Dance This Mess Around: The Best Of- The B-52's New wave with some post-punk influences...
...and they could have benefited from more of the latter. Upon first hearing, this best of is original, funny, happy; upon second hearing, it already runs the risk of becoming boring. That's because The B-52's tabled a lot on original vocals and hollers and having had to invent with every new song, they stopped creating and resorted to simply covering their own findings; they should have known that there's so much you can invent without having to reinvent yourself. Hence, with time their originality sounds forced. All songs are fairly good, some are great, but by the time you've gone round the best of, they all start sounding the same. No matter, it will be a good car album.
One of the best francophone albums of the 90s, it's of a definite romantic style. The songwriting is its most noteworthy aspect, truly poetic, truly of quality; nothing quickly jotted down here, it's seriously thought-through, sounds natural. If it's not my favourite album ever, I love it because it's doing its thing without ever compromising. A deeply personal work, unlike anything out there. Those first notes of the memorable and acclaimed "La corrida" infuse a mood that will linger on way after you've finished the 10 songs.Pearl
Think African beats mixed with instrumental craziness that makes you dizzy, whiny Jamaican and British voices, (pseudo-)socio-political messages, add a lot of onomatopoeia, loud choruses, hand clapping, and you've got ska at its best: very creative, teasing, bouncy till it's got your head in a whirlwind.Pearl
One of my favourite albums when I was little, probably because it's so peaceful and reassuring. Even when addressing the subject of break-ups, Abbott's arrangements sound merry. What makes it even better is that, aside from being an accomplished musician with the voice of a eunuch (but beautiful and manly!), he wrote and produced everything, a rare thing in soul. "Rhyme and reason;" "Magic" and "I got the feelin'" are the album's most original pieces.
All right, you cannot not love this album; it's kitsch, it's sweet, may even give you a few headaches if you turn up the music, but it's soul: singers can sing, sounds are catchy... It should belong to every family's traditions, using wooden spoons as mikes and thinking of a time that just sounds better, but wasn't so. The best: "Hold me oh my darling;" "Your precious love;" "Ain't no mountain high enough" (one of the most well-known and best American songs, ever); "The onion song;" "If this world were mine"...
The Man In Black: The Definitve Collection- Johnny Cash
An icon of country music to discover.
This compilation is as much about introducing an icon as providing an easy access to the work behind the legend. Country being a genre easy on the ear, like reggae, not everything is good enough to feature on a best of_ 7 songs, in particular, are neither good, nor bad. But, the good is excellent: "It ain't me baby;" "The baron;" "Jackson;" "One piece at a time;" "San Quentin;" "Wanted man;" "Daddy sang bass;" "A boy named Sue"...
Written for the not-so-honest-to-God hard-working blue-collar man, Johnny Cash's style may seem repetitive, simplistic even. Don't try to look for more; what you get on first hearing is exactly what there is; it's all there is, but it's right and it's enough; it's uplifting, bittersweet, on the verge of pathos sometimes, full of group choruses and easy acoustic guitar chords. You quickly find yourself making silly head movements, singing along a philosophy of life you don't abide by, almost convinced; then, you go buy more Cash albums. It works.
Written by
Johnny Otis who introduced Snatch & The Poontangs on the scene, the lyrics
are far out, very coarse_ the type you wouldn’t find in today’s rap which just
goes to prove commercial rap needs to mature and actually become what it claims
to be. Gay too, the lyrics I mean, and that’s another thing I didn’t expect
from 1969 (no pun intended).
Old South feeling,
definitely… Two seconds into the songs and miserable, and proud to be so, scenes
are popping into your head. Very early, without noticing, you find yourself
singing along the guitar. Then, you’re reminded of the singer by his intonation
and you try to mimic his crazy accent. You fail, of course, because you’re too
much in awe, slightly shy, cheeks turning browner or redder, whichever. The
vocals are a long, weird talk and just when you’re convinced you wouldn’t wanna
meet this Two Time Slim anywhere on the street, you’re even gladder you get to
listen to him. Eyebrows are raised by now, eyes wide open, for the song is a
progressive moral downfall_ an iconic one.
But, wait! The guy is going on and the lyrics are becoming nastier. You just
don’t know how to choose what to pay attention to, running between that perfect
pure perfection of a guitar, his accent on a flawless diction, and the nasty
words, back and forth, back and forth. Now you’ve realised this song is just
perfect, awful of course, but perfect. Tein nein nein nein, nein nein! That
blues guitar sings. No, it does more:
it complains, it tells a story, it contradicts, it mocks you even; it’s the
star of the song; it’s caressing, violent and sensual in one stroke. It is Two Time Slim.
Now, too late perhaps, you stop everything else, you’ve gotta close your eyes
and just listen. Just listen.
