(500) Days Of Singers

#414: 20 All-Time Greatest Hits- James Brown

2010-12-17T06:23:00.000-08:00

Listened to: CD

What the fuck?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Every track on this is on Star Time! This is worse than when I covered In The Jungle Groove! At least that has remixes! This is the same material, just less! This list ignored 1984 by Van Halen to give me the same material twice by James Brown? You gotta be shitting me!

Seriously, this is fucking ridiculous. EVERY TRACK FROM THIS IS ON STAR TIME! Why put this on the list? Do you have that much of a hard on for James Brown? For fuck’s sake, this even came out at the same time as Star Time! You can’t even use historical significance to justify this being on the list, especially when you rank it almost 300 slots lower than Star Time! Dear readers, if you’ve listened to Star Time, YOU’VE ALREADY HEARD THIS ALBUM!

So, you know I’m gonna sub this album out.

Would Replace With: American Idiot by Green Day

Yeah, some would say this album is over-rated or overplayed. Some (like myself) would say the aforementioned some should shut the fuck up. The simple fact is, like it or nhot, American Idiot is the album of the past decade. Sure, some say Kid A, but nobody outside of “indie” people have heard it. Some say “The blueprint” but nobody outside rap and “indie” people have hear that. This, everybody’s heard, and it represents the decade, a series of angry attacks on a president and a country with no real understanding of the issues being protested against. Personally, I think every song on this album is enjoyable to listen to on a teenaged level, and we all knew every lyric in high school. It was incredible to see a pop-punk band from the 90’s have the audacity to do a concept album, and one so spirited and fun. I’m sorry it’s not the droll whine of Thom Yorke, but god damn, American Idiot is a damn good time, and an undeniable classic, if for nothing but it’s impact. This album dominated in it’s day, and it still feels just like it did when it first came out, whatever that feeling is for you.

-Mike

Well, I’m agitated now. But tomorrow we go to a grossly underrated artist, #283: Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake. That oughta make me feel better. Fuck, I’m gonna be pissed for the entire day.

#168: My Aim Is True- Elvis Costello

2010-12-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

Listened to: MP3

Here it is, the debut of one of the most unique voices in music. A “punk” who played pop. A rock singer who couldn’t sing. Here, the man we on this blog met first on This Year’s Model can be heard as the world first heard him. So let’s dive on in, shall we?

The album kicks off on “Welcome To The Working Week”, a powerfully charged rock song with an intro reminiscent of a Buddy Holly track. Picture a Weezer without the tongue pressed firmly in cheek. This short little ditty smoothly transitions into “Miracle Man”, a swinging song in the same vain as the previous track, with lyrics that are classic Costello: “Don’t you know that walking on water won’t make me a miracle man.”.

The whole album takes on the feel of classic 50’s rock, even in it’s most popular track, the lamenting ballad “Alison”, and it’s a true joy to listen to, and not really to analyze. I know that sounds like a cop out, but let’s face it, no one’s reading this, and I’m kind of doing this for my own sanity (or deterioration of ), and while I can pick apart and pontificate on albums like the Slim Shady LP or Metallica, something like My Aim Is True is just a great collection of songs fitting a certain tone, and should be appreciated as such. Please listen and enjoy.

-Mike

Next, we take a look at #414: Greatest Hits by James Brown.

#434: Outlandos d’Amour- The Police

2010-12-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

Listened to: MP3
Ah. Finally, we enter the realm of one of the classic wordsmiths, Sting. The Police are one of those bands I keep forgetting I love, and Outlandos d’Amour contains a lot of the tracks that show why I love them. Tracks that have bleak lyrics set to upbeat, fun melodies (I try and do the same with my own music. Perhaps I fail, certainly compared to Sting, but regardless).

The album starts with “Next To You”, which may sound nothing like the Police you or I are used to, but believe it or not, this was their early sound. They considered themselves punk, and so you get this, what sounds like The Police covering a Bon Scott-era AC/DC track. It’s a fun track, but all the lyrical finesse I praised in the opening paragraph…yeah, just wait for the next one. “So Lonely” is a track by a suicidal Bob Marley, with happy reggae chords an beats, filled with lyrics like “Now no-one's knocked upon my door/For a thousand years, or more/All made up and nowhere to go/Welcome to this one man show/Just take a seat, they're always free/No surprise, no mystery/In this theatre that I call my soul/I always play the starring role, so lonely”. You can’t help but find yourself dancing to how lonely Sting is. No song this upbeat should be this bleak, and no white British guy should sound like he’s from Jamaica, and yet Sting and the boys make both of these work.

The next track is one of their most popular, “Roxanne”, the catchiest song about a hooker since Lou Reed. Though I can no longer hear this song without thinking of this:

let’s ignore that for a moment and focus on the song itself. It’s gonna one of the best simple guitar parts, a catchy hook, and don’t act like you don’t howl out the “Rooooooooooxanne” when you’re alone. Come on, admit it. It’s on a track like this, when the guitar, the bass, the drums all come together in pure mastery that you realize what a titanic force the Police were. They were all the masters of their instruments, and Sting somehow can be a geek (come on, he’s a skinny bookworm) and still be totally cool (take notes, Rivers Cuomo).

“Hole In My Life” takes on a jazzier feel, with backing vocals lifted from Sly & The Family Stone (I mean it feels that way, not that he actually lifts the vocals). It plays like a reject from Aimee Mann’s Magnolia soundtrack (am I the only one that hears “Momentum” in this?) and I mean that in the best way possible. We’re all used to listening to a classic album, and finding out the tracks we didn’t already know suck. But Outlandos doesn’t have that problem. It seems to me the unknown tracks could just as easily be Police classics as the radio staples. “Peanuts”, for example, is just as alive as the most upbeat Police track you can name, and ought to have gotten far more attention than it did, and hell, it probably would have if people didn’t forget it as soon as they heard the next track, the absolutely brilliant “Can’t Stand Losing You”.

The finest suicide note put to music after “God Only Knows”, “Can’t Stand Losing You” is another classic example of Police brilliance, blending the bleakest lyrics with he catchiest melody. You find yourself singing along with “But you’ll be sorry when I’m dead and all this guilt will be on your head” long before you process what you’re actually saying. “Truth Hits Everybody” might be some of Sting’ finest lyrics writing. The words read like a poem:
“Sleep lay behind me like a broken ocean
Strange waking dreams before my eyes unfold
You lay there sleeping like an open doorway
I stepped outside myself and felt so cold
Take a look at my new toy
It'll blow your head in two, oh boy”
Why this song isn’t higher praised in the pantheon of The Police is beyond me. I’ll go out and say this is, to me, the best track on the album. Its got a great hook, fun instrumentals, it’s got the punk roots blended with their new found late 70’s sensibility. Listen to the incorporation of bells and other unusual sounds, so subtle and yet they bring a whole new dimension to this simplistically gorgeous track.

“Born In The 50’s” is the kind of nostalgia track better left to Springsteen and McLean. The only under-whelming track on this album, while I love Sting’s vocals on this track, and the music isn’t terrible, it reads like a cheap knock-off of “We Didn’t Start The Fire”, and lacks Sting’s usual poetic voice, which only shines through on one line, “We freeze like statues on the pages of history”.

So, remember “In Every Dream Home A Heartache” on Roxy Music’s For Your Pleasure? Remember what that was about? Well, spoiler alert, that’s what this song is about. What sounds like a simple, catchy love song can’t be that if you’ve paid attention to any Police music. The chorus cuts out and goes to a simple spoken word poem about purchasing a blow-up doll. This is one of the coolest tracks no one’s heard, like Tom Waits’ “What’s He Building In There?” for the pervy set, book ended by a typical catchy Police chorus. Any frustration I had at the cheap simplicity of “Born in the 50’s” is eradicated by the simple brilliance of this track.

The album ends on “Masoko Tanga”, a song that seems to predict the future, more experimental sound of The Police, with instrumentals that sound more Talking Heads than punk. Come on, the dude’s just chanting and doing Caribbean curses. There are no lyrics. He’s just playing, jamming with hi band like a great jazz man.

This album had ought to prove Sting is a master of his craft, creating both catchy poip like “Next To You” and “So Lonely” and branching out and experimenting with tracks like the final two. I have no qualms at all with it’s place on the list. Is it revolutionary? Well, maybe not, but it’s sure as hell great to listen to, and I encourage you to do just that. It’s one of the better way to kill a half hour.

-Mike

Next up we have #168: My Aim Is True by the one-of-a-kind Elvis Costello.

#131: Saturday Night Fever- Various Artists (but mostly the BeeGees)

2010-12-05T07:25:00.001-08:00

Listened to: Vinyl
Love it or hate it, this album was Victor Frankenstein to disco. An annoying, short lived dance-craze was resurrected, stronger than before as soon as Travolta strolled down a Brooklyn sidewalk to “Stayin’ Alive”. The lyrics on most of these songs are dreadful, the music itself saccharinely sickening, and synthed into tomorrow. Yet it is pure pop mastery. Every track on this album could be a hit, and it’s a time capsule of the grossest side of the 70’s. Also, not gonna lie, once and a while it can be fun. Tracks like “Jive Talkin”, “A Fifth of Beethoven”, and “Boogie Shoes” are just the highlights of an album that knows what it does right and pushes it to the end. You can praise it or vilify it, but it IS disco. There’s no need for any other album on this list form the genre. This is disco, filtered down to the cream of the crop, even though most of the tracks are original compositions. I can’t sing it’s praises, because I for one never sniffed some coke, slapped on a white suit, and got wrapped up in the “Night Fever”, but I’ll keep this review short and sweet by saying that, if you’re open minded, this album will at least be for you what it is for me, an undeniably impressive achievement in a genre I could care less about. Give it a listen, it’s without a doubt a classic, even if it ain’t your jam.

-Mike

Next up, #434: Outlandos D'Amor by The Police. See ya there.

#239: Let It Be- The Replacements

2010-12-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

Listened to: MP3
Now, let me start off by saying I know nothing of The Replacements work. What attracts me to this album is the sheer ballsy-ness, the sheer audacity of naming their album “Let It Be”, simply to show that nothing is sacred, and The Beatles are just another band. These cats seem like true punk rock, in the sense of constantly spitting in the face of expectations, even within the punk scene. I mean, check this quote, their comments on how punks “thought that's what they were supposed to be standing for, like 'Anybody does what they want' and 'There are no rules' [...] But there were rules and you couldn't do that, and you had to be fast, and you had to wear black, and you couldn't wear a plaid shirt with flares ... So we'd play the DeFranco Family, that kind of shit, just to piss 'em off.”

So, without further ado, let’s kick off this album, and see if their talent lives up to their attitude, shall we? We open on “I Will Dare”, a song featuring Peter Buck of R.E.M. on guitar, a fun, poppy song that I can bet went over real well with their hardcore fan base. The song’s title is in reference to their attitude, said Paul Westerberg. “We'll dare to flop [. . .] We'll dare to do anything.” I find it almost hard to believe this is 80’s music, mainly because it’s so daring in it’s simplicity and fun. Indie ass-clowns, you’re welcome. From one track, it’s already obvious that without this album, you’d have nothing. It’s like an upbeat Cure, or a more melodic Echo and the Bunnymen. “Favorite Thing” comes even more alive, showing there’s still a bit of punk in these guys, rocking out on a track that feels like a more dance-friendly Clash. Paul Westerberg lets out this epic yell towards the end of this track, and if by time you get to that part, if you aren’t pogo-ing, you’ve lost your sense of fun.

“We’re Comin’ Out” is pure punk joy. Frenetic, fun, wailing screams, and instrumentals that seem to bridge the gap between The Stooges and The Walkmen. The mid-point drop out to the snaps, however, changes the whole game. Right when you’re getting into the heavy riffs, they trip you up and show they’re more than just riffs with names. The song is without a doubt one of the most structurally innovative songs of it’s day, simply for proving the versatility of punk. If X is 80’s punk purity, The Replacements used this album to prove punk’s maturity. “Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out”’s drum part can’t not remind listeners of The Clash, and I mean that in the best way possible, especially with a guitar part that far exceeds anything I can remember from The Clash.

“Androgynous” feels more like a Roxy Music track than anything else on the album, but it’s kind of grimly jangly. Like a peppy Tom Waits, especially when you read the lyrics. We’re 5 tracks in, and I’m a Replacements fan, folks, especially after the off-key piano ending. “Black Diamond” totally changes the mood, with The Replacements doing their interpretation of a song by none other than Kiss. Yeah, ‘cause that seems like an obvious combination. Now, ya’ll know I’m a big Kiss fan (Jones Beach 2010, baby!) but let me tell you, these cats do a fantastic cover. There’s a real power to it, especially Westerberg’s howling vocals. Of course, right after a powerful track like that, they toy with us again, moving into a mellow guitar intro to “Unsatisfied”, with jangling guitars like Johnny Marr. After this track, I’m sold that Paul Westerberg is a genius. Listen to those gritty wails as he howls out “I’m so…unsatisfied!”.

We move into upbeat turf again with “Seen Your Video”, an instrumental track (until the last 30 seconds), a first for punk music I believe (I could be wrong), especially one that feels so authentically punk (ok, with a bit of 80’s jangling). You can’t deny the innovation these guys display, going from the Miles-Davis-Clash hybrid of “Seen Your Video” to the New York Dolls-esque “Gary’s Got A Boner”, a passion fueled pure punk track. “Sixteen Blue” might be my favorite track so far, just because it’s the kind of track I’d want to use in a movie. I visualize kids dancing at a prom, you know like how every TV show and Filmmaker pretends their prom played awesome music like this instead of “Umbrella”. Though does anybody else notice Paul sounds kind of like Tom Petty on this track?

The album ends on “Answering Machine”, a track on which the vocal production Paul sounds so Pixies-esque I know what I’m listening to next, and it has my favorite lyrics on the album. “How do you say I miss you to/An answering machine?/How do you say good night to/An answering machine?/How do you say I'm lonely to/An answering machine?” By the end, the repeating “If you need help…” proves these men are brilliant.

All in all, I could not have expected an album as strikingly brilliant as this. This may be one of the golden calves of the Pitchfork.com set, but unlike some of their other “classics”, I totally dig this. #239 is far too low a number for something a sharp, exciting and diverse as this album, and it’s certainly worth not just one, but multiple listens.

-Mike

Next up, we tackle #131: Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, mostly by The BeeGees. See you there, whenever that is.

#317: The Eminem Show- Eminem

2010-11-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3
Ok, so it’s been a while, but let’s kick things off right with what some people argue to be Eminem’s best album, The Eminem Show. The album opens with the eerie tones of a soft piano, like a Danny Elfman score, on the first skit “Curtain Up”, and moves into one of Eminem’s most political and dark songs, “White America”. “America, hahaha, we love you, how many people are proud to be citizens of this beautiful/Country of ours, the stripes and the stars for the rights that men have died for to protect,/The women and men who have broke their neck's for the freedom of speech the United States/Government has sworn to uphold, or/(Yo', I want everybody to listen to the words of this song) so we're told…”. Clearly the demons that haunted Marshal so much on Marshall Mathers LP are still here, but from the get go, the album is much more cynical. While tackling the same subject as songs like “The Real Slim Shady”, except now he seems resigned to being vilified, rather than trying to defend himself. “I/ Could be one of your kids, white America, little Eric looks just like this, white America, Erica/Loves my shit, I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get…” From the clown prince of rap to the martyr Marshall, Em enters his third stage on this album, defeated but defiant nonetheless.

The second track, “Business”, features Em taking the bleak, dark tone from the first track and carrying it through to an attack on the rap industry of the time, playing he and Dre as a Batman and Robin taking on the Joker (Insane Clown Posse). Even if you’re not feeling the rhymes on these first two tracks, it’s impressive to note that all the songs of homicide and violence on Slim and Marshall, and yet in two tracks, with rarely a mention of bloodshed, this album takes on a far darker tone than either of those albums as a whole. The third track proves to be one of the most personal Em has ever done, “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”. All the pain that had been accrued in his lifetime, he spits it all out on this track. It’s bleak, hopeless, repentant, and even if he’s sarcastic when he says he “never meant to hurt” his mama, you can’t help but hear the apologetic tinge on this track that would later seep from albums like Relapse and more prominently Recovery. While not as catchy or fun as some of his more well known hits, “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” is one of his most intimate and finest tracks.

“Square Dance” opens with an accordion worthy of the band of corpses from Nightmare Before Christmas, and moves into one of Slim’s scariest tracks (seriously, listen to this with the lights out and try not to feel creeped out). Set aside the bleak, bizarre sounding chorus worthy of being on mixed in with “Revolution #9”, lyrics like:

“Oh yeah don't think I won't go there,/Go to the Beirut and do a show there/Yeah you laugh till your motherfuckin' ass gets drafted,/While you're at band camp thinkin' the crap can't happen,/Till you fuck around,/Get an anthrax napkin,/Inside a package wrapped in saran Wrap wrapping,/Open the plastic and then you stand back gasping,/Fuckin' assassins hijackin' Amtracks crashing,/All this terror America demands action,/Next thing you know you've got Uncle Sam's ass askin'/To join the army or what you'll do for there Navy.” are about as bleak as it can get in the post-9/11 world Em (and the rest of us) had inherited in 2003. “The Kiss (Skit)” finally has Em interjecting some humor into an overall somber album, and smoothly leads into “Soldier”, where finally Em’s rhythm become the focal point of the song, his violent, rapid fire spitting jutting out from the music (while I admire the earlier, more blended tracks, I kinda like the way Em’s rhymes can cut like a razor in the air when pulled from the beat, you know?). The fact is, though, that even this track, which rhythmically and beat-wise sounds like it could fit on any other album, is much more intricately produced. It’s one of the few rap albums I’ve heard to create a sounds cape, like Brain Eno’s another Green World if it were ghetto and grim. Listen to the marching, even the chimes towards the end. There’s a dark beauty to these tracks. The next track, “Sayin’ Goodbye To Hollwood” keeps that dark tone, even though it gets bouncier and lyrically has the feel of something off of Slim Shady LP. “Drips” is under whelming, considering the quality of every track before it. On another album, perhaps Slim, this would have been good, but mixed in with all these dark personal tracks, Obie Trice’s explicitly and unnecessarily specific sexual rap (seriously, it’s kinda terrible) just feels horribly out of place.

Of course, this brings us to the lead single off of the album, “Without Me”. Every Eminem album (besides Recovery) has one of these “time capsule” tracks. Em taking his Slim Shady persona to it’s clowniest, creating a classic video in sharp, brilliant color and zany, high speed antics. These are the tracks that every casual listener remembers, that we know all the words to, but that in the grand scheme of the album, don’t really fit with the tone. Watch this video:

Does this really fit with the album’s feel? The rest of the album (thus far, at least) feels like something more at home with Francis Bacon or Dariusz Wolski rather than this kind of wordplay and color.

But let’s set aside it’s lack of purpose in the album’s theme, and appreciate how fantastically catchy the track is. It’s without a doubt one of Em’s most memorable and most fun, and is definitely in the back of any of my generation’s minds, as we all knew “The FCC won’t let me be” etc. by heart. The next track is a skit, “Paul Rosenberg”, of our beloved Paul from the last album returning once again via phone call to inform Em to leave his guns at home. I guess it goes here as a way to sort of reduce the silliness a bit to lead into one of my favorite Eminem tracks, and indeed one of his most serious and biting, the Aerosmith sampling “Sing For The Moment”, featuring Perry and Tyler themselves.

The first time I heard this song was in 7th grade health class, when we studied the lyrics to this track (as well as “Civil War” by Guns N’ Roses because the teacher was chill like that) to discuss violence in the media. “In the land of the killers, a sinners mind is a sanctum” is really a line that strikes the listener, and makes them wonder if Em’s statement that he’s not very smart is in fact selling himself extremely short. One of the few rap songs I know that I’m certain has to be amazing live with a full band, “Sing For The Moment” is undeniably one of Em’s best, one of his most passionate and pointed, and definitely deserved a better video than it got. Plus, that Joe Perry guitar solo at the end just proves that man can tear it up in any genre.

“Superman” is sorta…bland. It’s an examination of his past relationships, but the misogyny oft complained about in Eminem songs is out on this track in full effect, and a lot stronger and seemingly more unnecessary. Yeah, this is one of those tracks I tend to skip over on this album. “Hailie’s Song” brings it all back, though, as Em analyzes his family life, it really lets the listener into Em’s emotional state. It’s mellow, somber and caring, plus it’s nice to hear him sing (he’s not that bad at all). Apparently he never performs it live, but he had ought to. It’s quite touching to hear him sing and rap with love about his daughter. Hailie has been mentioned on several tracks, but it seems like now on this track she’s no longer just a lyric, but a real part of his life.

After “Hailie’s Song”, we have the return of my favorite recurring character, “Steve Berman”. Em and Steve’s interactions are always a highlight for me, and this short segment involving Em shooting Steve (which is referenced later on Relapse) is a nice bit of fun before “When The Music Stops”, a dark track in keeping with the tone of the first half, as bouncing as “Square Dance” but far more intense and featuring some great guest rappers. “Say What You Say” brings in Em’s mentor Dr. Dre to join him for the track, and while it’s a decent enough beat, the track feels sort of empty when listened to in the grand scheme of the album, and is so forgettable I’m sure most people only listen to this track when putting on the CD and not having the energy to reach for skip. “Till I Collapse” switches of Dre for Nate Dogg, and as one can tell from the get go, is the superior track of the two. The stomp-clap combo (a la “We Will Rock You”) the fury from the rhymes Em spits, that soundscape I so praised at the start of the album, Nate’s perfect vocal hook, it all comes together here to create a brilliantly intense track that is often forgotten from this album but indeed deserves far more attention than it got.

“My Daddy’s Gone Crazy” is by far one of the most unsettling tracks on the album, because of his “touching” incorporation of Hailie (yeah, that’s his daughter’s voice). It’s such a fun track, and it’s nice to hear a girl whose gone through so much turmoil in her life having fun, and I guess this is Em’s answer to “Take Your Daughter To Work Day”, but the truth is I don’t know how great this track would be if Hailie wasn’t on on it. Yet she is, so I’ll admit it’s catchy and fun. This is the final track on the album not counting “Curtain Close”, and I gotta be honest, it’s a good way to end it.

The Eminem Show is undoubtedly one of his best, possibly his best (though personally I’m a little partial to Marshall Mathers LP). It’s got a dark tone and a serious purpose, it shows a maturing artist at the peak of his game, tackling all his problems in stride and producing some of his greatest hits (Em produced virtually the whole album). Nobody summarized this album better than Q Magazine (May, 2006), who said “His two first albums aired dirty laundry, then the world's most celebrated rapper examined life in the hall of mirrors he'd built for himself.” After this album, all of us eagerly awaited Encore, when Em would achieve even greater musical prowess and fill our radios with incredible tracks. And we certainly weren’t let down at all, right? Who didn’t love “Just Lose It”? Right? Right? Anyone? Yeah, it’s all downhill from here in his ouvre, kiddies.

The fact is, if you’re in any way a fan of rap, you probably have already heard this. If not, be sure to seek it out. It’s also by far Em’s most accessible album, so for those of you with weak stomach’s and virgin ears and you wanna get into Mr. Mather’s masterwork, this would be the place to start.

-Mike

Next up (who knows when that will be, though) is a drastic change of tone, #239: Let It Be by The Replacements.

#3: Revolver- The Beatles

2010-09-10T19:25:00.001-07:00

Listened to: CD

The wikipedia article can sing this album’s praises and historical significances much better than I can, and I don’t feel like regurgitating facts for two pages. So I’ll just speak personally. When I first heard that infamous “1...2...3...4” I though “what did I just get myself in to?” (I was a freshman in high school, what do you want?) But as soon as “Taxman” begins, anyone listening knows how this sounds nothing like anything before or after. This is undoubtedly one of the finest studio achievements of any album, with The Beatles playing with sounds that ushered in a psychedelic era just as much as anything brewed by Owsley Stanley. “Taxman” is George Harrison’s compositional rant against his charges of tax evasion (he’d later us the same technique for “This Song” in his solo career). This brilliant electric rock opener is followed by one of Paul’s finest pieces, “Eleanor Rigby”, which for me is inseparable from the animated sequence from Yellow Submarine.

This song features some of the best harmonies the Beatles ever recorded, the orchestration is beautiful, and the way Paul laments never ceases to pull at every listener’s heart strings. But before you feel too sad, John charges in with his cheery, surreal sounding “I’m Only Sleeping”, where you can just tell he played that soundboard like an instrument, with all those twisted and reversed sounds decorating the instrumentation. “Love You To” is George’s second song on the album (normally he’d only get one or two, but fittingly since this is the most George-sounding album in general, he gets three on this one), and shows the heavy Indian-influence George was going through at the time, using a sitar as the primary instrument. Psychedelic, surreal, and fanciful, “Love You To” models itself not after American rock or British pop, but Eastern music, particularly the music of Ravi Shankar, who taught Harrison sitar. This extremely experimental song is followed up by one of the most traditional songs of the Beatles later career, so obviously, if it’s saccharinely poppy, you know it’s a McCartney special. “Here, There and Everywhere” is SO pop, so simple, so relaxed that I would anticipate somebody as hip and avant-garde as Lennon would despise it. However, Lennon adored it, declaring in in 1980 (in his famous Playboy interview shortly before his death) one of the Beatles best songs.

Of course, there’s pop, then there’s just absurd, childish fun. Cue Ringo Starr with “Yellow Submarine”, a silly little song about…well, a yellow submarine. And yes, yes I did hear Ringo sing this live. I am proud. Come on, it’s catchy and fun. Besides, it’s so absurd it just has to be embraced. Plus, when you’re about to be hit with the head-trip of “She Said, She Said”, just need to kick back in silly simplicity for a moment.

“She Said, She Said” might be my favorite track on the album. To me, the world always seems to bend and whirl when this track comes on, even when I’m not on acid. But really, that to me is why the song is special. It’s about loving a girl, and her love doesn’t get you high, it makes you trip. And that’s what I dig. Everybody wants a girl like heroin, coursing through their veins. I want one like acid, who’ll feed my head. And this track, for me, is all about that, and not some off-handed comment by Peter Fonda (I may be interpreting the song wrong, and if I am, don’t correct me. Allow me one of my favorite songs untainted by truth).

“Good Day Sunshine” is one of the most cheerful songs The Beatles have ever written. It’s pure pop….Yep, Paul did it. The harmonies are rich, the song is bouncy and fun, allowing you to recover from “She Said, She Said”. Plus, after many a listen, you really start to appreciate Ringo’s precision. Just sayin’. “And Your Bird Can Sing” is a return to The Beatles early-rock sound, but enhanced by a studio sound of psychedelia. It’s a highly underrated Beatles track, and when I first heard it, I remember thinking the double-guitar-melody was one of the coolest things ever. And I still do.

“For No One” is surprisingly springy for a song so lyrically bleak, and Paul’s voice lilts and lingers on notes with the gentility of a French Horn (like the one that comes in ever so briefly on this track). This one is another one of my favorites on this album, and one of those Beatles songs that, no matter how stripped down it is, is still brilliant. “Doctor Robert” is one of the best songs about a drug-dealer after “I’m Waiting For The Man”, and is a drug-fueled redo of the early Beatles sound on the verses, but that chorus, the organ-backed Church-choir-esque feel always sends chills down my spine. “I Want To Tell You” is the track everyone always forgets is on this album. It’s George’s last on the record, and his most conventional. It’s catchy, fun, and yet still a little mind-bending with the way Harrison swoops through the nights, seemingly drifting through a million thoughts all pouring from his brain through his lips.

“Got To Get You Into My Life” is a special song, in the sense that it might be the only song by The Beatles where I like a cover version better (Earth, Wind & Fire owned this baby). But this is a great track, a brilliant soul song from four white English guys. Plus, you gotta love the brass section, and the trippy guitar solo. The album closes with the most psychedelic and mind-bending track on the album, “Tomorrow Never Knows”. “trun off your mind, relax, and float down stream” could have been the slogan of the 60’s, and John went wild on this track, filling it with consciousness-expanding sounds that set you on edge in a twistedly beautiful soundscape. I mean, who the hell thinks to record their vocals through an organ amp? A genius, that’s who. And this track, hell this whole album, ought to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that’s what Mr. Lennon, and indeed The Beatles as a whole, were.

This album is a masterpiece from start to finish, and absolutely deserving of the #3 spot on this list. Some of the greatest songs ever written are on this album, and it expands your mind while feeding your soul. No one can argue this isn’t an absolutely flawless album, well, they can, but not well. It’s almost irrefutable that this is one of the great achievements in musical history, and an album that will be remembered for centuries, if we have any hope for the human race. You absolutely must, MUST listen to this album if you haven’t already. Pure genius from start to finish.

-Mike

Next up, a very different album, about as far from psychedelic as it can get, but from another artist whom I consider a genius, and one who may have defined his generation as these men defined theirs, for better or worse. Next up is #317: The Eminem Show by Eminem.

#357: Honky Chateau- Elton John

2010-09-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

So, the last time our little blog checked in on Elton John, he had just hit the scene, a fresh, young upstart singer songwriter. Now we get to see him make the transition into the Elton we know today on Honky Chateau, his first foray into what many consider a “rock” album, since John is finally accompanied by his back-up band, and decided to ditch the strings (for the most part). So let’s dive right in, shall we?

The album opens on an Elkton classic, the honky-tonk swing of “Honky Cat”, which is, according to wikipedia, “essentially about the illusion created by city life.” Now, I never picked up on that, but maybe I was distracted by the jangling piano hall feel, and the Elton-answer-to-rock, which on an autumn morning, rubbing your arms to fight off the chill, feels much better than Metallica-rock. Just saying. “Mellow” is one of the only two tracks to feature stings, and it’s just one violin, so Elton kept his idea of a rock album. The track’s feel is represented in it’s title, and it’s the type of ballad-ish track Elton often wrote in the 70’s. Laid back, but still possessing a bit of that Dr. John-esque pulse. From that we move on to the most cheerful suicide song ever (except maybe “Can’t stand Losing You”, but we’ll get into that later) “I Think I’m Going to Kill Myself”, Bernie and Elton’s mockery of teenage melodrama (and coming from a guy who works with teenagers, god bless ‘em for it). This is probably the only rock album I know that uses a tap dancer for an instrument, so even if you find the song and it’s subject distasteful, you’ve got to respect the use of “Legs” Larry Smith. I personally love the song, but I can see how it’s non-PC lack of sensibility could piss some folks off.

“Susie (Dramas)” is another honky-tonk Elton John song, a fun little track, but really just killing time before the true masterpiece of the album. “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Gonna Be A Long, Long Time)” is an undeniable classic. And I could say a million words about how great this song is, but whenever I here it, this is all I can picture:

Seriously, though, it’s a brilliant song, and Shatner does do his best to convey the meaning. While not everyone circles Mars in a huttle, everyone has had that feeling that some “job”, some minor thing they barely care for or understand, isolates them, pulls them away from their life. That cold, loveless feeling has hit us all at some time or other, and Elton and Bernie capture that perfectly on this track.

“Salvation” is a lightly orchestrated ballad that has all the elements of an Elton John hit, and had “Rocket Man”, “Honky Cat” and “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” not been on this album, this track probably would’ve been the lead single. However, it doesn’t hold a damn candle in the wind to any of those tracks (yeah, I know, Elton pun. Total win). Just sayin’. “Slave” starts off with an acoustic guitar intro (very uncommon for an Elton John song) and has the sound of an old Hank Williams country song. It’s a welcome departure from the typical style of Elton John, while still keeping enough of his distinct Elton-ness to make it fun. “Amy” is some more classic Elton rock that you can’t help but let it make you move a bit. “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” is undoubtedly one of Elton & Bernie’s most beautiful songs, and I don’t just say that because it’s about my city. No, it’s the way Elton seemed to know exactly the right note for each word of Bernie’s lament of a New York City where rose trees never grow. The harmonies, the piano, the stripped down sense of simplicity and sadness, this is one of the highlights of Elton’s career, and a song this perfect found a perfect place in film history, in one of the most moving scenes in Almost Famous. If you listen to only one track off of this album (though you really should listen to it all), make it “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”. The album ends on “Hercules”, another guitar-intro-ed song that’s horribly under-whelming after the last track, but I guess it’s necessary to end the album on a somewhat upbeat note.

Honky Chateau is a fantastic benchmark in Elton John’s career, and anybody who’s a fan of the most-popular sound of Elton John should give this album a spin, it’s the best of his pop-rock sound after Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It’s worth a listen.

