Paul & Linda McCartney - Ram (LP, 1971)

Paul McCartney's early solo work is such a weird mix of different styles. It makes for some great, great records. Unfortunately, I've only got a few of 'em. I could have sworn I had his first solo album, but I must have been making that up. It's nowhere. The important thing is, I do have this one. And it's good.

Paul's always good for a solid opener, and needless to say, "Too Many People" - whether you believe it's a rock & roll diss track or not - is an awesome song. The springy acoustic intro, the rolling bass line (duh), the falsetto - it's all fantastic. "3 Legs" is a fun blues number, and "Ram On" is just wacky enough to work. Of course, it's all lead-up to the combo of "Dear Boy," "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," and the sweet Beatle-ness of "Smile Away."

The second side keeps it coming: "Heart of the Country" is acoustic and a little bit fancier than it lets on. And Paul's vocals sound great. "Monkberry Moon Delight" isn't quite as nutty as its title, but the prominent background vocals make sure it stands out regardless. "Eat at Home" is a mix of classic rock and 50's rock, something that McCartney's great at. At this point you should be used to Linda singing in the background. Thought it may not prepare you for her vocals on "Long Haired Lady." I'll leave it at that. "The Back Seat of My Car" sounds like it belongs on a Wings album, though it's not quite that syrupy, I suppose.

What can I say? Paul's my favorite Beatle. Re-listening to an album like this doesn't dissuade me from that opinion. This record, especially, is when Paul was happy, but still holding onto some of his pissiness left over from the split of the Beatles. Great era for him.

"Heart of the Country"

Ray Manzarek - The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now it's Out of Control (LP, 1974)

This one slipped away from me. Sorry it's slightly out of order.

As I've made plenty clear in this blog, I was a huge Doors fan in my youth. When I found this terribly-titled record when I was about 15, I was excited. The driving force behind the Doors sound goes solo, only a few short years after the Doors disbanded! However, I had heard Manzarek sing lead on a few Doors tracks, and I wasn't immediately sold on the idea of listening to him croon for the duration of an LP. But, I thought there might be something of substance here.

And while I wasn't completely off base, I've definitely held onto this record more for its novelty than for its music. Manzarek is a damn fine keyboard player, and he makes that abundantly clear through this album's eight tracks. And while he's a decent songwriter, he just can't hack it vocally. His voice is deep and without much movement, which clashes with the fancy arrangements on a lot of these songs.

Fittingly, it's the instrumental tracks and extended jams on here that are the most likable. Still, this was a weird time for rock, and hearing Manzarek toss in traces of disco-ish slink and thin funk is just hard to accept. On top of that, the lyrics are a rough mix of social commentary and flower-power idealism that have not aged well.

Of course, he finds a way to get Jim Morrison in on the act, which would become a constant theme for the rest of his life. On the jazz-funked, cat-scratchy "I Wake Up Screaming," he gets a reverb-buried Patti Smith to recite one of Morrison's old poems. It doesn't work.

Still, there's something interesting about this album. I think I've always been fascinated by the way the surviving Doors carried on after Jim passed away. So this is as least good for that.

"The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now it's Out of Control"

Stallion Alert at the Movies: My Dinner With Jimi (2003)

I forgot to change my address with Netflix before I moved last month, so I had to wait almost four weeks for this DVD to make its way to me via the address change I made with the post office. The funny thing is, that was just additional waiting tacked on to the months I had been waiting for this thing to even be released on DVD. I'm pretty sure I put this in my Netflix queue back in April, when I was going through a short-lived Hendrix phase that directly coincided with my writing about his albums for this blog. Anyway, it finally came out on DVD (Rhino, of course), and after what looked like some rough travels through the postal service (the DVD pack was borderline tattered), I finally got to see this movie that I could barely remember why I wanted to see in the first place.

Then I remembered: I like The Turtles (Flo & Eddie, really), and I like Hendrix. And this sounded like an interesting idea. Howard Kaylan (Eddie), lead singer of The Turtles, penned this script, a true story about The Turtles' first trip to England in the wake of their monumental success with the single "Happy Together." It also tells a bit of the story of the pre-fame Turtles, specifically their travels through the Sunset Strip in L.A.

I will say this for this movie: the script is great. But when you try to get actors to portray Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and all four Beatles (among many others), you've got your work cut out for you. Now, if you're one of those people who isn't bothered by weak caricatures of well-known rock stars, then this probably won't bother you. I made a point to just not get too worked up about any of it after the disastrous performance of the dude who played Morrison, and it worked to my benefit.

The guy who plays Hendrix is decent, and it's this scene - a late-night dinner between Kaylan and Jimi - that provides the apex of the film, and it's strong. In fact, the whole movie is fairly strong - though not in the budget department - it's just that some of the performances aren't. Still, the story is a great one, and if you're a fan of 60's rock (and aren't afraid of finding out that the Beatles were total pricks), this ends up being a fun little movie.

My Dinner with Jimi Trailer

Masta Killa - Made in Brooklyn (LP, 2006)

There's no skits, but there's also no beats by RZA. That's a rough trade-off, and as a result, this album's not quite as strong as Masta Killa's debut. Still, his lyrical style can make iffy beats seem better than they really are, and his nonchalant delivery can be hypnotizing no matter what's backing him. But, the music throughout this disc ends up being uneven, and it's a shame.

Still, this is far from a bad album, and though it starts slowly (what's up with that first track?), things pick up in the middle as soon as the other Wu dudes show up. Rae and Ghost take the generic beat on "It Is What It Is" and make it work. And when U-God, RZA, and Method Man bust through on the supremely dope "Iron God Chamber," shit really gets moving.

