Everybody Dance Now (Except Abnormal People)

Track Overalls:

Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) B+
Here We Go Let's Rock and Roll C+
Things that Make You Go Hmm C-
Just a Touch of Love (Everyday) C
A Groove of Love (What's This Word Called Love?) D
Live Happy D+
Oooh Baby D+
Let's Get Funkee C
Givin' it to You D
Bang That Beat D+
untitled F

Album History:

This band is famous for one song and one song only. "Gonna Make You Sweat," or better known as "Everybody Dance Now." I can't tell you how many times I went to a roller skating rink or ice skating rink in my youth where I heard that song. It even persists well into the new millenium, because I still hear it everywhere. As with many hitmakers, much of their remaining material leaves *a lot* to be desired in terms of artistic success and general enjoyment.

Album Overall Discussion:

As you might have guessed, it doesn't get better than "Gonna Make You Sweat" as far as C + C Music Factory is concerned. The remaining songs, either consisting of old school rap songs or club songs, all are very weak in terms of musical quality. Not one has a catchy melody (nor do the rap songs, mostly, have a 'hook' in the rap sense). All of these songs seem utterly extended (with the most prominent and most embarrassing example being that of "A Groove of Love." Really, after the first four songs or so, the album really starts to sound crappy. Although, I can't really say that the reason for that is because the actual material is weaker, but it might just be because I get freaking sick of listening to it. Either way, people make fun of this album for a good reason.

Track Reviewing:

The album starts off with the most famous song by far "Gonna Make You Sweat" and you almost have to wonder why this song hasn't died out in pop culture, even though it's officially "old school." Well, then again, its success really shouldn't be considered surprising when you think about it. It has a pretty good riff that was well used even though the song is very fake-sounding (needless to say the Stones might have done something more genuine with it). The incessant repeating of the "Everybody Dance Now" has some appeal to it, although that might just be because of the sheer power of singer's voice. It has an old school rapping session that isn't very bad. The 'instrumental interlude' section is probably the weakest part of it and it just seems like they tried to fill it up.

"Here We Go Let's Rock and Roll" employs a convincing groove during the first minute, and then it quickly gets old. It borrows a section of Chic's "Le Freak," for a reason that can only be explained that every late 80s and early 90s rap act seemed to be ripping everyone off. I was never much for the rap scene and all this ripping off doesn't help me gain much respect for it. Then again, I also can't judge pop music only by listening to Britney Spears. The near 6-minute track length was really pushing it.

Ripping off Chic in the "Here We Go Let's Rock and Roll" is among the "Things That Make You Go Hmmm". This is an olddddddd schooooooool rap song that, really gives me some memories. It's fun like old school rap songs tend to be, but it's really not that good. (A friend of mine tells me that all rap music sounds alike. If this is all I had to go by, I'd pretty much agree.) Again, this song is just too long. Three minutes might have been more reasonable. Not five and a half minutes!

Just a Touch of Love (Everyday) has a rather enjoyable groove to it, but again it gets old after only listening to it for a little bit. There isn't a melody (to speak of) there's just a power-singer and a groove. Not really worth much, actually.

"A Groove of Love" is a much darker rap song and, unfortunately, just isn't very enjoyable this time. Again, I'm not a big fan of rap music, but this isn't even that good among other rap songs. This is just boring. It's also 10 minutes long, which is excess to the extreme.

"Live Happy" is nothing less than a generic techno-club song and it also overstays its welcome (seven minutes long). It's not even that enjoyable except in that utterly cheap way. The melody isn't that good, and the groove is only slightly mesmerising. There's nothing good about a club song that's only slightly mesmerising. In fact, it's drabbingly awful by the time it's over with.

"Oooh Baby" is more of a mid-tempoed that starts out surprisingly boring and bleak. When the singing starts, it doesn't actually get much better. This thing is so mind-numbing that I'm looking forward to my death at the moment.

The song title of "Let's Get Funkee" suggests to me that this band was unduly influenced by Prince. I hate Prince now. Even more than I did before. (I mean, just because he was popular didn't mean he actually had to go and influence people) Anyway, it's another very samey-sounding song. It goes more in the soul-route, but it's not convincing at it whatsoever. For a start, it should have relied less on the percussion groove and more on the MELODY, but I guess that's not what this mental band was about. Blah.

"Givin' it to Me is really boring. It seems to have the exact same backing track as some of these other songs on here, which grows tiresome to begin with. Very very boring.

"Bang That Beat" sounds like a clone of "Everybody Dance Now" already. Normally people wait until their sophomore album before they start making clones of their big hits, but whatever. Even the rapping bit in it sounds the same. Very annoying. Blugh.

"untitled" is allegedly a hidden track (I'm wondering what the point of having hidden tracks are... I usually seem to be able to find them without really looking for it.) This is even more club-sounding than the other songs and, thus, infinitely annoying. Furthermore, it is over eight minutes long. Really awful. Awful, awful, awful.