-Mike

Next up, an absolute classic, one some consider THE greatest album, #3: Revolver by the legends, the greatest band of all time (at least VH1 got that right), The Beatles.

#252: Metallica- Metallica

2010-09-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Listened to: CD

The other day I was watching some special or other on VH1, and in reference to today’s band, one commentator said Metallica finished what Black Sabbath started.” And to be honest, I can’t really argue. Metallica rescued metal from the hair and glam of the 80’s, brought back the grit and darkness, and made metal something you could be completely unashamed to love again. Of course, they also caused the heavy metal plateau. No band has changed the game since Metallica, and nobody can beat them, at least not in their prime. Now while many argue that Master of Puppets is a superior album to this one, I like to relate them to the solo careers of the Beatles. Master being Paul’s and this album being John’s. While Paul’s solo career is more consistent, John’s low points are lower than Paul’s, and John’s high points are higher. I defy you to find any track on Master better and more anthemic than “Enter Sandman”. From the ominous guitar intro to the pounding drums and bass on the chorus, to James Hetfield’s signature voice tearing each note to shreds, this truly is one of the greatest metal songs, and indeed one of the greatest songs of all time. “Sad But True”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Wherever I May Roam”, and the West-Side-Story-incorporating “Don’t Tread On Me” are all highlights on the album, and I may be alone in declaring “Of Wolf and Man” one of my favorite tracks. This baby is pure trash fury, and one of those albums that you replay again and again in the car, gunning it down the road, hearing your engine roar.

I keep my review brief only to ensure there’s room for a guest review but the bottom line is this is a true classic, and a staple of the genre. Truly dark, gritty metal at it’s finest, and on of the best albums of the 90’s. Listen and love.

-Mike

Well, below you’ll find our first guest spot in ages, from our good friend Tom Lorenzo (who last reviewed Cyndi Lauper. Boy has range.) Next up #357: Honky Chateau by Elton John. See you then.

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Tom Lorenzo:

Hello gang. Remember me? I reviewed a few albums a long time ago. Summer came and just whooped my ass in the whole caring about anything department. But I’m back with an album from one of my favorite bands, Metallica and their legendary album, “The Black Album”. For all you shitbirds that think “The Black Album” is Jay Z’s retirement album, start listening to music with guys playing an instrument and go past 1997 for some music. This is the real “Black Album”. Over 15 millions units sold, making it one of the highest selling albums of all time.

I just want to give a little backstory for the band and this album. Cliff Burton, the bands original recording bassist, died during the “Master of Puppets” tour and they hired Jason Newstead. They made “And Justice For All”, arguably their best album and toured for awhile until they 1991 when “The Black Album” came out. So people where anxiously awaiting this album for a while. And most people where happy. Some were not. Why? Because it’s a more commercial sound than Metallica has ever produced. We can blame this on new producer Bob Rock, the Bon Jovi guy. Now even though the music is more commercial, doesn’t mean it’s bad. Quite the contrary, some of their best and most famous music is here. But also some of their worst until “St Anger”.

Let’s just get the bad songs out of the way first. “Don’t Tread On Me” is just not up to snuff for Metallica. Hetfield doesn’t sound particularly into it, like he just needed to get another song on the album. Hammet goes through the motions as does Ulrich. And don’t even get me started on sampling from “West Side Story”. I know Metallica is a band that does things differently than any other heavy metal band, which is why they are my favorite band of all time. But there’s just shit you don’t do. And thats sampling from “West Side Story”.

“My Friend of Misery” is not bad per se. It’s just a derivative song by a band that has never been derivative. This is another song that gives this album a bad name. But almost deservedly so because this song just leaves me cold. Leaves most people cold. So does “The Struggle Within” that tries more than the other bad songs, but strikes out. It comes up swinging, but misses. Now these songs that I say are bad only seem bad because of the other songs that are on the album. Shit, the first song on the album is their “Stairway To Heaven”.

“Enter Sandman” is one hell of a song. Not just as a song, but as an entity. This song is so huge, one of the reasons this sold 15 million copies. Heavy metal fans alone couldn’t do that. Also that music video with the creepy old guy and the strobe lights with Metallica in them. This song kind of made the band the uber successes they are now. This song has one of those fucking riffs that just sticks with you and fucks your brain into remembering it. Hetfield just lets this song take him over. He goes from roaring like an animal to softly saying a prayer. It isn’t their best song. Not by a long shot. But it’s one of those songs man. It just works when it shouldn’t and it has stayed with the public. Does anybody remember a few years back the controversy about NY Met closer Billy Wagner using this song when he came out, even though people thought it’s NY Yankees closer Mariano Rivera’s? Yeah, a sports shit show because of a song.

“The God That Failed” is a song that I shouldn’t have liked, but I did. For one, it’s another personal song for James Hetfield. As a child, he was a christian scientist and watched his mother wither away and die from cancer. So he still has alot of problems with this. So he wrote this, a song about people just expecting God to help them with no effort on their part. I love songs like this because no other heavy metal band would work out demons like this on song. It’s a pretty good song, but without the meaning behind it, I’d like it a lot less. It’s musically very average. But Hetfield makes the song work.

“Holier Than Thou” is a good anthem like song. I could hear this song playing during a commercial when watching an NFL game. It’s loud and fast and just heavy. Nothing too deep about this song. It’s just solid heavy metal that the whole family can listen too. Everyone involved was definitely digging this song. It comes through the song. But it’s still nothing special. Just good. “Through The Never” and “Of Wolf and Man” are like this. Good heavy metal songs that the guys were digging, but with no meaning to it. Nothing’s going on. Just a space adventure of the sort (Never) and a song about a guy being a werewolf (duh). Now, we wrote about the songs that weren’t good and they songs that were but weren’t great (except Sandman. You gotta mention Sandman first). Now, onto the truly great songs that elevate this.

“Sad But True” is a fucking powerhouse of a song. This is one of, if not the heaviest song Metallica has ever recorded. Hammet’s guitar just takes it’s balls out and rubs it across your face. This song is fucking badass. I feel like this song is always used in football movies, or it’s covered or sampled by songs used in football movies. But that’s not why I love this song. I love this song, because to the untrained ear it’s just a heavy metal song. But listen. Really listen. It’s a song about a guy struggling with schizophrenia. That’s some heavy shit. Such a powerhouse of a song. Classic.

“Wherever I May Roam” is such a great song. It’s a heavy song that is about being a drifter. Just the life of a drifter. This is a very western feeling song, not in the instruments but in the lyrics. Very western, tying in with another song on this album. But the instruments here are nuts. Starting out with a sitar and going in to the booming guitar is just epic. Hetfield shows again why he is the king of American heavy metal, and in the pantheon of heavy metal singers in general. He can’t keep up with Dio or Dickinson, but he his own voice that has just dominated heavy metal since 1984. Kirk “The Ripper” Hammet earns his nickname here for throwing down some sick guitar here with a showstopping solo. Just an insane song, a heavy metal classic. The next two songs are two of the best on the album, two of the best Metallica has ever done. But it is also a hint that Metallica isn’t gonna be the same after this album.

“The Unforgiven” is a great fucking song. It’s a western song through and through, evidenced by the Ennio Morricone horn played in reverse at the beginning of the song. A song about a guy who has been hounded and hated on since birth. A man who they try to control but can’t. An unforgiven soul. Such an amazing song. These guys play/sing their hearts out even though this is one of the slower songs they’ve done. I love it. It’s also the first in a trilogy that continues on 1997’s “ReLoad” and ends on 2008’s “Death Magnetic”. Great shit here. Love it.

“Nothing Else Matters” is a controversial song. It’s a slow ballad from a heavy metal band and the hardcore fans flipped a shit. They were ok with “Fade To Black” and “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” because of the subject matter. But this song was a heavy metal ballad love song. The hardcore were pissed. But you know what? It’s a great fucking song. Hetfield wrote this for his then girlfriend, who he loved no matter how far apart they were. It has since become a staple at all Metallica concerts. As it should, since its great. But also because these guys are now in their 40s and need a break now and then. Now, in my “Led Zeppelin II” review, I said “Thank You” would be my wedding song. Well, thats choice number two. This song is number one. I love this song.

Now, this album is a classic. It’s sold over 15 million copies and has songs that live on. But it is their weakest album before they changed up their sound in 1996 on “Load”. I like “Load” and “ReLoad”, but you can’t lump them together. It’s their weakest because aside from the 5 classic songs (only 5, come on assholes get your shit together), the rest range from average to meh. I’d personally switch this album out with their 1988 masterpiece “And Justice For All” for being a better constructed, more well thought out and musically more layered sound. But on impact alone, “The Black Album” deserves this spot.

#97: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan- Bob Dylan

2010-09-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3Without a doubt, Dylan’s second album is the best of his folk-era (in other words, when he was Christian Bale). Acoustic music has rarely, if ever, been performed as well as here, a staple album of the 60’s protest era, with Dylan playing songs of his own composition that sound and feel like they’ve been part of the American songbook for decades prior.

The album opens with one of Dylan’s most popular tunes, the classic protest anthem “Blowin’ In The Wind”, a track brought to notoriety first by Peter, Paul & Mary, but in recent times credit for the song has returned to it’s deserved writer, and Dylan now receives full recognition for one of his many masterpieces. To hear the album kick off with that gentle strumming and Dylan’s nasally, compassionate, weary tone singing about how either obvious or intangible all the answers in the world are. “Blowin’ In The Wind” is undoubtedly one of the greatest American compositions, and it is incredible to see a 20-something kid who just wanted to be Woody Guthrie managed to siphon everything Woody had tried to do his whole life into one song. It’s a song you wish you wrote, and every time you hear it, you’re just glad somebody did. It speaks straight to the soul.

We move on to another classic for Dylan fans, “Girl From North Country”, a song with a feeling of tenderness and longing that to glance at the album cover (adorned by Dylan and Suze Rotolo wandering down a New York street) evokes such an emotional chill one can’t help but recall Dylan’s later work, Blood on the Tracks (but we’ll get to that when the time comes). Following this is one of Dylan’s most intense anti-war songs, the impassioned “Masters of War”. Imagine in a tense time in an overly Christian nation singing the line “Even Jesus could never forgive what you do”. The power and fury with which Dylan strums that guitar makes it sound as though he wrote a Metallica track long before their inception (don’t pretend like this wouldn’t make a mind-blowing metal song. Get on that, Rage Against The Machine). It’s hard to avoid flashes of wounded soldiers, be them from Vietnam or Iraq, flashing in your mind as you listen to Dylan declare that these masters of war are “not worth the blood that runs through your veins”. The fourth track is the first, and possibly only, track on the album that’s never heard off of this record. “Down The Highway” shows Dylan not really protesting or lamenting anything, but more talking about his “baby” in the traditional blues sense. This is the kind of song you could picture Dylan playing with two black blues men a la Marcus Carl Franklin in that Tombstone Blues sequence in I’m Not There. It’s a fine enough track for the flow of the album, and a good example of Dylan just being Dylan. Just playing around, and enjoying music for music’s sake.

“Bob Dylan’s Blues” opens with Dylan doing a spoken ramble about the song’s compositional origins, giving us an inkling of what it would have been like to see Dylan live in his prime. To me, this song is less about the melody than the harmonica playing, which on this track is some of the best he’s ever laid down. This song is melodically and structurally very similar to “Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream” from Bringing It All Back Home, except a little less fun since he doesn’t seem quite as stoned.

“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” is one of Dylan’s most under-rated protest songs. Dylan speaks apocalyptically about the disaster that faces us, be it a rain of nuclear fallout or lies and deceptions from the man in charge. The song keeps itself lyrically ambiguous, teling you “Watch out for something. I’m not gonna tell you what. Just keep your eyes open and be ready.” He’s not saying “We should be afraid” or “All hope is lost”, he’s just saying “Something bad’s coming, wake up!”. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” is essentially (get ready to watch 1,000 Dylan fans wanna shoot me) Bob’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”. It’s a lamenting song, the final words of a break-up, in this case Suze Rotolo abandoning Dylan to wander Italy. Dylan is a master of emotion, and he channels all his pain and suffering into the words “Don’t think twice, it’s alright.”. But think about it, acoustic guitar being plucked, the singer lamenting a lost love, half-resigned, half-bitter. You gotta admit I have a point. “Bob Dylan’s Dream” is a really old-school Dylan track, hearkening back strongly to his folk roots, as he talks about his days living on MacDougal Street with Wavy Gravy. “Oxford Town”, a two minute track, talks about the plight of an African American, a subject Dylan focused a lot of his music on. In this case, the subject is James Meredith, the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.

“Talkin’ World War III Blues” is another classic Dylan protest song, this one in he “talkin’ blues” style of Woody Guthrie, where Dylan, more spoken than sung, chats humorously about the threat of nuclear annihilation. “Corrine, Corrina” is an old traditional song, the first and technically only non-Dylan song on the album. It’s a country-blues song on which Dylan pays tribute to his roots, and has a nice country swing that‘s a welcome change to the lonesome strumming Dylan does for the rest of the album. “Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance” is a Henry Thomas song Dylan heavily reworked, a really upbeat track, the “You‘re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” of this album.. The album ends on an often ignored Dylan track, “I Shall Be Free”. This is a classic Dylan folk number, and a great way to close out an album of some of the best folk music ever composed.

The fact is this is a fantastic album, and a great time capsule of one of America’s finest poet’s in his folk-prime. This right here is American music. Every track on here belongs in the Americana songbook. It’s a brilliant album for anyone interested in classic American music. But if you can’t get past Dylan’s voice….never mind, if you can’t get past his voice, fuck off. Yeah, he’s a genius. Sorry he don’t sing like Rhianna.

-Mike

Next, we’ll go to a completely different era and sound, with #252: Metallica by…yeah.

#424: King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. 2- Robert Johnson

2010-08-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

…Yeah. Look, Robert Johnson was one of the most innovative and important men in blues and rock and roll history. However, I fail to understand why this is on the list (as well as volume 1) when you might as well just make room for another classic album, and just do this.

Would Replace with: King of the Delta Blues Singers by Robert Johnson

This is the CD you can find almost anywhere when looking for the two albums recommended on RS’ list, and it has almost every track you could want by Robert Johnson. The history of rock as you know it starts here. Any great blues guitarist learned their licks off this album, compiling some of the greatest guitar playing from a guy who only lived to 27 (the original club member). Legend has it Johnson sold his soul to the devil to get his skills, and a track like “Hellhound On My Trail” makes you believe it. The album is a true classic, and since you can’t god damn find the original King of the Delta Blues volumes on CD, maybe it’s time to just embrace this mix of both. Robert Johnson’s recordings are totally worth the listen. I just find it convenient that they can be on one album.

-Mike

Next up, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan by...well...Bob...Dylan.

#94: Bitches Brew- Miles Davis

2010-08-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

Listened to: CDI’m gonna lay this out on the line. To go track by track and analyze jazz, especially Miles Davis, is a sin. I’ll simply say this album is a masterpiece, and essential for any fans of experimental jazz. For those not acquainted with jazz at all, this will certainly not be a spring board, but for those who truly dig jazz, this is a classic. Miles let’s all his inhibitions go on this track, laying down some of his most brilliant improvisations. Filled with rock rhythms, fantastic studio edits (like the intro to the album, edited 19 times), Miles revolutionized modern jazz. It’s like by the end of this album, Herbie Hancock was born. This album is what happens if a true genius is given full range. The first time I heard this record, it’s style repelled me. Now I consider it a master work.

I could compose an essay on how innovative it was, or pick it apart compositionally, but it possesses such a magic, a mastery, that I’d rather just encourage you to listen to it with an open mind, and fully appreciate it’s brilliance. But for once, I encourage you not to sit and listen, but rather to go out. Drive. Run. Whatever. Be active, and let Bitches be the soundtrack. Nothing’s better than driving through the mist while disc one plays, being the soundtrack to your visceral experience. I keep this review short not because I have nothing to say, but that Miles Davis music is like sex. The more talking there is, the less fun it is.

-Mike

Next up, #424: King Of The Delta Blues Singers, Vol. 2 by Robert Johnson.

#318: Back Stabbers- The O’Jays

2010-08-24T14:23:00.001-07:00

Listened to: MP3I am unashamed to admit that before writing this, the only song I was familiar with on this album was “Love Train”, but Back Stabbers is considered to be the quintessential Philly soul album, and since this list has been a godsend when it comes to finding good music in genres I’m not too well acquainted with (soul, R&B, etc.), so I looked forward to giving The O’Jays a whirl. The album opens on “When The World’s At Peace”, a spirited, funky opener that takes no time setting the tone or the album, with full, rich instrumentation and a fantastic stereo mix (you really notice it on this album). I find myself looking at the run time of the track and being thankful it’s over 5 minutes long. For those of you listening while reading, don’t dare try saying you’re not dancing even a little bit to this track. I love the way the track fades out at the end, with that echo. The second track, the title one, keeps the rich, full feel from before, with a full orchestra and a vibe that makes it feel like it belongs on the Shaft soundtrack. It’s got a groove that’s unavoidable, and as I say that, I realize the whole album does, whether it be the slow, soulful “Who Am I” or the upbeat dance groove of “Love Train”, Back Stabbers truly is as spirited and full of life a soul album as you can get. I’m amazed at how rich and full the album feels. Certain parts just send shivers down your spine. I mean it when I call this album a masterpiece of producing, if nothing else. Definitely give it a listen.

-Mike

Next up, #94: Bitches Brew by the legendary Miles Davis.

#111: Court and Spark- Joni Mitchell

2010-08-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3I remember first hearing Joni Mitchell’s voice and thinking “That’s the sound I’ve been looking for”. Joni has a gorgeous voice for folk music, and a gentle lilting tone. So you can imagine when she wanted to make an album that was heavily rock and jazz influenced, her producers must have been just filled with joy. But thankfully they had faith in Joni, and the world now has Court and Spark.

The album opens on the title track, a song that’s melody recalls the Blue-era Joni, but the instrumentation is much more full, with a rock drum beat and a almost music-hall sounding piano, making the track a good transition for folk-Joni fans to get into this new era. The next track is Joni’s biggest hit, “Help Me”, a fantastic old-school rock track with just the right twist of Joni’s spirit. This track could have been a Ronettes hit reworked by Ms. Mitchell, and it possesses such a life within it, especially during that “Didn’t it feel good?” bridge that evokes Marvin Gaye and the classic Motown feel. Is there any question why this is the track that brought Joni into the mainstream?

The next track, “Free Man In Paris”, written about famous producer David Geffen after a trip Joni and he took to Paris with the legendary Robbie Robertson and his brother, is like an all-star track. Not only is it one of Joni’s best tracks melodically, but it features David Crosby and Graham Nash on back-up vocals (yes, that IS why those harmonies sound so good) the Jose Feliciano on electric guitar. The drumbeat alone on this track should make it a classic, but every element comes together on this track, proving Joni with a full band is just as good as Joni with an acoustic. “People’s Parties” is a great track that sounds like an old-school Joni solo song that added a back-up band, and that back-up band is a perfect fit. Joni’s voice just floats above the music, reminding you that you don’t have to be howling to put soul into your music. A track like “Same Situation” seems to prove without a shadow of a doubt how much female singers today, ranging from the obvious Aimee Mann to I’ll-go-so-far-to-suggest Kelly Clarkson owe a debt to Joni. Sure, Aretha and Tina get all the credit, but look at the way Joni crafts her voice around each note. There’s passion without fury there. And it’s beautiful.

“Car On A Hill” features some gorgeous choral harmonies showing Joni was definitely having fun in the studio on this one. This track is a real Steely Dan-esque, laid-back rock track, and Joni pulls it off with flying colors. “Down To You” begins as a gentle piano ballad in the vein of classic Joni, which while not in keeping with the “new” image the album creates for her, is a nice departure. But slowly it builds with little flickers of other instruments coming in like fireflies on a summer evening. While other tracks may be more popular, I think “Down To You” is by far the album’s most ambitious track, and it succeeds in most if not all of it’s ambitions.

“Just Like This Train” has the same feel as “People’s Parties”, that idea of it being a classic Joni song with a band added, while “Raised On Robbery” is the exact opposite. You can’t imagine this track without the band behind it, especially when part of that band is part of The Band, since the electric guitar on this track is played by the legendary Robbie Robertson. Without a doubt, “Raised On Robbery” is the heaviest rock track on the album by a long shot, and must have been a shock to the system to any first time listener (I remember it sure as hell was to me), and yet Joni can do this track just as well as the softest, most lilting tracks on the album.

“Trouble Child” goes back to the Steely Dan vibe, and Joni does some of her best slides and really displays her vocal agility in a non-diva, non-irritating way. The album closes on “Twisted”, a Lambert, Hendricks & Ross track featuring, yes, you’re reading that right, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong doing the spoken bits. This is the jazziest song on the album, and shows Joni could have had a great future in this genre just as much as folk. Admit it, this track is practically perfect, and for a folk singer, it’s incredible. It just proves Joni has no label other than “genius”.
Bottom line, this album is fantastic, and a true insiration as to what a musician can achieve with an open mind and great taste. Totally worth the listen. I truly hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did.

-Mike

See you guys next for #318: Back Stabbers by the O’Jays

#433: Another Green World- Brian Eno

2010-08-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Who’s super-psyched for primarily instrumental music from Brian Eno? So, ok, that sounds less fun than I think it’s gonna be. Look, if readers have been taught anything by this, it should be that preconceived notions about an album’s quality should be abandoned. So, set aside all your doubts, and open your mind as we move into Another Green World.

If you had any fear this album wasn’t gonna be some interesting, fun compositional brilliance, the opening track “Sky Saw” should set you straight. From Eno’s free form lyrics to the distorted sliding notes, the opening song sets the tone for an album that’s genius should be recognized from the outset (despite being panned by some critics in it’s early days). Each track s a unique soundscape, with Eno using notes to create an impressionist painting on your ears. The album cover does a lot to set the tone of the album. This is the kind of album that should be accompanied by Rothkos or Magrittes. It’s true modern art, without being pretentious. Each track, from the fun, colorful, upbeat “St. Elmo’s Fire” to the bleak, damp, brooding Francis-Bacon-esque “In Dark Trees”, Eno crafts universes of sound that exist within these tracks, and the instrumentals conjure more images in the mind than even the finest poet’s lyrics.

There is not a track out of place on this album. It is a masterpiece to whom modern day bands like Grandaddy and Sigur Ros owe a remarkable debt. This is an album to lay down on the stereo, turn of the lights, lie back and dream. The world Brian Eno builds within your mind will shine so beautifully you’ll never want the album to end. Definitely worth a listen.

-Mike

Next up, #111: Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell

Monthly Recap: “March 2010”

2010-08-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here’s a really delayed re-cap the albums that were allotted for March 2010 (though some reviews were a tad delayed).

March 1st, 2010: #337: CrazySexyCool- TLC
Bottom line: A solid R&B album, a great time capsule from the 90’s. The only downside is Waterfalls is the best track by a long shot.

March 2nd, 2010: #220: New Orleans Piano- Professor Longhair
Bottom line: “In conclusion, though, definitely look this album up, readers. If this is truly the sound of New Orleans, then I sure as hell know where I’m headed as soon as I get some money.”

March 3rd, 2010: #416: The Mule Variations- Tom Waits
Bottom line: Without a doubt Waits’ darkest and most brooding album. So good I bought the vinyl. The highlight of course is “Take It With Me” for those who don’t enjoy Waits more experimental music, but the album is truly a classic and should rank much higher.

March 4th, 2010: #298: Master of Reality- Black Sabbath
Bottom line: A solid album from one of the masters of metal. Worth the listen.

March 5th, 2010: #473: A Rush Of Blood To The Head- Coldplay
Bottom line: “Compositionally set-off by the September 11th attacks, Martin really comes into his own on this album, and it shows. I’m sure most of you have already dismissed Coldplay, but I encourage you to give this album a spin, and open your minds. You’ll find you like it more than you’d like to admit. From start to finish a classic.”

March 6th, 2010: #147: Dreams To Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology- Otis Redding
Bottom line: Totally unnecessary. There is no reason for two Otis Redding compilations on this list. So many truly classic albums were ignored to make room for a compilation of tracks that are mostly on other albums on the list. Otis wasn’t Christ, despite how RS treats him. This album was replaced by a true neglected classic, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco.

March 7th, 2010: #286: Los Angeles- X
Bottom line: Possibly the best punk album of the 80’s. A brilliant debut from a band that should have conquered the world.

March 8th, 2010: #338: Cheap Thrills- Big Brother And The Holding Company
Bottom line: Some of Janis Joplin’s finest work. Her vocals set the air ablaze, and she truly left Big Brother with a bang. A classic of 60’s rock. For any chick serious about rock, the past two days (March 7th and 8th 2010) should have been viewed as a lesson.

March 9th, 2010: #121: Moby Grape- Moby Grape
Bottom line: “Essentially this album is a summary of what the San Francisco 60’s sound was. It’s the best things about The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and The Byrds all put together. However, this album lacks the significance or following of any.” Replaced it with a truly brilliant album, The Sounds of India by Ravi Shankar.

March 10th, 2010: #444: Criminal Minded- Boogie Down Productions
Bottom line: Despite the very convincing argument by josh, I found this album lacking any truly special spark, and though it should be replaced by the much more landmark album Endtroducing…DJ Shadow.

March 11th, 2010: #177: One Nation Under Groove- Funkadelic
Bottom line: “Overall, this album is highly worth looking in to. Give it a listen one day, it’s only a half an hour or so, and I promise you, you won’t be bored.”

March 12th, 2010: #273: The Slim Shady LP- Eminem
Bottom line: “Eminem established a whole unforgettable personae on this album, while crafting instant classics like “My Name Is” and “Guilty Conscience”, proving that you can make it in rap by not taking yourself seriously at all. I recommend this album highly, if for nothing else than to get a time capsule of the decade in which I came of age, and if you dislike songs about violence, or songs with obscene language, well…grow some balls. This album is a classic, and I’m pretty sure will stand the test of time.”

March 13th, 2010: #498: Tres Hombres- ZZ Top
Bottom line: One of ZZ Top’s best, if for nothing but La Grange, and a great album for any guitar enthusiast.

March 14th, 2010: #408: Time Out Of Mind- Bob Dylan
Bottom line: “It’s criminal that this album is ranked so low on this list, as to me, it really is one of the best of Dylan’s career. He started a new chapter in his life, and even if this is the only highlight, it’s a fantastic place to end. Seriously, get this album, it’s highly worth the purchase.”

March 15th, 2010: #62: Achtung Baby- U2
Bottom line: A true classic that everyone should hear at some point in their lives. U2 at possibly their best.

March 16th, 2010: #360: Siamese Dream- Smashing Pumpkins
Bottom line: “Siamese Dream definitely deserves a place on the list. It’s one of the most daring hard-rock albums of the 90’s, and perhaps of all time, and Corgan’s sense of composition, especially incorporating orchestral instruments, cannot be rivaled. Please give this one a listen.”

March 17th, 2010: #445: Rum, Sodomy, and The Lash- The Pogues
Bottom line: A great album, unique and full of life. Also great to drink to. Just sayin’.

March 18th, 2010: #74: Otis Blue- Otis Redding
Bottom line: “Without a doubt, Otis blue is one of the greatest albums ever recorded, a landmark in soul and music in general, and should be ranked even higher than 74.” A true staple of soul music.

March 19th, 2010: #394: For Your Pleasure- Roxy Music
Bottom line: “This was an incredible album to experience, and it is ranked criminally low. Everyone should give this album a listen, it’s highly worth it, and I look forward to more Roxy Music to come.”

March 20th, 2010: #44: Horses- Patti Smith
Bottom line: “I’m not going to tell you to listen to this album. Rather, I’m demanding any serious reader of this blog go out and buy it. You’ll be a far better person for it. Horses is one of the greatest albums of all time, and no human being should go without hearing it.”

March 21st, 2010: #363: Ray Of Light- Madonna
Bottom line: “So, yeah, I’m unashamed to admit that Ray Of Light is a great album, integrating electronic dance music without getting repetitive or annoying. Madonna proves on this album she’s more than just a pop singer, that she is a truly gifted and talented artist. I recommend giving this album a listen, you might be surprised how current it still feels, despite being 10 years old.”

March 22nd, 2010: #172: Every Picture Tells A Story- Rod Stewart
Bottom line: “Personally, I don’t get it. It’s a good album, but I don’t think it’s great or mind-blowing. However, it’s clearly culturally significant, and when compiling a “Greatest” list, it’s got to be different than a “Favorites” list, and if this album is as significant as all it’s supporters seem to think, and it’s not unbearable (it’s actually quite enjoyable on the third or fourth listen) then it deserves to stay. However, I’m not buying it being #175.”

March 23rd, 2010: #435: To Bring You My Love- PJ Harvey
Bottom line: “To Bring You My Love is the type of album one should aspire to make. It’s craftsmanship is flawless, it’s compositions and performances incredible, and it all works as a cohesive piece of music. Harvey on this album created not just a phenomenal collection of songs, but a remarkable simplistic symphony. I cannot reach out of the computer screen and force you to listen to this, but know that I would if I could.”

March 24th, 2010: #105: Rocket To Russia- The Ramones
Bottom line: The review was really brief, but Rocket To Russia is a great punk album infused with surfer influences and furious spirit. Totally worth checking out if you’ve already heard and loved the Ramones’ debut album.

March 25th, 2010: #464: The Blueprint- Jay-Z
Bottom line: “It’s an undeniably enjoyable album, and the portrait of a truly gifted artist at his best, and it brought a little light to a New York ravaged with tragedy (it came out on 9/11). I recommend it highly to anyone looking for a good album for a long ass drive with the windows all the way down and the bass all the way up” I’ll now go so far as to say one of the greatest rap albums of all time.

March 26th, 2010: #325: Slowhand by Eric Clapton
Bottom line: “I truly and deeply recommend this album. If you go on looking for heavy rock and roll, you’ll be let down, but if you want to put on a record with some of the best guitar playing of all time, and don’t mind it being gentle and smooth, then you can’t do better than this.”

March 27th, 2010: #219: Loveless- My Bloody Valentine
Bottom line: “It’s not my cup of tea, though I will admit certain tracks, like “When You Sleep” and “I Only Said” were enjoyable. Maybe I’ll get Nick Young to come back and explain the album’s greatness better, but for now, let me say it’s worth listening to for the significance, if not so much the music.”

March 28th, 2010: #405: Rid of Me- PJ Harvey
Bottom line: “So, in conclusion, Rid Of Me is another great album by PJ Harvey that I recommend, however, I would choose To Bring You My Love or Stores From The City, Stories From The Sea over it.”

March 29th, 2010: #69: Superfly- Curtis Mayfield
Bottom line: “Look no further than Super Fly for funk that works at it’s best. I absolutely recommend this album.” Truly one of the all-time great film soundtracks.

March 30th, 2010: #315: Surfer Rosa- The Pixies
Bottom line: “Surfer Rosa is a genius album, and maybe some folks won’t dig it, but if I’ve turned at least one person on to these guys, I’ve done my job on this blog. So give Surfer Rosa a listen. I don’t think you’ll regret it.”

March 31st, 2010: #83: I Never Loved A Man The Way Love You- Aretha Franklin
Bottom line: “This album contains some of the greatest soul songs ever composed, and performed by one of the greatest and most influential soul singers to ever live. It’s virtually flawless, and THE definitive Aretha album. This is a shining example of a gifted performer at her peak. For those who only see Aretha as the woman with the funny things on her head at various ceremonies, do yourself a favor and look this one up. A true classic."

#104: Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music- Ray Charles

2010-08-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3Considered by many to be Ray Charles’ finest album, I looked forward to finding out why Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music is so revered. It doesn’t contain of Charles’ well-known hits, so the average CD-shopper would probably dismiss it. Indeed, were I not aware of the album’s significance, I’d only pick it up to hear Charles’ take on “Bye Bye Love”, a song All That Jazz has made into one of my favorites. I’m happy to report, by the way, that on that track, and most of the others on this album, Charles fails to disappoint. It’s undeniable that Ray Charles had one of the most soulful voices in musical history. He felt everything he sang, and every word and note had some special meaning to him. Even on a more gentle track like “You Don’t Know Me”, a song Charles made popular though not on of his own, each note possesses that raspy genius. I typically hate those old backing vocal sounds from Elvis tracks and stuff from that era, but on this track, Charles just seems to float above it all. This track is a time capsule whose contents are still fresh upon opening. “Half As Much” is a country track that Charles turns into a Sinatra-style swing tune. It’s amazing to see how much creative control Charles exercised over this album, considering his race and the time period. It’s a testament to what a one of a kind talent the man was. The sax solo in “Half As Much” alone makes the track worth a listen.

