Monday, January 5, 2009

Perfection Goes Fourth



A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
Midnight Marauders (November 9, 1993)
1. Steve Biko (Stir It Up)
2. Award Tour (Chorus By Trugoy the Dove a.k.a. Dave of De La Soul)
3. •8 Million Stories (Problems)
4. Sucka Nigga
5. Midnight (The Night Is On My Mind)
6. We Can Get Down
7. Electric Relaxation
8. Clap Your Hands
9. Oh My God
10.†Keep It Rollin' (Featuring Large Professor)
11. The Chase, Part 2
12. Lyrics to Go
13. God Lives Through
14. Money Maker
15. Hot Sex
16. Oh My God (Remix)
17. Jazz (We've Got)
18. One Two Shit (Featuring Busta Rhymes)
19. Scenario (Remix) (Featuring Leaders of the New School)
Produced by A Tribe Called Quest (essentially Q-Tip), except:
•Produced by Skeff Anselm
†Produced by Large Professor

In 1993, street-oriented hip-hop was hitting the mainstream, and although A Tribe Called Quest already had established their own formula for success, they decided to roll with it. While the jazz samples prominent on People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and The Low End Theory are still there, the drums hit much harder, helping to give the beats more of an edge. The album has a narrator who appears throughout*, suggesting Tip, Phife, and Muhammad were quite aware they were releasing one of hip-hop's definitive albums. The pictures of many hip-hop legends on the cover of Midnight Marauders are consistent with this assumption. The artists pictured, according to Wikipedia, include:
Basically, if somebody asked me what hip-hop was (I'm a hands-on guy), Midnight Marauders might be the first album I played for that person. It's about as perfect as an album can be.

*The version I have linked is a re-release that includes six additional tracks recorded between 1991 and 1993, but (for the most part) sacrifices the narration.
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Perfection 3D











SHOW & A.G. (Showbiz & Andre the Giant)
Soul Clap (March 17, 1992)/Runaway Slave (September 22, 1992)
1. Intro
2. •Soul Clap
3. Catchin' Wreck
4. Party Groove
5. Diggin' In the Crates (Featuring Diamond D and Lord Finesse)
6. †A Giant In the Mental
7. It's Up to You (Featuring Lord Finesse)
8. Soul Clap (Original Version)
9. Still Diggin' (Featuring Diamond D)
10. Fat Pockets
11. Bounce ta This (Featuring Dres of Black Sheep)
12. More Than One Way Out of the Ghetto
13. Silence of the Lambs (Remix)
14. 40 Acres and My Props
15. Runaway Slave
16. •Hard to Kill
17. Hold Ya Head
18. He Say, She Say
19. Represent (Featuring Big L, D'Shawn, and Lord Finesse)
20. Silence of the Lambs
Produced by Showbiz except:
•Produced by Showbiz and Diamond D
†Produced by Showbiz and DJ Premier

1992. What a great year for hip-hop. With the releases of such classic albums as Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's Mecca and the Soul Brother, Gang Starr's Daily Operation, Redman's Whut¿ Thee Album, and, of course, Dr. Dre's The Chronic, some albums were inevitably going to get lost in the fold. It's too bad Runaway Slave had to be one of them. In terms of instrumental samples, I would be hard pressed to name five albums better than this one.

The D.I.T.C. (Diggin' In The Crates) crew was still in its infancy at this point. Lord Finesse, the group's founder, had released two albums, and Diamond D had released the classic Stunts, Blunts, and Hip-Hop earlier that year, but Runaway Slave was the first album to refer to the crew by name. It also marked the first album appearance of Big L, the finest battle rapper who ever lived.

Because the two logically fit together, I am including the Soul Clap EP with the song list, although I have linked it separately. This is the only place you will be able to find the classic tracks Catchin' Wreck and Diggin' In the Crates, and (the not quite classic) A Giant In the Mental and It's Up to You.

