Track Listing

1. Making Music
2. Mixed Up World
3. I Won't Change You
4. Nowhere Without You
5. Another Day
6. Party In My Head
7. Love It Is Love
8. You Get Yours
9. The Walls Keep Saying Your Name
10. I Won't Dance With You
11. I Am Not Good At Not Getting What I Want
12. Hello Hello

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #43969 in Music
• Released on: 2003-10-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Running time: 55 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Shoot from the Hip, the follow-up to Sophie Ellis-Bextor's first solo offering Read My Lips, takes the formula that made the latter so popular and twists it into something altogether different. Here, there's the same distinctive (and occasionally grating) vocal and strong melodies now bent and deformed through a time tunnel to the 1980s. Beat-heavy, quasi-electronica pop anthems rub padded shoulders with more traditional Bextor fare (the superb "Mixed Up World"), alongside more experimental cuts where tunes seem to have evaporated when mixed, such as "You Get Yours". For most of the time, though, she just sounds like the Pet Shop Boys.

For all their fancy retro clothes, these are mainly love songs--most of them almost decent and all of them referring to a ubiquitous second person ("Nowhere Without You", "I Won't Change You", "The Walls Keep Saying Your Name"). No rocket science here then. "I Am Not Good at Not Getting What I Want" is strong, largely due to its pleasantly surprising surf guitar (probably not heard on a mainstream album since the Pulp Fiction soundtrack), combining strings and synths in equal parts. Weird mixture? That's Shoot from the Hip. --Cortman Virtue

CD Description
'Shoot From The Hip' is the follow up to Sophie Ellis-Bextor's triple-platinum selling debut album 'Read My Lips'. The album features various co-writers and producers including Bernard Butler, Alex James, and Groove Armada's Andy Cato and is a heady mix of disco, pop, and rock. The single 'Mixed UpWorld' is also included.

Customer Reviews

Miss Bextor is back with some suprises From the Hip!
Sophie-Ellis Bextor has once again revitalized the dancefloor with her new album, "Shoot From The Hip". Where "Read My Lips" explored the dynamic soundscapes of pop, her new album introduces some unexpected guitar work while never losing that infectious beat. While other divas have opted to create a more sparse groove, Sophie raises the bar by never letting you take a rest from the rhythm. The addition of a mystery cover song (trust me...it's brilliant) makes this a perfect followup!

MAKING MUSIC: Starts out unexpectedly with manic electro-grooves, then launches into some very satisfying beats. I couldn't think of a better way to start out an album than with a song about abstract thinking when writing music!

MIXED UP WORLD: This is the new single, and it works very well as the second track. Human League style intro falls into a fantastic vocal harmony. Sophie reveals her inhibitions of living in a world gone mad, all the while keeping you dancing.

I WON'T CHANGE YOU: How can any song where Sophie lets you know that "She won't change you, but she'll change her underwear" be nothing short of brilliant!

NOWHERE WITHOUT YOU: A softer moment while retaining the beat. The use of backing guitar is a nice touch. The blend between electronic and analog sounds is very soothing and catchy.

ANOTHER DAY: A very excellent blend of 80's electro-pop, rhythm guitar, and symphonic violins layers this song about the strength of a lasting friendship.

PARTY IN MY HEAD: One of the standout tracks, this song sounds like a long-lost James number, with instantly catchy jangle-guitar and hummable hooks. Just when you think this CD should be winding down, Sophie lets you know that we're just getting started!

LOVE IT IS LOVE: With a fantastic 70's blaxploitation beat, revving engine sounds, and sultry disco overtones, this song sets a relentless dancefloor pace. (Complete with short guitar solo.) At one point in the song, the music seems to go into slow-motion, then breaks right back into 70's disco!

YOU GET YOURS: A rough-and-tumble stab at a lover's revenge? Or an aggressive courtship between two former lovers? Sophie hints at both, while moving from slow to fast beats with an almost manic edge.

THE WALLS KEEP SAYING YOUR NAME: Sparse piano, violins, and the sound of thunder brings to life an almost disturbing song about being haunted by a past lover.

I WON'T DANCE WITH YOU: A sonic barrage of electrobank beats mixed with catchy rhythm changes make this an excellent song celebrating the strength of women.

I AM NOT GOOD AT NOT GETTING WHAT I WANT: And I thought the Pet Shop Boys had long song titles! This song is layered with 50's jangle guitar and a great electro slow-beat. Complete with do-wop backing vocals.

HELLO HELLO: Perfect end song featuring haunting guitars and breathless vocals.

HIDDEN TRACK: I'm not telling you what it is........it's a cover of a VERY popular song. You WILL BE very surprised. This will be the song everyone is talking about.

Room for improvement, but still stunning!
While this is not as strong an effort as the re-released version of 'Read My Lips', and does contain some below-average songs, this is still an interesting affair with some priceless gems. The main problem is that some of the tunes do not suit Sophie's voice (which sounds ten times posher than it ever did - perhaps trying too hard to fulfill her stereotypical image)and could be done fuller justice by someone with a more ordinary voice, with particular regard to the bonus track. 'The Walls Keep Saying Your Name' and 'You Get Yours' try to be experimental, and, while intriguing, do not quite pull it off and sound disjointed. 'I Won't Dance With You', however, is cringe-worthy; 'Making Music' is a bore. Look past these awkward moments though and you will agree that this album is still worth five stars. The two singles are irresistably catchy, and 'Another Day' (written by Sophie alone)and 'Love It Is Love' are run-of-the-mill but delightful pop numbers that will without a doubt make you want to move. Good on her for trying to make a slightly different and irreverent dance number though with 'Party In My Head', which has an charm that slowly grows on you and then doesn't fade. What makes the album so brilliant however is the slower numbers. 'Nowhere Without You', which subtley engulfs you, is so beautiful and effortlessly atmospheric. The last two tracks are totally lovable in their simplicity, and refreshingly different from Sophie's past material. On the whole it is must for any fan of Sophie, although you may at first be let down by the patchiness of the album. Let's hope the third album is even better.

Great stuff!
The follow up to the poptastic 'Read My Lips', 'Shoot From The Hip' shows fantastic progression. Though the lead single may sound a little weak, the album has loads to offer, with a great openeing track and loads more belters! A really coherent album, a bit more diverse than her last, but in a good way. Try and spot for yourself the potential hit singles. Groooooooooovy!