“I Love You So Much” is a decent song made so much better by Ray’s jazz style crooning. He’s considered a pioneer of R&B and soul, but tracks like this show you how he could do any genre of music. Charles was a true master of music. “Just A Little Lovin’ (Will Go A Long Way)” brings in that soul you’ve been hearing so much about, even though on this track Ray sounds kinda like that Bill from School House Rock. “Born To Lose” is the first track on the album that kind of under-whelms me. This track, while good, lacks the spark of the other songs. There’s not nearly as much life in this one as the others. But, hey, 1 “eh” track for 5 amazing ones? I can deal.

The second side of the album eases into “Worried Mind”, another ballad that seems to possess a little more soul than the previous track. If nothing else, one has to appreciate the piano solo. “It Makes No Difference Now” keeps the same tone as “Worried Mind” but the pacing picks up a bit. Yeah, that’s all I have to say. The second half of the album doesn’t start out with the same great kick as the first side. Yet another slow ballad, “You Win Again” is…nice…but Christ what I wouldn’t give for “What’d I Say” right now. The first side of the album had such variety. And each track on side 2 is good, it’s just…bleak. This album is still brilliant, a guaranteed classic, and rightfully deserves it’s place on this list. But…I could really use some R&B. Hell, not even Ray’s R&B. I’ll take Jamie Foxx (the other Ray Charles)’s shitty auto-tuned R&B. “Careless Love” is a traditional song Charles adds a swing to and gets a little closer to an upbeat track. This track is another song that’s ok, but made much better by Ray’s vocal styling. It’s still far too slow, though. Is ONE more swinging tune too much to ask? At the time, this music was groundbreaking, and deserves respect. Now, however, some of it just fall flat.

“I Can’t Stop Loving You”, a country track Charles makes his own, picks it up a bit, with a lively string section, but it’s still sorta...dragging. I’m not gonna lie, after a whole album side of slow, you may spend this whole tracking half enjoying Ray’s voice, and half waiting for the Hank Williams classic “Hey Good Lookin’” knowing (or at least hoping) that will be somewhat upbeat. And finally, after an album side of slowness, we finally get the rocking Ray I’ve come to love. There’s his spirit, his energy, his sense of rhythm and soul. Finished with his tracks of weeping, Ray rocks out and sets your soul afire for the final 2 minutes of the album.

Ray proved many things with this album. 1) Great R&B doesn’t need 20 minute obnoxious vocal riffs (I’m talking to you American Idol), 2) Great music is great music, an a country classic can become a soul staple in the right hands, 3) An incredible album in 1962 can still be an incredible album today, and 4) Ray Charles is a legend. And after this album, I shouldn’t have to explain why any further.

By the way, if you enjoyed this album as much as I did, be sure to pick up the CD re-release with the three bonus tracks. “You Are My Sunshine” alone is worth it.

Bottom line: Definitely give it a listen. Sure, the second half drags a bit, but this right here is a true classic, and the best album Ray Charles ever put out. It should be a staple of anyone’s record collection. Yes, I said record. I’m off to o buy the vinyl later today.

-Mike

Next up, a total change of tone. #433: Another Green World by Brian Eno.

#311: MTV Unplugged In New York- Nirvana

2010-08-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Listened to: CD

The final words of the iconic Kurt Cobain are truly haunting ones, whether those last words are his infamous suicide note or this, the final album by Nirvana, the soundtrack to MTV Unplugged In New York. Though it’s hard to listen to this album and separate it from the tragedy surrounding it, or the poignant visuals of Kurt surrounded by candles and lilies, the album, in it’s own right, is brilliant. Comprised mostly of acoustic arrangements of lesser-known Nirvana tracks (the album opens with Kurt describing “About A Girl” as “off our first album. Most people don’t own it.”) and covers (the most memorable of these being David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World” and a chillingly lingering “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?”), Unplugged proves Nirvana was one of the great bands of the 90’s, and indeed in rock history. The use of acoustic (if at times amplified and distorted) instruments showcases Cobain’s songwriting talents, and his howling yawps during songs like “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” makes you miss a man you may not been have been alive to know.

It is unfair to review an album like this so briefly, but the truth is there is nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said. The album is worshipped by most critics, and tracks of it are staples on alternative radio. Most of these tracks are so ingrained in my memory and my life that to try and explain why this album is a classic is like trying to explain why eating is good. Haunting is the word I keep going back to, but to listen to a man bear his soul like that on record, to know that he crafted a funeral on stage and eulogized himself, you can’t avoid feeling the shivers down your spine.

When I write long reviews, it’s my attempt to convince you that these albums are worth their place on the list. But simply listen to the track “Pennyroyal Tea”, and you’ll see I need make no further argument. This album is a true classic worth not only listening to but owning.

-Mike

Next up, #104: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles.

#483: Life After Death- The Notorious B.I.G.

2010-08-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

After seeing a small white boy walk past me yesterday wearing a Life After Death t-shirt, I felt it was high time I got back in the game. One of the quintessential rappers of the genre, Biggie Smalls, only released one album in his lifetime, the classic Ready To Die. Life After Death was intended to be his stellar follow-up, a double album featuring some of the biggest rappers in the game, among them Puff Daddy, Nas and Jay-Z, but Biggie was tragically shot two weeks before it’s release. It’s almost universally agreed that this is the album that solidified Biggie as a legend in the field, sparked a movement to more radio-friendly sounds in gangsta rap, and proved to be one of the most significant albums in rap history.
I can’t think of a better album to come back on.

The album begins with the intro “Life After Death (Intro)” which samples Biggie’s own “Suicidal Thoughts” (off of Ready to Die). It’s a reminder of how old rap albums used to be, with a sense of fun (The “Previously on…”) and a sense of drama (The soulful music and the ambulance sounds). The intro is also sadly ominous, starting the whole album on the idea of Big’s passing. The sound of “Biggie”s heart beat ceasing leads into the beat for the first song on the album, “Somebody’s Gotta Die”, a revenge track . “Somebody’s gotta die, if you go then I go.” is a chorus that keeps no secrets about Big’s philosophy on whether or not to turn the other cheek. A point of interest for anyone unfamiliar with the song is Notorious B.I.G.’s declaration of his desire to make this shooting as, well, as safe as a shooting can get. “See niggas like you do ten year bids/Miss the niggas they want/And murder innocent kids/Not I/One niggas in my eye/That's Jason/Ain't no slugs gonna be wasted”. See, a conscientious killer.

Now, I apologize for the length, but as we approach the track “Hypnotize”, I went to my usual source of fun facts, Wikipedia, and before someone changes it, I felt I should repost the synopsis of the song, as whoever wrote it earns my ultimate respect. So, without further ado, Wikipedia’s synopsis for “Hypnotize, the Grammy-nominated first single (I‘ll only ad that it samples on of my favorite Pink Floyd songs, “Young Lust”):

“The song begins with a narrator who is ill; generally in a worse way than other black men whom do not think their defecation possess an odor, pink alligators and residents of Detroit. However, the narrator wishes nothing but good tidings for the ruffians of Brooklyn.
Amongst his friends, if they display no characteristic of mental illness, the narrator states his willingness to be around them most evenings.

Mental illness plagues our narrator. He appears to suffer to schizophrenia. Early in the tale, he refers to himself as “Poppa.” “Poppa” has always worked well in a crowd, demonstrating little social awkwardness. He states he’s possessed these traits since he was a child, when he often wore Underroos brand undergarments. “Poppa” is affable, and chooses not to engage in fisticuffs with people that may disagree with him, deciding instead to turn the other cheek to their slanderous comments.

“Poppa” is also desirable by the women in the neighborhood, who will approach to two young gentlemen in the story, stating a desire to fornicate with them. The young gentlemen are “Poppa” aka Christopher Wallace and his associate Sean Combs, referred to in this instance as “Puff”, a shortened appellation of his self-applied nickname “Puff Daddy.” Mr. Wallace analogizes his friendship with Mr. Combs to the partnership of David Michael Starsky and Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchison. The fictitious duo were made popular by the eponymous police officer drama aired on ABC from 1975 – 1979.

Should Mr. Wallace discharge three rounds of ammunition at one’s cherry red BMW M-3 automobile?

Other male siblings of the narrator have been putting on a pantomime show recently, involving an elaborate visual display without speaking. Mr. Wallace on the other hand is more inclined to be vocal, and wishes to do so with his peers, a group that includes people of Cuban descent who are religious. Mr. Wallace carries with him a weapon, routinely asking those in close proximity if they would the relieve him of the burden of this firearm. If so, then said persons should display the firearm in a rather ostentatious manner. This trait and others form the common behavioral patterns of Mr. Wallace’s neighborhood, and he is well aware of it.

In addition to his bouts with multiple personality disorder, our narrator—now called “Biggie” by a chorus of unnamed females—appears to have vision problems, and thus is unable to witness the success of his hypnosis upon the women in this entourage. The women postulate Mr. Wallace’s hypnotic success is most closely correlated to his outsized personality, which in turns leads him to a very lucrative position relative to his peers.

Mr. Wallace is a keen observer of the high-end women’s fashion of the time and has noticed women—referred to in this instance by a derogatory name given to females that are employed as prostitutes— in different parts of the country have an affinity for specific brands. According to Mr. Wallace, women in New York primarily wear DKNY, a brand made popular by Donna Karin. However, women in Miami and Washington, D.C. have stated a preference for Versace, at the time being headed up by the late Gianni Versace. The women residing in Philadelphia seems to have a desired to accumulate more wealth in addition for their likes of Moschino fashions, according to the observations of Mr. Wallace. Universally accepted and purchased by women who possess a derriere is clothing made by Coogi.

Mr. Wallace now has a question for the audience. He would like to know who among us is really excrement. The reason for his question is the homosexual behavior of his male siblings. This is not the case for our narrator’s alter ego Frank White, a reference to the Christopher Walken character in the 1990 movie “King of New York.” Our narrator in his persona of Mr. White drives a Lexus LX 450, with tinted windows. Said vehicle is well suited for discrete encounters with the opposite sex, says Mr. White, aka Mr. Wallace, aka “Poppa,” aka “Biggie.”
In general, Mr. Wallace notices most of the people who belong to an organized crime syndicate prefer to save their inquires until after the discharge of a firearm.

Instead Mr. Wallace is here to sing songs of verse set against a syncopated beat about topics such as marijuana, females, mammary glands, brassieres, sexual encounters with multiple partners simultaneously and fornication in an automobile.

Despite his obvious wealth and privilege and a hedonistic lifestyle, Mr. Wallace will still leave one on the pavement. He also has excellent fiscal discipline as he does not have a mortgage on his condominium nor does he owe any money on his main mode of transportation, his automobile.
Mr. Wallace now finds himself in some unspecified legal difficulties and must appear at arraignment. While in the court, he asks his attorney to pass a note to the plaintiff, which reads: “Your daughter’s tied up in a Brooklyn basement.” This rather bizarre legal maneuver was successful. As the legal proceedings advanced from arraignment to trial, the jury in Mr. Wallace’s case has reached a verdict of “not guilty.” Mr. Wallace will now be able to save his money for more leisurely pursuits, until such time as one of his male siblings can reach him.

Again, the women in the narrator’s repertoire inquire about Mr. Wallace’s poor vision. One may speculate that his lack of vision is related to glaucoma, a degenerative eye condition, which some doctors will prescribe marijuana to help alleviate pain. The women in the entourage, however, are still under a hypnotic trance induced by Mr. Wallace’s personality and wealth.

Mr. Wallace’s wealth allows him to accumulate many of the trappings of a millionaire lifestyle. He consumes escargot and drives an automobile that has a maximum speed of 160 miles per hour. In the event said automobile is involved in an accident, Mr. Wallace has the means to purchase a newer version, rather than filing a claim with an insurance company, paying the necessary deductible and waiting for the automobile to be repaired. Often times, repaired vehicles have a lower resell value. The time involved might also slow down the daily activity of his associates, which are quite busy, often times, the group is on the “run run run,” a reference to The Crystals’ song of 1963.

By this point, the narrator is aware that audience is feeling under the weather. One potential cause of the general malaise may be witnessing Mr. Wallace’s prolific sexual activity. Once he engages in conversation a woman, he’ll give her a writing instrument, provide her a phone number to call and arrange for an encounter at 10 pm. Said encounter results in fornication upon a Persian rug. Later, Mr. Wallace will sodomize the unnamed female at her place of employment, ejaculating into her anus, while not speaking. Other times, Mr. Wallace will vocalize his request that said female disrobe in an unhurried fashion. Once undressed, Mr. Wallace will engage in a sexual fantasy involving a Star Wars Episode IV fetish. His penis is the color one would expect an African-American’s penis to be.

The tale concludes with the narrator roaming about the neighborhood, collecting debts. For some debtees he suspects may have funds in a secure location, he’ll kindly request they reveal the location of their lock box.

All of this is rather remarkable considering Mr. Wallace has been unable to see for some time. Yet, his powers of hypnosis are strong. The women in his support troupe continue to testify to his remarkable hypnotic feats.”

We then move on to “Kick In The Door”, featuring The Madd Rapper (In one of my favorite what-I-hope-is-a-joke-jokes {you have to at least spend a second confused} on the album), in Biggie’s full-on attack on Nas, Ghostface Killa, and basically any other rapper who’s gotten “too big for their britches”, which is the term I’ll go with unless there’s a way I can sound even whiter. This track has one of my favorite beats on the album, a hip-hop modification of “I Put A Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. It’s well known that Biggie was a big influence on Eminem, and that fact is obvious on a track like this. The beat, the rhythm, it’s clear Shady learned his attack moves from one of the masters. After “Kick In The Door” is the ever-eloquent “Fuck You Tonight” featuring R. Kelly, and I promise not to make any piss jokes while we talk about this track, so…let’s just move on. Though I will say for the record, only R. Kelly could make “You must be used to me spending’/ All that winin and dinin/Well I’m fuckin you tonight” sound like sweet talk.

“Last Day” features The Lox, a hip-hop group featuring Jadakiss and two other guys whose names you’ll forget immediately after reading this, which is a shame, ‘cause these guys have a great flow. The track as whole features a dark, eerie tone, sending shivers down your spine hearing the hook talk of living till their last day, and knowing Big’s last day occurred before the world even hear this track. It’s points like this on the album you have to imagine what it was like buying this album upon it’s release, and having it first sink in that he was gone. This track also features one of my favorite Biggie lines “You still apoligizin, analyzin, my size and your size and/realizin, a fist fight would be asinine/You just pop wines I must pop nines/Genuine steel piece, nozzle in your grill piece”.

The next track, “I Love The Dough” features Angela Winbush, and none other than HOVA himself, not to mention a synth playing “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” by Rod Stewart. Sadly, while the beat is good, this track is under whelming. You come to expect more when two titans come together. Even if it’s not as memorable as “California Love” by Pac and Dre, it should at least be a sick cut, like “Renegade” with Jay and Em. Instead, you get a bland hook, dull rhymes, and a passionless Jay-Z. Biggie can be laid-back in his rhymes and make it sound sly, but someone like Jay-Z just sounds lazy if he’s not spitting fire. Luckily, the next track finds Big matched with somebody in his same chill style (a laid back delivery in the vein of Erik B. and Rakim) in “What’s Beef?” featuring Puff Daddy. The track may seem like another gangsta rap call-out, but at heart it’s a stark and brooding rumination on the world of hip-hop beefs and rivalries, as two men in the heart of the game sit back, resigned to the darkness of their chaotic kingdom. After a brief interlude (“The B.I.G. Interlude”) Puff rejoins Biggie on the track everyone remembers off the album.

The Grammy nominated (and should have been Grammy winner if it weren‘t for Puff‘s tribute to Bigge) “Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems” is undoubtedly one of the most famous, most popular, and most influential songs in the history of rap music. The song’s theme is apparent in the title, but it’s the unique soundscape of the track, it’s use of Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out”, it’s funk-infused bass line, it’s undeniable dance-appeal that allowed it to have mainstream appeal without lyrically losing any of it’s gangsta edge. Many have written in many ways about the negative impact of wealth and fame on their lives, especially in music, it being the theme of albums by such extremes as Eminem and Lady Gaga) but no piece of art has proven more anthemic of the idea then “Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems”. Biggie’s rhymes seem to move with an ease and agility on this track, as if he knew this would be the track to stand out in his legacy.

That track is followed up by the more generic rap track “Niggas Bleed”, and perhaps it’s a better track than I give it credit for, but anybody who’s read my reviews before will know how I feel when a truly remarkable track is followed by a bland one. It’s got a good flow, and after the first minute it begins to grow on you, it’s almost operatic sense of drama escalating as the gunshot sounds and laughs come in, and after you;ve forgotten the feelings you;ve gotten from “Mo’ Money…” you starty to really enjoy the track, including the sense of humor displayed in the ending. Disc 1 ends with “I Got A Story To Tell”, a track about Big’s favorite activities, “beatin’ up niggas and fuckin’ hoes”. This track also features one of the numerous references to the number 112 (Another song mentions room 112, and I’d point the rest out for you, but why not play lyrical Where’s Waldo?).

Disc 2 opens with “Notorious Thugs”, and I’ll be honest, them saying “Biggie” gets grating after the first 10 seconds. The track features Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and has Biggie spitting one of the fastest flows I’ve ever heard him utter. If nothing else, this track has to be applauded for the normally chill Notorious B.I.G.’s lyrical agility, not to mention the fire spit by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on the second verse. This track is a great example of word acrobatics, and for any readers with the attitude of “anybody can rap, it takes no skill”, I dare you to try and lay down a track like this. Get back to me on that.

Up next is “Miss U” featuring 112, which opens with Biggie telling a story of a “nigga” that “just got moked out”, and the song is dedicated to “all the niggas that died in the struggle”. The track is a somber story, not of people dying, but of the people who lost someone they love. “Damn, they lost a brother - they mother lost a son/Fuck, why my nigga couldn't stay in NY?/I'm a thug, but I swear for three days I cried/I look in the sky and ask God why/Can't look his baby girls in the eye/Damn I miss you .” The second verse, where Big tells the tale of “Drew” is heart wrenching as well, but it isn’t until the end that you realize this track is also an unintentional apology to all those loved ones Big himself was leaving behind.

Lil’ Kim, who is featured on my favorite skit on Ready to Die, comes in to lay down some rhymes on “Another”, a track that sounds like an 80’s club-hit, you know, until you hear the lyrics. It’s fun track, and totally undercuts the beauty of “Miss U”, which might have been Biggie’s goal, not wanting to get too emotional all at once. Listen to Lil’ Kim’s verse on this song, and maybe a lot of you will revise that attitude that women can’t rap (despite the undeniable patriarchy of the industry, Kim held a good rep in the field until that whole prison and Dancing With The Stars thing). Though it should be noted Biggie couldn’t sing for shit.

“Going Back To Cali” is partly Biggie’s reflection on the east coast/west coast beef going on that ultimately resulted in he and 2Pac’s untimely demise. “If I got to choose a coast I got to choose the East/I live out there, so don't go there/But that don't mean a nigga can't rest in the West.” He admits to only having a beef with “those that violate me” and seems to be trying to bridge the gap between the two sides. Who knows what effect this track may have had, had it come out before those bullets were fired. “Ten Crack Commandments” is an interesting track from a sociological perspective if no other, as B.I.G. lays out ten rules for selling crack, such as never telling anyone how much money you’ve accrued and “Keep your family and business completely separated”. Musically, the track is nothing special, but as a window into the world of crack dealers and the life, this track is invaluable.

“Playa Hater” is a track that probably should have as much substance as the instrumentation alludes, but instead it’s an empty little joke Biggie warbles through. The track is followed by the equally under whelming “Nasty Boys”, which is just an irritating 5 minute waiting period before “Sky’s The Limit”, one of the best tracks on the album. Much like “Juicy” on Ready To Die, “Sky’s The Limit” features Biggie chronicling his upbringing. Fun fact: Spike Jonze directed the music video. Ok, maybe that’s only cool to me. Following up “Sky’s The Limit” is “The World Is Filled…”, which again suffers from being a bland track following a great one. However, the next track, “My Downfall” featuring rap forefather DMC, is one that can’t be missed, if just to hear two eras of hip-hop come together.

The final two tracks on the album really close it out right. First, “The Long Kiss Goodnight” has a great little piano thing going on while Big spits sick, violent rhymes, and the final track “You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)” is not only a terrifyingly ominous ending, but it features a collaboration with his widow, the lovely Faith Evans. The track is as somber a goodbye as Biggie could offer us, and a dark, misty conclusion to the posthumous masterpiece that is Life After Death.

Bottom line, listen to Ready To Die before this to get a real feel for the talent and potential that was Biggie. But for any rap fan, this album’s essential.

Next album up, one of my favs, another great artist of the 90‘s final album, #311: Unplugged in New York by Nirvana.

#441: Tragic Kingdom- No Doubt

2010-06-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Listened to: Vinyl

In my humble (as humble as I’ve ever been on this thing) opinion, Tragic Kingdom is No Doubt’s finest album. Determined to succeed, despite their pop-ska sound totally clashing with the bleak, hip, grunge sound of the time, No Doubt’s third studio album features most of the songs your average radio-listener (back when radio had listeners) will recognize. Kicking off on “Spiderwebs”, one of the songs that defines the ska genre for me, alternating between laid back, brass heavy beats, and rock and roll guitar-centric heaviness. This track is one of the first to bring ska-pop to the radio, opening the door for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Specials, and probably even more “indie” bands like MGMT. Just a theory. The album is pure saccharine joy. You can’t avoid wanting to gleefully pogo to that pounding drum, and the upbeat feel carries over into the next track, “Excuse Me Mr.” before you even get a chance to wipe the sweat off your brow. On tracks like “Excuse Me Mr.” and “Just A Girl”, Gwen Stefani proves herself one of the greatest women in rock (and lord knows I have high standards for that title). She’s got that unique voice, that colorful physicality that comes out over the record (come on, don’t act like you don’t picture her singing these tracks, when it gets to that dolphin-like bray during “excuuuse me”) and a damn hot attitude, a punk anger that apparently got lost during her solo career (we miss it, Gwen).

After three of the most well-known No Doubt tracks, “Happy Now?” is a refreshing surprise to first time listeners. From the sliding bass intro, this track is intense. Those back-up vocals of “Are you happy?” hit me hard. This is the pop of the 90’s, for me. My musical mommies. This, Alanis, and Lisa Loeb (yes, Lisa Loeb). Listen to how intense Gwen is as she wails on these tracks. No poppy “Sweet Escape” here. Just intense rock and roll, mixed with juke-box pop, blended to perfection. The upbeat organ on “Different People”, the overall bouncy vibe can’t help but make you bounce in your seat. Oh, Ska. Reggae for white people. Just for clarification, and brevity, let’s talk quick about the next three tracks: “Hey You” is not a cover of Pink Floyd (tragically, as it would be awesome to here their take on it), “The Climb” is not a cover of Miley Cyrus (tragically, some people might actually think it is. Kids are dumb), and “Sixteen” is not an Iggy Pop cover (despite how AWESOME it would be). They’re all great tracks, and you’ll discover that when you listen to this album (Oh, I haven’t convinced you yet? The next two tracks ought to).

“Sunday Morning” (not Maroon Five’s for the record) is Gwen Stefani’s furious break-up song, the angry ska Blood On The Tracks, if you will. It’s intense, it’s peppy, it’s angry, it’s fun. It’s one of the most underrated songs in their entire catalogue, though it admittedly is easily forgotten when followed by what is likely No Doubt’s best track, the so-radio-beloved-you-couldn’t-escape-it-from-1996-to-2005-and-even now-and-then-it-crops-up “Don’t Speak”, a track that deserved al the Grammy’s it lost out on (Though Time Out Of Mind might have deserved Album Of The Year {this might be better, though, that‘s up for debate}, the completely forgotten “Sunny Came Home” {can anyone remember that track?} doesn’t beat out “Don’t Speak” in my book). Stefani’s impassioned vocals, that ahead-of-it’s-time-yet-so-90’s-vibe, everything on that track is brilliantly done, from the first strum of the guitar to that heavy, head-swinging chorus. And god damn, just listen to that acoustic solo.

The four tracks that close this album probably should have gone ahead of “Don’t Speak”, which would have been an amazing album closer, the kind that gives chills. But song placement is probably the only fault this album has. Even the last four tracks are unique, infectiously catchy, and pretty damn fun (see “You Can Do It” specifically if you don’t believe me). Tragic Kingdom is a terrific record (if I take the time to buy it on vinyl, it tends to be. Those things are expensive, and I ain’t got much money, dig?), and if you’ve ever heard a No Doubt track and loved it, odds are It’s on this album, and odds are you’ll love the rest. Yeah, it’s well worth the listen.

-Mike

Next up, a total change of pace, #483: Life After Death by Notorious B.I.G.

#238: Can’t Buy A Thrill- Steely Dan

2010-06-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Say what you will about Steely Dan (Lord knows Nick and I did back in our second day of reviewing), but they have good sources for things. Their name comes from a Borroughs book, and this album’s title comes from a Bob Dylan song. I really do want to like them, and maybe, just maybe, I will. Let’s see. So, without further ado, let’s give Steely Dan a second chance.
Let’s just get it out right off the bat: The Steely Dan songs you know are on this album (besides maybe Home At Last, but that‘s only if you‘re me, my guitarist, or those guys we played with that one night). “Do It Again” opens the album, and even if you’re not a huge fan (which I’m not) you’ve got to admit this is a good song. The pitch-shifting organ, the laid-back beat, he fact that it sounds like the instrumental break-down part of “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” by The Rolling Stones, and…god damn, is that a sitar? I think that every time I hear this. That’s kinda badass.

“Dirty Work” takes on a lilting quality, a really gentle vibe that feels like a track off of the Godspell soundtrack. “Kings” is where you start to get an idea of what makes Steely Dan good enjoyable. It’s not the laid-back vibe (which could at times put one to sleep) but those harmonies. They’re so rich, so serene, and have such a relaxed power behind them, you can’t help but find some minor appeal. “Midnite Cruiser” is a chill, nice enough track, as is “Only A Fool Would Say That”. Let’s face it, none of these songs are my cup of tea. I also can’t stand a track the rest of my band loves, the popular Steely Dan staple, “Reelin’ In The Years”.It’s all too relaxed and sterile for my tastes, but for relaxed and sterile music, I can’t deny it it’s quality. These are talented composers and musicians, just doing something I don’t enjoy.

“Fire In The Hole” is by far the most mellow track, and definitely lacking in the harmonies, and therefore the quality for me. “Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)” takes on a bit more of a southern rock vibe (I did say a bit, not much) with the use of the slide guitar, which makes it a hair more enjoyable. Plus, once the harmonies come back in, I’m made a little bit of a happy camper. “Change of the Guard”’s mere organ sound makes it come off as cheesy, and I kinda hate the sound of the vocals. The guitar playing is enjoyable, and for what the music is, it’s quality. Just not my type of music.

The album ends on “Turn That Heartbeat Over Again” which is an enjoyable enough track, and a decent closer to what, to me, is a decent album. If you like Steely Dan’s style, it’s worth listening to. It is a great album for their kind of music. I wasn’t a fan, but it’s not like Pretzel Logic, which has no place on his list. This deserves to be on there (but much lower). It’s just not my dig.

-Mike

Next up, something that truly is my dig. #441: Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt.

#6: What’s Going On- Marvin Gaye

2010-06-05T05:47:00.000-07:00

Listened to: CD

I remember this album so well from my high school days, I can tell you who I borrowed it from and when (what I can’t tell you is whether I gave it back to him or not). Possibly the greatest soul album of all-time (though there should be a healthy debate between it and Songs In The Key Of Life, but we’ll get to that another day), What’s Going On is a technical, musical, and thematic achievement across the board. To go track by track on this album as I do with others is a disservice to the album, as it’s a concept album, whose overall arc, flow, and beauty is lost by dissecting it. I will say my favorite tracks are the title track and “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”. Marvin Gaye’s voice floats through all the song, even as he’s pained and pleading with you to “save the babies”.

This is undoubtedly Gaye’s best album. Pick it up and give it a listen. Each track is it’s own unique world, but connected together to form the magnificent universe all the emotions of this record contain. You cannot ignore this album, otherwise you’re doing a disservice to yourself.

-Mike

Next up, #238: Can’t Buy A Thrill by Steely Dan. See you then.

#83: I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You- Aretha Franklin

2010-05-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

Listened to: CD

And here it is, ladies and gents. The album that brought the world Aretha. I can remember exactly where I bought this album. The Tower Records off of Sunrise Highway, along with Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols, and we listened to both in John Luther’s basement the same day. It…it was a weird day.

The album kicks off with Aretha’s anthem. A song which kicked down the dors of female oppression, and is considered to be one of the most important pieces of art in the history of the women’s movement. It’s being written originally by a man (soul master Otis Redding) seems no to factor into the equation. And really, this IS Aretha’s song. Like how Jimi jacked Watchtower, Tina Turner took Proud Mary, and Johnny Cash claimed Hurt, Aretha took “Respect” and made it hers. “Respect” is a flawless single, it alone would be a masterpiece, but followed by Aretha’s unbeatable rendition of “Drown In My Own Tears” (Sorry, Ray Charles, but I prefer Ms. Franklin’s), it is only the most shining diamond in a pile of precious jewels.

The title track speaks to a feeling we’ve all had. Being in love with someone who’s just no damn good. The verse all feature Aretha berating the man for how bad he is, but in the chorus, she admits she’s “never loved a man the way that {she} love{s} {him}”. Just listen to the horn section blast while she wails it out at the end of this track. Aretha is a queen, and she can blast you away, or cradle you in her gentle tones, on a track like “Soul Serenade”. It’s less popular, more emotional tracks like these where the listener gets a real appreciation for Aretha’s voice, not her power. “Respect” and “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)” may be tracks with more life, but this track has enough soul to match. So maybe she’s not howling, or getting pissed, or burning the air with the beat. Aretha carries this track the same way she does with the next two (“Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream” and “Baby, Baby, Baby”). With the sheer beauty and range of her voice. There’s an emotion, soul to her voice that has never been matched by a female vocalist in the history of recorded music, in my opinion. There have been prettier voices, raspier voices, but for her genre, Aretha can not be dethroned. Aretha is to soul what Janis is for rock and Patti is to punk. Perfection.

It is unfortunate that for many of us (myself included), getting up to the track “Dr. Feel good (Love Is A Serious Business)” leads to us having the desire to listen to Motley Crue. I implore you to hold out at least until the album’s conclusion, or you’re gonna miss some great stuff, including this forgotten track. The organ, the piano, the saxophone, they all work as a perfect frame to Aretha’s emotive performance. Especially on tracks like this, that in other hands would have just been ok, you discover Aretha to be one of the master song interpreters, on the level of the King himself. The next track, “Good Times” is one that, for one of only two times on this album, I prefer a different cover version (in this case, The Rolling Stones). However, it is still a great performance of a Sam Cooke classic.

“Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” is one of the more sentimental of the album’s tracks, and one where Aretha’s voice seems most like it’s gliding, rather than attacking. If you ever want to show the range of one of music’s greatest women, look no further than this album. Go from something like the title track to this, and the skill, the mastery, and beauty and the brilliance are undeniable. “Save Me” brings the rock feel back to the album, with the best bass line of any song on this collection. The album closes on the Sam Cooke classic “A Change Is Gonna Come”. While I prefer the Otis Redding cover, it’s undeniable that Aretha brings her own unique panash to the a song, and it’s a great way to close a brilliant album.

This album contains some of the greatest soul songs ever composed, and performed by one of the greatest and most influential soul singers to ever live (though not THE greatest. Sorry, Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Rock And Roll Singers list. Nobody’s buying it). It’s virtually flawless, and THE definitive Aretha album. This is a shining example of a gifted performer at her peak. For those who only see Aretha as the woman with the funny things on her head at various ceremonies, do yourself a favor and look this one up. A true classic.

-Mike

Next up, one of the greatest, #6: What’s going On by Marvin Gaye.

#315: Surfer Rosa- The Pixies

2010-05-21T12:07:00.001-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Ah, The Pixies first album. Who are The Pixies, you ask? Only one of the most influential bands of the late 80’s. Influenced who, you ask? Well, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, and pretty much any alternative band thereafter. You don’t listen to “hipster” bands, you say? Ugh. Ok, are you a tool? Yes? Ok, then you know them as “that song at the end of “Fight Club”. Yeah, you liked that movie, right? ‘Cause it was cool how they hit each other, right? Ok, good. Now, the grown-ups are gonna discuss good music. Run along and get sterilized, now.

