Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Shoot from the Hip

'Shoot From The Hip' is the follow up to Sophie Ellis-Bextor's triple-platinum selling debut album 'Read My Lips' (2001). The album features various co-writers and producers including Bernard Butler, Alex James, and Groove Armada's Andy Cato and is a heady mix of disco, pop, and rock. The single 'Mixed Up World' is also included. UK edition includes two bonus tracks, 'Making Music' & 'I Won't Dance With You'. Polydor. 2003. Album Description

The songs that put Sophie Ellis Bextor on the map

If you like songs with intellient lyrics and a melody then look no further. This album is like a breath of fresh air to our jaded ears. May 12, 2007

Good

Good cd, more consistent than the first, and an overall better listen, but lacking some of the stronger more upbeat qualities the hit singles on Read my Lips contained. Still worth the money! February 14, 2004

sophie is a songwriter

To start with I am bummed out that I have the 10 track version of this recording without the extra 3 (!)tracks contained on the UK version, this leaves me slightly miffed and concerned that australian fans are not worthy of an extra 3 tracks --admit i havent deliberatly searched for the hidden track and it sounds like it might best remain hidden anyway.

ok then down to business>>either you have bought the first album and you want to know if the second one can match it>>the answer appears to be...yes ..maybe, I was a huge fan of the first album and this one has not yet surpassed it and is currently sitting a notch or 2 below it>>which is not to say it does not have the potential to match it, it does, surpass it? maybe not.

ok maybe you dont have the 1st sophie album and you have the age old dilema>>which one do i buy?? well in my opinion you buy the first one (see above) then buy the 'watch my lips' DVD and live in ecstacy for week while you watch that and then go out and buy some stylish clothes that make you feel good and buy the second CD of Sophies, come home and feel like the world is a great place afterall.

Special mention must be made of Sophies songwriting which seems to have matured from the first album. Sophie has something to say and can use words and music effectively like the great songwriters, i dont think we have seen or heard the best from Sophie yet. I can see a stripped back recording with acoustics and reliance on words , phrasing and delivery that becomes her masterpeice. If i have a criticism of the current album is that there seems to be too much happening in some of the tracks , particularly the ballads which , due to the strength of the songwriting would have been more powerful with less. I am sure Sophie would agree that less is sometimes...more.

So go on funksters, hail the birth of a great female songwriter from britian and realize that british art is not dead.
(a aussie still recovering from the world cup defeat). January 8, 2004

A+++++

This CD contains many different types of moods and styles. From industrial to electronica, brit-pop, and a really laid back (but still moving) guitar song like "party in my head" which for lack of a better description is Sheryl Crow-ish. "Love it is Love" is a combination samba/disco and is sure to get you dancing. The last song "Hello Hello" really suprised me. Its slow moving and has some very beautiful moments if you learn to accept the soft sounds in combination with Sophie's voice. We can't be dancing all night long, you know. Again, for lack of a better description, think K.D. Lang, but it is still Sophie's own style.
If you really enjoy Sophie Ellis Bextor, you must buy this CD. I listened to the samples at www.sophieellisbextor.net and still wasn't really sold, but since I really liked the artist I bought it anyways to give it a shot. Now its my favorite CD....along with Emma Bunton's "Maybe." Also a must have. Check out my review when I receive it next week. December 24, 2003

Shoot To Your Ears.

I must admit, I was not all that crazy about Ms. Ellis-Bextor's first album. Read My Lips had only a handfull of songs I liked. This album I feel is stronger. Making Music is a whale of a track, my favorive on the album, along with I Am Not Good At Not Getting What I Want, which is wonderful with it's 1950's guitar work. Hello Hello is quite beautiful, and Mixed-Up World is infectious too. The album as a whole is more consistently listenable, but it's not perfect. Some of the tracks don't seem as well thought out as others. My biggest gripe is that some of the lyrics are very bad. Party In My Head sounds like random phrases just pulled from a thesaraus.
WARNING: There is a second edition of this album now available with only 10 tracks . DO NOT BUY THAT EDITION!!! It is the inferior version! Making Music and I Won't Dance With You are gone as is the bonus hidden track, a cover of The Olivia Newton-John classic Physical. While that bonus track was clearly not a good idea, Making Music alone is worth the extra money. Be sure you buy the proper version with the artist name and album title in WHITE lettering. December 5, 2003

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