You'd think a remix of "Pass the Bone" would feature GZA, and you'd probably also think that "Older Gods Part 2" would feature Ghost, Rae, or GZA. You'd be wrong on both counts, and that just adds a little more confusion to this already strange album. The songs themselves aren't terrible, but the concepts are a bit strained. GZA does finally show up (with Inspectah Deck) on "Street Corner," and though the beat is slow and a little lackluster, the flows are there.

Ultimately, it's the spotty beats and flurry of no-name guest spots that clog this thing up and prevent it from equaling Masta's debut. That, and the embarrassment of "Lovely Lady," the last track on the disc. Just a sad song.

Still, it's always good to hear Masta Killa shine on his own, so I don't mind getting down with this one.

By the way, if you've never seen Masta Killa's ads for PETA, they're worth checking out.

"Iron God Chamber"

Masta Killa - No Said Date (CD, 2004)

At a time when the Wu was digging deep into one of their trademark slumps (Tical 0 was released a month prior), this album was more than enough to keep the hardcore Wu fans from becoming too despondent. The fact that this album had been delayed for so long actually ended up helping it: we all thought it was a throwback to the "real" Wu shit, when in fact, it just was the real Wu shit.

Masta Killa is the soft-spoken member of the clan, and always an ace at guest spots with his Wu brethren. I gotta tell you: I wasn't sure how a full album of his slow and steady drawl was going to work out. He might have had his doubts too, because this thing is packed full of well-placed guest spots. But, he approaches them in an interesting – and in my opinion, very smart – way, by backloading 'em. The first five tracks are pure Masta, and you know what? He slays it. Dude could have rocked the whole record by himself and it would have been great. But, by bringing in his boys for the second half, he makes it an almost-classic.

"D.T.D" features Raekwon and Ghost, and the beat is sleazy, slinky, and perfect for the trio. (Of course, I'm partial to Otis Redding samples.) Rae and Ghost sound enthused, and the track is dope without going nuts. Street Life and Prodigal Sunn show up on the bouncy "Whateva," and I shouldn't have to tell you that they nail it. "Secret Rivals" brings together Masta, Killah Priest, and Method Man, and there's no way that's not going to be good. The beat is awkward, but it doesn't matter. It's hollow rawness that makes it work.

RZA really shines on this record, providing the beat for the dope-as-fuck title track, and hooking up some soul samples for the ODB-laced "Old Man," which his probably the funnest track on the album. RZA drops a verse on that one, and also shows up on "School," which is sheer hollow RZA weirdness. I dig it.

I dig this whole record. It could have gone so many different ways, but Masta Killa delivered the solo debut we knew he was capable of. Skip the skits, and you're in for some real-deal hip hop, Wu-style.

"Old Man"

Marley Marl - In Control, Volume II: For Your Steering Pleasure (CD, 1991)

Like a lot of early-90's hip hop compilations and soundtracks, this album's only real flaw lies in the inclusion of some bullshit R&B songs that have no place here. One minute you're listening to Chuck D going nutso on the awesome "America Eats the Young," the next thing you know you're listening to Portia (?) singing a song called "Check the Mirror" off-key and fucking everything up.

There's a few more tracks like that, which suck, and then there's Heavy D doing his ragga thing, which is always annoying as shit. But, there's also some really solid straight-up hip hop tracks, with unexpected guests like LL Cool J, Chubb Rock, King Tee, and Def Jef. There's also "The Symphony, pt. II," which is almost as good as the original. Speaking of "pt. II," props to Marley Marl for calling his first LP "Volume 1" and then actually following it up with another one. Looks pretty bad if you don't.

Anyway, if you skip the R&B songs and the Heavy D mishap, this is a pretty sweet collection of tracks featuring some dudes you know and dudes you've probably never heard of. Overall, there's more variety on this one, more songs, and a lot more going on. I get the vibe that this CD didn't do shit when it came out, but if you ever come across it in the bargain bin (that's where I found it!) and you're in the mood for a highly decent early-90's rap comp, make it happen.

"The Symphony, pt. II"

Marley Marl - In Control, Volume 1 (LP, 1988)

I have a repressing of this LP, and Cold Chillin' really didn't do this thing much justice: the audio quality is ass. But, the music is diggity dope. If you need a quick lesson in '88-style hip hop or want to know why the Juice Crew was the greatest rap crew to never put out a proper album, it's all right here.

Craig G. is all over this thing, so if you're not a huge fan of him (I'm not), then parts of this record might be a little rough for you, but when some of the other Juice Crew-ers show up, it's on. "We Write the Songs," Biz Markie's duet with Heavy D, is slow, steady, and fun as shit. Masta Ace (here called "Master" Ace) has a few tight tracks, and even M.C. Shan get down the best he can.

The crowning achievement here, of course, is "The Symphony," one of the best posse cuts in the history of hip hop. Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap join Masta Ace and Craig G. and just wreck shit. Which is great, but it also serves to remind us how absent Kane and Kool G are from the rest of this album. It's frustrating, because their two verses easily slay any of the other dudes on this LP.

This record could have been the Juice Crew album that almost was, and instead it's just a tease. The beats are dope, but the raps aren't up to the task. I still love it because it's Marley Marl, but this album could have been SO much better. But, it's Marley Marl in '88, so, you know, it's the real shit. Except for the Roxanne Shanté track that closes it out - that's just garbage.

"The Symphony"