Proper rock

Albums recommandés

Love- Love

Psyche, folk rock.

Great, great piece of music. Pretty melancholic and,
to a 21st-century ear, it seems to have really captured the atmosphere of the late 60s-early 70s era.
This is the kind of album that's found its sound and will
faithfully stick to it. But, "Can't explain;" "A message to pretty" and "Emotions," as well as "My little red book" (a cover of Burt Bacharach) and the powerful "My flash on you" that both sound like early punk-rock inspirations, play well enough around the same theme to stand firm as original pieces.

Albums recommandés

Elephunk- The Black Eyed Peas

A hip-hoppish r'n'b.

Catchy rhythms and creativity meet perfectly, here. From "Hands up" to "Third eye" flows a series of original and varied styles that keep on surprising you without ever falling into an over-experimentation whose only point would be to difference itself from the rest, nor the other commercial extreme of only trying what is sure to work.
Pearl

Monkey Business- The Black Eyed Peas

Commercial hip hop with Americanised elements of dancehall music.

Lord have merc-yyyyyyyyy. Ok, this is a definite Black Eyed Peas wrap over a definitely more commercial package.
If you take it in the strict dance context, it's beautiful! If you want something closer to the artistic research of Elephunk, then forget it. There's their usual sound creativity but you can feel they're more enjoying their success and drawing on it than trying to take all of this further. And why shouldn't they?! As long as it fulfills its purpose... Hell, it got me dancing and singing gibberish all night long !      Pearl      P.S. Apart from "Disco club"; that is one real annoying song. Whatever happened there?!
Beware: some dirty lyrics!

Proto-punk

Albums recommandés

The Velvet Underground & Nico- The Velvet Underground (feat. Nico)

Art & experimental rock, proto-punk.

Reed's sweet vocals murmur texts that meant to experiment with music the way The Velvet meant to experiment with life. Add to that Nico's rough singing capacities and Warhol's claws, the end result is often disturbing and meant to be so. The album is a pearl that would have shone brighter had its originality sounded a little more natural. "Sunday morning," "Venus in furs," "Run run run," are fine pieces but it's "I'm waiting for the man," "Femme fatale," "Heroin," "There she goes again" and "I'll be your mirror" that make the album a Pearl

Loaded- The Velvet Underground

Art, experimental rock. Proto-punk.

In this 4th album they seem to have found their thing, mixing their cherished weirdness with a more rock'n'roll sound. Aimed at a more radio audience, it doesn't carry the consistently melodious sadness of their 1st album but then, the tracks are more diverse. Apart from "I found a reason" which sounds too much like the Beatles at their least best and "Train round the bend" and "New age," both pretty weak as stand-alone songs, the album carries itself without much effort yet, with a lot of success. While "Who loves the sun" is closer to their initial attempt (and to the Beatles at their almost-best) "Cool it down," "Rock & roll," "Sweet Jane," "Head held high" and the terribly beautiful "Oh! Sweet nuthin'" are individual pearls which when gathered produce a diamond.    Pearl    P.S. Belle and Sebastian really took their style from that "Who loves the sun" sound !  

Albums recommandés

Exodus (the definitive remasters edition)- Bob Marley & The Wailers

Reggae.

Some of their best are on this: "Jamming," "Exodus," "Three little birds," "One love," "So much things to say" and "Punky reggae party."
"Turn your lights down low," "Natural mystic," "Waiting in vain" and the "Heathen" vary between good enough and almost great with "Guiltiness" being the only weak link in the chain.   Pearl

Rap

Cdthèque recommandée

Watch The Throne (deluxe edition)- Jay-Z & Kanye West

Rap.

But a Wonderful, Dramatic, Extreme, Over-produced, Symphonic, Orchestral, Opera-esque, Surprising, Baroque, Unusual, Magnificent, Superb, Genius, kind of rap.
Really worth getting the deluxe edition with H.A.M. and "Illest motherfucker alive."
Pearl of pearls, one of my favourite songs ever: "Why I love you."

