The Journey / Kopano Pt. 3

Sometimes I get overwhelmed at the thought of the massive amounts of beautiful music floating around this world that I get sad. Sad at the fact that I won’t be able to hear all of it before I close my eyes for the last time but then I remember all of the beautiful music I have heard up to this point in my life and what I’ve been able to introduce to my friends that the sadness lifts. When I heard this piece from a man I once thought was a talentless hack I was rendered speechless and had to give him his due, Hans Zimmer has made some amazing music and this piece entitled “The Journey / Kopano Pt. 3” is inspiring, uplifting, and downright undeniably beautiful. Used at the closing of Antoine Fuqua’s movie “Tears of the Sun” starring Bruce Willis this piece is absolutely unforgettable and unforgettable music gets me all the time.

It starts off slowly and melodically giving you the listener no clue what is about to come but then the voices and the indigenous instruments join the strings and the melody becomes so much more. Then the pace quickens and the music begins to swell and the voices get stronger and the lead voice grabs you and despite not knowing he’s saying, he’s got you. The track then explodes in a celebration of sound and beauty taking you on safari through the Serengeti. The thing I love most about this piece is that just when you think it’s over, the second wave comes and it’s even better than the first movement.

I have to take my hat off to Mr. Zimmer for even if this was an unused piece from when he scored Disney’s “The Lion King” that he had sitting around it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that he shared it with the world instead of keeping it to himself adding to the beautiful music floating around this world and thankfully we got to hear it before we close our eyes for the last time.

Stimulation

Here is another sexy ass song for the “after Christmas shopping” cool out. It will bring down your anxiety levels way down and your sexy levels up a notch or two. At least I think it will. The song is called “Stimulation” by Vikter Duplaix and it is smoking. It starts off really simply, beat, guitar, hand claps and finger snaps but then in comes the French tongue and that pretty much let’s you the listener know this is something a little different. It’s not going to be your average r&b or soul song. I have no idea what she saying but it doesn’t matter really because by the time Vikter is telling you that you won’t even leave his bedroom this song has got you. You are bopping your head, snapping your fingers, and grooving to the layered vocals.

Not someone widely known but I don’t think he ever sought that out, Vikter hails from Philadelphia and he’s been around since 2002.He was even nominated for a Grammy back in 2008. He’s done work with Erykah Badu, Me’Shell NdgeOcello, Incognito and so many others so he’s got a good resume, he’s just never had that one hit to make the world take notice. I don’t think this song would have done it but it would have definitely put him on the map and yet the man remains in obscurity.

This track is a sex track or a baby maker strictly. It’s not a driving song even though the beat is hitting. No, this song has one sole purpose and that’s to be played in the background while bodies move in unison by candlelight as they seek pleasure. Vikter doesn’t give me the impression that he’s a really strong vocalist but you can’t really tell since he does the Janet Jackson whisper singing thing on this track. Thankfully that doesn’t hurt this song at all.

However you choose to listen to this song, alone or with company I hope you enjoy it and if you do choose the company option don’t blame me for whatever the outcome is, deal? Enjoy.

Just To Keep You Satisfied

Being that I mentioned this incredibly talented and gifted man in a previous post I thought it was far time to bring him to my blog. I chose to go with none of his more popular songs though and go with one of his more personal ones. It's without a doubt one of my favorite songs by Marvin and it's a song most may have never heard from him. The song is “Just To Keep You Satisfied” by Marvin Gaye singing about his very public separation and eventual divorce from his wife Anna Gordy, Berry Gordy's daughter. This song didn’t get much airplay and was only heard if you bought his brilliant LP “Let’s Get It On”. This beautiful, sorrowful, and mournful song never really got the chance to shine

This version isn’t the original since the original version was initially co-written by Anna. Marvin decided to redo the song and he went back into the studio. This version is what was born out of those sessions. You can hear the lament and heartbreak in his voice and in the lyrics and when he screams “I never loved nobody like I loved you baby” you believe him and can imagine the hurt he was going through. I can relate to him and this song, I understand just where he was coming from thanks to my own personal life. When I came across this song it stopped me in my tracks and I couldn’t stop listening to it. We may not all have gone through a divorce but we’ve all been there when something falls apart around you and all the love you have for someone can’t keep you together.

