Frenchy’s Fracas

General Description
Artist/Band: The Pharcyde
Album Title: Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
Year: 1992

The title says it all!!
 
How I Got Into This Music
Hmmm.. 1992, do you know how phar back that is?!? Come on, give me a break.. Okayokay.. Round that time I guess I was into De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest and a very faithful viewer of the YO! MTV Raps program. I’m almost sure it was there that I first heard and saw these guys. It’s been almost 15 years (ouch!) but still I got some of those songs in my head. Just the different approach and style was so unbelievably refreshing! It still is fresh if you listen to it in ten years, trust me..

Review at Answers.com || Google Search: Reviews of Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde || Album credits at Artistdirect.com

Tracks that got my attention:
Oh Shit
West Coast mixed with The Bomb Squad? Can’t really describe the sound.. But the vocals and the lyrics - funny and sharp. Wicked sample of either Richard Pryor or Eddie Murphy

It’s Jigaboo Time (Skit)
Jigaboo - excellent skit!

4 Better or 4 Worse
Damn! I remember listening to the lyrics of this track - hilarious, and the phone call.. scary too! Obsessive stalker humor?

I’m That Type of Nigga
Great intro, after that it’s a very typical 90’s chant-along type of song

If I Were President (Skit)
I guess these guys were one of the first to put a piano sound at the foreground, listen to the skits on this album

Soul Flower (Remix)
Still prefer the version they had on the Heavy Rhyme Experience, Volume 1 album of The Brand New Heavies - ohwell, a great groove is a great groove..

On the DL
Wow.. The lyrics.. just the lyrics.. I mean, The Lyrics!! All about stuff you don’t tell to others easily, on the downlow.. It’s been done before, you know? Being bad-ass and all that, but here? It’s different, more intense and with a very different take on Confessional Rap..
His story’s soundin’ sad like the movie Ben
But um, anyway I’m just protectin’ my shit
‘Cause if it wasn’t me he’s killin’ then my moms mighta got it
It’s on the downlow don’t tell nobody I killed him all right?

Officer
Heheh.. This one’s so inside joke material.. The song is a parody of an epic track by Public Enemy called Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos. A very, very intense song (check out the link for more).
And these guys? They use it for their slaphappy song about getting caught by the cops for driving without a license. Now, in those times, that was almost blasphemy! Very funny blasphemy

Ya Mama
Read the lyrics, heheh.. Just do it!
Ya moma is so fat (how fat is she?)
Ya mama is so big and fat that she can get busy
with twenty-two burritos, but times are rough
I seen her in the back of Taco Bell with handcuffs

and also:
We drove into the drive-in and she didn’t have to pay
because we dressed her up to look just like a Chevrolet

So, maybe it ain’t your type of humor, but here’s some more info on the dozens (your mama jokes)

Passin’ Me By
Oh, wow.. One of my all-time favorite tracks, seriously.
I like the theme: choosing to let the girl to pass you by or not being able to prevent her from passing you by. Love versus Wisdom. Heart versus Brains. Protecting Yourself From Harm versus Naked Vulnerability. Topics include:

• Puppy love for some teacher
• Semi-fatal attraction
  I’m shootin for her heart, got my finger on the trigger
  She could be my broad, and I could be her (nigga)
• Waiting for her to dump her man
  She was kind of like a star, thinking I was like a fan
• Unrequited love letter
  Now there she goes again, the dopest Ethiopian
  And now the world around me be gets movin in slow motion
  when-ever she happens to walk by - why does the apple of my eye
  overlook and disregard my feelings no matter how much I try?
  
  And if I was your man then I would be true
  The only lying I would do is in the bed with you
  Then I signed sincerely the one who loves you dearly, PS love me tender
  The letter came back three days later: Return to Sender
  Damn!
  

And that’s just the lyrics.. The vocals? The first part seems like almost 15 seconds of rap without a pause to breathe.. The last part by rapper Fatlip is like a scat-singing combo when he starts to write his letter. Un-fucking-believable! Nobody ever used that style in a rap before.. Damn!
Not done yet! HellNo! There’s the music: like I said earlier in my review of Nightmares On Wax, I was totally, mega-crazed about those soft keyboards on the background. Later, much later I found out that it was a sample of Quincy Jones’ rendition of Summer In The City (screw Joe Cocker, Q’s version is almost as good as The Lovin’ Spoonful’s original). Okay.. I’m done.. Where’s my tea?

