New World Party - Dumbing Up
Speaking of covers -- and the '90s, for that matter -- World Party is back with a an album that's a sweet listen, mostly 'cause (no surprise here) it sounds so familiar.
World Party - "Who Are You" (MP3 Link Expired) = Dylan
World Party - "Another 1000 Years" (MP3 Link Expired) = Beatles
That's not to say a hundred other bands don't sound like the Beatles, or haven't also attempted their own "Subterranean Homesick Blues," but remember Party's too-close-for-comfort "Young Americans" homage on the Reality Bites soundtrack? World Party may wear its influences on its sleeve, but Bites' liners credit Karl Wallinger as writer.
World Party - "When You Come Back To Me" (MP3 Link Expired)
Did David Bowie just give up on the copyright infringement lawsuits after Vanilla Ice got away with audio regicide (sorry, I don't know the word for killing Queen)?
Four MP3s in one post makes our bandwidth cry, but how could I not provide this? Especially if you were too young when it was a welcome and brilliant breath of fresh air to Stereogum's beloved Alternative Nation.
World Party - "Is It Like Today" (MP3 Link Expired)
Posted at 2:23 PM in MP3
I think you've got those first two backwards. "Who Are You" = Dylan, "1000 Years" = Beatles. Still, point taken. The latter is pretty blatant.
Posted by: mattS at April 26, 2006 3:15 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Regicide applies to queens as well as kings.
Posted by: sean at April 26, 2006 3:18 PM | ReplyScore = 0
> Regicide applies to queens as well as kings.
Rock!
Posted by: scott at April 26, 2006 3:28 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Thanks mattS. Fixed. Also threw up their breakthrough hit.
Posted by: scott at April 26, 2006 3:29 PM | ReplyScore = 0
I loved "Goodbye Jumbo" and parts of "Bang!", but I just gotta say it - Karl Wallinger is the biggest egomaniac of the last 20 years. The fact that he's now blatantly ripping off Dylan and the Beatles, etc. is more pathetic than ironic.
Posted by: jervo at April 26, 2006 3:34 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Alternative Nation? Hell, I think that video was from back when "120 Minutes" was the only game in town. Good post. Always dig a odd 90's band update.
Posted by: Wilson at April 26, 2006 3:48 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Also - that might be one of the ugliest album covers of all time.
Posted by: jervo at April 26, 2006 3:55 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Killing a king is regicide.
Killing Queen is Paul Rodgercide.
Goodbye Jumbo was a great record.
Posted by: J at April 26, 2006 4:41 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Killing Queen is gunpowder, gelatine, dynamite with a laser beam.
Oh, my. David Bowie missed that one? Slam-dunk infringement. Horns, backing vox, melody....? All it's missing is the Beatles "A Day In The Life" line at the end....er, did Bowie get clearance for that one? [notice how it all comes around to the Beatles again?
Posted by: Mark at April 26, 2006 4:47 PM | ReplyScore = 0
I've always had a soft spot for World Party/Karl W. Is this album really just coming out though? I remember visiting the official page for this band YEARS ago and reading about this album. It seems like it must have been delayed a while -- or is it just now coming out in the US? Anyway... Kurt cribbed dylan just as hard on some of his earlier albums (see Curse of the Mummy's Tomb on Egyptology).
Posted by: Joey Headset at April 26, 2006 5:39 PM | ReplyScore = 0
2 World Party CD Release shows booked at Joe's Pub on May 30th, 7:00 and 11:30, early show is already sold out. 11:30 show was added last night and is on sale at telecharge.com now.
Posted by: Shanta at April 26, 2006 5:41 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Karl's admitted to re-recording the entire Beatles catalog to study recording techniques. The note for note Happiness Is A Warm Gun cover on a WP single was....note for note. I heard that he'd get on kicks and make his band learn all kinds of covers during soundchecks. Neil Young, Sly Stone, whatever....
Posted by: adam at April 26, 2006 5:57 PM | ReplyScore = 0
FYI, "Dumbing Up" isn't technically a new album. Originally out in the UK & elsewhere in 2000, it's just now getting a proper US release. Wish Karl would've spent the last 6 years working on a new title instead of rereleasing this, by far the weakest album in the World Party canon. Drag.
Posted by: Walkathon at April 26, 2006 6:14 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Thanks, Shanta!
Posted by: J at April 26, 2006 6:22 PM | ReplyScore = 0
oh god. how do you you completely rip off "young americans" like that and a) not get sued or b) respect yourself at all? it's all EXACTLY THE SAME! I'm feeling ill.
Posted by: max at April 26, 2006 7:50 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Karl Wollinger never dissapoints live, and I wish I could be in NYC to catch these shows. World Party is finally back in business! Thanks for the tunes, Scott.
Posted by: EJ at April 26, 2006 8:05 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Speaking of covers even more, folk musician Eliza Gilkyson does an amazing cover of Is It Like Today...and speaking of the nineties, Eliza's brother Tony was a member of punk band X.
I'm just sayin'.
Posted by: boyhowdy at April 27, 2006 12:00 AM | ReplyScore = 0
On the World Party site, Karl explains that he's spent most of the years between the original U.K. release of "Dumbing Up" and now recovering from a brain aneurysm that left him unable to speak or walk. It's a compelling tale:
www.worldparty.net/worldparty.html
Posted by: fourfour at April 27, 2006 8:38 AM | ReplyScore = 0
I was hoping this was a NEW album. I already downloaded this in 2001. Very good.
Posted by: mark at April 27, 2006 11:07 AM | ReplyScore = 0
Correction: "Another 1000 Years" = Oasis copying the Beatles.
Posted by: Todd at April 27, 2006 1:52 PM | ReplyScore = 0
derivative or not, I always liked World Party--but I think their(his) first hit was in the '80s, around '87 or '88 if I'm not mistaken. Was it "Ship of Fools"? Can't remember the name of the song.
although the culture of the '90s turned out to be more friendly to that band and others that started in the '80s.
Posted by: Michael at April 27, 2006 1:52 PM | ReplyScore = 0
WORLD PARTY IS ONE OF THE GREATEST BANDS TO COME OUT OF THE 80'S. SHIP OF FOOLS WAS INCLUDED IN THEIR DEBUT PRIVATE REVOLUTION. A GREAT BUT UNDERRATED ALBUM. KARL WAS ALSO IN THE WATERBOYS WITH MIKE SCOTT. I'M GLAD KARL IS BACK.
Posted by: jess manuel at April 28, 2006 10:41 AM | ReplyScore = 0
"All come true" is my favourite song from Private revolution.
Here´s a video of Ship of fools:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyarL2iPeEM&search=world%20party
Posted by: Bluelight at April 29, 2006 2:20 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Hey, great to see another post on World Party. I just did a post on him over at Swoon.
http://swoon.us/?p=28
Apologies for the self-promotion, but it's related, and there are more mp3's available there as well.
Posted by: Aaron at April 29, 2006 3:16 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Great work!
Posted by: Rachel at May 9, 2006 5:39 PM | ReplyScore = 0
I love Karl and World Party. When I saw him in concert in August of 2006 in San Francisco, he spoke about going into the studio in October to record a new CD. Does anyone have any information about that?
Karl, I own eveything you've ever recorded. I need some new tunes. xoxoxox C2
Posted by: Cynthia Corey at December 11, 2006 11:45 PM | ReplyScore = 0