When Marvin croons “Oh darling / how could we / end up like this/oh baby let me / reminisce” it’s a feeling we all know well and Marvin captures that pain perfectly on this song. He continues to sing “Leave you / I never meant too / Now you see / how much you hurt me but / if you ever need me/ I’ll be by your side” and damn if I can’t relate to that. Take a listen and let me know if you can relate too.

Windows of The Soul

Tis the season and all that (or so I've been told) so as my gift to you I decided to introduce to you a lovely piece of music that you could chill out with your special someone by the fire place and enjoy a nice bottle of wine with. And if you don’t have that someone special, it’s a song you can wrap yourself up in your blanket or enjoy a warm bubbly bath, shut out the outside world and relax to. The song is “Windows of the Soul” by smooth jazz guitar legend Chuck Loeb. This is easy listening at it’s finest and for me, when I’ve had a stressful day and the world has done it’s best to get on my nerves I turn to this song and it always brings a smile to my face.

It’s a delicious song that starts out with some smooth percussion which then brings in the guitars and you can immediately tell this song is one that will be as easy as cotton on your ears. The melody is easy, the pace is nice and it may even make driving around this holiday season bearable (that's if you're driving of course). If you’ve never heard of Chuck Loeb it’s alright, if you aren’t into smooth, contemporary jazz then more than likely you wouldn’t have. Luckily I know of him and love this song and thought it was worth sharing. I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I do and especially whenever the world gets on my damn nerves.

Merry Christmas :-)

El Cantante

I know I haven't posted in awhile. I moved and that was hellish but successful. Then I had to reconnect equipment, settle debts, and unpack. I've been a little busy but I'm back now and I felt it was high time I added some authentic latin flavor to my blog and in my opinion the only person that can do that is the one and only Hector Lavoe. Now of course the only song of his I could possibly share with you is the one that made me a huge fan of the man and of salsa in general and that is "El Cantante". For those that know this classic know how brilliant it is and for those that have never heard this song, well you are in for a wonderful treat. Trust me.

Where do I begin about this song? That was the biggest question confronting me about this entry for Hector and the answer hit me like a brick dropped on my head. THE VOICE! When you listen to Hector sing and how his voice just sounds like silk in any octave. You realize one thing really quickly and that was this man was born to sing much the same way Marvin Gaye was. Silky smooth voices that could handle anything you threw at them make and sound amazing doing it and just like Marvin had his seminal classic "Mercy Mercy Me", Hector had "El Cantante"

Those that know me know I have no grasp of the spanish dialect so I am really not up on every song Hector is saying but to me that doesn't matter. It's beautiful to listen to from the piano to the stings that add a serious dramatic effect to the trombones and the percussion, they all combine to make this one amazing piece of music. However, the song is basically an entertainer telling his fans that while I sing and dance for you and bring you joy, I have feelings too and I am human just like you but you don't want to know that about me, you just want me to sing. It's a serious sentiment sung in such a magnificent voice over such divine music that it's hard to stop listening to. At least it was for me and it brings me back to a time in my life where I danced all night with good friends. I will always love this song and hopefully you will grow to love it too.

Real

I will be the first to admit that I was never and probably never will be a Macy Gray fan. She is without a doubt an acquired taste and a taste I have yet to acquire. All that being said, this song by her is amazing. If you didn't see the film "Domino" then you never got the chance to hear it because it's only on that movie's soundtrack and that's a shame because it's damn good. Her voice, which at times reminded me of nails on a blackboard is pitch perfect on this tune and the backing music is the perfect bed for her vocals to lay in. And in my opinion the real beauty of this song is it's brevity, it runs for less than three minutes but those are quality minutes.

After some sweet guitar and keys bring in the song, Macy comes in with her voice which usually gets on my nerves. On this track though it's perfectly matched and when she sings "My cards are on the table / I need / real love, not some fabrication / real love, not just indication" over the beat this song becomes really hard to stop listening to. Couple that with the guitar playing that brings this song to a close and you begin to wish it was longer.

Macy was the perfect choice to sing this song. Her voice has some real longing in it and if you try to think of who could have sung this song instead of her, you'd be hardpressed to come up with someone better. Sure there are better singers out there in the world but for this particular tune she was the perfect choice. I'm sure you will agree with me :-) Enjoy.

Farewell to Dobby

Alexandre Desplat has moved me yet again and is thoroughly making up his misstep for the score he put to the last Twilight film. This piece is an amazing moving and bittersweet piece put to the scene were Dobby dies. It’s an emotional scene as Dobby dies in Harry’s arms and this piece of music captures that anguish and sorrow perfectly.

