This is the price of music overload: I know in theory both Hurray For The Riff Raff and Wreckless Eric are among the best albums of the year, I just can’t find the time to give them the attention they deserve, so they are relegated and filed away.
Tokyo, Oklahoma – John Anderson – I’m a big fan so not sure how this song passed me by but Steve Crawford’s momento mori of Mack Vickery (you’ll find it at the top of today’s rock nyc), turned me on to it: a country blues work out stomps its way with so much smarts – A
I’ve been bemoaning the state of hip hop all year, but two really good Black Hippy albums, plus a fair to middle EP from Cam’ron is making me feel much better about the world at large. Especially the Ab Soul album, I don’t deny Control System was a great album but for some reason it took the new one for me to really hear it.
Easy To Love – Maxi Priest – He should have joined UB40 for good but since he didn’t this will have to do and the title track of his first album in eight years holds up as a lively little Reggae love song. And you can dance do it – B+
These Days – Ab-Soul – An incredible 90 minutes by the last man to break out of Black Hippy, this is a stupendous album, brainy, beautiful, tons of guest stars, all of his former band, deep grooves, smart rhymes; miles away from Gangsta. This is the best rap album of the year and to sustain it for 90 minutes is mind binding – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
The Rangers have made it to the Finals of the Stanley Club, but, while hockey is not, by any stretch of the language, football, and of the big three team sports comes in last, I will absolutely take, It is much more fun than watching LeBron and the rest of the Heat toying with NBA teams for fun and profit, before slaughtering them.
EDM and pop is a little like the Monarchy versus the Pope in 14th century Europe in reverse; Europe was trying to disentangle itself from the Pope’s influence and EDM needs a strong union with modern pop and rock groups, it needs to entangle itself. Till then, this was a fine evening of dance.
With a quiet week ahead before the Governors Ball onslaught, and having passed on Barry Gibb and Lael Summer last week, I kept on looking at A-Trak, his Ducksauce album is the EDM highlight of the year so far, and considering it though I don’t dance or take drugs so… but then I noticed Cam’Ron was opening and what can I say? This is a double header legends are made of.
The Glamorous Life – Sheila E – It sounds like Prince gone Samba with extra beats and extra movement. The album cut is nine minutes of relentless joy and funk – A
