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Invincible [UK Limited Edtion]

 
Album Review: Invincible [UK Limited Edtion]

  • Artist: 5ive
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: November 16, 1999
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Projecting themselves as a harder-edged, occasionally rapping British Backstreet Boys, 5ive know how to spew out an album-full of accessible tunes. The quintet has cocky humor down pat, starting with the CD booklet suggestion "Everyone who doesn't want to admit they like what they hear, we'd prefer you used the CD as a coaster." No need to worry -- the album is dizzying, fun, danceable, and all-around glowing. Listening to Invincible is like listening to a fledgling high school talent show group. The members have ambition and a youthful vibe that draws in listeners instantly; no older, matured singers are going to come up with this kind of music -- this is their time. What this also means is that to enjoy the songs one has to forgive their sophomoric lyrics ("you got me trippin because I want you bad"). Considering their target audience, their sexual prowlings are more difficult to forgive. On "If Ya Gettin' Down" they throw together the message that the group is back with a new album with the lyric "I heard somebody say she's at the party so I'm gonna get me some." It is hard to catch the messages in most of the songs because the rhythms over-compensate particularly for their individual voices (future solo albums seem unlikely). What is evident, and what mostly separates them from competing boy-bands, is that their focus is not on love songs. The one that best qualifies as a love song is the tender "You Make Me a Better Man." On its own, the song is sensitive and believable, but no intelligent teenage girl is going to believe them for a minute when the rest of the album is seeping with hormone-driven girl catching and shallow guy-talk. An exception is "Mr. Z," a song about a man who places caps on his cat's head. This truly witty tune is probably the funniest yet to show up on a boy-band album. Positivity reigns supreme on tracks like "Keep on Movin" and "How Do Ya Feel," which are melodic enough to qualify a diabetes warning on the album's cover. There are a couple of gnawing tracks -- "Serious" and a spiced up version of "We Will Rock You" -- but after finishing the album with the futuristically motivated "Battlestar" there is little doubt that these guys have what it takes to zap the musically worn. "Battlestar" has a sound and production that would have made a good idea for an entire album, one that could have made much better use of the title, ahem, "Millenium." [The British release adds four songs -- "Mr. Z," "Sunshine," "Battlestar," the the "Five-A-Side Mix" of "Keep on Movin'" -- and an enhanced second disc featuring five live recordings: "If Ya Gettin' Down," "Keep on Movin'," "Don't Wanna Let You Go," "Everybody Get Up," and "Got the Feelin'."] ~ Peter Fawthrop, All Music Guide

Tracks



CD 1

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
If Ya Gettin' Down Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (3:00)
Keep on Movin' Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (3:17)
Don't Wanna Let You Go Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (3:24)
We Will Rock You Brian May, Richard Breen, J. Brown 5ive (3:09)
Two Sides to Every Story Hallgeir Rustan, Tor Erik Hermansen 5ive (3:27)
You Make Me a Better Man Tor Erik Hermansen 5ive (4:18)
Invincible Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (4:11)
It's Alright Scott Robinson, Julian Gallagher, Rich Neville 5ive (4:17)
Serious Richard Breen, J. Brown, Per Magnusson, Andreas Carlsson 5ive (3:23)
How Do Ya Feel? Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (3:30)
Everyday Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, Jimmy Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (4:19)
Mr Z Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (2:50)
Sunshine James Brown, Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (3:24)
Battlestar Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (4:08)
Don't Fight It Baby 5ive (3:05)
Keep on Movin' [the Five-A-Side Mix] Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (9:45)


CD 2

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
If Ya Gettin' Down Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (3:15)
Keep on Movin' Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (4:05)
Don't Wanna Let You Go Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, J. Brown, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (2:58)
Everybody Get Up 5ive, Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Herbert Crichlow 5ive (3:44)
Got the Feelin' James Brown, Richard Breen, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Sean Conlon 5ive (3:35)

Credits

Jake Davies (Arranger), Matt Howe (Mixing), Chris Hilton (Assistant), Steve Mac (Producer), Jake Davies (Engineer), Paula Benson (Design), Andreas Carlsson (Vocals (Background)), Jake Davies (Mixing), Jake Davies (Programming), Matthew Sime (Vocal Engineer), Steve Lewinson (Bass), Dave Willis (Cover Photo), Adrian Bushby (Engineer), Patrick McGovern (Mixing), Steve Mac (Arranger), Snake Davis (Flute), Steve Mac (Mixing), Conal Markey (Mixing), Mats Berntoft (Guitar), Paul West (Art Direction), Jake Davies (Digital Editing), Chris Laws (Programming), Hallgeir Rustan (Instrumentation), Wayne Hector (Vocals (Background)), John Themis (Guitar), Adrian Bushby (Mixing), Sean Conlon (Piano), Paul West (Design), Jake Davies (Keyboards), Alvin Sweeney (Mixing), Julian Gallagher (Producer), Chris Laws (Mixing), Simon Cowell (Executive Producer), J. (Fender Rhodes), Stargate (Producer), Paula Benson (Art Direction), Daniel Pursey (Mixing), Valerie Phillips (Artwork)
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more