The Potter movies have had a handful of composers putting their own touches and flourishes to the films as they did their best to raise the bar John Williams set in the first three movies. Some were in over their heads but for the most part the music has been serviceable. Apparently though the producers wanted a heavy hitter to score Potter’s final film and in my opinion Alexandre did not fail and I’m looking forward to part two of The Deathly Hallows to hear what he has coming next.

The Angel

I haven’t and don’t usually post about movie music but when I heard “The Angel” by Alexander Desplat from the motion picture “lust, caution” I was hypnotized. It’s one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard and I have heard some beautiful pieces in my day. I did not see the movie this music was created for and instead saw it in a trailer for another movie and was blown away by it. I have other movie music by Alexander and I enjoy most of his work but “The Angel” is hauntingly beautiful and better than anything I have heard from him. That includes his beautiful scores to “The Painted Veil”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, and the bombastic subtlety of the music to the Nicole Kidman vanity project “Birth”. The music is lush and piano driven but nothing of those scores comes close to this piece in my opinion.

I feared for movie music the day the maestro John Williams lays his baton down and walks away. After hearing this piece I am a little less fearful. Enjoy!

Never Gonna Reach Me

Throwing a house party or any other kind of party anytime soon? Want to get people up and dancing at said party? Putting a playlist together for said party? Then allow me to introduce you to “Never Gonna Reach Me” by Crazy P. This tune is all rhythm and groove with a nice mid tempo pace so if you’re partying with the young or the old, everyone will be able to shake what their mothers gave them. I was hooked the moment I heard this track (introduced to me by a fellow music lover) and it made the rotation with ease. Mainly for the funky groove and great vocals.

The track is over 9 minutes long but it doesn’t feel that way. It feels a lot shorter than something that plays for almost ten minutes but that’s because it’s arranged nicely. It builds and diminishes at the perfect times making it the perfect dance track and if this doesn’t at least get your party goers clapping or bopping their heads then you might want to rethink the guest list for the next party. Enjoy!

Rubber Ring

I love this song and everything it stands for. It’s by the great English 80’s band The Smiths and it’s called “Rubber Ring”. The marriage of Morrisey’s off color lyrics and Johnny Marrs amazing guitar playing gave this band it’s own little niche in recorded music history and gave it it’s own fervent cult following. Andy Rourke on bass and the amazing Mike Joyce on the drums rounded out this incredibly talented foursome. The collection of songs this band has under it’s belt is massive and all quality but my favorite song is “Rubber Ring”. The kids that followed this particular band were kids that felt like they were the misfits and the outcasts and really had nothing to live for. Those were the kids The Smiths were Gods to and Rubber Ring spoke directly to those very kids.

Morrisey’s silky smooth voice effortlessly croons out lyrics like “the most impassionate songs / to a lonely soul / is so easily outgrown / but don’t forget the songs / that made you smile / and the songs that made you cry / when you lay in awe on your bedroom floor / and say “go on smother me mother”. Couple that with “the passing of time / leaves empty lives / waiting to be filled / I’m here with a cause / I’m holding the torch / in the corner of your room / can you hear me? / and when you’re dancing and laughing / and finally living / hear my voice in your head / and think of me kindly”. Basically telling those kids who have had their hearts broken or who are just depressed and thinking what’s it all for, if a song by The Smiths have helped you out from under that dark cloud, don’t forget what they did for you.

Add that sentiment to some outstanding music and you have an amazing song. Let me know if you agree with me. Enjoy!

Whatever Happens

You knew it was coming right? I’m sure you were counting the posts just wondering when you are going to finally say “A-HA”! Well here it is, the Michael Jackson post on my blog for the song that I feel got very little play. Granted it was on Invincible which was his last album and one on of his worse selling albums due to Sony’s reluctance to push it due to contract disputes. I however think this song is absolutely beautiful and that song is “Whatever Happens”. With Carlos Santana on guitar, this is Michael at his best or at least in his comfort zone. While like most artists, Michael has written the obligatory love song that talks about nothing and about how he could love some woman better than the next man where Mike really excels is in his story writing. His best songs are story songs. Listen to Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller just to name a few to see what I’m talking about. While “Whatever Happens” is nowhere in any of those songs class it is in my opinion one of the few lone bright spots on Invincible.