Otha Fish
Nice band-aid for the heartbreaks of the previous track. Again, that style of rapping was different, a kind of scat-singing.

Quinten’s On His Way
Weird and funny..

Pack The Pipe
A crude yet effective way of discussing one of the biggest social problems of that time: crack cocaine.

Return Of The B-Boy
Heheheh! Delicious!! Great samples (from a track of Prince’s Madhouse Project), loops and hooks. Just love the little tributes to LL Cool J and Kurtis Blow

Conclusion
I knew I would get carried away reviewing this album..
Still one of the most innovative and intelligent (rap) albums of all time: it’s party music, it’s serious music, it’s funny music, some tracks are still fresh. And.. I kinda remembered where I got this album from: thanks Hieronymus Fox!

Share This

General Description
Artist/Band: Jazzanova
Album Title: In Between
Year: 2002

Electronic, Warm and Grooooovaaay..
 
How I Got Into This Music
Can’t remember.. Damn, it’s the old age and all that apfelkorn all those years, heh..
Ehm.. Yep, must be around the time of my Discovery Of New Music in 2001: heard Groove Armada and Zero 7 for the first time that year. Jazzanova are one of those great additions to that list.

Review at Answers.com || Google Search: Reviews of In Between || Concert dates

Tracks that got my attention:
L.O.V.E. (and you and I)
Damn.. Still breaks me into little pieces. Just love (no friggin’ pun intended) the whole setup: that sample (almost sure it’s Andy Williams) and those gazillion different beats! On a later album they even produced a track with just those beats on it - incredible experience..

No Use ft. Clara Hill
Nice song, sometimes a bit too slow, but on a lazy summer afternoon? Perfect laidbackness

The One-Tet ft Capital A
Funky, groovy, jazzy and some quality raps

Fade Out
Nice dramatic interlude

Hanazono
Starts out nice, but gets a bit messy afterwards, but.. Production value is very good

Mwela, Mwela (Here I Am) ft Valerie Etienne
Other way around, intro’s not so great, but I just keep waiting for those incredibly beautiful and powerful vocals to start and then.. it’s heaven!

Keep Falling ft. Ursula Rucker
Great, haunting vocals and lyrics

Cyclic
Love this interlude, just the whole contrast of darkness and light, setting up the next track

Another New Day
Excellent track for traveling!

Place In Between
Meh.. Not impressed

Soon ft Vikter Duplaix
Great voice, soulful and classy

Dance the Dance ft Doug Hammond
Oooooooooooooooo… One of the best tracks on this album: it’s soundscapes, incredible vocals, breaks, beats, instruments and production

Sub-Atlantic
Meh..

Glow And Glare
80’s dance and soul instrumental - weirdly nice. Especially like the build-up

E-Ovation
Funny

Takes You Back ft Desney Bailey
Large variety of pleasant beats and great vocals, also heavy on the retro

Wasted Time ft Vikter Duplaix
Perfect mood ballad i.e. a Shut The Curtains And Let’s Get Nasty ™ classic!

Conclusion
Funny thing this band.. The music isn’t always easy or dancable, sometimes even a bit annoying. But 85% of the time you get great audiophonics combined with soundscapes, moodlands and everything you need to chill, relax, travel, sleep, dream and make love to. Great album! Saw that they’re performing in Amsterdam at the end of this month - time to check them out..

Share This

General Description
Artist/Band: Elvis Costello / The Brodsky Quartet
Album Title: The Juliet Letters
Year: 1993

My only classical reference ;o)
 
How I Got Into This Music
The Power of Television: Do NOT Underestimate It..
Saw this incredible Making Of documentary on the BBC. I was just zapping the channels and got hooked by the image of Elvis Costello amidst a bunch of people with classical instruments called Brodsky Quartet. Since I’m a virtual George W. Bush when it comes to classical music, I was very curious to find out what this tv show was about (Thus shedding my GWB persona). And I was hooked..
So hooked that the next day I went out to buy the CD! I played it a gazillion times those next six months and then.. I got fed up with it.
Funny thing though: I know for sure that almost every two weeks after that I have had some part of the album, some strand of violin or cello music floating around my head. Always knowing that it’s from that album..

