Month: March 2021

I casually followed the evolution of this album on Twitter, when El-P was talking about going to Atlanta to produce one track, then an album, then a collaborative project, with Killer Mike. He was reluctant, then enthusiastic, then Mike’s long-lost brother. I’d been a fan of El for a very long time, but I was new to Mike. That was about to change.

Side A starts out with an eponymous track title on an eponymous album. It’s also an incredible cut that only gets bested by 36″ Chain, during my listen, with Sea Legs just behind. What an album.

(This copy was formerly owned by a late friend an colleague, TIP Carl V.)

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During this series I’ve preferred to go into the studio and pick, somewhat at random, what I’ll listen to for the night. For St. Patrick’s Day I decided to play U2, and as I’d seen Tycho’s Awake turned 7 this week, it seemed like a very good pick. Side A is stacked, and choosing one track from this quartet was hard, very hard. Dye just won out because of it’s dynamic range. It’s one of those tracks that I just want to turn up every single time I hear it. Throughout the track it keeps that feeling of space and air and room, even in the last third when it gets a bit busy.

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This is a weird, limited 4xLP release with two tracks per side, 45RPM, so it sounds REALLY good, but the tracks are spread over four pieces, eight sides. I’d guess it would be a double best-of album on CD if it was even one track longer.

I picked Until the Morning over Sweet Tides because of that lovely Rhodes electric piano that accompanies Emiliana Torrini throughout the song. It just works so good. “Till the sunlight burns a happy hole in your heart…”

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This pick coincides with St. Patrick’s Day, and U2 are one of the few Irish bands I have music by, especially on vinyl. This is an older release, coming before the fame and fortune of Joshua Tree. Side A has some familiar tunes to those who know the U2 back catalogue, but 11 O’Clock Tick Tock really stood out. I love the interplay between the lead, bass, and the very clock-ish drums. It’s a great track and easily the best performance on the side, maybe even the album.

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Number 20 in the project is the excellent album Please, from The Pet Shop Boys. I listened to Side A, which has a lot of very popular tracks, one of which was a slim pick as a favorite. West End Girls tells a story very well, but without the noise and chaos of Suburbia. Great album overall, and side B has far fewer popular tracks, so also have a listen to it.

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Pick 19 was a pretty interesting one. Underworld has led many lives and Oblivion With Bells is well into the transition to the third. Side C of this album has three tracks, and I picked Boy, Boy, Boy of note because it just felt a little more composed and cleaner than Glam Bucket. Sides A, B, and D also have many quite good tracks to enjoy, like Beautiful Burnout.

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Number 18 was a neat pull, as it combines the small group prowess of Miles Davis with the orchestra directed by Gil Evans. Side 1 has a few classics on it, with Brubeck’s The Duke and Gershwin’s My Ship among them. I chose Springsville because it just felt like the best performance with all components.

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I’ve always loved the cover of this album because it’s the happiest dog in the world getting petted. This is a relatively obscure release, even on Ghostly, but I fell for it hard and Side B has a lot to like, including the final track Trustfalls, which I picked. Lots to like on this one, top to bottom.

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This project is a favorite, one melding Aesop rock and Rob Sonic’s talents with DJ Big Wiz on the ones and twos. It’s so absurd, but it works really good. I listened to Side C, which is the last side of the double LP. Side D is blank…I picked Holy Driver because it just felt the best cut on that side, which is the weakest. Dive into A/B for suuure

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As a fourth album, well, this was a trip. Completely unlike their previous efforts, well, it’s complicated but yields many very interesting tracks and it’s emotional without being so. damned. loud. Side D doesn’t hold back, and Kimdracula is my pick. So Deftones, even in this interstitial era.

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