LindsayBW's Full Review: Passion by Geri Halliwell
The Spice Girls' respective solo careers have been overshadowed as of late by their recent announcement or a reunion world tour featuring all five girls for the first time since 1998. And while the world will always know them best for their first two multiplatinum albums and infectious late-90s pop singles, scattered throughout their inactive years are solo gems, such as Geri Halliwell's 2005 release Passion.
Geri has had one of the most interesting careers between the Spice Girls, seeing how she left the group abruptly in May of 1998, and was the first to release a solo album (Schizophonic) in 1999. Her first album was somewhat misguided, but provided her with numerous number one singles in the UK. She released a second album in 2001 entitled Scream If You Wanna Go Faster. It didn't offer the same chart success, and was a collection of songs that wasn't easy to like. After a break to release some yoga DVDs and her second autobiography, Geri released the more mature Passion to little chart success. But, hey, who cares about chart success anyway? What really matters is that Passion is a pretty good collection of pop songs.
The album kicks off with the title track, Passion. This song seems a little bit absurd when you think of what's going on. It's Ginger Spice singing a sultry, jazz ballad. But the amazing thing about it is that it actually works. Like the amazingly sexy Goodnight Kiss from her debut, her voice is perfectly suited to this type of music. Her vocals have never been impressive, but in this format they are just absolutely fitting. Melodically, it is sweet and relaxed... you can imagine yourself in a jazz bar sipping on a martini and smoking a cigarette. It's a surprising delight. The closing track, So I Give Up on Love, follows the same mood. This one, however, is about Geri's many loves who have done her wrong. The lyrics are just... ridiculous. It's kind of charming, but only on first listen. Its placement at the end of the disc is an abrupt mood change, as none of the other songs really fit. There's Always Tomorrow also has jazz elements, but it's more relaxed and beachy. I sort of forget about this one initially, but on repeated listen it's really pretty good. Geri's voice fits this format very well, and her producers know how to set a mood.
If you like electronic pop and dance at all, this album has some great offerings, such as Desire. This song is really something. Geri's vocals are irrelevant; vocoded, high-pitched and almost unrecognizable. But the chorus is totally catchy. At first listen, I was unimpressed with this single, but the more I listen to it, the more it gets stuck in my head. It is very poppy, but it's also pretty original. Ride It is another favorite. At first listen, it seems a little cheesy, but its melodies are contagious throughout, verse to chorus to bridge. Geri's voice is complimentary to the beats. The production is a bit over the top, with all kinds of digital sound effects that sound a bit ridiculous. The lyrics are also a little stupid, but if you can just forget about it, smile, and dance, it's really enjoyable. Isn't that what you expect from a Spice Girl? (Still can't believe I don't have to put former in front of that! :D) Other dance-pop highlights are Love Never Loved Me, which has an infectious chorus, tragic and vivid lyrics, and a generally upbeat mood. Some of the more upbeat dance tracks fall a little short, such as the incredibly cheesy Superstar, which actually proclaims "Ooh, baby, I want your hot action; the R&B-tinged, somewhat meaningless Surrender Your Groove; and the closest thing to crap on the album, Don't Get Any Better, which might be self-empowering to her core fan base, but anyone well-read will just laugh.
Other than swing influenced and dance influenced pop, Geri mainly focuses on midtempo inspirational numbers with an adult contemporary influence. One of the best is Loving Me Back to Life, your standard introspective, piano pop ballad with lyrics about the moon and loving yourself. If you're into that sort of thing, it's not bad. The lyrics are okay, the chorus is actually very catchy and the verses and accompaniment are well structured. Geri's voice gets an "E" for effort. Another comparable song is Fear the Fear. It lyrically tries to be overly prophetic; if you're a 13-year-old girl or an unread softy, you might identify, but from someone that reads books, they just seem silly. Musically, it's not that bad - don't get me wrong, it's definitely a guilty pleasure. The verses are a little forgettable, but the chorus tries to be epic and that makes it at least memorable. There's also Let Me Love You More, which isn't a highlight. Geri's voice actually sounds sweet if mediocre. The chorus is pretty catchy, but nothing instantly memorable.
Overall, this album has a handful of really good dance songs and a few hidden surprises in other musical areas. Geri uses her limited vocal range very well, and all of the music is catered to her capabilities. Nothing on this album is as good as anything the Spice Girls did as a five piece, but as far as Geri's solo career goes, it's one of her more impressive pieces of work. It may be forgotten by history, but I guarantee if you listen to it, you won't forget it.
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Tracklisting
1. Passion
2. Desire
3. Love Never Loved Me
4. Feel the Fear
5. Superstar
6. Surrender Your Groove
7. Ride It
8. There's Always Tomorrow
9. Let Me Love You More
10. Don't Get Any Better
11. Loving Me Back to Life
12. So I Give Up on Love
Skip It: Surrender Your Groove, Let Me Love You More, Don't Get Any Better
Repeat It: Passion, Desire, Love Never Loved Me, Ride It, There's Always Tomorrow, Loving Me Back to Life
Ginger Spice Up your Life!: Schizophonic, Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
Great music to listen to while: Getting ready for the Spice Girls reunion concerts!
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