March 03, 2022

The Triffids - Calenture (1987)

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Country: Australia
Genre: Jangle Pop
Label Number: 258 736/CID 9885

© 1987 Island Records
The Triffids were never labeled as a Christian band, but there's an undeniably spiritual feel to several of the songs on Calenture. Moreover, vocalist David McComb spews his words with the fiery passion of a backwoods preacher. The orchestral sweep of "Bury Me Deep in Love" recalls the Waterboys' expansive sound; the lyrics are unmistakably religious as McComb looks for salvation in a chapel. Fans of Nick Cave will immediately be seduced by McComb's bluesy croon; deep and brimming with palpable sorrow, McComb's voice never dwindles in intensity. "A Trick of the Light" opens like a lullaby with its twinkling synths; the pitter-patter of the drums augments the track's dreamlike ambience. The lyrics, however, read like the tortured confessions of a man obsessed with an ex-lover: "You remind very much/Of someone that I used to know/We used to take turns crying all night." The striking images in Calenture illustrate the predicaments of each song's characters. The hallucinations suffered by the woman in "Kelly's Blues" are vividly drawn: "Her tree blew over/I shook her branches down/The wind and I, we howled around her door/Now there's a buckle in the sky, lightning on the shore." The grim "Vagabond Holes" details the anger of romantic rejection with unflinching bitterness. Stoked by sinister guitars and pummeling drums, McComb unleashes a volley of vindictive thoughts: "No one's going to love you when you're wrinkled and old/No teeth in your gum, your hair the colour of snow." The Triffids released one more LP, The Black Swan, before the band split up and McComb sadly passed away. McComb's explosive rage at the finale of "Vagabond Holes" should have been the Triffids' last gasp, an unsettling blast of scarred emotions that isn't easy to shake off.

tags: the triffids, calenture, 1987, flac,
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Bluttaufe - Mein Fleisch An Deinen Lippen... (2000)

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Country: Germany
Language: German (Deutsch)
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: hunt cd 001

© 2000 Christhunt Productions
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: bluttaufe, mein fleisch an deinen lippen, 2000, flac,
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…And Oceans - The Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts (1998)

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Country: Finland
Language: English, Finnish (Suomen Kieli)
Genre: Black Metal
Style: Symphonic Black Metal
Label Number: SOM 008

© 1998 Season of Mist
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: and oceans, the dynamic gallery of thoughts, 1998, flac,
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…And Oceans - A.M.G.O.D. (2001)

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Country: Finland
Language: English
Genre: Black Metal
Style: Symphonic Black Metal
Label Number: 8019-2

© 2001 Century Media
The third offering from Finnish black metal export And Oceans, Allotropic/Metamorphic Genesis of Dismorphism is definitely one of the band's finest. This career-best status is due in large part to the record's nicely defined production and arrangements. Like the two preceding CDs from And Oceans, Allotropic features material that steadily outperforms standard black metal fare; in fact, favorable songwriting comparisons to genre heavyweights like Dimmu Borgir are by no means a stretch. And Oceans adopts a familiar, progressive, almost experimental stance especially on highlights like "Tears Have No Name" and "Of Devilish Tongues." Unlike many similar, less-talented Scandinavian metal acts, this group leaves adequate room in its mix for the melodic use of keyboards, adding sophistication to its already rich sound. Fans of industrial/ambient-influenced, symphonic black metal will undoubtedly enjoy Allotropic/Metamorphic Genesis of Dismorphism.

tags: and oceans, amgod, 2001, flac,
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Endless Shame - Price of Devotion (2007)

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Country: Sweden
Language: English
Genre: Synth Pop
Label Number: KTOWNCD 002

© 2007 KTIWN Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: endless shame, price of devotion, 2007, flac,
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Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - Fegmania! (1985) ☠