Surfer Rosa brought the world Black Francis’ song-writing, a blend of soft and loud, rock and pop, howling and whispering, kick-ass and…just kick-ass. The album opens on “Bone Machine”, and it’s a great feeling to just imagine what it was like putting the needle down on this record for the first time, before it was a classic. Hearing David Lovering’s pounding drums, Black Francis yelling and wailing, and hearing Kim Deal’s slightly off yet so perfect harmonies. Just listen to that almost cacophony that drops out for the calm “Your bone’s got a little machine”. This opened up a whole new world of song-writing, friends. Nothing would smell like teen anything were it not for songs like this. Track number 2, “Break My Body”, shows how perfectly Black could craft a simple pop song, and then decide to mask all that pop in distorted vocals and guitars, and do it so perfectly as to create something even better. This is rock and roll. This is violent, nasty, gritty, while still being indie, and unique, and breaking the molds just as it fills into them.

“Something Against You” is a frenetic free for all of guitar sounds. You have Sex Pistols punk meets Sublime upstrokes, while Francis’ vocals were recorded through a guitar amp, giving it that sick, growling, indecipherable sound. This, of course, was brilliant producer Steve Albini’s idea. You remember him from Rid Of Me, don’t you? “Broken Face” keeps the punk feel from the last track, but now goes for a bizarre, high pitched chorus, and the concern on the vocals is not so much to make notes as to make noise. Many bands try this and sound like shit, but The Pixies, under the guidance of Albini, make masterpieces.

“Gigantic” is the only song on the album not by Black Francis. It is written and sung by bassist Kim Deal, and due to this the song takes on a much more pop feel. Maybe it’s just because her vocals are cleaner than Francis’, but that doesn’t make the song any less great than any other on the album. The song repeats the same bass line, supposedly influenced by Lou Reed. It’s about a girl watching a black man have sex with another woman. You can guess why it’s called “Gigantic”. “River Euphrates” sounds very similar to the type of material that would appear on their next album, 1989’s Doolittle, but quite frankly, once you’ve heard this album a few times, “River Euphrates” is just 2:33 you kill before the next track, the most popular off of the album, and one of the tracks that even your most “mainstream” friends know by The Pixies.

Yes, let’s get this out of the way, “Where Is My Mind?” was at the end of Fight Club. Yes, they used in in an HBO commercial for The Dark Knight. But all that goes away when you hear “Stop!” Then you’re just engrossed in the song. Francis said he was inspired by a small fish chasing him in the Caribbean. I’m not sure how on led to the other, but thank god it did. The structure of the song, the chords, the melody, even the “ooos” in the background, everything on this song is great. Bizarre, creepy, indie, rock and roll, pop perfection. Every note the guitar plays strikes a sonic blow to your mind, and the jarring drop-out, with just the echoing “oo” at the end is terrific. Undoubtedly, one of the best songs on the 80’s (then again, I hate the 80’s). “Cactus”, a song I first heard on Bowie’s Heathen album, is another example of the mix of soft and loud vocals The Pixies are famous for. The verses of this song are hidden behind pounding bass, guitar and drums, and only when Kim Deal comes in do you even know there’s singing happening. At the mid-point, they spell out Pixies (Bowie spelled out David on his record), though that’s something you don’t even notice till your third or fourth listen. Well, now you’ll notice it. Sorry I ruined that for you.

Here’s one of my favorites on the album, “Tony’s Theme”. Just for the way the scream out “To-ny!” for the chorus. It just seems like it had to be so much fun to play. “Oh My Golly” is the track that gave the album it’s title, with the lyric “Besando chichando con surfer rosa.” Yes, they are speaking in Spanish and then shouting “Oh My Golly”. there is no way to explain the elements of this song and make it sound as awesome as it is. By all logic, it shouldn’t work, but it does. “Oh My Golly” has one of the best bass lines and best choruses of any song on this album, and is one of it’s true highlights, especially with that drum and bass interlude towards the end. At the end of “Oh My Golly”, you hear Black explaining something Kim said in the studio. Albini tacked it on thinking it would sound cool. He later regretted it, proving even gifted producers make mistakes.

(That still doesn’t excuse Phil Spector)

“Vamos” is one of the more erratic tracks on the album, but once again, when Kim’s back-ups come on, the song becomes infectiously catchy. Try not to bounce around to that bass line. I dare you. Again, this song shouldn’t work, but god damn it, it does. You never hear something like this on a studio album. Maybe live, when the guitarist is drunk and fucking around, but never on a studio album. You say that a lot while listening to Surfer Rosa, and that’s what makes it so unique.

“I’m Amazed” (which begins with Kim explaining how a teacher from her school got fired for being “into field hockey players”) and “Brick Is Red” go on to confirm the point I’ve been trying to make in this review, which is that The Pixies genius comes not from rebelling against or pandering to mainstream music, but fusing alternative styles of playing recording, and applying them to songs which at their core are pop.

Without a doubt, The Pixies are one of the most influential bands in recent memory, and if their sold out reunion shows prove anything, it’s that they may finally be getting their due. The band is unique, incredibly talented, and certainly worth a listen. Surfer Rosa is a genius album, and maybe some folks won’t dig it, but if I’ve turned at least one person on to these guys, I’ve done my job on this blog. So give Surfer Rosa a listen. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

-Mike

See you next for #83: I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin. Yep, right after The Pixies. I love this gig.

P.S. Kim Deal is one of the most underrated women in rock. Just sayin’.

#69: Superfly- Curtis Mayfield

2010-05-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Superfly (or Super Fly, depending on which way you want to write it). A social statement? Yes. One of the most popular film soundtracks of the 70’s? Yes. A revolutionary and influential soul album? Yes. A great record? You bet your sweet ass it is.

Opening on “Little Child Running Wild”, this album proves to be as alive and funk today as it was in it’s heyday, while still being a time-capsule to the type of blaxploitation films of the 70’s. Having never seen Super Fly, the soundtrack alone suggests the protagonist is either a cop, a detective or a pimp. Curtis Mayfield’s voice carries these tunes, as it’s soft without being too mellow. These songs all have a smooth, sexy funk vibe, the type of music that just doesn’t find it’s way into films anymore (besides Black Dynamite). Strung throughout all these tracks is an anti-drug message, and a very obvious ones, especially on tracks like “Little Child Running Wild” (“Gotta take the pain away”) and “Pusherman”. To go track by track would be an insult to the album, since all the tracks work together so well. They all keep that street-wise, funky groove. But let me just say the two tracks that I love off of this album are “Pusherman”, not only for it being the Taxman of drugs, and the title track, “Superfly”, one of the coolest, funkiest, greatest movie theme songs of all time. Yes, when this comes on my iPod on the tredmill, I do proceed to stop running and begin to strut.

This review isn’t brief for lack of things to say, but rather that great funk, like great jazz or great comedy, loses something when it is explained or dissected. Rock and pop, classical and rap, these can be picked apart for lyrics, or movements, but funk is a collective magic. It’s not guitars, or lyrics, or melodies that makes funk great. It’s a magical, natural synergy. And look no further than Super Fly for funk that works at it’s best. I absolutely recommend this album.

-Mike

Up next is #315: Surfer Rosa by The Pixies.

Special: 20 Best Movie Soundtracks

2010-05-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

In honor of today’s review of Superfly, I thought I’d put together a list of, in my opinion, the Top 20 Greatest Movie Soundtracks of all time. Now, this is different then my favorite soundtracks, I assure you. I tred to be as objective as possible with these. Disagree with my choices? Leave a comment, or message me, whatever works for you. I’m down for arguing my choices.

20. Boogie Nights

P.T. Anderson’s 1997 film about the rise and fall of Dirk Diggler, a John Holmes-esque 70’s porn star, is also a time capsule of the grandiose magic of the 70’s shifting into the saccharine horror that was the 80’s. The album features such 70’s feel-good, boogie-down treats as “Best Of My Love” by The Emotions (used in the famous 11-minute take from the beginning of the film), “Livin’ Thing” by The Electric Light Orchestra, and “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” by McFadden & Whitehead, as well as “Sister Christian” from Night Ranger (from the great coke scene featuring that phenomenal Alfred Molina), and the touching “God Only Knows by The Beach Boys, as well as many other great 70’s dance tunes. Michael Penn and Patrick Warren’s eerie theme “The Big Top” finishes off this album, on the track listing, but the true gem of this album is afterward. A hidden track rests at the end of this soundtrack, and if you’re a fan of the film, trust me, it’s well worth the wait.

19. Lola Rennt

1999’s mind-bending German masterpiece, Lola Rennt (English title: Run, Lola Run) has fantastic visuals, a philosophical and trippy premise, and let’s not forget, a gorgeous lead actress. But it’s the soundtrack of this film that always stuck with me. German dance hall techno with a purpose. One can’t help but bounce to tracks like “Believe” Franka Potente or any of the instrumental tracks by Tykwer, Klimek and Heil. The industrial sexuality of “Somebody Has To Pay” Susie Van Der Meer is about as “mellow” as this high-octane album gets, and “Wish (Komm Zu Mir)” is so awesome, you don’t even mind that half of it is in German. Overall, the soundtrack to Lola Rennt is Kraftwerk on crack, and for that alone, I give it the highest thumbs-up I can. Definitely check out this forgotten Germa gem, but the film and soundtrack.

18. Across The Universe

From the opening track that we all remember from the trailer, Jim Sturgess lamenting “Is there anybody going to listen to my story, all about the girl who came to stay?”, I think everyone knew they were in for something special. Movies whose soundtracks feature Beatles covers tend to range from the mediocre (I Am Sam) to the horrendous (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band). So when I heard about Julie Taymor attempting to make a film whose soundtrack was all Beatles covers, the image of George Burns and The BeeGees could not be purged from my mind. But the trailer for the film gave me and everyone else hope, and a musical hard-on. The film did not disappoint. This soundtrack is comprised of some of the best Beatles covers ever laid down on record, from the moving gospel-rendition of “Let It Be”, to the surreal Bono take on “I Am The Walrus”, to the gorgeous performance of “If I Fell”, the track that most truly discovers the heart in the song it tackles. Sure, the songs suffer without their cinematic accompaniment, but the soundtrack manages to still be awesome as a tribute album without it. Across The Universe is a revelation in how to cover songs, and should be a lesson to all those daring to do it in the future.

17. (500) Days Of Summer

This year, the awards season sinfully ignored tis brilliant Gen-Y Annie Hall for…plotless blue cat-monkeys and a Hallmark flick about football. But enough about that. Let’s focus on the positive. Like the best compilation soundtrack since Garden State, featuring the lilting, tragic vocals of Regina Spektor, the perky “Mushaboom” by Feist, some terrific Smith tracks (bringing the band to a whole new generation), and lest we forget the lovely She & Him, featuring one of the film’s two stars, Zooey Deschannel. Of course, for those who’ve seen the film, the staple track is Hall & Oates, and I’ll explain no more for those who haven’t seen it yet. Suffice to say, the soundtrack on this film is beautiful, unique, eclectic in the best way possible, and I suspect it will be for the younger generation what a certain Zach Braff helmed soundtrack is to most of us.

16. Hustle & Flow

Featuring the second rap song ever to win Best Original song at the Oscars, the Hustle & Flow soundtrack is a fantastic collection of unknown (at least to me) artists. From the opening jam “I’m A King” to “Pussy Niggas” (which actually uses gunfire as percussion), Hustle & Flow manages to make a rap music film soundtrack that succeeds not only as great mix of hip-hop gems, but that work well within the context of the film. The title track, by Djayz, could have come off being the most memorable from the soundtrack, since it’s composition is one of my favorites in rap music in general, but it’s impossible to ignore the soundtrack’s true highlight, the award winning Three 6 Mafia track “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp”. Encapsulating the film’s theme (a street pimp trying to make it in the rap industry), the track features an infectiously catchy hook, some sick lyrical licks, and a beat that makes to turn the bass up to the top. Who can forget Three 6 Mafia’s insane performance on Oscar night? No one. And who can deny that Hustle & Flow is one of the best rap soundtracks? No one who isn’t a complete dumb ass.

15. Manhattan

Perhaps I’m biased, being that this is my #2 favorite film, and I’m a profuse Woody Allen fan, but you can’t deny what a great collection this soundtrack is. From the beginning of Manhattan, Issaac (Woody’s character) says he always sees Manhattan “in black and white, set to the music of George Gershwin”. and so begins a montage of Manhattan set to Gershwin’s masterpiece, Rhapsody in Blue. The soundtrack consists entirely of instrumental Gershwin tunes, all performed by the New York Philharmonic. These are the best performances of these songs you’ll ever get on recording if you want my opinion (and if you don’t want my opinion, I wouldn’t suggest reading a web page entirely devoted to said opinions), and the music works in the film so well it becomes an integral character, at times, accentuating every moment perfectly. This is a terrific collection of the works of Gershwin, and even if I’d never seen the film, I’d certainly still listen to this record on a weekly basis. Highly worth looking into, even is you’re not nebbish-y enough to like Woody’s work.

14. Shaft

A grossly ignored soundtrack album on Rolling Stone’s list, Issaac Hayes award winning soundtrack to Shaft is the origin of rap music, and undoubtedly one of the best film soundtracks of all time. Here, instead of giving another long paragraph of praise, just watch, and try and tell em this isn’t one of the greatest soundtracks ever recorded.

13. Magnolia

Not since Elliott Smith in ‘98 was anyone so robbed of a Best Original Song Oscar. Aimee Mann’s soundtrack to P.T. Anderson’s 1999 Magnolia is one of the film’s best features, and it introduced the world to one of the best singer-songwriter music talents out there today. From the cover of “One” to the rocking “momentum”, Mann’s range is in full display on this album. The tear-jerking “Wise Up”, seen during the group sing-along scene, seems the hopeless parallel to the album’s highlight, the gorgeous plea of “Save Me”, the Oscar nominated track that should have been Mann’s victory song. The soundtrack also features two songs by Supertramp, “Dreams” by Gabrielle (a favorite of Quiz Kid Donnie Smith), and “Magnolia” Jon Brion’s score for the film. Though, this truly is Mann’s shining album, and god damn does she shine. I cannot recommend this record highly enough, in this ranks in the top 3 of my favorite film soundtracks of all time. However, I’m trying to be objective here, so let’s move on.

12. Top Gun

Let me make this clear: On a personal level, I dislike this movie and it’s soundtrack. 80’s anthems like Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” and Berlin’s Oscar winner “Take My Breath Away” just ain’t my dig, man. However, for those whose dig it is, you can’t do better than this. This movie was as much about the music as it was about the planes, and you can’t find a better example of 80’s movie soundtrack than what you’re listening to right here. One cannot deny the significance of a soundtrack like Top Gun (no matter how much one tries. And believe me, one has tried. Very hard), and I’m sure many now in the air force have these songs in part to blame…I mean, thank.

11. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

This Grammy winning soundtrack is a revelation. I massive seller, hugely popular soundtrack that features no hip, trendy songs, but instead revived interest in…bluegrass? Yes, the Coen Brother’s retelling of The Odyssey features great tracks like Harry McClintock’s “Big Rock Candy Mountain”, Alison Krauss siren song “Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby”, and of course the virtual theme song of the film “Man Of Constant Sorrow” by The Soggy Bottom Boys. The film is a hilarious, quirky, twisted take on Homer but the soundtrack is pure American folk and bluegrass mastery. The idea that the Coen brothers could produce a massively popular soundtrack made entirely of bluegrass tunes is unbelievable, but after one listen, the only unbelievable thing is that it didn’t make Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest albums.

10. That Thing You Do!

That Thing You Do! Is for 60’s pop music what O Brother, Where Art Thou is to Dustbowl folk. The soundtrack is the most important part of this film, the story of the one-hit wonder band appropriately name The Wonders (or The Oneders), and the songwriters (including producer and actor Tom Hanks, who penned “Lovin’ You Lots and Lots”) do the job tenfold, crafting a brilliant soundscape of the pre-psychedelic world of 60’s music. Everyone looks back on the 60’s now and thinks Woodstock, but this, from all reports, is really what the radios sounded like. And even more screwed out of an oscar than either Aimee Mann or Elliott Smith was the title track for this film, that is undoubtedly one of the best pop songs ever composed. This album is a more perfect time-capsule of “classic” pop-rock music from the 50’s and 60’s than most of the albums meant to be said time capsules on Rolling Stone’s 500 list, and none of the songs were even written back then. Great soundtrack, great film, and a truly brilliant title song.

9. Superfly

See my review of the album coming up next, #69.

8. Once

This, right here, is my favorite film soundtrack of all time, and it brought me so much joy when Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova accepted the Oscar for Falling Slowly in 2008. Hansard is one of my heroes, and I own this soundtrack in every form, including a record autographed by the two. So it pains me to put this only as number 8, but again, I’m trying to be objective. Even so, this is one of the greatest original soundtracks ever recorded, to one of the best films of the 00 decade, and it introduced Glen and Marketa to a wide audience. The film is a musical, and all the songs work in a believable fashion. From the opening powerhouse of Hansard’s “Say It To Me Now” (the man has one of the best yells in music) to the somber, tragic ballad of Marketa’s “The Hill”, the soundtrack to Once is a gorgeous collection of pain and suffering in the most beautiful of moments. Painful songs like “Leave”, “Lies”, “All The Way Down” and “When Your Mind’s Made Up” are rivaled by rare upbeat tunes like “Fallen From The Sky” and the playful “Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy” (it makes sense if you watch the film). Though it’s undeniable that the highlight of this soundtrack is the beautiful love song “Falling Slowly”. This is one of those songs every songwriter wishes they were good enough to write, and the scene in which it’s sung in the film is one of the most incredible and beautiful things I’ve seen thus far in my life. The soundtrack to this film is incredible, and the film itself is a grossly ignored masterpiece of simplicity. I cannot beg enough for every person who reads it to seek these piece out. Hansard and Irglova are geniuses of our time, and I mean that without hyperbole. Put on “Falling Slowly”, and I defy you to argue with me.

7. 8 Mile

Every decade has an artist who encapsulates the generation, and pens a song that will forever belong to that time. Like the 90’s had Nirvana and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, we who came of age in the 00’s will always have Eminem, and his anthemic film theme “Lose Yourself”. The first rap song to ever win the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the triumphant track will always be remembered as a classic, and the film’s soundtrack is, in my opinion, the best rap soundtrack ever produced. Featuring 50 Cent, Nas, Rakim, Gang Starr, Xzibit and Jay-Z, this soundtrack is a who’s who of ‘00 hip-hop. Eminem’s “8 Mile” could have easily been the highlight of the album, but as is the case with most great film soundtracks, all the great tracks are over-shadowed by a true classic. In this case, no matter what great tracks got laid down (“Wanksta” by 50 Cent, “Battle” Gang Starr) “Lose Yourself” will always come out on top. Who can’t recite the chorus from memory, or remember that chilling piano intro. The image burned into our minds of Eminem warming up for the rap battle accompanied by that intro (from the music video, not the film) is a modern day Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull as he bounces in slo-mo around the ring. The lyrics, telling the story of the film, display Em’s poetic sensibility, and the track served is the official welcome part of rap into the mainstream, even more than Will Smith’s Grammy. This soundtrack proved two things to the world: 1) Rap was here to stay and 2) Eminem is one of the kings of the game.

6. The Harder They Come

Review to come. It was supposed to be up on May 4th. Paying catch up, folks. #119.

5. Almost Famous

Cameron Crowe’s masterpiece, a veiled autobiography, would have been half the film it was were it not for the great collection of songs sprinkled without. From Zooey Descanter’s (yeah, she was in this) goodbye set to “America” by Simon & Garfunkel, to the bus-wide sing-along of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”, the songs work as well in the film as they do on their own. Tracks like “I’ve Seen All good People: Your Move” by Yes, “Something In The Air” by Thunderclap Newman, and “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd are all classics in their own right. Crowe just crafted a soundtrack to say “Remember how awesome it was when music didn’t suck?” And, yes, it was awesome. Thank you, Cameron Crowe.

4. Garden State

Undeniably one of the best, most popular, and most influential film soundtracks of all time, Zach Braff’s first (and best) film is a modern classic, a tale of disillusionment and confusion whose soundtrack went on to win a Grammy, and the hearts of thousands of lost, confused “indie”, “hipster” high school kids. I’ve listened to this album so many times, I could list the tracks by memory, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. It introduced us to The Shins, Iron & Wine, and Zero 7, and reminded us of greats like Simon & Garfunkel, Colin Hay, and Nick Drake. Braff’s portrait of dissatisfaction in disassociation works so well it feels as if the songs were written for the film. Every great soundtrack since has been called “the next Garden State soundtrack”, so if that doesn’t prove it’s merits, god knows what will. A true classic, as significant to our generation (if not necessarily every single person in it) as any other album of the past 10 years.

3. Star Wars: The Original Soundtrack Anthology

It is undeniable that John Williams’ Star Wars theme is the finest orchestral piece of the past 50 years. Classical music is not dead, my friends. Rather it finds itself in films like Nolan’s Batman trilogy, or in the best example possible, in John Williams’ oeuvre. The theme to Star Wars, as those yellow words roll into space, is one of the most copied, most beloved moments in cinema, and Williams’ scores are inseparable from any great moment in Lucas’ epic trilogy. It’s amazing, however, how well these tracks stand alone, as great orchestral compositions. Sure, one cannot help but think of the Millennium Falcon or Darth Vader when hearing these tracks, but it’s amazing that even without the Jedi, the blasters, or any visuals at all, Williams’ masterful score stands out as genius. I would go so far as to say that the opening overture is as grand, as gorgeous, and s brilliant a composition as any of the great master composers produced. Were John Williams alive in Mozart’s day, Salieri would have been double pissed. If you do not own this anthology of Williams score, it’s without a doubt worth the purchase. This right here is some of the greatest music composed this century.

2. The Graduate

Now, I may take some criticism for being biased (The Graduate is my favorite film) but it cannot be denied that The Graduate is the granddaddy of all film soundtracks. Nichols’ choice to score the film, not with orchestral or mood music, but instead with the songs of popular folk duo Simon & Garfunkel, turned out to be a revolutionary idea, sparking millions of copycats to this day. Every song works so intricately in the film, from the opening sequence cut to “The Sound Of Silence”, to the haunting “Scarborough Fair” sequence, and of course, the famous track “Mrs. Robinson”, written for the film, but not actually completed on time, so never included in it’s full form. I assure you, any film soundtrack you adore, and almost any of the soundtracks from 4-20, owe their life to this soundtrack. Aside from being some of the greatest music of the 60’s, it’s influence and significance alone should earn it’s place at #2. It could have been number 1, but the top slot is undeniable.

1. Saturday Night Fever

The highest selling soundtrack of all time is also the greatest, and THE album of the 70’s. My review of this album is still to come (#131), but let me just say that it is almost undeniable that this album IS what a movie soundtrack should be. Go check your parents record collection. 90% of you will find this there.

#405: Rid Of Me- PJ Harvey

2010-05-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

I believe in my last review I made it abundantly clear what admiration and adoration I have for Ms. Polly Jean Harvey. Rid Of Me is her second album, which was recorded by Steve Albini, who is responsible for the sound of such albums as The Pixies’ Surfer Rosa and Nirvana‘s In Utero. The album starts off with the title track, and is an example of the habit PJ has that I’m not so much a fan of, which is keeping that fantastically jarring, emotive voice hidden behind all the other instruments. Thankfully, the track picks up volume, if only for moments, on the midpoint of the song, on the “Don’t you don’t you wish you never never met her?”s. Lyrically, the song is dark, violent, erotic, just like PJ Harvey songs should be. What it’s about, beyond bondage and leg licking, well, I leave that up to interpretation. But god damn if it isn’t a great start. The second track, “Missed”, keeps the ethereal feel of the first track, and of the music that would come on To Bring You My Love, and PJ’s voice is easier to hear, thankfully, so you can more appreciate that lilting agony she carries in each lyric. Lines like “Show yourself to me/And I'd believe/I'd moan and I'd weep/Fall silent at your speak/I'd burst in/Full to the brim” are so serenely, painfully beautiful that you need only read them and feel the emotion wash over you. Matched with Harvey’s vocals, and you have a tremendous musical moment.

“Legs” has a bizarre guitar track and Harvey taking on an odd vocal tone, yet it all works in this thinly heavy track that, well, I really don’t know the meaning of. But listen to those wails. The power in this woman’s voice is astounding. “Rub It ‘Til It Bleeds” is lyrically, by far, one of Harvey’s creepiest songs. “I lie steady/Rest your head on me/I'll smooth it nicely/Rub it better 'till it bleeds” is song so sensually as to almost be sexy, were one not paying attention to the words being sung. The song switches from that smoky feel into heavy guitars and pounding drums, and if for nothing else but the sheer musical dynamics of this track, it’s worth a listen.
“Hook” moves into the story-telling type songs you find a lot on To Bring You My Love, this time the story of a woman in love, abandoned by her lover, an reduced to nothing. The medieval, tragic feel of the lyrics is contrasted by the buried vocals, the industrial feel of the production, and the sound of what seems like a trash can being pounded. Harvey is like the anti-Jim Morrison, in the sense that she composes fantastic lyrical poetry, but hides them in instrumentation and melody, rather than try to bring them to the forefront as Morrison often did. “Man-Size Sextet” is inexplicably sexy in it’s lyrical imagery musical composition, and is one of the best tracks on the album, without a doubt. I could describe it further, but I’d rather leave it vague and encourage you to seek it out yourself.

The next two tracks are the best on the album, without a doubt. Harvey’s interpretation of “Highway ‘61 Revisited” by Bob Dylan is refreshingly and blessedly unique, shattering the mold of Dylan covers being, well, anything like the original. Even if you don’t enjoy what she did with the song, you have to admire the originality. “50ft Queenie” is the first Harvey track I’ve ever heard (played on WFUV junior year, if I remember correctly) and so began my fascination with Miss Polly Jean. This is probably the most commercially accessible song from this album, which is why they released it as a single. This track fits in the Jane‘s Addiction, RHCP world of the 90’s music industry, but the song is made unique by Harvey’s voice, and her typically perplexing, violently sexual lyrics. For anyone looking to dip their toe into the water of PJ Harvey, this is a great track to start with.

The album continues with “Yuri-G”, “Dry”, “Me-Jane”, “Snake”, and “Ecstasy”, but if I haven’t convinced you to listen to this album yet, praising four more tracks won’t help (plus, I’m trying to give as good a review as possible while saving time to catch up on all of these reviews that are well over-due).

So, in conclusion, Rid Of Me is another great album by PJ Harvey that I recommend, however, I would choose To Bring You My Love or Stores From The City, Stories From The Sea over it. Just saying. It deserves a place on this list, and for those interested, I would say it’s worth a listen, but listen to just “50ft Queenie”, then the other two albums, first. Come to this later. You’ll appreciate it much more then.

-Mike

See you next for #69: Superfly by Curtis Mayfield.

#219: Loveless- My Bloody Valentine

2010-05-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Loveless, the second album by My Bloody Valentine, kicks off with “Only Shallow”, a track that shows where The Smashing Pumpkins stole their style from. Heavy swirling guitars that would make Jonny Greenwood jealous, and buried vocals that just become another instrument, this is the kind of track Buffy would dance to at The Bronze. Here, ladies and gentlemen, is a piece of history. You are witnessing the big bang of 90’s alternative rock.

The album continues with track after track of this kind of music, which quite frankly isn’t my favorite, but hey, it’s a classic album, and a staple of it’s genre. The songs all seem to blend together stylistically, quite frankly, and it would be a disservice to the record to sit and dissect it, and I don’t actually love it or hate it enough to go on for pages. It’s a great album of music I don’t particularly enjoy, if that makes sense. Some of the tracks, like “To Here Knows When” are over-blown and overly long. So I do encourage you to listen to it. Maybe you’ll never listen to it more than once, but if for nothing else but to see where Radiohead, Muse, The Smashing Pumpkins, and most other lilting voiced, swirling guitar bands got their sound from, Loveless should be given a listen.

So, on the 500 list in undoubtedly stays, despite my not terribly much enjoying it. It’s not my cup of tea, though I will admit certain tracks, like “When You Sleep” and “I Only Said” were enjoyable. Maybe I’ll get Nick Young to come back and explain the album’s greatness better, but for now, let me say it’s worth listening to for the significance, if not so much the music.

-Mike

See you next for #405: Rid Of Me by PJ Harvey.

#325: Slowhand- Eric Clapton

2010-05-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

Listened to: CD

Let’s just say on the outset: Eric Clapton is the man. The. Man. The master is always in good form, and his stellar 1977 album Slowhand is no different. I already can say from the outset that I will beg you all to listen to this blues-rock masterpiece, but let’s praise it as a formality, shall we?

The album opens on “Cocaine”, one of Clapton’s most laid-back, yet heaviest tracks. “Cocaine” is originally a J.J. Cale song, but lord knows no one remembers that. All anyone remembers is Clapton’s chill vocals proclaiming “She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie, cocaine.” No one realizes it’s an anti-drug song, and that’s exactly how Clapton wanted it. Of course, just like any Clapton song, it’s not really about the meaning, or the lyrics, or the chorus, or the melody. It’s hearing that guitar tear up your stereo. You can’t help put air-guitar to every note bend during that solo. “Cocaine” remains to this day one of the best jam-songs Clapton ever recorded, and is followed up by one of the most beautiful love songs Eric Clapton has ever composed.

Written for Patti Boyd, the subject of “Layla” and George Harrison’s former wife, “Wonderful Tonight”, is one of the simplest, sweetest, and most tender love songs ever recorded. The lyrics read like a poem, the type that Keats or Shelley would read to a lover, and the guitar only highlights the gentle beauty in the sheer marvel and admiration Clapton feels for this woman. There are four love songs I look at and wish I’d written. This is one of them. Clapton follows up this sweet ballad with one of hi most country tinged tracks, the classic “Lay Down Sally”, that sounds more like a song by Bad Blake than Eric Clapton, but that’s just what makes him so incredible. The man was a member of the psychedelic Cream, the bluesy Derek and the Dominoes, Blind Faith, and yet here he is, writing love songs, hard rock, and southern blues, all in a row. And just listen to that guitar solo. If that isn’t a fine young Englishman returning to his blues roots, I don’t know what is.

The next track is the Clapton-classic (as in, classic only to Clapton fans) “Next Time You See Her”. This is one of those tracks that has such power live, even though it comes off kind of subdued on this album. And that is to the album’s advantage. After rip-roaring albums like Disreali Gears and Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, Clapton crafted an album of soft tock tunes, gentle blues where you can just sit in your chair with your guitar and play along. Sure, you’re not gonna be dancing in the aisle, but he doesn’t want you to. Just relax, mellow out and slow-jam with the master. (That’s right, get out your guitars. You’re never gonna get better without practice. What am I paying for all those lessons for?)

“We’re All The Way” is a Don Williams composition that Clapton turns into a relaxing camp-fire-esque song, with Eric gently singing us into the night. It’s a brief tribute to all the gnelte songs that came prior, before we bust into the 8 minute hard-rock track “The Core”. Here Clapton gets as heavy as ever, crafting a real guitar song, with guest vocals from Yvonne Elliman, of “I Don‘t Know How To Love Him” fame. Just listen to that riff, and tell me this song wasn’t crafted for ol’ Slowhand himself (yes, his nickname is Slowhand. That’s the album’s namesake). After a terrific sax solo, just listen to Clapton rip it up like his life depended on it. This is Doobie Brothers. This is Allman Brothers. This is Clapton doing what Clapton does best.

“May You Never” switches back to the soft jam, complete with soft-sung vocals and light organ inflections. Though less country-tinged than “Lay Down Sally”, you can still feel the country influence. Speaking of country music influencing Clapton’s songs, we move to “Mean Old Frisco”. This is a deep, pounding blues track, the type Buddy Guy or B.B. King would play. To hear this kind of music from a scrawny white English guy is mind-rattling, but lord knows, Clapton can keep up with the best of them. The soul in the man’s guitar playing comes out clear as day on this track, and shows once more why “Clapton Is God”.

The album ends on “Peaches & Diesel”, a gorgeous finale track that’s all guitar, acting as a sort of reminder of the content of the album, giving variations on the theme of “Wonderful Tonight”. It’s a terrific final track to one of the best albums Clapton has ever recorded.

I truly and deeply recommend this album. If you go on looking for heavy rock and roll, you’ll be let down, but if you want to put on a record with some of the best guitar playing of all time, and don’t mind it being gentle and smooth, then you can’t do better than this.

-Mike

Next up is #219: Loveless by My Bloody Valentine.

