Album Review: Constant Elevation

I bought this compilation last summer and it's taken me until now to get round to forming an opinion on it.

Things start, as perhaps they should, with Day After The Day After by the saviour of underground hip hop, El-P. The producer du jour proves once again why he is so highly regarded in hip hop circles with another awesome instrumental track.

Schrodinger's Cat by Omid is the standout track on the LP. A fantastic drum and bass track that floats around in outer space for around 2 minutes before reaching a drum break as good as any since Ashley's Roachclip by the Soul Searchers. It really is an extraordinary piece of music that everyone should go out of their way to hear. While Omid's other contribution Wading Venus doesn't quite the dizzying heights set by Schrodiger's Cat it remains a decent slab of funky hip hop.

What the CD succeeds in doing so well is blending unidentified space age sounds with old school beats and breaks. No track illustrates this blend better than Vox Apostolica by Steinski. A Buddhist chant plays over an Ike Turner-esque drum break. It's truly remarkable.

There is a vast range in the music on offer here. Besides the aforementioned Omid tracks, Anti-Pop Consortium's Crab Lice is a melange of rapping, scratching and what sounds like a high-tempo game of Pong - it's one of the weirdest things I've ever heard. It's utterly bizarre, but another great piece of hip hop. Of the more orthodox tracks, Rawcore by Peanut Butter Wolf & Madlib stands out. It's a collection of scratching and vocal samples any fans of RJD2s awesome Deadringer will be familiar with. The only other truly vocal track on here comes courtesy of long-time underground hip hop champions, Freestyle Fellowship. The track Crazy is one of the group's best.

It's far too weird and challenging to be to everybody's taste, and even those who do go on to like it might not find themselves enjoying that much on the first couple of listens. Certainly any fans of the Def Jux label would be wise to buy this immediately.

Album Review: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

The music world had never heard anything like it. Eight MCs from New York with at least three personas each and an unmitigated passion for kung-fu movies release an album full of blood, passion, violence and Eastern mysticism coupled with eerie piano and string arrangements and pulsating basslines. Now, a decade after its release it's believed to be the second most essential hip hop album ever recorded (just behind Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions).

The moment Ghostface Killah nails the first line on Bring Da Ruckus the hip hop world would never be the same again. After an uncompromising verse and with no fuss or pause Ghostface passes the microphone to Raekwon who seamlessly continues. Hip hop groups of course were not unheard of, but where groups like Public Enemy and the Ultramagnetic MCs each had a main rapper, here there were eight equally visible rappers, each as talented as the last.

While eventually the group would collapse under the weight of kung-fu kitsch, ten years ago they were genuinely intimidating. Their description of what they do to journalists that serves as the introduction to Method Man is grotesque. Earlier Gza had threatened to "slit a nigger's back like a Dutch master killer" on Wu Tang: 7th Chamber.

What makes the Wu Tang so entertaining is that each MC has their own personality well-crafted, even at this formative stage of their careers. Each MC brings an enthusiasm and character to the album. Surrounding the three master storytellers (Raekwon, Gza and Ghostface Killah) are U-God and Inspectah Deck who have never bettered their respective verses on this LP, the director Rza who also delivers most of his best verses here, witty prankster Method Man and resident lunatic ODB. Method Man, in particular, has never been in better fettle than on his eponymous track. His humour is evident throughout the entire LP, but it is on Method Man where he most successfully melds it with a degree of gravity ("I be Sam, Sam I Am / and I don't eat green eggs and ham / style will hit ya, then god damn / you be like oh shit, that's the jam"). ODB is as manic as ever; he is only slightly more coherent than he has been on later releases ("Burn me, I get into shit, I let it out like diarrhoea / got burnt once, but that was only gonorrhoea"). This blend is what makes Wu Tang group efforts so good, but it is on their debut that the melange is at its most potent.

C.R.E.A.M. remains the Wu's most perfectly recorded moment. Raekwon and Inspectah Deck fill the listener in on how hard it was for them growing up, "A man with a dream with plans to make CREAM / which failed; I went to jail at the age of fifteen / a young buck selling drugs and such who never had much / trying to get a clutch at what I could not.... could not...."

Wu Tang: 7th Chamber has the entire Clan (bar U-God) attempt to out-do each other in some short verses. The beat is almost skeletal and the track has no chorus, meaning that each MC merely passes the mic to his next compadre. The track also gives ODB the chance to say perhaps his best, and unquestionably his funniest, couplet to date, "Are you, uh, ah, uh, are you a warrior? Killer? Slicing shit like a samurah / The Ol' Dirty Bastard. Wunderba!" It's the first and last time ODB would deal in the German language, which, on this evidence, is a crying shame.

