Skin "Fleshwounds" (2003)

Fleshwounds [debut]

release date: Sep. 9, 2003 (reissue)

format: cd (reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: David Kosten, Florent Renard

label: EMI - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Faithfulness" (4 / 5) - 2. "Trashed" - 3. "Don't Let Me Down" - 4. "Listen to Yourself" - 5. "Lost" - 7. "Getting Away with It" - 10. "Burnt Like You" - 12. "Faithfulness (Radio Mix)"

Studio solo debut by Skin (aka Deborah Ann Dyer) following the split of the band Skunk Anansie. Nine out of twelve songs here are credited Skin and Len Arran, who was the pair behind nearly all songs on the first album by Skunk Anansie. Two versions of the album exists, the first was shelved, because Skin wasn't pleased with the first release, which was launched May 26, 2003. It's obvious from the original front cover that Skin was promoted as a different kind of artist than that of the aggressive poses and style that came with her former band. A new cover fronts the reissue that came out roughly three months later, and this edited version of the album adds a bonus track and a replacement of a song. Instead of "As Long as That's True" (by Skin and Len Arran) the reissue comes with the Electronic cover "Getting Away with It" (credited Bernard Sumner, Johnny Marr, and Neil Tennant) and it also includes a 'Radio Mix'-version of track #1 as end track. Regardless the two versions, the music here is more in concordance with the ballads by Skunk Anansie and a music that puts her more in line with more traditional pop / rock artists.

This first solo effort remains her best, and it quite nicely showcases he strengths as a vocalist and songwriter. Another fine thing about the album is its strong coherency, which always seemed an issue with the band and perhaps exposed different ideas about musical direction but this appears perhaps easier solved in a one-woman project.

Fleshwounds is fine and recommended album.

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Skin "Post Orgasmic Chill" (1999)

Post Orgasmic Chill

release date: Mar. 22, 1999

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]

producer: Andy Wallace

label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Charlie Big Potato" - 2. "On My Hotel T.V." - 3. "We Don’t Need Who You Think You Are" - 5. "The Skank Heads" - 6. "Lately" - 7. "Secretly" - 8. "Good Things Don’t Always Come to You" - 10. "You'll Follow Me Down" - 12. "I’m Not Afraid"

3rd and final studio album by Skunk Anansie, or so it was for more than a decade. The album follows 2½ years after Stoosh (Oct. 1996). It's a 12 track album with a running time just above 50 mins and with the majority of songs credited the entire band.

Soundwise, the band has made a turn to a stronger alt. metal / industrial tone on this one, and it comes out as a new breed by the band. It's no longer a band like Smashing Pumpkins with links to punk rock, I first think of when listening to this. Instead, there's a stronger bond to System of a Down, Rollins Band, Nine Inch Nails, and Rammstein. And as I understand, the band supported the German band on more than one occassion, and especially System of a Down [launshed it debut in '98] and Rammstein appear to have influenced the sound of Skunk Anansie for this one - just listen to "Charlie Big Potato" and "On My Hotel T.V.", "And This Is Nothing That I Thought I Had" (track #11). The alt. metal and industrial  rock elements are most apparent as a general aspect but some tracks are less hard in style, and I find more melodic and harmony-driven compositions throughout the album, which I guess, you'd describe as more traditional pop / rock-elements, which for me at least, explain some of the appeal the album garnered. Nationally, Post Orgasmic Chill made it to number #16 on the albums chart list, which was a few steps down compared to the two predecessors but in parts of the European continent, the album performed better - e.g. in Belgium and in Austria it made it to number #6, and in Germany to number #5 on the overall albums list, and then it also sold 3 x Platinum in Italy.

Personally, the album is not a favourite of mine. I do acknowledge that it's perhaps their most melodic album with several fine ballads and some great industrial moments but it's not really coherent, and I find it hard to come to terms with the fact that this is the album by Skunk Anansie that found its way into "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Basically, I don't find that the band ever produced a coherent work and one of such quality that it should figure in book that tries to embrace the best of the best. In that case, you could skip this one, I think.

Post Orgasmic Chill isn't a bad album as it contains some fine ballads, some really great industrial hooks, and it also displays Skin's vocal forces. I still prefer Stoosh over this one.

