August 31, 2021

Angel Olsen - Half Way Home (2012)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Folk, Indie Rock
Label Number: BATHETIC 68
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© 2012 Bathetic Records
AllMusic Review by Fred Thomas
With Half Way Home, her first proper solo album following some lesser EP and cassette material, Chicago songwriter Angel Olsen constructs a landscape so starkly beautiful it's surprising she can hide any of the emotional intricacies of her songs in a sound so wide open. Olsen spent some time collaborating with Bonnie "Prince" Billy on tour and singing on his records as part of the Cairo Gang, and while relating her sad-souled Americana songs to those of Bonnie Billy's wouldn't be wrong, that lazy comparison doesn't really do justice to their complexity. Half Way Home is a collection of hidden moments and gracefully wounded sounds taking notes from decades of masterfully melancholic artists. The nostalgic bounce of "The Waiting" filters an upbeat indie folk arrangement through a heavy Roy Orbison lens, spotlighting the deep loneliness locked in what comes off as a sprightly mellow rocker. Angel flits between these shades of classic '50s icons like Orbison and Patsy Cline, echoes of Joni Mitchell's '70s free-spirit wandering, and the more modernized approach shared by her indie contemporaries. On tracks like "Can't Wait Until Tomorrow" and "Always Half Strange," she manages to run through all of these styles, building from a disaffected deadpan to a soaring, yodeling crescendo. Olsen keeps the arrangements minimal for much of the album, but the more fleshed-out numbers like "Lonely Universe" and "The Sky Opened Up" have touches of '70s Euro-folk, with understated percussion, haunted vocal delays, and mumbling bass bringing out touches of Fairport Convention or even the muted sorrow of Sibylle Baier. It's the understatement that makes Half Way Home such a heart-wrenching and gorgeous listen. By album closer "Tiniest Seed," Olsen has laid out a transfixing set of tunes that fold back into a softy crushing whole. Bare-bones harmonies, restrained instrumentation, and Olsen's brilliantly isolated musical persona result in an album to return to repeatedly, with new layers revealing themselves each time.

tags: angel olsen, halfway home, 2012, flac,

Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness (2014)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock
Label Number: JAG244
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© 2014 Jagjaguwar
AllMusic Review by Fred Thomas
When Angel Olsen's proper debut, Half Way Home, materialized in 2012, its spare indie folk compositions and subtle references to the greats of '50s country congealed into a restless whole. The album was great, but something in the way the songs connected with each other suggested that Olsen had something far more complex to say that wasn't quite getting through with Half Way Home, despite its fantastically crafted offerings. With Burn Your Fire for No Witness, Olsen expands in all directions, fully reaching the depth of expression hinted at on her last album while still lingering in the restlessness and searching feelings that make all of her work so captivating. Production work from John Congelton adds a different dimension to Olsen's sound, and many of the songs are bolstered with tasteful playing from drummer Josh Jaeger and bassist Stewart Bronaugh, as well as touches of organ, piano, and other various supportive sounds. More than anything, however, the heightened production and instrumentation just help to show how much Olsen's songs have grown and how confident she's become as a performer, even in the space of one album. While still bearing some similarities to Roy Orbison or lesser-known mid-'90s indie singer Edith Frost, Olsen's voice feels more fearlessly her own here, stepping out of the muted shadows to bellow and wail like some wild hybrid of PJ Harvey and Emmylou Harris on a rocking track like "Forgiven/Forgotten" or the more country-seeped "Hi-Five." The heartbreaking seven-minute dirge "White Fire" follows obviously in the footsteps of Leonard Cohen, but manages to succeed in its ambitious tribute, dire and personal rather than simple mimicry. The album seamlessly strolls from soaring numbers like "Lights Out" into a more stripped-down second half before ending with the gorgeous and inspired "Windows." The song's multi-tracked vocals and pained melody get into different territory than anything else on the record, leaving the door open for what's to come next and suggesting that Olsen will continue to push her development exponentially with her next album.

tags: angel olsen, burn your fire for no witness, 2014, flac,

Angel Olsen - My Woman (2016) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock
Label Number: JAG284
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☠: Selected by Lass
© 2016 Jagjaguwar
AllMusic Review by Marcy Donelson
Following the acclaimed Burn Your Fire for No Witness and its expanded sound by two-and-a-half years, idiosyncratic singer/songwriter Angel Olsen broadens her palette even more on LP four, My Woman. Now with a long enough discography to note trends, she's made a steady transformation from tormented acoustic crooner to veritable indie rock songstress, if one still capable of the most intimate of deliveries. My Woman has the full range on display, including some electronics and extroversion not heard from her previously, as dictated by a loose story arc that follows the stages of a doomed relationship, all told from a woman's point of view. The album was recorded live to tape with a five-piece backing band at Vox Studios in Los Angeles.