Album credits at artistdirect.com || Review at Answers.com of The Juliet Letters || Google Search: Other reviews of The Juliet Letters

Tracks that got my attention:
For Other Eyes
Excellent moods.. I got this love/hate thing with Costello’s vocals: as long as he doesn’t start yelling/screaming, it’s perfect. No disrespect: the mood reminds me of early 40s and 50s cartoons, it’s just me, I guess..

Swine
Great intro, that cello, so organic. And those lyrics, love ‘em..
You’re a swine and i’m saying that’s an insult to the pig
In the foul furrow that you dig

Expert Rites
That’s what I meant with the yelling/screaming: annoys the living hell out of me

Dead Letter
One of the most beautiful things I’ve heard in my life! This instrumental is unbelievable: it’s like a burial song on a rainy day, and then suddenly: the clouds open up and let the sunshine through.. wow..

I Almost Had A Weakness
Thank you for the flowers, I threw them on the fire
Heheh.. The power of this song is the incredible combo of sharp and witty lyrics along with some beautiful music: it’s something like a tango (I’m guessing here, cut me some slack, willya?). I still remember listening to this song with a then girlfriend and just clumsily trying to dance to it, heheh..
I just love the plucky strings theme too, one of the songs I hum to myself quite often, closing it of with that great line: Though I almost had a weakness

Why?
sigh.. After that great uplifting breeze of cynicism and sarcasm of the previous track, we get blown away by this incredible storm of silence

Who Do You Think You Are?
One of the most romantic pieces on this album: I always feel invigorated by the first half of the track. The ending is a bit more sad..
I’ve fallen from your tired embrace
I kiss the air around the place that should be your face.

Dear Sweet Filthy World
An incredibly beautiful way to say goodbye for the wrong reasons.. This tracks cuts through the toughest of souls.
Don’t try to find me
I’m not worth anything anymore
I am not leaving you with all of your problems
The biggest one is me

The Letter Home
There’s this melancholy drama that works so well in this track, very nice!

Jacksons, Monk And Rowe
Very strong Beatles influence in the string arrangements

Romeo’s Seance
A great track to accompany your own little seance. Costello’s beautiful and that midway break is pure joy!

I Thought I’d Write To Juliet
The Dark Core of this album: a very poignant comment on our Greatest Stupidities:World War I and war in general. The sirens at the end.. Chilling..

The Last Post
Heavy yet exquisite drama

The Birds Will Still Be Singing
Even heavier drama:
Banish all dismay
Extinguish every sorrow
If i’m lost or i’m forgiven
The birds will still be singing
I used this as my mail signature for a while and it really annoyed my dad: the morose fatalistic drama of it all kinda got to him, I guess..

Conclusion
Saw that they’ve released a double CD this year: original tracks plus bonus live tracks, but that’s not what this review’s about. So, what’s it about?
What can I say? Read the review again, if you still don’t understand why it’s one of my favorite albums. I have to admit that it’s sometimes a bit too much to listen to, just the whole drama of it all. But sometimes.. Oooooh.. Any album that gets this close to some dark and light parts of my soul, gets my respect.

Share This

General Description
Artist/Band: Zero 7
Album Title: When It Falls
Year: 2004

Tech-warmth
 
How I Got Into This Music
I’ve written a few posts about this band, read them here. Gotta complete the list of albums I love from these guys, I guess..

Album credits at artistdirect.com || Google Search: Lyrics of When It Falls

Tracks that got my attention:
Warm Sound
Man.. Just incredible, that title really fits the track! Love the little telephone ring in the background. The sweet and slow bass and that voice, that’s Mozez, boyz-n-girlz!

Home
Another excellent soundscape production, just makes you all nice and warm and comfy (I seriously mean this.. It can sound a bit sarcastic, but in this case, I’m being very sincere, it will not happen again, sorry..) with the sweet voice of miss Tina Dico

Somersault
I saw them perform at Paradiso, Amsterdam a while back and they announced this song as being a “true Country & Western ballad”.. Heheh.. Kinda correct description, you know? But still that voice! Sia.. Just heart-breaking and soul-mending at the same time. Don’t get me started on that bass at the end of the song, Lord Have Mercy!

Over Our Heads
Mozez again.. Damn!

