#444 – War, ‘The World is a Ghetto’

The World is a Ghetto (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: November, 1972
Label: United Artists Records
Genre:  Soul, funk
Producer: Jerry Goldstein with Lonnie Jordan and Howard Scott

A soul and funk album from the 70’s…? Look this was never going to work. The World is a Ghetto topped the Billboard charts and was the best selling album of 1973 – certainly impressive, but totally missed on me. Somehow music like this all sounds like it’s from Sesame Street, and it all sounds strangely similar. The harmonica playing is impressive I guess, though honestly I’m not sure harmonicas need any more prevalence than they enjoy already (i.e. not much).

#456 – Marvin Gaye, ‘Here, My Dear’

Here, My Dear (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: 15 December, 1978
Label: Tamla
Genre: Soul, funk, quiet storm, jazz-funk, disco
Producer: Marvin Gaye

Hmm. Soul. Funk. Disco. Not my favourite genres, and Here, My Dear won’t be making my list of favourite albums. I’m not sure exactly why I don’t like this style of music (it worked for me when it was modernised in the funkier songs on Aquemini), but honestly this was a real struggle for me to listen to. Hilarious though, is the concept of the album, and the lyrics are so clever, and this is enough for me to at least like this album.. even if I won’t ever listen to it again. Do yourself a favour and Google why this album is called what it is.

#481 – D’Angelo, ‘Voodoo’

Voodoo (D’Angelo album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: January 25, 2000
Label: Cheeba Sound, Virgin
Genre: Neo soul, funk, soul
Producer: D’Angelo (also exec.), DJ Premier,Russell Elevado, J Dilla, Questlove,Raphael Saadiq, Dominique Trenier (exec.)

I didn’t like this much at all. I can see how critics would appreciate D’Angelo’s vocals, and the music is well produced, but man this is boring. It would be decent background music if it wasn’t quite SO same-y.

These aren’t songs for me; this just blends into an indecipherable funk-beat. I want verses and lyrics.

Top track: Not this week.

This week: Not a huge amount is happening at the moment. Work has settled a bit, and so I’m still looking for opportunities internally, and I’ll start my graphic design course in a week or 2.

And shit, that’s 20 albums down. 20 albums done.

#486 – Earth, Wind & Fire, ‘That’s the Way of the World’

Released: March 15, 1975
Label: Columbia
Genre: Soul, funk
Producer: Maurice White, Charles Stepney

This was good music, great instrumentals and smooth-as-silk vocal; a few standout tracks that I really enjoyed, but nothing that really shook me. But it’s really well produced and well rounded – a classic R&B world-music kind of album, and it’s uplifting which I appreciate right now.

Top track: The title track, “That’s The Way of The World”.

This week: Still effectively in a holding pattern re: work. I managed to not totally crack it and resign this week, and I’m glad I didn’t, but I have spoken to my manager and explained that I can’t continue to do the work that I currently do, and it’s a matter of weeks rather than months before I need to move into a different type of role internally, or another role externally.

A change is as good as a holiday? No, but there’s gotta be some truth in there. And on the holiday front, we’ve booked flights to the US for my 30^th  in September (a reason to try my very best to stay at the Company I’m at, at least until then – hello bonus!).

“Money Changes Everything”?
Sometimes.