Anyone a fan of this group? I just purchased their album Goodbye Jumbo online and am trying to find their other albums at a reasonable price (everything they made is out of print at this point).

What's interesting about him (Karl Wallinger) is that he channels the voices of Mick Jagger, John Lennon and Todd Rundgren almost effortlessly, and seems to be the biggest influence on one of my favorite songwriters, Gregg Alexander.

I see the influence, yeah, but Wallinger is more along the lines of XTC and Rundgren than Alexander.

He's got some very good songs, once you accept how earnest he is (Bruce Cockburn/Greenpeace forever level earnestness).

"I Fell Back Alone" is a great ballad, that's for sure.

"Ship of Fools" is a great song.

I'm a big fan. I think I own every album although I don't listen to them that often.

Love 'em. Completely under-rated band. You should also check out Timbuk 3 -- not really sure why I think of 'em together, but they are also an under-rated band.

Timbuk 3 got shoved under the bus as a novelty band much too quickly.

Songs like "Prey," "Little People Make Big Mistakes," "Dance Fever," "Standard White Jesus," "Welcome To The Human Race," "Legalize Our Love, "Just Another Movie," "Just Wanna Funk With Your Mind," "Cynical" and a bunch more are worthy tunes.

I disagree with that. First thing I thought of when I heard Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too was World Party. That album is basically an homage to Wallinger.

For what it's worth, I also hear a LOT of World Party in Soul Hooligan as well.

Probably true. Haven't listened to New Radicals all the way through since a year or so after it came out. Wallinger had a more interesting Cockburn-as-the-Beatles thing going for him.

Borg, if you going backward from Alexander to Wallinger, you might as well check out The Waterboys first three albums, as well.

Think you'd like them.

Goodbye Jumbo is their high point, IMHO. He was aping lennon big-time around the time this LP was released, even down to the goofy glasses.

Big fan. And I agree that Goodbye Jumbo is their best album, but
"What Is Love All About?"
is my favorite song by them.
Fekkin' brilliant.

"When You Come Back to Me", although it steals the intro from Bowie's "Young Americans", is a frickin' great song.

Nah, he had the glasses on Private Revolution. "Ship Of Fools" is the only thing I've ever found worthwhile. Get the single and call your discography complete.

I've been hearing them on the XM lately and it kinda reminded me that they were pretty good back in the day even though I dont think I ever actually owned any of their albums.

Good band.

"God on My Side" is great as well....

or is it "God On Your Side"?

Well I finally got Goodbye Jumbo in the mail and it's even better than I expected it to be. Seriously, this has to be one of the best rock albums of the 90s and it's a crime how classic records like this become out of print.

Also, a new World Party album is coming out in March!

I had Bang! when I was in high school. I must have sold it or something because I don't have it anymore.

Agreed, and like the others said, I think it was their (his) high point, although I like most everything he's put out.

World Party's first two albums, Private Revolution and Goodbye Jumbo, are being reissued once again in April.

http://www.cduniverse.com/sresult.asp?s ... search=yes

This is interesting timing, as World Party just announced that they'll be releasing their first album since 2000 in April, and they'll also be playing at SXSW and on the West Coast in late March. I love these guys.

I hadn't heard that. Awesome.