FEATURE:
The Battle of the Bands
PHOTO CREDIT: jontyson/Unsplash
Round One: The Cardigans vs. No Doubt
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THIS is a ten-part series…
IN THIS PHOTO: The Cardigans
where I pit bands against one another. Like you get in high school, this is a battle of the band where I compare stats and ratings to determine which of them comes out on top. I may include Blondie for the second round, as they are one of my favourites! There will be no tournament and knock-out; just a winner in each round. I am starting out with two great bands who had their best moments in the 1990s. American heavyweights No Doubt, led by one of the coolest women in music, Gwen Stefani, take on Swedish icons The Cardigans. With Nina Persson at the front, this should be a close tie! Here, I match two great and influential groups in this first round of…
IN THIS PHOTO: No Doubt
THE Battle of the Bands.
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The Cardigans
Band Members: Lead Singer: Nina Persson, Guitarist: Peter Svenssonb, Bassist: Magnus Sveningsson, Drummer: Bengt Lagerberg and Keyboardist: Lars-Olof Johansson
Origin: Jönköping, Sweden
Year of Formation: 1992
Studio Albums: Six
Singles: 20
Most Successful: Lovefool (re-issue, 1997): U.K.: 2; U.S. (Alt.): 9
The Iconic Video (75M YouTube Views, 04/11/2022):
Lovefool (From First Band on the Moon, 1996)
The Four Best of the Rest:
My Favourite Game “Stone Version” (from Gran Turismo, 1998)
Carnival (From Life, 1995)
I Need Some Fine Wine and You, You Need to Be Nicer (From Super Extra Gravity, 2005)
Erase / Rewind “Director's Cut” (From Gran Turismo, 1998)
Their Three Most-Streamed Songs (as of 4th November, 2022):
Lovefool: 376,664,327
My Favourite Game: 122,696,610
Erase / Rewind: 70,329,128
The Cardigans Spotify Twelve-Song Mixtape:
The Best Album:
First Band on the Moon
Producer: Tore Johansson
Release Date: 17th September, 1996
The Standout Song: Lovefool
Second: Your New Cuckoo
Review:
“LATE 1996 and the glorious POP! uprising in Indieland is subject to a counter-revolution. The Boo Radleys retreat into art-wank experimentalism. Blur grumble ominously from the studio about their new 'dark' direction. Lush announce plans for an Einsturzende Neubaten collaboration. Possibly.
The general 'thrust' of these Britpop quislings' 'argument' appears to rest on the patronising premise that wilfully uncommercial music is better per se than proper pop music with tunes and everything. Why? Er, well, y'know, it doesn't get played on the radio, my kid sister doesn't prefer it to Peter Andre and, er, that's about it really. Still, never mind. Let the Britpop boys return to their bedrooms and the nether regions of the only chart that counts, if that's what they want; the Swedes will surely save us. And right on cue, here come those chirpy Cardigans, the one band you can rely on not to make a 'difficult' second album full of neo-jazz experimentalism, tales of pain and betrayal and doom metal cover versions.
Er, except that's precisely what they have done. The difference is, it hasn't made The Cardigans uncommercial, and it has made them even better.
True, 'The First Band On The Moon' may come as a bit of a shock to those expecting a breezy collection of summery pop tunes like last year's two-million-selling 'Life'. But 'Life' was actually a sweet'n'simple compilation of their first two Swedish albums, which rather sneakily left out all the weird'n'nasty bits. Here, however, are The Cardigans in all their Ozzy-worshipping, ex-boyfriend-abusing, ambient cocktail jazz-embracing glory.
Yup, there's a dark side to '...The Moon'. 'Your New Cuckoo' starts off sounding like Mike Flowers then lunges headlong into an embittered tale of rabid infidelity. 'Step On Me' is a menacing, claustrophobic slump through self-loathing. 'Iron Man' is the Black Sabbath song. But they all sound like heavenly pop hits regardless.
And there's also a brighter side: the dizzy disco of 'Lovefool', Nina's Disney theme matinŽe queen routine on 'Great Divide', the magnificent flute solo (no, really!) on 'Choke'...
And sometimes, there's the two together. Like 'Been It', which manages to combine a melody so sweet it's almost sinister with jarring rock beast guitars and lyrics ("I've been your sister, I've been your mistress/Baby I was your whore") straight out of a Brookside subplot.
The Cardigans, then, are still a pop group, if no longer a POP! group. But that's just dandy, because they're advancing rather than retreating to the indie womb, challenging the mainstream rather than chucking in the towel and, most importantly, still writing genius pop songs rather than noodling around in no-tunes land. Because that's what they do best and that's what makes for the best music. And, contrary to (un)popular belief, the only place for the best music is in the hearts and charts of the general public and the only worthwhile 'revolution' is an over-the-counter one.
8/10”– NME
The Underrated Gem:
Gran Turismo
Producer: Tore Johansson
Release Date: 19th October, 1998
The Standout Song: My Favourite Game
Second: Erase / Rewind
Review:
“I'm not ashamed to admit that the Cardigans grabbed my attention not with their spacepop hit "Lovefool," but with their deliciously sexy vocalist Nina Persson, and the way she beckoned me seductively from the video of the same name. I knew she wanted me, and her ocean- blue eyes yearned to whisper "Jag alskar dig," in my hairy ears. I played hard- to- get back in 1996, when they released First Band on the Moon, and I contine to play hard- to- get, safe in the secret knowledge that Nina fights through every day, yearning for my touch. Believe me when I tell you, Nina, absence breeds anticipation-- we must wait for the proper moment for our Scando- American vibes to be combined like a tasty black- and- white milkshake. We must wait...
