Tag: music

audio review : Breath Control 2 ( song ) … KRS-One

This beat, perhaps the best KRS-One’s ever rapped to, should’ve been put aside for a different artist. It’s a marvelous reggae loop that would’ve been perfect for, say, a Jamal-Ski song for Jamaican girls to shake their butts to. KRS-One is too obsessed with his skills as an MC to allow such mindless fun.

To be clear, it is a good song. Not just for the beat but also KRS-One’s vocal delivery and flow, which goes nicely with it. It’s the concept; a very unnecessary sequel to Breath Control; it would be better without. Even worse is how he dates it by mentioning the year during the “dope style” introduction.

my rating : 4 of 5

1990

audio review : Edutainment ( album ) ... Boogie Down Productions

audio review : Brown Eyed Girl ( song ) … Van Morrison

The only thing I dislike about this song; an ode to a Brown Eyed Girl Van Morrison used to have romantic and sexual relations with as a youth; is when he recites the “sha-la-la” song they used to sing. It serves as a sort of bridge or post chorus, but the song would be better without it.

Everything else, from the vocal melodies to the bouncy instrumentation they’re layered upon, sounds beautiful. I wonder if the Girl had the looks to match. Typically when a guy focuses only on a girl’s eyes, as Morrison does here, it means there’s not much else about her to compliment.

my rating : 4 of 5

1967

audio review : Brown Eyed Girl ( song ) ... Van Morrison

audio review : Mama Said Knock You Out ( album ) … LL Cool J

audio review : Mama Said Knock You Out ( album ) ... LL Cool J

“Don’t call it a comeback; I been here for years,” LL Cool J warns, “I’m rocking my peers, putting suckers in fear.” Why the battle rapper’s suddenly being coached by Marley Marl; the producer provides the music for every song here; as if he’s a member of The Juice Crew is anyone’s guess. They’re a good match though.

The album starting with a random jam about cars Boomin loud music instead of the go-hard title track comes across as an artistic blunder, though they’re two of its better cuts. Other highlights include Cheesy Rat Blues; a funny anecdote about going broke; along with the Ladies Love songs 6 Minutes Of Pleasure and Mr Good Bar.

my rating : 3 of 5

1990

audio review : Wonderful Christmastime ( song ) … Paul McCartney

The refrain of this Christmas anthem is indeed Wonderful. Paul McCartney seems to know it too as he reverts to it after every four, or is it two, bars of verse. That gives the song an odd structure in which the bridge is the longest bit.

Not that anyone at the party is paying attention to the structure of the song. Everyone’s too busy having fun, dancing and singing along. “The mood is right, the spirit’s up,” McCartney observes, “We’re here tonight and that’s enough.”

my rating : 4 of 5

1979