In the ambivalent opener, "Intern," our heroine reluctantly decides to have one last go at love, foreshadowing with "Doesn’t matter who you are or what you do/Something in the world will make a fool of you." The song's atmospheric electronics, a first for Olsen, brace listeners for that expanded palette from the opening seconds. A couple of tracks later is the infectious "Shut Up Kiss Me." Also unlike any of her prior material, it's an aggressive retro rocker that captures unbridled passion and lust ("I ain't giving up tonight"). Co-dependency sets in on "Give It Up," and insecurity follows on "Not Gonna Kill You," both full-band, electric-guitar tunes. Arrangements get sparer as the subject matter gets more philosophical and despondent, such as on the artful "Sister," a dusty, nearly eight-minute epic that bargains with the future. Soon, "Those Were the Days" wonders "Will you ever know the same love that I know?" The breathy torch song is devoid of the singer's trademark heart-aching yodel, forgoing past country styling for low-key jazz-rock. In stark contrast to some of the other songs on the record, the closer, "Pops," is a solo piano dirge that bookends the album with its somber opener ("I'll be the thing that lives in the dream when it's gone").

While some tracks will surprise established fans, to say that My Woman is a departure or style swap for Olsen doesn't really take into account the album as a whole. The elements that are new here play out like a means to an end for a songwriter with a tale to tell, one chock-full of raw emotions. The songs stand just fine on their own, too, out of context. So, load up the playlists, but consider giving the album a proper front-to-back play through at least once for old time's sake.

tags: angel olsen, my woman, 2016, flac,

Angel Olsen - All Mirrors (2019)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Dream Pop
Label Number: JAG344
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© 2019 Jagjaguwar
AllMusic Review by Marcy Donelson
When Angel Olsen first emerged as a solo artist in the early 2010s, it was with a spare, haunting acoustic lo-fi that put all focus on her vulnerable, idiosyncratic vocal delivery. As she shifted from country-inflected indie folk to a brooding, more volatile garage-rock blend over the course of her next couple albums, even adding synths to the mix on 2017's My Woman, she managed to keep her tormented songs distinctly intimate. She does it again on All Mirrors, even when lavish arrangements and sometimes seismic production make full use of a 14-piece orchestra alongside guitars, synths, and a thundering low end. All Mirrors was co-produced by Olsen and Burn Your Fire for No Witness' John Congleton, who also mixed it, and features string arrangements by Jherek Bischoff and Ben Babbitt. Babbitt also co-wrote some of the music with Olsen. (The lyrics are all Olsen.) Opening track "Lark" sets the stage, developing from a reticent mumble over distant-sounding strings to a yelping, echoing symphonic pop and back again. "Echoing" may be understating it; the song and much of the studio-made album sound like they were recorded in a cathedral, with instruments simmering at a distance before closing in on the singer at opportune moments. Meanwhile, she fills the reverberating expanses with pleas, frustrations, and sad epiphanies on a set of songs concerned with deciding to walk away from toxic relationships, as the track list guides listeners through "Spring," "Summer," and "Endgame." Amid more theatrical entries, "Too Easy" takes on a dreamy, synth-heavy semi-disco ("Any way you want to, honey/Take me, show me how you want me"). Elsewhere, the devastating "Tonight" sounds as if delivered through tears, combining half-exhaled vocals with the elegant Romanticism of its orchestra accompaniment. The album closes on "Chance," a dramatic, cabaret-style offering that executes the lyrics "It's hard to say forever love/Forever is just so far" with a confident if quivering lilt.
All Mirrors was originally conceived as a double album with solo renditions of the same songs, but as the fully realized tracks took shape, Olsen committed to a definitive version. Though she may have initially built her reputation on stark and brittle atmospheres, it turns out that her trademark vulnerability is only elevated by these stirring, highly stylized interpretations, making it a risk that pays off in spades.
tags: angel olsen, all mirrors, 2019, flac,

Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Life of a Kid In The Ghetto (1991) ⚓

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 848 326-2
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© 1991 PWL America/Mercury Records
AllMusic Review by Andy Kellman
Life of a Kid in the Ghetto contains a pair of message-oriented singles that sounded like classics in 1991. Neither one peaked inside the Top 50 of Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart, but they did get a little exposure on Yo! MTV Raps and on some of the more adventurous black radio stations. Had they been released a few years later, they wouldn't have stood any kind of chance. "I Got to Have It" touches upon a number of issues (black-on-black crime, drug abuse, inattentive parents), but it's easy to lose in Awesome 2's easygoing, Bohannon-sampling production work. "Be a Father to Your Child," one of sharpest message songs released within any genre, is eternally relevant and replayable, thanks to Ed's plainspoken rhymes and a loping groove assisted by the Roy Ayers Ubiquity's "Searching." Beyond those two songs, there's not quite enough hot material to warrant classic album status, but there's plenty to recommend it. The album is almost evenly split between the addressing topical matters (the agitated but humor-laced "Dedicated to the Right Wingers," the powerful "Speak Upon It") and clowning around ("Bug-A-Boo," "Feel Like a Nut"), and unlike a lot of groups who specialized in one approach but not the other, Ed O.G & da Bulldogs are adept at both.

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tags: ed og and the bulldogs, life of a kid in the ghetto, 1991, flac,

Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Roxbury 02119 (1994) ⚓

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 314 518 161-2
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© 1993 Chemistry/Mercury Records
AllMusic Review by Andy Kellman
The second Ed O.G & da Bulldogs album opens with a first-person drug slinging tale. Bleak and even claustrophobic, "Streets of the Ghetto" is no glorification, nowhere near celebratory. Instead, the track conveys the realities of the trade while outlining how a person with severely limited options can be lured into it. "Streets" sets the tone for Roxbury 02119, generally a more serious and tense album than Life of a Kid in the Ghetto. While rap was going harder in 1993 than it was in 1991, Ed O.G's shift is natural with no apparent desire to cash in on the increasingly prevailing trend. It's where his head was at, enhanced greatly by a handful of Diamond's most overlooked productions, as well as a batch of relatively playful tracks helmed by Awesome 2 Productions (Teddy Tedd, Special K, and their many associates). "Streets," "Busted," "Skinny Dip," "I Thought Ya Knew," and "Dat Ain't Right" have all the trademarks of Diamond's most-loved tracks: nerved-up breaks, distant squealing horns, thumping basslines, and the constant sense that something major is about to go down. (He'd be a natural at film scoring.) Unfortunately, nothing clicked like the singles from Life of a Kid in the Ghetto, and the album quickly became an undeserving obscurity.

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tags: ed og and the bulldogs, roxbury 02119, 1994, flac,

The Halo Benders - The Rebels Not In (1998)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock
Label Number: KLP 81
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© 1998 K
AllMusic Review by Marc Ruxin
Once again, Calvin Johnson and Dug Martsch have united to crank out some of the weirdest, most oddly danceable tunes this side of King Kong. On The Rebels Not In, the third full-length effort from the Halo Benders, the duo does a much better job of vocal harmonizing than on their two prior albums, trading deep wails for off-key whines in their own unique fashion. Vocally, this record belongs largely to Calvin, accompanied largely by the trademark shimmering guitar work of Martsch. Opening with "Virginia Reel Around the Fountain," the band takes a far-removed stab at the Smiths classic by combining their trademark zany lyrics with melodramatic teenage angst. "Lonesome Sundown" best exemplifies the wonderful creativity that results from the union of the principal songwriters from Built To Spill and Beat Happening. The Rebels Not In is easily their most accessible effort yet, filled with upbeat, weird and wonderful tunes and a beat so catchy it's often difficult to stop your feet from tapping.

