Melanie C - Reason

[Diddy]

Do we really not have a thread about this, or was the title too hard for the search engine?

Anyway I gave this a dust down over the last few weeks, and I was surprised by (1) how much of it I remembered quite clearly, and (2) how much I enjoyed it.

Obviously it's NO Northern Star, either one of my favourite or one of my most nostalgic albums ever. But Reason also has its sheen of nostalgia, and with hindsight fits quite nicely in the singer-songwriter genre that I was really into at that time. I can hear shades of Jewel, Alanis, Alisha's Attic and more in there. I was going to say Jennifer Paige but maybe the fact there is a track called Positively Somewhere that's planting that seed. It's quite a vibey album really.

And I can't say I disagree with the singles choices, I think HICA and OTH probably the most commercially viable. Melt is the real gem too, shame it was farted out as a AA-side and a mega-cheap video. Yeh Yeh Yeh is a bit TOO obviously trying to be a radio hit, Let's Love too, they just feel a bit cheap and hollow.

Anyway, I think it's aged alright, all things considered

 

[Kratz]

She's so shit

 

[Iguana]

I love her but it's by far my least favourite Melanie C album

 

[Dark Carnival]

She's so shit

Who hurt you beb?

 

[Iguana]

Alanis,

Comparing this album to Alanis is insulting to us Alanis stans and you don't want to offend us unless you want rain on your wedding day DO YOU

 

[Christian]

I love this album. My favourite by Mel Mel!

 

[Iguana]

I liked the Jennifer Paige joke though

 

[Iguana]

Even Mel said it was shit in her book

 

[Diddy]

Comparing this album to Alanis is insulting to us Alanis stans and you don't want to offend us unless you want rain on your wedding day DO YOU

well now all I need is a KNIFE

More specifically I was thinking the more acousticy/boring Alanis of the early 00s

 

[Iguana]

well now all I need is a KNIFE

More specifically I was thinking the more acousticy/boring Alanis of the early 00s

THIS DOESN'T HELP

 

[Christian]

Even Mel said it was shit in her book

Well she's WRONG

She likes I Love Candy

 

[Diddy]

It’s like meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his OBNOXIOUS … husband, Iguana

 

[Iguana]

I Love Candy is such a weird single choice. So much better - or at least more that made sense - on that album!

 

[VoR]

I read a description of it as 'Focus grouped almost out of existence' which I think is pretty apt.

It does pick up a bit in the middle, but a lot of it is so beige. Even Emma would be like Girl, rock the boat a bit.

05 Here It Comes Again
04 Reason
04 Lose Myself In You
06 On The Horizon
04 Positively Somewhere
10 Melt
06 Do I
07 Soul Boy
08 Water
08 Home
05 Let's Love
06 Yeh Yeh Yeh

 

[Iguana]

It’s like meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his OBNOXIOUS … husband, Iguana

Sorry I didn't know you ONLY wanted positive opinions

 

[Alex]

Sorry I didn't know you ONLY wanted positive opinions

He gets very protective of albums he rates 7/10

 

[Iguana]

I read a description of it as 'Focus grouped almost out of existence' which I think is pretty apt.

It does pick up a bit in the middle, but a lot of it is so beige. Even Emma would be like Girl, rock the boat a bit.

05 Here It Comes Again
04 Reason
04 Lose Myself In You
06 On The Horizon
04 Positively Somewhere
10 Melt
06 Do I
07 Soul Boy
08 Water
08 Home
05 Let's Love
06 Yeh Yeh Yeh

I'm with you, it does pick up about halfway through because it gets a little more different

 

[Beverley]

ok i'm listening. i haven't in YEARS

 

[jivafox]

Ever since I heard someone at school refer to “Here It Comes Again” as a song she sings on the toilet, this album has been cursed for me.

 

[VoR]

HICA is such a B-side. Bizare they they considered it strong enough to launch the album. Although it's not like they were overwhelmed with choices...