Meanwhile, the Wendy Rene-sampling Tearz sounds like some demented carnival mixed with the subject matter of TLC's Waterfalls. In fact it's hard to believe that TLC's track wasn't heavily inspired by this track, as the subject matter is essentially identical. Rza's first verse tells of the murder of his brother and Ghostface Killah's verse tells of his friend who catches HIV. And has any band ever recorded a mission statement as perfect as Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit? This writer thinks not.

Many albums are branded as being landmark releases few however actually deserve the title. Enter The Wu Tang is an album that is entirely worthy of its reputation. It seems unlikely that the Wu will ever better it, or anybody else for that matter.

Album Review: Nirvana

It's impossible to review this compilation without making some reference to the tracks that were ommitted. But to ignore exactly what is left on the CD would a heinous crime. Certainly it is the poppier side of Nirvana, that cannot be argued, and as someone who enjoyed the heavier, darker side of Nirvana I was slightly disappointed to see the likes of Aneurysm, Milk It and certainly Scentless Apprentice left out. However, what is left on the album is exemplifies Nirvana's genius.

The album begins with the much-discussed You Know You're Right. Discounting the nostalgia of hearing a new Nirvana track, it remains a great song. Full of the angst and raw energy that Cobain was having trouble holding onto towards the end of his tragically short life.

About A Girl is next up and this new remastered version sounds incredible. It was a very good track before, now it is truly remarkable. It remains the standout track from Nirvana's debut release. The alternate version of Been A Son barely sounds the same as the original vinyl version or as the track from the BBC sessions that found its way onto Incesticide. Novoselic's bass solo in the middle of the track is worth £10 of anyone's money. Sliver completes the first portion of the album, the story of Cobain's unhappy visit to his Grandparent's was never my favourite Nirvana song, and for me is the weak link on this LP. I would have liked to have heard Love Buzz or Spank Thru complete the triolgy from Nirvana's early years. Nevertheless, the track highlights Nirvana's raw energy and punkier side when surrounded by some of their poppier work.

It's unlikely that anyone will need any introduction to the following four tracks. The selection from Nevermind would always cause controversy, and everyone will bemoan the lack of one or two tracks (I would have liked Drain You to make an appearance), but no one can deny that Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, Lithium and In Bloom summarise the LP as well as any of the notable exceptions (Polly, Breed, Something In The Way).

As In Utero is my favourite Nirvana album I was again disappointed not to see my very favourite Nirvana track Scentless Apprentice make the cut, but what replaces it is hardly lackluster. Heart-Shaped Box was a bolt from the blue upon its original release and the lyrics remain as harrowing to this day. The Scott Litt mix of Pennyroyal Tea is just beautiful. Rape Me and Dumb fittingly conclude the In Utero contributions as they are two of the finest songs Cobain would write.

The three final tracks (All Apologies, The Man Who Sold The World and Where Did You Sleep Last Night) are taken from the MTV Unplugged LP. As Cobain screams the finale of Huddie Ledbetter's Where Did You Sleep Last Night any music fan's hairs on the back of their neck should be well and truly on end.

Like many Nirvana fans, I didn't whole-heartedly agree with the track-listing but every track on this album is utterly, utterly brilliant. No self respecting music fan should be without this collection.

Joe Strummer RIP

Joe Strummer died yesterday as the result of a heart attack. He was 50.

While I've always thought The Clash's place in the pantheon of rock was a little overstated there's no denying the importance that Strummer's work has to many and his death marks the passing of a true icon.

Link to the Guardian's obituary

The best albums of 2002

25. Weezer – Maladroit
Shabbily produced and annoyingly upbeat but Rivers Cuomo is still the best pop punk songwriter of his generation.

Best track – Keep Fishin'

24. N*E*R*D* – In Search Of…
A monumental collision of hip hop, funk, rock and pop that's only a little short of some of The Neptunes' best work.

Best track – Bobby James

23. Brendan Benson – Lapalco
Winningly geeksome lyrics and 80s power pop delivered with absolutely adorable charm.

Best track - Metarie

22. Boards Of Canada – Geogaddi
Pushes the boundaries of electronica rather than breaking new ground but it's still absolutely exceptional.

Best track – Sunshine Recorder

21. The Mountain Goats – All Hail West Texas
Demands a deal of patience but it's John Darnielle's most forceful, complex and rewarding album.

Best track – The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton

20. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Sophisticated, provocative, catchy and serene. Not quite the masterpiece that many seem to think it is, but not far short.

Best track – I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

19. Hot Hot Heat – Make Up The Breakdown
Despite the obvious new wave influences, Make Up The Breakdown is impeccably cool and, thanks to the unusual song structures, actually pretty unique.

Best track - Bandages

18. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Yanqui U.X.O.
Subtle, restrained and painstakingly detailed, Yanqui U.X.O. lacks the force of its predecessors but it's still wonderful.

Best track - Rockets Fall On Rocket Falls

17. Beck – Sea Change
Harrowing, lonely and beautiful. Hard to believe this is the same Beck who made Odelay only six years ago.

