The Good, The Bad & The Queen- The Good, The Bad & The Queen

Label: Parlophone

Released 2007

Expectations run supremely high for a group like THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE QUEEN. In addition to being DAMON ALBARN's first project since the GORILLAZ, the GB&Q are also quite the super group, with CLASH bassist PAUL SIMONON, VERVE guitarist SIMON TONG, and legendary drummer TONY ALLEN--the man who put the beat in Afrobeat--rounding out the line-up. Adding to this stellar cast is producer/DJ DANGER MOUSE, who mans the boards and twists the knobs. The group's 2007 self-titled debut is supremely well-crafted, featuring deeply layered electronic textures that recall the GORILLAZ at their most atmospheric and warp the propulsive piano and guitar lines in a playfully foreboding manner. And while ALLEN doesn't exactly open up the way fans of his work with FELA KUTI might hope, he expertly anchors the whole affair, gently shifting the rhythms and pacing of the tracks without disrupting ALBARN's expansive, slightly noir-ish new approach to Britpop.

Track listing:

1. History Song
2. 80's Life  
3. Northern Whale
4. Kingdom Of Doom  
5. Herculean
6. Behind The Sun
7. The Bunting Song
8. Nature Springs
9. A Soldier's Tale
10. Three Changes
11. Green Fields
12. The Good, The Bad & The Queen