Pearl

Albums recommandés

Watch The Throne (deluxe edition)- Jay-Z & Kanye West

Rap.

But a Wonderful, Dramatic, Extreme, Over-produced, Symphonic, Orchestral, Opera-esque, Surprising, Baroque, Unusual, Magnificent, Superb, Genius, kind of rap.
Really worth getting the deluxe edition with H.A.M. and "Illest motherfucker alive."
Pearl of pearls, one of my favourite songs ever: "Why I love you."

Pearl

Hip hop

 

Albums recommandés

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below- OutKast

Hip hop.

This review is for Speakerboxxx only. To me, that's the best of the two albums. While truly original in its associations of vocals and beats, its originality never becomes its weakness.
Big Boi clearly knew where to use generous contributions to heighten good old hip hop and where to curb that originality to let the ear actually appreciate the music.
Musically, the result is an interesting work. As a whole it works because Big Boi is there to ensure an often researched lyrical work and stylish vocal interventions that recall the hollers of funk and the melodious togetherness of old r'n'b. At the very least, it'll get you to shake your head in rhythm.
"The rooster," "Unhappy," "The way you move"  and "Last call" are the most noticeable tracks, with "The rooster" standing out as a pure lyrical effort. As for "Bowtie", it's got to be one of the best hip-hop songs ever! Only weakness: the interludes, typical annoyances of hip-hop and rap albums.

Albums recommandés

Rise- Gabrielle

Neo soul.

Pearl

Cdthèque recommandée

 The Id- Macy Gray

Slightly crazy, lyrical neo soul. Hence the title.

As an album, I personally prefer this one to her
first work; there's more originality to it and it would
have been a pearl had it been shorter of 2 or 3 tracks
which add nothing to it.

Intoxication-Shaggy

Dancehall, reggae, strong African beats influence.

Ah...réminiscence des fêtes africaines!

To a great extent a rich collaborative effort, Intoxication won’t leave you wanting! The whole album works within one genre; it’s almost impossible to describe the songs separately, they flow together like a proper thorough piece of music. Yet, each tune retains its autonomy, its place in the album. Every single song is a kind of stimulation. It’s mood-uplifting. It’s energizing. It’s driving you forward. As if the dance beats had a direct effect on your physiology... "Church heathen", "Body a shake" & "Holla at you" are true musical masterpieces that got me regretting I didn’t take an interest in anything dancehall earlier! I would have spent many a more interesting night-out.
There’s a kind of easygoing, cheerful, enthusiastic atmosphere to this album, as if it was only another weekly reunion of old friends, but you can feel that a lot of dedication went into it. Combine all of this with a self-indulgent humour and you get one word: maturity. Pearl

Albums recommandés

Elements Of Love: Ballads- Earth, Wind & Fire

70s-80s r'n'b soul.

Who says Earth, Wind & Fire says a musical experiment of 30 instruments delivering a perfectly synchronised melody! But in this compilation, most ballads contain enough soulful inspiration to balance that extreme professionalism.
While every song is musically perfect, a few of them are not imaginative enough to stand among the best. Thank God, the other tracks are enough to make this album a true jewel: "Open our eyes," "Keep your head," "Love's holiday" and "After the love" are mwouah! but "Can't hide love," "I'll write a song," "Side by side" and obviously, the superbly wonderful "Reason" in a live version to die for, are unmissable classics.   Pearl

Top Aerosmith

·         Dream on

·         Love in An Elevator

·         Falling in Love

·         I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing

·         Walk This Way

·         All Your Love

·         Riff and Roll

·         F.I.N.E.