With a definite western feel (played up in the video for the song) the musicianship is of course on point and Michael wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’m not a big Santana fan but I do admire his playing on this track and the strings are a nice dramatic touch. The song has a real sultry feel to it and it has that kind of sound that would make you think it would be great to drive to. The melody is catchy and Michael sings the hell out of the lyrics that don’t really make any sense but it’s not about the verses, this is one of those chorus songs. It’s the kind of song where you never find yourself singing the lyrics but you can’t keep that “whatever happens/don’t let go of my hand” from coming out of your mouth. Towards the end of the song it has that “Lethal Weapon”, Michael Kamen feel to it which is impressive when you realize it’s a Teddy Riley production.

It’s a beautiful song and well mapped out (hard not to love those strings in the background). A lot of time and energy was put into a song that was overlooked because of the other crappy songs it was surrounded by on the album but no ones perfect, not even Michael. Enjoy.

Nothing Else Matters

Okay, this is where I admit to my being a HUGE fan of Metallica. Many can’t see it in me and many have no idea why I am but to me good music is good music and in my opinion Metallica makes good music. I think that point is made emphatically with their beautiful opus entitled “Nothing Else Matters” off of their largest selling album “The Black Album”. Going platinum 15 times this album was the shot heard around the world and it catapulted the band into the stratosphere and everyone knew who they were. James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, and Jason Newsted were no longer a local garage band playing in dive bars, this album had them playing arenas all over the planet. It was my favorite album replacing their earlier masterpiece “Master of Puppets” as my previous favorite and my favorite song on The Black Album was of course “Nothing Else Matters”.

Lilting guitars playing a beautiful melody is how the song opens and it’s damn near hypnotic. Backed by strings conducted by the late Michael Kamen lead singer James Hetfield sings the lyrics for the disenfranchised and the outcasts of the world. The song is an anthem for those who don’t fit into what society deems as acceptable but the lyrics are all about empowerment. Just be you no matter who you be and if you live that way everyday then nothing else matters. The song swells and builds and the song actually has a Pink Floyd feel to it at one point thanks to the strings until the crunching guitars come storming in changing the entire complexion of the song turning it into the rocker it was destined to be all along. The guitar solo played by Kirk Hammett is scalding and the orchestral strings pull this song together brilliantly.

This is the kind of song you don’t expect from a metal band and it’s that kind of song that you let someone hear when they say “I don’t like metal”. It falls into that category of songs that can change how someone feels about a particular genre of music and even if you don’t like metal, you can’t help but like this masterpiece. Wouldn’t you agree?

When You Were Young

One of the most underrated bands since their inception in my opinion is The Killers. They hit the scene hard with their first hit “Mr. Brightside” but since then they’ve really not had the follow up success you would have expected but that doesn’t mean they haven’t released any good music and this song showcases that brilliantly. “When You Were Young” is an energetic romp from beginning to end and the music is fun and melodic.

Off of their second album Sam’s Town, “WYWY” is my favorite song and I think it’s due to the lyrics first and the music second (a really close second mind you). Much like Coldplay I was a fan of this band from the beginning but unlike Coldplay some of The Killers stuff has disappointed me over the years but I’ll always love this song.

It takes off from the start with crunching guitars and a relentless beat that grabs you off the bat and then and as it settles in you hear some interesting lyrics that lead into the chorus that I love. “He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus/But he talks like a gentleman/Like you remembered when you/Were young”. Musically at that point the song is layered with keys, guitars, and vocals and it gets better. Musically it’s a feel good song while lyrically it’s more melancholy as it talks about some woman waiting on some man that would make her feel like she felt when she was younger.

I think the video rocks out as well and fits the song perfectlyon a visual level. Enjoy!

Yellow

It’s very rare to be there in the beginning of a persons or a bands career and enjoy their music and then be able to follow that band straight through to superstardom and like everything they’ve ever done. There are a few occasions where that happens for me anyway and I’ve always found that once a artist or a band gets to that superstar level their music falls off some. I won’t give any examples of that fact, I’m sure there’s an artist or two or a band or two that you can think of that falls into that category but to me this isn’t one of those bands. I fell in love with “Yellow” by Coldplay the second I heard it. And as I listen to this song today I doubt that Chris Martin, that scrawny kid running on the beach in the video knew he would one day be married to Gweneth Paltrow and would have worked with both Jay-Z and Kanye West in his career.

