 "Not only "I Touch Myself"..." | 2008-08-15 |
| - Reviewed By kozumel |
Though it seems at a first glance that the only good song of the whole album would be "I Touch Myself" this is actually a complete work, filled up with a few good cuts, carefully produced and arranged, appart from the smashing hit single mentioned which, however, makes it worth enough.
Christina Amphlett's voice is astonishingly unique, which surely made her one of the most important vocalists from Australia, if not the most relevant.
And it is fully demonstrated in this album... |
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 "Good CD" | 2008-04-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3NDHZRJ5JFQDJ |
| I bought this on cassette when it first came out and I have to admit it was definitely because I thought Christina was killer in the video and singing "I Touch Myself". I think it's great she has the courage to not worry about being seen as some kind of sexual whore for singing something so easily known for self-pleasure but instead for embracing it and actually giving it the true "touch" it needs with relation to actually singing the song - it's something that some American idols could watch on the women's side to realize that singing doesn't always mean you have to be belting out notes to prove you have a strong instrument. Other songs that really stand out on this CD are "Make Out Alright," "Bullet," "I'm On Your Side", "Love School," and "If Love Was a GUN." All connotations aside this CD is really very good and Mark McEntee on the guitar has a good feel for Stones like hooks that add to the songs. I know most of the song titles sound like they have a sexual connotation but the only one that really portrays that outright is "I Touch Myself". Many of them are very well thought out as just relationship type tunes with some tongue-in-cheek lyrics. |
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| "Great rock band, PERIOD!" | 2007-07-25 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2IQW5W74W3U45 |
The Divinyls released 4 very good to great albums up till 1990. This release has the "hit" I Touch Myself on it and the fact that the song was so overplayed is probably what hurt this album and possibly any further success the band may have had. Their earlier albums usually had 1 or 2 songs that got at least some airplay and showed the diversity of Christina Amphlett and Mark McEntee. With musical styles ranging from punk/pop rock to ballads the Divinyls could please a wide range of music fans. This album is a good, not great release - my favorite being What A Life, but it is solid with some very good moments.
The songs themselves are mostly mid-tempo/ballads with a couple of more straight ahead rockers as well.
Song Highlights include: Make Out Alright, I Touch Myself, Bless My Soul(It's Rock-n-Roll), If Love Was A Gun, Need A Lover and Bullet.
While a number of bands from this era fall into the "should have been bigger" category, the Divinyls really should have been. They had great songs and NOBODY sang or performed like Christina Amphlett(arguably the "sexiest chick" in rock at the time). This album is well worth the price and may introduce you to a very good, underrated band. |
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 "Different, but a success" | 2005-01-25 |
| - Reviewed By franko77 |
By the time this album came out, gone were the days of Christina Amphlett wearing rat pins, frumpy schoolgirl outfits and a mass of seemingly unwashed hair. She was now a full-fledged sexpot, and wasn't afraid to show it.
That is why it was hard to dive into this album without expecting disappointment. The band worked so well before that this one, with all of its changes, had to be a step down, right? Not really.
While it's not as good as "Desperate," "What a Life" and "Temperamental," "diVINYLS" is a stellar collection of music. The songs are sleeker and sexier than before, really giving Christina a chance to show off her rocker babe charm.
"I Touch Myself," the one everybody knows, is a perfectly crafted pop song. It is disappointing, though, that this is the one they're known for as it is rather unrepresentative of their overall sound.
"If Love Was a Gun" is a beautiful slow song in which Christina goes from sounding fragile and on the verge of tears to like an enraged siren. "I hope there's an angel watching over you," she repeats with conviction, and you can't help but wonder whether she means it as a heartfelt prayer or a bitter warning.
"Follow Through" is a song that really grows on you -- at first it seems rather unexciting but after a few listens you start to feel it. It's got a mellow vibe that's complimented perfectly by Christina's pensive lyrics and subtle vocal delivery.