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*U.K. first pressing. 
Contains 14 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: New Wave
Label Number: CHIME 00.08 CD
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1985 Midnight Music
After the stripped-back collection I Often Dream of Trains, Robyn Hitchcock slowly formed a backing band called the Egyptians with ex-Soft Boys Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor, and keyboardist Roger Jackson over the course of the next year. Fegmania!, the Egyptians' first album, was a distinct departure from both the Soft Boys and Hitchcock's previous solo work, featuring layered, intertwining guitars and keyboards that created lush and thick sonic textures. Even with the more detailed arrangements, the songs remained twitchy and off-kilter, with melodies that usually went in willfully unpredictable directions, yet remained catchy all the while. Fegmania! was Hitchcock's most consistent work to date, featuring such highlights as the Eastern-tinged "Egyptian Cream," and the creepy "My Wife & My Dead Wife," and the relatively straightforward "The Man with the Lightbulb Head." [In 2008 Yep Roc released a new version of Fegmania that included the original album re-mastered, eight bonus cuts (three of which were previously unavailable) and expanded packaging.]

tags: robyn hitchcock and the egyptians, fegamania, 1985, flac,
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Cool Breeze - East Points Greatest Hit (1999)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Pop Rap
Label Number: INTD-90159

© 1999 Organized Noize/A&M Records
Another offering from the Organized Noize camp (Goodie Mob, Outkast), Cool Breeze's debut doesn't measure up to that of his southern neighbors, but remains solid throughout. Breeze's storytelling prowess is on display with "Black Gangster," and the syncopated drumming on "Hit Man" lures you in to Breeze's "Dirty South." The album's undisputed highlight is "Watch for the Hook," where a pounding posse cut, featuring rapid-fire rhymes from Goodie Mob and Outkast, make for one of 1999's most memorable rap tracks.

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tags: cool breeze, east points greatest hit, 1999, flac,
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Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - Queen Elvis (1989)

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*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop Rock
Label Number: CD 5241 (Club Edition)

© 1989 A&M Records
Hitchcock redeemed himself on this collection -- song for song more vital than Globe of Frogs. "Madonna of the Wasps" is a timeless pop song, but the record is mired in modern-rock production and synthesizer sounds. "One Long Pair of Eyes" remains a Hitchcock standard, and the bizarre "Wax Doll" and "Veins of the Queen" kept Hitchcock at the fore of eccentric rock, making him the only appropriate heir to the English king-loony throne formerly occupied by Syd Barrett.

tags: robyn hitchcock and the egyptians, queen elvis, 1989, flac,
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March 02, 2022

Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow (2002)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 088 112 806-2

© 2002 MCA/Quannum Projects/Mahogany Sun
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
The late '90s ushered in a second golden age of progressive hip-hop, as a group of ambitious young lions rose from the underground to redefine the art of lyrical technique and revive the idea that hip-hop had relevant statements to make. With their 2000 debut album, Blackalicious established themselves as one of the West Coast's top outfits in this vein, and while it was very good, their follow-up, Blazing Arrow, is simply fantastic, vaulting the duo to the forefront of the progressive hip-hop pack. Much of Blazing Arrow retains NIA's airy, laconic feel, but the group's sense of craft has improved to a startling degree; the hooks are sharper and more plentiful, Gift of Gab's rhymes are denser, Chief Xcel's production is more breathtakingly lush, and his arrangements more sophisticated. What's more, the tracks draw from a rich sonic palette -- not just the expected jazz-funk and old-school influences, but straight pop (check the Nilsson sample on the title track) and smooth soul (particularly the Philly variety, but also the contemporary neo-soul revival) in particular. In spite of the duo's intellectual bent, the grooves on Blazing Arrow exude a tremendous warmth that's only complemented by the positivity of their messages. And if Gift of Gab wasn't recognized among hip-hop's premier lyricists before, he certainly ought to be now; his raps are jam-packed with internal rhymes, allusions, metaphors, ten-cent words, and amazing tongue-twisting feats of skill. Guests include members of Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, and Latyrx (all worthy company), not to mention singer/songwriter Ben Harper, Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine), and the legendary Gil Scott-Heron. All the pieces add up to not just one of the best rap albums of 2002, but one of the richest, most captivating albums to emerge from hip-hop's artsy new underground.

