All I Wanna Do
Dannii bounced back onto the scene in 1997 sporting a brand new blonde look with a harder, less commercial sound and her sexiest video to date. The new direction paid off and the lead single from Dannii's third studio album gave her the highest chart position that she had held up until that point in UK: Number Four. All I Wanna Do is an all out dance track written by the man that went on to write 'Believe' for Cher. As well as the bass, there are electric guitars and a hands in the air chorus that begs for a comedy word change...
Heaven Can Wait
Drum n' Bass on a Dannii album? Affirmative. The upbeat tempo is reflective of the mood of the song: The sun is shining and the birds are singing...literally. Dannii sings that Heaven Can Wait now the man in her life is by her side. Guitars and brass punctuate the chorus and the beat is removed for the second chorus that adds weight to the subsequent section of the song. Dannii pulls off this style and turns in a summery classic.
So In Love With Yourself
Dannii's sister appears on 'So In Love With Yourself', doing duty on the backing vocals. Just in case you didn't know, Dannii's sister is the world famous singer, Kylie Minogue. A slow vocal with little accompaniment does not give away the direction that this song is going to take until after the chorus is sung and the beat slams in. From that moment, it's a non-stop dance attack on somebody that is so full of themself that they are unable to love anybody else. Marvelous.
Am I Dreaming?
The best song on the album and should have been a single. The vocal is low, the melody is simple and the song will have you under its spell in no time. Dannii can't deny the thoughts that she is having about a man that has become her obsession. She asks whether or not she is Dreaming and whether or not the man feels the same.
Everybody Changes Underwater
Interesting. Very interesting. The beat is drum and bass once again but this time the vocal is whispered and documents a dream-like journey across meadows, under the sea and into space. Where radiant, glowing stars pulsate, the song does just that. It pulsates and you're there on this journey. A lesser-known third Minogue, Dannii's brother Brendan, pops up on this as one of the voices that beckons her like angels, making this a family affair. It takes time to get this but it is good. Fact.
Everything I Wanted
The second single release from the album, with a seriously cool video. Dannii and her then boyfriend Steve Shaw (photographer), flew out to the US, hired a drop top and drove out to Vegas. The whole thing is shot on an old handheld camera, that gives it a retro finish and they even stopped off at the hotel used in 'Leaving Las Vegas' for some underwater shots in the outdoor pool. The song is as cool as the video, co-written by Dannii and Drum n' Bass in style. The album version of the track has longer choruses, that do sound better on the single version without the additional lines. This version is still great and proof of the fact that when Dannii experiments, she comes up with the goods.
If It Moves - Dub It
This is a dub mix of Moving Up, with little vocal and little purpose. As a shorter interlude, I think it would work quite well though this goes on a little too long for my liking.
Disremembrance
The third release from 'Girl' and a cracking song. The video for this is dark, Dannii has chipped nail polish, nude makeup, a black polo neck and hair that makes it look as though she has been dragged through a hedge backwards. She has glycerine injected into her eyes to make it look as though she has been crying; bodies and eels are writhing around on soaked floor; the video is played part in reverse and some of the dancers look rather devious. The sound is much simpler than the single version, though the strings that dominate the track are still out in force and sound arguably better than the version that got released. There is no Josh Wink 'Higher State Of Conciousness'-esque interlude on the album version, which does not distract from the sentiment of the song. The lyrics are contradictory and when asked what 'Disremembrance' means, Dannii admits that she herself is not too sure! All of this chaos comes together what many describe as Dannii's anthem song. Phenomenal.
It's Amazing
The only ballad on the album, which starts with heavy breathing. The lyric goes on to say how 'Inside I may be falling down but outside, I'm as tall as trees'. Dannii is putting a brave face on the fact that she is in love with somebody that appears to be using her for just one thing. 'Tonight your touch it feels so right but then daylight makes me feel a fool' she sings as 'It's only when I need you and I can't feel you I realise that piece by piece I've given myself to you'. When they are together, things feel 'So fine, so right' for Dannii and it is this that she finds amazing. Amazing the emotion that this man stirs inside her or amazing how she can feel like this, 'Wishing that you were wishing for me', we never know. What we do know is that this is a good song and has elements in keeping with the rest of Girl so as not to sound completely detatched from the dance style of its peers.
Movin' Up (Original Extended Mix)
Movin' Up is a bass heavy nineties dance track, with fast beats and a strong vocal. The sound is a little dated compared to current styles but the track has a good melody that can still cut the mustard.