"Bless My Soul" is the closest thing to a real rocker here, and with its tongue-in-cheek rock-n'-roll-is-sin-lyrics, it is a lot of fun.
"Love School" and "Lay Your Body Down" are melodic, moody and sexy. If you never saw Ms. Amphlett as a temptress, take a listen to these.
"Make Out Alright" and "Bullet" are smooth mid-tempo numbers, while "Need a Lover" has a toe-tapping groove set to whimsical lyrics regarding Christina's search for romance through fairy-tale circumstances.
There is nothing here that has the urgency of "Boys in Town," the new wave melody of "Only Lonely," or the hard-hitting rock of "Temperamental," but it is nevertheless an essential Divinyls recording. The other albums are Christina straddling the line between holding your hand and spitting in your face. Here, she is giving you a nice big kiss.
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| "Perfect" | 2004-10-17 |
| - Reviewed By devotedfan |
Yet another sparkling gem, this self-titled album FINALLY brought the DiVinyls a portion of the acclaim and success in North America that all their albums should have received worldwide. Some have complained that the sound of this album is different from previous albums, ignoring the fact that "What A Life" was a bigger departure from "Desperate" than this is from "Temperamental" and that all the DiVinyls albums have a different sound from each other. Some have even called this a sell-out. Alright, I try never to tear down other people's opinions on albums or movies or whatever, even when they're trashing something I really love, but I have to take strong issue with this. First of all, the diVinyls NEVER sold out anything, and anybody who knows anything about all the ridiculous troubles they've had with various record labels for not going along with the trends du jour knows this. This is a band that during legal arguements with one record label that prevented them from profiting from any new material they put out for a few years, contributed new songs to film soundtracks and authorised the recording and selling of live "authorised bootleg" concert performances without receiving a cent so they could continue giving their fans at least some new material. And this is a band that has always exerted more say on record covers, music videos, and so on than most bands on overly controlling 'major' record labels. Second of all, at the time this album was recorded and released, most all that was getting major airplay on radio and tv was rap, grunge, and the 'modern' style of country. No disrespect whatsoever to any of those genres, but this album doesn't exactly fit those molds. Some hard rock was still getting major play, like AC/DC, KISS, Guns'N'Roses, and a few others, but this album actually sounds Less like any of those than "Temperamental", which was at least somewhat in that vein (and excellent). The fact is, the self-titled album was moving away from almost all major trends of its time, and the fact that "I Touch Myself" got significant airplay on this continent and "Make Out Alright" got a fair bit too is a minor miracle on par with Rammstein's "Du Hast" making it onto the mainstream airwaves in 1998.
Now that I've got that off my chest, I can concentrate on the album itself. It's a brilliant, stunningly sexy eminently classy and emotionally diverse masterpiece that gives huge credibility to the whole rock genre. "Make Out Alright" is the album's foreplay, as perfect an opener to set the tone as any album opener has ever been. "I Touch Myself" indeed has a double meaning (even if the critics were never able to see it), as much a spiritual rocker about how one gets to truly know one's own being by being in love with another, as it is a celebratory, non-self-concious, unashamed halleleujah to (...). "Lay Your Body Down" just soars with Christina Amphlett's trademark irresistable come-ons, generously garnished at the end with a dose of play-coyness. "Love School" is a slower and somewhat melancholy change of pace that still sizzles; "Bless My Soul It's Rock'n'Roll" is an energetic ride that is highlighted by Amphlett's vocal quirks and powerhouse singing throughout and Mark McEntee's exceptional lead guitar work. "If Love Was A Gun" is the saddest song on the album, but very powerful and touching in its theme of tender concern toward an ex-flame despite being the one left behind. "Need A Lover" returns the fun and the sexuality to the album with Christina's lusty lamentations to fairy godmothers, wizards and various other potential benefeactors to deliver to her a soulmate/bedmate. "Follow Through" makes use of an obscure instrument called a wah-tar to give the song its unique flavor, and is an inspirer in somewhat the same line as "Take A Chance" (off "Desperate"). This is followed, believe it or not, by a short piece called "Café Interlude" that is just accordion and background chatter and bustle in French, but actually fits in very well with the rest of the album! I guess it helps that I enjoy accordion music anyway; some rock fans probably don't and won't be as impressed as I was at its inclusion; I thought it was very innovative. "Bullet" follows - Chrissie's vocals are the highlight as with all DiVinyls songs but the unusual, extremely well-played drums by Charley Drayton are a close second, playing a more defining role than the guitars by McEntee, the fine bass work of Randy Jackson and the flawless hammond organ work by Benmont Tench. "I'm On Your Side", a very gentle, very powerful ballad, is simply one of the most beautiful expressions of love on any album, in terms of both velvet lyrics and soul-felt vocals, with outstanding acoustic guitar playing.
