OUT IN SPACE WITH BABYLON ZOO
THAT'S JAS MANN THERE, HANGIN'HEAVY IN THE PETTING ZOO.
HAVE YOU, LIKE US, BECOME MOMENTARILY TAKEN WITH A LITTLE TUNE CALLED "SPACE MAN," BY THE UK GROUP BABYLON ZOO? YEAH, SURE, WE KNOW THIS IS THE KIND OF POP-ROCK THING THAT WE'LL ALL PROBABLY BE SICK OF IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS. BUT RIGHT NOW, THIS IS ONE OF THE NOISIEST POP RECORDS TO SELL A MILLION COPIES IN THE UK ALONE. BABYLON ZOO ARE ONE OF THOSE BANDS THAT COULD ONLY COME FROM ENGLAND. IMMACULATELY CRAFTED POP THAT USES THE OVERPOWERING BUZZ OF DISTORTED GUITARS AS JUST ANOTHER POP HOOK. THE SONG HAS SYNTHS, NOT-SO-STRANGE VID GAME EFFECTS, CHIPMUNKS-STYLE BACKGROUND VOCALS, WHICH I GUESS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MARTIANS, AND THEN A LEAD VOCAL FROM 24-YEAR-OLD JAS MANN WHO HAS ONE OF THOSE RADIO-READY ENGLISH VOICES. DID HE USED TO BE IN DURAN DURAN? SUEDE? EMF? RADIOHEAD? OASIS? JUST KIDDING. BUT YOU GET THE IDEA. STILL, WE'RE REALLY QUITE TAKEN WITH THE ENTIRE ALBUM, THE BOY WITH THE X-RAY EYES, FOR NOW ANYWAY. EAR CANDY. PROBABLY SHOULDN'T EAT IT, BUT WHAT THE HELL.

THE BOY WITH THE X-RAY EYES

OWING TO SPACEMAN'S USE IN A JEANS ADVERTISEMENT, THIS LONG-GESTATING WOLVERHAMPTON FOURSOME MAY ATTRACT ACCUSATIONS OF MAKING IT VIA TELEVISION BEFORE THE LIVE CIRCUIT OR THE CHARTS BUT THEY'RE PATENTLY NO STILTSKIN. BABYLON ZOO HAVE BEEN UNDER WRAPS FOR A WHILE NOW AND SPACEMAN IS STARTLINGLY GREAT, WITH ITS AUDACIOUS DOUBLE- MELODY SWITCH, PLAYFUL MOOD AND KILLER CHORUS. THE REST OF THE DEBUT ALBUM IS EQUALLY APPEALING, THANKS TO EX- SANDKING JAS MANN, WHO ENGINEERS AND CO-PRODUCES, BESIDES SMEARING ANDROGYNOUS VOCALS AND OXYGENATED GUITAR ALL OVER THE SHOP.JAS MANN'S PART-ASIAN, PART-NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MAKES FOR AN INTRIGUING SPREAD OF INFLUENCES: FROM THE ENGORGED POWERCHORDS AND WHOOSHING SYNTHESIZERS OF ANIMAL ARMY AND CAFFEINE'S ANTHEMIC SPRAWL TO THE WAY ZODIAC GREEN BEATS LENNY KRAVITZ AT HIS OWN SWAMP-FUNK-BLUES GAME AND THE TITLE TRACK OUT MEET-THE-BEATLES NOEL GALLAGHER. ULTIMATELY, PERHAPS, JAS MANN IS 21ST CENTURY BOY, REFLECTING THE COSMOPOLITAN, HI-TECH WORLD AROUND HIM BUT WITH THE TALENT TO MAKE IT WORK.     MARTIN ASTON - Q ONLINE REVIEW