Runaway Slave is a remarkably consistent album. A.G. is not the most talented MC—like the majority of the D.I.T.C. emcees, he is mostly about punchlines—but the beats, courtesy of Showbiz, fit his style well enough that the listener doesn't notice The Giant's defincies on the mic. I'm not sure if anybody reads this blog (I mainly post here to vent my opinions; I don't care if anybody else sees them), but if anybody reads this, and can name any albums with better instrumentals than Runaway Slave, I wouldn't mind hearing them.

Anyway, I'm not going to bother writing a detailed review of Runaway Slave. It would suffice to say it is a classic album, and it's a shame it has been out of print for so long. Thank God for the Internet! Until next time (Tribe's Midnight Marauders), peace, I'm outta here.
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Sunday, January 4, 2009

Perfection, Part Deux


THE BEASTIE BOYS
Paul's Boutique (July 25, 1989)
1. Shake Your Rump
2. Johnny Ryall
3. Egg Man
4. High Plains Drifter
5. The Sounds of Science, Part 1
6. The Sounds of Science, Part 2
7. 3-Minute Rule
8. Hey Ladies
9. Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun
10. Car Thief
11. What Comes Around
12. Shadrach
B-Boy Bouillabaisse
13. A Year and a Day
14. Stop That Train
15. Dropping Names
16. Lay It On Me
17. 59 Chrystie Street
18. Get On the Mic
19. Mike On the Mic
20. Hello Brooklyn
21. AWOL
Produced by The Dust Brothers; The Beastie Boys; and Mario Caldato, Jr.

A lot of people who claim to be hip-hop "purists" seem to think the Beastie Boys are less deserving of their respect because they have been accepted in rock & roll circles. As a result, many people who have otherwise good taste in hip-hop never hear Paul's Boutique, dismissing the Beastie Boys as "frat rap," whatever that means....Sure, the lyrics on this album are often immature, but the production is so revolutionary (Paul's Boutique is nearly 20 years old, mind you) that it still sounds like it could have been released in the underground last week.

A few notes: B-Boy Bouillabaisse is a compilation of songs the Beastie Boys began recording between 1986 and 1989. Some (A Year and a Day, Stop That Train) are more complete than others (59 Chrystie Street, AWOL). The original CD had the entirety of B-Boy Bouillabaisse on one track, with the songs in a different order. Apparently, the file for 59 Chrystie Street is titled "59 Christie Street."

Because Paul's Boutique was released before samples had to be cleared, the list of songs sampled is incredible. Here's a list of the samples from Wikipedia:

1. Shake Your Rump
"That's the Joint" by Funky 4+1
"Cut the Cake" by Average White Band
"8th Wonder" by the Sugarhill Gang
"Jazzy Sensation" by Afrika Bambaataa
"Good Times Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin
"Dancing Room Only" by Harvey Scales
"Funky Snakefoot" by Alphonze Mouzon
"Tell Me Something Good" by Ronnie Laws
"Unity" by James Brown and Afrika Bambaataa
"Get the Funk Out Ma Face" - Brothers Johnson
"6 O'Clock DJ (Let's Rock)", "Born to Love You", & "Yo Yo" by Rose Royce
"Super Mellow", by Paul Humphrey, Willie Bobo, Shelly Manne, & Louis Bellson

2. Johnny Ryall
"A.J. Scratch" by Kurtis Blow
"Sharon" by David Bromberg
"Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight
"One of These Days" by Pink Floyd
"Momma Miss America" by Paul McCartney
"Magnificent Sanctuary Band" by Donny Hathaway
"Military Cut (Scratch Mix)" by DJ Grand Wizard Theodore
"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)", & "The New Style" by the Beastie Boys

3. Egg Man
"Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield
"Sport" by Lightnin' Rod
"Pump it Up" by Elvis Costello
"I'm Ready" by The Commodores
"Drop It in the Slot" by Tower of Power
"Dance to the Music" by Sly & the Family Stone
"Bring the Noise" & "You're Gonna Get Yours" by Public Enemy
The lyrics in the song's middle eight (starting with "We all dressed in black...") are interpolated from the Beastie Boys' earlier punk rock song "Egg Raid On Mojo."
Aliens
Cheech & Chong's Next Movie
"Jaws Theme" by John Williams
"Shower Theme" by Bernard Hermann, from the film Psycho