·         Beyond Beautiful (Live)

·         One Way Street

·         Mama Kin

·         Write Me

·         Movin’ out (and its alternate version)

·         Last Child

·         Rag Doll

·         Dude (Looks Like A Lady)

·         Janie’s Got A Gun

·         What It Takes

·         The Other Side

·         Pink (The South Beach Mix)

·         Just Push Play (Radio Remix)

·         Come Together (cover of The Beatles)

·         Don’t Get Mad, Get Even

·         Round and Round

·         I Live in Connecticut (Rehearsal)

·         Three Mile Smile

·         Let It Slide

·         Rattlesnake Shake (Live)

·         Train Kept A Rollin’ (Live)

Albums recommandés

Broken Boy Soldiers- The Raconteurs

Alternative rock.

Aha! Pearl

Albums recommandés

Born- China Black

Pop-ish kind of neo soul. 

Now, wikipedia tags the only album from the duo "pop-reggae." Y...es... There may be a strong reggae style in "Where" but the other tracks confine the influence to one or two instruments recalling the most recognisable reggae sound and not much beyond that. And hey, reggae was a major thing of the late 20th century so really, what kind of good soul music isn't a little influenced by it ?! The lyrical content, the atmosphere of the album stick to soul and the music is so pack(ag)ed that it's closer to 90s quality pop. So don't expect any rhythmic, wise, weed-smoking philosophy. It's definitely, and just, urban music. Think Charles & Eddie in a more loaded, less original and diversified form. But it's good music. "Searching," "Born," "Stars" and "Almost see you" are the best way to start.

Folk and roots rock

 

Experimental soul and rock

Hard rock

Blues rock

Psyche rock

 

Albums recommandés

Cosmo's Factory (40th Anniversary Bonus Tracks)- Creedence Clearwater Revival

Typical American rock with its typical country influences.

Had this album been shorter I would have called it a pearl. A few tracks are unnecessary; they don't add anything to the work. In fact, they would have been perfectly well on an album of their own, just a less remarkable one. Strictly musically speaking, they've got nothing lacking but they don't fit easily with the superior quality of "Up around the bend," "Run through the jungle," "Lookin' out my back door," "Long as I can see the light" and "Travelin' band (alternate take)."
Hold on a minute, now that I think of it, Cosmo's Factory is really almost-a-pearl. Really!

Albums recommandés

Cheap Thrills (Re-release Bonus Tracks)- Big Brother & the Holding Company

Psychedelic and blues rock.

Now, obviously, this one benefits heavily from its 3 cover songs ("Summertime," "Piece of my heart" and "Ball and chain") and Janis Joplin's incredible capacity to put her energy in just about everything she did. She really knew how to render covers! Otherwise, the first few notes of "Combination of the two" and its Whoa, whoa, ahh, have got to convince you to listen to the rest. "I need a man to love," "Turtle blues" and "Magic of love (live)" are other great songs. But "Piece of my heart" remains the best pearl in the lot.    Pearl

Albums recommandés

Chocolate Milk- Charles & Eddie

Neo soul; that is, it's a definitely personal interpretation of soul.

Now, Charles & Eddie had the capacity to put their own imprint on their music! You cannot not love this type of music cos'...everybody loves good soul. That being said, the album is still too long to achieve the level of the duo's best. At least 6 songs are unnecessary. Nevertheless, there's more than enough on the truly good side to satisfy the criteria of any album: "24-7-365" (a cover of John  Farnham), "Keep on smilin'," "Piece of mind," "Jealousy" (a cover of Queen), "Sunshine & happiness" and "Your love."

Albums recommandés

The Bravest Man In The Universe- Bobby Womack

Weird...The kind of music that does much more than music, you know...

You get what I mean when you know that this was co-produced by Damon Albarn. So, mix a Gorillaz-type of experimentation with weird soul/r'n'b, some African influences in the lyrics and you get the feeling of listening to actual black-veteran soul, and I'm not talking about music anymore...Basically, the cover says it all...
Though, I would add, not all musical experimentations sit well with Womack's vocals and intent...
4 very great tracks in "If there wasn't something there," "The bravest man in the universe," "Love is gonna lift you up," and "Nothin' can save ya." And what a voice!

Albums recommandés

Aerosmith- Aerosmith

Drawing heavily on blues and country, but definitely rock.