I can't help but close this writeup by expressing my deep appreciation for the CD's photo content, both on the cover and in the booklet. For those who can only see the front cover, the back cover and the interior pics of Chrissie are just as hot. The band's only other permanent member from day one, guitarist McEntee, is also in a couple of the liner photos; fine fellow, I'm sure, but his photos just don't have the same effect on me as the sight of Miss Amphlett decked out in Nothing But Net :) |
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| "Polished mainstream effort has its moments, but..." | 2004-03-18 |
| - Reviewed By djhamlow |
| After Temperamental failed to make a dent on US shores, the Divinyls signed onto Virgin Records and released their eponymous album. The result was a polished, sometimes successful, but watered down sound that lead singer Christina Amphlett somehow managed to wrap her rough but twangy vocals around, "ays" pronounced like "eyes," on occasions, and guitarist Mark McEntee provide some decent riffs that gave the Divinyls their signature sound. The bassist Randy Jackson, who plays with them...could it be the same big black guy who played for Journey on Raised On Radio? Despite "Make It Alright," being a not-bad medium rocker, it's clear that the Divinyls have lost the edge that typified songs like "Only Lonely" and "I'll Make You Happy." Their only big hit from here was the mildly provocative "I Touch Myself." Definitely mainstream pop, and written by Billy Steinberg and T. Kelly no less, with Benmont Tench on Hammond organ. He pops up in other songs later. A good but not great song. But speaking of Steinberg/Kelly, they provide the acoustic ballad that closing the album. "I'm On Your Side" is another what-went-wrong between us, but they're still together, so that makes it a song of moral and emotional support. Now this song's one of the better tracks. "Lay Your Body Down" sports a bouncy swaying like "Trampled Underfoot," with poppified Sabbath riffs at times, and goes into erotic/bondage territory, with oh-so-clever lines as "lashings of a recipe" and "I'm whipping something up." She goes into dressing into black, or "so wicked, I give myself a fright" to wearing nothing at all. "Love School" is a melodic ballad calling for a detached lover to go to the title established, especially by someone sensual and electric demanding sensitivity. That's three in a row for songs like that--Ms. Amphlett's sensuality has not dimmed a bit, it seems. Bless my soul, it's old-style Divinyls! A roughened voice belting out the opening lyrics, followed by some hardy guitar, with the frantic pace of liberating old-style rock and roll mixed with punk, and... "Bless My Soul (It's Rock-N-Roll)." Probably the best song here. Amphlett minimizes the impact of the end of a love, arguing that "If Love Was A Gun" that it "wouldn't hurt more than it's done." She seems to harbour no ill feelings, just melancholy upon the parting, singing "I hope there's an angel watching over you," later adding "many watching over you." Another mid-paced ballad with piano and organ by Tench. Tench also helps out on the slow rocker "Need A Lover," which takes themes from fairy tales such as magical mirrors, genies in bottles, to find a cure for ruling in bed alone each night. When she sings "I wish someone would come along and wave their magic wand," I say a loud "oh yeah!" Make the most of life, even if for one instant, is behind "Follow Through," with the dual yin-yang aspect of a rising sun also being one that sets, depending on which hemisphere one's in. Not as bad as I originally deemed it, saved by Amphlett's rough and ready vocals, some sensuous songs, and the Steinberg/Kelly songs, but it's like drinking store-bought orange juice after being used to freshly squeezed OJ. |
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| "Focused Divinyls." | 2004-02-28 |
| - Reviewed By jlizon |