#464: The Blueprint- Jay-Z

2010-05-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Admit it, you missed me.

Anyway, let’s kick-off this continuation with Jay-Z’s finest moment, The Blueprint. With the decade ending, every magazine was quick to jump on this or Kanye West’s The College Dropout as the “Best Album Of The Decade”. Now, while I may not personally agree (American Idiot is, but we’ll just let that slide), let’s delve into Hova’s 2001 release and see why these guys made the choice they did.

The album launches in on “The Ruler’s Back”, with a 70’s funk-style beat, and Jay declaring his dominance, which he will assert for many songs and albums to come. Jay lays out his typical, rapid-fire lines, continually reusing the same words in the same rhythmic locations in order to emphasize the sound and meaning. Even if his lyrics aren’t the most eloquent, from track one Jay presents a poet’s sensibility of rhythm. The “Rocky”-esque trumpets that charge in during the chorus only reinforce the regal attitude Jay tries to convey. He displays himself as a larger than life character, a king, an emperor, and charging into track 2, the Doors sampling “Takeover”, Jay proves that while he may be a godfather, that still makes him a gangsta. Rather than try and make boisterous claims of dominance, Jay basically says “Yeah, Roc-a-fella’s got you beat. Just look at the facts”. This song, in essence, is a giant “fuck you” to rapper Nas, whom Jay had a rivalry with (you can read more on that here). However, Jay’s compositional sensibilities and the wide scope of his musical taste show themselves here. Last track was 70’s funk, now we’ve got The Door’s “Five to One” and moments of “Fame” by David Bowie, made dark and domineering. Plus, whether or not you care about the feud, hearing Jay say Nas has “one hot album every ten year average.” has to make you recoil and say “Ouch.”

“Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” brings real a New York hip-hop sound to the album, sampling “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5, though it sounds more like Snoop Dogg than the Jay I’m used to. Shouting out a Ebonics-riddled choral like “H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A” seems so…simple. While the verses are full of great rhymes, the chorus just seems to easy. Moving into the soft, sensual beat of “Girls, Girls, Girls”, one if reminded of Marvin Gaye’s album What’s Going On, the way they use the sounds of people speaking, this time French women, as an instrument of sorts, to enhance the environment of the song. This is the most full sounding song thus far, full of various elements that show that Jay learned from Biggie and made better. The soft, slow nature of the song doesn’t inhibit his rhythm, and his lyrical agility is still sharp and impressive, but now it’s got a much more chill vibe. This is one of those “roll down the windows, it’s summer.” tracks.

The French speech returns over piano, to ease the transition into the hard beats into “Jigga The Nigga”, where Jay spits rhymes about, what else, how much better than you he is. If “Girls, Girls, Girls” is what you cruise to the beach to, “Jigga The Nigga” is the hard, heavy track that makes you wish your Subaru Outback had hydraulics. “U Don’t Know” keeps the heavy beat, but gets even more violent force behind it. Without all the heavy, over-produce backing, Jay-Z’s lyrics hit even harder, and you realize how much rhythmic finesse. Even when he’s talking about the typical rap subjects of money and violence, he seems to speak from a different vantage point. You have to respect that he’s no longer pretending to be “street-broke” like most of the other million-dollar rappers. Jay lives the high life, and he speaks from it. Jay-Z is the Hugh Hefner of rap. You admire him because he lives a lifestyle you want to live. Sharp dressed, wealthy, making records, clothes, and hitting the town like he owns it. Jay-Z is the modern-day American dream, and there’s an air of class to even his most crude rhymes.

“Hola’ Hovito” is Timbaland’s contribution to the album, before he was the hero of the Billboard charts that he is today. That bouncy beat, the computerized back-ups, the Danny Elfman-esque slightly creepy vibe, “Hola’ Hovito” is definitely unique, and causes even the most stiff people to bounce in their seats. Jay seems to understand the significance of the sound of a word more than the meaning, and manages to use “motherfuckers” several times to rhyme itself, but never once does it feel foolish or ignorant. The rap-less ending, however, really highlights what a great platform Timbaland crafted for Jay’s lines. If you ever want to understands why Timbaland is revered as he is, play this track. “Heart Of The City (Ain’t No Love)” begins with Jay saying how Biggie predicted the trials Jay himself now faces (“My nigga Big predicted this exactly/Mo’ money, mo’ problems-gotta move carfully”). Sampling “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” by Bobby Blue Bland gives the song that air of 70’s New York, the kind you saw in Midnight Cowboy, Fritz The Cat, and American Gangster. If on the Black Album, Jay tells us a bitch ain’t one of his 99 problems, here’s where he tells you what those 99 problems are. It should be noted, if it wasn’t obvious, that a certain Mr. West’s hand was in this track, as “Takeover”, “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and the next track, the gently triumphant “Never Change”. “Never Change” takes on a gentle beat that’s so richly soulful that even lines like “I’m still fucking with crime, ‘cause crime still pays” and “where your balls at” sound inspiring, until you think about the words themselves. But that’s a testament to Jay-Z, that his delivery of the lines are so musical you don’t even need to listen to the lyrics to enjoy the track. Typically, I hate rap listeners who ignore the meaning of the lyrics, but if you’re one of those, this track’s perfect for you.

The feel keeps on through “Song Cry”, but this time Jay really is speaking from a honest and emotional point. The song is about the dissolution of a relationship, and the recognition of his mistakes. It’s impressive to watch him step away from praising himself and talking big, and instead opening himself up and admitting that he’s a mortal who makes mistakes. “Shit, I gotta live with the fact that I done you wrong forever.” shows Jay-Z’s inner turmoil, while “I can’t see them coming down my eyes, so I gotta make this song cry” recalls to every man that inborn desire to hide all emotions so as to not appear weak. Undeniably one of his most honest, beautiful, and best tracks to date. “All I Need” seems to be Jay recovering his “street cred” after bearing his soul, calling out all the younger rappers trying to challenge his supremacy.
“Renegade” features Jay (most magazines’ choice for “Artist of the Decade”) rapping alongside the producer of the track, Eminem (the true “Artist of the Decade”). This song takes on a much darker, horror-film-vibe, as is typical of Eminem’s oeuvre. Jay, on this track, proves that he can keep up with Mr. Mathers (which is near impossible, just listen to “Forever”), with both of them talking about their typical themes, Jay about rising up from the streets to become wealthy, and Em about being an unintentional role-model to kids. This track is the darkest on the album, full of quiet, subdued rage, and it is here that you see these two prove why they are the kings of this new empire of rap.

The “final” track, that is, the final track listed on the album’s back is “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)”, one of the many tributes Jay gives to his mother and family throughout his career. The track samples “Free at Last” by Al Green, and serves as a musical “thank you” note to everyone that raised him, while lamenting his father’s disappearance. This emotional track would have served as a good finale, but after a pause, the first hidden track “Breathe Easy (Lyrical Exercise)” jumps in, which starts with Jay speaking about his creative process, then charging in with one of the album’s more intimidating tracks, where Jay expels his virtues and skills, and flipping lines around with such acrobatic agility as to be almost unintelligible. Following that is a remix track 4 of “Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2)” which allegedly features guest vocals by the late Michael Jackson, though this has yet to be confirmed. Personally, I don’t believe it, but if it is him, I have a new-found respect for the man.

All in all, The Blueprint is a phenomenal rap album for the fact that it’s indescribably great. Read over this review, and almost nothing I say indicates why this album is as praised as it is, and that’s because it’s just the feel of the album, the sick rhymes and brilliant beats. It’s an undeniably enjoyable album, and the portrait of a truly gifted artist at his best, and it brought a little light to a New York ravaged with tragedy (it came out on 9/11). I recommend it highly to anyone looking for a good album for a long ass drive with the windows all the way down and the bass all the way up.

Next up (I’m gonna try and play catch-up as best I can) is #325: Slowhand by Eric Clapton.

Yeah, I missed you all too.

-Mike

My Picks and Praises from the 2010 C.W. Post Film Festival

2010-05-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: For those about to read the following post, I implore you to go the previous post, which contains full reviews of (almost) every film shown that night, and read the multi-paragraph disclaimer therein. Let me reiterate, however, that these are my personal opinions, and in no way reflect any authoritative decisions, nor the opinions or views of C.W. Post, Long Island University, or any administration or faculty therein or associated with C.W. Post, Long Island University. These are not meant as personal attacks, but merely an attempt at opening a friendly dialogue, free from "through the teeth" critiques. Shakespeare once said "There's daggers in men's smiles", ergo I suggest we all stop forcing smiles, and tell each other what we really think, so without further ado, my picks and accolades:

Apology: Once again, my apologies to "Amongst The Mortals" for their exclusion from this.

6 Must-See Films from the festival:
1. Hansel and Gretel
2. Still Life
3. The Neighbor
4. DPA and OBI
5. Procession of Time
6. Pictures of You

6 You Can Skip:
1. Carousel
2. Harvest
3. Loaded
4. Collision
5. The Predator’s Prey
6. Loves Ugly Face

Bests of the night:

Production:

Best Sound: Kenny Melo; Still Life

Best Production Design: Jessica Wallin; Hansel and Gretel

Best Editing: Dan Rodenhesier; The Neighbor

Best Cinematography: Sean Costello; Hansel and Gretel

Best Adapted Screenplay: Emily Mayo & Michael Staffieri; Hansel and Gretel

Best Original Screenplay: Carrie Ferrante, Pictures Of You

Best Director: Michael Staffieri; Hansel and Gretel

Acting:

Best Supporting Actor: {Tie} Konstantin Soukhovetski & Josef Urban; Hansel and Gretel

Best Supporting Actress: Ava Kelley; Hansel and Gretel

Best Actor: Adam Barnett; Still Life

Best Actress: Maria Arenlind; Hansel and Gretel

Best Ensemble Cast: Hansel and Gretel

Best Films (of each class):

Best Film (Documentary): DPA and OBI

Best Film (Intermediate): The Path To An Idea

Best Film (Sound or Editing): Mistaken Identity

Best Film (Advanced Filmmaking): Pictures Of You

Best Film (Production Lab): Hansel and Gretel

Best Film (Thesis): The Neighbor

Best Overall Film:

This will surprise no one.

Hansel and Gretel!

So there are my awards, accolades, praises and psshaws. Once again, I welcome any discussion on the subject. You can comment on this post, message me on Facebook, whatever keeps your boat floating.

Review of (Almost) Every Film From Last Night's C.W. Post Film Festival 2010

2010-05-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I wrote these reviews for my own sake, and as there have been some interested parties, I have posted them here on my personal blog. Participants in the film festival are more than welcome to read these, but it should be warned across the board that I am not kind and complimentary in all my opinions. This is Read At Your Own Risk material, and are simply critiques of the film, and should in no way be perceived as personal attacks or insults at the individuals behind them.

It is my conviction that if we have any hope of breaking into an industry as competitive and vicious as the film industry, than we had ought to do our best to be as honest with each other as possible. It is unfair to any creative individual to coddle them and say "Good job" if that's not how we truly feel. Roger Ebert doesn't give out A's for effort, and we owe each other the same courtesy.

There is always a courage that comes with presenting something one has put their heart and soul into. Bearing one's creative products before a mass audience is an act which requires some level of bravery, and that bravery should be commended. However, that bravery stems from the fact that one bears their soul in the knowledge and awareness that their creative wok may be subject to ridicule and criticism. Take out the possibility of said ridicule or criticism, and you remove the bravery. And in removing criticism from a learning environment such as film school, you abolish any possibility of improvement. So it is with this sentiment in mind that I encourage those open to critiquing, no matter how harsh, to read on.

Apology: It should be noted that I unfortunately did not see “Amongst The Mortals”, as I suffered near heatstroke from my idiot decision to wear a tuxedo. My sincerest apologies to all involved in the film for it being excluded from this piece, and would love the opportunity to see the film. Also, I am aware I worked on some of these films, but I am approaching them from an objective perspective, I assure you.

Indie Scene (Documentary); 16 min.
Danny Famiglietti, Tyrone Holguin, Sandy Sonera Jr., Nick Allen

“A thought-provoking documentary on the independent music scene, this film examines three different groups: two rock bands, one who has found moderate success and one who has not, and a rap duo. While the film succeeds in providing an air of tragedy in the story of the struggling band, and an air of nostalgia in examining the “success” of Marcy’s Playground (“Sex And Candy”), the film flounders whenever it returns to the rap duo. This is a shame, as I personally would have been fascinated to see the different worlds of the underground rock and rap scenes.

Instead, we’re provided with snippets of two guys just…chilling, mostly. The film feels like a real documentary, interspersed with the filmmaker’s friends slipping themselves into the piece. Overall, Indie Scene is an interesting documentary, which is one third VH1: Behind The Music, one third Anvil: The Story of Anvil, and one third guys playing around. A well-put-together documentary that suffers only from a lack of understanding which of their subjects were worth the attention. Worth a watch if the subject interests you.”

The Predator’s Prey (Advanced); 7 min.
Nugent Cantelino, Mike Weinstein, Jess Frederickson, Robert LaRosa

“Having taken in The Predator’s Prey twice, I start to notice the positives. For example, conceptually, the piece is intriguing. A mentally handicapped man (played quite well by John Christopher Morton) falls into the web of a Chris Hanson-gone-mad. Tragically, the film derails past the concept. The film reveals the protagonist Steve’s disability so early on that The Predator’s Prey becomes The Predictable Plot. During it’s screening, the audience actually laughed at some of the more absurd lines. The tragedy of the film lies not in the plot, but certainly in the misplacement of blame the audience is sure to mentally commit. Michael Weinstein’s dialogue itself is not very laughable, and under better circumstances could have resulted in compelling drama. Unfortunately, the film was almost entirely horribly miscast. Overacting to such a degree as to make Japanese Kabuki seem reserved, glaring mistakes such as extras looking at the camera, an inexplicable choice of ending and odd shot choices make the film a clusterfuck of confusion.

This is not to say the film itself is poorly shot. Jess Fredrickson, the film’s cinematographer, has often experimented in unique shots. These kinds of experiments served well in Josh Paige’s intermediate film last year, but in The Predator’s Prey, they fall short. An attempt to film a P.O.V. of a computer screen may earn the admiration of Werner Herzog, but it clearly earned the ire of the audience. Frederickson’s more straight-forward shooting remains one of the film’s few highlights, however.

The Predator’s Prey was clearly far from a doomed film. It comes from a group of talented individuals, and had an intriguing concept. Yet, through a series of poor decisions, the film falters out the starting gate and fumbles all the way from start to finish.”

Serial Lover (Intermediate); 2 min.
Whitney Henry Inniss

“A cutesy short about a disloyal lover. In 2 minutes, Inniss manages to entertain, but in a fleeting manner, as is the trap of most “cute” short films.”

Carousel (Production Lab); 6 min.
Tom Kiernan, Jason Hess, Kenny Yu, Abe Bello, Sean Brogan, Len Domingo

“If Jess Fredrickson was the Capt. Sully who saved The Predator’s Prey from total crash and burn status, then the team behind Carousel were the flight crew on the Hindenberg. The film is a chaotic centrifuge of themes, lines, and events that are so non-linear as to be mind-boggling. There is little to no area in which this film even remotely succeeds. I would apologize to the team behind the film, but from what I hear, compared to their own opinions on the piece, my above statements read like praise.”

The Neighbor (Thesis); 12 min.
Dan Rodenhesier

“So maybe The Neighbor doesn’t tackle any drastically sweeping social issues. Maybe it doesn’t have any guns, any sex, and swearing or bloodshed of any kind. None of that matters, quite frankly, as The Neighbor succeeds in one area more than any other film, and that is in making the viewer simply feel good. This light-hearted film about two brothers fighting over the new girl next door shows that Dan Rodenhesier isn’t your typical film school idiot, aspiring to be just like {fill in hip, violent filmmaker}. Instead, he just wants to connect with the audience on a gut level. And he does so from joyous start to finish. The Neighbor is a great short film that can be viewed and enjoyed by everyone, young and old, and it is the humble hope of this reviewer that it is.”

Please Silence Your Cell Phone (Documentary); 6 min.
Jess Frederickson, Dani Teman

“In a festival with documentaries on the subjects of independent music and illegal street racing, the topic of texting doesn’t seem terribly important or worth caring about. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a film to make the case that the topic of texting is worth your attention, this flick sure as hell ain’t it. From the amateurish voice-overs to the asinine animations of bouncing cell-phones to the immensely awkward man-on-the-street style interviews, Please Silence Your Cell Phone seems to forget what it’s purpose is. Indeed, there’s no clear cut subject to the documentary beyond “Cell Phones: People Use Them”. The documentary’s ending is a poorly shot speech made directly into the camera telling you to turn off your cell phones, to not use texting as a replacement for humans interaction, etc. and it feels as if the filmmakers simply went “Aw, crap, that’s what this was supposed to be about? Crap, just tack a speech on at the end.” By the end of the film, you’re no more informed than you were before it started, and the only thing you’ve gained is a nostalgia for those old MTV PSA’s from the early 90’s where a black screen with a question written on it would cut to banal statements from people you couldn’t care less about.

I’ll not mention the several audience members so bored they were actually texting during the film, but rest assured the irony was not lost on me.”

Nocturne In C# Minor (Advanced); 9 min.
Jae Kim, Mike Natale, Nick Young, Kwesi Bynoe

“Michael Natale has repeatedly spoken of his admiration of Woody Allen. Well, he has come one step closer to become his idol, as both their first attempts at drama, Allen’s 1978 Interiors and last night’s Nocturne In C# Minor, were less than stellar. The film suffers from a similar flaw as The Predator’s Prey. Both had concepts which lost it’s magic. Though it wasn’t a series of mistakes that hurt Nocturne In C# Minor. Rather, you can almost feel that the film, through countless rewrites and re-imaginings, lost it’s soul. Nick Young tries to use certain angles and lighting to make up for the verbose characters, and Jae Kim can almost be seen trying to pull the project together with his bear hands. It’s clear Kim, Natale, and Young have a workable synergy, and there’s certainly potential in their work. They simply seem so focused on pleasing everyone that they lost sight of the emotional honesty. The piece seems tailor made to please some professor, or some single individual, and it suffers greatly from that. Perhaps this trio could craft something spectacular in the future. It’s clear a lot of work went into the film, and if they can put in an equal level of heartfelt, rather than reluctant, passion to match the hard work, then it’s very likely they’ll give us all something worth watching.”

Heart Of Darkness (Intermediate); 2 min.
Chris Suchy

“Quite frankly, no one is sure what happened in this film. A story was told, but why tell it? What was the point? Your guess is as good as mine in this bizarre two minute piece.”

Hansel and Gretel (Production Lab); 17 min.
Michael Staffieri, Emily Mayo, Jessica Wallin, Sean Costello, Patrick Mackey

“In a pre-Staffieri world, the name pairing “Hansel and Gretel” brought one a feeling of nostalgia, of childhood wonderment. However, for the past year at C.W. Post, that title has evoked such intimidation, envy, and anticipation that last night’s virtually packed screening room was a mass of seemingly choreographed bouncing knees as the night approached the “big moment”.
Every year, one film develops such a massive buzz as to become the unofficial main act of the end-of-the-year film festival. Last year, that film was Gia McKenna’s In The Name Of Cinema. This year, it was Hansel and Gretel, and that’s not the only distinction these two films share. Both also stand as strong reminders that with a truly gifted group of creative minds, lack of resources or budget are not shackles but merely hurdles, which, if properly overcome, can result in brilliant films.

From the moment the projector starts, you forget you’re at a college. I sincerely believe that you could place this film in any festival and it would be right at home. Mayo and Staffieri’s screenplay puts a fresh twist on the almost haggard Holocaust film, by focusing less on the time period, and more on the people. The flashback sequences between the protagonist and her husband are not driven by the circumstances but by the emotions, the inner workings of the characters themselves, a tricky thing for even Hollywood writers to achieve. There is not a line out of place, and at no point does the film drift into the dangerous turf of cliché or insincerely ‘heart-warming’. Instead, you get a film where Gretel’s knee getting bandaged has you as engaged as the gun shot. The story is so well crafted that handed to even the most novice team, the film could be good. Yet, the film’s exceptional nature has as much to do with what you see as what you hear.

Visually, the film is an absolute delight. Sean Costello’s cinematography is gorgeous, but not so much to take away from the film itself. At no point does it become the typical film school visual short, with all the bells and whistles and no substance. All the angles, the lighting, the entire optical language of the film works in tandem with the script to create multi-sensory storytelling. Of course, we cannot talk about the visuals of the film without acknowledging the exceptional production design of Jessica Wallin. Every frame of that film should stand as a testament to the blood, sweat, and tears that surely went into every detail of that film. From that hand-built set (built atop the garish blue room all film majors have burned into their memories), to the period-perfect costumes, to even the most miniscule detail (the windows, the shelving, the radio, everything completely historically accurate to my knowledge), that will to most go unnoticed, simply to create the ambiance. One can almost imagine, ten years from now, film students refusing to believe that there was ever a production designer who put so much effort into a class project. So, congratulations, Ms. Wallin, you’ve joined the rank of urban legend.

Of course, the film would be a pretty nothing without the truly gifted performances to match the lines. Michael Staffieri has outdone himself with the ensemble he’s assembled, and his directing pulls out such brilliant turns as Konstantin Soukhovetski as the vile S.S. officer, Josef Urban as the foolishly noble husband, and of course, the star of the entire evening, Maria Arenlind, who’s performance deserves a paragraph of praise all it’s own (All three of these actors sheer physical appearance, it should be noted, gave almost every viewer severe body image issues). Though the true testament to Staffieri’s skill is in the performances of the children. Simply look at the terror in Gretel’s face as she crouches under the table, hearing the news of her mother’s murder, and you’ll understand why I picked that little girl as the night’s Best Supporting Actress.

So Hansel and Gretel is on all accounts a success. Even it’s unfinished sound couldn’t rob it of it’s well deserved glory, as the house seemed to empty after seeing the film they came for. Much like In The Name Of Cinema‘s crew, the H&G team encourage us all to up our game by showing what can be done with passion and talent. Like them or not, you gotta admit, last night, they kicked our collective ass.”

Loves Ugly Face (Intermediate); 2 min.
Caitlin Montclaire

“Now, look, any film would have looked bad following Hansel and Gretel, but that’s no excuse for sloppy storytelling. Whoever scheduled these films together made a mistake, and made this silly stabbing story look worse by comparison alone. Sure, there’s nothing special about this film, and it’s another gore-nographic shlockfest like we get every year, but maybe I would have liked it more had I not just been blown away.”

Pictures of You (Advanced); 5 min.
Josh Paige, Jason Hess, Carrie Ferrante, Marc Riou, Nick Young, Dani Teman

“In and amongst all the Advanced Filmmaking projects trying to tackle huge social issues like war, addiction, child predators, and whatever the fuck the point of Loaded was (we’ll get to that later), it is a little film about a girl in a bad relationship that comes out on top. The only film to shoot in Post and not look ridiculous (excluding films that shot in the studio), the film is a sweet, endearing story that’s sure to make you go “Aw…” by the final hand holding shot. As per usual, Marc Riou’s cinematography perfectly accentuates the meaning behind the lines, and the film only suffers from weak male actors. With vibrant color and not an ounce of pretension, Pictures of You does what all the other Advanced films screened last night tried to do and failed. It made you feel something. So it’s not a dark, meditative masterpiece. It’s not trying to be, and that’s why it shines.”

DPA and OBI (Documentary); 13 min.
Thomas Piazza, Kenneth Melo, Brian DiLorenzo, Nick Young, Jay Manly

“By far the best documentary all night, this close examination of illegal street racing is as quality as it’s going to get from a Post documentary. It’s pulse pounding, it’s exciting, and it’s informative. Yeah, it does both entertain and inform. Sure, you find out the world of street racing isn’t as glamorous as The Fast & The Furious, but you realize it’s real, and these intrepid camera men immersed themselves into this world. As you watch the camera swing, you realize they really are being chased by police. These documentarians pull you into a story you don’t ever want to leave, and craft an enthralling piece that is without a doubt worth your attention.”

Still Life (Production Lab); 16 min.
Martha McCann, Rob Vogt, Justin Toulon, Courtney Taylor, Kenneth Melo, Len Domingo, Kwasi Asante Tanner

“In the course of viewing Still Life, I found myself feeling deeply sad for Rob Vogt, Martha McCann, and particularly lead actress Piper Blouin. All seem to understand the subtle decay that occurs within an individual in those moments of interpersonal collapse too well for it to be purely fictive. It’s quietly dazzling how gently and delicately Vogt’s script handles this fragile subject of an alcoholic parent. So many times, the subject has been tackled, and very rarely does it work without stumbling into the terrain of the melodrama. Vogt seems careful never to let any scene get cliché, and McCann successfully fought the temptation any of us would get to create the “big” scene.

Through a combination of Vogt’s cinematography and McCann’s directing, scenes set in the sweeping landscapes of Manhattan have the same uncomfortable claustrophobia as the seat-shifting-ly awkward train car scenes, all done to maximum effect to create an unsettling aura not only inside the world of the film but in the audience as well. Every head in the house is thinking “Something’s off here”, but no one can piece together quite what until the end.

Yes, it’s almost a mystery story for the first half of the film, trying to discern exactly why this girl harbors such disdain for her father. Not enough compliment can be given to the performance of Adam Barnett, who seems to have a natural understanding of what level of likeability is right for the scene. It’s rare in student films to see an actor dig so deeply into the role, but Barnett seems so perfectly desperate for his daughter’s smile that we in the audience want to grab ahold of her and tell her to lighten up. That whatever he did, it’s not that bad.

Then he starts to drink, and the filmmaker’s high-wire act begins. It would be so easy to at any moment slip into comic lush flick, or Lifetime movie awfulness. Instead, McCann guides each scene’s subtle serenity to the forefront, making everything believable. The almost tender moment where the daughter discusses the factors that determine good photography never gets tender, in the sense that it never evokes an emotion that wouldn’t be felt observing an actual father-daughter conversation.

In the same vein, anyone disappointed that the alleyway altercation didn’t have more shouting, more crying, more gusto, has clearly never been in that situation. Barnett’s delivery of his inebriatedly angry lines is so pitch perfect you can smell the booze off of his whiskers. Piper fights back tears, just enough to let us know there’s a pain inside, but a pain she’s used to. There’s no need for either to display their soul, nor for there to be any confrontation. No one ever shares their feelings, no one ever lets on what kind of cross they bear. In moments like when Piper leaves the train car as her father faintly sleeps in his seat, I cannot help but recall one of my favorite songs, Peter Allen’s “Don’t Cry Out Loud”, a song he wrote about how no one really speaks about the scars inside. McCann and Vogt use that idea, but traded in the song’s awful 80’s music for a heart-wrenchingly realistic portrait of the typical decay of the American family.”

Cold Feet (Class Unknown); 5 min.
Thomas Waters

“An odd little film about a guy running. The twist at the end is chuckle-worthy, but both Waters’ films of the night seem crafted more around locations than solid stories.”

The Path To An Idea (Intermediate); 3 min.
Adam Kampfer

“This little film had something intriguing about it. It wasn’t mind-blowing or guffawing funny, but I get a sense about whoever made this. Kampfer seems to have an ear for dialogue that reminds me of a clean Kevin Smith, back when Kevin Smith wrote real dialogue. I’d keep an eye open for this kid.”

Mother (Advanced); 5 min.
Alan Holloway, Chris DeMonte, Jeremiah Wenutu, Tyler Tremblay

“Mother, as a whole, is a basically bland film, as almost all this year’s Advanced films seem to be. It’s another watered down concept that seems intriguing, this time the idea being addiction to Robitussin. Rather than get a compelling story, we get a bland little short about a kid robbing a store. Again, the film seems crafted to please someone in particular, and suffers for it. Also, the shaky camera may or may not have been intentional, but it’s almost painful at times. The film suffers not from lack of quality, but from bland forgetability.”

Procession Of Time (Thesis); 16 min.
Courtney Taylor

“Procession Of Time is, in essence, an Americanization of the theme of the German film Lola Rennt, though a lot less…German. Utilizing computer animation, green screens, and a captivating non-linear storytelling style, Courtney Taylor crafts a very compelling tale about the idea of the infinite possibilities in the web of time, and how even the most minor actions can lead to major events (points go to Taylor for casting himself as one of the characters who commits one of those “minor events”). The only risk the film takes is that if you’re drawn in from the beginning, the climax is shocking. If you’re not, the climax, and indeed the entire film seems melodramatic. I am happy to report, though, that I was one of the many who was, in fact, drawn in from start to finish.”

Mistaken Identity (Class Unknown); 3 min.
Whitney Henry Inniss

“Another cutely comic film, this one with a little more staying power, though the ending sound clip takes it to an absurd place I’d have preferred it didn’t go.”

Aria (Thesis); 13 min.
Kenneth Melo

“In the beginning, Aria is an interesting, well shot film with characters that intrigue you. You start to feel just as if you’re watching a Quentin Tarantino film, and that’s exactly where this film suffers. From the female protagonist predatorily surveying a highway to close-ups of feet, this film is a perfect Tarantino homage. Tragically, that’s all it is. Once the abnormally large gun comes out, and the man manages to tie himself up in a manner from which he can’t escape (I’m confused as to the physics of that, personally), the film goes into a crazy place it shouldn’t have. I’m not trying to say Aria isn’t an enjoyable film. It very much is. It just lacks compositional originality, a thing I’m sure we’re all very guilty of from time to time. Look up Aria if you like Tarantino, and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy yourself, up until they quite literally pull out the big gun. See, that’s the problem with guns in student films. A lot more people think they can do it tastefully than actually can.”

Collision (Summer Project); 11 min.
Robert LaRosa, Marc Riou

“The message of Collision is basically “Why do bad things happen to good people?” and that is the exact sentiment I felt when looking at all the good people in the audience viewing this film. This bizarre, revenge-fantasy/PSA against drunk driving starts out reasonable, if a little absurdly obscene with a conversation between two guys who seem to swear a ridiculously large amount. Then for some weird coincidence, one of the friends goes all deer-in-the-headlights in front of a drunk driver AS HE’S TALKING ABOUT DRUNK DRIVERS. What happens next is…well…

The film suffers most from writer/director Robert LaRosa casting himself as the lead, a decision that causes the film to become even more John Waters-esque twisted. LaRosa decides to take revenge on the man who killed his friend, using a baseball bat, which leads to him later driving a soccer mom minivan with a Taxi Driver-esque monologue.

The film is bizarre, absurd, melodramatic, and at it’s worst almost un-watch-able. LaRosa could benefit from doing like other film makers in his class, such as John Waters, Ralph Bakshi, Tim Burton, and even Federico Fellini, and that is embracing the bizarreness of his films, and cranking it up to 11. Then you’ll have a film I’ll enjoy. Until then, this foray into “serious” films just isn’t lighting my fire, dig?”

Loaded (Advanced); 6 min.
Jason Hess, Josh Paige, Marc Riou

“This film was chaotic, and just a waste of time. I cannot help but think of the line from Billy Madison (which provided more intellectual stimulation than Loaded) “Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it”.

This film took an actually quality actress and underused her in place of a guy saying fuck a lot (Do a shot every time he says it and you’ll be plastered a minute in) and shots of a muscular guy running with a gun in the completely obvious halls of Kahn, a building we’re all so familiar with that it becomes laughable. Loaded is the kind of movie we all made as kids with a camcorder and our friends when we were 14. Lots of guns and running and trying to look cool, and little to no plot. You could have maybe redeemed it a little by letting Ms. Ferrante utter a line or two rather than just cry taped up next to the typical “crazy guy” Why is he mad at said Senator? Who gives a crap, they have guns! Look how cool! Guns! Fuck! Guns! Running!

This film proved to actually be more insufferable than Collision. At least Collision tried to have a point. This film was just bland machismo. I realize there were probably people who thought it was “really good”. That not all movies need to make you think. Well, if films like this have more of a future than films like Still Life or Hansel and Gretel or Pictures Of You, then do me a favor and do to me what they did to Ms. Ferrante at the end of the film.

In it‘s defense, for what it is, it‘s well made. There are no glaring errors in the filming process. For those looking for virtually plot-less action, I would recommend it. I just don‘t know too many people looking for that.”