Our delicious waiting is made even more appetizing by the Cardigans "new" release, Gran Turismo. The sounds I hear disturb me, though. Where the Cardigans seemed so on top of their game on Last Band, Gran Turismo gives me a Nina that seems to have grown morose from her waiting. The light, sharply- arranged and smilingly ironic attitude that saturated their previous effort has metamorphosed into a self- concerned dragging effort devoid of the featherweight happiness that the Cardigans have been notable for.
Leaning more heavily on distorted guitars and electronica tidbits, most lyrics circulate thematically around breakups and regret. Nina's vocals are fitting to the subject, but where the Cardigans' past tracks about disappointment would often initially sound like a romp through the fertile fields of first love, Gran Turismo regretably strips away this facade. Let's be clear, though-- Gran Turismo isn't a bad album, it's just a distinct downer when compared to their earlier records.
I continue to wait for Nina to come to me. I feel her need for me is most urgent now, still sharpening our desire. Yet, I wonder-- is it all my fault? Could Nina be sending me a message? Should I go to her, gathering her close and soothing her fears, smoothing the sugary- coating that she refused to give to Gran Turismo? Come to me, Nina, come to me... -James P. Wisdom” – Pitchfork
A Cool Interview:
A Great Live Performance:
Ratings:
Coolness: 8
Consistency: 8
Songwriting Quality: 9
Iconic Lead: 7
Originality: 9
Total: 41/50
No Doubt
Band Members (Final line-up): Lead Singer: Gwen Stefani, Guitarist: Tom Dumont, Bassist: Tony Kanal, and Drummer: Adrian Young
Origin: Anaheim, U.S.
Year of Formation: 1986
Studio Albums: Six
Singles: 22
Most Successful: Don’t Speak (1996): U.K.: 1; U.S.: 1
The Iconic Video (942M YouTube Views, 04/11/2022):
Don’t Speak (From Tragic Kingdom, 1995)
The Four Best of the Rest:
It’s My Life (From The Singles 1992-2003, 2003)
Trapped in a Box (From No Doubt, 1992)
Just a Girl (From Tragic Kingdom, 1995)
Settle Down (From Push and Shove, 2012)
Their Three Most-Streamed Songs (as of 4th November, 2022):
Don’t Speak: 510,022,938
Just a Girl: 200,403,553
It’s My Life: 108,088,757
The No Doubt Spotify Twelve-Song Mixtape:
The Best Album:
Tragic Kingdom
Producer: Matthew Wilder
Release Date: 10th October, 1995
The Standout Song: Don’t Speak
Second: Sunday Morning
Review:
“Led by the infectious, pseudo-new wave single "Just a Girl," No Doubt's major-label debut, Tragic Kingdom, straddles the line between '90s punk, third-wave ska, and pop sensibility. The record was produced by Matthew Wilder, the auteur behind "Break My Stride" -- a clever mainstream co-opting of new wave quirkiness, and, as such, an ideal pairing. Wilder kept his production lean and accessible, accentuating No Doubt's appealing mix of new wave melodicism, post-grunge rock, and West Coast sunshine. Even though the band isn't always able to fuse its edgy energy with pop melodies, the combination worked far better than anyone could have hoped. When everything does click, the record is pure fun, even if some of the album makes you wish they could sustain that energy throughout the record. Tragic Kingdom might not have made much of an impact upon its initial release in late 1995, but throughout 1996 "Just a Girl" and "Spiderwebs" positively ruled the airwaves, both alternative and mainstream, and in 1997 No Doubt cemented their cross-generational appeal with the ballad hit "Don't Speak” – AllMusic
The Underrated Gem:
Rock Steady
Producers: Nellee Hooper/No Doubt/Ric Ocasek/William Orbit/Prince/Sly & Robbie/Steely & Clevie Release Date: 11th December, 2001
The Standout Song: Hey Baby
Second: Hella Good
Review:
“Despite the title, Rock Steady is a collection of songs that reveal the heartbreaking nature of romance, of love that clings out of desperation. Intimate revelations are wrapped in ska beats, dancehall rhythms and mellow melodies. Betrayal lies at the heart of the nursery rhyme Detective, while insecurity negates the sauciness of Waiting Room, which features the sweeping harmonies of an on-form Prince. Underneath It All that captures the essence of singer Gwen Stefani's gamine charm, as she paints a smile on a relationship fraught with anxiety. "Somehow I'm full of forgiveness, I guess it's meant to be," she sings, her pain showing through the sweetness of the Sly and Robbie production. This is a great pop album, catchy and funky in all the right places, and Stefani's attitude shines brightly as she sums up: "Sometimes I just think Cupid is taking the piss. Betty Clarke” – The Guardian
A Cool Interview:
A Great Live Performance:
Ratings:
Coolness: 8.5
Consistency: 7.5
Songwriting Quality: 8
Iconic Lead: 9.5
Originality: 8.5
Total: 42/50
THE WINNERS:
Rather than there being absolutely No Doubt about the outcome, the Californian band pip The Cardigans by a whisker! The exceptional Swedish songwriting and brilliant band led by Nina Persson are just out-muscled by the iconic cool of Gwen Stefani and co.