Quasimoto - The Further Adventures of Lord Quas (CD, 2005)

I found this CD used after getting deep into Quas's first one, and did not hesitate to give it a shot.

Though it was released five years after The Unseen, it basically picks up the flow of that one and keeps going, though the production quality seems to have increased a bit. The beats are still sample-heavy as all get-out, but the helium vocal style isn't quite as dominating a presence. But it's still there. This is another long-ass album, at 26 tracks and over an hour of music, and it's noticeably denser than his debut.

I don't know for a fact that stoners love Quasimoto, but it would shock me if they didn't. (Quas is a shameless weedhead: the song "Greenery" leaves no doubt about that.) These records are so random, so long, and so filled with off-the-wall chopped-up bits and pieces, that it strikes me as a bong-hitter's dream. And while that would often be an insult, in this case, it's a compliment. I've listened to this record many times, and I still hear new slices and dices when it comes through the shuffle on the iPod.

Speaking of that - and this is totally not worth mentioning but I'm doing it anyway - my iPod loves Quasimoto. You know how sometimes your iPod will just latch onto an album or an artist and seem to play them more than anything else in your library? My iPod serves up Lord Quas more than anything. And that actually ends up being cool, because as much as I love the dude's music, I've found that I prefer it in small doses: over an hour can be a bit taxing.

But don't let me dissuade you: if you come across any Quas on the cheap, I say go for it.

"Bullyshit"

Quasimoto - The Unseen (CD, 2000)

I have a random memory of my brother telling me, probably seven years ago, that our friend Matt Fargo wouldn't stop talking about this rapper called Quasimoto. That he was Matt's favorite rapper, and that he couldn't stop listening to him. Matt's tastes were mostly to be trusted, but though the name sounded familiar to me, I didn't think much of it.

A few years later I came across this CD in a used bin, remembered the second-hand recommendation, and scooped it up. When I heard Lord Quas, I wasn't too surprised that Fargo had dug it so much.

Madlib supposedly created the alter ego of Quasimoto (and this record) during a week-long 'shrooms binge, but stories like that, while cool to reference, are most often apocryphal. I've never met anyone who got anything accomplished while on mushrooms, let alone a 24-track LP that received notable critical acclaim. But this album is weird as shit, so who knows what street pharmaceuticals were consumed during its creation. And who cares.

Trying to explain what Quasimoto sounds like is a bit difficult, but "lo-fi, sample-heavy beats with helium vocals" is probably a start. Sound a bit precious? It kind of is, but it's mostly awesome. I didn't expect to enjoy this record much (I don't know what other Madlib stuff I've even heard), but it's held a spot on my iPod for years, and it's going to stay there. It's just so odd and unlike anything else I own, that I keep sticking with it. And as a whole, the record flows brilliantly.

It's probably not for everyone, but I've grown to love it.

"Come On Feet"

700th Post: My Record Collection Has Never Been So Stallionistic.

Before we get into the usual breakdown, I wanted to mention that I finally made it to Portland's sort-of-new 99 Cent Records today, after months of not making it happen. Among other gems (including Naughty By Nature's first LP), I found the Stallion record that you see up top there, which I've been on the lookout for ever since I found the first Stallion LP a few years ago.

Don't let the name fool you: not all of their records sell for 99 cents. But a lot of them do. The Stallion record cost me three bucks, which I was happy to pay. Anyway, just wanted to say that it's a cool place worth checking out, and the guy who runs it was super nice. I'll be going back soon.

Now, on to the stats!

The past and current numbers breakdown, as it relates to CDs vs. vinyl:

At my 200th post, the score was 116-84; roughly 58% CDs to 42% vinyl.

By my 300th post, it was 179-112; about 61% to 39%.

At post 400, it was 217-156, which sent it back to 58% CDs and 42% vinyl.

At the ever-impressive 500th post, the tally was CDs: 250, LPs: 211. That breaks down to 54% CDs, 46% vinyl.

When we reached the 600th post, vinyl had finally overtaken CDs, by a score of 272-266, or 51% LPs, 49% CDs.

Since then, things have remained about the same, with vinyl gaining a little bit more, thanks to me replacing more of my CDs and going back and adjusting the entries. (Yes, I'm meticulous with this shit.)