It’s power.
P.S. It’s
cut in two at some point as if they had glued two different recording sessions.
That just makes it more iconic, really the imprint of an era.
Yeah
Say, baby
D'you know who I am?
I'm Bam Bim
Two Time Slim
The High Sheriff said
From Hell
I'm the motherfucker that rode zigzag lightnin'
Down the middle of the Panama Canal
I'm known from the coast of Maine to the coast of Spain
You can look on the Golden Gate Bridge
And see my goddamn name
I was converted with two .45s on my side
And baptised in a barrel of butcher knives
The stains of all those whip cane mark my hide
A rattlesnake bit me
And that motherfucker crawled off and died
I hunt trouble every day of my life
Of peace and quiet, I do despise
You see, baby
I'm 48 inches across my chest
And don't fear a goddamn thing between life and death
I'm the baddest motherfucker you've ever seen
I'm worse than a bucket nightmare in a midnight dream
You see,
Everything that I do is wrong
If I go to the store I stay too long
If I bring back butter, I should have got lard
When I get ready to fuck
My dick ain't hard
But don’t play me cheap ‘cause I’m skinnin’ and grinnin’
And doing my little laugh
‘Cause I’m the kinda cocksucker to start
An uprisin’ in a motherfucker’s ass
Yeah
I might as well get shitty
Right down to the bone
You know, I beat three murder cases
‘Fore I was grown
I carry a .38 special built on a .45 frame
It shoots tombstone bullets, ball and chain
I sing graveyard songs and I ain’t lyin’
I’m a bad motherfucker and I don’t mind dyin’
I bolted down lightnin’ and captured thunder
I’ve done some shit that made the whole world wonder
During the war, the army laid down their guns
And I won the fight
I’ve been known to eat a wild gorilla
From asshole to appetite
Among the ‘hos you might hear my name ring
But a bitch with a head shaped like a four way cold tablet
Liable to say any goddamn thing
You know, when I go home
I have to walk 44 miles of barbed wire
When I go out
I wear a cobra snake for a necktie
My house is high on a cliff and it hangs over the edge
And it’s made out of human skulls
And if I don’t start some shit and kick 20 bad asses ‘fore noon
My whole day seems kinda dull
Yeah
The drink I like best is hydrochloric acid
And I keep me some around
I pissed next to a fireproof bomb shelter
And burnt that motherfucker down
But I want you to excuse me
For being so bold
But I’m the type of son-of-a-bitch
That crawl over fifty good pussies
To get to one fat boy’s asshole
You see, when I was young
And in my prime
I could catch a ‘ho any old time
Now I’m old and grey and very cold
And I can’t get a bitch to save my soul
So up to it, down to it
Damn the man that won’t do it
But he’ll run his nasty hands through it
Ought to be tied to it and made to do it
‘Cause he ain’t used to it
P.S. Interesting to note that the lyrics from You know when I go home to human skulls are partly borrowed from Bo Diddley's song, "Who do you love?" (1956):
I walk 47 miles of barbed wire,
I use a cobra-snake for a necktie,
I got a brand new house on the roadside,
Made from rattlesnake hide,
I got a brand new chimney made on top,
Made out of a human skull,
From lyricsmode: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/bo_diddley/who_do_you_love.html
Not knowing much about The Cramps, I can however say that this compilation showcases pretty well the best you can expect from raw rock. "I can't hardly stand it", "She said", "Human fly", "The way I walk", "Surfin' bird", "Love me" "Goo goo muck" and "Garbage man" remind you of why you like the genre so much: the possibilities of play are infinite... For that's what this is about: playing. It's a performance, a musical act, born out of pure love for creating music for its own sake. Lux Interior's performance consists of a crazy-silly range of trembling vocals, whispers, groans and heavy breaths. Every time I hear The Cramps, I'm reminded of that "Do the hippogriff" scene in Harry Potter; I mean, the singers have the exact same vocal style (granted, save from the chorus that is definitely commercial rock):
Ah, the height of our very own girl-groups era! Early r'n'b with the sound quality of hip hop and singers who can sing, and rap!
That's a classic of my childhood, and for anyone living theirs now, I pity you: growing up not knowing TLC, what is wrong with the world...! Forget all the girl bands that came after, Destiny and so on, TLC was the cream of the cream, if only for "No scrubs", "Baby-baby-baby", "Waterfalls" and "Diggin' on you". That was girl power right there, back when the term didn't sound so ridiculous and all women's video clips featured a bright futurist cubic room as their background. I mean, how badly can you fare with titles like "Silly ho", "Come and get some", "Damaged", "Red light special", "Girl talk" and its notable "you got to lick it before you stick it"? Go-od message, by the way! Pearl
By which I understand everything that has the lyrical content and style of soul, the marketability of pop rock, but a sound definitely more electronic, without looking to further explore the latter.
