#269: The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen (1993)

Zack: What do you expect from an album by a band named Afghan Whigs, especially when the picture of the child on the front doesn’t even look interested? Definitely not this. Gentlemen is an amazing album, a prime example of the best parts about earlier alternative music and yet it sounds like it easily could have come out in 2013. In some parts, like Gentlemen or Debonair, the album is fast-paced and hard-rocking. But Afghan Whigs aren’t afraid to add the gentle in other places to make up for all that manly ferocity elsewhere, occasionally slowing things down a bit and making things a bit more somber, as in When We Two Parted or My Curse. The album even ends with a masterful instrumental track called Brother Woodrow – Closing Prayer that just is the perfect way to wrap up an eclectic but incredibly consistent album. For an album that I didn’t have high expectations for, Afghan Whigs did the gentlemanly thing and blew me away.

Favorite Tracks: Gentlemen; My Curse; Debonair

Emily: I really only picked this album because I liked the name of the band. It conjures up images of Taliban honchos wearing gentlemanly powdered wigs (just me?), but gives absolutely no indication of what the music will actually sound like. It's early-'90s alternative, which very well could be grunge, post-punk, hard rock, or any combination thereof, plus a bunch of other influences thrown in. And Gentlemen sort of has that eclectic mix, as much alternative music does, but it also sounds super modern more than 20 years after it was released. The result is both unexpected and unexpectedly great - you really just have to listen to it and discover for yourself.

Favorite Tracks: Gentlemen; Debonair; When We Two Parted

#268: Erykah Badu - Mama's Gun (2000)

Zack: Most of my prior exposure to Erykah Badu consisted of listening to Things Fall Apart by The Roots over and over and over again. As much as I love her in that song, I really wasn’t in the mood to listen to a neo-soul album at the time, especially a 71 minute one. But I sucked it up and now I sort of wish I hadn’t. I liked Mama’s Gun, but it just felt so long. Like they could have cut out a whole chunk in the middle and it would have been so much better. It was just too hard to stay focused for the entire time, especially when I didn’t recognize any of the songs to begin with like I did for other artists, like Lauryn Hill. I plan on going back and listening to some songs over again to see if my apathy was earned or sentenced, but I’m definitely not promising to do so with the entire album. I’ve got a life to live.

Favorite Tracks: Penitentiary Philosophy; Bag Lady; Green Eyes

Emily: I don't really know much about Erykah Badu besides her penchant for wearing brightly colored African hair wraps, and that she has a son with Andre 3000 named Seven (yes, like the number). With a quick scan of Wikipedia, I learned that she also has a daughter named Puma (yes, like the animal and/or sneaker) and another daughter named Mars (and yes, like the planet). All celebrity fun facts aside, I also spent the last hour listening to Mama's Gun, one of Badu's most critically acclaimed albums. I agree with Zack that it was overlong, and that a few songs in the middle could have been taken out with no impact on the quality of the music. However, despite it being a lengthy undertaking, Mama's Gun is a beautifully modern soul album. Badu's voice has a classic quality to it, less Aretha and more Billie Holiday. Mixed with modern subject matter and smooth rhythms, the album is both unique and timeless.

Favorite Tracks: Penitentiary Philosophy; ... & On; Bag Lady

#267: Peter Tosh - Legalize It (1976)

Emily: In my last semester of college, I took a politics in film class with my roommate. It met once a week, and half the time we just watched movies in class. So of course, it was awesome. One of the films we watched was The Harder They Come, the first major film to come out of Jamaica. It's a pretty good movie, but it has an even more awesome reggae soundtrack. The soundtrack is even credited with introducing reggae to American audiences a few years before Bob Marley. For the final project in this class, we had to do a creative project incorporating themes we had covered throughout the semester. I worked with my roommate, and we didn't really want to do much with the project (being in the last weeks of our last semester and all) so we decided to pick up on The Harder They Come and did a presentation about political themes in reggae music. It took about an hour to finish, the last slide had a picture of our rabbit with a Microsoft-Paint-drawn rasta hat, and we still managed to get an A. Again, an awesome class. Perhaps, though, if we had put more effort into our research we would have come across Peter Tosh. Legalize It would have been an interesting song to discuss the political implications of the marijuana trade in post-colonial Jamaica. Early reggae frequently seems to have underlying political themes, so it's a worthwhile exercise to explore with artists like Tosh, who used to play with Bob Marley. On a pure musical front, I didn't think this album was much different than the style of Marley and his peers. I tend to prefer the more upbeat and ska-twinged (but still political) reggae of the early '70s, like Jimmy Cliff (seriously, check out the The Harder They Come soundtrack). Even so, you don't get to apply your liberal arts education every day (well, I don't), so a reggae album lets me do that without even having to make a PowerPoint.
Favorite Tracks: Legalize It; Till Your Well Runs Dry; Burial

