Category: votes

Janet Jackson’s All For You or Michael Jackson’s Invincible : Which album is better?

audio review : All For You ( album ) ... Janet Jackson audio review : Invincible ( album ) ... Michael Jackson

It’s not exactly a case of sibling rivalry, but it’s hard not to compare Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson when it comes to their music. Big brother far surpasses little sister in popularity and record sales, thanks mainly to his reign as King Of Pop in the 1980s, but this is about the quality of their music, specifically in 2001; the first year both released a new album since Janet’s debut got trounced by Thriller. She’s basically been on the come up since then while only Dangerous nears the level of Michael’s 1982 magnum opus. In this new era of All For You and Invincible, it seems Janet has begun to eclipse her brother.

It’s not a blowout by any means. Both are good albums, but Janet’s is consistently good while Michael, whose signature vocal style and unprecedented ad-libs make him the better singer, stumbles a few times along the way. If I were to compare the albums song for song, they’d be about equal, but the essence of an album is more than just its individual tracks. There’s order and flow to be considered. In that regard, Janet does better, partly because Invincible, though led by Rodney Jerkins, employs five main producers while All For You continues Janet’s partnership with Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis.

Jam and Lewis are major music talents, at least in the soul groove genre they specialize in, and Rodney Jerkins doesn’t stand a chance against them. His music, on a Michael Jackson album, actually disappoints more than it impresses, leaving it up to the singer; my pick for best in the world of pop (popular) music; to lift the songs from mediocrity. Listen to the first three. The title song doesn’t even have a bassline. You Rock My World sounds great; not only is it the best song on the album, it’s one of Michael’s all-time best; but even it can’t outdo the title song of All For You, which happens to be Janet’s all-time best.

That song; five minutes of flirty fun; owes its party life, and much of its artistic credit, to a Luther Vandross (Change) cut from decades ago. Invincible, the album, is more original, sampling only a rap verse from The Notorious BIG and TV clips from The Twilight Zone. It’s no Thriller though. It’s not even Bad. It’s Michael Jackson’s worst album going up against what I consider to be Janet Jackson’s best. To be clear, All For You is the title of both her best song and best album. With that said, while I certainly prefer Michael Jackson as a music artist overall, deciding the better of these two albums isn’t hard to do.

my vote : All For You

2Pac’s All Eyez On Me or The Notorious BIG’s Life After Death : Which album is better?

audio review : All Eyez On Me ( album ) ... 2Pac The Notorious BIG's Life After Death

These two albums, each considered a double album as far as the time limits of CDs and cassettes go, were bound to be compared. What’s amazing is how comparable they are. They represent the rival rappers at their best, though it’s not so much 2Pac and The Notorious BIG but their musical associates that make the projects as good as they are.

The beats are the best parts. They’re mostly provided by Death Row and Bad Boy’s in-house producers; Johnny J and Stevie J get the most credits; though Diddy steps out to invite the likes of DJ Premier, who produced Unbelievable from BIG’s debut, and Rza. I prefer the grimy streets of New York over west-coast California’s G-funk though.

Eyez has better hooks because Death Row has better singers. Nate Dogg, Danny Boy and Michel’le are the highlights of their features along with uncredited crooners like Nanci Fletcher and Stacey Smallie. It’s special guest George Clinton who shows his ass though. Can’t C Me is the best song. Life After Death doesn’t have an obvious standout.

Still, when it comes to Biggie and Pac as rappers, while neither will wow you with lyrical prowess, I prefer the former. Pac, whose flashy delivery would make for a more entertaining concert performance, rarely has anything particularly interesting to say. Biggie can be surprisingly poignant, funny even, especially when he’s Got A Story To Tell.

my vote : Life After Death

Yomo And Maulkie or Bone Thugs-N-Harmony or Jon Connor and Dr Dre : Whose version of For The Love Of Money is the best?

Yomo And Maulkie Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Jon Connor and Dr Dre

The first version of the song was released in 1991 on Are U Xperienced; the sole album of Yomo And Maulkie. The rap duo were protégés of Eazy-E, who brought the concept back three years later for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Their version, stylized as Foe Tha Love Of $, can be heard on their Creepin On Ah Come Up EP. The song wouldn’t be revisited, at least among NWA associates, until Dr Dre’s 2015 Compton album. This one is led by Jon Connor.