Passing By
You know why I really hate this band? Because of the incredible vocalists, they all put my soul through a shredder and poor old me, I’m enjoying it! Miss Sophie Barker does her nasty chores on this haunting track, so many layers, so many canvases being painted and again, that bass..

When It Falls
Finally! A track that doesn’t work for me! heheh…

Space Between
Tina Dico gets to me every single time with this song

Look Up
A great travel show song, ouch.. Love it, but it’s this kind of tracks that get used for commercials and travel shows, which is kind of a waste..

In Time
The chorus really works like valium, love it! Rest of the track’s just a bit too easy..

Speed Dial No. 2
Sia rules, nuff said.. ;o)

Morning Song
Can’t tell you how much I enjoy this song, incredible vocals by Mozez, but the second half of the song.. the instrumental part.. Wow.. WOW! And when the bass starts up again.. Man, it’s like being friggin’ close to heaven..

Conclusion
It’s been a while since I’ve listened to this album. I’ve played it quite some times, but really listen to it? Not enough times, I’m afraid. This band chooses sounds and effects with the same precision and care as they use selecting their vocalists.
You can say that it’s all very pleasant and safe music, I agree. You can say that there’s not a lot of innovation going on, I agree. You can try and keep criticising the album, but after the first two remarks, you’d have ended in a hospital bed for pissing me off a wee bit too much ;o)
Seriously, this record makes me smile, so bugger off gently and just go and listen to it a coupla times, really, really listen to it.
You may still think I’m a silly rabbit afterwards, but so what?

Share This

General Description
Artist/Band:Soundtrack
Album Title: Round Midnight
Year: 1986

Monk and Hancock: great combo!
 
How I Got Into This Music
Incredibly difficult for me to remember, which came first: the movie or the soundtrack? Must be the movie (this time). I can remember the story (but that’s another review) and I can definitely remember the music that was used. When I bought the album I was just starting to listen to jazz so I wasn’t really aware of the history behind the music and its composers.
Herbie Hancock scored the movie and composed some of the tracks, but the most important part is the tribute to the works of that incredible genius, Thelonious Monk.
So, here’s my review..

Album credits at artistdirect.com

Tracks that got my attention:
(well, all of them actually..)
‘Round Midnight
Hmmm.. Always a smile on my face when I listen to this track, coz it took me quite some time before I realized that the vocals are by that music fanatic extraordinaire, Bobby McFerrin. So sweet.. so sweet.. The original is on of Monk’s classic tracks.

Body And Soul
If there is such a thing as a French style of jazz than it sure as hell is the guitar strumming on this track. The late Dexter Gordon takes you for a great walk in the park..

Bérangére’s Nightmare
Heheh.. I had this thing with CD’s for a while: I’d select the nicest and slowest tracks and program them in a loop. I’d go to sleep while enjoying some nice music. This track is one of two tracks I accidentally programmed that woke me up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat..
The tempo and the bass just got to me, and yes, the title really is appropriate.

Fair Weather ft. Chet Baker
You will believe in angels when you hear the sweet vocals of Chet Baker

Una Noche Con Francis
Great sax and trumpet solos!! And that walking bass..

The Peacocks
This one took me a bit to get used to, but now it’s one of my faves. The alt-sax (I’m guessing..) builds a great tension - slow, soft, intense..

How Long Has This Been Going On?
I remember this song being performed in the movie by the excellent Lonette McKee . Later on, I found out that this lady’s performing the vocals on the track too.
This is one of those songs I can hum or sing anytime and anywhere (sometimes causing some embarrassing moments), I really enjoy the lyrics and the fantastic voice!

Rhythm-A-Ning
Another track of Monk in a great big band mood.

Still Time
Jazz Legend Ron Carter on bass and Hancock’s piano slowly but surely warming your heart, body and soul..

Rhythm-A-Ning
Another track of Monk in a great big band mood.

Minuit Aux Champs-Elysees
Things to do in a next life: learn to play the vibraphone like mister Bobby Hutcherson

Chan’s Song (Never Said)
Sweet finale to a great album: again, Bobby McFerrin’s beautiful falsetto vocals almost bringing tears to me eyes (getting more sentimental by the year, yes, I am..)

Conclusion
This album still to me is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard in jazz music.

Share This