There are several records from female rap artist M.I.A. on the Metacritic list I am working through. M.I.A. is Maya Arulpragasam, a Sri Lankan-born, London-raised rapper with deeply political roots (for more info, just Google her). As far as her style, she melds several different styles of writing and rapping into her own distinct style. Her style mixes, mashes, and purees rap with dub, rock, reggae, drum n’ bass, and numerous other musical styles. Her beats are superb, and her raps (for the most part) work very well. The first record from her on the list is Arular.
#68 – M.I.A., Arular (Metascore = 88)
Upon first listen to this record I was really taken by the beats. Every sampled beat seems perfect for what she raps. There are definitely elements of electronic music (particularly drum n’ bass) in each song, but layered with samples from rock, reggae, ska, punk and other genres. She raps in English, she raps in Spanish (“Hombre”), and she raps in other languages. She reminds me a little of Missy Elliott with some of the non-rap oohs and slurs she uses.
When I mentioned M.I.A. has deeply political roots, I meant it. When you listen closely to what she says, she's taking shots at numerous politicians around the world (particularly one of our own here in the U.S.) and political situations around the world. “Sunshowers” paints the picture of numerous spots around the world (Israel, Sri Lanka, England, etc.) where political strife is an everyday issue. Many of her songs reflect the struggles she and her family went through when she was growing up in Sri Lanka and later on in London. “Pull Up the People” calls you out to help the poor, those struggling to survive.
The one thing that gives me pause about this album is some of the lyrics. Not necessarily the meaning behind the lyrics, but the words used to put them together. Sometimes they seem too simplistic, like she was working harder to make things rhyme than for words to make the story deeper. That’s not an issue in every song, but some songs just seem too simple. At the same time, the simplicity makes certain songs (“Amazon”, for instance) very poignant.
My personal favorites from Arular are “Pull Up the People”, “Bucky Done Gun”, “Amazon”, “10 Dollar”, U.R.A.Q.T.” (probably not the wittiest of songs on this album, but it has a killer beat and excellent sample of Red Foxx), and “Galang”. All of these encapsulate her musical style while showcasing her political voice. The record is definitely catchy; you’ll bounce your head to the songs. You may not catch her political leanings on first listen, but you probably won’t listen to the album just once, either.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Kicking Television
Having taken a couple of days off, I’m back with another entry (and notch) to my review of the best albums from Metacritic’s Top 200 highest scored albums. Today’s album is by Wilco, Kicking Television: Live in Chicago. This is a two-disc set covering Wilco’s live shows at the Vic Theater in Chicago in 2005. The majority of the record’s songs are taken from their previous studio album, A Ghost Is Born.
#182 – Wilco, Kicking Television: Live in Chicago (Metascore = 85)
Musically speaking, this album kicks off perfectly with “Misunderstood”. “Misunderstood” introduces Nels Cline (lead guitars) and Pat Sansone (multiple instruments) to Wilco records; Sansone provides beautiful accompaniment on piano on this track, while Cline plays some beautifully fluid guitar solos. While the record is compiled from different performances within this four-gig stint, the music is seamless (for the most part) in how it integrates together. While some of the stage banter has been edited out (detracting from the live feel of the album), overall the sound quality is very good. You hear the good and the bad, the in-tune and the out-of-tune, the rights and the wrongs. The band is locked into a groove in each of the songs, making this one of the better live albums I have heard. (Too many live album efforts have felt forced or disjointed or both, leaving me wanting more.)
One of Tweedy’s best characteristics is writing the songs, from music to lyrics. He injects the Americana feel of older Wilco material, Uncle Tupelo (his former band), the Byrds, the Band and numerous other rock bands that married country music with rock n’ roll into his songs. You can imagine the characters that he paints in his songs. For instance, I listen to the music and lyrics of “Handshake Drugs” and am transported to the cab carrying me to the dealer downtown. Any good songwriter puts you in the shoes of the character in the song. Tweedy has been good at this for a long time.
My highlights on disc 1 are “Misunderstood”, “Company in My Back”, “The Late Greats”, “Handshake Drugs”, “Shot in the Arm”, and “Jesus, Etc.”. The cool thing about disc 1 is that it showcases Wilco’s various musical influences, from the original alt-country roots that fueled earlier releases to modern rock to soul (a la “I’m the Man Who Loves You”). I also think Disc 1 was the more relaxed effort, and I got into the grooves a lot easier.
Disc 2 opens with “In Chicago”, a free-spirited rock ballad that meanders between melodic and dissonant. This actually is one of the negatives to this album overall; while many of the songs are elegantly arranged and melodically magical, some of the pieces have long periods of noodling that becomes tiresome over time. While these are few and far between, they are still there (probably explains the reason for the ranking). My highlights on disc 2 are “Hummingbird”, “One by One”, “Airline to Heaven”, “Ashes of American Flags”, “Poor Places”, and “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”.
Overall, I enjoyed listening to this set. I believe the rank and scores are justified, because even though the record is great, there are some flaws in the lack of stage banter with the crowd, and some of the songs tend to go long after a while. Still, this was a fun record to listen to.
#182 – Wilco, Kicking Television: Live in Chicago (Metascore = 85)
Musically speaking, this album kicks off perfectly with “Misunderstood”. “Misunderstood” introduces Nels Cline (lead guitars) and Pat Sansone (multiple instruments) to Wilco records; Sansone provides beautiful accompaniment on piano on this track, while Cline plays some beautifully fluid guitar solos. While the record is compiled from different performances within this four-gig stint, the music is seamless (for the most part) in how it integrates together. While some of the stage banter has been edited out (detracting from the live feel of the album), overall the sound quality is very good. You hear the good and the bad, the in-tune and the out-of-tune, the rights and the wrongs. The band is locked into a groove in each of the songs, making this one of the better live albums I have heard. (Too many live album efforts have felt forced or disjointed or both, leaving me wanting more.)
One of Tweedy’s best characteristics is writing the songs, from music to lyrics. He injects the Americana feel of older Wilco material, Uncle Tupelo (his former band), the Byrds, the Band and numerous other rock bands that married country music with rock n’ roll into his songs. You can imagine the characters that he paints in his songs. For instance, I listen to the music and lyrics of “Handshake Drugs” and am transported to the cab carrying me to the dealer downtown. Any good songwriter puts you in the shoes of the character in the song. Tweedy has been good at this for a long time.
My highlights on disc 1 are “Misunderstood”, “Company in My Back”, “The Late Greats”, “Handshake Drugs”, “Shot in the Arm”, and “Jesus, Etc.”. The cool thing about disc 1 is that it showcases Wilco’s various musical influences, from the original alt-country roots that fueled earlier releases to modern rock to soul (a la “I’m the Man Who Loves You”). I also think Disc 1 was the more relaxed effort, and I got into the grooves a lot easier.