Change Of Heart (Thesis); 6 min.
Esley Tate

“I cannot begin to grasp what the point of this film was. Don’t have babies? Maybe I’m just being nitpicky. It wasn’t poorly shot or poorly acted. It was just…forgettable. And when you’re in a late night slot like this, you can’t afford to be forgettable. You either gotta be great or awful, which leads to our next one…”

Harvest (Class Unknown); 25 min.
Len Domingo, Daniel Famiglietti, Tom Kiernan

“Even the film maker himself didn’t seem to care about the film when he presented it. What we get is an overly long, ever cliché story of Death personified, this time falling in love with a woman. The use of the 1812 Overture, the flashbacks, the Frankenstein theme, the entire piece failed to entertain or inspire, and instead just left us waiting for the end, or maybe the sweet release that this “death“ refused to give.

See what I just did there? I kept things brief. There‘s an art to that. Not pointing fingers or anything.”

A Dog Day (Intermediate); 3 min.
Thomas Waters

"As I said before about these films, they seem more built around location than story, especially in this pointless story about a doggy down a well. Enjoyable? Yes. But mainly for it’s convenient locale.”

Apartment, NY (Class Unknown); 2 min.
Shimo Takuya

“It’s a real shame this film didn’t run. It looked interesting.”

So there end the reviews of the 2010 C.W. Post Underclassmen film festival. Once again, this was intended as healthy criticism, and was not meant to make anyone cry. I welcome all disagreements and commentary (beyond "You suck") and encourage a healthy dialogue, as that is the only way we are going to improve.

My awards and accolades for the festival are to come shortly.

Explaination

2010-05-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, the album reviews have been put on indefinite hiatus. Fo all the readers, I apologize. I will continue to review the albums, but do to difficulties with my computer, and no longer having access to faster ones with classes ending, the once a day postings will have to cease.

However, I did review last night's C.W. Post Film Festival, and intend to post the review here.

#105: Rocket To Russia- The Ramones

2010-03-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

I have been trying to write this fucking review for days, and every time, Microsoft works has had to shut down, and I’ve lost it all. I typed the same intro making fun of Rock And Roll High School 5 times! So, fuck it, I’m done trying. Sorry Rocket To Russia, but you’re getting stiffed in the review department. It’s a good album, look it up. “Teenage Lobotomy” and “Sheena Is A Punk rocker” are great. The rest of the reviews due will be up soon. Fucking computer keeps giving me shit.

-Mike

Next up, #464: The Blueprint- Jay-Z.

#435: To Bring You My Love- PJ Harvey

2010-03-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

It is my sincerest opinion that PJ Harvey might be one of the most underrated artists of all time, and To Bring You My Love is probably her best next to Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, an album heinously ignored by this list. The opening track, the darkly haunting “To Bring You My Love” show her for the pretty, gritty poet she is. The water motif throughout the album, and displayed in the cover, begins here, as does the multiple references to religion. It’s grim, growling sound is matched by the next track, but also blown away by it’s heavier, hard tone. “Meet ze Monsta” manages to be even more evil sounding than the last, with distorted instruments that would make the White Stripes jealous, and a work-song beat that makes any listener bang their head. In the lyrics, note the references to monsoons, for the water motif, and the line “Hell ain’t half full, take me with you” just because I love it. “Working For The Man” is an almost whispered track, with PJ accompanied primarily and almost solely by the bass. She does some amazing little vocal affectations and inflections during this track that make it so haunting and sensual. No water references in these lyrics, but she is speaking to God, in an ethereal indictment of ignorance and obsession with machinery, in my opinion.

From the last three tracks, we change over to a totally raw, loud, emotional, acoustic song, one of my favorites on the album, entitled “C’Mon Billy”, which is told from the perspective of a woman trying to plead with the man who got her pregnant to return to her. You can almost hear her sobbing in the lyrics, half-seducing, half-begging. Then the orchestra comes in, you truly discover the compositional range of Ms. Harvey, who by this point, if just for this track alone, earns the comparisons she gets to Bob Dylan, and for me to say that means a lot. “Teclo” changes the tone yet again, with Harvey switching from girlish agony to gutteral groans of suffering. On this track, every note she sings, every crack and wail is spine-chillingly present, thanks to the minimalist accompaniment for the first half of the song. By the end, this grim song gets more inturments, including the haunting bells that seem to complete that aura of misty fear. “Long Snake Moan” marks the return of the water motif, with darkly sexual…is it undertones? I mean, I want to say undertones, but they’re pretty much out in the open. Whatever, it’s sexy as shit. “Die of/Pleasure/Hear my/Dreaming/You’ll be/Drowning” are just some of the gorgeous lyrics to this hard rock track, that proves Harvey can get as heavy as hell itself. Seriously, this is a really hot track. Maybe just for me, but that’s irrelevant. It’s terrific whether you find it sexy or not. If I need to point out the water motif to you in “Down by the Water”, you need to get sterilized. This bleak track, reminiscent of old folk songs, but given a modern vibe, Harvey spins a song as a woman who has drowned her daughter.

“Oh, help me, Jesus, come through the storm/I had to lose her, to do her harm/I heard her holler, I heard her moan/My lovely daughter, I took her home/Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water/Come back here, man, gimme my daughter”

Those words could have been written 60, 70 years ago by an old folk mistress, but instead it’s young Harvey who shows her songwriting chops at their peak with this one. And to have this song follow up the wild, heavy, frenetic “Long Snake Moan” is just ingenious. Of course, to add to the eeriness of this album, she follows a song about drowning a daughter with a song entitled “I Think I’m A Mother”. Now, I’ll tell you the truth, I love the lyrics to this song, just like I love some of Dylan’s lyrics, not because of what they mean, but because I don’t have a fucking clue what they mean. Musically, the song is as dark as any other, but the pounding drum that courses through adds an aura of terror to the already disturbing musical world of PJ Harvey. The covered, muted vocals are also genius, and reminiscent of another singer-songwriter who I’ve yet to reference in this review as I’ve done it too much in the past, but let’s just say we’ve already reviewed all three albums he has on this list.

The plea to “Send His Love To Me” was expressed in earlier tracks, such as the title track, but this rebels against the water motif, by continually discussing dryness, and returns to the mention of Jesus. “Send His Love To Me” thematically seems a parallel to “To Bring You My Love”. Even the titles suggest two different but comparable things, giving and receiving. The musical style of both tracks are also polar opposites. While the first, “To Bring You My Love” is bleak and soft, this track is alive and bright. Even Harvey’s Patti Smith-esque wails can’t hide the energy in that tambourine and acoustic guitar. This track is truly one of the highlights of the album, especially with how well it fits into the themes and plays off of the other tracks. The album closes on “The Dancer”, which finally lets you in on the secret, if you choose to accept it: The album is a story, the entire album being a woman’s journey, first trying to bring her love to someone, and through the torturous pains of life, is reduced to begging for Jesus to “Send His Love To Me”. The opening lines of “The Dancer” wrap up this story:

“He came riding fast like a phoenix out of fire flames/He came dressed in black with a cross bearing my name/He came bathed in light and the splendor and glory/I can't believe what the lord has finally sent me”

The water motif returns in “My love will stay till the river bed run dry”, and do you get it now? The references to water change to drought as her hope dies out. Yeah, he true sign of a masterpiece, all the pieces, individually great, come together perfectly.
To Bring You My Love is the type of album one should aspire to make. It’s craftsmanship is flawless, it’s compositions and performances incredible, and it all works as a cohesive piece of music. Harvey on this album created not just a phenomenal collection of songs, but a remarkable simplistic symphony. I cannot reach out of the computer screen and force you to listen to this, but know that I would if I could.

-Mike

See you guys tomorrow for #105: Rocket To Russia by The Ramones.

#172: Every Picture Tells A Story- Rod Stewart

2010-03-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Now, I’m not too familiar with the work of Rod Stewart beyond his Greatest Hits album, so I looked forward to giving Every Picture Tells A Story a listen. The album opens on the title track, co-written by Stewart and Ronnie Wood, a former member of Rod’s The Faces, now in The Rolling Stones. The track is a fun, spirited rock track, and Stewart’s crackling, raspy voice fits it perfectly. When the back-up vocals jump in about a little more than halfway through, the song fins that one thing I felt it was missing before, and by the end, I’m wishing more than anything I could hear this on the original vinyl. The second track, “Seems Like A Long Time” is a great slow track, with Stewart’s rasp adding to the sentimentality, reminiscent of the best kind of Otis Redding ballad. After performing these two kind-of safe tracks, Stewart gets real fucking ballsy really fast by taking on the King. That’s right, track three is a cover of “That’s All Right” by Arthur Crudup, made famous by Elvis Presley. Rod’s interpretation is…well, I’ll stick to Elvis, thanks, and I’m pretty sure most people will agree. This track includes “Amazing Grace”, though for some of you this may come up as a different track. The “Amazing Grace” cover is a lot more enjoyable, giving it an old, weary, bluesy feel. The next track shows Rod again trying to take on a master, this time Bob Dylan with “Tomorrow Is A Long Time”, and even Elvis again, since this song was covered by him. Stewart’s rendition of the Dylan song is a lot better than his idea of an Elvis song, and Stewart seems truly sincere, like he’s actually bothered to look at the lyrics (you’d be surprised how many Dylan covers don’t).

After this comes the under a minute unmarked track O. Henry, and then the song everyone’s been waiting for, Rod’s signature song, “Maggie May”. Written about a true affair with an older woman, Stewart sings his raspy heart out on this rock and roll classic, by far the best track on the album, not to mention one of the most fun songs in the world to sing live for anyone. Even if you decide not to listen to this whole album, if you’ve never heard it before, give “Maggie May” a listen. “Mandolin Winds” is another Stewart original composition, and is nice, mellow, and thoroughly enjoyable when you just kick back and let it wash over you. After this comes a take on the Temptations song “(I Know) I’m Losing You”, which is a nice high energy funk-rock re-imagining and one of the better track son the album. The album concludes with “Reason To Believe”, originally the album’s lead single, until radio stations discovered they all liked the B-Side, “Maggie May” better. “Reason To Believe” is a nice finale, a kind hearted, sweetly energetic ballad-type track, which closes the album the way the whole album felt, kind of dead and dull, a little bit.

Personally, I don’t get it. It’s a good album, but I don’t think it’s great or mind-blowing. However, it’s clearly culturally significant, and when compiling a “Greatest” list, it’s got to be different than a “Favorites” list, and if this album is as significant as all it’s supporters seem to think, and it’s not unbearable (it’s actually quite enjoyable on the third or fourth listen) then it deserves to stay. However, I’m not buying it being #175.

-Mike

See you guys tomorrow for an album that should be ranked a hella higher than this, #435: To Bring You My Love by PJ Harvey.

#363: Ray Of Light- Madonna

2010-03-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Madonna was THE woman of the 80’s. Everything she did drew cheerers, haters, and imitators. After scandalous pop tracks (“Material Girl”, “Like A Virgin”, “Like A Prayer”), an even more scandalous personal life (Sean Penn, a little book called Sex, deep-throating a bottle), and a Letterman appearance that may never be forgotten, Madonna was on a fast track to collapse, doomed to become a warning sign to future singers, about how the cutesy, foul mouthed pop star will never become anything more. Little did anyone know this woman was the queen of re-invention. Ray Of Light is considered one of Madonna’s greatest artistic achievements, and one of the best albums of the 90’s. With a more mature and focused sound than 80’s Madonna, she proved herself not just to be a peddler of shock and pop, but of art sand creativity as well.
The album opens on “Drowned World/Substitute For Love”, which from the first tones you can tell is not a traditional Madonna song. It’s ethereal, it’s gentle, it’s sensual, it wisps across the air of whatever room it plays in. The wind chimes, the electronic faint beats, everything comes together to say “This ain’t the lady you know”. “Swim” keeps that reserved, echoing sound to Madonna’s voice, in a song that, in a prior Mage incarnation would have been bouncy pop. After two damp, ethereal tracks, the album kicks into full, hardcore as it gets dance music with the title track, “Ray Of Light”. Now, who can forget that music video? How perfectly it worked with such an intense, upbeat, amazing track. Yeah, I said amazing. The instrumentation on this is great, and Madonna experiments vocally in such a proficient and fun way that it’s hard to argue that this album isn’t enjoyable. Just try not to dance when this track comes on. It’s as impossible as trying not to think of Madonna dancing in front of those varispeed clips in what might be one of the greatest short films of the past 20 years. “Ray Of Light” single-handedly ropes in even the most vehement opposition to at least consider this an “ok” album.

“Candy Perfume Girl” from it’s first notes brings a very different feel to this album, with beats that more resemble hip-hop than the meditative tones of “Drowned World/Substitute For Love”. I love the part in the middle where it drops out into carnival-like organ for just a few seconds, and then the music charges back in, and the electric guitars lend that hint of rock that I think Madonna always strived for a little bit. “Skin” keeps that electronic feel the whole album has, but enhances it even more here, so that Madonna’s vocals are nearly unheard, and once the dance-beat kicks in, Madonna’s voice just becomes another instrument. Once it gets to the chorus of “Do I know you from somewhere?”, her voice comes a little clearer, and you remember that Madonna isn’t just a provocateur and composer, but a very talented and emotive singer. Her voice can be like a siren song, drawing you in without any frail or frills. She doesn’t do those irritating R&B vocal runs every female singer seems to fall prey to, but instead sticks to simple melodies and makes them terrific. “Skin” is the longest track on the album, and by the midpoint, your almost convinced Madonna and Radiohead made a baby. “Nothing Really Matters” starts of with a soft, mystical vibe, and when the beat scomes in, it seems to almost slide in, as at least for me, your hypnotized by the vocals movements.

“Sky Fits Heaven” is another dance track, which is upbeat, fun, but not terribly unique when compared to the other tracks. “Shanti/Ashtangi” takes on a dark, Eastern tone, while still integrating the electronic sounds from earlier in the album, and creates a song you could meditate to if you weren‘t so busy dancing. This leads into “Frozen”, which goes back to being in English, but keeps that dark, Eastern vibe. “Frozen” is a track so good, it’s banned in Belgium (click the link), and marks a turning point for Madonna. The string orchestration on “Frozen” also finally breaks free of the solely-electronic nature of the album, which was starting to get a little tedious and grating. Madonna’s most confessional song on the album follows, entitled “The Power Of Goodbye”. Now this is one of my personal favorite tracks of hers, and the video is the first of hers I ever saw, at age 8, I believe. Even the electronic beats are softened, to let Madonna sing clearly and gently about being broken down and begging for release. “To Have And Not To Hold” keeps that soft, sensual, lamenting tone of the prior track, with a catchy, if poppy chorus, showing how Madonna, originally the poster child of bubble-gum pop, could skirt past pop without delving into it. “Little Star” seems like the lilting, tragic cousin of “Lucky Star”, a single Madonna released back when she was still a silly little pop star. The album closes on “Mer Girl”, a sensual ballad-like finale that hides away most of the electronic beats of it’s prior tracks, and cuts out all the instruments altogether at the end, showing us once again what Madonna turely is, a great and emotive singer.

So, yeah, I’m unashamed to admit that Ray Of Light is a great album, integrating electronic dance music without getting repetitive or annoying. Madonna proves on this album she’s more than just a pop singer, that she is a truly gifted and talented artist. I recommend giving this album a listen, you might be surprised how current it still feels, despite being 10 years old. Now, I’m not gonna make any comparisons between Ray Of Light-period Madonna and any artist out today, but I’m sure if you give Ray Of Light a listen, you can make those comparisons yourself.

-Mike

See you guys tomorrow for #172: Every Picture Tells A Story by Rod Stewart.

#44: Horses- Patti Smith

2010-03-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Listened to: CD

From the howling vocals, to the virtuoso poetics, to the Mapplethorpe androgynous cover, to even the most minute details, I have always loved every inch of Patti Smith’s debut album Horses. Opening with the chills-down-your-spine lyric “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine” in the murky instrumentals of the Patti Smith Group’s rendition of Them’s “Gloria”, the album kick into high gear, introducing us to Patti’s wails and flails from the start. Patti challenged the role of women in music, and rather than play to the custie gender roles like her contemporary Debbie Harry, Smith became rough, grizzled, and every bit as hard rock and roll as a man. The song beats intensely, and on the wail of “And her name is, and her name is, and her name is” (which I always misheard as “and the nightmares”) if you’re not hypnotized, you must be dead. “Redondo Beach”, based on a poem by Patti Smith, takes on a bit more of a fun, bouncy feel, but Patti once again brings the grit, and reminds us that as bouncy as it gets, it’s still raw punk rock. I can repeat from memory every vocal movement on this track, and I’m unashamed to admit I’ve avidly studied this album to improve myself as a performer. “Birdland” is a chance for Patti to display her jazz roots, as the title is an obvious reference to Charlie Parker. The way Patti speaks the lyrics in the beginning never ceases to entrance me, and the slow crescendo is a rush. “Free Money” is one of smith’s most lamenting and beautiful tracks on the album, and I always feel like she’s opening up specifically to me (not in the psycho way, just that she’s so candid and radiant on this track, that it connects). “Kimberly” jumps in with that bouncy bass that you’re already familiar with on “Redondo Beach”, but Patti’s now talking about the collapse of the sky and the end of the world. One thing I hope you’ll discover is that while the album is musically exceptional, it is Patti’s poetry that make it such a masterwork. “Break It Up” has one of my favorite choruses of any song in rock history, and I can’t help but howl it out every time it comes on. The guitars play with such gritty finesse, and Patti seems to vocally lead the chorus as conductress extraordinaire. “Land” is a nine minute epic mini-opera, divided into three parts. “Horses”, “Land Of The Thousand Dances”, and “La Mer (De)”, which, of the three, the first is my favorite. It’s part epic poem, part punk rock anthem, part jam session magic, and every second of this track is genius. This masterpiece is followed up by the album’s closer, “Elegie”, the mystical track that always reminds me of Godspell, where Patti shows her most range, and softly sings us out into the abyss of the dark world she inhabits. The final track is so haunting, It lilts and floats in the air, leaving you feeling in awe of what an incredible thing just took place on your stereo.

Of course, the CD has a bonus of the band performing “My Generation” by The Who, live, and I presume it was the same live performance I saw on SNL oin the DVD, since it sounds nearly identical. I’m not going to tell you to listen to this album. Rather, I’m demanding any serious reader of this blog go out and buy it. You’ll be a far better person for it. Horses is one of the greatest albums of all time, and no human being should go without hearing it. That’s my doctor’s orders for the day.

-Mike

See you tomorrow for a very different woman of rock, Madonna, specifically #363: Ray Of Light.

#394: For Your Pleasure- Roxy Music

2010-03-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Well, the album doesn’t waste time with intros, and goes straight into “Do The Strand”. For Your Pleasure by Roxy Music is considered a fantastic album, and on of Morrissey’s favorites, so I’m more than happy to give it a chance. It features famed producer Brian Eno, which explains how this is basically the British equivalent of the Talking Heads. Now, this ain’t really my dig, but I can definitely see a young Stefani Germanotta listening to this. Littered in the first track are references to things like The Mona Lisa and Lolita, proving Roxy Music to be full of frustrated intellectuals making weird music for the hell of it. The second track, “Beauty Queen”, not only feature Bryan Ferry sounding like Mandy Patankin, but happens to be a little more of a mainstream track. It’s like Andrew Lloyd Webber on only a bit of Quaaludes. I’ll tell you the truth, I wasn’t looking forward to this album (every reviewer is biased, I’m just gonna wear mine on my sleeve), but two tracks in, and I’m really enjoying this album. Bryan Ferry has a phenomenal sense of composition, and Brian Eno’s hand is more than a little obvious in som of the effects and mixing, but they compliment each other so well it stops them from getting too…weird, as would happen with Eno’s work with David Byrne. “Strictly Confidential” keeps that ALW vibe, and has a dark, mystical feel mixed with a pop-ballad tone that’s something really special, and makes for a truly musically dynamic track that doesn’t go all over the place.

“Editions Of You” has a synth that surely sounded kick-ass at the time, even though it now sounds like an old Sega game soundtrack. After a few seconds of solely the synth, the guitars kick in and play a real hard rock song which caught me totally by surprise considering this album’s “indie-before-there-was-indie” feel, but this track is less hipster and more Springsteen, especially with that saxophone. Again, I always respect an album in which a band shows it’s range.

So…yeah. No way around it, this song’s about a blow-up doll. “In Every Dream Home A Heartache” is one of the most original tracks I have ever heard, with it’s half-spoken melody-monologue, it’s creepy organ sounds, and the way it fades out and re-enters. This truly is an incredible song, and one I intend to listen to over and over again. I’m anxious to finish my review, now, just to go back to this track. “Bogus Man” uses flangers and other audio effects to the extreme, and the double vocals have an eery feel to them that only add to the chilling vibe of this track. “Grey Lagoons” sounds like it fell right off the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack, and is a short, sweet 4:15 after the epically long “Bogus Man”. The rock guitar only adds to the overall classic 70’s vibe to this brilliantly display of musical range. The album ends on the title track, which begins with what sounds like birds chirping and a soft vocal melody that sounds like it belongs on an old Jefferson Airplane record, or some other relic from the summer of love. Midway through, the piano comes in, and the song takes on a totally new life. It concludes just as it began, in that lilting classic voice, and in this tone, one of the most mind-blowing and revitalizing musical experiences I’ve had in a while comes to a close.

Once again, I’ve proven to myself to reserve judgment. This was an incredible album to experience, and it is ranked criminally low. Everyone should give this album a listen, it’s highly worth it, and I look forward to more Roxy Music to come.

-Mike

Tomorrow brings one of the personal favorites, #44: Horses by Patti Smith.

#74: Otis Blue- Otis Redding

2010-03-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Remember when I ripped into #147, that really unnecessary Otis Redding anthology? Well, today I get to prove I’m no anti-Otis, by giving you my review of one of the greatest soul albums ever recorded, Otis Blue. The album opens with “Ole Man Trouble”, and in my opinion this is one of the best album opener tracks of all time. Redding employs the Southern torture of the blues to the soul styling in the composition, which is very much in the style of Sam Cooke. On an album full of covers, Otis starts out showing us how damn good he can write. Most people unfortunately forget this track, probably because it’s followed by Redding’s most famous composition, though not made famous by him. “Respect”, the song that launched Aretha Franklin and became a women’s lib anthem everywhere was written…by a dude. Otis Redding’s “Respect” is hard to listen t without thinking of the (in my opinion) far-superior Franklin rendition, but it’s just different. Otis is singing for one man, Aretha sang for women everywhere. Perhaps this song wouldn’t have overshadowed “Ole Man Trouble” were it not for Aretha, but a world without Aretha is too scary to think of. This album serves another purpose besides showcasing Redding’s talents, and that purpose is shown in track 3. “A Change Is Gonna Come” is a song by a man Otis greatly admired, who died shortly before this album’s inception, the late Sam Cooke, to whom Otis pays tribute. This song has been considered the soul-singer’s answer to “Blowin’ In The Wind”, and there’s more than enough suffering in this song before Redding adds in his own sadness at the loss of Cooke. The visual that comes to mind with this track is the funeral scene in I’m Not There, and the horns only reinforce it. While I may not be the biggest fan of Mr. Cooke, I do believe this song is an incredible composition, and Redding does it justice and rightfully laments it’s composer.

“Down In The Valley” is a fun rendition of the Solomon Burke song, where Otis seems to really enjoy himself after virtually weeping on the last track. Some of the vocal acrobatics Redding lets out on this track make you envious of his talents, and that gritty crackle in his voice only enhances the feel. “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” is a song I’m well familiar with as The Rolling Stones version, but I might have to admit that Redding not only does it far better, but might have composed the most beautiful song in his oeuvre and placed it smack dab in the middle of this genius album. This is a gorgeous track, where Otis lays the right level of pain and simplicity, and you just feel the need to hold someone you’ve loved too long close and slow dance. “Shake” is the second appearance of Sam Cooke’s songwriting on this album, and proves that both Cooke and Redding knew how to make a great song to dance to. Can’t you see all the hip suburban white kids dancing rebelliously to this track? Because I sure as hell can. The problem with “My Girl” is it’s a pretty standard performance. Now, I had an argument at band practice about this, but let’s be frank: If I want to hear my girl performed in the style of Smokey Robinson, I’ll listen to Smokey Robinson’s version. I’m looking for interpretation, not replication.
The last Sam Cooke song on the album is “Wonderful World”, which is not, in fact, the one you’re thinking of, unless you’re a die-hard Otis Redding or Sam Cooke fan. This track is another fun soul song, especially with some of that great harmony on the chorus that I wish would carry through for the rest of the song. “Rock Me Baby” is Otis putting emphasis on the vocals of a blues song, pulling out the melody of a B.B. King song. The melody in B.B. King songs are often forgotten, even by B.B. himself. Redding’s take on it is, in my opinion, fantastic, and it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album, since it’s unlike any of the others, and therefore displays the diverse range that Redding possessed.

Now we get to my least favorite track, Redding’s atrocious take on the Stones “Satisfaction”. Why in god’s name did this have to happen? It’s…it’s dreadful, and I can not understand how people enjoyed it. It’s one of the biggest sins since Paul Anka’s Rock Swings, in my humble opinion, and I’ll not speak of it any further. The album closes on the terrific “You Don’t Miss Your Water”, an emotional powerhouse of a finale where Redding throws his whole soul in the track and makes you heave with hurt at every note. It’s a suffering that feels so good, and it reminds you one last time why Otis Redding was an act like no other, a true one of a kind composer and performer.

Without a doubt, Otis blue is one of the greatest albums ever recorded, a landmark in soul and music in general, and should be ranked even higher than 74. Without a doubt the best album we’ve reviewed so far this month (but just wait two days). I really hope you guys at home enjoy this one.

-Mike

Oh, yippee. Roxy Music tomorrow. Specifically #394: For Your Pleasure. See you guys there.

#445: Rum, Sodomy, And The Lash- The Pogues

2010-03-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

If you think I’m going track by track on this, you’re out of your minds. I don’t know shit about Irish mythology, which is what some of these songs come from. Instead, I’ll just let you drunk bastards enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day with an album full of the finest Irish music ever recorded by an Irish group in the 80’s. Except U2. And whatever the hell Glen Hansard was doing then. Ok, anyway, Let me just clarify by saying I wasn’t familiar with Shane McGowan’s work other than “Fairytale of New York” with Kirsty MacColl, before today, but every track on this album is so fun and bouncy that you think you’re watching The Departed. I would love to go on a full-scale rant review about how well this album integrate both punk and folk sensibilities, and how the Pogues opened the floodgates for hard Irish music in America, but I know you guys would sooner get to your Guinness. So just promise me you’ll pop this disc on while you drink. You won’t regret it.

-Mike

See you guys tomorrow for #74: Otis Blue- Otis Redding.

#360: Siamese Dream- The Smashing Pumpkins

2010-03-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Listened to: CD

My dad got my into The Smashing Pumpkins when I was a kid, and I’ve always been equally annoyed and enamored by Billy Corgan’s scratching, wailing howl, but there’s no denying that it’s put to it’s best use on the tortured anthems and nostalgic heart-songs (or as close to those as the Pumpkins can play) of Siamese Dream.

The album kicks off on “Cherub Rock”, which after a drum roll and an intro riff worthy of the Red Hot Chili Peppers starts up one of the most anthemia tracks of the 90’s, at least for me. The direction I’d prayed the rock and roll would go in, the style of music pussyfied by Muse and Radiohead. I love how they dampen the crackling growl of Corgan’s voice behind that metallic filter, making it yet another instrument in the grunge-psychedelic symphony of “Cherub Rock”. “Quiet” keeps the spirit of the last track, hard rock and roll that strikes you to your core and makes you turn the stereo till the knob breaks off. Just listen to that bass, or the way at the mid-point it just picks up and breaks into a shredding guitar solo.

Of course, the track everyone remembers off this album is “Today”, the album that takes the Pixies formula of soft verse, loud chorus and brings it into an even more mainstream radio friendly format than Nirvana ever did. Siamese Dream was the Pumpkins major label debut, and “Today” is what brought them to the attention of the general public. One of the most upbeat suicidal songs of all time, the guitars twist and turn and want desperately to turn you on. Blender said it best, declaring “Today” “achieved a remarkable status as one of the defining songs of its generation, perfectly mirroring the fractured alienation of American youth in the 1990s.”

I love the Eastern opening to “Hummer”, which gives the song a sexy sway, and for some reason makes me think of that scene in Blue Velvet where the chick is dancing on top of the car. I’ll be quite frank, I like “Hummer” even better than today, it’s true rock and roll mysticism at it’s finest, If you ask me, serene in it’s grit and distortion. The guitar work on this song is so subtly brilliant that it’s hard to imagine how much work went into it’s composition.

“Rocket”, when I read the title, recalls the Herbie Hancock track of a similar name, or the Def Leppard track, but the songs could not be more different. Billy’s trying to free himself from being grouped in with the other rockers of his day, and the song shows it. It’s nothing like any Pearl Jam or Jane’s Addiction track you’ll ever hear, and Billy really claims and proves his creative individuality on it. “Disarm”, with it’s timpani intro, seems to allude to what masterwork was to come (Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness), and though I’ve read time and again it’s not an anti-abortion song, or even an abortion song, it’s still a more lamenting “Brick” to me. The sweeping orchestration in the background had ought to show any non-believer that the Pumpkins were truly unique, and were a cut above their grunge 90’s contemporaries in certain ways.

“Soma”, named after the drug in Brave New World, has a soft guitar intro and almost whispered vocals by Corgan that seem to be the direct converse of the prior track. It’s also the first of only two tracks on the album Corgan co-wrote with James Iha, the guitarist, and features R.E.M.’s Mike Mills. It’s so bleak, so sensual, so gentle, breaking into hard rock distortion in the middle, yet another example of the Pumpkins setting themselves apart from their contemporaries. Once again destroying the previous vibe of their track, “Geek U.S.A.” is probably the heaviest, most hard-core track on the album thus far. The song never stops tearing at you mind, ripping each chord and playing one of the sickest guitar solos of all time, and even when it goes soft toward the middle, it still pulls at your soul.

From there we move into “Mayonaise”, a track a lot of people love, but I’ve got to be honest, I’m indifferent on. “Spaceboy”, a track composed about Billy’s step-brother, is a nice departure from the album, because we have an acoustic, that’s right, and acoustic guitar. Corgan comes out sincere, and almost sadly beautiful. Of course, all compassion of beauty you feel gets, well, silverfucked by the next track, who’s intense strumming and dark-beating drums set up one of the more intense rock tracks on the album. Honestly, I fail to see why “Silverfuck” gets ignored by most people in place of a bland track like “Mayonaise”. “Silverfuck is much more dynamic, ad the band rips that fucker up like hell towards the end.

“Sweet Sweet” is short but endearing, and a great segue between the epic “Silverfuck” and the album’s final track, “Luna”. Another moment of Corgan’s softer side, with Iha playing an ethereal guitar.

So, overall, Siamese Dream definitely deserves a place on the list. It’s one of the most daring hard-rock albums of the 90’s, and perhaps of all time, and Corgan’s sense of composition, especially incorporating orchestral instruments, cannot be rivaled. Please give this one a listen.

-Mike

See you tomorrow for a special St. Patrick’s Day album, #445: Rum, Sodomy, And The Lash by The Pogues.

#62: Achtung Baby- U2

2010-03-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Oh, U2. The Coldplay of it’s day. When they hit their big album, everyone loved them (The Joshua Tree, A Rush Of Blood To the Head), then everyone bitched about how much they sucked (Rattle & Hum, X&Y). So, they gathered their efforts, and put out a terrific album (Achtung Baby, Viva La Vida). I say this all because today, it’s hard to imagine U2 getting anything but blown by critics and fans alike, but there was a time where U2 was thought to be dead in the water. Now, without further ado, let’s get to the album, Achtung Baby.

The album opens on “Zoo Station”, a track which opened and assuredly inspired the multimedia extravaganza Zoo TV Tour that took place to promote the album. The sounds of the tracks, the odd vocal and guitar distortion, the dance-style beat, the Talking Heads feel, al of it is added on here to say “Forget the pretension of Rattle & Hum, this is the new U2”, and god bless them it was a great new incarnation. I gotta say, gentlemen, I believe we’ve found the missing link between The Talking Heads and Radiohead on this track. Then we charge into the repetitive-play-radio-darling “Even Better Than The Real Thing”, produced by one of the masters, Brian Eno. If “Zoo Station” said “There’s a new U2”, then “Even Better Than The Real Thing” said what that new U2 was. Here on this track we start to hear Bono do his infamous exhalation into the microphone, an element we receive a lot more of as the album progresses.