4. High Plains Drifter
"Those Shoes" by The Eagles
"Suzy Is a Headbanger" by The Ramones
"Your Momma Don't Dance" by Loggins & Messina
"Put Your Love (In My Tender Care)" by The Fatback Band

5/6. The Sounds of Science
"Back in the USSR", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", "The End", & "When I'm Sixty-Four" by The Beatles
"Don't Sniff Coke" by Pato Banton
"Walk from Regio's" by Isaac Hayes
"My Philosophy" by Boogie Down Productions
"Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" by James Brown

7. 3-Minute Rule
"Feel Good" by Fancy
"Brave and Strong", & "Poet" by Sly & the Family Stone

8. Hey Ladies
"The Ballroom Blitz" by Sweet
"Party Time" by Kurtis Blow
"Holy Ghost" by the Bar-Kays
"Shake Your Pants" by Cameo
"Pumpin' It Up" by P-Funk All Stars
"Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang
"Machine Gun" by The Commodores
"Jazzy Sensation" by Afrika Bambaataa
"Change Le Beat/B-Side" by Fab 5 Freddy
"Come Let Me Love You" by Jeanette "Lady" Day
"Heartbreaker", & "So Ruff, So Tuff" by Zapp & Roger
"Ain't It Funky Now", & "Funky President" by James Brown
"Hey DJ" by Malcolm McLaren & the World Famous Supreme Team
"High Powered Rap" by Disco Dave & the Force of the Five MC's (Crash Crew)

9. Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun
"Time" by Pink Floyd
"Mississippi Queen" by Mountain
"Last Bongo in Belgium" by the Incredible Bongo Band

10. Car Thief
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan
"I'll Bet You" by Jackson 5
Woodstock (Max Yasgur speech)
"Drop the Bomb" by Trouble Funk
"Rien Ne Va Plus" by Funk Factory

11. What Comes Around
"Moby Dick" by Led Zeppelin
"It's Hot Tonight" by Alice Cooper
"Put on Train" by Gene Harris & The Three Sounds

12. Shadrach
"Say What" by Trouble Funk
"Catch a Groove" by Juice
"That's the Joint" by Funky 4+1
"Do Your Dance" by Rose Royce
"Never Let 'em Say" by Ballin' Jack
"Funky Drummer" by James Brown
"Hot and Nasty" by Black Oak Arkansas
"Sugarhill Groove" by the Sugarhill Gang
"Loose Booty" by Sly & the Family Stone

13. A Year and a Day
"That Lady, Pt. 1 & 2" by The Isley Brothers
"Ebony Jam" by Tower of Power
"When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin
"High Powered Rap" by Disco Dave & the Force of the Five MC's (Crash Crew)

14. Stop That Train
"Draw Your Brakes" by Scotty
"Save the World" by Southside Movement

15. Dropping Names
"Into the Night" by Sweet
"Hey Pocky A-Way" by The Meters
"The Well's Gone Dry" by The Crusaders

16. Lay It on Me
"Let the Music Take Your Mind" by Kool & the Gang

17. 59 Chrystie Street
"Here We Go" (Live) by Run-DMC
"Rocket in the Pocket" by Cerrone
"Buffalo Girls" by Malcolm McLaren
"Burundi Black (Pt. 2)" by Burundi Black
"Are You Experienced?" by Jimi Hendrix
"Change Le Beat/B-Side" by Fab 5 Freddy
"My Philosophy" by Boogie Down Productions

18. Get on the Mic
"At the Fever" by Lovebug Starski

19. Mike on the Mic
Lloyd Lindsay Young quote.
"At the Fever" by Lovebug Starski

20. Hello Brooklyn
"Breathe" by Pink Floyd
"Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash

21. A.W.O.L.
"Good Times" by Chic
"Good to Go" by Trouble Funk
"Loran's Dance" by Idris Muhammad

I didn't feel the need to write a complete review of this album, because most people who are going to listen to it already have. Beyond that, if your views on hip-hop are similar to mine and you have not heard it (for whatever reason), I think the samples used for the beats on Paul's Boutique speak for themselves. Production-wise, this is one of the 10 best albums ever released.
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