Rocktrospectiva: The Renovated "Kylie Minogue" Turns 30

 

Released on 19 September 1994, "Kylie Minogue" was the fifth studio album recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. After leaving Pete Waterman Entertainment, Minogue wanted to establish her credibility and signed with the independent record label Deconstruction in early 1993. She became involved with a diverse group of collaborators in order to experiment with different sounds.

Musically, the album is a dance-pop also containing elements of R&B and adult contemporary music. Lyrically, the album touches on themes of love, seduction and womanhoo The album spawned three singles "Confide In Me", "Put Yourself In My Place", & "Where Is The Feeling?", each of them peaked the top 20 in the UK.

Back in 1991, Minogue released her fourth studio album under Pete Waterman Limited (PWL), titled Let's Get to It. The album was recorded after songwriter Matt Aitken had left (SAW) earlier that year, which left Pete Waterman and Mike Stock to write and produce the album. Minogue, who co-wrote six tracks with the producers for the album, was disappointed with the output. She felt SAW had reverted to formulaic sounds and by the time Let's Get to It came out, the magic had gone and the record sank quickly". By the end of 1992, PWL did not renew their contract with Minogue, believing the singer was not moving in a direction that was going to be successful.

After the split, Minogue wanted to establish her credibility and refused to fall back into the same market as PWL. She turned down several major record labels, and signed for indie label Deconstruction, which was known for being an innovative part of the dance scene, but it was unusual for a mainstream pop artist to sign an indie label contract.

Hadfield intended to push Minogue towards a more unconventional approach to dance music. As work began on her new music, an early meeting with Deconstruction took place to discuss which direction Minogue intended to pursue. She decided to experiment with different sounds rather than record more pop songs. Minogue took an active role in planning for the album and sought a diverse group of collaborators to work with, including both mainstream and underground talents.

Early recording sessions for Kylie Minogue took place in 1993, with help from Saint Etienne and The Rapino Brothers. However, most of the tracks were deemed to be taking Minogue in the wrong direction and were scrapped, several songrwriters and producers approached to her suck as Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Bobby Gillespie, and Nick Cave, so at the end of 1993 and early 1994, Hadfield and fellow Deconstruction co-founder Keith Blackhurst were friends with Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman, an electronic duo known as Brothers in Rhythm. When they heard Minogue had signed with Deconstruction, the duo called Blackhurst and asked to collaborate, despite having no prior experience writing for others. Minogue met Brothers in Rhythm at DMC Studios in Slough, where they had a meeting and set up the original sessions. Their first efforts resulted in "Confide in Me", a song that came together within an hour. A cover version of Prefab Sprout's "If You Don't Love Me" was recorded in only one take, as the producers wanted to experiment with Minogue's musical boundaries. Brothers in Rhythm was enlisted as the album's chief producer and produced four of the tracks: "Where Is the Feeling?" (originally recorded by Within A Dream in 1993), "Automatic Love" (a rework from material with the Rapino Brothers), "Confide in Me" and "Dangerous Game" (both songs written and produced by the duo). 

Jimmy Harry wrote and produced "Put Yourself in My Place", written specially for Minogue, and "If I Was Your Lover". Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, from the Pet Shop Boys, were approached by Minogue's camp after the pair finished work on their latest album.They declined initially, but Lowe came up with a set of chords that Tennant found similar to Minogue's previous work with SAW and suggested they turn it into a song for her. Minogue's label mate M People produced "Time Will Pass You By" for Kylie Minogue but could not commit to do more because of a busy schedule. Gerry DeVeauxsongwriter and Kravitz's cousin, produced and co-wrote "Surrender" with composer Charlie Mole, and finally three of the songs on the album are cover versions of largely unknown tracks: "Where Has The Love Gone?", "Time Will Pass You By" and "Where Is the Feeling?". 

The album sound and style is primarily dance pop with elements of R&B and adult contemporary, the album is a remarkable change from the singer previous teen pop. The album opens with "Confide in Me", a song incorporating elements of indie pop and Middle Eastern instrumentation like strings and percussion, classic musical elements influenced Anderson when he produced Minogue's cover of "Where Is the Feeling?".  The disco and acid jazz-based track was compared with the work of British acts such as The Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai and Incognito. The Tracks "Dangerous Game" and "Automatic Love" are prominently driven by string instruments."Surrender" is a seductive slow jam track, with Balearic pop, jazz and R&B-influences. It is followed by the mid-tempo pop-funk "If I Was Your Lover". "Put Yourself in My Place" is a melancholy quiet storm power ballad with trip hop beats that resembles late 1980s American R&B tracks. "Where Has The Love Gone" and "Falling" are tempestuous uptempo tracks that run over six minutes each."Falling", a house slow-burner with the bass-heavy rhythm and high backing vocals, and finally the album ends with "Time Will Pass You By", is a sophisticated, grinning piano-house song.

Critics praised the production and Minogue's vocals, while observing the start of a new phase in Minogue's career. The album peaked in the top five in the United Kingdom and Australia, alongside being certified gold in both countries, the album is absolutely cohesive and full of excellent dance-pop 

 

Kylie Minogue Track List: 

 

1. Confide In Me

2. Surrender

3. If I Was Your Lover

4. Where Is The Feeling?

5. Put Yourself In My Place

6. Dangerous Game

7. Automatic Love

8. Where Has The Love Gone?

9. Falling

10. Time Will Pass You By