audio review : Ghetto Thang ( song ) … De La Soul

Ghetto Thang sounds damn good when the bass loop plays out in full with its accommodating whine synth. When it drops out, as during the title breaks, the quality plummets. The question is whether or not that happens often enough to ruin the song completely.

The refrain lasting just four bars as opposed to the usual eight, with one exception at the end, makes it more forgivable than it otherwise would’ve been. Still it’s an annoying distraction on a song the rappers (Trugoy/Posdnuos) should’ve rapped straight thru.

my rating : 3 of 5

1989

audio review : 3 Feet High And Rising ( album ) ... De La Soul

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2023

audio review : Trailways Bus ( song ) … Paul Simon ( featuring Sara Ramirez )

This isn’t just the best song from Paul Simon’s Capeman play and companion album, it’s one of the best he’s ever made. It’s sang mostly from the perspective of character (Saint) Lazarus; Simon also covers the roles of Sal and a “border patrol” officer while guest Sara Ramirez plays Wahzinak; and the vocals are wonderful.

That goes for both the melodies and the lyrics, apparently co-authored by poet Derek Walcott. “He can’t leave his fears behind; he recalls each fatal thrust,” one line goes in reference to Salvador Agron, who was convicted as a youth for killing two peers with a knife; “Screams carried by the wind; phantom figures in the dust.”

my rating : 5 of 5

1997

audio review : Songs From The Capeman ( album ) ... Paul Simon