| Black Cherry | 
 enlarge | Artist: Goldfrapp
Label: Mute
Category: Music
List Price: £8.99
Buy Used: £0.89
You Save: £8.10 (90%)
New (38) Used (20) Collectible (2) from £0.89
Avg. Customer Rating:  60 reviews
Sales Rank: 2133
Format: Enhanced
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.8 x 5 x 0.4
UPC: 724358350326
EAN: 0724358350326
ASIN: B00008PRR7
Release Date: April 28, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: EXCESS STOCK SOURCED FROM MAJOR UK RETAILER,DISPATCH IN 3-4 WORKING DAYS
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| Tracks:
| • | Crystalline green | | • | Train | | • | Black cherry | | • | Tiptoe | | • | Deep honey | | • | Hairy trees | | • | Twist | | • | Strict machine | | • | Forever | | • | Slippage |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Goldfrapp's Black Cherry inhabits a dark alley, bristling with urban menace and throbbing with a deep electronic pulse--a far cry from their breezy debut, which gently led the listener to a fairytale aural utopia occupied by Parisian pop, whistling divas and baroque masters. Having given up the countryside for a neon-lit studio, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory have infused Black Cherry with an intensity and brooding claustrophobia that's both exuberant and sensual. Simultaneously mellifluous and mechanical, tracks such as "Train" with its fiery industrial rhythm steer Goldfrapp dangerously close to the ailing electro-clash scene, before veering back to more familiar territory with the likes of the sultry, downbeat "Black Cherry" and languid dreamy ambience of "Forever". Elsewhere our Hampshire-bred heroine gets deep down and dirty on "Twist", an ode to oral that finds Goldfrapp waxing lyrical to a fierce driving Kraftewerk-esq synth: "Before you go and leave this town/I want to see you one more time/ put your dirty angel face/ between my legs and make it last. No Felt Mountain to get lost in, but at least there's "Hairy Trees" to make up for it. --Christopher Barrett
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| Customer Reviews: Read 55 more reviews...
 Delightfully Sexy April 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
1. Crystalline Green. 10/10
2. Train. 10/10
3. Black Cherry. 10/10
4. Tiptoe. 8/10
5. Deep Honey. 7/10
6. Hairy Trees. 8/10
7. Twist. 10/10
8. Strict Machine. 11/10
9. Forever. 9/10
10. Slippage. 8/10
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
This album is undeniably sexy, but Goldfrapp wouldn't be Goldfrapp without some duff songs.
One of the sexiest, most heavenly pop rushes ever... January 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Best tracks: "Strict Machine", "Black Cherry", "Tiptoe", "Forever".
It's difficult for me to convey just how fantastic Black Cherry sounded when I first heard it; being mildly aware of Goldfrapp (thanks to "Lovely Head"'s ubiquity on advertisements and TV soundtracks) but not having heard the whole of their Felt Mountain album, it took a few outrageously (and totally justified) salivating reviews in the press and fantastic first single "Train" to make me double-take. To put it mildly, this is one of the best electro-pop records ever made, and (now I realise) a huge departure from the duo's previous style; whereas Felt Mountain was all wintry, seductive, cosy, atmospheric, rural and movie-soundtrack-esque, Black Cherry is the sound of the summer, of the dance floor, of the glitter, the neon, and even more so than before, it's all drenched in sticky, sexy lyrical flirtatiousness. Yet like its predecessor, it's also an album of broken hearts, mystery, lyrical obliqueness and the odd thoroughly bizarre touch. Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory's mastery of conjuring atmospheric, layered and enveloping soundscapes has sharpened here to perfection, with the former's astonishing voice making for one of the most inviting, seductive musical propositions you're ever likely to hear.
Opening song "Crystalline Green" makes for a fine, dreamy opener, but it's "Train" that sends the album into supernova; a dirty, sexy keyboard refrain, glorious, lovely vocals and a stomping, vaguely glam-rock beat...it's simultaneously throwaway yet lasting, trashy yet crammed with the kind of detail that keeps you coming back again and again. The title track is even better, a truly, maddeningly heartbreaking thing of beauty that's as good as the first album's "Pilots", and that's saying an awful lot. With a swooning, blossoming chorus and some painfully lovely musical passages that'll have you swept away, "Black Cherry" is probably my favourite ever Goldfrapp song....or is it? There's something just as good later on the album...