Zack: It occurred to us that we haven’t done a reggae album since Gerald Ford was in office, so here we are. The first place I ever heard of Peter Tosh was a VH1 documentary about drug culture that played Legalize It in the background for a scene that (if my memory is correct) was about the illegal importation of marijuana by plane from South America. That song was pretty much made for use in documentaries about drugs. The song should just be called Royalty Checks. With that song in mind, I wasn’t particularly surprised to see the cover art. And I certainly wasn’t surprised to hear the music, which sounded exactly like everyone expects a reggae album to sound like. I wouldn’t be surprised if every song on this album had, at one point or another, been attributed to Bob Marley by some white person who wanted to seem hip. Overall, Legalize It (the album) is a good reggae album worth checking out if that’s what you’re into. If you’re not a real reggae fan but just want to put on something relaxing for an hour, you’d be better off going with the real Bob Marley.

Favorite Tracks: Legalize It; Till Your Well Runs Dry; No Sympathy

#266: Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

Zack: I also listened to this album while grading, because grading exams is a slow, terrible process and any current students should buy their TAs chocolate or something before they take their next one because you are about to make that nice person’s life hell with your attempts to decode boundless information in narrow time spans and your damn cursive. Seriously, stop with the cursive. It’s borderline illegible to everyone but you and makes you seem like you attended elementary school in the 1940s, spending nights carving serial numbers in bullets to help the war effort. Serial numbers that you, somehow, found a way to carve in cursive. But I digress. Led Zeppelin IV contains Stairway to Heaven. Stairway to Heaven may not be as beloved in the Wayne’s World universe, but it’s adored here, so that’s fantastic. Honestly, if this album was just Stairway to Heaven on repeat, I’d be content. But it’s got so much more! Like 7-more-songs-worth! There’s Black Dog, Going to California, and Rock and Roll. If I haven’t sold you on this album yet, then we’ve got beef. And we’ve also got The Battle of Evermore, which doubles as my favorite episode of Game of Thrones, and Four Sticks, which doubles as a joke I’m not going to finish because I’m an adult. In summation, Led Zeppelin IV is jam-packed with classic songs, and stands out even among Zeppelin’s jewel-encrusted catalogue. It’s all the hard-rocking, mystical, loud goodness history has told us we should expect from THE band of the 70s, and you can’t hate on that.

Favorite Tracks: Stairway to Heaven; Going to California; Black Dog

Emily: I re-read my post about Physical Graffiti before I listened to this album since it has been so long since we tackled a Led Zeppelin album. Turns out I wasn't much of a fan. Led Zeppelin IV, however, is the band's best-known and one of their most highly acclaimed albums - I mean, it has Stairway to Heaven on it - so I kept an open mind and figured that millions of fans and dozens of critics couldn't be wrong. And I'm glad I did. Led Zeppelin IV has many of the band's classic hard-rock songs, but the album also contains a more mystical, ethereal quality that rises above the sound and fury to add depth and intrigue. Maybe I'll give Physical Graffiti a relisten too - three years time and a bit of context just may change my mind.

Favorite Tracks: Rock & Roll; Stairway to Heaven; Going to California

#265: War - The World is a Ghetto (1972)

Emily: When I clicked on War in my iTunes library to listen to The World is a Ghetto, I was surprised to see another song there in addition to the album. Turns out that back when I first uploaded CDs to my iTunes account in approximately 2005, I added a few songs from my parents' 100% Funk compilation album, including Low Rider by no other than War. So there the song was, and I was disappointed to see that the syncopated funk track was not included on the album I listened to today. Since The World is a Ghetto comes a bit earlier than Low Rider and other paragons of '70s funk, it has a more soulful and jazzy feel to it than more typical funk music. Perhaps not 100% Funk worthy like their later music (and by later music I mean the one other song I know), but The World is a Ghetto is worth a listen for a lesson in the evolution of funk.

Favorite Tracks: Where Was You At; The World is a Ghetto; Four Cornered Room

Zack: This is a tale of two albums, although not by the intention of War. The first half, I was doing some last-minute studying for my Stat final. I was constantly interrupted by people coming in to ask how prepared I was/if I could explain Sum of Squares to them. As a result, the album seemed to be inconsistent, probably as a function of how many times I hit pause. During the second half, I was grading finals, and so the album took on the face of something to add variance to my life and keep me from just lying on the floor and taking a nice, restful coma. That half I really loved. I’m pretty sure this difference is entirely dependent on my listening experience, and I’ll have to go back to try and enjoy the entire thing in a more neutral environment, but for now, this album is too etched in my memory as being paired with that dream scenario for me to try and make comparisons to Parliament or anything else that would require extra thought.