Track 3 of the album might be (and in my opinion is) U2’s greatest song. “One” is a gorgeous, sincere, honest track, the type where the first time you hear it, you know something special just happened. I really do wonder what it feels like to compose a classic. “Did you come here for forgiveness/or did you come to raise the dead?/Did you come here to play Jesus/To the lepers in your head?” The story of it’s composition is almost as inspiring as the lyrics. Tension in the band caused a giant rift, and U2 almost saw it’s last days, but they came together to jam on this song, composed improvisationally, with Bono singing the lyrics about his own flaws and his struggle to keep his band together. “One” may not be the only classic on the album, but it truly is one of the highlights of U2’s career, and it, along with the rest of this album, proved they were more than just another band.

“Until The End Of The World” is traditional U2 fare, at least for the new U2. It’s a good song, don’t get me wrong, but you sit there going “Hey, look, Bono’s singing in a lower register, and then wait for it, by the end, he’ll repeat the melody an octave up!”, or in this case performing back-up vocals in a higher octave. Look, not trying to knock Bono here. He’s one of the best in the game, but every great front man has their trademark, and this is his. Seriously, listen to enough U2, he’ll follow this pattern. This song was written for Wim Wenders’ film “Until The End Of The World”, and lyrics all seem to fit Wenders’ themes, which I’m sure you’re all as familiar with as I am, so I’ll just move on.

“Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?” is fun to listen to for no other reason but the fact that the band themselves hate this song now. Perhaps it’ an homage to the Rolling Stones (“Wild Horses”) perhaps it’s a ballad gone epic, or maybe just a thrown together track, but whatever the band though was so magical about this track is lost on me. “So Cruel” is another standard U2 track, and while it’s nice, there’s nothing more that can be said for it but that. Their explanation of the sound of “The Fly”, “the sound of four men chopping down the Joshua Tree”, is so badass that they’d get props even if the song sucked. Of course, it doesn’t, and this industrial anthem of a playful hell and rock-and-roll-excess-done-right, even with it’s dance beat (which readers will know isn’t my dig) is a severely underrated and ignored U2 classic.

What can be said about “Mysterious Ways” that hasn’t already been said? Thrying to find something original or creative to write about this track (or “One” for that matter) is near impossible, but I can just say that it’s an incredible feat of writing, and a has-to-feel-amazing-to-have-the-guitar-in-your-hands-and-compose-it kinda track. We move into “Tryin’ To Throw My Arms Around The World”, who’s instrumentation is surprisingly minimal for a U2 track, especially one on this album, but I gotta tell you, it works. I’m surprised at how much I like this track, one I’m sure most people considered a throwaway track. “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” is the track where U2’s spiritual side comes clear, as the band musically prays for guidance, and digs back into their past to find the perfect sound to do it with. The song is magically both triumphant and desperate, and you can’t help while listening to the recording but to imagine what it sounds like live. “Acrobats” has the chorus “Don't let the bastards grind you down”. That’s more than enough o explain what this song is, and why it’s so great. U2 at it’s harshest and yet most encouraging. It’s a shame they’ll never play this live.

The album closes on “Love Is Blindness”, a nice soft ending track, which after reading that Bono had become friends with Frank Sinatra makes a lot more sense. This is what would happen if a softer Patti Smith had covered a Sinatra cabaret track.

Obviously, this album earns it’s place on the list, compositionally, recording-wise, performance-wise, it’s all nearly flawless. The only thing I think is could you imagine fi the album had closed on “One”? You know, switch the plases of “One and “Love Is Blindness”? What a fucking mind-blowing, heart warming, and thoroughly touching impact that would have. Anyway, just a thought. Regardless, this album is a true classic, and highly, HIGHLY worth a listen or three.

-Mike

Well, catch you tomorrow for #360: Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins.

Delayed Monthly Recap: February 2010

2010-03-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

Never did a February re-cap, so I figured you guys wouldn’t mind if I did it mid-March.

February 1st, 2010: #233: Bookends- Simon & Garfunkel
Bottom line: A terrific album that shows off Paul Simon’s lyrical finesse.

February 2nd, 2010: #41: Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols- The Sex Pistols
Bottom line: The greatest punk album ever recorded. My short, sickly review was a travesty, and I apologize. This album is a true classic and a masterpiece, and should not go unheard.

February 3rd, 2010: #92: 20 Golden Greats- Buddy Holly & The Crickets
Bottom line: A fantastic collection of Buddy’s hits and a marvelous time-capsule of the 50’s.

February 4th, 2010: #392: Willy And The Poor Boys- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Bottom line: Honestly, the only truly great track on this album is “Fortunate Son”. It’s most certainly not a great album, so I replaced it with one that is, Crash by Dave Matthews Band.

February 5th, 2010: #496: Destroyer- Kiss
Bottom line: As I said in the review: “It’s Kiss’ best album (besides maybe Alive!). Unless you’ve married yourself solely to whiney British kids and obscure bands with long song titles, Destoyer will brighten your day, I assure you.”

February 6th, 2010: #327: Jagged Little Pill- Alanis Morissette
Bottom line: “To sum up, Jagged Little Pill is not only one of the best albums of the 90’s, but one of the greatest albums of all time. To anyone who’s ever hurt, this is the album to listen to. Get angry, get emotional, and let Alanis into your heart like she opens up hers and lets you in.”

February 7th, 2010: #276: The Anthology Of American Folk Music- Various Artists
Bottom line: Tedious, painful, agonizing, and yet so comprehensive, educational, and impressive purely in its scope that it remained on this list. Just set aside a lot of time for it if you’re truly curious.

February 8th, 2010: #138: Rejuvenation- The Meters
Bottom line: A great funk album from start to finish. Often forgotten today (I’d never heard of it before this list) but if I turn one person on to this great album, I’ll have done my job.

February 9th, 2010: #427: Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica- The Ronettes (feat. Veronica)
Bottom line: Wonderful portrait of a pre-Beatles 60’s, and one of Phil Spector’s crowning achievements.

February 10th, 2010: #193: Dookie- Green Day
Bottom line: An absolute classic, with a raw power that can’t be recaptured. “While I hate those assholes these day who say they “…only like old Green Day” (you all knew the lyrics to American Idiot. Don’t flicking lie), you can’t fault them for loving Dookie. Hell, it’s certified diamond, and deserves every one of it’s 10,000,000 sales and then some.”

February 11th, 2010: #75: Led Zeppelin II- Led Zeppelin
Bottom line: All in all, Led Zeppelin II proves Zeppelin is one of the few bands to avoid the sophomore slump. If anything, II might actually surpass I musically. I won’t go so far as to determine that, but I will say that both these albums are essential listening for anyone who wants to truly live.

February 12th, 2010: #45: The Band- The Band
Bottom line: An absolute classic, the Band’s best album, and one of the best ways to spend an hour. Absolutely look this album up.

February 13th, 2010: #419: Dummy- Portishead
Bottom line: A really nice ambient album. Not asmind-blowing as it would be for hipsters, I’d imagine, but I enjoyed it.

February 14th, 2010: #115: Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs- Derek & The Dominoes
Bottom line: Even though my review is brief, I’m excused because “…I simply can’t think while this album is on. I get too absorbed in every crevice of perfection. Hell, even when Clapton’s voice cracks, it’s fantastic.”

February 15th, 2010: #262: Workingman’s Dead- The Grateful Dead
Bottom line: My original review got deleted from my computer, but it really ripped into this boring crap piece. It’s draggy and pointless, so take my advice and devote your time to Time Out by The Dave Brubeck Quartet instead.

February 16th, 2010: #480: Faith- George Michael
Bottom line: “Believe it or not, this album I as much about the conflict of the human spirit through life as it is about sex. He begins in lustful youth, decrying a lover for not having “Faith”, a faith he lacks in himself by the end, sure that his lover, whom he’d seduced throughout the album, is “Kissing A Fool”.”

February 17th, 2010: #98: This Year’s Model- Elvis Costello
Bottom line: “So, all in all, This Year’s Model is a fun album deserving a place on this list. All the tracks had to be even more mind-blowing in the days before indie rock and weezer, who clearly jacked the shit outta this album. It may be called This Year’s Model, but it’s actually a model of something 20 years to come (from 1978 that is).”

February 18th, 2010: #316: Rock Steady- No Doubt
Bottom line: “So, I gotta be honest, I really enjoyed this album, even though this ain’t my kind of music. It truly does deserve a place on this list, even if it doesn’t get the mainstream recognition in memory that it should.”

February 19th, 2010: #2: Pet Sounds- The Beach Boys
Bottom line: though Carrie’s review totally blew mine out of the water, I’ll just say that this is truly a classic, and will change at least a small part of your life.

February 20th, 2010: #256: The Velvet Rope- Janet Jackson
Bottom line: “Let’s be real here, I sometimes get overly praising. But this album isn’t my style of music, and I thought it was great. That oughta say something. Janet, I was never a fan, but I can see why so many people are. Great, solid album.”

February 21st, 2010: #157: Closer- Joy Division
Bottom line: “This album may be Joy Division’s most fluid and possibly it’s best. It is highly worth the listen, and hopefully it will move you even a fraction of the amount I has moved me over the years.”

February 22nd, 2010: #153: Moanin’ In The Moonlight- Howlin’ Wolf
Bottom line: “God, I can’t get over what a small-scale revelation this album is. I could go track by track, but it would just be ceaseless praise. Here is a man who WAS the blues. Everything about this album is genius. Every track is a sparkling example of blues mastery. I cannot recommend it enough.”

February 23rd, 2010: #433: Live At The Harlem Square Club- Sam Cooke
Bottom line: An ok live album, but solely for capturing the energy of a live soul performance, this album kept it’s place on the list.

February 24th, 2010: #59: Meet The Beatles- The Beatles
Bottom line: “Actually, to conclude, the whole album is genius. In fact, this is an album that absolutely defines what should be the criteria for a Greatest Albums list. Historical significance (either influential on the culture as a whole or future musicians, in this case both) mixed with quality music. This album is most definitely worth listening to, over and over again.”

February 25th, 2010: #494: She’s So Unusual- Cyndi Lauper
Bottom line: “Long story short, definitely listen to this album. There is no way to completely hate it, no matter how opposed you are to all things pink and frilly.”

February 26th, 2010: #214: Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley- Bo Diddley
Bottom line: “It’s that rush you feel while listening, that every guitarist and musician with even a hint of the blues in them felt, that inspires you to pick up the guitar and play. Sure, “I’m A Man” is one of the quintessential songs in the history of rock and roll, but every track on this album could be. Absolutely worth the listen. Know your roots, children.”

February 27th, 2010: #382: More Songs About Buildings And Food- The Talking Heads
Bottom line: This album was kinda forgettable, and got replaced when I realized the far superior Heads album Fear Of Music didn’t make the list.

February 28th, 2010: #170: Live At Leeds- The Who
Bottom line: “The Who don’t need my reviews. After a killer half-time show, a series of amazing albums, and some of the best songs in rock history, The Who speak for themselves.”

#408: Time Out Of Mind- Bob Dylan

2010-03-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Time Out Of Mind might just be Dylan’s The Departed. Scorsese has made better movies than The Departed, but that got him Best Picture. Much in the same vein, nobody will tell you Time Out Of Mind is Dylan’s best album, but it was the album he won Album Of The Year at the Grammy’s for. However, if you give this album a listen, you realize that Dylan found himself once again in 1997. After the rocky 80’s, and a 90’s full of cover songs, Dylan came back strong with this classic masterpiece, and while it’s certainly not Blood On The Tracks, it’s a hell of a lot better than I could ever hope to write.

The album opens on the haunting “Love Sick”, where we hear the “new” Dylan voice, no longer a whine, but now a refined gravely grumble. This track sounds almost Tom Waits-esque, but with a hint of the soundtrack to a Western movie. The guitars come in strong about two minutes in, and Dylan really says “I’m back” by the midpoint of this track. No longer the rebel, he now seems to be singing from a porch, simply watching the action and the chaos. Dylan really sets the tone by singing a song about being “Love Sick”. After 60’s and 70’s tracks like “Just Like A Woman” and “Lay Lady, Lay”, Dylan opens Time Out Of Mind by virtually throwing his arms up and saying “Fuck it!”, in his strongest surrender up until that point, and only beaten out by his Oscar-winning song “Things Have Changed”. Little are we to know that on an album that starts with being sick of love, Dylan would later sing his sweetest ballad to date.

We then charge into “Dirt Road Blues”, where Dylan creates a perfect old-school blues jam. You can tell that he was having a hell of a good time playing this song, even if the studio sessions reportedly became hell. The track fades out, and it’s thoroughly disappointing that it does, because that jam could go on for days and be marvelous. However, it has to make room for one of Dylan’s softer songs, and one of my personal favorites, “Standing In The Doorway”. This is truly one of his sweetest ballads, and even though he sings the lines “I don’t know if I’d kiss you or kill you”, you still can’t help but want to slow dance to this song with the woman you love. Dylan seems to lament so deeply on this track, but not in the scraping-the-bottom-of-his-heart way of Blood On The Tracks, but in the tired, weary, haggard manner of a broken down old man. I can only hope to feel emotion this deeply at this age.

“Million Miles” takes on a more jazzy, smoky, mysterious tone, and Dylan cuts in with his trademark grizzly anger. You feel as if you’re in some downtown dive bar late some Manhattan evening, taking in the sadness and the scum of the city. Dylan’s anger in any other man of his age would sound crotchety, but he channels it so well, filters it so good, that he creates brilliant tracks of disgruntled disgust. “Tryin’ To Get To Heaven” is another one of those “new” style Dylan songs that became so prominent on later releases like Love & Theft or Modern Times. A nice, relaxing, upbeat song that the younger Dylan would have probably spit venom at, but the older Dylan embraces and does with such finesse and perfection that you can’t help but lie back and let the music rush over you like waves on a sunlit beach. “’Til I Fell In Love With You” is a dirty, kinda sexy blues song which deserves at least one stripper dancing to it, because if Dylan didn’t have that in mind at least once, than this is a miraculous coincidence, since every person I’ve talked to about this song agrees it’s a stripper song.

“Not Dark Yet” is a song who’s tone can be summed up in one marvelous line “There’s not even room enough to be anywhere”. Dylan seems to lament not a lost love, not a wasted life, but simply feeling lost and lonely. This track is a tragic song who’s emotion seems to connect with everyone. Not only was it featured on the Wonder Boys soundtrack (not surprising) but on the album The Passion Of The Christ: Songs Inspired By (WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!). Clearly this song can connect to a lot of people, and by the end of this track, I was so absorbed, I didn’t even type anything passed that last sentence.

“Cold Irons Bound” is the Grammy winning single off the album, and one of the most musically dynamic on it. Everything really seems to come together on this track, and the Michael Gray quote seems to say it all:

“There's an interesting tension, too, in "Cold Irons Bound," perhaps more accurately an interesting inappropriateness between, on one side, the grinding electronic blizzard of the music and the cold, aircraft-hangar echo of the voice lamenting its sojourn across a lethal planet - fields turned brown, sky lowering with clouds of blood, winds that can tear you to shreds, mists like quicksand - and on the other side the recurrently stated pursuit of tenderness, in phrases that seem imported from another consciousness...It's decidedly odd to hear, pitched against the scraping Lanois winds half tearing us to shreds, sentiments as obdurately "romantic" as
I found my own, found my one in you
or
Lookin' at you and I'm on my bended knee
or
I tried to love and protect you
and to hear such a defensively bleak, exhausted old voice articulate the thought that
I'm gonna remember forever the joy we've shared.”

After “Cold Iron Bound” we get to my favorite song on the album, a track which I find to be one of the greatest, most heartfelt, and most beautiful love songs ever written, “Make You Feel My Love”. I first heard this song as performed by Billy Joel, and the Dylan version manages to pack in even more emotion and sincerity, in spit of, or perhaps in part due to, his raspy growling vocals.

“When the rain I blowing on your face/and the whole world is on your case/I will offer you a warm embrace/to make you feel me love”. How honest is that? How stirringly simple? Dylan doesn’t offer to make her problems go away. He can’t make the rain stop or get to world to leave her be. But he can offer her himself, and remind her that she is loved. It seems to echo the “I know it’s not much but it’s the best I can do” sentiment of Elton John’s “Your Song”, but in a new, worn-out attitude. It’s no longer the exuberance of young love, but the desire to settle down, the commitment, the need to find someone to surrender to, to cradle in your arms at night, to live out the rest of your life with. To me, this song is perfection. It’s a beautiful love song, and honestly on of the finest things Dylan has ever composed.

“Can’t Wait” is a soft, bitter track where Dylan seems to reject every sentiment he just established in the last track, while alluding to the themes of his later masterpiece, “Things Have Changed”. The album ends on “Highlands”, which at 16 minutes is the longest Dylan track ever recorded in a studio, and since it has no chorus, and is just a series of verses, it reminds one of the closer to Blonde On Blonde, namely “Sad Eyed Lady Of the Lowlands”. It sounds like a modern recording of an old Hank Williams track, and really comes out as the most obvious and perfect closer for such a masterful album. Laid back but saying so much, like the best new Dylan tracks do.

It’s criminal that this album is ranked so low on this list, as to me, it really is one of the best of Dylan’s career. He started a new chapter in his life, and even if this is the only highlight, it’s a fantastic place to end. Seriously, get this album, it’s highly worth the purchase.

-Mike

Tomorrow is #62: Achtung Baby by U2.

#498: Tres Hombres- ZZ Top

2010-03-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

Tres Hombres was a nice album to start listening to right after the soundtrack to Shine A Light, which is what I had been playing before, because the sound is very similar. ZZ Top, despite the beard gimmick, were some extremely talented musicians. Billy Gibbons can rip on a guitar like it’s nobody’s business, a fact we learn from the opening track, “Waitin’ For The Bus”. That slides straight into the dripping-with-blues track “Jesus Just Left Chicago”, another vintage track that knows it’s roots. After two old-school tracks, it was due time the boys broke free and did their thing, which is exactly what they did on “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers”, where Billy lets it rip yet again in a solo I wish I could play. “Masters Of Sparks” is another killer track, and to be honest, I could say that about every track on the album, but let’s be honest, they all pale in comparison to “La Grange”.

Yes, this album contains the epic genius that is “La Grange”. This truly is a guitar song, and one of the finest there is. I’m still not sure what the vocal part is, but who cares? This is the track where Billy Gibbons truly shines.

One note I will give is that while this album is great, make sure you listen to the 2006 release, not just for the three bonus live tracks, but because that release was the first CD release to use the original analog mixes from 1973. The MP3 I’m listening to now is a shitty digital remix, and the sound quality is terrible. So please, look this up. The right copy will be worth it, as it really is one of the best ZZ Top ever put out, and a fantastic album for any guitar enthusiast.

-Mike

See you guys tomorrow for #408: Time Out Of Mind, the first album on this blog by the master, Mr. Robert Zimmerman.

#273: The Slim Shady LP- Eminem

2010-03-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

Listened to: MP3

While now seen as a rapper who’s albums are riddled with personal confessions, in 1999 Eminem peaked into the popular culture as the merry prankster going by the alter ego Slim Shady, a manic man-child with a sophomoric sense of humor and a moral compass which ranges between Charles Manson and Alexander DeLarge of A Clockwork Orange. After his “debut” with The Slim Shady EP, Dr. Dre’s pale prodigy took to the studio to lay down his first full album.

It begins with a “Public Service Anouncement” denouncing anyone who takes the music literally, while maintaining that tongue-in-cheek attitude that courses through the veins of this whole album. This launches into the first official single ever released by the man who, in my opinion, is the artist of our generation for good or for bad, “My Name Is”. Mr. Mathers found a clever way to submit to the popular rap trend of repetitive lyrical identification by creating a hook so catchy you don’t mind. Lyrically immature in the most playful way, like that guy who tells dirty jokes in the middle school hallway, this song does exactly what he wants to do with his singles, create time capsules of the era they come to exist. Eminem’s ability to craft ever-unpredictable rhymes proves that he truly does have a fine grasp on the English language, despite what his “uneducated” personae would have him convey. Bawdy humor, unpredictable statements, and shocking attitude ever-present, on one track slim Shady proves to be the Moliere of our day.

The second track, “Guilty Conscience”, features his mentor Dr. Dre playing the angel-on-the-shoulder to Eminem’s temptation. You can choose to view this “duet” as either a social statement, an attempt to perform a public service, or just a way to further pad Eminem’s reputation as an over-the-top bad boy. The second verse’s reference to Kids lends credence to the second option, but overall I lean toward the third. Eminem spends this album trying to build an image in the same manner Alice Cooper did decades prior. A shock-rock attitude in hip-hop. Eminem clearly isn’t a real gangsta, he lacks the “street” experience of N.W.A., and instead waxes lyrically about being insane and murderous, on a track like “Brain Damage”, in such an over-the-top manner that any parent who chooses rather to ban the music than explain to their children the difference between endorsement of violence and pure fantasy deserves the breakdown their child eventually suffers when he hits the real world.

The album is the premiere of some of our favorite characters, like “Paul Rosenberg” and “Ken Kaniff”, and after the first, “Paul”, we see Marshall create a rap that feels like an homage to his elders, 2-Pac and Biggie, on the track “If I Had”, but even then he shows his flair for fitting rhymes and words in ways no one else would think to. Afterward, we get to one of his most controversial tracks, the song clearly depicted on the cover, “’97 Bonnie And Clyde”. Told through the voice of a father taking his daughter with him to throw his freshly murdered wife’s body into the ocean, this is the start of the infamous Kim song-cycle that would form over Eminem’s career, a barrage of attacks on his ex-wife that would appear on almost all of his albums to date. However, with Eminem’s playful lyrical delivery, most of us who have any sense can recognize the song as a revenge fantasy, similar believe it or not to the song “How To Kill A Man” from Bye, Bye Birdie. Yeah, in fact, that’s more graphic, as it shows a man get killed in several ways) but the version of the song I like more is the haunting cover as performed by Tori Amos on her album “Strange Little Girl”.

Those who criticize this track as disgusting seem to forget that this type of song is as old as American folk music. The murder ballad has been a staple of folk music for decades, most famously revived by Nick Cave on his album “Murder Ballads”, and unforgettably by Johnny Cash in songs like “Cocaine Blues” and the famous line “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die”. So, you know, if you’re gonna attack Mr. Mathers, you better ban Johnny Cash too. Yeah “Bitch”, you’re disgusted by the modern day answer to “Mack The Knife”.

Eminem seems to predict the shit-storm headed his way on the song “Role Model”, and gets existential on a line often ignored: “How the hell can I be white? I don’t even exist.”. Eminem seems to understand that Slim Shady, and indeed Eminem, is a public persona, filling a niche, and that were he not the one to do so, someone else would. You can’t destroy the desire for anti-social, anti-moral entertainment. It releases aggression and provides a catharsis for those who would never commit the crimes described, the same reason games like Grand Theft Auto have sold so well. Did I want to grow up to be just like Eminem? No. But it got me and my whole generation’s aggression out, so we could live vicariously through his words and not have to grow up just like him, you dig?

After “Lounge”, the clear sign these guys were having a good time, we charge into “My Fault”, with the second reference to Harmony Korine’s Kids, when he asks who’s in the bed (“It’s me, Telly” is a reference to the protagonist of the film, Telly), and tends to examine the same theme, by telling the story of your average idiot at a party, reacting to a girl having a bad reaction to mushrooms. Every thing Eminem says to this girl you know has been said by some party-going asshole at one time or another. Hell, Eminem could have written Kids himself. And on that note, and Harmony and Eminem please collaborate?

After “Ken Kaniff”, we charge into my least favorite track on the album, “Cum On Everybody”. Any time I want to argue that Eminem is a poet, a social critic, or anything more than a little boy with a foul mouth and a record contract, the argument always ends with “Cum On Everybody”, at which point I lose my ability to defend it. Maybe Josh can do better than me. “Rock Bottom” samples “Summertime” from Monday’s album, and Eminem really lets it rip on these rhymes, his speed foreshadowing his delivery on his triumphant return this past year on that song with Drake, Kanye, and Lil’ Wayne, remembered not by it’s name but as “That song where Eminem raps with a bunch of other guys who can’t hold their own next to him.” “Rock Bottom” also foreshadows the flood of touching personal confessions that would appear on albums like The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, and Relapse.

This is followed by “Just Don’t Give A Fuck”, which was the unofficial first single, though I’m glad they went with the clearly superior “My Name Is”. It’s not a terrible song, but it’s only ok. I’d much prefer the “I Just Don’t Give A Fuck” performed by 2-Pac, and yes, I did just discuss these two tracks comparatively as if they were art rather than complaining rants. I’m sorry, but there’s very little artistry to this track, and usually I skip this one over when I listen to it. “Soap” is a bizarre interlude that proves that “As The World Turns” really did get it’s title from a soap opera. It’s impossible to tell whether Eminem is rapping with conviction or a sense of humor, but either way this track is fun on the album, but not one I’d choose to listen to if I had to pick one track. By the end, the lyrics sound like a scene from Heavy Traffic more than a soap opera, but either way, I stop caring before the track ends.

Thankfully, the self-proclamation habit of rap actually saves the day, when after two sucky track, “I’m Shady” has a soft beat that makes this feel like he’s just freestyling, and gives the track a fresh feel sorely lacking on the last two. That freestyle feel also excuses some of the more sophomoric lyrics. “Bad Meets Evil” and “Still Don’t Give A Fuck”, the final two tracks on the album, are fine tracks, but they are the weaker bookend when compared to the first two tracks (not counting the “Public Service Announcement”).

While Infinite may have been his first album, I’m totally ok with ignoring it and pretending The Slim Shady LP is the triumphant debut of the man I believe to be the artist of the 00’s (care to argue? Seriously, I’ll defend it to the bitter end). While not as good as his follow-up The Marshall Mathers LP, this is as impressive as debut albums can get for a shock-rocker. Eminem established a whole unforgettable personae on this album, while crafting instant classics like “My Name Is” and “Guilty Conscience”, proving that you can make it in rap by not taking yourself seriously at all. I recommend this album highly, if for nothing else than to get a time capsule of the decade in which I came of age, and if you dislike songs about violence, or songs with obscene language, well…grow some balls. This album is a classic, and I’m pretty sure will stand the test of time. Or at least I hope so. The 50’s had Elvis, the 80’s had Michael Jackson, and we have our new king, Eminem. Long live the king.

-Mike

See you guys tomorrow for #498: Tres Hombres by ZZ Top. And welcome back Josh Paige.
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“I just drank a fifth of vodka… dare me to drive?”

In 1999, kids in America were listening to rap. Of course they were. No matter how hard parents tried to take it away, it was always there. Kids were always quietly playing Wu-Tang and Biggie in their walk-man, hiding in their bedrooms and silently being exposed to the hardcore gangster world. Parents had to be cautious of the music their kids were listening to, especially in the 90’s. It was that decade where rap would change forever. Parents were always aware of the infamous “Parental Advisory” label on the cover of the albums and knew exactly what came with it: explicit content… single-handedly the most crucial element in hip-hop, which the people loved and the parents loathed. Explicit content is what balances “good from bad,” “right from wrong,” basically proposing the question, “What are they really saying here with all this language?” Since the late 80’s, rap was exposed to foul language. We had N.W.A giving valuable morals such as “F*ck tha police.” Wu-Tang Clan showed us that they were nothin’ to f*ck wit and Public Enemy told us to fight the power. Rappers emerged and progressively became bigger and better and with that, became more offensive. Artists such as Biggie and 2Pac set the bar to a new level giving their audience a breakdown of the thug life and the realities of being shot at in the hood. Parents knew what to expect from rappers such as these. Parents were aware of what a bad influence these artists were. But what the parents never expected was that one single, bleached blonde white boy from Detroit would be more influential, more explicit and more offensive than any of them.

On February 23, 1999 “The Slim Shady LP” hit the shelves of every music related store in America and it was this moment that the world was officially introduced to Marshall Mathers, more widely known by his notorious alias “Eminem.” There are so many reasons why this first LP of his should be recognized, mostly because we’re introduced to a guy who looks like he came out of N’Sync but with a lot more anger issues, who goes on to talk about rape, mushrooms, murder and not giving a f*ck. The craziest part is he goes about addressing some of these issues in an almost comedic fashion, immediately pointing out what a sick bastard this guy really is. Through his realistic anger issues and his blunt yet relatable stories involving the real world, he does not hold back; not even one bit and through this unheard, brand new, much different approach to explicit content we get quite a taste of who “Slim Shady” truly is, right from the very first track.

From the opening “Public Service Announcement,” we get a true preview of what to expect from this album though no one, not even the hardcore Wu-Tang fans, was ready for kind of material lied ahead. We hear the comical tone in the voice of the announcer, giving a small introduction for what fits this album and Eminem perfectly,

“This a Public Service Announcement, brought to you in part by Slim Shady. The views and events expressed here are totally fucked and are not necessarily the views of anyone. However, the events and suggestions that appear on this album are not to be taken lightly. Children should not partake in the listening of this album with laces in their shoes. Slim Shady is not responsible for your actions. Upon purchasing this album, you have agreed not to try this at home. Anything else?” We hear a young Eminem’s voice for the first time, “Yeah… don't do drugs,” which leads right into the opening song which would immediately blow up and become his first hit.

“My Name Is” of course, represented the beginning of what would be Eminem’s future “joke tracks” which are basically the stupid songs, one from every album, which are extremely catchy, very funny and without a doubt, highly offensive in the best way possible. There is far too much to say about this song because it is so frightening how appropriate it fits as the very first song. Picture being a kid, popping this in your CD player for the very first time and hearing… “Hi kids! Do you like violence? Wanna see me stick Nine Inch Nails through each one of my eyelids?” while children are chanting “Yeah, Yeah!” while it continues, “Wanna copy me and do exactly like I did?Try 'cid and get f*cked up worse that my life is?” Wait… what did he just say? And if you think that’s bad, the next line picks it right up, “My brain's dead weight, I'm tryin’ to get my head straight But I can't figure out which Spice Girl I want to impregnate.” … I’m sorry… What? Did he really just say that? It is from this first verse of his very first opening song that proves this guy’s got balls. It would seriously be appropriate to copy and paste this entire song right now because from start to finish, it is filled with consistent non-stop rhymes where every line shocks you just a little bit more. Between openly talking about smoking a “fat pound of grass,” stapling his teacher’s nuts to a stack of paper, drinking a fifth of vodka and being dared to drive, there is no secret regarding this man’s insanity. But what makes this song so great is that it’s not just made for sh*ts and giggles. He’s balls out in your face, telling it like it is and he does not give a f*ck what anyone thinks about him; this, we would find out from him officially, thirteen tracks later. In fact, the line that puts this song and who he is in to full perspective is shortly stated with “I don't give a f*ck, God sent me to piss the world off!” The basic outcome of this whole song is… Damn!

The following song, “Guilty Conscience,” was another hit that shortly blew up. While still consisting of some witty lines, this is the first time we see Eminem take a more serious turn. Featuring his producer/rapper, straight outta Compton and N.W.A., Dr. Dre, Eminem takes on the idea of, obviously having a guilty conscience. The song is played out in such genius format, Dre being the angel on one shoulder while Eminem plays the devil on the other, as we see three victims being followed by their Jiminy Crickets. This is one of my personal favorite tracks from the album because it has such consistent flow while really sending out a message. The best part about the message is that people end up following what they want to do, as opposed to the “right” thing to do, point proven when Eminem and Dre succeed in convincing a man to murder his wife and the man she’s cheating on him with, included in the final verse my favorite line from Eminem, “F*ck slittin’ her throat, cut this b*tch’s head off!”… Damn Marshall, you scary. But thank you, for being honest. There’s a funny nod to Dr. Dre being the “angel” figure when Eminem calls him out for claiming he’s “Mr. AK, comin' straight outta Compton y'all better make way,” wondering how Dre can tell this man not to be violent. It’s mildly twisted how Eminem presents his morals.

The following few tracks continue the even flow of rhymes, jokes and twisted stories. The fourth track, “Brain Damage” is more of a sad story about a young Marshall being bullied in grade school and everyone believing he was just a crazy kid on drugs. It’s the first time we really feel bad for the guy. He never usually goes out of his way to make people feel his pain, but when he does you know he means it. This song isn’t the great example of that but either way you still feel it. The song is followed up by a short skit in which the first time we hear “Paul” (Rosenberg), for the first time. Rosenberg is Eminem’s manager and here we hear him on what sounds like an answering machine, very appropriately telling Slim to “tone it down a bit.” It’s odd hearing a complaint come from his manager because it’s not someone expected, which makes it funny. Little did we know that this small voicemail from Paul would be a tradition kept on every one of Eminem’s albums to lighten the mood. The sixth track, “If I Had,” is also a somewhat depressing song but unlike “Brain Damage,” it’s not so much pity we feel; it’s the pragmatism Em presents, putting the whole world into realistic perspective. He basically addresses the world as fake; friends are really enemies with disguises, money is the root of all evil; etc. But when it really comes down to it, if he had it his way, he would make the world an even more terrible place because he’s saying no matter what, he couldn’t make it better. With a million dollars, he’d buy a brewery and turn the planet into alcoholics; he wouldn’t have enough because he’d still be robbing armored trucks, and if he had one wish it would be to have a big enough ass for the whole world to kiss. As always, he’s realistic and straight to the point.

