Rock The House

Rock The House (Full Length)
Rock The House (Music Video Version)
Rock The House (Live with Phi Life Cypher)

""Rock The House" really shouldn't have been on the record, it's the one thing on the record that I don't really like..."
- 2D

"This is a great track, but without the presence of 2D's vocal, it only kinda does half the job of "Clint Eastwood.""
- Russel Hobbs

"We should have deleted the track there and then. That's the last time I listen to a record label's advice about what a single should be."
- Murdoc Niccals

"There was one song that stood out for me in those sessions, "Rock The House." I came to the studio one day and heard just the horn line being looped. I recognized this phrase as one I liked and started to jam (on) the bass line."
- Junior Dan

At the dawn of a new millennium, Dan The Automator and Kid Koala were simultaneously working on two records. The duo were working on "Gorillaz" of course, but they were also working with Del The Funky Homosapien on a new project called Deltron 3030. Deltron 3030 was a concept album involving two rebels, rapper Deltron Zero and his DJ Automator, who want to take down the 31st century New World Order where human rights as well as their beloved hip hop are being forcefully suppressed. During the concurrent recording sessions for these two records, Automator and Kid Koala would often ask Damon to contribute instrumentation to "Deltron 3030" as well as a vocal hook for "Time Keeps On Slipping", a brilliant song off the Deltron record. Damon also served as the album's narrator and was even given a role on the album as Sir Damien Thorn VII Of The Cockfosters Clan. Del was also given the same treatment for the Gorillaz record of course, has he raps on a couple tracks on the record and was given the role of Del The Ghost Rapper. Despite Damon and Del never formally meeting, Automator and Kid Koala managed to make their duets from a far work giving the two albums a brother-sister type relationship.

"Rock The House" was most likely a track recorded for "Deltron 3030" as Del's rapping and Automator's samples are the most prominent forces on the track. Damon's only role on the song is providing flute and piano flourishes to add on to Dan The Automator's beat. Junior Dan's bass line has more of a presence then Damon on the song. However the song's feel good atmosphere didn't fit in with the dark and reflective atmosphere on the rest of the Deltron record, so they (either by their own choice or by pressure from the record label) decided to stick it on the Gorillaz record.

"Rock The House" is a hip hop party track about getting down. The song's instrumental seems to be an experiment in jazz fusion and funk as it heavily utilizes a brass sample from John Dankworth's "Modesty Blaise" and Junior Dan's bass line is reminiscent of some of Bootsy Collins' calmer moments (one of Del's verses even name checks Bootsy's band Parliament Funkadelic). While Damon and Jamie may possibly harbor some resentment for this track being included on the record, the track is a welcome encore for Del The Funky Homosapien to show us his skills on the mic. His flow on this track is just fantastic and his rhymes (while not as thought provoking as his verses on "Clint Eastwood") are exquisite.

Despite the track's tight groove and flow, it has been argued that this track is the album's weakest link. The song's bright and happy production sticks out like a sore thumb among the post-punk, lo fi and dubby production on the other tracks. However the first album is one of Gorillaz most experimental records, flipping genres and mood sets as the band pleases, on your first listen you don't where the record is gonna go next. And on top of this, Jamie's original idea was to have Russel be able to channel rappers through his mind, making these spirit rappers permanent members of the band as well the band's recording output. So it's only fitting that we have a song led by one of these spirits, Del The Ghost Rapper.

"Rock The House" was not supposed to be a single, the track was even slotted as a b-side on Gorillaz first formal release, the "Tomorrow Comes Today" EP. However the record label pushed for the track to be a single in an effort to re-capture the surprise success of Gorillaz first hit single, "Clint Eastwood." This knocked off "5/4" (the song Damon and Jamie had wanted to be a single since it's conception) once again as a single release, making it the final nail in the track's coffin. However, despite the fact that "Rock The House" will forever be linked with the label's dominance and Gorillaz lack of artistic freedom at the time, the video Jamie Hewlett made for it is one of the band's greatest music videos. It features the cartoon band in a battle with Del and his army of big breasted inflatable monkeys using ball firing cannons and outrageous pelvic thrusting. It's vulgar and it's campy, but it fits the song like a pleasant looking glove.

"Rock The House" was a constant on the band's first tour. While Del couldn't be there to perform it with them, Gorillaz veterans Phi Life Cypher do a good job filling in for Del and their verses (after a bit of tweaking) would later be used in Gorillaz b-side and fan favorite, "The Sounder." As for the band, they have a fun time jamming on the song's vamp of a groove. Cass Browne and Junior Dan form a tight rhythm, while guitarist Simon Katz cleverly solos over it. Damon even gets to break out his beloved (and infamous) flute, which is something he doesn't often do in concert. The song will never be played live again as Damon and Jamie have voiced their quarrels with the song through their characters. Despite the song's flaws, "Rock The House" remains a fun and integral part of Gorillaz first album as well as their original intentions.