Track Listing

1. Re-Hash
2. 5/4
3. Tomorrow Comes Today
4. New Genious (Brother)
5. Clint Eastwood
6. Man Research (Clapper)
7. Punk
8. Sound Check (Gravity)
9. Double Bass
10. Rock The House
11. 19-2000
12. Latin Simone feat. Ibrahim Ferrer
13. Starshine
14. Slow Country
15. M1 A1
16. Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Mix)
17. 19/2000 (Soul Child Mix)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2734 in Music
• Released on: 2001-06-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Extra tracks, Explicit Lyrics
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Gorillaz claim to have found their motley crew of cartoon characters sleeping in Leicester Square but Blur's Damon Albarn (aka 2-D) and cult cartoonist Jamie Hewlett (Murdoc) are not fooling anyone. As the ultimate experiment in manufactured image, the Gorillaz are a virtual, cartoon-character-based hip-hop band which bring together some of the wittiest, silliest lyrics and the most seriously talented musicians. Infectious old school hip-hop rhythms, rhymes and effects courtesy of Deltron 3030's Kid Koala and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (Russel) are combined with Albarn's passion for chugging lo-fi and edgy melodies to create a seemingly raw but ultimately slick blend of styles which is all their own. This is nowhere more evident than on hit single "Clint Eastwood", which is carried along by the sound of 2-D's slurred voice and a bluesy harmonica melody interrupted by Russel's punching rhymes. But the surprises do not stop there: Ibrahim Ferrer's appearance on "Latin Simone" could have come straight from Buena Vista Social Club but for the obvious Blur-influenced piano style, while the spooky intro to "M1 A1" wouldn't sound out of place on Michael Jackson's Thriller. Backed up by Jamie Hewlett's death-wish character on bass, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori (Noodle) on guitar and occasional hyperactive vocals and produced by Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, it's hardly surprising that Gorillaz is marked both by a sense of playfulness and a passion for experimentation. --Caroline Butler

CD Description
Blur frontman Damon Albarn and 'Tank Girl' creator James Hewlett collaborate to create the world's first cartoon pop act. This self-titled album fuses hip-hop and reggae styles and includes the top ten hit single 'Clint Eastwood'.

Customer Reviews

Original & Best
This is deffinitely the best album from Gorillaz. Blur frontman Damon Albarn initially created the ficticious band to emphasise the amount of manufactured bands and the lack of actual talent in todays 'pop scene'. And you really cant get more manufactured than cartoon characters as an actual band. Albarns' plan may have technically back-fired on him as the Gorillaz became an instant hit. Taking a mix of punk, R n B, and slow rock to create classics such as clint eastwood, 19-2000, and rock the house. Even a collection of Gorillaz b-sides, formed a quite good album with "G-Sides". This is probably the most original/ diverse kind of music you are likeley to hear today. Boy/ girl bands, commercial hip-hop 'stars' and general pop artists should feel pretty bad that they are being out-done by a ficticious band led by mainly 2 people. (Albarn and cult cartoonist Jamie Hewlett) And they have the numerous awards to prove it. Whilst Demon Days is good and still maintains its originality, the self titled debut album will always be a firm favourite for those of us who like something else asside from the drone of girls aloud, the campness of every boy band around, and the vanity of those commercial hip-hop stars. (50 cent actually admitted that the first 3 of his 5 favourite songs of all time were 3 of his own songs) Thats hip-hop modesty at its finest.

great
gorillaz aren't the type of thing i'd usually listen to.
but they're great.
like pretty much everyone else, i bought this album after hearing clint eastwood and really liking it. clint eastwood is one of the most rappy tracks on this album, and they take it through a range of styles. my favourite songs are the last three tracks, one of which is kind of dub/reggae type thing, one is a pop song with cool wind effects and the last one M1A1 being gorillaz twisted idea of a rock anthem.
there's many other suprises along the way, none of the songs sound similar at all. but to find fault, a few of the tracks ('punk', 'latin simone' and one or two others) seem a bit throwaway. i was particularly dissapointed by the inclusion of an instrumental version of 'Latin Simone', having heard the full vocal version previously and thinking that was great. but you can't have everything can you?
basically, a mixture of moods, styles, rhythms..while it doesn't strike me as being a total classic, the best bits of this album are absolutely awesome.
oh and in reference to the previous review - i am a heavy rock/metal fan. again proof to how widespread gorillaz appeal is.

An Animated Twist To Hip Hop
Now i may get on the wrong side of people when i say this, but the idea of creating a band which is entirely on paper and pencil is not a very good one, but for some strange reason it seems to work for the Gorillz.

Created by Blur's Damon Albarn, who also provides vocals for the album, and artist James Hewitt, who created the characters for the band, Gorillaz is a mixed bag in its development.

Essentially this is a bit of hip hop, a bit of rock, a bit of electronica, a bit of everything, and it seems rather fresh when you listen to it.

The album ranges from groovy numbers such as the ode to drugs song "Re-Hash" and "19-2000" to Rocking tracks like "5/4" and "Punk" to songs like "New Genious" and "Tomorrow Comes Today" that displays Damon's vocals talents.

The star of the record has to be Del Tha Funky Homosapien, who raps out catchy rhymes on two of the albums hit singles "Clint Eastwood" and "Rock The House", but overall the highlight song for all Blur fans is "M1 A1" showing a rather rock grooved sound.

Overall Gorillaz is somthing different, it won't please everyone guaranteed, but it is a rather fresh cd and it makes for a unique listen.