Be Here Early: Choice Albums Reviewed 11-11-16 – 11-17-16
We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service – A Tribe Called Quest – Their first album in 18 years, and also their last after Phife Dawg’s death earlier this year. What the death means is Q Tip, am outro poly-polemic artist, will miss Phife’s street bound rhymes. But it doesn’t effect this 18 song, step in where they stepped off, guest filled (I mean everyone from Elton John to Kendrick Lamar), extremely good, like as good s just about anything they’ve done, return to power. Just in time as the final song on the album, “The Donald” makes clear – B+
Long Live the Angels – Emile Sande – Five years ago, when Emile was giving Adele a run on the UK charts, I liked enough songs to remain aware of the soul sister. But after watching Rudimental wipe the floor with her, I lost interest, and after seeing her live a second time earlier this year where only “Next To You” was worth mentioning, I had deep misgivings about this one. And after hearing this dreary dog, I would say she has lost her way in the woods of r&b balladering and bad art pop – D
57th & 9th – Sting – How me an album with a song as bad as “Inshallah” and I will show you Sting every time he opens his mouth. If you are a Police fan, it begins with a bang, the “he’s still got it” “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You. But is anybody anywhere in the market for bullshit ruminations he ruminates about his imminent demise, ruminations like “rock stars never rust, they fade away”. Sting just can’t control himself, and soon goes back into composer mode – D+
Testimony – Robbie Robertson – Robbie couldn’t succeed without the Band, and couldn’t become the sexy rock leader he always wanted to be, because he can’t sing. The Band songs are livem the Robbie solo songs kinda suck, and the excerpt from the autobiography I read, wasn’t well written – B
