Busta Rhymes – Extinction Level Event – Final World Front – Elektra, 1998.
🎤📝⚒️:
Busta Rhymes’ raw vocal tone and aggressive, herky jerky flow has always attracted me, but I think it is best served in doses, mixed up with other MCs. A lot of solo Rap projects include that feature anyway with guests contributing on nearly every track. This was Busta Rhymes’ 3rd solo album and it is ok, but it includes some dated skits and only a few songs that excite me. I do enjoy the use of musical fragments as samples, they form trance-like backgrounds to many of the songs, which creates the most tension. I also enjoy Busta Rhymes’ embracing of his natural tripping over his words style, it is endearing when he scuffles a verse and leans into it. “Against All Odds (feat. Flipmode Squad)”
Overall = 4.3 (10) – Not the best, but worth a listen. Get it!
Linton Kwesi Johnson – Dread Beat An’ Blood – Heartbeat, 1978.
🇯🇲📝⌘🏋🏽⚖️⚰️:
Mr. Johnson’s debut album and also the title of a recently reissued documentary about him. He arrived before Dancehall Reggae, but already exhibits a more of a poetic, Rap-like approach, lyrically over a Roots/Dub feeling. His lack of International recognition is our problem, but might be the result of his career starting in the UK (Not Jamaica) and his political bent (something that can be stifled when it annoys the people it is describing). It’s powerful music and I love that it leans towards Rap before the style truly emerged. “Five Nights Of Bleeding”
Overall = 8.5 (10) – Great music from a lesser known artist. Get it!
& Bass Culture – Mango, 1980.
🇯🇲📝⌘🏋🏽⚖️⚰️:
A little later in his career, but not very different from the previous album. The production has changed a little, shinier and it shows his willingness to add unusual elements, like harmonica, to his musical palate. His politics are harsher than Bob Marley’s and other earlier Reggae musicians. That feels like a natural musical progression and he is unwilling to absolve anyone of the responsibilities and repercussions of their actions. Reggae musically can be so sunny that some listeners do not hear the message over the vibe. Dancing, the Caribbean culture, a beach bum attitude and the weed smoking aspects of Rastafarism seem to overwhelm the common criticisms of racism and colonialism in the music. Mr. Johnson is not always political and he includes some love songs here and there.
“Street 66” & “Di Black Petty Booshwah”
Overall = 7.1 (10) – A little later, lighter and less intense, but get to know LKJ’s music. It has value. Get it!
Nat King Cole – Penthouse Serenade – Capitol, 1952/1955.
🎹🏌🏿♂️❂ 🗝️🎭🪄:
A gorgeous, intimate collection of instrumental Standards which really showcase Mr. Cole’s improvisational brilliance. There are only two songs featuring his voice, but this is a high quality piano trio date, with great versions of iconic songs. This is a great Nat King Cole album, a modern Long Playing album, if not for that most fans desire to hear his singing. I do recommend it as a great piano trio recording and as another side of what made the artist so brilliant, he was also an inspiring pianist. “Polka Dots & Moonbeams”
Overall = 8 (10) – A different side of the great man. Get it!
Ludwig Von Beethoven/Arturo Toscanini/NBC Symphony Orchestra – Symphonies No. 5, 8 & Leonore Overture No. 3 – RCA Victor, 1939/52/90.
🎼🗣️🫂♛ ⚒️⌛️💰🎗️🏋🏽🆑🕳️🃁 👣❂❤️⎄ 🗝️✪:
Symphony No. 5 is possibly the most iconic music of all time. The first movement is so recognizable that it might be as famous as current 21st Century Pop music (meaning current distribution methods reach a World-wide audience, whom I believe also would recognize Beethoven’s theme readily too). I’m not sure what would happen if you sang the open strains in India or China – would people recognize it? Be able to sing along? The music is still relevant after 200 years. That being said I haven’t listened to the complete symphony that frequently and I’m not sure my statement holds beyond that initial movement. Beethoven was a perfectionist, a catalyst of a new era in music (The Romantic era) and someone who set the expectations for what an epic masterpiece could be in symphonic music. His music is as well known as Folk songs from any Euro/American country and most are at least familiar with a few of his important themes. Symphony 5, Op. 67 – II – “Andante Con Moto”.
Overall = 10 (10) – The masterpiece that sets the bar. Get it!
& Symphony No. 9 – RCA Victor, 1952/63/90.
