ssteveszykk's Full Review: Nearly God by Nearly God
I have been having a nearly impossible time writing a review for this album. My opinions towards it are truthfully not easily able to be put into words. I’ve completed about 12 false starts – discarded after I realized they didn’t exactly say what I actually thought of the album. I’ve began balding during the process of writing – mostly due to ripping out my hair in acts of frustration (not really) – and finally a light bulb exploded, and - ding - I though when in doubt one should write about writing the review in the review. Hence this paragraph.
The reason for the trouble is easily due to Tricky’s decisions. He crafted perfection with Maxinquaye, an original masterpiece warranting many spots on best lists of all sorts. Then the confusion starts, as he released Nearly God, a unofficial of sorts follow up to his debut. And frankly the word experimental has never been more fitting as Nearly God is unlike anything ever heard before. Tricky has acquired countless guests including Björk (Keep Your Mouth Shut, Yoga), Terry Hall (Poems, Bubbles), Alison Moyet (Make A Change), Neneh Cherry (Together Now) and more - the wonderful Martina Topley-Bird is also here, appearing on only 4 songs, as opposed to her appearance on 10 of Maxinquaye’s tracks. Only on one song is Tricky unassisted (Tattoo), making the album stand out as a major collaborative effort especially since nearly all the guest not only bestow their vocal talents, but also their writing. To call Nearly God a Tricky album would be a mistake, as it is so much more than that – a collaborative experiment that ultimately strongly succeeds in the end.
Tattoo begins the album, and does so with a bang, resembling little to anything on his previous album. Instead it’s a slow, extremely eerie song that almost stings – crawling deep under your skin. Tricky’s vocals are fantastic - sounding slurred and as if he was sleeping while recording. It lets us listeners know we are in for something different with this album, and does so while most likely scarring the sh-t out of us (it did for me). Like Black Steel from Maxinquaye, Tattoo is a cover – this time Tricky’s version of Siouxsie & The Banshees b-side of the same name. Again, Tricky shows his ability to completely transform other’s songs into something fitting to himself, making it seem a almost completely different song.
Also covered is the standard jazz tune Black Coffee, which is one of the 4 gems Martina donates too. Its music is repetitive, beating itself into your head as you become mystified by Martina’s incredible performance. Her vocals are as always top notch, brilliantly mixing soul, jazz, and R&B. It’s another creepy song (that towards the end seems to resemble the introduction to Michael Jackson’s classic ode to horror, Thriller) hypnotizing you with its repetition and dreamy vocals. Again, this is unlike any version of Black Coffee heard before, instead it’s Tricky’s vision.
Children’s Story is again, a gem featuring Martina, as well as another cover. This time the honor is Slick Rick’s, as Mr. Thaws takes a stab at a cut of the same name from Rick’s classic album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. The vocals originally belonging to Slick Rick are given to Martina, who’s semi-sorta rap is fantastic. Like Coffee we get repetition galore, as the track never breaks to a chorus or refrain, instead - as in the original – consistently tells its story (which by the way, was very effectively written by Slick Rick). Instead of following the more upbeat, hip-hop style music of the original, this version contains the familiar hazy atmosphere, making it naturally fit with the rest of the the album.
Finally, Judas is the final cover, and this time one that does not appeal to me. It’s claustrophobic, and ugly, – which is a word that always seemed to be positive when labeled with Tricky – not working nearly as well as anything else on the album. Tricky and Martina provide the vocals, singing simultaneously, however this time, not blending as nicely as usual. Tricky’s seem to strangle Martina’s making her words mostly unclear, only sounding like a few squeals here and there. Along with I Sing For You, this is one of the merely two below average tracks on the album. I Sing For You features Cath Coffey and Dedi Madden who, as in Judas, sing simultaneously at times. Coffey’s vocals – to be quite blunt – annoy me, although they aren’t necessarily bad. It’s one of the first examples of missing Martina, as it seems if she was given the vocals the song would have been much more bearable.