First album of a great band! You can feel the early, and at times unsophisticated, efforts and it's refreshing! A true pearl that's become a classic of the band lies among great tunes: "Dream on".
8 tracks worth a try. 

Albums recommandés

Goat Head Soup- The Rolling Stones

Rock.

This is the kind of album that finds you singing along to most songs without remembering their name or even noticing it. But once you listen carefully, you realize how good some of them are. Now, "Coming down again" is a beautiful, though unremarkable, ballad and "Silver train" offers not much more than a good old fuzzy rock. In "Can you hear the music", the raw, disharmonious and annoying vocals and what sounds like Native American or traditional Asian instruments (perhaps a pan flute...?) construct a voodoo-ish, very melancholic, almost powerful, Old South atmosphere. And, as usual with the Stones, even the worst songs are pure musical pieces. Nothing's wrong with "100 years ago" and "Winter" except they pale in comparison with the proper good "Dancing with mr. d.;" the bluesy and much underrated "Hide your love;" the catchy "Doo doo doo doo doo," the easy "Star star" and, obviously, "Angie." On the whole and without much effort, it ends up a pretty melancholic work of uneven quality. Still, after several listenings, "Angie" will become one of the least interesting songs, which proves that Goat Head Soup should have been a pearl ; some of its parts just shine brighter than others.

Black And Blue- The Rolling Stones

Should I even...?

Well, it's only rock...but the really good kind! The instrumental one, the kind that, if you were to remove all lyrics, would still get you going.
For the blues of "Melody" and "Fool to cry" alone, you should love this album! "Hand of fate," "Hot stuff," "Crazy mama," and their cover of "Cherry oh baby" are next in line.  Pearl

Albums recommandés

Staying Power- Barry White

90s r'n'b soul.

Pearl

Barry White- Staying Power

1999 US

Sensuality and Barry seem to rhyme perfectly. I’m sure Barry White was put on this earth to deliver the pleasures of the senses, to teach us again (and again) how to love and be loved.
This is the perfect thing if you’re single but still want to get some, or if your partner needs to learn a little about sexy soul power. Barry’s voice and words will lead you to the entry of your own imagination. Through a simple combination of good r’n’b beats and Barry White’s obsessive sex mind, Staying Power ends up raising your sex standards.

“Staying Power” is obviously the jewel in the crown. Although there is an even better version of this song on the album Gold, this rendition is still one of White’s best tracks, ever. Here he shines because he does what he truly loves to do: slow and dirty dancing. If you listen carefully, the song has some naughty innuendos. This simple (and much-welcomed) take on the meetings of bodies delivered via Barry’s strong, male, and utterly cool voice makes me think of Barry White as a messenger sent by God, every time. What he sings could have easily been one of God’s finest messages and it sure would have made the Bible ten times more interesting. In any case, this is a perfect entrée en matière to the album.   

In “Don’t play games” the female chorus brings just what is needed to enhance the sweet in Barry’s raucous, cavernous voice, and thereby create a harmonious love and sex story.

In “The longer we make love” and its remix version, both Chaka Khan and Lisa Stansfield continue this harmony, this time bordering more on the sex side of the mix. The song displays the sensual complicity we expect from any woman paired with Barry White. In the Chaka Khan version, the constant female breathing sounds in the background certainly enhance the sexual tone of the song, making it the most straightforwardly sexual track of the album. These breathing sounds and Barry’s “blacker the berry” bit (4:11) remind us a little of the sex power characteristic of black blues.

“I get off on you” is a melody that gets you to sing “Baby, baby, baby, I get off on you” out loud, in public, while moving your shoulders in rhythm! Here, it’s the music that sings to you, and the “baby, baby, baby” just take it a step further as if to say: you know, I really do (get off on you). Barry’s few words might be sweet, talking about flowers, sensitivity and all but my imagination, fostered by the tone of the song, tells me otherwise. This is one of my personal favourites.

