Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga | 
| Manufacturer: Merge Records
Buy New: $9.90
Rating:  70 reviews
Sales Rank: 664
Genre: pop-music
Media: Music Download
Running Time: 0 Minutes
ASIN: B000U7SMKS
Release Date: July 10, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 65 more reviews...
 a bit more mainstream than usual but still great... August 24, 2007
Simone Oltolina (Morbio Inferiore, TI Switzerland)
19 out of 22 found this review helpful
Life might be full of disappointments but, quite on the contrary, through the years Spoon have proved a reliable source of enjoyment for me.
You might ask: what separates this band from thousands of other samey so-called indie bands? Lo-fi sound & look? checked. Praise from Pitchfork? Checked. Casual name-dropping by other indie acts/scenesters? Checked. Still, despite all evidence of the contrary, Spoon really manage to be one of a kind.
What makes them stand apart is what I used to call their trademark "coitus interruptus" sound, meaning infectious hooks that never really takes off and turn into a full-fledged chorus, remaining instead a hint, a tease to the ear.
This was especially apparent on one of their previous LPs, "Kill the moonlight", also a favourite of mine (not to say, the album through which I convinced most of my friends that this was truly a great band).
Beware, it is true that this album makes a few concessions to the classic song structure, thus slightly deviating from the aforementioned c.t. sound but, in the end, it's still there. Melodies that all sudden swerve to a different direction, riffs that instead of exploding into the boombastic apex you'd expext, implode or morph into something else.
I love this band and I think that this album will easily prove to be one of my favourite of the year (along with Blitzen Trapper's 'Wild Mountain Nation', for those interested).
 Great While It Lasts July 10, 2007
Cale E. Reneau (Conroe, Texas United States)
13 out of 30 found this review helpful
There are very few bands around today that can consistently put out decent album after decent album. Spoon is one of the bands that can. "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" is the band's follow-up to 2005's stellar "Gimme Fiction." With a band like Spoon, you have to be expecting a lot, especially after such a great album. So does "Ga x5" live up to the expectations? You'll have to keep reading to figure out my verdict (or just scroll down to the bottom).
The album begins with the inexplicably infectious "Don't Make Me a Target," in which Britt Daniel simply sings the song's title as the chorus. With such a simple hook, one would think that the song would not be as memorable as it actually is. However, the song is a great lead-off track, and definitely gets the listener hooked immediately. It is a perfect showcase for the album's two greatest assets: Daniel's voice and flawless production. Unfortunately, any momentum that was started by the lead-off track is immediately squandered by the song that follows it. "The Ghost of You Lingers" is a shockingly plain song, with only repetitive 8th-note piano phrases and vocals to show. The song seems to exist for the sole purpose allowing the band to say "Hey, listen to all the cool things we did to this song in the studio! Hear that? That's called reverb!" It is a distraction, and just plain not worth listening to.
"You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" picks up the pace and helps you forget what just happened. The song features some extra instrumentation courtesy of a saxophone and finds Britt singing "Life could be so fair, let it go on along" in a beautiful falsetto. The song is a fun affair and sure to be a hit at the band's live shows. It's followed by my favorite track on "Ga x5," the funky and soulful "Don't You Evah" that utilizes an awesome bass line to keep the groove going for the song's entirety.
"Rhythm and Soul" is a fairly decent pop rock song, but at the same time it seems utterly throwaway. It's fragile and utterly unmemorable vocal melody is really only bolstered by the band's instrumentation, but even then I only got a few good listens out of it before skipping over it. "Eddie's Ragga" is in a similar predicament. While it's not necessarily a bad song, it just gets lost in the rest of the album.
Fortunately, Spoon is smart enough to pick the pace back up, and they do so flawlessly with "Underdog," arguably the strongest song on the album. The song is truly one of Spoon's all-time best, complete with trumpets and off-beat hand claps. Again, Britt's vocals are unbelievably effective when he sings "You aren't here for the messenger. Don't want to know 'bout something that you don't understand. You got no fear of the underdog, that's why you will not survive!" Everything about this one is great and "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" really climaxes here.
"My Little Japanese Cigarette Case" is another song that could get lumped into the "forgettable" category. It has a pretty solid guitar part and a chorus that is almost there, bordering on greatness. "Finer Feelings" once again brings things back to a respectable level, with some catchy "do do doos," another great guitar part, and a spot-on vocal melody. "Black Like Me" is exceptionally well produced and it ends the album on a positive note. Though the song may start out sounding like your standard end-of-album ballad, it soon builds into a welcomed upbeat closer.
"Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" is a fairly decent accomplishment from a band like Spoon. There are truly a few moments on the album that are "wow" inducing. At the same time, there are other times where you're bound to be scratching your head. While none of the songs on
"Ga x5" are downright terrible, the album as a whole is incredibly hit and miss. It's amazing highs are weakened only by it's forgettable lows. Expect the album to be really great the first time through, only to slowly fade away from your good graces after several listens. "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" is a good, fun album, but the fun won't last forever. Enjoy it while you can, for there are truly some awesome songs on it.