tags: the halo benders, the rebels not in, 1998, flac,

The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I (1999)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock
Label Number: DI34
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© 1999 DeSoto Records
AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett
The band's third full album is a firecracker, showing their at once passionate and sly approach to music -- take in everything, put it back out, and give it its own particular sheen and spin -- is in no danger of letting up. Knowing fans of the quartet have spoken on how it's clear that the bandmembers listen to everything from old soul to hip-hop and techno and back again, and there's no argument here based on the evidence of this disc. Travis Morrison's unusual vocals make a brilliant calling card for the band, high, a touch quavery, but never out of control, slipping into the mix like another instrument. Though the comparisons to fellow D.C. musical figure Craig Wedren are understandable, Morrison's voice isn't as piercing, with a warm, light undertow that's quite affecting. When he hits his best moments, like the downright anthemic but never breast-beating "What Do You Want Me to Say?," it's a wonder more people aren't talking about the guy. The rest of the band turn the indie rock stereotype on its head, avoiding aimless shambling jangle or emo's straightjacketing stereotype in favor of an unsettled mix that embraces sampling's jump-cut techniques and shifting rhythms where prominence is equally given to guitar, keyboards, and beat. It can be late-night jazzy mood-out or sudden thrash, but the quartet handles all approaches with aplomb and creative arrangements to boot. Drummer Joe Easley may be the band's secret weapon, able to keep the pace and swing just enough, though bassist Eric Axelson is by no means a slouch himself -- the dub-touched "Spider in the Snow" is a great showcase for both. The fact that "You Are Invited" is conceivably the world's greatest synth-pop/electro/guitar chime/post-punk song about trying to get to the right party -- and is emotional without being overwrought -- gives a sense as to this album's considerable strengths.

tags: the dismemberment plan, emergency and i, 1999, flac,

Everlast - Forever Everlasting (1990)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 9 26007-2
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© 1990 Warner Bros. Records
AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson
Here's a little known fact of rap history: before Everlast enjoyed recognition as a member of House of Pain, he pursued a career as a solo artist. Forever Everlasting, his first and only pre-Pain solo album, is a decent, though not outstanding release proving that he had strong rapping skills long before becoming well known. Ice-T, who serves as this CD's executive producer, once said of Everlast, "Hearing him rap, you'd never know he was white" -- and to be sure, the L.A.-based MC is far from a pop rapper. Though most of his lyrics aren't remarkable, this CD definitely has its moments -- most notably, "Speak No Evil" (a reflection on injustice in America) and the angry "Fuck Everyone."

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Everlast - Eat At Whitey's (2000)

*German repress. 
Contains 13 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 1699-81411-2
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© 2000 Tommy Boy/Deluxe Entertainment
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Nobody ever would have guessed that the leader of House of Pain would come back after a bout of obscurity and a serious heart attack to reinvent himself as a hip-hop troubadour, rasping out bluesy folk-rock to a steady-rolling beat. The fact that Everlast had the vision to change his tune was surprising enough, but the fact that it worked and found a wide audience was stunning. When it came time to deliver Eat at Whitey's, the follow-up to Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, in 2000, Everlast was smart enough to expand on a good thing, turning out a sequel that built on the folk-rap-rock that rejuvenated his career, while adding slight new twists. The problem is, the new twists, particularly in the guise of cameos from rockers like Carlos Santana and Warren Haynes, don't work particularly well. Also, whenever he veers toward straight rap, such as on the B-Real duet "Deadly Assassins," the music falls a little flat -- just like it did on the predecessor. Still, these not-quite successful moments don't detract from an album that delivers on the promise of Whitey Ford. Whenever Everlast lays back and spins stories and tall tales on his own, his blend of folk, rock, blues, rap, and pop culture clicks. It can be a little silly -- his rhymes are occasionally goofy, his growl a little too raspy -- but at its best, it's evocative, catchy, and ingratiating. If he can't sustain the quality of the first three songs throughout the record, at least it connects several more times, enough to make Eat at Whitey's satisfying for listeners that want a little more of "What It's Like."

