Moby Everything Is Wrong CD

Personnel: Moby (classical & electric guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, electric bass, drums, congas, programming); Mylm Rose, Kochie Banton, Nicole Zaray, Rozz Morehead, Saundra Williams, Mimi Goese (vocals).
Includes liner notes by Moby.
Personnel: Moby (programming); Nicole Zaray, Mimi Goese, Rozz Morehead, Kochie Banton, Saundra Williams (vocals).
Recording information: Current Sounds, New York, NY; Moby's Studio, Newyork City, NY.
Photographer: Jill Greenberg.
Unknown Contributor Role: Moby.
For some it was the pinnacle of his career, for others one of a continued string of triumphs (others doubtless cared not at all, thinking somehow that synth and dancebeats equalled musical insincerity, but such is life). Regardless of how one takes it, Everything Is Wrong shows Moby at a definite high point, and if some tracks are much more memorable and involved than others, those successes alone justify the attention and hype he received in his earliest days. Even more noteworthy is that for all that the album is a definite product of time and place, namely 1994-1995, it stands up to further listens for all the further changes in dance since. Having already made his mark with tracks like "Go," "Next Is the E," and "Move," on Everything Is Wrong Moby attempted to balance out the creation of an album in a complete, single-unit sense with his knack for immediately catchy singles. On the latter point he succeeds perfectly, with the frenetic, jungle-inspired anthemic diva showcase "Feeling So Real" (punctuated just so with English-inspired MC breaks) and the giddily sweet pop-minded house of "Everytime You Touch Me" utterly irresistible. Hints of future changes crop up with the speed metal-via-Ministry reworking of Move EP's "All That I Need Is to Be Loved," but the similarly minded blues/thrash of "What Love" forecasts the ham-handed slogs of Animal Rights all too well. Meanwhile, the string-touched "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters" is a self-consciously beautiful, cinematic meditation on spiritual power that in lesser hands might be cheese but comes across here as truly affecting. If there's an ace in the hole, it's the inspired recruiting of former Hugo Largo vocalist Mimi Goese, who had spent the early '90s well out of the public eye. Her turns on "Into the Blue" and especially the haunting, evocative album-closer "When It's Cold I'd Like to Die" bring out in the best in both musicians. ~ Ned Raggett
At some point, every musical movement produces a work so evocative, inclusive, and challenging that it stands out as a reference for what is best in an entire musical genre. EVERYTHING IS WRONG is the WHITE ALBUM of dance music. On this album, Moby's interests in techno, ambient, punk rock, and gospel mix together in a sonic stew of epic proportions that not only holds together, but seems perfectly natural.
As such, the beautifully moody "Hymn" is followed by the diva-driven "Feeling So Real," which is followed by the techno-punk of "All That I Need is To Be Loved." These tracks flow seamlessly together without a sense that genres are even being mixed, much less jumbled. But EVERYTHING's brilliance lies not so much in Moby's eclectic taste in rhythm and melody, but in the nuances of the vocals, most of which are contributed by a variety of female singers. In particular, Moby's collaborations with singer Mimi Goese on "Into the Blue" and "When it's Cold Out I'd Like to Die" are among the most revealing and humanistic moments in Moby's career. A masterpiece.Rolling Stone (5/13/99, p.80) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."
Rolling Stone (3/23/95, p.125) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...Legitimate classical influence and a visceral Christian faith elevate [Moby's] art--but a solid grounding in house-trance-jungle grooves renders him capable of delicious sonic candy. Remarkable..."
Spin (12/95, p.62) - Ranked #1 on Spin's list of the `20 Best Albums Of '95.'
Spin (3/95, p.93) - 9 - Highly Recommended - "...suggests...how one-dimensional most techno-trance-jungle-ambient-progressive house albums can be. Moby's...major-label debut embraces all those sounds, plus elements of funk, punk, metal, industrial, blues, classical, New Age, and art rock..."
Entertainment Weekly (Spring 2000, p.166) - Ranked #5 in EW's "Top 10 albums of the '90s"
Entertainment Weekly (12/29/95-1/5/96, pp.131-132) - Ranked #3 on EW's Top 10 Albums Of 1995.
Entertainment Weekly (3/17/95, p.88) - "...[Moby's major label] debut mixes ragamuffin raps, rapid-fire house beats, diva vocals, metal guitar, and angelic choirs, with gospel as the unlikely unifying thread. A glorious album that'll rock the techno skeptics..." - Rating: A
Alternative Press (3/95, p.72) - "...Ultimately, what holds the whole package together isn't a specific sound, but a feeling of sincerity..."
Musician (4/95, p.73) - "...Factor in the rich harmonies...and the lush textures...and Moby seems less a rave star than a genius who just happens to make dance music."
Village Voice (2/20/96) - Ranked #3 in Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.