Disc 2 opens with “In Chicago”, a free-spirited rock ballad that meanders between melodic and dissonant. This actually is one of the negatives to this album overall; while many of the songs are elegantly arranged and melodically magical, some of the pieces have long periods of noodling that becomes tiresome over time. While these are few and far between, they are still there (probably explains the reason for the ranking). My highlights on disc 2 are “Hummingbird”, “One by One”, “Airline to Heaven”, “Ashes of American Flags”, “Poor Places”, and “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”.
Overall, I enjoyed listening to this set. I believe the rank and scores are justified, because even though the record is great, there are some flaws in the lack of stage banter with the crowd, and some of the songs tend to go long after a while. Still, this was a fun record to listen to.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Good Ol' Bob
So, I have been a little negligent lately posting, so I'm adding another album today. Bob Dylan has been on a roll recently in exploring the traditional blues-based sound (these “rolls” have included stints in traditional folk, pop rock, country, and gospel). “Love and Theft” was released in September 2001 and is another in this line of works that started years back. Similar in sound to Time Out of Mind and Modern Times, “Love and Theft” contains 12 tracks of pure Bob Dylan. This is his 31st studio record.
#9 – Bob Dylan, “Love and Theft” (Metascore = 93)
This is Dylan’s highest scored album on my list. He has always been the consummate storyteller and songwriter. He mixes in comedy, tragedy, and all of the emotions in between: heartbreak, love, murder, life, etc. His singing continues to progress (it should after over 40 years in the business), but it’s almost as if the clarity is much better than it has ever been. This album is a tour de force through many different styles of music. His rockabilly songs are probably the best of the bunch.
“Mississippi” has to be one of my favorite Dylan songs. He presents several versions on his Tell Tale Signs bootleg release, but this is the best of the bunch. The story within the song is what really brings this song together; that’s not to take away from the music itself, but the story is truly a fine song. “Summer Days” is a rockabilly number with a lot of life and also a very fun story.
“High Water (for Charley Patton)” is one of the high marks of the albums (amongst many) and is the story of a man that moved to Kansas City and the troubles he endured. “Po’ Boy” tells about a guy down on his luck, paying more for something than needed, Othello drinks poison unknowingly, etc. There really aren’t any bad songs on this album. The mix of styles gives something to everyone.
If you ask me, “Love and Theft” being as high rated as it is, I think it fully deserves it. Not having listened to the other albums above it quite yet, this record is definitely one of the best I have heard. If you can get over Dylan’s original persona and singing style, you’ll enjoy this record.
#9 – Bob Dylan, “Love and Theft” (Metascore = 93)
This is Dylan’s highest scored album on my list. He has always been the consummate storyteller and songwriter. He mixes in comedy, tragedy, and all of the emotions in between: heartbreak, love, murder, life, etc. His singing continues to progress (it should after over 40 years in the business), but it’s almost as if the clarity is much better than it has ever been. This album is a tour de force through many different styles of music. His rockabilly songs are probably the best of the bunch.
“Mississippi” has to be one of my favorite Dylan songs. He presents several versions on his Tell Tale Signs bootleg release, but this is the best of the bunch. The story within the song is what really brings this song together; that’s not to take away from the music itself, but the story is truly a fine song. “Summer Days” is a rockabilly number with a lot of life and also a very fun story.
“High Water (for Charley Patton)” is one of the high marks of the albums (amongst many) and is the story of a man that moved to Kansas City and the troubles he endured. “Po’ Boy” tells about a guy down on his luck, paying more for something than needed, Othello drinks poison unknowingly, etc. There really aren’t any bad songs on this album. The mix of styles gives something to everyone.
If you ask me, “Love and Theft” being as high rated as it is, I think it fully deserves it. Not having listened to the other albums above it quite yet, this record is definitely one of the best I have heard. If you can get over Dylan’s original persona and singing style, you’ll enjoy this record.
National Boxer
Today’s album is Boxer by the National, a band based out of Brooklyn. The National consists of vocalist Matt Berninger, brothers Aaron (guitar, bass, piano) and Bryce Dessner (guitar), and brothers Scott (bass, guitar) and Bryan Devendorf (drums). They have been a popular live band for a while now, but their status as national radio stars has only recently been realized with “Bloodbuzz Ohio” off of the album High Violet (released in May 2010).
#140 – The National’s Boxer (Metascore = 86)
Having given Boxer a couple of listens now (contrary to what I did previously), I can say without a doubt I enjoyed this album. The thing is, I’m having difficulty in evaluating the tracks individually. Sure, I could do that, but I think it defeats the purpose if I tell you “I like this track” or “This track tells the story of love lost” when those seem ubiquitous. What I can tell you is that there is at times an overwhelming sense of longing by the characters of the songs for good times in the past that may have come and gone. Is this depressing? It can be, and several critics have pointed this out (those critics that were more critical in their reviews).
All in all, though, this is a very good record to me. There are contrasts in terms of how the songs are structured—from slow, rambling pieces of moments lost to pieces with a rocking beat and louder guitars. I don’t think there is a unified storyline here, but I think these are characters that have interacted with the writer at some point (whether he refers to himself or not is another question all together). The character in “Mistaken for Strangers” is no longer the person his friends remembered when they were younger. “Squallor Victoria” for some reason or another is one of my favorites off this album. I don’t know if it’s just the beat and the way the singer sings the words…I don’t think it’s the lyrics really. “Slow Show” is good; seems like a song for a relationship that may have gone bad.
Here are the tracks that I have liked the most from this album, whether for music, lyrics, or both – “Fake Empire”, “Mistaken for Strangers”, “Brainy”, “Squallor Victoria”, “Slow Show”, “Start a War”, “Racing Like a Pro”, and “Ada”.
#140 – The National’s Boxer (Metascore = 86)
Having given Boxer a couple of listens now (contrary to what I did previously), I can say without a doubt I enjoyed this album. The thing is, I’m having difficulty in evaluating the tracks individually. Sure, I could do that, but I think it defeats the purpose if I tell you “I like this track” or “This track tells the story of love lost” when those seem ubiquitous. What I can tell you is that there is at times an overwhelming sense of longing by the characters of the songs for good times in the past that may have come and gone. Is this depressing? It can be, and several critics have pointed this out (those critics that were more critical in their reviews).