Un bijou! Not one song to skip, no fault from start to finish; you can feel the vocal duo is driven and confident. "House is not a home", "N.Y.C.", "Would I lie to you", "December 2" and "Father to son" are some of the best, but it's very difficult to choose a favourite...until you reach that last title, "Shine", which overrides everything. This album is a self-assured, consistent piece of music which knows precisely what it wants and proceeds to deliver. For urban ears in need of comfort, mostly. Pearl
A compilation which introduces nicely this classic of soul. It ranges from bubbly effortless tunes like "Beauty is only skin deep"
and "The way you do the things you do" to the pearls of musical history
"Papa was a rollin' stone" and "My girl". "Ain't to proud to beg", "Get
ready" and "I can't get next to you" will make you line dance the cha
cha of the band, while the psychedelic "Cloud nine" and "Superstar" will get you to rock along the "A-who, who, awho, who..." and "higher higher higher!"
There's only one song I've always disliked ("Just my imagination"); the 16 others are pure jewels of soul with just that amount of rock to call out your attention to the message of the text, a break from the traditional soothing effect of soul music.The Temptations have a few things to say and they make sure the backing music help them carrying their message across, while still remaining noticeable for its own quality. Best lines: "A pretty face you may not possess but What I like about it is your tenderness"or, especially when you imagine Whoopi's raised non-eyebrows: "And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the...(teacher.)"Pearl
My ear has always been more soulful than instrumental, but I generally look for something allying the two. Here, however, Trombone Shorty doesn't mix the two as often as he separates them. Result: 'tis a good listening but not one that requires you listen attentively; by contrast, his concerts are ten times better. There's too much of a dissidence between the slightly repetitive instrumental tracks which render his live shows so powerful and the more neo-soul songs; the album doesn't always work well as a whole, though each singular track has something to offer. "Neph", "Fallin'" "928 Horn jam", "In the 6th" and "One night only" come
close to match the power of "Something beautiful" and it's telling
that the best track is a sung one. That being said, you've gotta like the trombone here, otherwise you're in for an artistic nightmare...
Here are some of the best the 1960s girlies had to offer.
Early,
early rythm and blues (nothing to do with today's r'n'b; in the 50s-60s
it meant rock'n'roll-like soul music), rock'n'roll, doo-wop.
The Best Of The Girl Groups Vol. 1
Very
good overview of the hits of the time. Got The Shangri-Las, The
Shirelles, The Chiffons, Cher, Betty Everett and so on. Try "Give him a
great big kiss", "The leader of the pack", "One fine day", "I wanna love
him so bad" and so on.
The Best Of The Girl Groups Vol. 2
Just
as good: The Exciters, The Angels, Little Eva, Joanie Sommers, The
Essex, The Cookies, Carole King...Try "The locomotion", "My boyfriend's
back", "Johnny get angry"...
The Rough Guide To Blues Legends Disc 2- Various female artists
Early 20th-century blues.
Not naugthy enough! In fact, the selection puzzled me here: the music
remains good, though quite simplistic, but the vocals better decidedly
as you work your way through. "When I get low" is catchy but definitely
jazzier, so the best blues songs are basically the last two: "One
monkey" which just makes me happily yell along, and "Oh what a dream",
both featuring very strong female voices. You expect no less from a
blues compilation, so I was a little disappointed with the first part of
this one. The sex is there but a little drown among the high-pitched
vocals and the repetitive sounds; neither is it replaced by something deeper, hum, hum... Okay but not the best.
Definitely a youthful take on punk rock, but for the young and the old alike. You can live without it, but you can't dislike it_ even Sharkey's whiny vocals aren't annoying enough; they actually work well with the whole thing. A proper crowd album, I-jump-on-my-bed style. Those must have been crazy funny gigs!
So many good tracks to choose from! The best: "Casbah rock", "Teenage kicks", "Get over you", "She's a run around", "Girls don't like it" "Male model" and the bonus tracks: "Emergency cases", "She can only say no", "Mars bars". The titles alone give you an idea of the band's primary concern. Their music is about one thing, good fun, and, here, they loyally stick to it.
Super Blues- Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Little Walter
Chicago blues! I spell M-A-N, man! Pure BLISS!