And on the topic of Martina, Poems another of the 4 gems featuring her vocals. Also featuring Terry Hall, Poems is an unforgettably brilliant track, matching the quality of the songs from Maxinquaye dead on. It’s a slow, atmospheric masterpiece, draining listeners as it hypnotizes us with its incredible vocals, lyrics, and brilliant music. Tricky begins the three sets of vocals, doing a flawless job. He blends wonderfully with the background music, delivering his set of incredible lyrics. Terry Hall’s up to the plate second, with fantastic vocals, barely corresponding with Tricky’s, however contrasting quite nicely. His lyrics stand out as my favorite from the track, perfectly getting across the feeling of being stabbed in the back:
I rue the day that I ever met you,
And deeply regret you getting close to me.
I cannot wait to deeply neglect you,
Deeply forget you, Jesus believe me
You promised me poems.
You might have been my reason for living
I gave up on giving, gave up everything.
We were a right pair of believers
A couple of dreamers,
So how come you hate me?
You promised me poems
Martina’s batting third, ending the track perfectly, and bringing the song home. I hate to sound so repetitious, but her vocals are flawless yet again. Lyrics? You got it – fantastic. Overall, Poems is a gem that remains of the greatest songs Tricky has ever created, as well as one of the greatest songs period. It’s extraordinary and powerful; flawless and brilliant.
Terry Hall is also featured on Bubbles, a fantastic take on Maxinquaye’s Feed Me. Although it can’t reach the quality of Feed Me, it is a great track in it’s self. Hall’s vocals sound great here, easily the most accessible voice featured on Nearly God. Tricky is heard here, again bringing his drunken vocals, which always add so much to a song.
Martina gem number 4 is again, brilliance. I Be The Prophet features both Martina and Tricky’s vocals. Repetition is here, making it seem a common motif on this album. Again, the music beats itself into your head, and again the vocals are great. The lyrics showcase the talent of Tricky, as much of this album does: ” Would you like to ride on my train or would you like to drink from my vein?” It’s another of Tricky’s all time greats.
Now that covers, and Martina’s apperances are out of the way, it’s time to mention the brilliant Björk. I personally worship this woman, as she is always unpredictable, original, and flawless. And here she appears twice – both songs highlights of the album. First, she’s heard faintly on Keep Your Mouth Shut, an abusive demand from Tricky: “ Better keep your mouth closed, baby/ And keep it close to your chest .” The song is ugly, and unlike Judas’s ugly, this ugly works well. It’s claustrophobic, again like but better than the claustrophobia in Judas When Tricky’s vocals enter, often so do noises that sound like machines rather than music. It contrasts perfectly with Björk’s innocent delivery of the lyrics from her own song You’ve Been Flirting Again (She even erupts into her trademark burst of Icelandic, doing so gorgeously). Futhermore, she’s heard on Yoga, where she takes the lead and Tricky chants (and… is that a snort?). It’s an amazing song that is a nice mix of both Björk and Tricky’s styles. Repetitious and grand, this is another hypnotic tune, carried by Björk’s perfect vocal performance.
Make A Change, and Together Now are both great tracks, the latter an upbeat and funky tune featuring the soulful vocals of Neneh Cherry. It’s very fun, and different from everything else on the album, making for a nice break from the experiments. The former sounds brooding, and much more like the rest of the album than Together Now, however the lyrics are different, actually preaching optimism. Alison Moyet’s vocals are fantastic, if not a little over dramatic in context, giving the word soulful a whole new meaning. It’s a fine song, although at times hard on the ear due to the heavy vocal/music contrast.
Overall, Nearly God was a bold step for Tricky, and it end’s up a step in the right direction. Nearly all of the experiments work perfectly, and it ends up a fantastic journey of a record. Atmosphere is rarely so heavy, and it works brilliantly. Of course, it cannot reach the perfection of Maxinquaye, but it comes as close as possible without simply making the same album. A-
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