All in all, though, this is a very good record to me. There are contrasts in terms of how the songs are structured—from slow, rambling pieces of moments lost to pieces with a rocking beat and louder guitars. I don’t think there is a unified storyline here, but I think these are characters that have interacted with the writer at some point (whether he refers to himself or not is another question all together). The character in “Mistaken for Strangers” is no longer the person his friends remembered when they were younger. “Squallor Victoria” for some reason or another is one of my favorites off this album. I don’t know if it’s just the beat and the way the singer sings the words…I don’t think it’s the lyrics really. “Slow Show” is good; seems like a song for a relationship that may have gone bad.
Here are the tracks that I have liked the most from this album, whether for music, lyrics, or both – “Fake Empire”, “Mistaken for Strangers”, “Brainy”, “Squallor Victoria”, “Slow Show”, “Start a War”, “Racing Like a Pro”, and “Ada”.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Mountains and Rubiks cubes
Today, kids, our special disc is disc # 64 on our list, Sunn O))) record Monoliths & Dimensions (Metascore = 88). There are four songs on this record. 4. Four. The average time per song for the album is 13 minutes and 24 seconds. Sunn O))) is actually named after the amplifier brand. There are two primary members—Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson (yes, they’re an American band). They are an extreme gimmick band. Think about England circa King Arthur times where there are witches and warlocks and other grim folks scattered throughout. Think about what they would wear.
“Aghartha” – “Aghartha” starts out as just noise. I think it’s a synthesizer or something playing these loud, low-end notes. Oddly, maybe even intentionally, the sounds of the song reflect the name of the album, Monoliths & Dimensions. Finally, nearly six minutes in there are spoken words. I don’t know what he’s saying. Upon further research (thank you, Wikipedia!), the two primary band members will de-tune their guitars as low as drop-A, which is ridiculous.
So, my initial reaction is “what the hell is this?” But having done a little research, I am a bit intrigued. I wonder what influenced the gimmick. I could totally associate the music with the gimmick. Whether or not you could convince me to see them live, I don’t know.
“Big Church (some other words I don’t want to spell)” – Definitely different from “Aghartha”. Some slight chanting from a female choir. Still the low, droning noise from the guitars, but then the choir continues with another guitar (playing at a much higher register). Another aside—it’s almost as if they are trying to achieve the brown sound. Seriously. Actually, I wonder if this would work for the Harry Potter soundtracks, particularly with Voldemort scenes. That could make for some interesting stuff.
“Hunting & Gathering (Cydonia)” – The sounds from this seem to be death metal-meets-western. Not as heavy as the first one, not as light (?) as the second one. According to Wikipedia, there music has been associated with the doom metal movement. Supposedly Black Sabbath is credited with planting the seed for doom metal. The genre has been carried forward by bands with colorful names such as Pagan Altar, Pentagram, and Candlemass. There are absolutely no drums in these songs.
“Alice” – The final song, this one is the most pleasant of them all. Plenty (for Sunn) of instruments, including horns. The sound is just good. The low tones are not overdone. This is probably my favorite song of the album. I believe there are even harps towards the end (4 minutes left).
How did they receive an 88 score? I’m sure drone metal magazine appreciated it, and from a purely free form perspective, it wasn’t bad. But I’m not sure I would say it’s better than the xx album or even the Streets album. I guess I need a little more insight as to why critics praised it like they did. Maybe I don't get it.
“Aghartha” – “Aghartha” starts out as just noise. I think it’s a synthesizer or something playing these loud, low-end notes. Oddly, maybe even intentionally, the sounds of the song reflect the name of the album, Monoliths & Dimensions. Finally, nearly six minutes in there are spoken words. I don’t know what he’s saying. Upon further research (thank you, Wikipedia!), the two primary band members will de-tune their guitars as low as drop-A, which is ridiculous.
So, my initial reaction is “what the hell is this?” But having done a little research, I am a bit intrigued. I wonder what influenced the gimmick. I could totally associate the music with the gimmick. Whether or not you could convince me to see them live, I don’t know.
“Big Church (some other words I don’t want to spell)” – Definitely different from “Aghartha”. Some slight chanting from a female choir. Still the low, droning noise from the guitars, but then the choir continues with another guitar (playing at a much higher register). Another aside—it’s almost as if they are trying to achieve the brown sound. Seriously. Actually, I wonder if this would work for the Harry Potter soundtracks, particularly with Voldemort scenes. That could make for some interesting stuff.
“Hunting & Gathering (Cydonia)” – The sounds from this seem to be death metal-meets-western. Not as heavy as the first one, not as light (?) as the second one. According to Wikipedia, there music has been associated with the doom metal movement. Supposedly Black Sabbath is credited with planting the seed for doom metal. The genre has been carried forward by bands with colorful names such as Pagan Altar, Pentagram, and Candlemass. There are absolutely no drums in these songs.
“Alice” – The final song, this one is the most pleasant of them all. Plenty (for Sunn) of instruments, including horns. The sound is just good. The low tones are not overdone. This is probably my favorite song of the album. I believe there are even harps towards the end (4 minutes left).
How did they receive an 88 score? I’m sure drone metal magazine appreciated it, and from a purely free form perspective, it wasn’t bad. But I’m not sure I would say it’s better than the xx album or even the Streets album. I guess I need a little more insight as to why critics praised it like they did. Maybe I don't get it.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The List (Finally!) and The xx
As promised, here is the list of the albums I will listen to somehow someway. The emboldened albums are albums I either own or can get at the library. If anyone has access to the ones that are not emboldened, could you help me?