One of the most important aspects of excellent music is its capacity to move
you: internally or literally. And blues always had the tendency to
whisper naughty or sad lyrics till your ear got bored...or horny, depending on your tendencies... None of
that, here! The guitar changes it all; there isn't the whisper you'll find
in lady blues, there's only rhythm. This album will make you wish you were a musician to jump in and enjoy their fun. Recall that iconic status legends of music had back in the 20th century, when we were all a little in awe ? Listen to this and you'll wish it was back... I mean, what makes a legend of a musician? That capacity to turn the simplest chord into greatness_ they got it. That capacity to let others do too_ they certainly got it. That capacity to grow from the creativity around and shine together_ they've joined forces! And, I don't know, the result just makes me happy! Pearl
P.S. Interesting to note that the lyrics to "Who do you love?" (1956):
I walk 47 miles of barbed wire,
I use a cobra-snake for a necktie,
I got a brand new house on the roadside,
Made from rattlesnake hide,
I got a brand new chimney made on top,
Made out of a human skull,
from lyricsmode: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/bo_diddley/who_do_you_love.html
are retaken in Johnny Otis's song "Two time slim", a little more than a decade later, I believe:
You know, when I go home
I have to walk 44 miles of barbed wire
When I go out
I wear a cobra snake for a necktie
My house is high on a cliff and it hangs over the edge
And it’s made out of human skulls
Read more at http://www.lyrics.com/two-time-slim-lyrics-johnny-otis.html#Q6eUQYsQvDtDuCZW.99
Early, early rythm and blues (nothing to do with today's r'n'b; in
the 50s-60s it meant rock'n'roll-like soul music), rock'n'roll, doo-wop.
For
naïve, sweet schoolgirl hopes, dreams and despair, The Shirelles are
the best! They found the formula to make everybody, and I mean
everybody, like their association of slow, melodious, nostalgic sounds
with upbeat, doo-wop harmonies. They had a lot of influences on
countless artists so this is definitely one you've got to know (and you
probably already do without knowing it!). Now be aware that you enter a
dream world: you listen to this, you think life in the 60s was
definitely simpler! Then you listen to some soul sisters and
their predecessors, the lady blues, and you get that The Shirelles only
adopted a "let's forget our real despair and dwell in white middle-class
suburbian utopia" attitude. Still today, though, we all sometimes need a
little of that attitude.
She yells,
she growls, she whispers, she church sings, she hollers… She’s a woman. Complex
and mature. Etta James is a million different singers at once; she makes you go
through a whole range of emotions_ often desperate, by the way. This isn’t for
little girls.
A lot of covers featured here, but we’d be in a much darker place
without those jewels. When Etta sings your work, you, the inventive artist, get
sent off, in the shadows. Uh-uh! Stick to your place. She just does it better.Pearl
Don Omar Presents: Meet The Orphans- Don Omar (and numerous artists)
Old-school reggaeton with the strength of
dancehall, and singers who can sing!
A
beneficial collaboration which balances itself out between lighthearted tracks (“Sr.
destino” or “Danza kuduro”), heavy reggaeton pieces (“Hasta abajo”, “Hooka”, …),
proper musical work (“Orphanization”, “El duro”, “Huerfano de amor”, …), a song
that should mark musical history (“Ella Ella”), and ends up with a beautifully-composed
ensemble. At its worst, it’s old-school commercial music as it used to be made:
catchy, annoyingly persistent, simple even. At its best, it’s the right sense
of rhythm, sinuous beats, bewitching melodies, and actual emotions. For the
more rock-oriented, if you love big drum effects or orchestra-esque Queen-ish envolées, this album will seduce you. If
you don’t, the artists’ range of intonations and performances, the rap itself,
should force their way into your head, anyway. It might be possible to dislike Meet The Orphans, to find it irritating,
even, but once “Orphanization” starts its Harry-Potter
notes, it’s already too late to escape it. Pearl
When she got made, I’m sure she was told she had a good
voice for yelling but she sure shouldn’t attempt to sing. But she did! As if
her normal whiny tone wasn’t bad enough, she reaches for the high pitch, as
well; does she want us to listen or to mock? “Misunderstood” you’ll tell me,
and I’ll answer “No, understood all too clearly; I heard her.” And I sorely
regret it. This is another case of an album that broke with the musical customs
of its time by doing, well,…rubbish, and was classified cult for that, and only
that. And now, we’re just too shy when facing the ‘big’ names of the past to
point out those who should really remain of
the past. There are only 4 passable songs out of 12: 2 of them mostly
because the music takes over her voice, the other 2 because she whispers rather
than sings. I mean, the woman can’t sing! She can’t sing and not in a punk ‘I’m-yelling-at-the-world-hear-my-anger-I’ve-got-something-to-say’
sort of way, no! The sounds are mostly bad too, a kind of debilitating electronic
music, and the lyrics, my my, amount to love songs, when they don’t simply
indulge themselves in ‘my-words-don’t-make-sense-but-everything-is-bullshit-anyway’
songwriting skills. And that’s her debut (second
album), as well; I won’t even try to imagine what her following productions
sounded like. Nope, my ears won’t take it.