 

[Diddy]

Sorry I didn't know you ONLY wanted positive opinions

?!
the first comment said she’s so shit, and the second was insulted that I liked some of it because it reminded me of Alanis

I think there’s so room for nuance, isn’t there? Or maybe not

 

[ZenGiraffe]

I think there’s so room for nuance, isn’t there?

On this famously hinged chat longe!?

 

[Diddy]

HICA is such a B-side. Bizare they they considered it strong enough to launch the album. Although it's not like they were overwhelmed with choices...

I still think it was probably the best choice from the selection. I mean WOULD Melt have turned out differently? Maybe

I guess everything would seem a bit crap after the NS singles

 

[Pipo]

It's a solid 5 for me. I'm a spice loon yes but dear GOD whoever A&R-ed for this album should have been fired. Everything that worked for Northern Star was completely ignored and doubled down on acoustic ballads (that worked first time around thanks to the legendary Marius De Vries and Rick Rubin).

 

[Beverley]

yeh yeh yeh, it's kinda crap

tho i have a soft spot for HICA and Melt, and a couple of b-sides

 

[Beverley]

i don't know why she dropped William Orbit and Marius De Vries for this album - they MADE Northern Star

 

[Iguana]

Virgin dropping her on 1 January right before her 30th birthday was still a misguided kick in the teeth EVEN THOUGH the album is a dog egg

 

[Pipo]

Even Mel said it was shit in her book

DEETS PLEASE

 

[Pipo]

HICA is such a B-side. Bizare they they considered it strong enough to launch the album. Although it's not like they were overwhelmed with choices...

Funny it was an Appleton reject, or so DenDen claimed it was.

 

[Dark Carnival]

ok i'm listening. i haven't in YEARS

On it as well!

 

[Pipo]

did you all know Soul Boy was a cover? The original is shit and boring too

 

[OutSynk]

i don't know why she dropped William Orbit and Marius De Vries for this album - they MADE Northern Star

*checks Wikipedia* Orbit was on one song.

 

[Pipo]

*checks Wikipedia* Orbit was on one song.

yeah, the BEST ONE. Guess they only had the budget to work on just one song

 

[VoR]

did you all know Soul Boy was a cover? The original is shit and boring too

I love the way that album was basically Carole King’s Tapestry but for middling 90s pop.

 

[Beverley]

*checks Wikipedia* Orbit was on one song.

All it takes is contribution on one or two songs to completely change the direction of an ablam

I mean, as I said, some of the b-sides are VERY GOOD

 

[Iguana]

DEETS PLEASE

She says in the book that she really enjoyed working with the live musicians but she knows it's not her best work and basically it's a bit directionless. She just didn't know where to go with it, and I think that shows. Plus I think she associates it with her injury from that sports show which the record company put her on in an attempt to promote the album.

She does however also say they chucked LOADS of money at it because of Northern Star's success so I'm she could have afforded more Orbit if she'd wanted!

 

[Pipo]

All it takes is contribution on one or two songs to completely change the direction of an ablam

I mean, as I said, some of the b-sides are VERY GOOD

I think the Reason B-Sides and Demos, on a whole, are much better than the album to be honest! MY guess is they were cut out because they sound like they belong to a different album!

 

[Dark Carnival]

I think the Reason B-Sides and Demos, on a whole, are much better than the album to be honest! MY guess is they were cut out because they sound like they belong to a different album!

That’s different. Not better

 

[Dark Carnival]

It’s not a great album really, it’s so middle of the road and faceless which is quite the feat to achieve with such a distinctive voice

 

[Dark Carnival]

08 Here It Comes Again
06 Reason
00 Lose Myself In You
06 On The Horizon
03 Positively Somewhere
10 Melt
00 Do I
00 Soul Boy
03 Water
08 Home
09 Let's Love
07 Yeh Yeh Yeh