Last Albums: World Party - Dumbing Up (2000)

For much of its existence World Party was primarily a solo project of Welshman Karl Wallinger rather than a full-fledged band. He frequently played most of the instruments himself, and at other times he operated much like Steely Dan did with the leader hiring musicians for each project as needed.

World Party made five albums beginning in 1986. Their recording career ended in 2000 due to Wallinger's poor health. Unfortunately, he died in 2024 at age 66.

Not long after Dumbing Up was released, the ex-Waterboy suffered a brain aneurysm that kept him inactive for many years. Later, Wallinger returned to performing live. He also recorded with Peter Gabriel, but there were no more World Party records.

Upon its release, Dumbing Up reached only #64 in the UK, and it never charted at all in the United States. It was World Party's least successful commercial effort even though - artistically - the record rivaled all of Wallinger's earlier work. 

The singer-songwriter wrote smart lyrics. Many of his songs contained political or environmental concerns. He could sing well, and he easily wrote melodies with pleasant hooks. Who could ask for more?

World Party's finale was heavily influenced by Prince, The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Sometimes the rocker was too obvious about it as he proves on "Who are You?" where he completely captured Dylan's early electric period. "Another 1000 Years" could have drawn a lawsuit from The Beatles. Much of it is a dead ringer for "Baby, You're a Rich Man." You can surely hear the funky sounds of Prince on "Here Comes the Future." Wallinger may have been a crook, but he was a very good one.

In their brief review of the album, The Guardian said that Wallinger, "wrote all the songs here, and while their (sic) almost always tuneful they display a dogged determination to ignore the last 30 years of pop." 

Wallinger was a talented musician who deserved mainstream success but couldn't quite get there. If you don't know about him and World Party it's time to learn.

 I have all five World Party studio CDs except for the box set, and they're all worth owning.

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Last Albums discusses music that was recorded as new material and intended to be released to the public as a complete album but not necessarily the last one. Live albums, greatest hits or "best of" collections and compilations do not count, nor do posthumous releases of leftover tracks cobbled together to make a final album.

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