I have everything by Coldplay and when I heard this song I knew it would be a hit so I feel like I’ve been there from the beginning and they haven’t let me down artistically in any way. I chose to post about their first hit because it’s rarely heard and I think mostly forgotten about because the band has surpassed this song in everyway lyrically and musically. I love it though due to its simplicity and honesty. A straight up unapologetic love song that starts off with just an acoustic guitar and then the band comes in walking that fine line of grunge. Chris then comes in explaining how this persons love makes everything in his world yellow. “Look at the stars/Look how they shine for you/and everything you do/And they were all yellow…I came along/I wrote a song for you/And all the things you do/And it was called yellow” which leads into the cool chorus “Your skin oh yeah your skin and bones/turned into something beautiful/you know you know I love you so/you know I love you so”. Some people I know consider this a stalking song because the lyrics seem to get more desperate and dark like how the chorus resorts to Chris willing to bleed himself dry and while I can see where they’re coming from, to me it doesn’t distract from the earnestness of this song and it’s beauty.

I think the video worked perfectly for the song except for not showing the band. I still love this song and it’s definitely made “the playlist”, is it on yours?

Varuna

Right off the bat I have to tell you that when I first heard this song I was like “yeah okay, not impressed” but with most music out there I have to give myself a chance to warm up to it. I don’t just drop songs on my playlist if I’m not impressed by it, it doesn’t need to bowl me over but it has to make an impression. That being said, the more I gave myself a chance to warm up to this piece by E.S. Posthumus entitled “Varuna” the more I loved it (and of course it made the playlist). I was already a fan of previous works by them like “Cuzco” and “Nara” which is theme to the CBS show “Cold Case” off of their album Unearthed. So when I heard they were working on something knew I couldn’t wait to hear it.

E. S. Posthumus was comprised of two brothers, Helmut and Franz Vonlichten until Franz passed away earlier this year but along with his brother they’ve left behind some amazing music. Their sound is taking classical influences and fusing it with modern day percussion and a perfect example of that was their remix of Jay-Z’s “Run This Town” feat Rihanna. I purchased Makara unheard based on their earlier works and I wasn’t disappointed. The previous works could almost be described as gentle. Lush movements and beautiful melodies was what would come to expect from E. S. but Makara was a complete shift in sound from that. It was an album full of powerful and aggressive tracks and in my opinion the one that exemplifies that the most is Varuna.

Makara had other tracks that stood out to me like "Unstoppable" which was used in the Sherlock Holmes movie trailer and "Arise" which was used by CBS Sports as the intro to the AFC Championship game earlier this year. And like I said earlier it took a few listens for me to come around but the more I listened the more I grew to love this track above all the others. Varuna is fire from the start and it plows on unforgiving. It doesn’t open gently at all, the beat and the orchestra both come in all at once and it stays that way straight through the song. The music builds, rises, and falls and all the while never giving the listener a real chance to catch a breath. And just when you think it’s going to sound the same for the entire 4:17 the voices comes in and adds an extra dramatic effect. This is a great song to work out to, walk to, run to, and even clean to and with this song propelling you, you’ll be done before you know it.

Bloodstone

For me to say that I was NOT a fan of this song when I first heard it and you would be hard pressed to find truer words ever written or spoken. I’ve heard some of Amon Tobin’s stuff before and I thought it interesting in a good way, his stuff usually hits you right away and you know almost instantly if you like it or hate it. “Bloodstone” took quite a few listens, okay honestly it took more than a few listens but one day I gave it a shot to make the playlist one more time and it did not let me down. This song is discordant and seemingly all over the place but really that’s what adds to the charm of this song and if there’s one thing you can say about this song, it damn sure has its own personality.

Hailing from Brazil, Amon Tobin moved around a lot as a child and eventually settled in Brighton, England and you can’t help but think that all that moving played a major hand in his musical development. He’s a world class DJ and even did the score to the popular video game “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell” and “Sucker Punch” as well as contributing music to such popular films as “The Italian Job” and “21”. He’s released a number of albums and his last release, 2007’s Foley Room included the track “Bloodstone”. Sounding like something out of a twisted and dark carnival, “Bloodstone” doesn’t so much play for you as it churns for you. Again this is a big boy speaker song so don’t cheapen the experience of listening to this song or some ear buds because you’ll miss out. Trust me.