Keep Up With The Good Times
This song did not feature on the original release of 'Girl' but comes as a welcome addition to the Deluxe Edition. Testiment to the era from which it comes, this is Piano Handbag House, with some fast, heavy beats once again. The vocal is equally quick and the chorus stirs something in the listener and you can see yourself in the middle of the dancefloor, with your arms in the air with a smile on your face. Even by today's standards, this is a stomper of a track showing that Dannii was definitely pushing it back in the day. This is what artists should do and hopefully, with her new material, she will continue to blaze a trail for others to follow.
Someone New (Flexifingers Radio Edit)
Another track that was not included on the original release and another gem. Whilst the beats are as hard and fast as we have come to expect, the vocal is slower and lower for the verses. The bridges are catchy and the choruses pull no punches about telling the man in question that Dannii is over them and looking to find Someone New. She recognises that the tables have turned, that it is time to walk away and sticks the knife in but telling her ex that each night she was alone with him she could picture herself with somebody else. Dannii is no longer the sweet and innocent girl that she was when they were together (and during the verses) now, due to how she has been treated, she is coming out fighting and taking control.
Coconut
Originally a hidden bonus track on the album, this Harry Nilsson cover was an Australia-only single release that had a video that was a collage of the videos for 'All I Wanna Do', 'Everything I Wanted' and 'Disremembrance'. The needle drops on the record, we hear the feedback, the melody begins and Dannii sings to a point where the bass drops and the relentless beats that have been present throughout the album blow the track up. The song takes a little getting used to and I do prefer the calmer, original version that Dannii recorded that can be found on the 1995 Sessions but, with time and almost against your will, you will find yourself enjoying this.
All I Wanna Do (Trouser Enthusiasts Radio Edit)
The first of the remixes on the first disc of the Deluxe Edition would not sound out of place in a club today and the additional vocals recorded for the track work well. The beat throughtout the verses add a sense of urgency to the vocal that now sounds restrained by comparison. During the chorus, these beats climax and rise with the vocal that make this a crowd-pleaser.
Everything I Wanted (Xenomania Radio Edit)
Proof that Dannii was amongst the first to work with Xenomania, an accolade all too commonly bestowed upon Dannii's X Factor judging colleague Cheryl Cole and her Girls Aloud bandmates. This adds a more dancey dimension to the left of the middle drum and bass original that fails to improve on what was already a fantastic song.
Disremembrance (Trouser Enthusiasts Radio Edit)
The haunting strings that make this song are replaced by the piano in a clubbed up version of a classic track. The vocal is not conveyed as successfully with the remixed sound which does do what it is supposed to and makes the song more suitable for the clubs.
In addition to this first disc, the Deluxe Edition features a second disc that features an additional three mixes of 'All I Wanna Do' (12" Extended, Qattara Club and Tiny Tim & The Mekon Dream Dub); two mixes of 'Everything I Wanted' (Xenomania 12" Club and Jupiter 6 Soul Surround); two mixes of 'Disremembrance' (Full Orchestral 12" [FANTASTIC!!] and Twyce As Nyce 1:40am Club); the Trouser Enthusiats Cloud Nine Mix of 'Heaven Can Wait'; the Gettin' Harder Mix of 'Movin' Up' and the Xenomania 12" Mix of 'Keep Up With The Good Times'.
It is often said that Dannii is ahead of her time and she works with a lot of now established people on this project back when they were up and comers. Dannii had recently split from her husband, undergone plastic surgery, posed for Playboy, died her brown hair blonde and dropped her famous Minogue moniker at the time of 'Girl'. She was shaking loose of everything that had gone before and made a fresh sound with a fresh name and a fresh look. As a title, Dannii says that she picked 'Girl' as, aged twenty-six, she felt that it was the last time that she would be able to get away from it; though it is also indicative of the fact that musically, this was just the first steps that Dannii was taken in a new direction that she has since made her own. Although commercially, the success of this was only moderate, it did provide Dannii with her biggest hit up until that point and it was critically-acclaimed; earning respect in an industry which had all too often criticised her efforts. On its 1997 re-release however, the initial pressing was not enough to satisfy demand and subsequent pressings have had to be made, allbeit without the updated album cover inlay. Yes, this sounds dated in parts but the vast majority of the album, which is now thirteen years old, is still relevant and with parts that can still be classed as experimental. If you were going to choose one album to test the water with Dannii Minogue most people would recommend 'Neon Nights'. I myself would go with 'Girl' every time.
Dannii Minogue's Official Website: www.danniiminogue.com
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