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tags: blackalicious, blazing arrow, 2002, flac,
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Blackalicious - Nia (1999)

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*European first pressing with the original track listing/order.
Contains 18 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: MWR 112CD

© 1999 Mo Wax
After recording a string of singles and EPs stretching back to 1994, the Blackalicious duo finally released their full-length debut, Nia, in early 2000. It's an album that stakes the claim of Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab as not only the best pair of rappers in the underground, but also the best pair of producers. As could be expected from an urban-underground crew, Blackalicious look back to earthy jazz-funk, rare-groove, and sampladelic old-school rap for their sound. Still, the productions on tracks like the great opening bout "The Fabulous Ones," "Do This My Way," and the tongue-twisting alphabet song "A to G" are much rawer and deeper -- and just plain better -- than most any underground-rap crew could manage. And as good as these tracks are, the raps are even better. Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab stay deep in the groove, switching between straight-ahead solo rhyming, sing-speak vocals, and one-two choruses with almost as many rapping styles as there are tracks. There's just a little too much material here -- 19 tracks spread across 74 minutes -- but Nia is an excellent tribute to the growing vitality of the rap underground.

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tags: blackalicious, nia, 1999, flac,
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Arrested Development - Unplugged (1993)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: CDP 521994

© 1993 Chrysalis/Columbia House
Basically a live rerecording of 3 Years, 5 Months, & 2 Days In the Life of ... (minus their breakthrough hit, "Tennessee"), Unplugged breaks no new ground for Arrested Development. Eight of the eleven songs on the album are from their debut, and the three new tracks are slight. The album is filled out with remixes of seven tracks, which are the instrumental tracks with the vocals turned down (they are still slightly audible). Despite the fact that it doesn't offer anything not on 3 Years, the album is an enjoyable listen.

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tags: arrested development, unplugged, 1994, flac,
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Parental Advisory - Ghetto Street Funk (1993)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: MCAD-10900

© 1993 MCA Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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tags: parental advisory, ghetto street funk, 1993, flac,
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Geto Boys - Greatest Hits (2002)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: 034744-2007 2 3

© 2002 Rap-A-Lot Records
This is a second and more inclusive package of the Geto Boys' best moments. The first, Uncut Dope, covered the group through 1991's We Can't Be Stopped; this opens it up to include tracks from 1993's Till Death Do Us Part, 1996's Resurrection, and 1998's Da Good da Bad & da Ugly. Those three albums were more patchy than the ones that came before them -- with the exception of Making Trouble -- and none of the highlights from them are of the caliber of earlier tracks like "Mind of a Lunatic," "My Mind Playing Tricks on Me," and "Trigga Happy Nigga." So, going strictly by pound-for-pound quality, Uncut Dope is the better of the two, but it's not as if later tracks like "Six Feet Deep," "The World Is a Geto," and "Gangsta (Put Me Down)" are entirely undeserving of anthology status. Furthermore, this disc has five more tracks and has better sound quality -- naturally so since it was released ten years after Uncut Dope. Choosing where to go first with this group is a tough call: The Geto Boys is the group's best album, but going with that leaves one without some of the group's best material. And neither Uncut Dope nor Greatest Hits are clear-cut first stops. Regardless of the choice, some of the most brutally descriptive and alternately funny Southern hip-hop is in well-stocked supply.

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tags: geto boys, greatest hits, 2002, flac,
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Scapegoat Wax - Swax (2002)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 2061-62343-2

© 2002 Hollywood Records
Scapegoat Wax was prepped to cause the same stir that labelmates Luscious Jackson had inspired in the early '90s when suddenly Grand Royal went under. Now signed to Hollywood, the band gets their second chance to make an impression on Swax. Bouncy beats, sensual basslines, sexy acoustic guitar work, and the occasional synth line add up to a steamy pop album that knows how to keep things moving. Singer Marty James has a rather indistinct voice, but his approach is novel and the mixture between humorous raps and smooth crooning works more often than not. He incurs comparisons to Fred Durst at times, which is more appropriate in this forum, but may turn off listeners who aren't fans of rap-rock. But the band never launches into thrashing guitar theatrics, they just keep delivering the smoking grooves and let James have his fun over the top of it. Party-friendly and amiable, Swax may not be instantly memorable, but it's still a fine album that suffers from a lack of strong individual tracks.

