Good, The Bad & The Queen CD

Expectations run supremely high for a group like The Good, The Bad & The Queen. In addition to being Damon Albarn's first project since the Gorillaz, the GB&Q are also quite the super group, with Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve guitarist Simon Tong, and legendary drummer Tony Allen--the man who put the beat in Afrobeat--rounding out the line-up. Adding to this stellar cast is producer/DJ Danger Mouse, who mans the boards and twists the knobs.

The group's 2007 self-titled debut is supremely well-crafted, featuring deeply layered electronic textures that recall the Gorillaz at their most atmospheric and warp the propulsive piano and guitar lines in a playfully foreboding manner. And while Allen doesn't exactly open up the way fans of his work with Fela Kuti might hope, he expertly anchors the whole affair, gently shifting the rhythms and pacing of the tracks without disrupting Albarn's expansive, slightly noir-ish new approach to Britpop.

This project began in 2004 when Damon Albarn & Simon Tong travelled to Nigeria to record with Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen. Much later, Albarn gave the tapes to producer Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton & his attitude changed, feeling like he would just write the songs but not sing. Danger Mouse helped gel the project and Albarn just wanted to write tales of West London. The final collaborator was Clash bassist Paul Simonon, whose presence changed the whole dynamic. The result is a record that traces a journey from the English music hall tradition over to West Africa for Afrobeat, zigzagging through the West Indies and its reggae and dub, back to England and London's punk scene, all the while taking in a strand of British beat music from the '50s right through to Britpop. A very English record, the title refers to a saying in the area that is another way of saying "this is about today, this is about the present". A heartfelt tribute to London.

The Good, the Bad & the Queen: Paul Simonon (bass guitar); Damon Albarn, Simon Tong, Tony Allen .

Audio Mixer: Jason Cox.

Recording information: Studio 13 (04/28/2005-10/05/2005).

Photographer: Pennie Smith.

Personnel: Damon Albarn (vocals, keyboards); Simon Tong (guitar); Antonia Pagulatos, Alice Pratley, Gillon Cameron, Sally Jackson (violin); Emma Owens, Stella Page, Amanda Drummond (viola); Izzi Dunn (cello); Danger Mouse (synthesizer, percussion); Al Mobbs, Emma Smith (double bass); Tony Allen (drums); James Dring (programming); Paul Simonon (background vocals).

Additional personnel: Danger Mouse.

Rolling Stone (p.72) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he eclectic elements combine for dark, muted balladry a la Syd Barrett or the Beatles' White Album, with a touch of dub."
Spin (p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[Albarn's] told a powerful tale of darkness endured and hope regained, outshining almost everything he's done before."
Q (p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'Green Fields'...is one of the loveliest moments in the Albarn canon. He effortlessly links the personal and political while giving the heartstrings a nudge."
Uncut (p.68) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "The energy, urgency and ambition are admirable....Albarn's feel for the secret heart of pop remains thankfully intact."
Vibe (p.128) - "GOOD is comparable in spirit to the everything-is-in-play feel of Clash albums like SANDINISTA!"
Q (Magazine) (p.88) - Ranked #05 in Q's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2007" -- "[A] revelation, as tracks such as 'Herculean' and 'Green Fields' took listeners on a haunting, dub-tinged journey..."