Reviews by korb

According to the WIKIpedia article, 'R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe praised Fuzzy as "the best album of the year hands down".' It would appear Michael Stipe and I have wildly differed musical tastes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_in_music -- Decide for yourself.

In a time where disenfranchised black kids were turning to gangs for a sense of pride, identity and camaraderie, albums like 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back\" provided an alternative sense of belonging to a nation. The group's image was relatable from the perspective of gang culture, but the message and methods being advocated were far more constructive, empowering and positive. The icing on the cake? It also made a bunch of tight-assed old white people uneasy.

This album is remarkable on its own for its hip-hop and rap caliber. The fact that it takes aim (and succeeds) at making a positive difference in the world, puts it over the top in my book.

Whoa, wait! Made in 1974!? It is still an uncomfortably relevant musical homage to an US subculture that people are either way too proud of, or much too critical of. Both views are merited and yet both are equally flawed. I definitely didn't see this coming.

PS: Man, that first track is hard to listen to.

For some reason, I've never allowed myself to explore the solo catalogs of the Beatles. I'm glad that this has prompted me to break from that pointless self-imposed rule.

ummm, Whatnow?

A couple of nifty honky-tonk ditties, which gives way to the sense that it's all really just one song performed in a few different ways.

Well, they got the bellyaches part right.

A bit of funk/R&B, a dash of hip-hop, and a dose of machismo in places. It's a musical cocktail that promises to intoxicate but falls a bit flat after the first few sips. Highlights for me were the slower jams, that had the whole band working out a funk vibe together while the lyrics just sort of slid across the track. Tracks like 'The Grave And The Constant', 'Smoke 'Em', 'Come Find Yourself' and 'Methadonia'.

I'm on the balance of 2 and 3 starts, but I'll err on the side of 3 since I wouldn't be opposed to hearing the album again. If I was looking for something along the lines of this vibe, I'd probably look for Citizen Cope or Everlast's Whitey Ford material.

A passionate and energetic performance, with the comfortable feel of a hometown show, sing alongs and all.

I can't say that my feelings have changed much from week 2, when 'Dig your Own Hole' came up. Honorable mention for 'One Too Many Mornings' dub/ambient vibe that manages to at least mask the repetition in an airy and moody soundscape that feels like floating on a musical cloud. Dishonorable mentions for the tracks 'Alive Alone' and 'Life Is Sweet', which both manage to combine a series of disinteresting loops and rubbish vocals to make something that is synergistically bad.

Oh wow. There was a time that this album was on regular rotation in my MP3 library. I think that hard drive failed, or something, and the collection was lost. In that instant it's as if this album completely disappeared from the face of the earth. That is until 1001 brought it back into existence.

Outside of the drum and bass tracks switching channels from song to song, I can hardly tell one track from the next. I got so bored with the album that by 'The Bells of Rhymney' I was yawning, and my eyelids were getting heavy. The only think that prevented me from fading off into sleep, was how annoyingly imbalanced the levels were on the guitar tracks. It was like I was stuck between two street performers that were competing for my donation by trying to drown each other out.

Then 'I Knew I'd Want You' started, and I heard the keys and thought things could get interesting. But, my hopes were dashed by about 20s in. From there I started scanning the remaining tracks and I didn't find anything to merit digging in much further. I really don't want to hear this album again.

A relatively enjoyable nu metal album, notable for the Brazilian band's exploration of and inspiration from their native peoples. If nu metal made the list, I sure hope we see the Deftones on here!

Highly produced folk for the masses, showing the musicality of the movement without all of that thought provoking lyrical burden. Listen to Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie if you really want to hear the folk music you need to hear before you die.

I never really thought about the impact it would have had to make an album that was never intended to be performed live. Removing that constraint from the creative process must've unlocked creativity in all directions, leading to Revolver being as innovative and intricate as it is. This is an absolute work of art from start to finish.

I went from sighing, "oh no, not another brit pop band" in my head to bopping my head along with 'the Bones of You'. Once the deep baseline dropped in and the vocals climbed, I was hooked and disappointed in myself for having judged 'The Seldom Seen Kid' by its cover. I enjoyed every single track. The sound across the album is spatial and rich, and yet the arrangements and production are intimate. By the time I got to 'One Day Like This' my enjoyment had escalated all the way to frisson, and I was already eager to explore the rest of their musical catalog.

If all my waxing on doesn't help, if you're interested in a blend of original-Coldplay-meets-Radiohead, then this one will be worth the while.

Five British kids showing R&B some respect and ushering in multiple pop music movements in general. Whodathunkit!? I wish I didn't have to overlook Phil Spector's involvement to appreciate it.

There are some club/radio hits with catchy hooks (i.e. 'In Da Club' and 'P.I.M.P') so credit where credit is due. And where that credit is due is with the people/teams that made the backing tracks and the hooks. If that was Fifty, then kudos to him! If not, then, again, credit where credit is due.

As an album, I don't see why this is something that people should put on a pedestal. The subject matter is repetitive and paints an exaggerated caricature of a lifestyle, that really isn't appropriate to romanticize. The rhymes and rhyming techniques are basic; made all the plainer by Eminem's collaboration on 'Patiently Waiting', where he completely runs circles around Fifty's contrastingly lethargic contribution. By the 7th track I just got bored and it felt like a task to push through anymore.

Let's trade this one out for MF Doom's 'Madvillainy'. People need to hear that!

In the same way that I am enthralled by the intricacy of a great prog-rock album, I absolutely love stripped down this album is.

I never really appreciated how strong of a narrative Ice Cube's tracks provide. They may not be stories you are interested in hearing, but they are well composed and executed. The standout example here being 'It Was A Good Day' but you see it throughout with tracks like 'When Will They Shoot?', the title track 'The Predator' and 'Who Got The Camera?'

Underpinning these stories are beautifully crafted tracks blending jazz, funk, soul, and sound bites ranging from playful responses to Cube's lyrics to monologues that support the message of the rap itself. This is one of the clearest examples of a DJ/producer that is working in perfect harmony with the rapper, to create an album that is truly a synergy of the two's contributions.

It is unfortunate that many people can't get past the dichotomy of a social justice-oriented artist that is also vulgar and openly bellicose. I appreciate that tracks like 'Fuck 'Em (Insert)' are included to attempt to bridge that divide.