding.

5. The Good Ship Lifestyle - Okay, this is a style called "drum and bass". If you're not familiar with a club scene, you probably haven't had much exposure to this. It's very popular in some European circles. Pretty much ordinary punk otherwise.

6. One By One - Oh yeah! NOW we're talking! *This* is the unflinching, angry politicizing that makes Chumbawamba what it is, and it sounds downright beautiful, too. A very simple, powerful ballad about a union leader who abandons his responsiblities for personal gain and the terrible consequences. Unquestionably the best song on the album, IMHO.

7. Outsider - Ooh, house! Not much of a message here, but who cares, it's loads of fun.

8. Creepy Crawling - Another talky one. Wasn't able to get much out of this; it's just weird. Reminds me of Five Iron Frenzy for some reason.

9. Mary, Mary - A loud metalish piece about a woman named Mary who, gasp! (yawn) falls a bit short of her biblical counterpart. A bit too repetitive for my tastes.

10. Smalltown - More delicious D&B; actually a lot truer to the style than The Good Ship Lifestyle. Good stuff, good stuff.

11. I Want More - Not a hint of subtletly here, just pure unadulterated punk. Great fist pumping music (whatever that is).

12. Scapegoat - Eurobeat (or a reasonable facsimile thereof)? Man, they're doin' EVERYTHING here! A worthy sendoff.

A little repetitive at times, and doesn't always hang together, but in all, this is a surprisingly well done album. It's definitely worth whatever you paid for it. :-D*

* (Subtle reference to highly questionable activity encouraged by Chumbawamba which I needn't get into here, thank you very much.)

I can't say that 'Tubthumper' is a bad CD, however, it's not that good CD, neither. I think that Chumbawamba's style is just not my favorite. I find that the tunes are kinda "patience-challenging". However... Chumbawamba's lyrics, filled with political and social criticism, are worth the 12 bucks. The lyrics are REALLY good. They deal with politics, with social problems, religion... I enjoy them a lot. And I actually like bands with ideologies (as long they are not nazi or racist, of course!)

We should have much more songwriters like Chumbawamba. Not all lyrics should deal with silly topics like love and stuff. And the tunes are not bad. So I recommend this CD. I think it is in fact closer to 4 stars than to 3 stars (but there's not 3 3/4 stars rating).

Well, hope this helps. Take care.

The song "Tubthumping" may have turned them into a household name, but this CD, on the whole, is not representative of Chumbawamba's greatness. This isn't a horrid album, but with the exception of "Tubthumping," not much to write home about. In my opinion, "WYSIWYG", the album following this one, is their crowning glory. They capture that sardonic anti-establishment flavor beautifully on that CD.

If you want to pick up this CD merely for the hit song, it is worth the dough. If you want to hear really great Chumbawamba from the first to final track, I highly recommend "WYSIWYG."

I have not followed this band since 98 when they were at the time a household name. Looking back, I am truly shocked and disappointed. Shocked because a band like Chumbawamba had made it to the top of the charts in the late 90s. This was a time when Spice Girls, Brandy, and the Backstreet Boys ruled the airwaves. For a brief moment we had edgy, controversial, 80s style alternative music on the radio! I'm still shocked at the marvel. (Who allowed it???) I'm disappointed because it did not last.

To say the least this is a gorgeous album. The "I get knocked down.." song is what inspired me to get the album in the first place, but little did I know what else was in store for me. So many goodies to discover. I'll name all the gems:

In addition to Tubthumping, there's also Amnesia, Drip Drip Drip, Big Issue, Good Ship Lifestyle, One By One, Outsider, and Smalltown. Since my "free country" had banned the lyrics and the rest of the liner notes, I had to get them from the internet. In my opinion, the lyrics to many of the songs are actually quite abstract. One would have to read the band's explanations in order to fully understand the meaning behind them. Nevertheless, the music is very good. One can actually become so totally mesmerized by it and not even realize that it focused on left wing political ideas like hypocrisy, working-class issues, and overhauling the establishment. It's no wonder the lyrics were deemed "unneccessary". I supposed that's how the Tubthumping song made it on the US charts in the first place.

I will forever cherish this album simply because in 98 it represented the open mind, in addition to a tiny ray of hope among all that awful overprocessed pop and rap crap that they're still playing on my radio today.

Chumbawamba, we miss you.

for about the hundredth time. I love this album, absolutely love it. Chumbawamba manages to, in a creative manner, put some meaning, not to mention feeling, into well-played/mixed dance music. "Outsider" is my personal favorite track, simple, yet stirring somehow. The non-musical interludes are also very enjoyable. This is my brother's cassette--I have to get one of my own, as I listen to it more than he does!