🎼🗣️🫂♛ ⚒️⌛️🎗️🏋🏽🆑🕳️🃁 👣❂❤️⎄ 🗝️:
If there is any music of Beethoven’s more widely known than Symphony #5 It is his final symphony. Aside from the wonder of the music itself, the many anecdotes people recall about Beethoven being (almost) completely deaf during the debut performance, it being the first symphonic work to add voices and it being his final symphony, it has the melody of “Ode To Joy”. One of the most widely known melodies in the World, it is a perfect beginner level melody for most instruments (a stepwise, diatonic melody that can be played with simple hand positions and fingerings makes it friendly for beginners). The extramusical content has an inspiring, faith based meaning which contributes to why it is so widely regarded. Additionally, the melody was transformed into “Joyfull, Joyfull We Adore You” which I have had to teach at many Catholic schools. And yet, my most prominent memory of it is first the Blue Grass version found in Raising Arizona or perhaps the epic choral version heard in the film Die Hard. These are lowkey aspects of popular music, the ubiquitous knowledge of them and how they become embed into the fabric of Life. True popularity is being known, in this case for 200 years and worldwide. “Op. 125 “Choral”: II. Scherzo. Molto vivace – Presto”
Overall = 10 (10) – The masterpiece that breaks that bar. Get it!
O.S.T. – 8½ – Nino Rota/Fellini – CAM, 1962.
🎥🎬🇮🇹⨻🥃🗝️:
One of Fellini’s masterpieces, composed by one of “the” great film composers Nino Rota. This music changes palate frequently, but a lot of it is some surrealistic Parade/Marching band music that constantly feels like you will fly off the carousel horse. Which is fitting for a film that delves deeply into the idea of paranoia, self doubt and anxiety. I am a huge fan of Fellini’s films. 8 1⁄2 is not my favorite film of his, but it is widely considered one of his greatest and has many iconic scenes. The music is an incredible match for the dream-like excesses the director in the film creates and it matches the anxiety breeding open, beach skies that contrast the labyrinth-like hotel the cast are staying in. It somehow conveys humor in a “laughing at you” way. “L’Harem”
Overall = 7.8 (10) – Leering carnival clowns of sound. Get it!
Cesária Évora – Cabo Verde – Elektra Nonsuch, 1997.
🌎🇨🇻🗣️📣🎗️🗝️🎭🦴🥃:
Internationally Mrs. Evora became popular in the mid-80’s. She was an experienced musician in Cape Verde by the time of that success, and one of several “World” or International Pop artists who brought traditional cultural styles of music to the masses and popularized the genre in that era. Her style was traditional Cape Verdean music, which often sounds similar to various traditional Caribbean musical styles I am familiar with. Part of her renown was smoking and drinking in performance, though a grandma type figure. Her smoking and drinking maybe equals bands smashing guitars or some other stage craft? I might find that feature both authentically herself and a sort of uncomfortable audience fetish at the same time. The fact is the music is strong enough on its own that her fame is deserved. Like many of those popular World artists of that time, I discovered her through my parents and there some aspects of World music fandom that can lead to an uncomfortable result of whether someone is “feeling the culture” vs. learning about the culture. Some people wear their music and consider the art of listening to it the same as understanding it. Or maybe they just get too comfortable with it, rather than just respecting/receiving the stories told. It is different to grow up with the music around you than to absorb it for your own pleasure. “Sangue de Beirona”
Overall = 6.2 (10) – A legendary figure in Cape Verdean music. Get it!
Sulochana Brahaspati – Raga Bilaskhani Todi – Raga Mishra Bhairavi – Nimbus, 1992.
🌎🇮🇳📣🗣️👁️🗨️🪄:
A traditional Indian vocalist who performs in the Hindustani tradition. These long trance-like pieces work well for the times when I need something meditative. For me, like with Ambient music, this music creates a sort of in-between consciousness state where I hear the music, but don’t attempt to focus on it actively. That is also a place I seek when I am trying to reach a state of inner peace. I collect a lot of music that can serve that purpose, perhaps because I don’t want to become too familiar with any one piece. It then becomes something I am more actively listening to and I begin to wait for the expected events. This particular collection of ragas is more like mental dance music, bringing activity to my brain and I begin to feel less conscious of myself and more in the moment. I can’t judge by the authenticity of the style, but the artist is widely considered an important elder of this style. “Raga Bilaskhani Todi: Sajan More Aave”
Overall = 6.8 (10) – Let’s all take it down a notch (my Summer mantra). Get it!
Paulhino Da Costa – Agora – Pablo, 1976.