The score as we sit right now is 311-302, keeping things at 51%-49% ratio with, as I said, LPs leading the charge.

I know that I own about 700 LPs, so we're still not even halfway done, even though the alphabet would suggest otherwise. The S's are going to take three months, methinks. Minimum.

Categories have remained basically the same, though 2000's hip hop has now over taken 2000's rock for the coveted third spot. And, we've got a new one: 2010's rock! Look for more from this decade in the future.

And thanks for reading again. You know how I have to take breaks from this thing here and there to reinvigorate myself. I'm feeling pretty good about it right now, so keep checking back. Now on to the Q's!

New Music Review: Eddie Spaghetti - Sundowner (LP, 2011)

Welcome to a new feature on Stallion Alert, where I'll be reviewing new albums that I've purchased. Think I've done this before, but I never bothered to title is as such. So from here on out, I'll do my best to write up the newly-released LPs and CDs that I've picked up, and add 'em to this new category. Here we go.

This is the third solo LP from the Supersuckers' Eddie Spaghetti, and the first to not see release on the Supersuckers' (now defunct) Mid-Fi label. I didn't expect the label situation to change anything, and it hasn't. This picks up where Old No. 2 left off, which picked up where The Sauce left off: with Eddie doing mostly-acoustic versions of some of his favorite songs, along with a few originals. It's a formula that I think works really well, so if he's not looking to fix what ain't broke, I don't see a damn thing wrong with that.

I picked up the LP version of this, which has 12 songs on it, but comes with a download card for a 14-track digital version that includes two bonus tracks. I'll get to those. But I wanted to mention the LP, because it's pretty sweet. Thick vinyl, nice album art, limited edition of 1000, and, like I said, comes with extra tracks. And they're not trying to gouge you on the price. Which is very cool.

I've been listening to this record fairly steady for a few weeks now, and I've really been enjoying it. Eddie's two originals, the title track and the opener, "Never Thought I Would," are strong, and hold up nicely next to the random selection of covers. He also reworks the Supersuckers track "Marie" towards the end of the record, and while it's nice to hear an acoustic studio version of the song (he plays it live solo quite a bit, and it's on at least one recording), it sort of feels like filler. But it's such a good song that it doesn't really hinder the overall feel of the album.

So, what does? A few things. His cover of Willie Nelson's "Always On My Mind" is certainly heartfelt, but its slow tempo threatens to derail the peppy feel of the LP, especially since it's sandwiched between the rousing "Sundowner" and the awesome (and upbeat) cover of the Lee Harvey Oswald Band's "Jesus Never Lived on Mars." And while his choices for covers are almost always semi-obscure, this one strikes me as a little too middle-of-the-road. But he's a huge Willie fan, so it adds up on that level.

He also includes a song by his pre-teen son, a brief number that closes out the album, called "When Do I Go?" Now, I don't want to sound like a jerk here, because it really is a touching gesture, but I honestly don't understand who this is for, aside from the people who did it and their immediate families. I felt the same way when Big Boi put his toddlers on Outkast records. I'm not trying to be snarky. I just really don't see the purpose of it.

Other than that, this thing is a good time. While his cover of the Dwarves' "Everybody's Girl" isn't quite as awesome as the Junkyard Dogs' cover of "Drugstore," it is still plenty sweet. There's also a Steve Earle track ("If You Fall in Love"), a Johnny Cash tune ("What Do I Care?"), and a Del Reeves classic ("Girl on the Billboard"). All solid.

The bonus tracks live up to their name. Eddie's been doing Thelonious Monster's "Sammy Hagar Weekend" live for a while now, and I was excited to see that it was one of the extra tunes included with the LP purchase. But it was the other one that really caught me off guard: a country-twang version of Prince's "Delirious" with reverbed-out vocals that is cool as shit. Both tracks could have easily made it onto the LP proper. And that's how they'll be sequenced on my iPod.

You can download "Never Thought I Would" here, and if you like it, you should buy this thing.

