As debut albums go, Gorillaz really knocked it out of the park on their first attempt. It’s not my favourite album of theirs, but they set the groundwork for what was to come.
A fair few of these songs are well-known, but some are criminally underrated. How would I rank them all?
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Meh
15 – Punk
“Punk” is a very filler song, and it sounds more like a random interlude than a fully-fledged track.
OK
14 – Starshine
My left ear thinks “Starshine” is fine.
13 – New Genius (Brother)
There’s a decent enough groove in “New Genius (Brother)”, but it has never really connected with me.
12 – Double Bass
“Double Bass” has a cool nostalgic feel that I really like in the first half, but then it doesn’t go anywhere with it. The biggest wasted potential on the album.
Good
11 – Man Research (Clapper)
This is easily one of the weirdest songs on the album (and more akin to something off their more recent stuff), but I kinda like “Man Research (Clapper)”.
10 – Sound Check (Gravity)
One of the most chill vibes on the album, “Sound Check” reminds me a bit of “Desolé” from their latest record.
9 – 5/4
I love the use of the abnormal time signature, and the vocals are some of the catchiest on the record. A really solid track.
8 – Slow Country
Quite an underrated song, the only thing “Slow Country” has going against it is the fact it’s a bit too slow (no surprises there).
This has all the makings of a Gorillaz classic, and if they had just injected a bit more energy into it I would have loved it.
7 – Re-Hash
“Re-Hash” is a cool intro song to set up the tone of the record, and I like how it immediately distinguishes itself from Damon Albarn’s previous work.
6 – Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)
I think “Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)” is the most unique song on the album. The cool Latin Jazz is both relaxing and unsettling, and with any other band it would feel out of place.
Great
5 – Tomorrow Comes Today
I wasn’t all too familiar with “Tomorrow Comes Today” until I listened to the full album, and the drum hook instantly sucked me into the groove.
It’s the kind of retrospective / melancholic song that Gorillaz are so good at, and it set the groundwork for later songs like “El Manana”.
4 – M1 A1
The most underrated song on this list, “M1 A1” acts as the super energetic closer that the album needed.
It sounds more like a Blur song than a Gorillaz one, but I’m never going to say no to some screeching guitars and powerful vocals.
3 – Rock the House
It’s funky, it’s groovy, and it can indeed rock the house.
I don’t see “Rock the House” getting as much love as some of the other more well-known hits, but I think it’s one of Gorillaz’s best.
2 – 19-2000
Fun fact – that’s Tina Weymouth (bassist from Talking Heads) on vocals!
It’s the kind of weird electro pop that hadn’t really been heard before, and “19-2000” can stick in your head for days. The Soulchild remix is better, though.
Amazing
1 – Clint Eastwood
I have such fond memories of this song – it was one of the first songs that my dad played for me, and as such it’s been burned into my mind.
The creepy choruses can get any party moving, and the rap verses are the perfect blend of hip hop and pop that Gorillaz have mastered. A classic.
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