Despite the good reception of the album and a general solid grip on European soil, the band split in 2001 after which Skin initiated a solo career, which produced two solo albums before the band re-united for live concerts in 2010 and they re-grouped and produced their fourth album Wonderlustre in 2011.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, NME 4 / 5 stars ]

Skunk Anansie "Stoosh" (1996)

Stoosh

release date: Oct. 7, 1996

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]

producer: GGGarth (aka Garth Richardson)

label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Yes It's Fucking Political" (4 / 5) - 2. "All I Want" - 3. "She's My Heroine" - 5. "Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)" (4 / 5) - 6. "Twisted (Everyday Hurts)" - 8. "Brazen (Weep)"

2nd studio album by Skunk Anansie following 13 months after Paranoid & Sunburnt is like the debut issued on One Little Indian in the UK and in North America and on the European continent by Virgin.

Stylistically, this follows closely on the path laid out on the debut. The band line-up is intact, only credits have changed more apparent. On the first album, the majority of the songs are credited Skin and Len (Leonard) Arran with Skin as songwriter and Arran as composer - on Stoosh, things have changed somewhat with Arran and Skin still credited five songs and the remaining six compositions are credited the band members Skin, Ace, and Cass, - i.e. vocalist, guitarist, and bassist, excluding drummer Mark Richardson from any songs credits.

Stoosh is basically more of the same, although, you'll find this one less radical in terms of lyrical content - giving the impression of more subtle protest - and less noisy, however, my initial verdict left me rather underwhelmed. The front cover more or less states that it's quite aggressive but it's not only that; and I think that was the reason I felt let down by what it signaled or what I expected from this noisy quartet but fact is, there's more room for variation, which I think I mistook for 'uneven'. At least it's more coherent when comparing to the debut. Over time, I also think the album has matured better, which means it isn't nearly as off as I felt back then. Actually, it's not off at all. I purchased both albums but Stoosh had me write the band off for some years, and it wasn't until after the reformation that I went back in the band's catalogue and learned about their third album out, which for more than a decade remained the band's final but generally has been regarded the band's best. It's also the only by Skunk Anansie to be inlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", which I still find difficult to comprehend.

In the 90s, I would have written this one off as a minor release with only two good songs (#tracks 1 & #5), but in retrospect I prefer this over the debut, though, I still don't consider it entirely great but definitely worth knowing, and for someone unfamiliar with Skunk Anansie, I think this is a good place to start.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Sputnik Music 3 / 5 stars ]

Skunk Anansie "Paranoid & Sunburnt" (1995)

Paranoid & Sunburnt [debut]

release date: Sep. 18, 1995

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Sylvia Massy, Skunk Anansie

label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Selling Jesus" - 2. "Intellectualise My Blackness" - 3. "I Can Dream" - 4. "Little Baby Swastikkka" - 6. "Charity" - 8. "Weak" (4 / 5) - 10. "100 Ways to Be a Good Girl" - 11. "Rise Up"

Studio album debut by London-based alt. rock quartet Skunk Anansie consisting of lead vocalist and primary songwriter Skin (aka Deborah Ann Dyer), guitarist Martin 'Ace' Kent, bassist Richard 'Cass' Lewis, and drummer Robbie France, who is a founding member and he is credited on the album but he was replaced by Mark Richardson already in Aug. '95 - before the release of the album and consequently neither of the two feature on the front cover [France left Skunk Anansie to join German band Alphaville]. The band initially released three studio albums from '95 to '99 and split in 2001 after which lead vocalist Skin initiated a (short-lived) solo career and the band reunited in 2009, after, which it has performed and released new material since then.

On Paranoid & Sunburnt the band plays a hard rock-styled alt. rock that took its offspring in punk rock and grunge rock in a combination with more traditional hard rock. It's made with an attitude and energy that reminds me of bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Therapy?, Garbage, Faith No More, Stone Temple Pilots but Skunk Anansie has always taken a particular spot as strongly political and critical when speaking lyrical content, and that's also something that made it dificult for the band to get enough airplay and invitaions for certain festivals.

The album was preceded by the first single release of "Little Baby Swastikkka", which was mostly overlooked by critics, fans and radio stations. The next single "Selling Jesus" was released in Mar. '95 and it basically paved the way for an overwhelming interest in the forthcoming debut with its single chart position as Number 46, and although that song - together with track "2 (which wasn't released on single) - may have been the most vital for the band, the three following singles from the album "I Can Dream", "Charity", and "Weak" all charted better - with the final "Weak" charting as high as Number 20.

Paranoid & Sunburnt is a fine album, although, I do find it somewhat uneven. The great songs are still really great, though.

Recommended.

[ 👎allmusic.com, The Guardian, Select 3 / 5, NME 4 / 5 stars ]