🌎🇧🇷🔮🎺🔌🪄⚙︎:
A hot Brazilian Jazz album, in this case I’d suggest a pretty mutual split between the two styles. I have refined my filing system to put the music where I would most likely search for it to listen and this lives in my Brazilian section, though the label that released it and much of the music could fit into the Jazz section too. Mr. Da Costa is the percussionist leader and the groove is paramount, it includes some arrangements which accent that vibe and plenty of improvisation to rouse the soul. There are large sections of only percussion and moments where it leans a little smooth. “Simbora”
Overall = 6.3 (10) – Glide along to that rhythm. Get it!
el Camaron de la Isla – Con La Colaboracion Especial De Paco de Luca – Philips, 1970.
🌎🇪🇸🗣️🫂📣🔮🎸🕺✪🎗️⚙︎🪄 :
Classic vocal Flamenco album featuring two legends of the style. It is interesting to me that Paco was internationally more successful than el Camaron and I wonder if his focus on instrumental music helped that success where a voice with lyrics in Spanish may have limited el Camaron’s appeal? Typically the voice is king in popular music. Maybe there was a performance that triggered Paco’s popularity. In any case this is what you want to find if you want to hear Flamenco music. “Soy Grande Por Ser Gitano”
Overall = 8.2 (10) – Flamenco greatness. Get it!
Duke Ellington – Creole Rhapsody: 1931-1932 – Membran/History, 2004.
Beyond Category ⏺️ ❂ 🎺🥁🏌🏿♂️ ⎄ 🎨 ✪ 🗝️ 🪄⌛️:
Across these two discs we hear Ellington bringing the sound of his orchestra to many popular songs by others and a handful of recordings of his own iconic pieces mixed in, along with a few oddities. Establishing a band’s sound in this way is critical for developing its popularity and I’m sure in the Swing era that repertoire was required by the audience & dancers. You can hear a progression in the individual roles for the arrangements and different soloists emerged. The sound Ellington designed for the group expanded and modernized in tandem with the popularity of the Swing era. “Lazy Rhapsody”
Overall = 7.9 (10) – Great music, it overlaps with some of the earlier material and features many songs by others receiving the Ellington arranging touch. Get it!
Miles Davis – At the Blackhawk: In Person, Friday Night – Columbia, 1961.
Selim Sivad 🎺🗝️🎟️🪄❂:
Live music from the brief Hank Mobley era of Miles’ quintet. It is essentially the same group as with Coltrane – the repertoire, style, their approach etc. It is also one of the few Miles recordings where I have yet to track down the complete reissue CD collection (I don’t have the Saturday night CD). Regardless of brevity, Mr. Mobley sounds pretty great in this role, he was a top 5 Tenor of his time, but his style provides less of a contrast to Miles’ sound. That was the foundation of his first Great Quintet, the contrasts in personality really achieved a greater balance and range of excitement in that group. These are classic recordings that just don’t reach the peaks of either of the groups on either side of this one. Additionally, Miles was probably already pining for a youth movement generally and looking for a new band persona. “Bye Bye Blackbird”
Overall = 6.8 (10) – Great music, but how often will it be chosen over the 1st and 2nd Great Quintet(s) recordings? Get it!
Prince – Paris Affair: Live 1987 – Kiss The Stone, 1991.
The Purple Patch Ƥ𖫪 🫧🦄🫦🗝️🎟️❂👜:
Thinking about the rights involved with bootleg recordings, on vinyl and disc, in comparison to the current status of the music business. The fact is most of this type of bootleg, something so minimally available that I’m not sure the concerns really merited significant legal pursuit. Were there more than a 1000 of these printed? And a bootleg does not replace the importance of actually being at a show. The legalities were more likely directed by label or publisher, over artist themselves. Music publishing is designed similarly to print publishing and its rules. In this case I doubt much money was made and Prince himself had issues with his label’s ownership of his music. I also have no doubt he would have had a problem with bootlegs of his music being available, but that feels like being angry at ants from this perspective.
This music is important to document because it is from one of the great touring bands/tours of all time. The recording sounds like they may have unintentionally slowed the recording down. Every song lacks a little edge and feels a hair slower than I recall the original tempos being, I think it’s a mistake, a characteristic of bootlegs. The best responses to bootlegs that I have seen were from artists acquiring the recordings, cleaning them up and then releasing an official version. The arrangements are different from the other shows I have heard from this tour, showing that Prince was always tinkering with the performances. (The concert is available on YouTube as a whole)
Overall = 5.2 (10) – Great music, but the recording has some issues and the release is of dubious quality. Bootleg!
Found Sounds 