18
1999
Let me just start off by saying I’m not a techno fan, nor do I enjoy listening to ambient music (being exposed to Yanni/John Tesh in the car for years can scar a guy). If you want to hear about how Moby is supposedly overrated or shallow or inferior to say, the Chemical Brothers, this ain’t the site. What I do like about Moby is how he isn’t limited to techno, he can also add on some blues, some rock, some ambient, some pop, etc. And he seems like a cool enough guy, on MTV Cribs he showed off his apartment instead of some damn mansion with 5 cars and 4 pools like every other celeb-of-the-moment has.
The other story is how every song on Play is licensed by at least one company, but I have not watched nearly enough TV to see which commercial has which song. I’ll just take Play at face value, like it or lump it. And what do I hear? An album that’s not boring, great for background music, and has something for everyone.
The opening “Honey” sets the template for a good portion of his tunes: an old blues/folk verse repeated throughout, a dance beat, instruments coming in one by one (usually pianos and drums), and the song goes on from there. It works very well on the snappy “Honey” but not on the following “Find my Baby.” ‘I’m gonna find my baby/WOOO!/’Fore that sun goes down’ works at the end of a line, and is not something repeated over and over. Especially not by that drunken sounding guy. “Run On” is similar to “Honey” except the sample is of the entire song
“Why Does My Heart Feel so Bad?” and “Natural Blues” are even better examples. Both songs have samples that are sad and backed by ethereal music and a simple piano part (get used to the DUH DUH da-DUH, da-DUH, DUH piano riff). Both are my favorites, and the whole listening experience with headphones is emotional, with or without the techno drums. I see the “Natural Blues” video of Moby dying, or hear the part in “Why Does” where the beats drop out momentarily, and tears come to my eyes. Maybe I’m a sucker for that, I don’t know.
Other favorites o’mine include the unabashed pop of “South Side” (though I miss Gwen Stefani’s sexy vocals), instrumentals like the haunting closer “My Weakness,” “Rushing” (is that a firecracker in the background?) and the Party of Five hit “Porcelain.” The half-instrumental “If Things Were Perfect” is cool too. I guess the only all-out techno tune on here (the awesome “Machete”) is a throwback to Moby’s early pre-Play style, right?
What isn’t so hot on here? I do not like the ESPN Jock Jams-style “Bodyrock,” it’s too close to Fatboy Slim’s “Rockefeller Skank” and the Wiseguys beat them both in that department with “Start the Commotion.” “Everloving” and “Guitar Flute and String” are identical acoustic guitar snoozers, “Down Slow” and “7” are unneeded interludes, “Inside” doesn’t go anywhere, and “The Sky is Broken” is dull Moby poetry without much backing to speak of. But as background music I hardly notice any of these (‘cept “Bodyrock”), so I don’t hesitate giving Play an 8. By that token it seems inappropriate that I used my ‘review every song’ style. Oh well, c’est la vie.
2002
As we all know, Play took off around 2000-01 and Moby became a well-known music figure after toiling in obscurity since the beginning of the decade. So what would he do next? He makes another Play. No, wait, he didn’t. Play and 18 have some similarities, but key differences as well. The biggest one is 18 is slower, more depressed, and less diverse. But you can’t fault Moby for that, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 deeply affected him. Not only does he live in downtown New York, but September 11 is his birthday. And 18 came eight months after the attacks, so it’s understandable that his mood was a bit more down this time around.
Other big differences include: the instrumental interludes have been expanded from one to two minutes (the poorly titled “Fireworks” and “Look Back In”) and seem even more unnecessary; the samples have shifted from blues/folk to gospel, and are badly edited; and there are more songs w/vocals, be they Moby or whomever he chose to sample.
The only ‘hit’ off here was the opener “We Are All Made of Stars,” which works well as an homage to David Bowie’s “Heroes.” It doesn’t seem to fit in the rest of the album, nothing on this album is quite as pop. But when the chorus repeats over and over, it’s almost like a mantra that pulls you in. Oh, ever seen the video? Corey Feldman, Mini-Me, and other C-level stars you’d expect to see on I Love The '80s! Another Mobysong (song sung/spoken by Moby) “Extreme Ways” was also a single, but not much of a hit. Oh well, it’s the only time Moby goes for a rock sound and it sounds cool.
Song #2 is “In This World” shows some of the problems of 18. It tries to achieve what “Natural Blues” and “Why Does My Heart” did on Play, but fails. The gospel singer’s sample ‘Lordy don’t leave me/all by myself’ is more irritating than anything else, and it feels badly edited (is that a car horn at the end of each phrase?). “In My Heart” follows, and is very identical to “In This World.” Even sadder, it’s much better. More upbeat, and a gospel choir/soloist instead of a high-pitched singer. Later, “One of These Mornings” is OK but the edit is awkward, especially that cheesy organ squeal at the end of each phrase. “Another Woman” follows THAT, sounding tuneless and lost. By the time you get to “Sunday (The Day Before my Birthday),” you’re sick of the pattern and the DUH DUH da-DUH, da DUH, DUH piano riff, despite the lush vocals.
What’s more, other tracks are just boring. The Angie Stone-sung “Jam for the Ladies” is even worse than “Bodyrock.” At least “Bodyrock” was energetic, “Jam” is just lazy and annoying. I did hear the dull Mobysong “Signs of Love” on a car commercial and I was surprised I remembered it. Not even Sinead O’Connor can save the 6-minute snooze of “Harbour.” I don’t think the sad instrumental title track and Mobysong “Sleep Alone” are boring, just difficult to listen to. They remind me of 9/11 too much, of watching nonstop TV footage of the planes hitting the towers. But once again, they reflect Moby’s state of mind.
“Great Escape” is tough. On one hand, it’s very sparse, with only a cello and awesome vocals from Azure Ray. On the other hand, it’s kind of disturbing. Holding your lover underwater just to watch him ‘perform the great escape?’ I dunno. “At Least We Tried” is highlighted by the great R&B vocals of Freedom Bremmer. Second to last on here, “Rafters” is bizarre and hyperactive, coming right after 6 slow tunes and possibly a rude awakening to those who fell asleep. But “I’m Not Worried At All” is an awesome closer, more from the gospel choir. I don’t even mind the bad edits of ‘I’m not worried at all (ye-).’ Very comforting after half an album of despair, related to 9/11 or otherwise. 18 gets a 6 not for being slow or depressing, but for other problems.