THE BOY WITH THE X-RAY EYES

FOR SOME REASON -- PERHAPS IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS USED IN A TELEVISION COMMERCIAL -- BABYLON ZOO'S "SPACEMAN" BECAME THE BIGGEST BRITISH SINGLE OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1996. A BIZARRE, TUNELESS COLLAGE OF HIP-HOP RHYTHMS, TECHNO KEYBOARDS AND ALTERNATIVE GUITARS, THE SONG SOUNDED DISTINCTIVE, BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY TANGIBLE HOOK TO MAKE IT MEMORABLE. AND BABYLON ZOO'S DEBUT ALBUM, THE BOY WITH THE X-RAY EYES, SUFFERS FROM THE SAME PROBLEM. THROUGHOUT THE ALBUM, JAS MANN -- WHO, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, IS BABYLON ZOO -- TRIES A VAST ARRAY OF MODERN ROCK STYLES, ATTEMPTING TO FUSE THEM TOGETHER INTO A DARING, PROGRESSIVE WHOLE. HOWEVER, NONE OF HIS SONGS EVER GEL AND MANN ONLY SOUNDS PRETENTIOUS, NOT AMBITIOUS.      STEPHEN THOMAS ERLEWINE - ALL MUSIC GUIDE

GEORGE MICHAEL BUMPED BY LEVI'S AD

"...HALF A MILLION COPIES IN SIX DAYS..."

SPACEMAN BY BABYLON ZOO IS THE NEW NUMBER ONE IN THE BRITISH SINGLES CHART. GEORGE MICHAEL'S COMEBACK SINGLE JESUS TO A CHILD HAS BEEN KNOCKED FROM THE NUMBER ONE SLOT AFTER JUST A WEEK. SPACEMAN IS THE MUSIC BED FOR THE LATEST LEVI JEANS TV AD. IN THE BIG PRODUCTION COMMERCIAL, TEENAGE RUSSIAN MODEL KRISTINA SEMENOVSKAIA IS A SPACE GIRL WHO "SETS JAWS DROPPING" TO THE TUNE BY BABYLON ZOO.A RETAIL SPOKESMAN SAID: "I THOUGHT IT WAS A MISPRINT AT FIRST WHEN THE FIGURES CAME IN, BECAUSE SALES THIS HIGH IN JANUARY ARE UNHEARD OF. IT LOOKS LIKE EMI'S BIGGEST SELLING SINGLE SINCE THE BEATLES IN THE '60S...FACTORIES ARE WORKING DAY AND NIGHT TO KEEP UP WITH THE HUGE DEMAND."      BOB SCHEU

KING KONG GROOVER

SO HERE'S THIS MAN, JAS MANN TO BE PRECISE, WHO - HAVING SUFFERED MUCH DERISION IN THE WAKE OF HIS JEANS AD-ASSISTED HIT 'SPACE MAN' IN 1996, PRIMARILY FOR SAYING WANKY THINGS AND MAKING RUBBISH RECORDS - DECIDES TO MAKE A COMEBACK ALBUM TO PROVE TO THE WORLD THAT HE ISN'T AT ALL WANKY OR RUBBISH AND IS IN FACT GREATLY TALENTED AND ENTIRELY CREDIBLE. SO WHAT DOES HE CALL THIS ALBUM? 'KING KONG GROOVER'. AND IT GETS WORSE. CERTAIN PITFALLS MUST BE AVOIDED IF ONE WISHES TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. AMONG THEM: TRANSPARENTLY ATTEMPTING TO SOUND LIKE OASIS, DAVID BOWIE OR THE BEATLES; SLAPPING WACKY 'SPACE' NOISES ON TO MUSICAL MOTIFS STOLEN FROM BYGONE ERAS IN ORDER TO DISGUISE THE FACT THAT YOU FILCHED THEM; TITLING SONGS 'MANHATTAN MARTIAN' OR 'HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE'; AND LYRICS LIKE "I'M A LASER-GUIDED SUPERSTAR". CLEARLY, NO-ONE POINTED THESE THINGS OUT TO JAS MANN.THIS SLICKLY PRODUCED MACHIAVELLIAN PLUNDERING OF POP CLASSICS IS MERELY A CLUMSY EFFORT TO RESURRECT A CAREER THAT WAS A FLUKE IN THE FIRST PLACE.JAS MANN HAS FAILED TO ADD ANYTHING TO THE SOURCES HE HAS APPROPRIATED, OTHER THAN TERRIBLE LYRICS AND A VOICE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF CAUSING SPONTANEOUS ANEURISMS AT 50 PACES. THE ALBUM OPENS WITH A TRACK CALLED 'ALL THE MONEY'S GONE'. NO DOUBT IT IS. BUT THIS IS NO WAY TO MAKE IT BACK.      APRIL LONG