Favorite Tracks: The Cisco Kid; Beetles in the Bog; The World is a Ghetto

#264: Napalm Death - Scum (1987)

Zack: Here’s a riddle for you: How much grindcore does it take for a person to know that hell is real? Well, Napalm Death holds the record for shortest song at 1.316 seconds, so that long exactly. Seriously, if there’s anyone who still argues that rock and roll is the devil’s music, they should just go around to schools playing this album. If I was 6 and someone did that, I would have been like, “Yep, electric guitars summon Beelzebub, got it” and moved on to a life of quietly reading the Bible in corners and trying not to whisper too loudly. I mean this is the absolute nicest way, but what the absolute fuck was that? I got that it was a double album that is somehow still only 33 minutes long. And I got that time is relative now that I learned that listening to a single 33 minute album can somehow be stretched into several lifetimes. But beyond that, I have no idea what just happened beyond RRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, cymbal crash, repeat. If an alien landed and you played any song from this album and then like Hey Jude and told the alien that the creatures who made those were of the same species, that alien would punch you in the face with whatever appendage it had before probing you with the biggest, sharpest arm of the probulator. That’s an empirical fact. I feel bad for my computer for having housed the data files that comprise this album for so long. It must have been sick knowing what horror it was harboring. Just, AH! Never again.

Favorite(?) Tracks: You Suffer; Siege of Power; Moral Crusade

Emily: I could not discern a single word on this album, unless RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHH RAGE NOISE RAGE NOISE RAGE NOISE is a word that I am unfamiliar with. I just don't understand how to appreciate this music, or how anyone could. It's loud, grating, screamy, and migraine-inducing. I had a headache after 3 songs, which was approximately 2 minutes in. Maybe someone out there understands this album, but now I just need to detox with some pleasant melodies.

Favorite Tracks: Common Enemy; Sacrificed; Siege of Power

#263: Deee-Lite - World Clique (1990)

Emily: A couple years ago, my roommates, Zack, and I were playing Sporcle on a lazy weeknight in my apartment. With my roommate Petra at the helm, we started the Vh1 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders quiz. The quiz gave the song title and we had to fill in the artist. I, as readers of this blog likely know, love all Vh1 lists and especially the lists of one-hit wonders, so of course I read the quiz over Petra's shoulder and told her all of the answers I knew, with both Zack and my other roommate Jordyn chiming in with their own knowledge. When we got to Groove is in the Heart, we told Petra to type in Deee-Lite. She started spelling it "Delight," then "Delite," and then a few more incorrect iterations until we yelled "IT HAS THREE E'S!" She was frustrated (perhaps rightfully) but we all found it hilarious. Now, of course, at any opportunity we have to mention Deee-Lite we do it solely to make fun of Petra. Just last week Zack started to play Groove is in the Heart without telling Petra what the song was, and she was kinda into it until she figured out what it was. She then promptly rolled her eyes while Zack and I got our groove on in the living room. So while I listened to all of Deee-Lite's debut, I had the silliness of this whole joke in my mind. It was a fitting attitude to have here, since the album is just a silly and fun dance album. There's not a lot of substance, but that's totally unnecessary. It just made me want to get my futuristic groove on, and to try not to laugh too much when Petra ultimately asks me what album I'm listening to.
Favorite Tracks: Groove is in the Heart; Smile On; World Clique

Zack: Guys, I have a confession to make. For a while, groove wasn’t in my heart. I wasn’t heartless, but my distinct groovelessness made the existence of my heart effectively worthless. It felt like my cardiac muscle had been attacked with sandpaper. Because it had no groove. I was lost. But now I am found. Because Deee-Lite, a name I believe they devised solely to confuse people (much like my band name: thair), came and put plenty of groove into my heart. And now I can Smile On with the Power of Love while asking Who Was That? Get it? This entire post is a play off of their song titles. Which I guess must be frustrating for those expecting some sort of Deep Ending

Favorite Tracks: Groove is in the Heart; Try Me On…I’m Very You; Deep Ending

#262: Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul (1968)

Zack: I’m writing this just a few days after the surprise release of Beyonce’s latest album, and I still haven’t listened to it. I had a fierce internal debate over whether I should knock out another blog album or that. When I saw that next up for me was Aretha Franklin, I figured I might as well tackle the original diva before moving on to her (goddess) understudy. Unfortunately, I’m also writing this before listening to said Beyonce album, so I as of yet can’t compare them. But that may work out well for Beyonce, because it would be hard to compare to the complete package that is Lady Soul. It has its groovy songs, its bluesy songs, and more than enough soul to go around. Lady Soul may only have 10 very short songs, but it has more heart and talent than a triple album from most artists. That last sentence sort of got away from me there at the end, but Lady Soul never deviates from its excellence. Overall, it’s the tight, consistent work of a masterful singer that doesn’t need the pomp of 17 videos to make it excellent.