Anyway, next track "Tiptoe" is stupendously fine, even better than "Train" in terms of delivering a stomping, filthy electronic beat; the fact that Alison has often referred to her admiration of Prince is given musical credence here, as her vocals in the verses have been treated to almost sound androgynous, which is similar to what he was doing around the time of his Sign O' the Times album when he was crediting his altered vocals under the name of "Camille". The song itself builds to a terrific, hypnotic, almost insanely fine finale; again, great singing! Seriously, Alison's got one of the most luscious, fantastic voices ever, and on this album in particular, she's a lead singer to fall for. The very sexy "Deep Honey" has a sparse, sad synthesiser line to begin with, later embellished with some eerie strings (reminiscent of the duo's earlier work) that make it the perfect bridge between this album and its predecessor. This song's also got a spectacular ending, with Alison sighing over dramatic, deep, down, dirty orchestration.
The lovely "Hairy Trees" is another song that `s slightly Felt Mountain-ish, but given the new Black Cherry treatment, it's a gem. A pair of glam-fuelled electro peaches arrive next; "Twist" has the terrific line "Put your dirty angel face between my legs and knicker lace" which instantly makes it a bit of a classic, and the tune, all grimy, saucy keyboards and wild, orgasmic singing, is a thrilling, sexy pop-blast from start to finish.....rivalling "Black Cherry" for the title of the best song on the album is the all-out masterpiece that "Strict Machine", which despite being re-released as a single, still never became the huge, huge hit it should have been; this is definitely Goldfrapp's most successful integration of their new, electronic direction; every second of this one's an absolute dream, the kind of synthesisers that make your hair stand up on end, an insanely funky, catchy rhythm and an explosive, absolute thriller of a chorus that'll have you on your knees worshipping the majesty of the Frapp in no time. By the time the song's all over after that gorgeous finale, I'm left breathless.
"Forever" is a divinely sad, melancholic thing of beauty, a little like "Deep Honey", but further drenched in bittersweet atmospherics; I've noticed that a lot of Goldfrapp songs end really, really well; this one in particular's got an absolutely heartbreaking coda. Okay, so the dark "Slippage" is not really the killer closing track it should have been, and despite some good moments is clearly the weakest thing here, but it doesn't stop Black Cherry from being one of the greatest pop rushes of all time; it's sexy, mysterious, strange, beautiful and something to get hopelessly addicted to.
Yum November 11, 2006
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
First came `Felt Mountain', dragging the feel of a sexy, downhearted 1930's lounge act into the modern age with clever instruments and classical orchestras. Now comes the second release that is a great follow-on, far more upbeat, far more electronic and even sexier.
One thing that keeps up the sultry standards is the unforgettable vocals from Alison Goldfrapp; they're still delicious and perfect, with an impressive range that boasts of a classically trained background and should be a commodity that all women wish for. If a voice could make you orgasm, it's hers. Lyrics are sometimes obscure, but approachable and contagious. But as if it needed an underline, such downright fuckable songs like `Twist' beg you to: "put your dirty angel face between my legs and knicker lace".
Almost all tracks include a stomping, lo-fi beat, with strange pipping/ booming/ fizzing sounds, but the emotions conveyed cover a wider spectrum than hinted. The hip BAM-BAM-BAM beat of `Train' is quickly followed by the lush and calm title track. Later on, the bopping, anthem-esque attack of `Strict Machine' is subdued by the tones of `Forever' - a recurrent roller coaster that underlies the whole album.
Meanwhile, real back-to-basics synth sounds make most songs strong candidates for a wave of very 80's and extremely ill advised Robot Dancing to surge through dance floors nationwide. Though, as musicians, they seem more comfortable with this heavier slant, as it comes across as stuff that will be far easier to transfer into a live performance.
It has everything that warped electro fans strive to make and is led by lush melodies that many songwriters would kill for. `Felt Mountain' displayed a skill for the chilled out and the rich, `Black Cherry' sees the two-piece hit the studio with avidness, refreshed energy and clearly enjoying what they are doing. This is an inspirational album that is fresh, fashionable and icy cool.