Top 200 Scores: The Best-Reviewed Albums
Album by Artist Year Avg Rating
1 SMiLE by Brian Wilson 2004 97
2 Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn 2004 97
3 How The West Was Won by Led Zeppelin 2003 97
4 Stankonia by OutKast 2000 95
5 Savane by Ali Farka Toure 2006 94
6 Madvillainy by Madvillain 2004 93
7 Live At Reading by Nirvana 2009 93
8 The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads [2004 Version] by Talking Heads 2004 93
9 Love And Theft by Bob Dylan 2001 93
10 Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards by Tom Waits 2006 92
11 Boy In Da Corner by Dizzee Rascal 2004 92
12 Elephant by The White Stripes 2003 92
13 Live In London by Leonard Cohen 2009 91
14 A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets 2004 91
15 Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by OutKast 2003 91
16 Canto by Los Super Seven 2001 91
17 From Here We Go Sublime by The Field 2007 90
18 Illinois by Sufjan Stevens 2005 90
19 Original Pirate Material by The Streets 2002 90
20 The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae 2010 90
21 Alice by Tom Waits 2002 90
22 Is This It? by The Strokes 2001 90
23 Funeral by The Arcade Fire 2004 90
24 London Zoo by The Bug 2008 90
25 Untrue by Burial 2007 90
26 XTRMNTR by Primal Scream 2000 90
27 Z by My Morning Jacket 2005 90
28 Since I Left You by The Avalanches 2001 89
29 Neon Golden by The Notwist 2003 89
30 Rounds by Four Tet 2003 89
31 Modern Times by Bob Dylan 2006 89
32 Miss E... So Addictive by Missy Elliott 2001 89
33 HoboSapiens by John Cale 2004 89
34 Bachelor No. 2 (or, the last remains of the dodo) by Aimee Mann 2000 89
35 Fed by Plush 2008 89
36 Last Exit by Junior Boys 2004 89
37 Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective 2009 89
38 Treats by Sleigh Bells 2010 89
39 Songs For The Deaf by Queens Of The Stone Age 2002 89
40 Wearemonster by Isolée 2005 89
41 Ali & Toumani by Ali Farka Toure And Toumani Diabate 2010 89
42 Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse 2006 89
43 Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins 2003 88
44 Yours, Mine & Ours by Pernice Brothers 2003 88
45 Hypermagic Mountain by Lightning Bolt 2005 88
46 Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II by Raekwon 2009 88
47 69 Love Songs by Magnetic Fields 1999 88
48 Ta Det Lugnt by Dungen 2004 88
49 Dear Science, by TV On The Radio 2008 88
50 Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio 2006 88
51 Wicked Grin by John Hammond 2001 88
52 Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea by PJ Harvey 2000 88
53 Up In Flames by Manitoba 2003 88
54 College Dropout by Kanye West 2004 88
55 Where Shall You Take Me by Damien Jurado 2003 88
56 Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart 2004 88
57 Vespertine by Bjork 2001 88
58 From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith 2004 88
59 The Blueprint by Jay-Z 2001 88
60 In Rainbows by Radiohead 2007 88
61 The Woods by Sleater-Kinney 2005 88
62 Destroyer's Rubies by Destroyer 2006 88
63 Kill The Moonlight by Spoon 2002 88
64 Monoliths & Dimensions by Sunn O))) 2009 88
65 Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds 2004 88
66 I Am A Bird Now by Antony And The Johnsons 2005 88
67 Fishscale by Ghostface Killah 2006 88
68 Arular by M.I.A. 2005 88
69 Remedy by Basement Jaxx 1999 88
70 Exit by Shugo Tokumaru 2008 88
71 For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver 2008 88
72 Leaves Turn Inside You by Unwound 2001 87
73 Blue Record by Baroness 2009 87
74 Person Pitch by Panda Bear 2007 87
75 Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes 2008 87
76 Cosmogramma by Flying Lotus 2010 87
77 The Argument by Fugazi 2001 87
78 Decoration Day by Drive-By Truckers 2003 87
79 Showtime by Dizzee Rascal 2004 87
80 Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds 2008 87
81 The Dirty South by Drive-By Truckers 2004 87
82 Historicity by Vijay Iyer Trio 2009 87
83 The Town And The City by Los Lobos 2006 87
84 World Without Tears by Lucinda Williams 2003 87
85 Things We Lost In The Fire by Low 2001 87
86 Cold House by Hood 2001 87
87 Now, More Than Ever by Jim Guthrie 2004 87
88 Raising Sand by Robert Plant And Alison Krauss 2007 87
89 Let's Stay Friends by Les Savy Fav 2007 87
90 Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand 2004 87
91 �gætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós 2001 87
92 Neon Bible by The Arcade Fire 2007 87
93 Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco 2002 87
94 Congotronics by Konono No. 1 2005 87
95 Stumble Into Grace by Emmylou Harris 2003 87
96 Phrenology by The Roots 2002 87
97 Favourite Colours by The Sadies 2004 87
98 The Creek Drank The Cradle by Iron & Wine 2002 87
99 Children Running Through by Patty Griffin 2007 87
100 Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens 2004 87
101 Kala by M.I.A. 2007 87
102 Phantom Power by Super Furry Animals 2003 87
103 Mass Romantic by The New Pornographers 2000 87
104 Sound Of Silver by LCD Soundsystem 2007 86
105 American Saturday Night by Brad Paisley 2009 86
106 One Word Extinguisher by Prefuse 73 2003 86
107 Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch 2001 86
108 Comicopera by Robert Wyatt 2007 86
109 Welcome To Mali by Amadou & Mariam 2009 86
110 Mirrored by Battles 2007 86
111 Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts by M83 2004 86
112 Fixed::Context [EP] by Labradford 2001 86
113 Hercules And Love Affair by Hercules And Love Affair 2008 86
114 Estudando o Pagode by Tom Zé 2006 86
115 Robyn by Robyn 2008 86
116 Separation Sunday by The Hold Steady 2005 86
117 The Decline Of British Sea Power by British Sea Power 2003 86
118 Quicksand / Cradlesnakes by Califone 2003 86
119 Blues Dream by Bill Frisell 2001 86
120 Rings Around The World by Super Furry Animals 2002 86
121 You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene 2003 86
122 Minimum-Maximum [Live] by Kraftwerk 2005 86
123 Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team 2005 86
124 Beautifully Human: Words And Sounds Vol. 2 by Jill Scott 2004 86
125 'Sno Angel Like You by Howe Gelb 2006 86
126 Welcome Interstate Managers by Fountains Of Wayne 2003 86
127 45:33 by LCD Soundsystem 2007 86
128 LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem 2005 86
129 Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River 2005 86
130 Seek Magic by Memory Tapes 2009 86
131 xx by The xx 2009 86
132 Wake Up The Nation by Paul Weller 2010 86
133 What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective by Steinski 2008 86
134 Feast of Wire by Calexico 2003 86