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tags: scapegoat wax, swax, 2002, flac,
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Gym Class Heroes - The Papercut Chronicles (2005)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: FBR072

© 2005 Fueled By Ramen/Decaydance
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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tags: the papercut chronicles, gym class heroes, 2005, flac,
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March 01, 2022

The Jesus & Mary Chain - Barbed Wire Kisses (B-Sides & More) (1988)

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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Noise Rock
Label Number: 9 25729-2

© 1988 Warner Bros. Records
Just a few years into their official recording career, the Jesus and Mary Chain had enough B-sides, outtakes, and other things sitting around to warrant a collection of nearly all of them, thus Barbed Wire Kisses. A welcome inclusion is the original debut single on Creation, "Upside Down," which in terms of the mix alone makes Psychocandy sound like Boston. Unfortunately the flip side cover of the Pink Floyd rarity "Vegetable Man" doesn't make it, but obvious inspirations the Beach Boys get saluted twice, once through a heavily thrashed-up cover of "Surfin' USA" that's pure Psychocandy in fidelity and impact, then again through a hilarious parody. "Kill Surf City" is pure Brian Wilson circa 1963 in melody, but the lyrics are something else again -- death, doom, destruction, and a bit of love here and there -- and the end result is a truly nutty combination. Another double tribute is given to Bo Diddley; his "Who Do You Love" becomes a low, menacing lope, echo cranked up high, while "Bo Diddley Is Jesus" just about says it all in the title, while of all bands, Can gets a nod via a cool live cover of "Mushroom." A single came with the whole thing as well, "Sidewalking," one of the band's best yet. Taking a T. Rex-styled glam strut and running it through their trademark clang'n'scrape feedback wringer, it's a monstrous track, the best song from the group since their Psychocandy days. A large number of tracks essentially continue the Psychocandy aesthetic without adding much to it, though those not entirely taken with Darklands will find much to love with the likes of "Head" and "Cracked." Meanwhile, two alternate versions of album cuts -- an acoustic take on "Taste of Cindy" and a neat demo take of "On the Wall" -- add to the fun.

tags: the jesus and mary chains, barbed wire kisses, b sides and more, 1988, flac,
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The Jesus & Mary Chain - Honey's Dead (1992)

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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Noise Rock
Label Number: 9 26830-2

© 1992 Def American Recordings
Again working with Alan Moulder but now also using a live drummer on most tracks -- namely Monti from Curve, one of the Mary Chain's many descendants -- the Reids came back strong with Honey's Dead, on balance a more consistent and satisfying record than Automatic. There's a sense of greater creativity with the arrangements, while the balance between blasting static rampage and precise, almost clinical delivery is the finest yet, making the album as a whole the best straight-through listen since Psychocandy. Monti's drumming finally replaces Bobby Gillespie's properly; he's a much more talented musician than the Primal Scream overlord, using the warped funk hits familiar from Curve's work to the Mary Chain's advantage. Even the drum machine-driven cuts work better than before, especially the brilliant, coruscating opener, "Reverence." Burning with some of the best nails-on-chalkboard feedback the band had yet recorded, combined with a whipsmart sharp breakbeat, all it took was the finishing touch of Jim Reid's sneering lines like "I wanna die like Jesus Christ" to make it another stone-cold classic single from the band. Other winners include "Sugar Ray," with beats and melody so immediate and addictive the track was actually used for a beer commercial, of all things, and the steady slap and crunch of "Good for My Soul." If there's a danger in Honey's Dead, it's that the near bottomless pit of reworked melodies and lyrics had almost reached its end -- even the final track, "Frequency," combines both "Reverence" itself with the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner" -- which made the stylistic shift on Stoned & Dethroned a logical follow-up. William and Jim Reid split all the vocals almost evenly, the former especially shining on the nearly gentle "Almost Gold," the closest the record comes to a sweet ballad.

tags: the jesus and mary chain, honeys dead, 1992, flac,
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The Jesus & Mary Chain - Stoned & Dethroned (1994)

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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Noise Rock
Label Number: 9 45573-2

