2.16.13

On February 16th I listened to Michael Jackson Off The Wall, The Cure Seventeen Seconds, and Alt-J An Awesome Wave.

After listening to Off The Wall, I feel like Thriller could have sounded better, if it were recorded in the same style. Not the disco shit, but the sound of the band. Off The Wall has a warmer, less produced feel to it, and Thriller is too sleek and overdone. Granted, who gives a shit? Thriller is one of the best albums ever made, but maybe there is a little room for improvement? If I ever meet Quincy Jones, I’ll ask him about it… he produced both records.

“Get On The Floor” is the perfect example, it sounds like Jackson is singing with a ten-piece band. The bass is hypnotic, the horns are enormous, Jackson is all kinds of amped up and he’s swimming in the mix of the song. On Thriller he’s a little too far in front and everything just sounds like a backing track. I dunno, maybe? I don’t even know why I care so much.

The first seven tracks of this disc are all hits! Then it’s all downhill from there. Solid album!

I think I forgot how big of a downer The Cure can be. Is that possible? I dunno, but draw a warm bath, find a rusty razor blade and get ready to enjoy Seventeen Seconds.

I didn’t know much off this record, just “Play For Today” and “A Forest,” two classics. Actually, I’d put “A Forest” with some of the Robert Smith’s best shit. The rest of the disc really puts out a funk… not the George Clinton kind.  

“In Your House” sure is creepy and I love it. I think I’ll also spend more time with “M” and “At Night.”

I don’t know what my initial fascination with Alt-J was. The first time I heard “Breezeblocks,” I feel in love with it, and then got more and more tired of it the more I heard it. Now I can’t stand it! It makes me wanna punch my way out of a Philadelphia sports arena on a night the home team is getting kicked out of the playoffs and I’m wearing the opposing team’s jersey. I’m assuming that’s how everyone who was into “Gangnam Style” feels.

I have to make a list of songs that I once loved and for one reason or another I can’t fucking stand. Usually it has to do with overplay, but that’s not the case with “Breezeblocks.” God, I hate it so much I can’t stop listening to it! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!

I kinda like “Dissolve Me,” because it’s basically a Modest Mouse song.

I can’t believe this album won the Mercury Prize. Pffft. 

2.1.13

On February 1st I listened to Michael Jackson Thriller, Al Green Let’s Stay Together, Jay-Z Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life. February is Black History Month and I’m down wit it.

Pop quiz, asshole! What is the first song on Thriller?

I would have said “Beat It” without hesitation and thought I was right. Wrong. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” is the first song on Thriller. In my dumb head, I’m kinda right. Please, allow me to explain.

This album is sequenced all wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! I must have listened to Thriller a million times, on cassette, and forgot what side was which. Side two should be side one. “Beat It” and “Billy Jean” are the two heavies and they should be kicking this party off! Then roll into “Human Nature,” and “PYT,” both hits, and let “The Lady In My Life” dangle out there at the end of side one. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” should launch side two. An undeniable hit, but not your lead off.

Look at that track listing! That’s your money side!  

We are talking about Thriller here, so it’s not like there’s too much to bitch about. The songs are in the right order, but why is the worst track on the disc No. 2? Take Jackson’s voice off of “Baby Me Mine” and you're left with some really soulless 80’s cheeseball synth pop! That's followed by the creepiest song on the disc! “The Girl Is Mine?” On what fuckin’ planet are Michael Jackson and Sir Paul McCartney competing for the same girl? Who the hell refers to a woman as a “doggone girl.” Pfffft. Then if side one was side two, the enormous title track closes out the whole affair on a grand and spooky note. "No mere mortal can resist the evil of the Thriller."

I can’t believe there are only nine songs on Thriller! I can’t believe I have no memory of “Baby Be Mine.” I must have fast forwarded through that turd every time. Does anybody remember the cassette decks that would find gaps in songs automatically? So, if a “Baby Be Mine” comes on your player, hit fast forward and it would automatically go to the next song. That little feature was biggest time saving device in my life 30 years ago!

Ladies and gentlemen! Please join me in welcoming the Reverend Al Green!

If this album had eyes, do you know how much sex it would have seen?

No disrespect to Mr. Jackson, but I would argue that Al Green’s 1972 album Let’s Stay Together held up better, over time, than 1982’s Thriller.

I used to hang out in a hipster bar when I was in college, so all the indie rock the DJs played was supplemented by a ton of classic Soul and Blues. Late at night there was always a lot of Al Green playing down on Allen Street. Sadly, I never owned a lot of that stuff.

As much as I’ve heard the songs from this album, I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and listened to it from front to back. What a journey!

“What Is This Feeling,” is going into permanent rotation on my MP3 player. “Old Time Lovin’” is a river of panty puddles. “I’ve Never Found A Girl,” “So You’re Leaving,” “Judy,” and “It Ain’t No Fun To Me” are all just simply wonderful, while Green’s take on The Bee Gees’ “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?” is epic.

Simple and pure, this album moves me. Al flows from soulful quiet moments into blasts of genuine passion so effortlessly. Al, the horns and Howard Grimes on drums plugs right into my central nervous system.

If I ever felt like an idiot trying to write about anybody’s music, it pales in comparison to me trying to describe this Al Green joint. I was gonna say something like “this album would make jerking off with your sweat pants around your ankles sexy." I’m glad I didn’t.

I was late to the Jay-Z party. At the time in the 90’s when his shit was blowing up, I was avoiding Rap. I was heavy into my Alternative lifestyle. Wait, that doesn’t sound right.

When “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” was all over the place, I honestly thought, “did Rap run outta cool songs to sample? Show tunes?” It almost still kind of annoys me still. Show tunes! However, I did find myself liking “N**** What, N**** Who” from Vol. 2.

It’s hard to believe this record is going to turn 15 this year! And surprisingly I knew more off it than I thought I would. The hits are the hits and they were everywhere. I gotta go back and listen to Hova’s first two releases this year.