More (Vitamin C album)
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More is the second album released by singer Vitamin C in 2001. The album wasn't as successful as Vitamin C's previous eponymous album both in terms of chart positions and sales. The album peaked at #122 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and was uncertified. The album would serve as Vitamin C's last album to be released. Like her debut, her sophomore set was released in Japan containing a bonus track, this time a brooding yet subtle and slinky ballad 'This Summer I', lamenting the past with pensive longing for personal discovery.
The album is undoubtedly harder-edged and determined yet gleams in much the same confident, solid manner as her first album - it is just infinitely more stylishly suffused with complicated, involving themes and advanced, varied and glamourous production values. Taking advantage of pop's very finest producers, first single lifted 'The Itch' unveiled a distinct sexuality with a smouldering pur that stretched its itching innuendo with welcome knowingness lacking from the so-called teen-pop boom of the time. Exploiting her benefit, a merge between experience and beauty, 'Sex Has Come Between Us' explores a glorious uncertainty and impossible allure in which entering a new phase of any sort can bring. It is too bad she croons implicitly "a boy and a girl" as one can easily associate the theme of confusion (and erotic conclusion) to androgynous questions of sexual awakening of a different sort - as it happens, the adrenalised atmospheric backing vocals and pulsating production accumulatively document mysteriously attractive feelings of trepidation, to irresistible and impulsive experimentation in a very sophisticated, magnetic manner.
It possible to imagine 'She Talks About Love' with its sunken instrumentation, hazy sunshine and glossy say-dreaming vibe, as her very own "Holiday" - it certainly recalls an adolistic abandon for all ages just like Madonna's summertime anthem. The strutting 'Dangerous Girl' breaks free from being "daddy's little girl" with chimming celebration (fantastic uyse of bells - ironically soundtracking an orgasm perhaps?) - one can easily imagine this song being a much more assured older sibling to that of Rachel Steve's European hit single 'Sweet Dreams My LA Ex'.
However, listeners really feel the heat of Vitamin C's dosage on the vitriolic 'Busted' which is possibly the closest to sounding like much of the vague hip-hop-but-always-pop aspirations from the first album, yet much more effective, colliding with powerfully squenced pronunciations and production as sharp as spears being thrown at you.
The calamity wisely calms down for the smooth, floaty ballad 'Special' which funnily enough feels like being transported in an air bubble. Recalling tenderly the trials and tribulations "to get to where I stand" she forgivingly looks back through soft lenses - it is sentimental and romantic, yet not sickly as lyrically she's just too aware to programme herself in a contrived way which would be easy to resort to seeing songs through cliched, stencilised eyes. That's what separates this album head and shoulders, towering and successful - her attention to detail.
Something of an ode to the frizzing, easy pop nuggets of the debut, 'Where's The Party' slams the danceloor with adolescant defiance and is the most unassuming, crashing pop ditty on the whole record. Enjoyment does not fade on this CD.
The serene ballad 'As Long As You're Loving Me' is her content exit and stands out as a the most conventional track of the collection. Picked up as the 2nd single, radio wasn't quite so cultivating - after the relative failure of its performance, label Elektra turned off the power of their commitment and the rest is history. Therefore, this provides something of a bittersweet parting. Vitamin C still records, but as the world has yet to formall here a bona fide 'comeback' album - though there are rumours and promises from the siren herself - then this is a timely reminder of what a magnificent, relevant, innovative and supremely magical pop star she truly is.
Track listing
- The Itch
- Sex Has Come Between Us
- That Was Then, This Is Now
- Dangerous Girl
- She Talks About Love
- I Know What Boys Like
- Busted
- Special
- Where's the Party
- I Can't Say No
- Real Life
- As Long As You're Loving Me
Triva
- I Know What Boys Like is a cover of the 1980s band The Waitresses. The song is not only from The Waitresses' 2nd album, Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful, but it was also their 6th track just like it is for Vitamin C. The track was pencilled in to be the album's 3rd single, yet never materialised after Elektra turned the power off the project. Perhaps a galling mistake considering its arguable hit potential and obvious commercial production. Notably more emphatic than the original in terms of delivery, Vitamin C loses none of the wit so characteristic to its reputation (a mild top 40 hit, it is widely considered a cult classic and 'one hit wonder' with slightly ironic commentary towards the minor success, yet such status is a testiment to the enduring appeal and regard). On the albums release, a sticker on the case read out 'The Itch', 'As Long As You're Loving Me' and 'I Know What Boys Like' marking a clear release strategy that was never realised, much to the dismay of fans.