Odds and Ends 006
R&B in the Broadest Sense Except That I Stuck Drake Somewhere Else
Bootsy Collins: Tha Funk Capital of the World (Mascot)
Five historic P-Funk tracks fronted by Cornel West, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Al Sharpton, and a panoply of old A-game rappers followed by 11 well-meaning Bootsy tracks distinguished by cameos from Buckethead and, wouldn't you know it, George Clinton ("After These Messages," "Hip Hop @ Funk U") ***
Bruno Mars: Doo-Wops & Hooligans (Elektra)
Nice guy finishes first ("Grenade," "Lazy Song") ***
John Legend & the Roots: Wake Up! (Good Music/Columbia)
A myth of conscious soul neither the singer nor his attendant rappers can quite put across ("Compared to What," "I Can't Write Left Handed") ***
Terius Nash: 1977 (free Radio Killa download)
Living for sex gets less dreamy all the time ("Wedding Crasher," "Used to Be") ***
Betty Wright & the Roots: Betty Wright: The Movie (Ms. B/S-Curve)
It wasn't "Old Songs," it was good songs, and they were usually shorter than these ("Real Woman," "Grapes on a Vine," "You and Me, Leroy") **
The-Dream: Love King (Def Jam/Radio Killa)
We know this trickster is "the last romantic" because, in the very same song, he tells his babydoll to present "panties to the side" ("Florida University," "Sex Intelligent") **
Ray Charles: Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters (Concord)
Genius is rare even when it misfires, as with Ray it oft did, but the taste to make it glow a little is always for sale ("Why Me, Lord?" "It Hurts to Be in Love") **
The Original 7ven: Condensate (SRR)
"The band formerly known as the Time" are shocked that you should believe time is real‑-but of course, it is ("Condensate," "One Step") *
*I have never met anyone IRL who had to "get in the last word." But did encounter such a syndrome years ago in a fave early chat room. Chap was funny, a bit cracked and combative, but absolutely addicted to making the last post in an argument.
At the end of a tussle with him, folks would post "And now to let Mr. Speakforth have the last word." And even though he knew the whole crowd was set up to laff at him, he couldn't help himself and would slap on a final post. Compulsion in action.
I know this thread's almost over, but...
1. Did anyone catch K'naan (with Nelly Furtado, who I didn't even recognize) on Letterman last night? Song sounded pretty good.
2. Does anyone own The Go-Betweens 1978-1990 on vinyl? Apparently, there is six songs on it that the CD version doesn't have. I'm a little peeved about that.
3. Whoever did that guitar solo on "Brother Rapp/Ain't It Funky" from Star Time deserves a Nobel Prize for Funky Awesomeness.
4. I don't believe in God, but I do believe in Al Green.
(I especially feel no compulsion to participate because my feelings about album art weren't even the main subject of my comments -- I wanted to praise the graphic mirth of Lyle Lovett.)
[...]I've found it's not a very fruitful topic of discussion.
about the blogger
Starting in 1967, Robert Christgau has covered popular music for The Village Voice, Esquire, Blender, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He teaches in New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, maintains a comprehensive website at robertchristgau.com, and has published five books based on his journalism. He has written for MSN Music since 2006.
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