So why is Gorillaz’s Demon Days on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
With the massive and well-deserved success of Gorillaz’s self-titled debut in 2001 (#181 of best 1,000 albums ever), I wasn’t sure if a follow-up could replicate the same eclectic magic. But in 2005, Demon Days did exactly that – it’s not quite as magical as Gorillaz but still pulls off a pretty special second act.
That unusual, delicate yet potent balance of British alt rock, deep funk, and hip hop comes together best – with help of hip hop legends De La Soul – on the wildly fun ride of “Feel Good Inc.” I defy you to listen to it, in fact, without blurting out a few high pitched feel goods for the next few days.
The fantastic “Feel Good Inc.” music video features the Gorillaz’ animated character personas: 2-D, Noodle, Murdoc Niccals, and Russel Hobbs. The “real” members of Gorillaz include Damon Albarn (of Blur fame) and Jamie Hewlett. I’ll admit that for years I thought Del the Funky Homosapien was an “official” member of Gorillaz due to his participation on the fantastic “Clint Eastwood,” off of their debut album.
Speaking of Clint Eastwood, the oddball, bouncy, and funky “Dirty Harry” is one of the best songs on Demon Days. Its hook is exceptional and will hopefully make your day less… demonic.
“Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head” gets even weirder, but in a pretty fantastic way, and features none other than Dennis Hopper narrating a delightfully bizarro tale. Via Songfacts:
This song is about a small town of “Happyfolk” invaded by an army of “Strangefolk” who mine a nearby mountain for riches, awakening a deity that resides in the mountain. Due to the excavation, the mountain erupts as a volcano, possibly destroying the town.
Some stats & info about Gorillaz – Demon Days
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? British Bands, British Rap, Alternative Rap, Rap, Hip Hop, Rock, Rock Music, Alternative Rock, Pop, Pop Music
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 5 out of 5 stars
- When was Demon Days released? 2005
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #749 out of 1,000
Gorillaz’s Demon Days on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Gorillaz’s Demon Days that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Feel good.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.