"Everybody's Girl"

Public Enemy featuring Paris - Rebirth of a Nation (2xLP, 2006)

I bought this album on CD shortly after it was released, and then somehow managed to find a used copy of the vinyl last year. I'm not sure if I'd call this album underrated, because I get the vibe that the reviews were positive, but it may not get the appreciation it deserves. Of course, I'm a big-time Paris fan, so maybe my opinion is a little skewed. But I don't think so. I really just think this is just a pretty darn good group of songs

Hearing Paris, Public Enemy, and MC Ren all on one song (the badass opener, "Raw Shit") was something I never even considered, and the track, as random as the lineup is, delivers. Ren still has one of the coolest voices in rap, and when he gets serious, he sounds like he means it. I can dig that. But shit really gets bumping with the second cut, the electric guitar-heavy "Hard Rhymin'." This is where the collabo really starts to make sense: it sounds like Chuck D rapping over a classic Paris beat.

Flavor Flav goes buckwild on the fun-as-shit "They Call Me Flava" later on the record, and by that time, after hearing serious shit from Dead Prez and Professor Griff, it's a nice break. It's those same songs (much like any record that either of these artists have recorded in the past) that might turn some people off to this. The tracks are very pro-black (their words, not mine), very angry, and very serious.

But to me, the content often takes a backseat to sweet beats, hard-ass flows, and just really good songs. And I can't argue with that.

"Raw Shit"

Public Enemy - He Got Game (CD, 1998)

Sometimes you find a Public Enemy CD in a dollar bin, and when you see that it has Masta Killa on it, you buy it.

After hearing the "For What Its Worth"-biting title track (or maybe seeing the video) when this came out, I didn't have much desire to hear this record. I always thought that beat was insipid and lazy beyond all measure, and coming from PE it seemed way worse. If they were trying to make a cash run, I guess I can't fault them for that, but still: it just didn't seem like something they should be doing.

Turns out that's one of the weaker tracks on this record, and the rest of it, while not mind-blowing, isn't too bad. The track with Masta Killa ("Resurrection") was dark, fluid beat, and even though Masta sounds like he's rapping through a telephone, hearing him and Flavor Flav on the same song is bizarrely cool. Some of the songs on here must be movie-specific, because otherwise I can't make any sense of the mess that is "Shake Your Booty."

This album came out around the time that PE was clearly having trouble finding their place in modern music, and you can hear some of that, but this thing's definitely not an awkward stinker. But do I listen to it all the time? Nah. But I should probably get to know it better than I do. My Public Enemy game just ain't what it should be, I'm afraid.

"He Got Game"

Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (CD, 1988)

Just scoped my Public Enemy stockpile and came to the realization that our journey through the land of PE is going to be random, way too brief, and threatening to my credibility as a rap fan. Could have sworn that I had CD copies of both Fear of a Black Planet and Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black. Turns out I have neither. So that sucks. Pretty sure I still have my cassette copies, so that's something. But that doesn't fit our criteria here. So, there's my disclaimer.

Unlike most people, this album was not my introduction to PE. A few friends of mine had copies of Fear of a Black Planet when it came out, and I think (other than possibly hearing "Bring the Noise" somewhere) that that marked my initiation to the group. I have a vague recollection of owning the "911 is a Joke" cassette single, but I don't have it anymore, so maybe I'm making that up. Either way, I jumped into PE three albums into it, and maybe didn't even hear this one until after Apocalypse 91.

I dig Public Enemy, but if I'm being honest, their music didn't appeal to me as much as a lot of other hip hop, so when it came time to make purchases, they were never at the top of my list. I'm not sure if the political stuff didn't mesh well with my teenage mind or what, but I was never obsessed with them in the same way that I was with, say, Ice Cube.

And when it comes to this album, I've owned it for a while now (I have some weird "Def Jam Remasters" enhanced CD copy), but I don't listen to it that much. I think it's really great, but I don't have that long-lasting connection with it that I do with a lot of the albums I was immersed in 20 years ago. But I'm always happy when it shuffles through on my iPod. And, come on: it's one of the most legendary rap albums of all time.

Still wish somebody would have slipped me a copy of this when I was 13. I also wish I had legit copies of their next two records so I could blab about those, because those are the ones I know the best. Eh. What can you do. Add 'em to the list of embarrassing holes in my music library.

"Don't Believe the Hype"