Disco de The Cardigans: “First Band on the Moon”

This album is a shining example of the Cardigans' mastery of the retro yet fresh sound they had been churning out since the beginning of their gifted career.

Though known mostly for the hit song "Lovefool", this is no banally sugary collection of candied schlock that so many would assume.

The songs are delightfully subversive with immediately catchy melodies, ingenious arrangements...and despite this, are mostly centered around stories of a woman willingly accepting abuse from a partner who obviously couldn't care less. Tales of the unfortunate, made amusing by the obvious self-depracating quirks of the main character. These songs do include Lovefool, but also the aptly titled "Step on Me", and the song "Heartbreaker" in which a self-proclaimed loser speaks of her willing self-debasement with random men.

Elsewhere, are clever and tounge-in-cheek descriptions of people's feelings about the nature of love, giddy preparations for a "kinky" meeting between new lovers, and a tale of a wary and bitter attitude of hearing a previous lover use the same words on another naïve target.

There isn't one song on here that I couldn't listen to again and again.

With all this plus an amusing yet spot-on cover of Black Sabbath's Iron Man, you can't miss this piece of 90s delight.

I'll start off by telling you this: Beware, all those of you who want to buy this album just for "Lovefool". It is the only glossy, disco-type song on the whole CD. Not to say that they aren't vaguely of the same content, but believe me, Lovefool is the exception, and not even the best song on the album.

This album is where the dark side of the Swedish quintet begins to creep through, as lead singer Nina Persson leaves behind a trail of songs that document betrayal, abandonment, abuse, neglect, desperation, death, and a heart-rending breakup with dreamy, light, and innocent vocals.

Also, for those who had bought Life and expected the same poppy ambience as that album may spit their cocktails right out of their mouth as Nina says the F-word in "Losers" or covers Black Sabbath's "Iron Man."

Overall, this album shows some excellent songwriting and performance. Bassist Magnus Sveniggsson keeps the songs moving with a sort of ecclectic strum that gives the album quite a bit of personality.

It is definitely worth your time and money.

Here is an unfun game: look for a CD or two in five thousand in no order whatsoever. I am frequently in this position.

Readers of mine may know I have Cerebral Palsy: big whoop--you probably have huge nostrils or a major personality disorder or like Anita Bryant-- so my CP is not something I mention often. But the upshot is I have a huge collection which I am always dropping, tripping over--this was even more fun back when I drank--and which I have long given up imposing any structure on.

You may wonder what the hell all this has to do with First Band On The Moon: Well, follow me. Just don't trip over your damn feet when I do mine.

My situation does have some unexpected benefits, one of which is when looking for one thing, you encounter a lot of music you just plain forgot and would never come across if your collection had any order.

Now the Cardigans were a mid 1990s band I bought when I caught "Say You Love Me" on the radio. It was the big single and a major mix of french 1960s pop and disco and fuzz guitar. Hooky as hell.

So back in 1996 I got First Band On The Moon, played it, loved it, most likely got a Coltrane reissue, and forgot the Cardigans ever existed

But there was a lot in '96 that I did not know about music that I now do, one of which was 60s Europop. So when digging for some free jazz today, I came across this.

First Band On The Moon does not go as deep or as richly into such Europop as I would like it to--this was 1990s music striving towards play in demographic radio hell--but the spacey melodies, 1960s shadings and long ago snowbunny appeal of this make this quite a charming album. It is not the best, or near the best I own, and who knows if after tonight it will be another decade and a half before it comes out

But it is 2:15am New York time, and until I get bored, go to bed, or quite literally stumble onto something else, tonight seems the night to hear The Cardigans, The First Band On The Moon.

Sugary pop melodies with a 60s-retro vibe, music that at first appears happy...but upon further listening turns out to be more melancholy, or comfortably sad than anything else, with really dark depressing lyrics--the Cardigans produced music full of contrasts that may take the listener off guard--not knowing what to think...

"First Band on the Moon" (1996) the band's third album, remains their masterpiece. The potential apparent on the band's first two albums "Emmerdale" (1994) and "Life" (1995) is fully realized here. While most famous for the irresistible hit "Lovefool," "First Band on the Moon" is full of great songs, never missing a beat from start to finish. With soaring melodies, fantastic orchestral arrangements and an ample supply of hooks, these songs are totally infectious and satisfying. But beneath the cheerfulness and cheekiness that first grab holds of you lies a profound sadness. While the melodies at first appear seemingly blissful, there is a strong undercurrent of melancholy in them, producing a sort of bi-polar effect. Same goes for the lyrics. Singer Nina Persson's engaging voice may convey cheeriness at, but the lyrics convey a strong sense of loneliness and longing.

One of the best pop albums of the 1990s.

Like so many others, I bought this CD just because it had the song Lovefool on it, a song that I loved at the time. This was the beginning of it all for me, and I was soon a huge fan. If you want some light, upbeat music, try their album Life, but if you want to go to the dark side of the moon with them, this album is for you.

With the exception of Your New Cuckoo and Lovefool, these songs are all depressing yet somehow invigorating. I especially like Never Recover, one of their fastest-paced songs.

So, why should you get this? There's something about this band, some sort of feeling, it's hard to explain, but it's a sort of nostalgia. I can't really phrase it any other way, except this CD makes you happy!