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Enon - High Society (2002)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock
Label Number: tg235cd
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© 2002 Touch & Go
AllMusic Review by Heather Phares
Enon's second album, High Society, is something of a homecoming for the band. Dave Sardy's See-Thru label issued their debut, Believo!, but for their follow-up, the group moved to Touch & Go, the home of John Schmersal's former band Brainiac, as well as that of Blonde Redhead, of whom Toko Yasuda used to be a member. Similarly, High Society sounds like a more focused combination of Brainiac's spastic geek-rock and Blonde Redhead's more delicate, poppy moments. Though they may be more focused, Enon will never be straightforward, but that's one of the band's, and album's, strengths. In the first four songs alone, High Society spans the driving, garagey rock of "Old Dominion," the weirdly brooding "Count Sheep," "In This City"'s sleek synth pop, and the jangly cuteness of "Window Display," which sounds like a cross between Preston School of Industry and Magnetic Fields. Believo! was also admirably eclectic, but High Society is both more versatile, and more successful in its versatility, than Enon's debut. A large part of this is due to the addition of Yasuda, whose voice and synths add a new dimension to the band's sound, particularly on showcases like the pretty, and pretty weird, new wave buzz of "Disposable Parts" and "Shoulder." Solid songwriting also anchors High Society's sonic trickery effectively, making it interesting decoration instead of the album's main attraction; relatively poppy tracks like "Sold!" and "Natural Disasters" sit pretty comfortably next to the wigged-out "Native Numb" and "Pleasure and Privilege," which should satisfy any Enon fans looking for a fix of Brainiac-like freakiness. Equally impressive, though, is the album's title track, which gives a playful nod in the direction of the Left Banke and the Kinks at their chamber-poppiest. Just as expansive and experimental as it is streamlined and melodic, on High Society Enon's contradictory style makes perfect sense.

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Enon - Hocus-Pocus (2002)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock
Label Number: TG249CD
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© 2003 Touch & Go
AllMusic Review by Heather Phares
Arriving just over a year after the excellent High Society, Hocus Pocus is Enon's attempt to sum up where it has been on its previous albums and strike out in new directions at the same time. These contradictory impulses result in an album that's a musical tug-of-war: while many of Hocus Pocus' tracks sound like pleasant but not especially distinctive reworks of High Society songs, there are almost as many that suggest Enon is moving in some intriguing new directions. While there's nothing inherently wrong with "Spanish Boots"' good-natured indie rock or "Shave"'s atmospheric, Asian-influenced new wave, it tends to sound like slight variations on High Society's "Window Display" and the band's breakout hit "In This City," respectively. Unfortunately, this problem plagues a good portion of the album: songs like the pretty but vague "Monsoon" and the meandering "Storm the Gates" sound underdeveloped, like outtakes from High Society with all of that album's tension and weirdness removed. Hocus Pocus also suffers from some strange sequencing: most of its quieter numbers are placed near the beginning of the album and the louder tracks are dumped anticlimactically near the end. Compounding the problem is the album's somewhat subdued production, which gives an overly detached feeling to potentially powerful tracks like "Litter in the Glitter." Still, Hocus Pocus' best songs make it a difficult album to dismiss entirely; and, as with the previous album, Toko Yasuda's bright, fresh-sounding vocals are at least partly responsible for some of its most distinctive moments. "Daughter in the House of Fools" is one of Enon's best songs to date, with junkyard percussion and flitting electronics providing a bouncy, playful showcase for Yasuda's vocals. Likewise, "Mika Zuki" is equal parts beauty and whimsy, a mix of traditional Japanese music, electronica, and a bit of exotica. They're different than anything Enon has tried before, suggesting a new realm of possibilities for the band. Other Hocus Pocus tracks offer more subtle innovations: the swooningly romantic new wave duet "Candy" and the title track wander into love song territory, while the sleek, creepy "Murder Sounds" reveals a newfound flair for the dramatic. Meanwhile, songs like "The Power of Yawning" and "Starcastic" bookend the album with the immediacy and bite that is largely missing from the rest of the album. As promising as it is inconsistent, Hocus Pocus may not be Enon's strongest album, but it's still a fairly interesting one.

