315) The Good, The Bad & The Queen

Damon Albarn had long decided Blur was not enough for him with the creation of Gorrilaz and other projects.

Next we heard he was doing the band thing again but it wasn’t Blur but his new project, called The Good, the Bad & the Queen.

I liked Blur and Gorillaz had their moments but the big thing for me was that Paul Simonon was strapping on his bass and playing in a band for the first time since his post Clash band Havana 3AM who I had seen supporting Big Audio Dynamite (they didn’t set the world alight but the song Reach the Rock is worth hearing).

Joining them was legendary drummer Tony Allen and ex Verve guitarist Simon Tong. 

If you have come to this album expecting Song 2, White Riot or The Drugs Don’t Work then you will be severely disappointed, this is an album about London according to the band although the Iraq war is also prominent, Green Fields for example. This is a record that never moves out of second gear and Albarn’s voice dominates and is all about atmosphere.

History Song opens the record as each member arrives slowly over a recurring acoustic guitar, Simonon and Tony Allen providing a solid base for the track and 80’s Life I think I could play the opening  piano, maybe.  Northern Whale is the first song I truly love with synths and piano working together and it kind of grooves along and Kingdom of Doom is quite simply a lovely ballad.

Herculean Albarn’s voice is stripped of emotion and it’s one of those songs on first listen you think there is not a lot there but repeated plays reveal subtle changes and you realise it is a beautiful, clever, song.

Three Changes Tony Allen is let loose and the record is all the better for it with this change in tempo and a minute from the end there is an interlude before they come back in, haunting stuff.

The record ends with the seven minute title track again Allen and Simonon are throwing interesting shapes underneath as the song builds and Albarn’s vocals are gone after two and a half minutes as the band show their musical chops with producer Danger Mouse and several other musicians bringing the record to a noisy frantic end.

I knew this record when the request came in and had learned to love it through the years, one of those that if you keep coming back you will be suitably rewarded.

7/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Three Changes