“Which way is up” would have been better received as the background of a tv scene featuring the cool cops of Miami Vice, but it still works because it’s strategically placed almost in the middle of the album, surrounded by true pearls. The repetitive beat, the constant clap and the late saxophone or horn (or what sounds like one of the two) deliver just about enough sensuality to cool out our nerves, as if this song was only a transition between what precedes and what follows. If you pay attention to the lyrics, you notice that the song brings a weird change of theme. It’s a good “social” tune about finding one’s own way in(to) today’s crazy world.

“Get up” and “Sometimes” take this theme further. Musically, they work in perfect harmony with the rest of the album. Barry’s wisdom doesn’t limit itself to the sensual realm, these two tracks seem to say. In terms of theme and words, one can find an echo to “Get up” in Macy Gray’s “Do something”. Here, however, the message goes through more easily because Barry doesn’t make us sit and listen to what he has to say as in most socially-aware songs; he offers the possibility of choosing to listen with the mind another time and concentrate for a while on the beat and the body. By the end of
“Sometimes” and its original "pum" which punctuates Barry's talk, delivering a social message (on moving one’s ass to get somewhere) with sensual notes in the background has proven a clever choice. Hooked on the music, you listen with a distant ear thinking it’s just another love-sex song. And before you know it, the words get in your head.

“Low rider” (a cover of Charles Miller and War) relies almost entirely on an excellent beat, a great rediscovery. Its particularity lies in the chorus’s surprisingly “distant” vocals. The catchy words and intonation make sure that these two repetitive sentences will be sung along. The rest of the track is sung by Barry’s cool and confident voice. Add to that some definitely black "humm, humm" (3:36) and some “tingaling” (4:07), and you know he’s mostly enjoying himself because he knows that even with cover songs, he stays in power.

And this is what “Thank you” (a cover of Sly and the Family Stone) confirms. Its best part is the rap which suddenly pops up at 3:09 and saves the song from its repetitive beat and chorus. That’s a dancing tune, slowly drawing you in its cool, confident beat.

“Slow your roll” sounds again like it’s some part of a film soundtrack, but as far as music is concerned it doesn’t betray the quality of the album. 

The emphasis of the album is on musical presence and throughout the work the strong and researched music follows its sensual (re)quest: it stays in power.
Even when Barry doesn’t speak about sex, his music sensualizes all of society’s concerns and the world in general. It’s not disharmonious, however, because through communicating to and with the senses, Barry is making difficulties much less distant. Everything becomes personalized in Staying Power, thereby allowing us to feel that power that Barry delivers. It doesn’t matter, finally, whether we do have power or don’t, what matters is that we believe we can and therefore start trying. Staying Power promotes the capacity inherent to human nature to redeem itself, again and again.

While not all tracks shine by their original beat or achieve the peak of sensuality, I, personally, would remove none. They’re all quite good in terms of music and singing, and if some are clearly better than others, none breaks or disturbs the harmony of the album.
If the lyrical content is certainly not enormous, it’s sufficient to make its point. The very personal subject matter(s) and Barry’s intimate singing work to deliver an album more aimed at an audience than there to show off Barry’s qualities. Barry White’s intent seems to have been to redeem blacks’ confidence in who they are and who they can be, but anybody, really, can find themselves in the lyrical message of the work. Staying Power has the purpose of making us more relax and confident in our sexual, dancing, social and personal powers, just as Barry seemed to have been.
All in all, this is a very good album, short, with no extravagant transition in terms of style. Barry knows how to associate intonation, lyrics, beats, sensuality and humour to make something catchy in which his audience gets caught up. As his last album, this is work we expected and work well done. Some would say that Barry White always does the same thing over and over again; I’d answer that he seemed to have had enough humility to know where his power lay, what he could do and what he shouldn’t try. Up to his last album, he stuck to what he excelled in and that’s what made him a respected artist among his followers and such a popular personality among the general public. Much more so than the much referenced “You’re my last, my first, my everything” and the likes, Staying Power is worth the detour if one wants to truly approach some Barry White.   

60s girlies