Key Track:
1. "Don't Make Me a Target"
2. "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb"
3. "Don't You Evah"
4. "The Underdog"
5. "Finer Feelings"
6 out of 10 Stars
Rock & Awe July 10, 2007
A. Corvey (USA)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
With the release of "Gimme Fiction" in 2005, I was convinced Spoon had made their masterpiece. It was the perfect combination of previously established elements: the sketch-like song structure and wild experimentation of 2002's "Kill the Moonlight" coupled with the flat-out cathartic pop of 2001's "Girls Can Tell." The songs (penned by vocalist/guitarist Britt Daniel) were simple and direct, yet imbued with an intensity of emotion not often found in modern music (or at least not as genuinely). The record was Daniel's shining moment as a songwriter; his definitive musical statement, one I thought he'd struggle to re-create throughout the rest of his sure to be long career. I never dreamt in a million years that he'd somehow surpass it. Especially on the follow-up album.
"Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" is that culmination, a record of monumental emotional depth that also manages to genuinely rock. While listening to tracks like the Jon Brion produced "The Underdog," it's apparent that Spoon is yet again breaking new ground, opening up their sound and exploring new territory while still adhering to the tried and true "Spoon" philosophy: simple and direct song-writing that packs an emotional punch. If you're tired of the vacuous music populating today's airwaves then give "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" a spin. You won't be disappointed.
Again, They Don't Disappoint July 10, 2007
ATeacherFromFlorida (Tallahassee, FL)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
(Ga X 5)offers a logical progression in Spoon's already impressive discography. If critics level any criticism at this new album, most likely it will involve damning Spoon's consistency because there aren't any geniune surprises on this album. Well, so what? I consider their ability to put out one satisfying album after another surprise enough. They've found their niche---oblique, angular, and aurally textured pop-rock---and I think they're wise to stick to it.
(Ga X 5) successfully offers a hybrid of the sounds from the last few albums (Kill the Moonlight and Gimme Fiction) and as usual you can detect the often-noted influences ranging from the Kinks to Wire to, yes, Van Morrison (give "The Underdog" a spin to hear the VM influence.) Granted, the disc is short, clocking in at just over 30 minutes, but this is also in a way a sign of the band's restraint. They know what they do well, and here they're at the zenith of their powers. Even the odder, more difficult and cubist tracks in the record's middle dintinguish themselves as worthy slow-burners after repeated listens.
In short, definitely one of their best discs. You won't be disappointed. I hope they continue making discs like this for many years to come.
SPOON RETURN WITH SOME NON FICTION FUN (3.7 stars) July 27, 2007
Cary S. Whitt (Columbus,Ohio USA)
10 out of 18 found this review helpful
Silly album title aside, Spoon have made a good record, and in some ways, it's as good and likeable as 2005's Gimme Fiction. The big difference here is it sounds like they were really trying to be unique and different from some of the things they've done on albums past. After a few listens it becomes clear that it's a more segmented and disjointed record (which is ok). Old school fans might even say this record is zapped of some of the energy that made their last few records so enjoyable, but that doesn't make it dismissible in the least.
Over the years, Spoon have grown both in writing ability and commercial success (Jaguar commercial anyone), yet with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (I'm not typing that again Mr. Daniel), they may have successfully shed any of those pesky "indie" labels, they had. This is partly is due to the band's ability to put out thier own brand of music in their own way, and partly due to their overall talent. The new record highlights this talent and makes the most band's incredible, and eclectic skill set. This is especially true when it comes to the anti-pop songwriting dynamic, something they do very well.
Songs start and stop through Ga effortlessly, yet, again, there isn't much flow from one track to the next. Each song definitely stands alone on their individual merit and direction. The album's production and mix are clean, yet not overdone, leading to a sound that sometimes feels like a night with Britt Daniel in his studio. There is a weird intimate jamming aspect to some of the songs (Don't Make Me A Target, Finer Feelings), but its all delivered in a quick manner. Nothing to get hung about.
There are a few potential big singles on Ga, but I don't think anything is showing up in a car commercial this time out. Even though the label of "grower" could be applied here, you can quickly find something on Ga to get excited about. Spoon doesn't shy away from a radio friendly, or sing-a-long friendly tune on Ga. You Got Your Cherry Bomb is about as straight-up hooky as a Spoon song can get, and between that and the bouncy nature of Underdog, the label heads were very pleased I'm sure. But it's the less obvious songs that are the real winners here. The Ghost of You Lingers is what I'm calling the indie version of chopsticks, and somehow, the insistent piano key pounding and droning pace, work like a charm. Don't Make Me a Target would have sounded right at home on Moonlight or Fiction, and it keeps things basic without losing any groovy-ness. Other highlights for me include: Cigarette Case, Ragga, and Don't You Evah, all of which are just stellar tracks that could stand out on any Spoon album, cohesive or not. This rings true for the band on much of this record, they keep things no-frills and take it one track at a time, without alienating their audience or a good album in the process.
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