135 The Futureheads by The Futureheads 2004 86
136 Chavez Ravine by Ry Cooder 2005 86
137 Transcendental Blues by Steve Earle 2000 86
138 Harps And Angels by Randy Newman 2008 86
139 Fortress by Protest The Hero 2008 86
140 Boxer by The National 2007 86
141 White Blood Cells by The White Stripes 2001 86
142 The Wind by Warren Zevon 2003 86
143 All Hands On The Bad One by Sleater-Kinney 2000 86
144 Little Sparrow by Dolly Parton 2001 86
145 Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine by Cee-Lo 2004 86
146 The Lemon Of Pink by The Books 2003 86
147 Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 by Bob Dylan 2008 86
148 Ocean's Eleven OST by David Holmes 2001 86
149 The Intercontinentals by Bill Frisell 2003 86
150 OST by 24 Hour Party People 2002 86
151 The Convincer by Nick Lowe 2001 86
152 The Mysterious Production Of Eggs by Andrew Bird 2005 85
153 Rook by Shearwater 2008 85
154 Party Music by The Coup 2001 85
155 Life...The Best Game In Town by Harvey Milk 2008 85
156 I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes 2005 85
157 Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom 2010 85
158 Third by Portishead 2008 85
159 Don't Give Up On Me by Solomon Burke 2002 85
160 Didn't It Rain by Songs: Ohia 2002 85
161 Holopaw by Holopaw 2003 85
162 Girls Can Tell by Spoon 2001 85
163 Stay Positive by The Hold Steady 2008 85
164 Pause by Four Tet 2001 85
165 Magnolia Electric Co. by Songs: Ohia 2003 85
166 Murs 3:16 The 9th Edition by Murs 2004 85
167 Hail To The Thief by Radiohead 2003 85
168 Laulu Laakson Kukista by Paavoharju 2008 85
169 Mezmerize by System Of A Down 2005 85
170 Beauty And The Beat by Edan 2005 85
171 Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers 2005 85
172 For Hero: For Fool by Subtle 2006 85
173 New Moon by Elliott Smith 2007 85
174 The Drift by Scott Walker 2006 85
175 Streetcore by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros 2003 85
176 The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions In The Sky 2003 85
177 Source Tags & Codes by ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead 2002 85
178 Happy Songs For Happy People by Mogwai 2003 85
179 Psychic Chasms by Neon Indian 2009 85
180 Oceans Apart by The Go-Betweens 2005 85
181 Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear 2009 85
182 Kicking Television: Live In Chicago by Wilco 2005 85
183 The Real New Fall L.P. (Formerly Country On The Click) by The Fall 2004 85
184 Bubblegum by Mark Lanegan Band 2004 85
185 Tenacious D by Tenacious D 2001 85
186 The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips 1999 85
187 Journal For Plague Lovers by Manic Street Preachers 2009 85
188 I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass by Yo La Tengo 2006 85
189 Chemistry Of Common Life by Fucked Up 2008 85
190 Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors 2009 85
191 Crimes by The Blood Brothers 2004 85
192 Blinking Lights And Other Revelations by Eels 2005 85
193 Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie 2003 85
194 Run To Ruin by Nina Nastasia 2003 85
195 Dongs of Sevotion by Smog 2000 85
196 The Meadowlands by The Wrens 2003 85
197 Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady 2006 85
198 Ys by Joanna Newsom 2006 85
199 Late Registration by Kanye West 2005 85
200 Supermodified by Amon Tobin 2000 85
#131 – The xx, The xx (Metascore = 86)
A little background on The xx…they were a four-piece that lost their second guitarist and keyboardist during the sessions (methinks) for this album. They’re from London, and the album was recorded in a garage (hence some of the ambience of the album). They formed back in 2005.
“Intro” – “Intro” is exactly that—an intro. It’s an instrumental track, pretty laid back. Pretty much there’s drums, a bass guitar, some “ahh’ing”, a guitar, and some hand claps.
“VCR” – The mellow vibe (quiet vocals, sinewy guitar line) reflects the ambience of the garage. This track is very minimalist.
“Crystalised” – This is the first song I knew from them. I heard it on XM’s Alt Nation channel (channel 47, very cool). The mellowness carries on. I have always thought this song was chill. “Crystalised” has a cool groove.
“Islands” – Minimalism ongoing. (Why is it I never totally understand what the writer is trying to say? Who does she belong to? Did the two people in the song meet on an island? I guess that what I think it means.) How did this album get a lower grading than The Streets’ A Grand Don’t Come for Free (Metascore 91)? Is it the lack of a unified story? This album rocks!
“Heart Skipped a Beat” – This song is a little denser musically. Several guitars roam in the background and some handclaps. The pair appears to be wishing things had not turned out the way they did. Or maybe did happen and it made their heart skip a beat. No, it does seem like they broke up or something. How is the band going to continue? They didn’t even get the chance to become Fleetwood Mac!
“Fantasy” – Opens very quietly. I cannot understand exactly what the singer is saying. No instruments (yet)…ok, maybe some quiet organs. Towards the end, some guitar (slide?) dominates. Moving on.
“Shelter” – The xx is very minimalist in their sound. If there’s only one guitar playing, that’s all you get. No rockers. No rollers. Just a really basic sound to accompany the vocalists, who are lovelorn and longing.
“Basic Space” – Hmm…maybe there is a “little” rocker in there. I guess things change when you have a drummer playing more than one beat. I stopped paying attention to what they were saying, but I get the feeling we’re hearing the same story told with a different beat…not that there’s anything wrong with that.
“Infinity” – “Infinity” is denser musically than some of the others. Despite loves lost, this is an interesting record. It shows you don’t need to put everything into it to have a great record. Sometimes less is more. This song is an example of that.
“Night Time” – See “Basic Space” (another cool song…and yes, I am getting a little lazy, but how can you say the same thing twice). Is there a song I don’t like on this set? I’m starting to wonder.
“Stars” – Last song to a good record. I like the interplay between the two singers. The last song epitomizes the entire feel of the record. I could relisten to it again and not be tired of it.
So overall, I would definitely recommend this record. I’m not sure that I agree with the Metacritic score, but I guess some critics have other things to say. Is their sound for everyone? No. Maybe by being too minimal the songs start to sound the same. All in the same, it’s a cool record to listen to.
