I'm going to go out on a limb and say I find "Mall" actually the most fully accomplished GO4 yet. True, the lyrics are way too post-modern and ironic for my taste. But the music is adventurous, wildly multi-layered, more funk-based and soulful than before (thanks to the great Gail Ann Dorsey) and punctuated by roaring slabs of Gill's incredible guitar work. People hated it because it broke out of rigid punk-era minimalism but that to me is its greatest asset. Along with "Shrinkwrapped" it showed musical evolution and experimentation; "Return The Gift" doesn't.

It's sad that a band once known for being on the cutting edge is reduced to re-recording its old work note-by-note to satisfy fans. I don't fault the band - they have to eat - but the slavish conformism of so much of its audience who want "Entertainment" and "Solid Gold" endlessly recycled. Here's hoping G04 don't become another 1977 nostalgia act; that would be criminal beyond words.

4 stars is probably a little TOO much. Maybe 3.5. It's in a different vein from Entertainment (obviously), but it's less smooth than Hard, despite the use of drum machines on most (all?) of the songs. Gill's guitar is still interesting and unique, layering many of the tracks with a depth and expansiveness that is quite different from anything on their first album. Sustained feedback mixed with a propulsive rhythm. Jon King's great too. The songs are for the most part quite good - World Falls Apart is great. Money Talks, Cadillac, FM USA, Colour, etc are also good. A couple don't work for me. There are also a couple of 'tone poems' - Impossible and Hiromi and Stan Talk - that are interesting. The lyrics are good, more of what you expect from GO4. I think perception of Mall suffers because like most GO4 albums it's inevitably compared to Entertainment. Each of their albums has a different sound. Accordingly Mall is different from everything that's come before it and comparing it to Entertainment is almost like comparing apples and oranges, but hey... The same GO4 sentiment is still there, just in a differnt guise. It's a good album.

Shrinkwrapped, the one after this, is also good.

As a barely related aside, fans of Gill's guitar work and production might want to check out Michael Hutchence's solo album.

This is one of those albums that you just have to sigh when you think about. I'm not talking about sighing over its greatness, either. A lot of the songs are silly musically and lyrically, but there are some good songs. It has some cool guitar parts on a few of the songs, but just not enough to capture my attention for very long. I listened to this four times and tried so hard to give it a chance. I got into a couple of the songs, but if you have to skip past most of them, it is a bad sign. 'Cadillac' is a pretty good song, probably the best, and the cover of Bob Marley's 'Soul Rebel' is good too, but I think it could have been better. 'FM U.S.A' is probably one of the most annoying songs I have ever heard. Considering the past history of this band, I just do not understand where they went wrong. If you love them, you should get the albums "Hard/Solid Gold" and "Entertainment!".

I picked up this album expecting to enjoy it, like i enjoy "Shrinkwrapped" or "A Brief History Of The 20th Century". Sadly, this was not the case. Ive tried going back to it after a few months, letting it grow on me, it just never happens. I would suggest buying ANY GOF album besides this one.

This is not classic gang of four but still pretty good. Of course best song is Cadillac.