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Enon - Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds (2007)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock
Label Number: TG311
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© 2007 Touch & Go
AllMusic Review by Heather Phares
On Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds, Enon's first proper album since Hocus Pocus, straightforward is the new strange. The trio puts aside the pixilated, eclectic style of earlier albums for most of these songs, focusing on cranked-up rock instead. It's a pretty big change, but not an entirely unwelcome one, since sometimes Hocus Pocus and High Society teetered on the edge of becoming too precious. Sometimes, Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds' streamlined approach works wonderfully: "Mirror on You" just might be Enon's most danceable song, with seemingly endless reflections of Toko Yasuda's voice stretching out into the distance and hand claps up front. "Mr. Ratatatatat" is shouty and surreal, and "Pigeneration" proves that Yasuda's delicate voice can stand up to grinding guitars and gurgling synths. Too often, though, Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds' simpler arrangements and songwriting just don't fit the band all that well. The loose ends in Enon's songs used to be just as appealing as the hooks; here, tracks like "Dr. Freeze" and "Those Who Don't Blink" are a little too samey to rank with the band's best work. Enon allow themselves a little more room for experimentation on the album's second half, and the results are better, or at least more interesting, than what came before. "The Law of Johnny Dolittle"'s noise-saturated duet is one of the few times where the band lets loose and it makes an impact; "Paperweights" turns rumbling noise and synths that sound like whining drills into one of the album's catchiest songs, and the exotic "Labyrinth" and spooky, almost trip-hoppy "Ashish" give Yasuda perfect foils for her singing. This flurry of creativity helps redeem Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds, and there are more than a few bright spots, but unfortunately, this is one of Enon's slightest and most uneven albums.

tags: enon, grass geysers carbon clouds, 2007, flac,

August 30, 2021

Stetsasonic - Blood, Sweat & No Tears (1991)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: TBCD 1024
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© 1991 Tommy Boy Records
AllMusic Review by John Bush
What turned out to be Stetsasonic's parting long-player, Blood, Sweat & No Tears may have disappointed those expecting another In Full Gear, but there was much to love here despite a long-winded, partially deflating running time. Starting out with a devastating instrumental, "The Hip Hop Band," Stetsa sounded fresher than ever on "No B.S. Allowed" and the funky groupie tribute, "Speaking of a Girl Named Suzy." "Go Brooklyn 3" sounded surprisingly reminiscent of West Coast hardcore, but the very next track, "Walkin' in the Rain," was a smooth ballad that sampled the 1972 Love Unlimited hit (and re-created the oh-so-sexy Barry White phone conversation). As a band, Stetsasonic still had plenty of ties to funk, dropping expressive party jams like "So Let the Fun Begin" and the P-Funk name-dropping "Don't Let Your Mouth Write a Check That Your Ass Can't Cash." Prince Paul, then coming off the success of De la Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, hardly dominated this record; Bobby Simmons and Daddy O each produced as many (or more) tracks as he did (most of them great), while DBC and Wise also contributed. If it lacks the classic status that In Full Gear instantly commanded, Blood, Sweat & No Tears was still a fitting last hurrah to one of the golden age's most diversely talented combos.

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tags: stetsasonic, blood sweat and no tears, 1991, flac,

Steve Coleman & Metrics - The Way of The Cipher (1995)

 
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Jazz Rap
Label Number: 74321-31690-2
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© 1995 BMG Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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tags: steve coleman and metrics, the way of the cipher, 1995, flac,

DLT ft. Ché Fu - Chains (Maxi Single) (1996)

*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: New Zealand
Language: English
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 74321 393522
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© 1996 BMG/RCA Records
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tags: dlt che fu, chains, maxi single, 1996, flac,

Gary Numan - Dance (1999 Remastered Edition)

*Reissued & remastered in 1999 by Beggars Banquet
Contains 5 bonus tracks. 
16 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Synth Pop
Label Number: BBL 28 CD
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© 1981-1999 Beggars Banquent
AllMusic Review by John Bush
A transition album of sorts, Dance saw Numan departing from the jerky machine music of his synth pop prime to embrace a (bit) warmer sound that is less robotic and more free-form. The subject matter on highlights like "She's Got Claws," "Slowcar to China," "Cry the Clock Said," and "Crash" are quintessentially Numan, but their musical frameworks are quite far removed from early hits like "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars." Undoubtedly a shock to fans, Dance hasn't aged very well, either. The music is just a bit too far removed from the subjects to make much sense.

tags: gary numan, dance, 1981, 1999, remaster, flac,

Gary Numan - Outland (1991)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop
Label Number: 7130772
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© 1991 I.R.S. Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: gary numan, outland, 1991, flac,