| It's better than three stars but not quite good enough to be four. But it will definitely make constant rotation on your CD player for the 4 or 5 superb cuts on here. By the time this former Australian band hit L.A. to do this disc, they were down to a duo, just Christine Amphlett and Mark McEntee. Not only that, but their pumped up sound was stripped down once they hit California. That would both help and hinder them on this project. One of those superb cuts starts off the disc, "Make Out Alright." Christine Amphlett's singing is subtley relentless. It's a driving, pulsing song and a good begining to the album. "I Touch Myself" is the risque hit single from the set. And while a very good song, it hurt the band's image as they became known as the band who did the 'risque' song as opposed to being known as a good power pop band that should be taken seriously. "Lay Your Body Down" has some interesting words wrapped around a nice tune. This is another cut not to be missed. "Love School" just doesn't get it done despite promising vocals by Amphlett who outdoes herself on this disc. "Bless My Soul" is another raver in the "Make Out Alright" mode, though not as good as the former. It's notable only for the stellar guitar work of co-Divinyl Mark McEntee. Kudos should go to McEntee as he abley perform all the guitar chores on this album. "If Love Was A Gun" starts out promising with gentle acoustic guitar pickings and some mellow singling but eventually the song goes on too long to be taken seriously. "I Need A Lover" is really, insignificant. "Follow Through" could be the underrated gem on this disc with the super funky bass line underling the good drum work. Also, the prophetic words give the song that much more juice. "Cafe Interlude" is just a brief distraction to lead us very nicely into "Bullet." This is a very good, solid uptempo song that doesn't let up. This could have been the follow up to "I Touch Myself." "I'm On Your side" succeeds where "If Love Was A Gun" fails as it is more of a tune and sung with more passion by Amphlett. This is about as romantic as The Divinyls can get and it's good. It's a good album that deserves a listen. Commercially, they would do no better. The stripped down production approach on here really focused the Divinyls compared to previous works, however some of the songs on this disc were hurt by the lack of variety this style offers. |
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| "Sexy and Exciting..." | 2003-10-10 |
| - Reviewed By girldiver |
| Just about every song is rich with energy. I love the vocals and could listen to this CD all day. I have about 10 CD's I never tire of and always come back too. This is one of those CD's. I remember when the "I touch myself" single came out and loved the song but the CD is full of great songs. I can't believe they only managed to have one hit in the USA. |
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| "Well-crafted rock album" | 2002-06-10 |
| - Reviewed By living_on_a_chinese_rock |
| I first heard the Divinyls when MTV and radio started playing "I Touch Myself" all the time. It's one of those songs that you can't get out of your head. The album itself is actually good: "Make Out Alright,""I Touch Myself," and "Lay Your Body Down" have catchy riffs and solid beats, "I'm On Your Side" and "If Love Was A Gun" are wonderful ballads, and Christina Amphlett has a very distinctive voice. (To me that's always a plus for a singer.) But overall, I don't think this is anything special that I would recommend, and if it disappeared from my CD case, I wouldn't miss it severely. |
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 "She Is Pretty, But..." | 2001-01-18 |
| - Reviewed By orangeduke |
| Fairly standard chick pop band notable mostly for novelty hit "I Touch Myself" and the lead singers endowments. Fans of the song will probably be pleased, though the there is little variation in the sound. Similar in tone and sound to Roxette. You really don't need to own this. |
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