It's understandable that as a band, you would someday relish in the
notion that you could work with your heroes on an album. It seems that the
Dandy's have been worshiping Duran Duran and Chic, because Nick Rhodes and
Nile Rogers helm the producing chair for Monkey House, the overly 80's new
wave inspired album. It is a very cool notion that lead singer Courtney
Taylor-Taylor and company decided to pay tribute to artists
past, but the problem with Monkey House is the lack of any originality
whatsoever to these tunes. I'm all for tongue in cheek, but the Dandy's
tongue is so firmly against their cheek that it's starting to bleed. I find
it ironic that on the self titled opening track, Taylor-Taylor rips Elastica a
new one for getting sued by Wire for ripping off their sound, yet he
proceeds to copy everyone in the book from Thomas Dolby, Love & Rockets, and
especially David Bowie. I hope that Bowie is getting compensation for the
Dandy's song "I Am Sound," because it's the worst ripoff of Bowie's "Ashes
to Ashes" I've ever heard. The album isn't a complete bust though. Singles "We
Used To Be Friends," and "The Last High" are strong add ons to the Dandy's
catalog but overall, Monkey House just feels like one giant copycat.