Strange music? Yeah, there is a ton out there. Have a done some "odd" reviews that weren't super out there? Sure. But this one my friends, is about as odd as it gets. I think I'm going to break this out into two pieces, just because there are different elements to this band that make them so strange. Anyways, Yello. Two men make up a Swiss electronica band - Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. The reason I'm reviewing this album, is due to the smash hit 'Oh Yeah' which may not ring any immediate bells, but will as soon as you hear the sample. Dieter is the vocal of the gang, and what can you say about them? When they do the manipulation technique such as 'Oh Yeah' - it's so dark and twisted. Anything that he says basically sounds like he's a psychopath. The name came when Dieter talking about "a yelled hello" which turned into the pun "Yello". Oddly enough, that word is fairly commonplace nowadays for a phone greeting or any other initial contact setting. Anyway, I digress. These guys have been sampled in music, TV and video games forever - but 9 times out of 10 you'd have no idea it was them. Heck, even in their most well known feature - "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" - you probably had no clue who the band was. You just knew it was the 'Oh Yeah' song, or the 'Chick, chicka chicka' song. Any of those things. Turns out there is a real band behind that nonsense, and they've been making music since 1979. They have twelve studio albums out, with this one dropping in 1985. The arrangements on this album are so random, and some of the lyrics are just so strange, it's hard not to at least be intrigued and want to listen to more. You know what's wacky? It's so strange, that it works! Sure, 'Oh Yeah' is the centerpiece, and you'll want to surround your listening experience behind that, but there are some other tracks that make you think these guys are for real. But there are great percussion strings on this album, and the composition is really tight. It's a very well produced album. I won't jump off the deep end and tell you it's phenomenal or anything, but very worth checking into.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Desire
2. Vicious Games
3. Oh Yeah
4. Desert Inn
5. Stalakdrama
6. Koladi-Ola
7. Domingo
8. Sometimes
9. Let Me Cry
10. Ciel Ouvert
11. Angel No
12. Blue Nabou
13. Oh Yeah
14. Desire (12" Mix)
15. Vicious Games (12" Mix)
Listen To Samples
Top 3 Tracks:
1. Oh Yeah
2. Vicious Games
3. Desire
FINAL RATING:
3 out of 5 stars