I like all three, but the original is the best. Yomo And Maulkie’s raps are rudimentary; a sign of the times; but the music (loop) is melodic and Jewell adds some powerful ad-libs near the end. The Bone one is the worst. The music is basically the same and their raps are better, but I don’t like their hook and Jewell’s parts are limited. The John Connor and Dr Dre version, which takes the most liberties musically, ranks somewhere between the other two.

my vote : Yomo And Maulkie

What is R Kelly’s best album?

R Kelly’s best album, as far as I’m concerned, is his fourth, or third if you don’t count the one with Public Announcement. I hate the title. Eponymous titles are silly in general and R is his second in row; he should’ve called it VIP as the Chase interlude suggests; but the music represents Kelly at his artistic peak. You can say it’s his magnum opus.

It’s also by far his longest, but most of its twenty-something songs are damn good. Would it be better if it were stripped down à la 12 Play? Certainly, but that can be said for most long albums. What I Feel; a song that should’ve been reserved for his friend Michael Jackson; is superb in any case. Down Low Double Life is another major standout.

I like TP2 and Chocolate Factory. The Happy People [ U Saved Me ] set is probably his second best. R Kelly was making mostly good albums up to that point, but he hasn’t made a good one since. The rest, from TP3 to his 12 Nights Of Christmas; all the 12 Play references suggest a music icon, legend even, longing for his glory days; are merely decent.

my vote : R

audio review : R ( album ) ... R Kelly

Which Halloween movie is the best?

This is an easy one because there’s only one good Halloween movie; Rob Zombie’s remake of the original. All the rest; said original, all other remakes and sequels included; are mediocre at best. The worst; Season Of The Witch; is downright atrocious.

I like Michael Myers as a character. His stoic ominous ways make him the quintessential bogeyman; a classic horror movie villain à la Frankenstein; but his legacy has been ruined by vacuous storytelling. Even Zombie’s sequel is a disappointment.

my vote : Halloween

video review : Halloween

What is Quentin Tarantino’s best movie?

Death Proof is his worst. Let’s get that out of the way. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained are only marginally better, along with the two-Volume Kill Bill set, which I’ll count as one. Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction are good. Jackie Brown and Inglourious Basterds are great.

Both of the latter rank among the best movies I’ve ever seen, but Basterds just might be the best of the lot. “I think this just might be my masterpiece,” the script puts it. Whether or not it is indeed the best movie ever is up for debate, but it’s certainly a cinematic masterpiece and the best of Quentin Tarantino’s.

my vote : Inglourious Basterds

video review : Inglourious Basterds

Which season of Orange Is The New Black is the best?

The only seasons I like are the first two, especially the second one. In hindsight it should’ve stopped there. Even without a proper conclusion, Orange Is The New Black would’ve been a damn good show. Season 3 brought a sudden and significant drop in quality the series was never able to fully recover from.

my vote : Season 2

video review : Orange Is The New Black [ Season 2 ]

What is Bass 305’s best album?

At the start, Bass 305 albums were getting better and better. Digital Bass, Bass [ The Future ] and Virtual Bass marked a steady progression. The following Departure is decent, but the quality of their music took a deep dive from there.

Virtual Bass includes their best song; Does Life Exist On This Planet; along with other fantastical space trips. Digital Dreams is sublime. The album certainly has its flaws; namely Mix Master and all the interludes; but it’s the best they’ve ever made.

my vote : Virtual Bass

audio review : Virtual Bass ( album ) ... Bass 305

Which of the United States is the best?

Florida’s always been my favorite state, long before I ever went there, mainly because it’s the warmest. I hate being cold and get cold easier (quicker) than most people, but I’m generally not bothered by hot weather. When I’m getting too hot, I’m more concerned with potentially passing out from heatstroke rather than being miserable from the feeling of being hot itself.

I also like the fact that the state is surrounded by (warm) water but not totally isolated like Hawaii. I get motion sickness on boats and can’t swim, so about knee deep is as far as I ever go into the sea or ocean; I don’t go in lakes at all because most are dirty and harbor snakes/alligators; but I do enjoy going to beaches for their natural visual and auditory aesthetics.

There are other states I like or would like to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Nowhere even comes close. Georgia is the closest physically, so if I had to live somewhere else, it would be there. California used to be my second favorite, but it’s being ruined by crazy politicians. Texas is one of the better states, but I don’t want to live anywhere near the Mexican border.

my vote : Florida