KING KONG GROOVER

WOLVERHAMPTON'S VERY OWN SELF-STYLED SPACEMAN'S RETURN. KEEPING JAS MANN'S SECOND ALBUM HANGING AROUND ON EMI'S RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR HALF OF LAST YEAR DIDN'T MAKE ANYONE THINK THERE WAS MUCH COMPANY BELIEF IN IT. NOW WE KNOW WHY. KING KONG GROOVER, AS THE TITLE ABLY DISPLAYS, IS TRYING WAY TOO HARD. WEIGHED DOWN BY THE PROBLEM OF HOW TO FOLLOW UP HIS ENORMOUS HIT SPACEMAN, MANN SOUNDS DRAINED OF HIS SOUL. THESE 10 SONGS ARE JAM-PACKED WITH FALSE BRAVADO, AN UNCONVINCING ATTEMPT TO FEIGN INDIFFERENCE IN THE FACE OF PRESSURE TO DELIVER. THE MAJORITY OF TUNES - WEAK, UPDATED GLAM ROCK AND A COVER OF MOTT THE HOOPLE'S HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - ARE WHOLE HUNKS OF NOTHING MASQUERADING AS SOMETHING MEANINGFUL. BUT ONLY ONE TUNE, THE BEAUTIFUL PIANO-LED CLOSER, AROMA GIRL, IS WORTH A FURTHER LISTEN. THE FIRST SINGLE IS ALL THE MONEY'S GONE: FOR HIS SAKE LET'S HOPE IT ISN'T.    HOWARD JOHNSON - Q ONLINE REVIEWS

ALL THE MONEY'S GONE

THE STORY SO FAR. BAB ZOO, SINGER-SONGWRITER OF EXTRAORDINARY GENIUS, GETS ONE OF HIS SONGS USED IN A RARVER GROOFY TV ADVERT. MILLIONS OF POP KIDS RUSHED DOWN WOOLIES AND BOUGHT THE SINGLE - ONLY TO GET IT HOME TO DISCOVER TO THEIR HORROR THAT IT WAS 'GOOD' (LIKE IN THE ADVERT) FOR ABOUT TEN SECONDS, AND THEN BECAME RUBBISH. VERY RUBBISH. THIS PISSED A LOT OF PEOPLE OFF. THEN BAB DID A SHITLOAD OF INTERVIEWS WHERE HE MORE OR LESS CLAIMED TO BE THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST INCARNATE AND TO BE POSSESSED OF A STAGGERING TALENT SO MAGNIFICENT AND ALL-CONSUMINGLY LUMINESCENT THAT IT MADE EINSTEIN, MOZART, BEETHOVEN, REMBRANDT,HENDRIX, AND PRESLEY LOOK LIKE FUMBLING WANKERS. THIS PISSED EVERYONE OFF. TALLY HO! MEDIA FEEDING-FRENZY! NME HOG-TIED AND SLAUGHTERED THE TWAT FOR BEING A PUFFED-UP ONE-HIT WONDER WANKER. BRASS EYE THEN STRETCHED BAB OUT OVER THE ANT HILL OF SELF-PARODY AND LEFT HIM TO DIE.BUT BAB ROSE ON THE THIRD DAY! AND THEN ROSE UP TO HEAVEN TO SIT ON THE RIGHT HAND OF HIS FATHER, THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! FOR ALL ETERNITY! PRAISE BE! AND NOW, PRAISE THE LORD, NOW IS THE TIME OF HIS SECOND COMING! ONCE AGAIN BAB WALKS AMONGST US MORTALS! WAVING HIS VERY BOWIE-ESQUE NEW SINGLE. WHICH SUCKS. LIKE A SWAMP.FULL OF VACUUM CLEANERS. ON THE PLANET SUCK. AS IT'S SUCKED INTO A MASSIVE BLACK HOLE. QUESTION: HOW MUCH SUCKIER COULD IT POSSIBLY BE? ANSWER: NONE. NONE MORE SUCKIER.BABYLON ZOO GROOVE ON.

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