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Stereo Total, "Do the Bambi" (French Version)


Stereo Total's latest album (available in three versions from threecountries: Germay, France and the USA) is a bit of a disappointment. 
Disko B

Some songs like "Ne m'appelle pas ta Biche" show Stereo Total at theirbest: cheap drum machines, cheaper synths and great lyrics. Other songsdon't quite seem to work well on the album. The title track "Do theBambi" is less than impressive, as it sounds overworked and contrived.This is a far cry from the Stereo Total of old who could be bestdescribed as sloppy in an elegant way. Thankfully the lyrics are stillwonderfully bizarre. "Cinémania" is essentially a list of classicheroes and heroines of cinema and "J'ai Faim!" is a love song mixedwith a list of fine foods. Despite the wide range of subject matter ofthe lyrics all the songs seem to blend together. If the album was aboutfive songs shorter it would probably flow a lot better but as it standsDo the Bambiseems a little bloated. Its main problem is that some of the songs arewritten for specific soundtracks (a theatrical version of the story ofChristiane F. and a movie by Jean-Luc Godard). They tend to be theweakest on the album but perhaps they work better in their originalcontext. The exception out of these commissioned works is "Tas de Tole"which sounds like a sixties R'n'B version of Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" (itsounds great). The album finishes with a cover of "Chelsea Girls" whichI prefer to the original by Nico purely because Stereo Total's versionis free of horrible sounding flutes. Do the Bambi is a mixed bunch of songs, not the best Stereo Total album but it's not a disaster by any means.

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