“97’ Bonnie & Clyde” was originally recorded in 1997 (obviously) and featured on an earlier EP produced by Dr. Dre, but restored just for this album. There are one too many things to say about this song, the first and most important being that of all of Eminem’s talk of rape, drugs and murder, this is one of the few songs that truly disturb me. This song is crucial to this album and what would be Eminem’s future career, because it consists of the two most important elements that would create a basis for his heart-filled, realistic lyrics for years to come. Those two elements are Kim and Hailie. We’re not gonna get into the back story since everyone should know it, but these two people would influence Eminem’s truest songs. Kim is, at the time, Marshall’s divorced wife he met in high school and Hailie is, at the time of the recording, their two-year-old daughter. “Bonnie & Clyde” is possibly one of the most twisted yet heart-felt songs Eminem has ever written, because not only is it about a car ride to “the beach” to dispose of his wife’s corpse, but it’s being told to his two-year-old daughter. Inspiring the album cover, with a woman’s pair of legs hanging out of the trunk of a car on a bridge, overlooking the ocean at night, this is without a doubt, one of the darkest songs I’ve ever heard. Without getting too much into it, it basically consists of Eminem explaining what happened to mommy, where they’re going, why they’re going, wrapped up with a repeated chorus, “Just the two of us.” There’s something about having a dead body in the trunk being told to your baby, momma’s “takin’ a little nap” and that smell must be from them “running over a skunk.” Every line is taking the event of the death of this little girl’s mother’s death and being put in a cute, childish format. Between the “boo-boo” on momma’s neck and the “ketchup” spilled on her shirt, there are too many reasons why this song is so twisted. To shed light on this little number, the song truly does express Marshall’s feelings and love for his, at the time, one and only baby daughter. To portray his ex-wife as dead and being told to their only daughter is quite the middle finger Eminem is giving to Kim. When attacked by the media for this song, the rapper defended himself by saying that his lyrics are for entertainment purposes only and are not to be taken seriously. This is the only the beginning of the love for Hailie, the hatred for Kim, and the anger of the public.

The next few tracks shed light on the album in their own, typical twisted ways. With the end of “Clyde,” we feel rather disturbed by Eminem and he obviously knew that by appropriately adding in the next skit, titled “B*tch,” basically consisting of some b*tch complaining to her friend over a phone call about how it’s the most disgusting thing she’s ever heard in her entire life… Well done, Eminem. You already know your audience very well. The following song “Role Model,” is somewhat comedic in its own way. The whole thing basically sums up a sarcastic message, “Don’t you wanna grow up to me just like me?” It is filled with a number of things; all the crazy sh*t Eminem does and would do just to prove how nuts and how much of a “role model” he really is. It is the exact opposite of politically correct; from breaking your legs till the bones poke through your skin to tying a rope around his penis and jumping from a tree, he basically gives a list of the things he does which happen to be exactly what one should not try at home. The music video consists of him mocking Houdini, being chained upside-down being lowered into a water-filled tank. Irony, much? The next skit “Lounge” is basically an introduction for the next song, as well as the second act of his album (yep, it’s only half way done). It consists of a group of guys who sound like they’re on something, or they’re at a drunk karaoke session, chanting out a familiar tune “I never meant to give you mushrooms girl, I never meant to bring you to my world, now you’re lying in that corner crying,” the perfect introduction and chorus for track eleven.

“My Fault” is more or less an apologetic story with a very comedic feel to it, and there’s really nothing more to it than the chorus. Like previewed in the skit beforehand, it presents a catchy tune, “I never meant to give you mushrooms girl, I never meant to bring you to my world, Now you sitting in the corner crying, And now it's my fault my fault.” Eminem is sorry for giving a girl mushrooms. Isn’t he sensitive? The next skit, “Ken Kaniff” is very much like “Paul” in the sense that it would be a recurring skit on other albums. The only difference is, Kaniff isn’t a manager, but more or less a perverted fan who prank calls Eminem, oddly enough sounding like the killer over the phone from “Scream,” saying obscene and disgusting things. It’s an obnoxious bit but just goes to show what kind of fans Eminem could have in the world. There is one funny reference here when Eminem picks up the phone and asks, “Who is this, Cage?,” regarding the accusations of copying the styles and subject matters of the underground rapper, Cage. Other “rappers” accused Eminem of copying their style when he blew up. Take Joseph Bruce, from “Insane Clown Posse,” for example. While promoting his EP, Marshall invited Bruce to his EP release party as a sign of reconciliation that he was not thieving anyone’s music, especially not from “rappers” such as Insane Clown Posse. But when Bruce refused to appear because Mathers had not agreed to ask him for permission to use the group's style, he took it as a personal offense and later did what he does best; attacked them through his music. Those fat bastard clowns are just jealous because their music sounds like something that came out of their ass.

“Cum on Everybody” is more or less Eminem’s fun version of “this is me; f*ck the world; I don’t give a f*ck,” more or less, what he’s trying to drill into our brains. It’s got the usual styles and lyrics that show he doesn’t care how offensive he is, even to those who are dead, especially found with the opening lines,” My favoite color is red, like the blood shed, from Kurt Cobain's head, when he shot himself dead”… damn Marshall.

“Rock Bottom” is a personal favorite of mine because the lyrics are so true. Not only are they true but they can relate to anybody. In life, everybody hits a “rock bottom” and Marshall understands that just like anyone else. This is his way of not saying “I have money; I’m bad; I’m crazy.” This is a redeeming number from his murder and drug-related songs. This is also this starting point of my favorite part of the album: The end of Act II. With Rock Bottom, he calls out the people who aren’t at that point and who can’t relate to him in the slightest, “This song is dedicated to all the happy people, All the happy people who have real nice lives, And who have no idea what it’s like to be broke as f*ck.” And with all these lyrics we know that’s exactly who he’s talking to. Every single line here expresses how broken he feels in the most heart-felt way possible. This song really captures who he strives to be and how painful life really is. In a way, this number is his “Get Rich or Die Tryin,’” which would appear six years later. It’s him telling it like it is, showing that he’s been poor; he’s been suicidal; he’s been depressed, just like any normal human being and he couldn’t be any more true with his chorus, “When this life makes you mad enough to kill, When you want something bad enough to steal, When you feel you have had it up to here, Cause you mad enough to scream but you sad enough to tear,” he knows what it’s like.

“Just Don’t Give A F*ck” is another personal favorite. What’s so great about this song is that he’s been sending this message all throughout the album, but if you’ve been offended by this attitude from the previous tracks, this one just sums it all up in about four minutes. Every line is just full of consistent flow that makes him sound untouchable. He literally puts himself into perfect perspective, “I'm doing acid, crack, smack, coke and smocking dope then, My name is Marshall Mathers I'm an alcoholic, I have a disease and they don't know what to call it.” It’s like he’s possessed with something that just erupts out of his system. He’s out to get anyone and everyone “Better hide your wallet cause I'm coming up quick to strip your cash, Bought a ticket to your concert just to come and whip your ass.” With this song, he just comes right out and says he doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from. This song is the perfect example of why people love him; why people hate him and why people love to hate him. Never have we seen such an attitude from rappers; from anyone and he puts his whole self into perspective that would make him infamous for his “just don’t give a f*ck” attitude.

His next skit, “Soap” is an introduction to his next big number. He mocks a TV soap opera with a conversation between two men talking about love and drama in the most stereotypical, cheesy way possible. In a way, it’s the perfect introduction to his next song because in the skit he’s presenting a form of life that is so unrealistic, as seen on soaps, but “As The World Turns” is about as close to the real life as Em gets. The song is very catchy and realistic as he starts off with the chorus, “I don't know why this world keep turning Round and Round, But I wish it would stop, and let me off right now.” He relates the world to a spinning ride he’s sick of and wants to get off of. In a way it’s filled with such pure genius that reminds me of the striking adoration adopted from the grotesque controversy regarding Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans” bombard, which disaffected the urban living translation of preceding hip-hop artists which has swallowed my existence… Okay, I’ll stop now. The greatest part of this song is the end when he regards to him using his magic trick, and with the words “Go, go gadget d*ck” he “f*cked (a) “fat slut to death.” Pause… what??? It’s sick how comedic he comes off with that last bit too.

“I’m Shady” is a great way of wrapping up the shady part of “Slim Shady.” Basically, this song shows that if there’s one thing Eminem is, it is in fact, shady. Whether it’s terrorizing you with glocks or being the go-to guy for any drug needed, he proves that he’s the man. He presents being shady in a childish-like format referring to enjoying happy things, all going back to being the hero; your friend; when you need a minithin. Like he always does; like he’s been this whole album; he’s shady.

“Bad Meets Evil” is a story told in a western/cowboy style, featuring rapper, “Royce” regarding “Bad” and “Evil” as two people and what if they met and joined forces. Like, “Guilty Conscience,” Eminem and his fellow rapper represent two opposite ends of the spectrum. Where they don’t agree, all hell breaks loose and where they do, they’re a dangerous combination. It actually draws a nice line in Eminem’s career between him being “bad” and the people who call him “evil.” In the end, he’s not really evil… just a little bad. And that’s all he’s saying here. With talk of cowboys and saloons it sheds light on all the “evil” talk as if it were an old western tale. It’s definitely a good predecessor for the album’s finale.

“Still Don’t Give A F*ck” couldn’t be a better way to close the curtains. It takes everything funny and innocent in the worst way possible, presented in “My Name Is” and hits you hard with the follow-up to “Just Don’t Give A F*ck.” Where as in “Just Don’t” he gives his message in more of a funny way, “Still Don’t” is the serious side. This is another personal favorite, like I stated earlier, the end of the album is incredible and this song does the whole LP justice. Here we see Em going on and on, bigger and better, wrapping up everything hitting all his themes presented this whole time. He gives a final punch with his impounding message, like always best seen, in his chorus,

“For all the weed that I've smoked - yo this blunt's for you

To all the people I've offended - yeah f*ck you too!

To all the friends I used to have - yo I miss my past

But the rest of you assholes can kiss my ass!

For all the drugs that I've done - yo I'm still gon' do

To all the people I've offended - yeah f*ck you too!

For everytime I reminisce - yo I miss my past

But I still don't give a f*ck, y'all can kiss my ass!”

That’s it; right there. This entire album can’t be put better than those lines. The whole song represents those feelings. He wraps up this album with a final nod to “Brain Damage” with, “My worst day on this earth was my first birthday, Retarded? What did that nurse say? Brain damage? F*ck, I was born during the earthquake.” Bingo. Done.

And with that, I am sad to say, after this long-ass review, “Still Don’t Give A F*ck” is the finale of the “Slim Shady LP.” It’s a bittersweet song because he goes out in style but we know he’ll be back and better (which is exactly what happens in the next chapter), pretty much the perfect way to wrap up this album. Working our way from the opening “Public Service Announcement” to now, I don’t know how we came so far. It’s been a good journey through Dr. Dre interrogating an innocent man disguised as a conscience, to telling a baby girl her murdered mother is just taking a nap in the trunk, to apologizing for giving a girl mushrooms and ruining her day, to hitting rock bottom, Eminem and friends send off with their pleasant goodbyes. This album was so crucial, not just to hip-hop, but to Eminem and his career. It influenced a powerful, binding friendship between one of Compton’s finest, and it cost Marshall $10 million when sued by his own mother. Tisk tisk, Mrs. Mathers. Keep it up and you just might get your own song or two. After going platinum four times and selling over 9 million copies worldwide, how are you not gonna appreciate this album. It is by far one of the most influential and offensive albums ever and Marshall Mathers broke the ice by saying “F*ck You” to everybody. What’s in store for Marshall in the future? Possibly a career so big that everybody’s a Slim Shady on the inside? Possibly a fan so psychotic that he copies Eminem’s styles all the way to suicide? Possibly another song against his ex-wife, even more violent than the last? Maybe Eminem will just come out and tell everybody this is “The Way I am.” Find out, next time, on “The Marshall Mathers LP!” Seriously everybody, if you took the time to read this whole thing… Thank you so much.

The Slim Shady LP: 10/10

#177: One Nation Under A Groove- Funkadelic

2010-03-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

You’re all gonna have to forgive the delay on these. Lost power in the house for a while.

Listened to: MP3

Alright, I’m at least partially convinced that George Clinton formed two different bands (Parliament and Funkadelic) at the same time just to confused the hell out of me, but let’s leave that aside (But if you know why, please inform me).

The album bust right in with the title track, an awesome dance track, with a deeper meaning. Several references to God seem to allude to the biblical idea of using dance as a means to get closer to God. Lyrically, it seems also to allude to the power of the “groove” to unite people. I’m not one for dance music, but I can appreciate what a fantastic track this is regardless. The masterful instrumentation, the lyrics, the vocal techniques still used to this day. If I had to sum up dance-funk in one track, I think I might know what to go with.

The second track, “Groovallegiance”, continues the theme of unity through music. The vocals on this track seem to blend Marvin Gaye with Bob Marley, and despite what many would say, I’d say this puts the previous track to shame. It blends genres phenomenally, the instrumentation., while great, will odds are go unnoticed by most because the vocals riffs and harmonies are some of the best you’ll ever hear. However, one cannot deny the finesse of the bass playing on this track, particularly when the bass solo comes in. To be honest, if after these two tracks alone you’re not convinced this album deserves its place on the list, well…on to track three.

“Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?!” decides to disprove the belief stated in it’s title. Those guitars are pure rock and roll, with a true funk treatment. Funkadelic became rock stars for 6 minutes, and to be honest, on this track, Funkadelic was a better rock band than some of the actual “rock” albums I’ve had to review on this blog. This funk riff playing over the guitar solo seems to blend genres in a way every other band wishes they could. It’s rock you can dance to, and I think were Hendrix alive to hear it, he’d be jamming to it every night. I mean that sincerely.

Now, the one track I could live without on this album happens to be the longest track on here, “Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo-Doo Chasers)”. There’s just nothing terribly special about it, plus it’s a song all about shit. Seriously, this sounds like one of those crappy tracks off a Marvin Gaye album, except about crap. Yeah, I could do without this one, as it’s in no way as good as the three before it. I’m only halfway through, and it hasn’t changed at all, and it’s talking about “sweet and sour bowl movements”. Basically, this track sucks.

“Into You” brings that air of sexiness to funk music that’s been missing on the last four tracks, unless track four is the kind of stuff you’re into. Listen to that deep, sultry voice singing notes that would make Barry White jealous. Though funk music can be danced to, you can also do something else, and all you need to do is switch an n for a c. The harmonies are again phenomenal, and the bass vocals playing off the bass riff is fantastic, making the vocals just another instrument, especially when the higher voice comes in like a guitar solo. If you’re gonna look up one track off of this, I recommend this one. It’ll ease you Into the awesomeness of this album.

The album’s last track, “Cholly (Funk Getting Ready To Roll!)”, is also the album’s shortest and most story-oriented lyrics. As wikipedia well puts it, and yes, I’m quoting wikipedia, “This song deals with a man once interested in classical music who is introduced to funk and phone cords by some friends of his: at first, he is doubtful of it, but he eventually grows to love it.” That feeling is the same you get with the track itself. Unsteady at first, but by the end, you feel as you do with the rest of the album, except maybe track 4. That even if it’s not your kind of music, it’s a masterpiece.

Overall, this album is highly worth looking in to. Give it a listen one day, it’s only a half an hour or so, and I promise you, you won’t be bored.

-Mike

See you tomorrow (later, since my house was having power problems) for #273: The Slim shady LP, featuring another guest spot from Josh Paige.

#444: Criminal Minded- Boogie Down Productions

2010-03-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

Listened to: MP3

It’s hard to fully appreciate Criminal Minded in this day and age, where gangsta rap runs rampant, but this album came out before the seminal Straight Outta Compton, making it the true prototype for gangsta rap. The first track, “Poetry”, samples James Brown, and is a nice time-capsule of late 80’s hip-hop. On track two, the not-terribly-good “South Bronx”, it strikes me as weird to hear them talk to DJ Scott La Rock, who shortly after this record was shot in the neck during an altercation.

Yet, I know we’re only two tracks in, but where’s the uniqueness? What makes this album so special? Why is it one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time? So what if this maybe was the prototype for Straight Outta Compton, which later became the prototype for all gangsta rap. “9mm Goes Bang” gets a little more interesting, and shows off a reggae dancehall feel that wikipedia promised me, but it’s still not terribly good. I’ve gotta be honest, the beats, the samples, they’re all very…basic. And if an albums beats are gonna be simple, then god help you, you better have the lyrical flair of N.W.A.

I can’t even go track by track and review this album, there’s nothing to review. Basic, boring beats with average lyrics. The only exception being “The Bridge Is Over”, but can one track really carry a whole album, especially since they basically jack the melody to “It‘s Still rock And Roll To Me“? Can you really be “gangsta” while singing Bill Joel? I think not.

I understand it led up to Straight Outta Compton, but we’re compiling a list of the 500 Greatest Albums, here. Not a hip-hop timeline. The albums that make this list have to be a perfect blend of historical significance (either influence on other musicians or the world as a whole), originality, and quality. This album is one for three. Now, if this list had gotten everything else right, hadn’t neglected other great albums, then maybe I’d let this one slide, but in the world of hip-hop, how can you fill a slot on this list with such paltry beats, and ignore the master?

Would Replace With: Endtroducing… by DJ Shadow

The first album ever compiled solely form samples, DJ Shadow created a whole new genre of music, compiling an album of some of the sickest tracks ever put together. But what makes this so special is that you never realize these are cut-and-paste songs. Melody Maker’s review says it all: "...it flips hip hop inside out all over again like a reversible glove, and again, and again, and each time it's sudden and new. I am, I confess, totally confounded by it. I hear a lot of good records, but very few impossible ones....You need this record. You are incomplete without it." Every track is new and mind-blowing. Boogie Down Productions may have made an influential album, but DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing is sure to be remembered more highly, or at least it should be. Hell, I’m a man who’s big on lyrics, I’m in fact a lyricist myself, so for me to favor an instrumental album over one with words ought to show you how fantastic an experience Endtroduing… is. I heard it for the first time last year, in fact, because Nick Young had it on vinyl, and I was intrigued. Since then, I’ve listened to it at least once a month. For those of you whom I can’t convince of this albums superiority, I encourage you to head over to its wikipedia page, and look over the critical reception section. The style of rapping on Criminal Minded is clearly outdated. Put these guys next to Jay-Z or Eminem and watch them fall like a led balloon. But DJ Shadow’s is as fresh today as it was 14 years ago. Criminal Minded may be an important album to devout hip-hop fans, but Endtroducing… is a classic across the board, and I think you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who’ll tell you it doesn’t deserve a place on this list more than Criminal Minded.

-Mike

Well, that’s it for my review. If you agree, good for you. If not, well, fuck off. I’m just kidding. Just head on down the page to a review from our resident hip-hop expert, Josh Paige. And be sure to come back tomorrow for #177: One Nation Under A Groove by Funkadelic.
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Everybody please welcome back Josh Paige.

“Well now you're forced to listen to the teacher and the lesson

Class is in session so you can stop guessin”

With a name like “Boogie Down Productions” how are you not gonna give these guys a shot? In 1987, if you didn’t, they’d probably give you a shot; a 9mm that goes “bang” to be exact.
Now, what’s left of BDP, formerly known as the lead rapper’s title, “KRS-One,” is the future imprinted with the famous history of the hip-hop group’s debut album, “Criminal Minded.” There’s not much to say about these guys, aside from the fact that they’re pretty much the essential group which helped define hip-hop. Though they rap about elementary and have a similar sound to “DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince” they’re not exactly saying parents just don’t understand. Every track on this album has some sort of meaning behind it, whether it’s expressing their affection for the South Bronx, sharing stories about their buddy Scott LaRock, AKA “the Super Hoe” who has countless stories about using his d*ck to overpower women, or as simple as killing a crack dealer who screws you over.

In 1987 they officially warmly welcome their audience with open arms presenting this, at the time, new form of music in the form of “Poetry.” “In fact call it a lecture; a visual picture.” Even early on, rappers like BDP knew what it meant to have a song with meaning. From the very first track, they give off a very funky disco beat-like sound. It sounds like something from the disco era but if it was remixed to street. This opening track basically gives a preview of what to expect on the following tracks and albums to come. No one could have put their style better than the way they did. It’s “Sort of a poetic and rhythm like mixture.” What they’re really saying is, this isn’t just some crap about you being unable to touch them. Though they do send out a general message that they are different and in some sense, bigger and better than other artists, they’re not trying to hate. “Listen I'm not dissin but there's somethin that you're missin.” They’re trying to say that there’s more to life than what you know. They even, unintentionally of course, foreshadow what rap would become two decades later with the line, “Maybe you should touch reality stop wishin for beats with plenty bass and lyrics said in haste.” Thanks for crushing the Boogie dreams, Gorilla Zoe…

They keep two very common themes throughout the album: being original and being from the South Bronx . With tracks such as “Bridge Is Over,” they strictly call out emerging rappers from Queens who think that they started hip-hop… false. Criminal Minded proves that real meaningful hip-hop can really originate anywhere but the biggest rappers dead or alive; the ones who mattered and still matter today, always and will always represent where they were from; what hood they grew up in. For N.W.A it was the East Coast and for the B.D.P. the South Bronx was their home. Their hometown was a big deal for them because the day and age was coming where artists like Biggie and 2Pac would soon come out and say it was time to make some changes. In the song “ South Bronx ,” they express the truth of the hip-hop world with just a few lines. “It was seventy-six, to 1980, the dreads in Brooklyn was crazy, you couldn't bring out your set with no hip-hop, because the pistols would go.” It was they who decided it was time for a change. Artists like them were the ones who had the balls to step forward and say “this is who we are. This is what we’re about.”

The fifth track on the album, “Elementary” is a more broken down version of their introduction, first seen in “Poetry” and the predecessor track “Word From Our Sponsor.” They’re introducing this album as their first. This is their origin. This is where it all begins. And basically, to KRS-One and all the boys of BDP, this style; this introduction to a new light shed on hip-hop really was old school. “All it really is to me and Scott La Rock...is elementary.”

Like any rapper, these guys don’t always show such a serious side, though they do give off the “don’t f*ck with us” vibe. With tracks such as “9mm Goes Bang,” which more or less, is saying that they will put a 9mm to your face and end your life if sh*t goes down, they’re basically saying… that they will put a 9mm to your face and end your life if sh*t goes down. Like anyone who gets involved with crack dealers, they always come strapped and prepared. But like they say, in the final track “Criminal Minded,” “We're not promoting violence, we're just havin some fun.” In “Remix For P Is Free,” better known as just “The P Is Free” their chorus gets right to the point: “The girlies are free cause the crack costs money.” Plain and simple; Right to the point. They can’t be spenfin money on hoes when they need their daily crack fix. Good old fashioned South Bronx boys. But while they’re not rapping about guns and crack, they also share good times with fellow Scott LaRock, whom was appointed the position “Super Hoe,” just for this album. “The Super Hoe is loose in your section, and he's armed with a powerful erection, so grab your girl and run for protection, your momma too, cause I like to mention… (Chorus repeated 2x) Scott LaRock had ‘em all, he is the Super Hoe.” The moral of the story is, basically, hide your women because the Super Hoe will find them and he will make sweet, sweet love to them.

But In all seriousness, Criminal Minded goes to prove that you can have it all. Like stated in the song “Dope Beat,” you can have the women, the money and the crack. But it’s all about starting somewhere first and nothing says it better than this album. They’re really just trying to say that if you want it all you gotta be the best and if you’re not, you gotta work hard at it until you’re nothing less. Yes, Dope Beat does sample AC/DC’s “Back In Black” as the background music, but what they’re saying makes up for the fact that the beat wasn’t original. “If you think that you can burn me with your amateur ways, keep in mind that I been out there from back in the days.” KRS-One and BDP prove that not only can they boogie down but that they can do it with a style that puts the people laughing at them to shame. They’re proud to be who they are and they don’t care what you or anyone else thinks about them. There’s a chunk in Dope Beat which truly sums up KRS-One and what BDP really leaves you with.

“My name is KRS-One, I'm still kinda youngI don't wear Adidas cause my name ain't RunGot Nike's on my feet, and to be completeI can rock an American or reggae beatGot rhymes for 70's, 80's, and 90'sNot bein conceited but it won't pay to try meout to any feud, any battle, any reasonMake the rhymes up every season”

The album is truly wrapped up with its final track which inspires the title, “Criminal Minded,” in which almost every line of the song hits you with the meaning of what these guys are really saying here. The song opens with KRS-One doing a mock “Let It Be” line (Yes, Let It Be, by The Beatles) in very not-yet-appeared “Afroman” style. “We'll take the wackest song and make it better, remember to let us into your skin, cause then you'll begin to master rhymin.”

Surprisingly enough, the line does work because in a sense, that’s exactly what these guys have been trying to say from the beginning. There are so many great lines in this song and like he has been doing throughout the whole album, KRS-One gives it his all:

“Ain't here for no frontin just to say a little somethinYa suckaz don't like me cause you're all about nothinHowever, I'm really fascinating to the letterMy all-around performance gets better and betterMy English grammar comes down like a hammerYou need a style, I need to pull your file”

He’s in your face, calling people out, telling it like it is. This truly is KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions going out in style and it couldn’t have been done any better. Very inappropriately in the most appropriate way they use school, mostly elementary, as a metaphor for them; for their beginning. They wrap up the album, as if we’re the students being taught from professor KRS-One (a little frightening to imagine though) going over all their themes presented: representing their style, their hood, the new flow and lyrics, never before heard. The song ends perfectly with the last line from KRS-One: “You see my voice is now faded, I'll see you folks around the way.” This was the beginning. It all started in 1987 and though most would say they’re no N.W.A, they’re no Wu-Tang Clan and they’re no Public Enemy, they truly did inspire the first generation of a new wave of hip-hop that would change the world forever.

#121: Moby Grape- Moby Grape

2010-03-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

Listened to: MP3

Alrighty, so let’s begin by saying I have never heard of Moby Grape before this list, and I’m sure I’m not alone. But wikipedia built this up like it’s the god damned second coming, so here’s hoping they’re right.

“Hey Grandma” has that standard “songs of the 60’s” sound, a nice blend of psychedelic and southern rock. “Mr. Blues” seems like a Grateful Dead track with a little more spirit. Both bands came out at the same time, from the same area, but I guess the Dead were just more stoner friendly (the guitars on this sound a little harsher, which probably “crushed” their “vibe”) ergo their success. “Fall On You” went by so fast, I didn’t even have time to formulate an opinion. “8:05” is more standard 60’s fare, and while this album is enjoyable so far, nothing mind-blowing, spectacular, or even “great” has occurred yet. It’s…ok. “Come In The Morning” is a fun jam track, and so far my favorite track on the album, but still no spark. Nothing thrilling or new. “Omaha”, now here’s a track that’s worth listening to. This ain’t no Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane (the bands these guys are most compared to) track. This has got a spirit, a kick. If the MC5 bred with Cream, here would be the offspring. The diversity of this album just expanded, and if it continues like this, has earned it’s place on the list (though still not at #121). “Naked If I Want To” is another spirited, frenetic jam, followed by a Byrds-y “Someday”. “Ain’t No Use” is basically a better (in my opinion) version of The Grateful Dead. “Sitting By The Window” has a nice guitar part, but nothing too special. “Changes” is also pretty…eh. “Lazy Me”, just form the title, feels like an apologize for the “eh” album I had to sit through today, and it’s such an uneventful track, I’m glad it’s only 2 minutes. The album’s closer, “Indifference”, will go uncommented on, other than the fact that the title reflects my attitude to not only this track, but the whole album.

Essentially this album is a summary of what the San Francisco 60’s sound was. It’s the best things about The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and The Byrds all put together. However, this album lacks the significance or following of any. Nor is it terribly revolutionary, or amazing. Just a pretty good, but kinda forgettable album. Surrealistic Pillow may not be as consistent in quality, but it’s peaks are far more memorable. I gotta be quite frank, after “Omaha”, I expected more. But that’s the only truly memorable track on this album. It’s not a bad album, but not one of the 500 Greatest. There are so many other albums that are far more memorable, unique, significant, and enjoyable than this blasé relic. For example…

Would Replace With: The Sounds Of India by Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar is probably the most famous figure in the western world with regard to Hindustani music. This music, and particularly Shankar, had a heavy influence on The Beatles, particularly George Harrison, and to a lesser extent the entire music world. Shankar’s 1968 album The Sounds Of India is not only the finest sitar-based album ever recorded, but THE album of Hindustani music in the Western world of music. Countless lists rank this album as one of the best, and yet Rolling Stone passed it over to favor a bleh album in a similar vein to several others on the list (I‘m referring to today‘s “Moby Grape” which is only vaguely different from any Jefferson Airplane or Grateful Dead album on this list)? There’s nothing like this album on the list. It’s three quarters meditative 12th Century mastery ("Dadra" "Maru-Bihag" "Bhimpalisi" "Sindhi-Bhairavi"), and one quarter music lesson ("An Introduction to Indian Music" ) in which Shankar admits he’s made this album specifically for Western listeners, and gives an explaination, while ending by saying that this album will be enjoyed if listened to with an “open mind”. And I give you my word, if you open your mind, or better yet, “turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream”, you’re certain to be moved and feel as serene as nature itself while experiencing the tracks on The Sounds Of India. Shankar proves himself to be a master sitar player, and this album is most assuredly one of the 500, hell, one of the 100 greatest albums ever put to record. I cannot recommend this one enough, and I’m shocked I didn’t put this one on sooner. Listen to Moby Grape only if you’re curious, but absolutely, if you’re a reader of this blog, and I know who some of you are, I’m begging you to listen to The Sounds Of India. You won’t make a better choice any time soon.

-Mike

Well, tomorrow is #444: Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions. See you then

#338: Cheap Thrills- Big Brother And The Holding Company

2010-03-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

Listened to: MP3

Oh, Janis. Sweet saint of rock and roll that thou art. Cheap Thrills is the second album by Big Brother And The Holding Company, aka Janis Joplin and those guys that followed her around. With cover art from the great R. Crumb, and opening on a live performance of the truly psychedelic “Combination Of Two”, the song that has become almost inseperable from the opening shots of Terry Gilliam’s Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (at least for me), Cheap Thrills opens as a great example of how magical Janis was. The other vocalist on the track seems so…mediocre to the bluesy wails of the gypsy queen. The next track, also live, is “I Need A Man To Love”, one of the sexiest tracks ever laid down by the mistress of rock. Listen to those wilting, forceful vocal scratches, and I gotta be honest, I can’t help myself from wanting to volunteer to be the man she can love. The guitars add an ambience that only enhances the assuredly inebriated wailing, as Janis begs you to let her “hold it in”. God help me, this songs seductive. I don’t care that she’d be ridiculously old now, I’d do her. The mystic intro to Big Brother and the Holding Company’s reworking of George and Ira Gershwin’s “Summertime” is only the icing on this treat that has gone on to become one of Janis’ finest hits.

Bust out the booze and bongs, because the ultimate song for stoned orgies is up next. My favorite Janis track, “Piece Of My Heart”, is equal parts hard rock and soft seduction, blended in a way only Janis could. Go ahead, swing your head around, scream, wail, and yell, and “take it!”. God damn, this track has more life than whole radio stations these days. And strippers everywhere salute you, Janis. And for that, if nothing else, I salute you. The old piano bar track “Turtle Blues”, Janis’ solo composition, shows that here’s a girl who truly knows her roots. Honestly, this is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and I wish it got more attention than it does. And from one of my favorites, we charge into my least favorite track on the album, the Cream knock-off that is “Oh, Sweet Mary”. Maybe I’m just made because Janis goes horribly underused on this track. Maybe.

The album ends perfectly, on the ten minute epic psychedelic head-trip that is “Ball & Chain”, one of Janis’ signature songs. Nothing I can say about this track can capture its magic and majesty, so please just give it a listen.

This being Janis’ last album with Big Brother And The Holding Company, I’d say she went out with a significant bang. This album is a truly great classic, and I do greatly recommend it.

-Mike

See you guys tomorrow for #121: Moby Grape.