An Angel With An Attitude - Samantha Fox

Samantha Fox is the embodiment of everything I love about music and trash culture. I've worshipped Sam since first hearing "Touch Me" in the 80s, been amazed by her stunning urban makeover courtesy of Full Force in the 90s and joyfully observed her return to dance music. I've been meaning to write a post about the Fox since starting this Blog but how do you summarise the 20 year career of living legend in a couple of paragraphs? Sam's arrival in Australia to participate in the latest Countdown Spectacular tour has given me the push I needed. The very thought of being in the same venue as Samantha Fox and Sharon O'Neill has thrown me into a complete frenzy! I've spent the past few days watching Sam's clips on YouTube and listening to her 2005 album, "Angel With An Attitude", which has been given a belated Australian release to coincide with the tour.

Before I review the album, here are 6 reasons why I believe Samantha Fox deserves the same legendary status as Dannii, La Toya and Melissa Tkautz:

1. Sam's signature tune "Touch Me" is one of the best songs of the 1980s and contains the classic line "like a tramp in the night".
2. The Fox did the impossible and improved on Dusty Springfield's "I Only Wanna Be With You".
3. Stock/Aitken/Waterman were so impressed by Sam's stunning talent, they produced her brilliant 80s anthem "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now".
4. Samantha also hooked up with Full Force to record a string of fierce urban classics including the leather queen anthem "Hurt Me, Hurt Me (But The Pants Stay On)"!
5. Like any aging diva worth her weave, Samantha returned to dance music and had the good taste to cover Tatjana's "Santa Maria".
6. The Serbian town of Cacak recently erected a statue in Sam's honour!

Ok, now that I've got that out of my system, let's get back to "Angel With An Attitude"!

Samantha Fox made a brilliant return to the pop world in 2005 with her first new studio album in almost a decade. Unfortunately, "Angel With An Attitude" was only released in Canada and failed to generate much interest outside her loyal fanbase. After a two year wait, the album has finally been released in Australia and it holds up admirably as a bold and daring change of musical direction. The combination of rocky guitars and dance beats remains oddly seductive and the addition of "Touch Me 2007" is a trashy delight.

Lingerie in church!

"Angel With An Attitude" opens with the memorable title track, which is a microcosm of the entire album. A soft piano refrain gives way to moody electro beats before a raft of guitars kick in for the chorus. Samantha has thrown convention out the window. The eclectic mix of styles is occasionally clumsy but, for the majority of the album, very satisfying. "Angel With An Attitude" is also notable for its highly amusing video clip which finds Samantha strutting around a church in white lingerie! The title track is followed by a couple of more traditional pop songs. "To Be Heard" is a slickly produced electro anthem, while "Destined To Be" re-introduces the guitars for an epic slice of guitar pop with a sweet chorus. "I Give Myself To You" mixes both genres and throws in a bizarre array of computerised effects for good measure. The result feels slightly jumbled but is nothing less than intriguing.

If I had to select a favourite track from the album it would be "The Power". The song is an intricately constructed guitar-pop gem, which blends strings, piano and electro beats. I admire the originality of "The Power" and love Sam's hugely endearing inability to hit the high notes but its greatest appeal lies in its deeply personal nature. From the first line - "in the morning I put on my make-up, to hide the sadness deep inside" - it's clear that Samantha is singing from personal experience. "You And Me" continues the reflective mood by making reference to her homosexuality but ultimately lacks the charm of "The Power". "Threw Our Love Away" then introduces some Latin flavour into mix, while "Move On" is one of the album's best dance songs.

The tempo slows momentarily for "Breathe", a slightly disorientating trip-hop misadventure which meanders along for five bizarre minutes. Thankfully, Samantha returns to her fiery best for the awesomely trashy "Nice And Slow". It positively warmed my heart to hear Samantha sing about "nasty toys and dirty Polaroids"! This would have made a great single. The next song, "Cause An Effect", is the closest that Samantha has ever come to dabbling in metal. It's not particularly heavy but it does rock! "Cause An Effect" sounds like something Lita Ford recorded in the 1980s and I mean that as a compliment.

With Sam's outrageous image, it can be easy to overlook her amazing vocal talent. Samantha doesn't have a big voice but she does have a very sweet one and it is displayed to fine effect on the lush ballad "Dreams Unfold". "Time" was originally included as a bonus track on the Canadian release of "Angel With An Attitude" in 2005 and appears again on the Australian version. If you ignore the male vocalist, "Time" is a rather appealing electro jam with a distinct urban influence. The final track on "Angel With An Attitude" is yet another remix of "Touch Me". Santiago Cortes has crafted a brilliant update of Sam's enduring classic, which closes the album in great style.

"Angel With An Attitude" is highly recommended and can be purchased from Chaos, Sanity or iTunes. I've also noticed some very cheap copies on Australian Ebay.