Best track – Guess I'm Doing Fine

16. Jesse Malin – The Fine Art Of Self Destruction
The first solo album from a major talent. Malin is destined for greatness.

Best track - Brooklyn

15. Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Yeah, your mum likes it but this is a majestic and glorious album.

Best track - Clocks

14. Mr Lif – I Phantom
A deliberately over-the-top grand opus that very few artists - never mind rappers – could pull off with this level of wit and dexterity.

Best track – New Man Theme

13. Adam Green – Adam Green
It seems like Green has left the super cool stomping songs about crack in his Moldy Peaches past. His solo debut is a smart, funny and sweet acoustic gem.

Best track – Mozzarella Swastika

12. Tom Waits – Alice
Heartbreakingly delicate and certainly the more beautiful of the two albums Tom Waits released this year.

Best track - Alice

11. Tom Waits – Blood Money
That Waits is able to transform this deeply cynical, miserable and bleak into a work of great humour and romance is testament to his unmatched talent as a songwriter.

Best track – Misery Is The River Of The World

10. El-P – Fantastic Damage
Fantastic Damage never quite lives up to its Funcrusher Plus / Cold Vein heritage but it's still a remarkable sprawling opus of anger and angst.

Best track – Tuned Mass Damper

9. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Source Tags & Codes
Blistering, blissful and dangerous. An album of immense weight that it perpetually sounds like it's about to implode. That it never does is testament to the band's incredible skill.

Best track – Relative Ways

8. The Libertines – Up The Bracket
Shambling and, at times, moronic, Up The Bracket regurgitates more than it innovates but you sense Carl Barat and Pete Doherty have made an album that will, quite rightly, become a landmark piece of British rock.

Best track – I Get Along

7. Queens Of The Stone Age – Songs For The Deaf
Quite genuinely one of the most powerful and thrilling rock albums ever made.

Best track – No One Knows

6. Bright Eyes – Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground
A bleak, bold journey through Conor Oberst's ambitious and active 22-year-old mind reveals more naked emotion than any other album this year.

Best track - Let's Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and to Be Loved)

5. Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
A consistently thrilling album that proves, even at 70, Johnny Cash is at the height of his powers.

Best track - Hurt

4. The Streets – Original Pirate Material
Not hip hop, not garage, not pop. It's hard to know exactly what it is and that's exactly what makes it a bona fide classic.

Best track – Don't Mug Yourself

3. Edan – Primitive Plus
A wild and weird masterpiece from maverick Boston suburbanite Edan Portnoy that lampoons rap stereotypes and attitudes while honouring the golden age of hip hop.

Best track – Run That Shit!

2. Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights
Interpol's much anticipated debut was a dark and brooding rollercoaster. At times it veers a little too close to a Joy Division homage but this is just as great a debut as Is This It was.

Best track - Roland

1. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Astoundingly, The Flaming Lips have made an album that can proudly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with The Soft Bulletin. It almost defies belief that they've made another album that defiantly charges into uncharted musical territories and is abnormally alive with possibilities. An album that's bewildering and staggering. The year's and quite possibly the decade's best.

Best track – Do You Realise?

Album Review: One By One

The stories leading to the extended gestation period for this LP have made it the most eagerly awaited Foo Fighters release to date. Taylor Hawkins' brush with mortality and Dave Grohl's sojourns with Tenacious D and the Queens Of The Stone Age seem to have reawoken the Foo Fighters. Grohl has always known his way around a decent riff, but one has wondered whether or not he had it in him to make a truly rocking LP. One By One tells us that the answer is a defiant "YES!".

Straight from the blocks the album attempts to blow the listeners eardrums apart. The album's opener and first single All My Life is a genuinely great rock record and possibly the Foo Fighters best single to date. Low rattles along at such a pace, it is clear that the band have rediscovered the focus that seemed to be missing on their previous LP There's Nothing Left To Lose. Every note seems to matter, and on Low and the following track, Have It All this urgency and focus becomes clear.

Grohl also proves that his skills in writing ballads has improved too. Tired Of You is the most haunting song Grohl has yet to write. Grohl whispers over a stark guitar line (from Brian May of Queen no less), "Is this just desire or the truth?". It's certainly one of Grohl's finest moments as a songwriter, and a worthy centre point for the album.

The only criticism of the album might be the quality control. Halo limps along without actually doing anything and 'Lonely As You' is fairly average. However, two mediocre tracks from eleven isn't a bad hit rate.

What One By One proves once and for all is that the Foo Fighters are a great band. It shows two fingers to the critics who have suggested that the only reason for their success is Dave Grohl's iconic status in rock music. The newly-rejuvenated Grohl puts it best on the recent single Times Like These when he affirms us, "It's times like these you learn to live again." A spectacular return to form.

Wonderful LP covers

Incredible collection of hilarious and beautiful obscure LP covers.

Link