Released: July 1971 Label: Westbound Genre: Funk rock Producer: George Clinton
Now this I didn’t expect… funk is far from my favourite genre, and after Raekwon last week I was looking forward to some more modern-day music, so the bar was starting pretty low for Funkadelic’s 1971-released Maggot Brain (and with an album name like that, how can you not be excited..?). In a way this project is as much about challenging my own preconceptions on music as it is about anything, and so yet again I’m blindsided by a band and a style and an era that I never really paid much thought to. And here I was thinking I knew it all..
Maggot Brain opens with the title track, a 10 minute long, psychedelic, mind-bending guitar trip that grabs your.. well, brain, from the start and doesn’t let up. From here the album settles into a bit more of the mainstream with some terrific party funk tracks and some pretty cool samples. It revels in a quintessentially 70’s sound. Try not to pimp-walk while listening to “Can You Get to That” – I couldn’t.
Top track: “Maggot Brain” is a seriously huge song. Spiritual stuff.
This week: I had my interview for one of the roles I’m going for at work last Friday and I reckon it went pretty well. I don’t want to jinx things so I will just say that, unless I’m way off base here, if I don’t get it, it’s because someone was better than me. In which case I can at least be happy I didn’t totally stuff up. A bit is riding on me getting this role (or another soon) because if I don’t, I’m not sure what I’ll do next, though I’m not too stressed about it for once.
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Released: August 1, 1995 Label: Loud/RCA/BMG Genre: Hip hop Producer: RZA (also exec.), Mitchell Diggs(exec.), Oli Grant (exec.)
I originally listened to this a few weeks ago and really struggled. Actually, I loathed this at the first run and maybe only listened to it once all the way through. I skipped on to the next album, and then paused and decided to have a break. 20 albums down is pretty good so far so I figure a week or two break is ok. And now I’m really glad I did.
In the meantime I’ve been listening to Lana Del Rey’s follow-up to last year’s Born to Die, and it’s much the same as her last effort. Paradise is another ode to beautiful destruction and a life lived and loved dangerously, and Del Rey is really fucking great at that shtick. The song writing and vocals are impeccable and I love this kind of gangsta-ballad fusion. It’s interesting and sexy and smooth, and it is dangerous andcoquettish which is delicious. I do remember someone remarking that next time around there will need to be some evolution in Del Rey’s sound for this not to wear thin again, and I agree, but until then “Ride” and “American” hit me in the right places. Another great album.
And so after a 2 week break I gave Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… another go, and I’m stoked I did. I not only appreciated this album, but I’m also re-energised about the project as a whole. Hip hop and rap have never been up there with my favourite genres, and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… won’t be something that I chuck for fun on a Friday night after work, but I did enjoy it. These songs are really well produced by Raekwon’s Wu-Tang alumnus RZA, the beats are thumping and the samples are killer and used to full effect.
When you really listen to this what impresses most are the lyrics (and the skill of the rap vocalists is really quite amazing too). These songs are all about thug life on the street, hustling, dealing drugs, turf wars. It’s sexist and homophobic and violent for sure, and that’s the point – this is where mafioso rap as a sub-genre started. Parents would hate it, and I can see why. But when you’ve got real-life gangbangers rapping about their lives and their struggles, it’s fascinating listening to something so raw (note: I find this impressive because this is so semi-biographical – there’s nothing impressive to me about pretenders rapping about these topics). In a sense, this is more honest than a lot of the music that I listen to. This is storytelling stripped back – real and raw and dangerous and violent, and skillfully done.
Top track: First listen round, I would have said move along. Now I struggle to pick out a favourite. “Spot Rusherz” reminds me a lot of Jurassic 5 who I used to listen to. “Rainy Dayz” is an affecting lament about the dark times thug life brings with a great female vocal and an anxious screeching sample which ups the ante brilliantly, and “Verbal Intercourse” featuring Nas and fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah is top-shelf.
This week: Well, this month really because it’s been a while since my last post. Work is still there, and I’m still plodding along. I’m happy enough, and have an interview for a new role later this week so there is something happening at least. I’ve calmed down a lot – maybe even checked out – work is work right now, and if you don’t care then you can’t get too stressed. Which is fine (for now).
thehifielective 