Gary Numan - Exile (1998)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Industrial Rock
Label Number: CLP 0200-2
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© 1998 Cleopatra
AllMusic Review by Simon Cantlon
Exile Extended is an extended (hence the title) version of Gary Numan's 1998 release, Exile. The subject is dark and conceptual, dealing with good versus evil and a timely questioning of faith considering the new millennium was right around the corner. Dark subject matter is nothing new to the Numan camp, but Exile Extended is easily one of his darkest. With such heavy subject matter this could have been cumbersome and laborious, but in fact it's just the opposite. Numan continues to update his sound to the electro-rock vein, and by offering this extended version, he gives the music and his vocals more room to breathe. His one-of-a-kind vocals are in fine form throughout. Having become less robotic, Numan seems to have adapted more of a "dark lord" feel to his vocals. Exile Extended creates a more dramatic edge than the original Exile. The album works well as a whole -- the synthesized melodies create hypnotic soundscapes, never making it feel like the songs go on for too long. If you loved Exile, then you'll definitely enjoy this expanded version. For those of you who haven't listened to Numan's work, this is a good point to dive in.

tags: gary numan, exile, 1998, flac,

Gary Numan - Jagged (2006)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Industrial Rock
Label Number: MORTALCD001
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© 2006 Mortl/Cooking Vinyl
AllMusic Review by David Jeffries
The sprawling and dark Jagged finds Gary Numan continuing his love affair with all things gothic and industrial, and while many of the tracks are rich, layered, and downright creepy, the album as a whole is tough going, with too many songs sounding the same. The soft-loud-soft-even-louder technique that Nine Inch Nails often employ is beaten to death here and long, eerie intros are the norm. Numan's lyric writing is inspired, mostly by betrayal and heartbreak, and his teaming with multi-instrumentalist Ade Fenton has brought on a new sound for the veteran synth-man, one with landscapes that are sinister and vast. It's mesmerizing for a track or two, then three or for more, and the listener is begging for a melody or something sharp to cut through the muck. Taken in small doses, Jagged works better, if not extremely well, but only the hardcore need to check this wandering and bleak album.

tags: gary numan, jagged, 2006, flac,

Stir - Stir (1996) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Post Grunge
Label Number: CDP 7243 8 38398 2 7
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☠: Selected by Lass
© 1996 Capitol Records
AllMusic Review by Tim Griggs
Stir is a talented trio of earnest rockers with a slight twang. The songs are pretty good, but they tend to suffer from sameness -- the tracks seem to run together. In fact, the first two cuts sound like they could be fit together to make the same song. The album has many rockers, which are offset by acoustic numbers. The musicianship is good and Andrew Schmidt's slightly raspy voice is fine. This debut album shows great promise for better things to come.

tags: stir, stir album, 1996, flac,

Pras - Ghetto Supastar (1998)

*European pressing. 
Contains 20 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Pop Rap
Label Number: 491489 2
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© 1998 Ruffhouse/Columbia Records
AllMusic Review by Bill Cassel
Pras' single, "Ghetto Supastar," was omnipresent in 1998 on radio, on MTV and blasting from car stereos, and with good reason; it's an absolutely irresistible combination of funky bass and drums, excellent rapping from Pras and ODB and angelic singing by Mya. He apparently was under a lot of pressure to produce the full-length follow-up, and the result is a scattershot, throw-in-the-kitchen-sink approach. You get the single, 11 more songs, versions of "Hallelujah" and "Amazing Grace" and a whole bunch of Pras' answering machine messages (four tracks totaling 12 minutes -- a bit much). That said, Ghetto Supastar isn't half-bad. Aside from the title track, highlights include "Can't Stop the Shining," featuring reverb-heavy guitar from Lenny Kravitz, the tense, minimalist "For the Love of This" and the trippy "Murder Dem," with its stuttering rhythm and strange sound effects floating through the mix. Pras' cause is furthered throughout by crisp, clear production with an emphasis on the low end. With a little editing, Ghetto Supastar could've been a killer; as is, it's an entertaining slice of R&B-oriented hip-hop. Some versions of Ghetto Supastar include a four-track bonus disc credited to the "Refugee Camp Navy SEALS"; this is pretty forgettable stuff and not worth going out of your way to find.

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tags: pras, ghetto supastar, superstar, 1998, flac,

Professor Griff - Disturb N Tha Peace (Freedom Is Just a Mind Revolution Away) (1992) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Political Hip-Hop
Label Number: XR 124-2
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☠: Selected by Sentinel
© 1992 Luke Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release

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tags: professor griff, 1992, flac,