Top 200 Scores: The Best-Reviewed Albums
Album by Artist Year Avg Rating
1 SMiLE by Brian Wilson 2004 97
2 Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn 2004 97
3 How The West Was Won by Led Zeppelin 2003 97
4 Stankonia by OutKast 2000 95
5 Savane by Ali Farka Toure 2006 94
6 Madvillainy by Madvillain 2004 93
7 Live At Reading by Nirvana 2009 93
8 The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads [2004 Version] by Talking Heads 2004 93
9 Love And Theft by Bob Dylan 2001 93
10 Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards by Tom Waits 2006 92
11 Boy In Da Corner by Dizzee Rascal 2004 92
12 Elephant by The White Stripes 2003 92
13 Live In London by Leonard Cohen 2009 91
14 A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets 2004 91
15 Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by OutKast 2003 91
16 Canto by Los Super Seven 2001 91
17 From Here We Go Sublime by The Field 2007 90
18 Illinois by Sufjan Stevens 2005 90
19 Original Pirate Material by The Streets 2002 90
20 The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae 2010 90
21 Alice by Tom Waits 2002 90
22 Is This It? by The Strokes 2001 90
23 Funeral by The Arcade Fire 2004 90
24 London Zoo by The Bug 2008 90
25 Untrue by Burial 2007 90
26 XTRMNTR by Primal Scream 2000 90
27 Z by My Morning Jacket 2005 90
28 Since I Left You by The Avalanches 2001 89
29 Neon Golden by The Notwist 2003 89
30 Rounds by Four Tet 2003 89
31 Modern Times by Bob Dylan 2006 89
32 Miss E... So Addictive by Missy Elliott 2001 89
33 HoboSapiens by John Cale 2004 89
34 Bachelor No. 2 (or, the last remains of the dodo) by Aimee Mann 2000 89
35 Fed by Plush 2008 89
36 Last Exit by Junior Boys 2004 89
37 Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective 2009 89
38 Treats by Sleigh Bells 2010 89
39 Songs For The Deaf by Queens Of The Stone Age 2002 89
40 Wearemonster by Isolée 2005 89
41 Ali & Toumani by Ali Farka Toure And Toumani Diabate 2010 89
42 Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse 2006 89
43 Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins 2003 88
44 Yours, Mine & Ours by Pernice Brothers 2003 88
45 Hypermagic Mountain by Lightning Bolt 2005 88
46 Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II by Raekwon 2009 88
47 69 Love Songs by Magnetic Fields 1999 88
48 Ta Det Lugnt by Dungen 2004 88
49 Dear Science, by TV On The Radio 2008 88
50 Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio 2006 88
51 Wicked Grin by John Hammond 2001 88
52 Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea by PJ Harvey 2000 88
53 Up In Flames by Manitoba 2003 88
54 College Dropout by Kanye West 2004 88
55 Where Shall You Take Me by Damien Jurado 2003 88
56 Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart 2004 88
57 Vespertine by Bjork 2001 88
58 From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith 2004 88
59 The Blueprint by Jay-Z 2001 88
60 In Rainbows by Radiohead 2007 88
61 The Woods by Sleater-Kinney 2005 88
62 Destroyer's Rubies by Destroyer 2006 88
63 Kill The Moonlight by Spoon 2002 88
64 Monoliths & Dimensions by Sunn O))) 2009 88
65 Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds 2004 88
66 I Am A Bird Now by Antony And The Johnsons 2005 88
67 Fishscale by Ghostface Killah 2006 88
68 Arular by M.I.A. 2005 88
69 Remedy by Basement Jaxx 1999 88
70 Exit by Shugo Tokumaru 2008 88
71 For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver 2008 88
72 Leaves Turn Inside You by Unwound 2001 87
73 Blue Record by Baroness 2009 87
74 Person Pitch by Panda Bear 2007 87
75 Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes 2008 87
76 Cosmogramma by Flying Lotus 2010 87
77 The Argument by Fugazi 2001 87
78 Decoration Day by Drive-By Truckers 2003 87
79 Showtime by Dizzee Rascal 2004 87
80 Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds 2008 87
81 The Dirty South by Drive-By Truckers 2004 87
82 Historicity by Vijay Iyer Trio 2009 87
83 The Town And The City by Los Lobos 2006 87
84 World Without Tears by Lucinda Williams 2003 87
85 Things We Lost In The Fire by Low 2001 87
86 Cold House by Hood 2001 87
87 Now, More Than Ever by Jim Guthrie 2004 87
88 Raising Sand by Robert Plant And Alison Krauss 2007 87
89 Let's Stay Friends by Les Savy Fav 2007 87
90 Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand 2004 87
91 �gætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós 2001 87
92 Neon Bible by The Arcade Fire 2007 87
93 Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco 2002 87
94 Congotronics by Konono No. 1 2005 87
95 Stumble Into Grace by Emmylou Harris 2003 87
96 Phrenology by The Roots 2002 87
97 Favourite Colours by The Sadies 2004 87
98 The Creek Drank The Cradle by Iron & Wine 2002 87
99 Children Running Through by Patty Griffin 2007 87
100 Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens 2004 87
101 Kala by M.I.A. 2007 87
102 Phantom Power by Super Furry Animals 2003 87
103 Mass Romantic by The New Pornographers 2000 87
104 Sound Of Silver by LCD Soundsystem 2007 86
105 American Saturday Night by Brad Paisley 2009 86
106 One Word Extinguisher by Prefuse 73 2003 86
107 Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch 2001 86
108 Comicopera by Robert Wyatt 2007 86
109 Welcome To Mali by Amadou & Mariam 2009 86
110 Mirrored by Battles 2007 86
111 Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts by M83 2004 86
112 Fixed::Context [EP] by Labradford 2001 86
113 Hercules And Love Affair by Hercules And Love Affair 2008 86
114 Estudando o Pagode by Tom Zé 2006 86
115 Robyn by Robyn 2008 86
116 Separation Sunday by The Hold Steady 2005 86
117 The Decline Of British Sea Power by British Sea Power 2003 86
118 Quicksand / Cradlesnakes by Califone 2003 86
119 Blues Dream by Bill Frisell 2001 86
120 Rings Around The World by Super Furry Animals 2002 86
121 You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene 2003 86
122 Minimum-Maximum [Live] by Kraftwerk 2005 86
123 Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team 2005 86
124 Beautifully Human: Words And Sounds Vol. 2 by Jill Scott 2004 86
125 'Sno Angel Like You by Howe Gelb 2006 86
126 Welcome Interstate Managers by Fountains Of Wayne 2003 86
127 45:33 by LCD Soundsystem 2007 86
128 LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem 2005 86
129 Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River 2005 86
130 Seek Magic by Memory Tapes 2009 86
131 xx by The xx 2009 86
132 Wake Up The Nation by Paul Weller 2010 86
133 What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective by Steinski 2008 86
134 Feast of Wire by Calexico 2003 86
135 The Futureheads by The Futureheads 2004 86
136 Chavez Ravine by Ry Cooder 2005 86
137 Transcendental Blues by Steve Earle 2000 86
138 Harps And Angels by Randy Newman 2008 86
139 Fortress by Protest The Hero 2008 86
140 Boxer by The National 2007 86
141 White Blood Cells by The White Stripes 2001 86
142 The Wind by Warren Zevon 2003 86
143 All Hands On The Bad One by Sleater-Kinney 2000 86
144 Little Sparrow by Dolly Parton 2001 86
145 Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine by Cee-Lo 2004 86
146 The Lemon Of Pink by The Books 2003 86
147 Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 by Bob Dylan 2008 86
148 Ocean's Eleven OST by David Holmes 2001 86
149 The Intercontinentals by Bill Frisell 2003 86
150 OST by 24 Hour Party People 2002 86
151 The Convincer by Nick Lowe 2001 86
152 The Mysterious Production Of Eggs by Andrew Bird 2005 85
153 Rook by Shearwater 2008 85
154 Party Music by The Coup 2001 85
155 Life...The Best Game In Town by Harvey Milk 2008 85