Favorite Tracks: (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman; Good to Me As I Am to You; Chain of Fools

Emily: As I listened to Lady Soul today, I felt like it was speaking directly to me. This may be because of what's going on in my mind and life right now, but I think I would have the same reaction any day under any circumstance. Aretha, the original diva and current most fabulous wearer of hats, created an album of soul and blues that speaks to what it's like to be in love (or not) on multiple universal levels. If you've ever been head over heels in love in with someone, or been incredibly angry at what someone you thought you loved did, or did something you thought screwed up a relationship, or apologized for screwing up said relationship, or forgave someone for screwing up, or moved on with your life from someone not good for you in the most fabulous way possible, or pretty much any other emotion that goes along with relationships - you will find something that you relate to on Lady Soul. Aretha can make anyone sad, angry, grateful, and incredibly happy, all with her amazing voice, emotional lyrics, and the power of soul.

Favorite Tracks: (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman; Chain of Fools; Since You've Been Gone

#261: Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out (1997)

Zack: Wikipedia refers to Sleater-Kinney as “critical darlings,” which I’m pretty sure is sexist. Although, that isn’t to say that it isn’t true. The critics love Sleater-Kinney, and it’s not hard to see why. Everything – that voice, the buzzing guitars, that voice, the crispness of the drums, THAT VOICE – all mesh together perfectly to create something that is simultaneously an entire album of punk anthems and yet still so much more. I understand that Sleater-Kinney were a little more aggressive on previous albums and moved in some new, classic rockish directions later on. I’m excited to go check out all of the twists and turns in their career as well. For now, though, Dig Me Out is going to be playing very loud and very often, and I don’t expect it to ever get old.

Favorite Tracks: Dig Me Out; Jenny; Dance Song ‘97

Emily: As if I didn't already love Carrie Brownstein from Portlandia, today has introduced me to her first career as the badass frontwoman of the badass '90s punk band Sleater-Kinney. Punk has been one of my favorite genres for a while, and the '90s are one of my favorite musical decades. Throw in some feminist lyrics, classic rock sensibilities, and amazing singing, and you get Dig Me Out. I didn't realize I needed more (or any) '90s riot-grrl punk in my life, but now that I've heard one Sleater-Kinney album I'm excited to check out the rest. And, of course, listen to Dig Me Out many more times over.

Favorite Tracks: One More Hour; Dance Song 97; Turn It On

#260: Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago Transit Authority (1969)

Emily: A few years ago, my parents went to a concert co-headlined by Chicago and Earth, Wind, and Fire. I don't really know why this pairing came to be, but it's a tour that succeeded summer after summer for at least a few years and may still be continuing to this day. Besides the fact that both bands rose to prominence around the same time and now attract a similar age demographic, I can't imagine that there's a lot of fan overlap (well, besides my parents). The bands share little in common musically beyond the use of brass instruments - maybe they shared the same saxophone player, but he would need to be well-versed in different musical stylings. While EWF embodies '70s funk in a way that few bands, if any, can replicate, Chicago takes on classic rock and infuses it with jazz and experimental touches. Here, with their debut double album (back when they were still called the Chicago Transit Authority), the band ambitiously and successfully fuses rock with jazz to create smooth yet exciting pop music. Even though the songs routinely pushed the 6 minute mark (with the final track almost reaching 15 minutes), they never repeat or devolve into unnecessary jam sessions. The band found greater commercial success in the '70s and clearly continue to have fans today, but Chicago's great debut is worth a listen to discover how strongly and uniquely they started out.
Favorite Tracks: Listen; South California Purples; I'm a Man

Zack: I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I listened to Chicago Transit Authority while outlining an article about railway delivery by the post office from 1883-1913. I’m kidding. The article was only partially about that, also focusing on the expansion of rural free delivery over that time. It was really thrilling. It’s a good thing I had the smooth stylings of Chicago (Transit Authority) to keep me calm. And this double album proved to be just the thing I needed. The majority of this album is a work of masterful musicianship and song crafting. Songs like Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is? and Beginnings are just beautiful jazz fusion jams. But then there’s just the right balance of experimentation to keep things interesting; Free Form Guitar is exactly what its name purports. CTA is one of those rare double albums that are entertaining all the way through. It’s constantly engaging and hardly ever seems to repeat itself. No wonder it’s considered a classic.

Favorite Tracks: Does Anybody Really Know What Time is Is?; I’m a Man; South California Purples