Goodbye Jumbo

Rate It! Avg: 4.5 (114 ratings)
Sample Album
ALBUM INFORMATION

Total Tracks: 12   Total Length: 53:22

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MegaJumbo!!

standow

This is a true classic great overlooked album of the 90's. Karl Wallinger is a definitely a musical genius. If you want music that will stick in your synapses and make you crazy obsessed to hear it again, and again, and...well what are you waiting for? There isn't one bad track or even mediocre track on this album!! Oh and this guy writes some of the most intelligent, meaningful lyrics I've ever heard. It is psychedelic, melodic, orchestral, NUANCED, powerful and beautiful. I still listen to it often after 20 years.

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tracks a little mixed up

windinyersails

At the time of this writing (7/1/10), "God on my side" is track 7, not 8. I don't know if any of the other tracks are mislabeled, but this is a common emusic problem to watch out for.

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Great One

VB10s

This one is still great after all these years. "Way Down Now" burns in my ears everyday!

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A desert island pick

Trademark1

Can you wear out the grooves on a CD? If it were possible, I think I'd have done it with this one in the '90s. One of those rare albums that makes good "listening" music AND good background music. Nobody updates the Beatles like Karl Wallinger, let's face it. And some of these songs (think "Is It Too Late?" and "God On My Side") are, if anything, more relevant today than when they were recorded. Don't miss this one.

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Crazy good; not an emusic pick? crazier

yeaux

Wow, how can this not be an emusic pick - makes you wonder what planet they're on. Please do yourself a favor and dl the entire cd.

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forgotten gem

Direcow

This was one of my all time favorite albums when I was in high school. Nice to see it on emusic. There are some definite Beatles influences running throughout with a little dose of funk. Some of the songs can get a little too preachy, but the hooks are usually so good its easy to overlook the agenda, and if you're a treehugger you probably will agree completely with the album's message. My personal favorites are "Put the Message in the Box" and "Take it Up."

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top shelf

ricardo222

That's where this one is in my collection. Totally echo the other positive reviewers; but have to say the first album is worth checking out, too.

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Excellence!

BrotherZag

Driving home from a long trip a few years ago, my cassette copy of "Goodbye Jumbo" wore out. I drove to the music store to buy a new copy before I drove home! If you do not have this album in your collection, do yourself a favor and download the entire album NOW! This is one of the finest pop rock albums ever made. Karl Wallinger crafts a pop rock masterpiece. World Party's various agendas don't get preachy or heavy: "When the Rainbow Comes" and "God on My Side" aren't subtle, but they are well crafted. The first four tracks received radio play but the rest of the album shines as well. I'm fond of the blue-eyed soul of "Sweet Soul Dream" and the funkiness of "Show Me To The Top". You know how every once in a while an album just gets to you completely? "Goodbye Jumbo" is one of those albums for me.

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Best Album of the 1990's

jackbugs

It's great to see this classic in the eMusic catalog, especially since it had been out of print here in the States for a while. Originally released in 1990, it remains my favorite album of the decade. Yes, Karl Wallinger, who is essentially World Party, does borrow from a lot of influences, including the Beatles, the Stones, Van Morrison, and 70's funk, but when for instance he lifts the "ooo ooo"'s from the Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" in "Way Down Now", it sounds more like a tribute than anything else. I have a short list of albums that contain great songs from beginning to end, and this album is on that list. Do yourself a big favor and download this pop-rock masterpiece.

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"...great artists steal."

Peacenik

So nice to see this record on eMusic. Goodbye Jumbo encouraged me to learn more about songwriting and production than probably any other single album. You hear the Beatles, you hear the Stones, you hear Prince. And you realize this guy meticulously recreated some of the aforementioned artists' records to set the template for what would become Goodbye Jumbo. It's a celebration. It's a music fan's record, but doesn't feel overly clever. It teeters on the edge of borrowing and theft, but I don't care, it's thoroughly enjoyable.

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They Say All Media Guide

This excellent follow-up album from World Party is much tighter than the debut. Dealing with issues from the environment (“Take It Up,” “Put the Message in the Box”) to relationship woes (“And I Fell Back Alone”), these tracks manage to maintain a hopeful, positive mood without becoming trivial. In these songs, Wallinger has developed his own distinct style. A great album, worth checking out just for the uptempo groove of “Way Down Now.” – Iotis Erlewine