156 I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes 2005 85
157 Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom 2010 85
158 Third by Portishead 2008 85
159 Don't Give Up On Me by Solomon Burke 2002 85
160 Didn't It Rain by Songs: Ohia 2002 85
161 Holopaw by Holopaw 2003 85
162 Girls Can Tell by Spoon 2001 85
163 Stay Positive by The Hold Steady 2008 85
164 Pause by Four Tet 2001 85
165 Magnolia Electric Co. by Songs: Ohia 2003 85
166 Murs 3:16 The 9th Edition by Murs 2004 85
167 Hail To The Thief by Radiohead 2003 85
168 Laulu Laakson Kukista by Paavoharju 2008 85
169 Mezmerize by System Of A Down 2005 85
170 Beauty And The Beat by Edan 2005 85
171 Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers 2005 85
172 For Hero: For Fool by Subtle 2006 85
173 New Moon by Elliott Smith 2007 85
174 The Drift by Scott Walker 2006 85
175 Streetcore by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros 2003 85
176 The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions In The Sky 2003 85
177 Source Tags & Codes by ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead 2002 85
178 Happy Songs For Happy People by Mogwai 2003 85
179 Psychic Chasms by Neon Indian 2009 85
180 Oceans Apart by The Go-Betweens 2005 85
181 Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear 2009 85
182 Kicking Television: Live In Chicago by Wilco 2005 85
183 The Real New Fall L.P. (Formerly Country On The Click) by The Fall 2004 85
184 Bubblegum by Mark Lanegan Band 2004 85
185 Tenacious D by Tenacious D 2001 85
186 The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips 1999 85
187 Journal For Plague Lovers by Manic Street Preachers 2009 85
188 I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass by Yo La Tengo 2006 85
189 Chemistry Of Common Life by Fucked Up 2008 85
190 Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors 2009 85
191 Crimes by The Blood Brothers 2004 85
192 Blinking Lights And Other Revelations by Eels 2005 85
193 Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie 2003 85
194 Run To Ruin by Nina Nastasia 2003 85
195 Dongs of Sevotion by Smog 2000 85
196 The Meadowlands by The Wrens 2003 85
197 Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady 2006 85
198 Ys by Joanna Newsom 2006 85
199 Late Registration by Kanye West 2005 85
200 Supermodified by Amon Tobin 2000 85
#131 – The xx, The xx (Metascore = 86)
A little background on The xx…they were a four-piece that lost their second guitarist and keyboardist during the sessions (methinks) for this album. They’re from London, and the album was recorded in a garage (hence some of the ambience of the album). They formed back in 2005.
“Intro” – “Intro” is exactly that—an intro. It’s an instrumental track, pretty laid back. Pretty much there’s drums, a bass guitar, some “ahh’ing”, a guitar, and some hand claps.
“VCR” – The mellow vibe (quiet vocals, sinewy guitar line) reflects the ambience of the garage. This track is very minimalist.
“Crystalised” – This is the first song I knew from them. I heard it on XM’s Alt Nation channel (channel 47, very cool). The mellowness carries on. I have always thought this song was chill. “Crystalised” has a cool groove.
“Islands” – Minimalism ongoing. (Why is it I never totally understand what the writer is trying to say? Who does she belong to? Did the two people in the song meet on an island? I guess that what I think it means.) How did this album get a lower grading than The Streets’ A Grand Don’t Come for Free (Metascore 91)? Is it the lack of a unified story? This album rocks!
“Heart Skipped a Beat” – This song is a little denser musically. Several guitars roam in the background and some handclaps. The pair appears to be wishing things had not turned out the way they did. Or maybe did happen and it made their heart skip a beat. No, it does seem like they broke up or something. How is the band going to continue? They didn’t even get the chance to become Fleetwood Mac!
“Fantasy” – Opens very quietly. I cannot understand exactly what the singer is saying. No instruments (yet)…ok, maybe some quiet organs. Towards the end, some guitar (slide?) dominates. Moving on.
“Shelter” – The xx is very minimalist in their sound. If there’s only one guitar playing, that’s all you get. No rockers. No rollers. Just a really basic sound to accompany the vocalists, who are lovelorn and longing.
“Basic Space” – Hmm…maybe there is a “little” rocker in there. I guess things change when you have a drummer playing more than one beat. I stopped paying attention to what they were saying, but I get the feeling we’re hearing the same story told with a different beat…not that there’s anything wrong with that.
“Infinity” – “Infinity” is denser musically than some of the others. Despite loves lost, this is an interesting record. It shows you don’t need to put everything into it to have a great record. Sometimes less is more. This song is an example of that.
“Night Time” – See “Basic Space” (another cool song…and yes, I am getting a little lazy, but how can you say the same thing twice). Is there a song I don’t like on this set? I’m starting to wonder.
“Stars” – Last song to a good record. I like the interplay between the two singers. The last song epitomizes the entire feel of the record. I could relisten to it again and not be tired of it.
So overall, I would definitely recommend this record. I’m not sure that I agree with the Metacritic score, but I guess some critics have other things to say. Is their sound for everyone? No. Maybe by being too minimal the songs start to sound the same. All in the same, it’s a cool record to listen to.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The list and a review
As I mentioned before, I am starting a project where I attempt to listen to all the Top 200 Highest Rated albums from Metacritic’s website. Since I originally ran my list, several new albums have made it onto the list, but I will ignore them for now. I will post the list once I figure out how to bring a table over onto the blog. Until then, take my word for it.
To understand why I am doing this project, I am trying to expose myself to more and more music. I love music, and I’m trying to stay culturally up-to-date. I want to know which artists are helping to move music forward. So, without further ado….
#14 – The Streets, A Grand Don’t Come for Free (Metascore = 91)
The Streets is the stage moniker for Mike Skinner, a rapper from Birmingham, England. His background from Wikipedia (yeah, the REAL source) says he’s a suburban kid who started writing raps at age 15. This is his second release.
1. “It Was Supposed to Be So Easy” – my first impression was this guy can’t rap. He’s slow when he raps…is he trying to say too much that he has to go slow to get his message across? Then I started listening to it, and he’s not bad. Obviously intentional going slow. As the song goes on, it’s a slacker rap. He’s struggling to get the day started, that sort of thing.
2. “Could Well Be In” – Streets meets a girl. He tells a story about meeting this girl, how he interacts with her, what she’s like, etc. The background music essentially is drums, keyboards, and piano. Maybe some bass in there. This song was pretty chill.
3. “Not Addicted” – This song has a cool beat. Several rappers appear on this track. You tell me what YOU think this song is about.
4. “Blinded by the Lights” – It’s at this point you can start to pick up that a unified story across the songs is going on. This one occurs in a club. As the night progresses, he’s tripping out more and more as the drugs. He’s obsessing over this girl Simone.
