Kala
Artist(s):
MIA
Label: Xl
Publisher(s):
Xl
Studio: Xl
Manufacturer: Xl
Binding: Audio CD
List Price: £10.99
Our Price: £4.98
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Similar Items:
Arular
Santogold
Oracular Spectacular
Untrue
Vampire Weekend
Third
Sound of Silver
Made In The Dark
Fleet Foxes
Fur And Gold
Track Listing
1.
Bamboo Banga
2.
Bird Flu
3.
Boyz
4.
Jimmy
5.
Hussel - MIA & Afrikan Boy
6.
Mango Pickle Down River - MIA & Wilcannia Mob
7.
20 Dollar
8.
World Town
9.
Turn
10.
XR2
11.
Paper Planes
12.
Come Around - MIA & Timbaland
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
The desire to seek culture and tradition from outside one?s own backyard to influence your art and music is nothing new--from The Beatles through Marc Bolan, Paul Simon and up to Damon Albarn with his Mali Music, evidence is rife even in the mainstream. The only problem for M.I.A (aka London born Maya Arulpragasam) is that her backyard was flung far and wide in the first instance, growing up as she did in the UK, India and Sri Lanka--which may go some way to explaining the bewildering, fragrant, intoxicating mesh of sounds, rhythms and head-on sonic clashes that surge willfully throughout her second album, Kala--the result of her own personal voyage of artistic discovery. She?s absorbed, in addition to her own eclectic electro beginnings, aboriginal hip-hop, Jamaican dancehall, Liberian and Trinidadian influences, also finding the time to work with Timbaland (not nearly, incidentally, the highlight of the record). On "Mango Pickle Down River" she sounds like Missy Elliot shuffling in a didgeridoo with a rapping children?s choir she picked up somewhere en route, while the fittingly titled "World Town" is grime arriving on an asteroid during a tribal ceremony with sound effects ranging from a cocked gun to apparent digitized bagpipes. Considering how out-of-this-world-original M.I.A?s Mercury-nominated debut Arular was it is a rare delight that she?s progressed with such resolute surefootedness, losing none of her intrigue. You?ve got a lot of miles to cover to catch her up, let?s put it that way. --James Berry
Customer Reviews
A MASTERPIECE
It's not often that i can embrace an album of such diversity as this so whole-heartedly as i have come to do with this,M.I.A's second album,Kala.
I did enjoy her first album,Arular,but felt it sounded a little forced and slightly over-worked (i do still enjoy most of the tracks on it though and would rate that as a four star album).
'Kala' however is a real step up to a completely different level of quality,not better,just more precise,fresher and less laboured,like the whole thing came together as a singular,solid and perfect explosion which was recorded within a week of it's mental conception.
It's a furious and volatile album,thumping beats and crackling distortion with chanting,surreal vocals and a smart,savvy and sparkling production.Intelligent lyrics are well placed in the mix and used to full effect and it makes you want to figure it out more giving the album longevity,i mean,let's face it,she never wanted to be a member of Girl's Aloud,and the lack of bubblegum 'fluff' here is apparent,hence why i feel she included 'Jimmy' as a little respite.
Listen to the intro of 'World Town' and how the programmed beats are so thick and heavy that they punctuate the rest of the music,stopping it,distorting it for a brief second...if this was intentional (and i'm guessing,rather hoping,it was/is),then what a sheer touch of genius...and this album is jam packed with moments like that!!
This style of music may not be your 'bag' but believe me,it isn't,or rather wasn't,mine either....i just know quality when i hear it,and these days,with 'da bling merchants',x-factor and puppets like girl/boy bands....it's time we doffed our caps to the talent that does abound out there,if you only look a little deeper (and had a little more self-respect than to follow the sheep!!!)
Excellent,excellent stuff....
I hope M.I.A stay that way
I have been listening to this CD because my housemate has bought and forced it into my ears through the living room speakers. This isn't music that should be handled in this way. I can honestly say I tried with this CD. But for every likable riff and lick, there are twenty ones that I am pretty sure were used in Guantamano Bay to torture terrorists. I should imagine many of them looked forward to waterboarding because at least it muffled the "music" that M.I.A are producing here. I am pretty sure that this is one of those albums that people hear one song from and decide to buy, put that song on, and never listen to the rest. Some of the squelchy hip hop beats should have been left in the 80's, the MC'ing is substandard in both content and delivery, and the sampling is irrelevent to the rest of the song. It sometimes feels like they finished the record, then someone found the 'sample' button on the decks and went back and just added random stuff. Saying all that, there is some catchy songs on the album, its just a shame that they are outnumbered 5 to 1 by songs that make you want to bash your eyesocket in with a clawhammer.
Crazy Lady!!!!!
Wow................this is one of my favourite albums of all time. I first heard "Jimmy" on the radio and that was the first time i heard the work of M.I.A., me being me i bought the album and im so glad i did. Every song has it's own edge but all are great in their own way. I bought her first album not long after buying "KALA" and it also is great. Can't wait for her next one!!!
Am I Living On A Different Planet?
I love all kinds of music, from the mainstream to the obscure, from rock thru funk to country. But honestly - this album is pure unadulerated rubbish from start to finish. It's a collection of the same old tuneless synthesized hip-hop bleeps and farts replete with cliched chip on shoulder lyrics and carefully packaged aggression. And of course, what pile of melody deficient crap would be complete without a drop in visit from - you guessed it - Timbaland.
Get over it guys and gals - we know you're cool. You don't need to tell us anymore. We know that you're cooler than any of us will ever be, in fact the rest of us should just all kill ourselves now we're so unworthy to be living on the same planet as you. On behalf of the rest of us, may I sincerely apologize for being born. Happy now?
Quality out weighs the rough edges
MIA in the past has been fairly hyped up in some qurters, but at last she is starting to live up to it. This album is what I hoped her first record would be like but wasn't. Arular seemed to be throwing together 'influences' simply for the sake of it, but Kala's musical journey around the continents is far more interestring and productive. This album is original, catchy and daring enough to be worth attention.
It has to be said that there is the odd track that makes me sympathise with even the most negative reviewers, consistency of output is not MIA's strength, (why did the album have to open with road runner?) but I wouldn't want this to put anyone off.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT SOME OF THE CONTENT THAT WE MAKE AVAILABLE TO YOU THROUGH THIS APPLICATION COMES FROM AMAZON WEB SERVICES. ALL SUCH CONTENT IS PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS." THIS CONTENT AND YOUR USE OF IT ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND/OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.
Powered by PNAmazon © 2003-2007 ttgapers.com
