BLACK BOX - DREAMLAND

I remember watching a late night video program.  I think it was on NBC or something.  It was called Friday Night Videos and the video for 'Everybody Everybody' came on.  House music was on its way to becoming the dominate electronic sound and set the tone for a large part of the 90's.  I loved the song!  I had to have it.  The very first thing I bought from Black Box was the 'Everybody Everybody' cassette single.  I still have it today.

I picked up the CD many years later.  I don't remember where I bought it but I do know I paid full retail price.  And I was very happy when I got it.  Of course, Black Box is a band surrounded by controversy.  The lead singer appearing in videos and on album and single covers is a model.  The real vocalist is a woman named Martha Walsh.  For whatever reason, they didn't make her a part of the band, instead choosing a model to lip sync.  On the heels of the Milli Vanilli disaster just a year or so before, Black Box bore the brunt of a backlash when it was revealed the lead singer was lip syncing.

Years later, Martha Walsh was the Grand Marshall at a Las Vegas pride event.  I remember watching her perform.  That was the closest I came to seeing Black Box live.  

Even today, this record is a great disc and I enjoy it!  The opening track is 'Everybody Everybody' and it's fun, dance-able and groovy.  Usually, if you like a single, you'll find the rest of the record boring.  But not the case here.  'I Don't Know Anybody Else' comes in next and it's absolutely brilliant.  Another smashingly great number in the same vein as 'Everybody Everybody'.  One thing you realize quickly is that a lot of the music on this record sounds the same.  But the vocal arrangements are different.  Some better than others.  'Open Your Eyes' is one that doesn't live up to the energy of the previous songs.  'Fantasy' is the first track to change tempo.  It still maintains a steady pace, but it's technically a ballad.  A very good number.

The title track is actually an instrumental and is followed by one of the biggest selling singles from the disc, 'Ride On Time'!  This is another controversial track because it uses the vocals of another singer.  So far, they've ripped off two vocalists.  Yikes.  'Hold On' is a major sound departure for the band.  This track relies heavily on the street sound at the time.  It sounds more gritty and rough than the rest of the disc.  The slick production isn't as dominate.

'Ghost Box' is a mellow, jazzy number featuring sax and melodic piano.  This is also an instrumental.  It's nice to have some different sounds.  It helps to break up the record and make it more digestible.  You don't get trapped in a sound loop.  The album closer, 'Strike It Up' is a return to form and ends the record on the high note it started with and became so famous for.

All around, this is a well balanced album.  There are certain choices I would've made differently from the band.  And I never would've dumped Martha Walsh for a skinny model.  You just can't deny this record has strength in both the writing and the sound.  It was on the top of a movement that some people will probably be glad is over.  But for a minute, house music was in and Black Box was hot all over the world!

 My final words:  DEFINITELY WORTH OWNING!  A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOUSE MUSIC STYLE.

BLACK BOX - DREAMLAND
01. Everybody Everybody (Le Freak Mix - 7" Edit)
02. I Don't Know Anybody Else
03. Open Your Eyes
04. Fantasy
05. Dreamland
06. Ride On Time (Remix)
07. Hold On
08. Ghost Box
09. Strike It Up

GOOD QUESTION - GOOD QUESTION

Good Question was a one-off band appearing on the Paisley Park label back in 1988. The band is basically two brothers with minuscule singing ability. They were obviously discovered to compete with 80's flop band Milli Vanilli who enjoyed success around the same time or because someone thought they had a sexy image. Regardless of which way you look at it, this is one of the worst pieces of music committed to tape in the history of modern pop.

There is nothing, from the bland uninspired generic arrangements, to the trite forgettable throw away lyrics; I repeat nothing worth listening to. The vocal performances seem forced and juvenile. As for image, the brothers are twinky little girly boys with about as much sex appeal as a brick wall. Their one video features popular dance moves but nothing original and different.

It seems to me, this band was created in an attempt to ride a musical trend rather than push musical boundaries like so many Paisley Park acts did during its short life span. The Prince involvement is non-existent; which probably explains the lack of any musical ingenuity whatsoever. This record devalues the integrity of all other artists appearing on the label.

The one redeeming quality of the disc is the fact it appears on Paisley Park. Without that distinction, that little paisley symbol on records, cassettes and CDs, there wouldn't be anything worth salvaging here. They're not even worth the time or energy it would take to destroy them. The only people in the world who will buy this material are die-hard Prince fans and possibly family members of the brothers.

It's a funny thing to have someone come up to you and make your dreams come true because they think you're pretty whereas so many truly talented and deserving people are overlooked and left by the wayside. It actually offends me so many resources and money were invested in such a wasted project as this. Even in the creative process, they had to know it was crap. I can't believe Rosie Gaines' 'Concrete Jungle' wasn't released and this dribble was. Very disappointing.

As much as I love Paisley Park and what it did back in the day, I hate to give one of its bands such a poor review, but I have absolutely no choice if I want to be honest in my critique. My final words: SKIP IT.

GOOD QUESTION - GOOD QUESTION
01. Got A New Love
02. Body Contact
03. Dance With Me
04. One On One
05. Listen To Your Heart
06. Private Property
07. Real Love
08. Mysterious Lady
09. Like An Explosion
10. One More Time