© 1994 American Recordings
Having made a name for itself through its career for punishing noise combined with candy-coated hooks, the Jesus and Mary Chain took a sideways step on Stoned & Dethroned that actually worked rather handsomely. The Reids turned the emphasis toward much calmer, acoustic folk/country-tinged songs and, for the first time since Psychocandy, recorded with an actual full band, with Monti from Curve once again doing the drum honors and touring bassist Ben Lurie handling the same duties in studio. The appearance of Hope Sandoval on lead single "Sometimes Always" makes perfect sense, as Mazzy Star's electric/acoustic psych flow is, if not the inspiration for Stoned & Dethroned, a close enough cousin. "Sometimes Always" does indeed make for a lovely little duet, not quite a Lee & Nancy combination for a new generation, but a fine romp anyway, while on the other guest number Shane Macgowan from the Pogues takes a nicely mournful lead turn on "God Help Me." As for the album in general, the songs are much more than simply a toned-down Mary Chain -- it's almost as if the group were making its bid to finally demonstrate that it really was comprised of actual musicians, honest to goodness. What feedback there is appears as smoky atmosphere rather than skull-crushing scream, and oddly enough the end results almost suggest early-'70s Rolling Stones more than anything else, tinged as always with pure pop hooks and melodies. William's singing actually comes more to the fore than before, his warmer, less sneering vocals suiting the burned-out feeling of the album very nicely. A few songs could easily be full-on monsters -- the brief "Come On" and the almost uplifting "Girlfriend" in particular -- but, by and large, the drama is implicit rather than explicit.

tags: the jesus and mary chain, stoned and dethroned, 1994, flac,
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The Jesus & Mary Chain - Munki (1998)

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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Noise Rock
Label Number: 489854 2

© 1998 Creation Records
As befits an album bookended by tracks titled "I Love Rock'n'Roll" and "I Hate Rock'n'Roll," the Jesus and Mary Chain's Sub Pop label debut, Munki, is schizophrenic and impassioned, a record that both summarizes the band's career to date and cleans the slate for their future. Virtually each of the 17 tracks here echoes a prior moment in the Chain's existence, moving at breakneck pace from the volcanic noise of their earliest material to the bleak grace of Darklands, through to the sleek, supercharged pop of Automatic -- even Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval makes a cameo, as she did on Stoned & Dethroned. In a sense, it's an ideal primer to the Reid brothers' mercurial world, flirting with both brilliance and mediocrity; even after well over a decade, the Jesus and Mary Chain continue to thrill, irritate, and confound -- they're a true love/hate obsession.

tags: the jesus and mary chain, munki, 1998, flac,
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JT Money - Pimpin' On Wax (1999)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Pop Rap
Label Number: P2 50060

© 1999 Priority Records
JT Money's debut album, Pimpin' on Wax, sounds a little out of place in 1999. True, hardcore rap still ruled the hip-hop marketplace, but most hardcore rappers broadened their sound with late '70s/early '80s funk and smooth grooves. While he occasionally dips into that territory, JT Money pretty much keeps to hardcore California rap, with no apologies. He does this stuff pretty well, but his pimp style (heavily influenced by Too $hort, a featured guest on the album) -- as epitomized by "Playa Ass Shit," "Rap Ass Nigga," "On Da Grind," "Somethin' About Pimpin'" and "Ho Problems" -- sounds tired, especially since the 14 cuts run a very long time. Ultimately, the success of Pimpin' on Wax depends on your tastes -- if you can't get enough of the playas-pimps-n-hustlas scene, this will be a welcome debut, but to more discriminating tastes, this will sound a little rote.

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tags: jt money, pimpin on wax, 1999, flac,
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Mark Morrison - Return of The Mack (1996)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B
Label Number: 0630-14586-2

© 1996 WEA
Although it's not unique, Mark Morrison has a stronger voice than many of his urban soul peers, especially if he is just ranked among his British contemporaries. He doesn't have an ear for strong songs, and his production team is a little bland, but when they hit upon the right formula, like they do on the title track of Return of the Mack, the result is highly entertaining dance-pop.

tags: mark morrison, return of the mack, 1996, flac,
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