5. “Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way” – I’m not really feeling this song. The music is kind of lame. I get it the saga continues, but to some degree it’s a little annoying.
6. “Get Out of My House” – Enough. Please.
7. “Fit But You Know It” – Ok, the music’s a little better. Raps are better. Our slacker rapper is moving on from Simone. This track actually lets Streets unleash, which is a lot more welcome than the previous couple of tracks. He has better flows on this track.
8. “Such a Tw*t” – Another good beat in a song. The song carries forward the theme of the album, but you could listen to this independently and understand. Listening to this album, part of me feels like the guys in Snatch. It’s actually kind of cool to hear it that way. Don’t know why. I guess I’m weird like that.
9. “What Is He Thinking?” – Interesting background, not-so-interesting raps.
10. “Dry Your Eyes” – Streets gets sentimental. Really? Do rappers do love songs? I guess there have been some, but Will Smith got out of the game years ago.
11. “Empty Cans” – The final song, I guess we assume this is a summarization of all that’s happened. Some of it is good, some of it is not. In the beginning, he’s moping around, breaking stuff in his house. Midway through, he’s wishing he hadn’t ruined what he had.
So, overall, I was impressed by the record (I know, doesn't seem like I did, does it?). Sure, parts of it were cheesy…really cheesy. At the same time, to carry a story through from beginning to end, that’s a concept that doesn’t get used nearly enough. I think cohesiveness is what makes a record special. Some of the best albums ever recorded, the songs were cohesive. They may not share a direct link, but they worked together. A Grand Don’t Come for Free does this pretty well.
To understand why I am doing this project, I am trying to expose myself to more and more music. I love music, and I’m trying to stay culturally up-to-date. I want to know which artists are helping to move music forward. So, without further ado….
#14 – The Streets, A Grand Don’t Come for Free (Metascore = 91)
The Streets is the stage moniker for Mike Skinner, a rapper from Birmingham, England. His background from Wikipedia (yeah, the REAL source) says he’s a suburban kid who started writing raps at age 15. This is his second release.
1. “It Was Supposed to Be So Easy” – my first impression was this guy can’t rap. He’s slow when he raps…is he trying to say too much that he has to go slow to get his message across? Then I started listening to it, and he’s not bad. Obviously intentional going slow. As the song goes on, it’s a slacker rap. He’s struggling to get the day started, that sort of thing.
2. “Could Well Be In” – Streets meets a girl. He tells a story about meeting this girl, how he interacts with her, what she’s like, etc. The background music essentially is drums, keyboards, and piano. Maybe some bass in there. This song was pretty chill.
3. “Not Addicted” – This song has a cool beat. Several rappers appear on this track. You tell me what YOU think this song is about.
4. “Blinded by the Lights” – It’s at this point you can start to pick up that a unified story across the songs is going on. This one occurs in a club. As the night progresses, he’s tripping out more and more as the drugs. He’s obsessing over this girl Simone.
5. “Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way” – I’m not really feeling this song. The music is kind of lame. I get it the saga continues, but to some degree it’s a little annoying.
6. “Get Out of My House” – Enough. Please.
7. “Fit But You Know It” – Ok, the music’s a little better. Raps are better. Our slacker rapper is moving on from Simone. This track actually lets Streets unleash, which is a lot more welcome than the previous couple of tracks. He has better flows on this track.
8. “Such a Tw*t” – Another good beat in a song. The song carries forward the theme of the album, but you could listen to this independently and understand. Listening to this album, part of me feels like the guys in Snatch. It’s actually kind of cool to hear it that way. Don’t know why. I guess I’m weird like that.
9. “What Is He Thinking?” – Interesting background, not-so-interesting raps.
10. “Dry Your Eyes” – Streets gets sentimental. Really? Do rappers do love songs? I guess there have been some, but Will Smith got out of the game years ago.
11. “Empty Cans” – The final song, I guess we assume this is a summarization of all that’s happened. Some of it is good, some of it is not. In the beginning, he’s moping around, breaking stuff in his house. Midway through, he’s wishing he hadn’t ruined what he had.
So, overall, I was impressed by the record (I know, doesn't seem like I did, does it?). Sure, parts of it were cheesy…really cheesy. At the same time, to carry a story through from beginning to end, that’s a concept that doesn’t get used nearly enough. I think cohesiveness is what makes a record special. Some of the best albums ever recorded, the songs were cohesive. They may not share a direct link, but they worked together. A Grand Don’t Come for Free does this pretty well.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Music meteorite motion player, first take
Welcome to the music meteorite motion player! This is my attempt to start a blog on my favorite hobby, listening to music. I am no expert on music. In fact, a lot of times I have trouble understanding the lyrics (I eventually get it), but I love the music behind it. I guess that's always been my draw anyway. I love how the guitars play off the drums and bass guitar, how the singer molds his voice and lyrics to go with the song, how the bass player and drummer lock in, how a well-timed organ chord takes a song to another level, etc. I just dig music! And I wanted to talk about it (for some reason).
Anyway, the reason I started this blog in the first place was to talk about a project I'm undertaking. I follow this website, http://www.metacritic.com/, which I go to everyday. It is my source for finding ratings on all sorts of albums. Granted, it's scope is limited (for music, it's essentially from 2000 and on), but it's a great place to see what numerous critics (professional and amateur) think about an album. I use it to keep up-to-date on what is good out there. They use numerical scores to rate albums. Anyway, they have a link for the "highest rated albums of all time" http://www.metacritic.com/browse/albums/score/metascore/all?sort=desc, which keeps updating for any new music that cracks the list. My project is to listen to as many, if not all, of the albums on their all-time list and see what my impression is.
I'm hoping to get input from anyone that's interested that may have heard one of the albums on the list. I will post the list and my first "review" (for what it's worth) in a few days. Anyway, it's great to share thoughts, so please don't hesitate to comment. Talk later!
j
Anyway, the reason I started this blog in the first place was to talk about a project I'm undertaking. I follow this website, http://www.metacritic.com/, which I go to everyday. It is my source for finding ratings on all sorts of albums. Granted, it's scope is limited (for music, it's essentially from 2000 and on), but it's a great place to see what numerous critics (professional and amateur) think about an album. I use it to keep up-to-date on what is good out there. They use numerical scores to rate albums. Anyway, they have a link for the "highest rated albums of all time" http://www.metacritic.com/browse/albums/score/metascore/all?sort=desc, which keeps updating for any new music that cracks the list. My project is to listen to as many, if not all, of the albums on their all-time list and see what my impression is.
I'm hoping to get input from anyone that's interested that may have heard one of the albums on the list. I will post the list and my first "review" (for what it's worth) in a few days. Anyway, it's great to share thoughts, so please don't hesitate to comment. Talk later!
j
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