Search - Fun Loving Criminals :: Mimosa

Mimosa- Rocks

Gillian | England- UK | 12/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is the best- well done lads. I think that its slightly less upbeat than the last two, as it includes many schmoove versions of previous songs like 'scooby snacks'.However 'bomin' the L' and 'crazy train' are wicked- the song has to be 'shinning star'. This album really shows Hueys, Fasts and Mackies great talents to be so versitile in the different styles they adopt in each song."

Frustratingly inconsistent

Ulysses Lateiner | Somerville, MA United States | 06/07/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Well, here the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the Fun Lovin' Criminals rears its head again. Serving as a one-album embodiment of the dichotomy between Come Find Yourself (FLC's awesome and energetic debut album) and 100% Colombian (the weaker and slothful follow-up), Mimosa is annoyingly schizophrenic, alternating fast-paced and memorable songs of the Come Find variety with droning, faceless ones like those that made up most of Colombian. If you liked the energy of Come Find Yourself, you'll love the opening track, Couldn't Get It Right, a spunky piece that is sure to get your toes tapping. The closing track, I'll Be Seeing You, features the same style of jazzy crooning (but is only 1:20 long! What a rip-off!). Fans of the slower, moody style of 100% Colombian will feel right at home with most of the middle tracks, like Shining Star, I'm Not In Love, and The Summer Wind. However, the album doesn't really offer more than a sampler of any one style, and that's what makes it so annoying. If it's meant to be fun to listen to, why are there depressing numbers like I'm Not In Love and The Summer Wind, and a sedated version of I Can't Get With That which lets all the air out of the original's tires? If it's meant as a "lounge album," why does it have a comical cover of Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train? In either case, why did they butcher perfectly good songs like Bombin' the L and We Have All the Time in the World with superfluous and silly remixes? (The luau-themed We Have remix is especially atrocious) And what in blazes is the uniquely spooky remix of Coney Island Girl doing there? While most of the songs are at least listenable, and several are actually quite good (Couldn't Get It Right and Coney Island Girl come to mind), the whole thing just doesn't gel... it has no idea where it's going or what it's trying to do. To add injury to insult, it will take a huge chunk out of your wallet because it's only available as an import. In the end, it leans more towards the 100% Colombian side, so if you liked that style more than Come Find Yourself, this might be worth looking into. But I would not recommend it to anyone expecting another Come Find Yourself, nor would I recommend it to anyone who is not already familiar with the FLC... it's too uneven to really give you any kind of idea what they're about."

...and in third place...

Stephen Bateman | Lincoln, England | 06/19/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Fun Lovin' Criminals go lounge...an interesting idea.Mimosa's opening track is certainly one of the album's stronger points, Couldn't Get It Right moves along at a steady, chilled-out rhythm and sets the scene for the rest of the CD.Having listened to the first five tracks, you may stretch out on the sun-lounger, sip that Margherita and smile smugly to yourself, knowing that you've struck gold. Until......The Summer Wind. This track blows the whole CD wide apart. Huey is no crooner (I would suggest comparing this rendition to that of Sinatra's, but that is too far beyond the pale), and the collaboration with Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen fails miserably. Unfortunately, this track emphasises the vocal weakness of the entire album, which is a shame, as it is quite easy to overlook such short-comings in light of the excellent arrangements throughout the CD.All in all - bronze masquerading as gold. Well worth the money if you're a fan already - if not, then check out 100% Columbian."