 Goldfrapp is ace!! July 24, 2006
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I first listened to this album with broken headphones, so the panning was all out of proportion - it sounded really cool like that!! But then I listened to it on a stereo and it sounded so much better! I love the way in which Goldfrapp as a partenership utilise electronic sounds and use the synthesiser to create an out-of-this-world kind of atmosphere, along with the sexual and rather raunchy singing style of Alison herself.
I really like this CD because the lyrics are so simple in effect and so futuristic and really it does remind me of some odd Tim Burton-esque film with loads of add female lead characters pracing around in high heeled shoes and stripy tights and odd, but awesome clothing ...
Tracks from "Supernature!" their newest album are just as promising as these older ones. Buy this album if you like strange but wonderful music.
Mel.
What Sex Should Sound Like ... June 7, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
With "Black Cherry", Goldfrapp would take a critic-baiting chance in letting their work take them into another direction. Having already ensnared the indie-darling limelight with their half-million selling debut, "Felt Mountain", the pressure was on for Alison Goldfrapp and her trusted collaborator Will Gregory to come up with something that would continue to make the world swoon at Gregory's full-blooded orchestral arrangements and Goldfrapp's unsettlingly seductive vocals. And so, with true showmanship, Goldfrapp stumped their critics with an album completely polarised in style and content from its predecessor, replacing "Mountain's" melodious eeriness with a techno stomp that wears its sexiness on its sleeve and makes no apologies. Aside from a few welcome lapses into the Goldfrapp we knew before, the sexuality that had threatened to eclipse "Mountain" had been well and truly set loose.
The musical influences behind this LP should be spoken about to hint at an idea as to how disparate "Black Cherry" is to its creators' first effort. "Mountain's" soundscapes were clearly secured within the realms of film score and influence, Gregory even thanking Sergio Leone in the notes of the CD sleeve. Meanwhile, "Cherry's" influence, aside from the Kraftwerk-style synths and programming that pepper the music so indelibly, is clearly rooted in the late 1970s-early 1980s pop era, "Crystalline Green" and "Strict Machine" (their irreplaceable breakout hit) in particular sounding like they've been trapped in a time capsule for twenty years. However, the industrial techno leanings, exemplified best by "Train" and "Tiptoe", exhibit a futuristic knowingness, often coming across as darker versions of Richard X-produced pop fluff by Rachel Stevens, Liberty X and all the other ones you cannot remember. Even the slower numbers herald a poppier sound for the dance duo, the programming more overt and less subtle than on Mountain and often almost unlistenable (hear "Slippage", or not), hitting the right balance between conventional pop and that old fad, electroclash.
Their calling card could be "the natural successors to the Eurythmics" if Goldfrapp and Gregory weren't so fiercely sexual in their content. One has to commend Goldfrapp for making the first convincingly sexy 21st century pop album but, as fans of the first album will know, Goldfrapp's world is one that revolves around everything to do with sex. More upfront and glamorous than most of today's "plop"-stars put together, Goldfrapp's lyrics and voice have not sounded so rapt with pleasure and awe before or since, from the orgasmic screams of "Twist" to the pained warbling of the title track. Alongside the mechanised rhythm sections and Goldfrapp's unconventional vocal gymnastics, Gregory duly supplies the arrangements that served his muse and him so well first time around, standouts including the closing moments of "Black Cherry" and "Tiptoe". It sounds a million times more authentic than anything Madonna or Aguilera have insultingly thrown at us in the name of raunch and is offset by the album's mellower tracks beautifully, "Hairy Trees" and "Black Cherry" in particular.
However, if there are any problems with "Cherry", they are the very factors which limited their debut CD. If the listener can buy into the glamorous vacuum that Goldfrapp have created, then there is much to enjoy. And though the arrangements are often nothing short of spellbinding, if you are left cold or affronted by the shallow emotions plundered on this CD (fabulous, yes, but ultimately shallow), chances are best that you will not become a convert. However, one cannot deny Goldfrapp's sheer pop excellence on this album precisely because they are not hiding behind über-pop producers or former pop-stars-turned-songwriters, but are showing the world how degrading, dangerous, sexy and sublime pop music can be. It's testament to their craftsmanship that, even after Girls Aloud and Rachel Stevens near enough ripped them off over a year later, "Black Cherry" still holds up as one of the best pop CDs of the new century, and most certainly the sexiest.
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