Initially this song sounds like it seriously lacks structure but as it churns on for you, you can hear it start to take shape and the best thing to focus on is the deepest melody that kicks in when the drums do (I can’t really call it a bassline). Everything plays off that long deep note and you can finally see the song take shape. Once I figured out what to pay attention to in this song I became a real fan of it and what I once thought was aural nonsense became intense aural fun for my ears. Take a listen (on the big boy speakers mind you) and see if you agree with me.

Parks on Fire

This is a song by a group that I discovered completely by accident. No one put me on to them, no one had it playing and I heard it by accident, and I had never heard the group mentioned in passing…EVER! It was one of those nights where I was home alone, up late, and trolling the internet for music and I stumbled upon Trifonic and their song “Parks on Fire”. It grabbed me from the second I heard it. Trifonic is comprised of two guys, brothers Brian and Lawrence Trifon based out of San Francisco and they have a way with tying sounds and melodies together that comes across almost cinematic. I’m surprised they haven’t been pegged to score a movie or two yet. Growing up Brian wanted to be a heavy metal star and mastered the guitar in the process while his older brother Lawrence was all about hip hop and wrote his first rap at the age of five. Somewhere along the way they bothers failed at their individual musical goals and decided to meld their talents and I for one am happy they did.

Their debut album Emergence which dropped in 2008 had 11 songs that each had their own personality like “Broken” and it's heartbreaking lilting lyrics or “Infiltration” and it's haunting groove. The song that spoke to me the loudest though was “Parks”. It starts off pretty mysterious and ominous, you can hear a match being lit and then bass line comes roaring in followed by a cacophony of sounds, noises, and percussion. The rhythm catches almost immediately and then the most interesting instrumentation I have ever heard comes in. It sounds like someone figured out how to play a stretched out rubber band. Then the song settles into a really sweet melodic period losing all it’s angst and aggression. Before you worry that the song is going to fade out all nice and melodic the tension re-emerges towards the end where the plucking and stretching sounds come back in (how did they make THAT sound?). The song rumbles along like a flight dealing with bad turbulence. It rolls along with the bassline and the beat playing off of each other and other intruments sounding as if they're in distress as they build and clash into each other. All this until it comes in for the soft landing settling into that beautiful melody again and taxiing to the gate.

This is a song to be played and be heard on your big boy speakers. I say that so you can hear the range, the depths, and all the interesting sounds as they were meant to be heard. I think this song rocks, let me know if you agree. And if you do, friend them on facebook cause they're really cool.

If I Should Fall Behind (Wait for me)

Now I don’t know if there are many Springsteen fans reading my blog and I can’t really call myself one. However, I can and will call myself a fan of this song. It’s called “If I Should Fall Behind (Wait for Me)” and it’s an absolutely beautiful song. Bruce has been the kind of artist that has always been enigmatic to me. He’ll have a huge hit with the most obnoxious songs that I could care less about only to turn around and record something this lovely and poignant. Lyrically he’s always been more on the simple side but he is one of the best if not the best storytellers in song still around. “Wait” has a country feel to it but that’s not really a bad thing. As Duke Ellington once said, “there are only two kinds of music…good music and bad music and darling I make good music”. No truer words have ever been spoken and this song, this is damn good music.

Relationships aren’t easy (I know, I’ve failed at all of mine), they take work, skill, and devotion. This song encompasses all of those attributes. When Bruce sings “Now everyone dreams of / love lasting and true / but you and I know what this world can do / so let’s make our steps clear / that the other may see / and I’ll wait for you and if I should fall behind / wait for me” I think says it all. This is the kind of song that details the right kind of relationship, not perfect and sometimes you don’t see eye to eye or walk side by side but its that love that makes you wait for each other.

It’s simply beautiful and that’s coming from the world’s smallest Springsteen fan.

All Is Full of Love

First time I heard this song I was blown away and thought this song was absolutely amazing. It’s called “All Is Full of Love” and it’s by the Icelandic born, swan dress wearing impish artist Bjork. Now I’ve heard other songs from her like her classic hip hop beat heavy “Army of Me” and instantly became a fan. I went out and bought a good amount of her stuff and the remixes and I always kept my ear open for anything new coming from her. Her lyrics were usually quirky and funny and her vocals a bit off but her musicianship was always new and inventive and that combination kept me listening and kept me a fan. Then she dropped this song and I thought she had exceeded even herself.

“All” is simple and yet beautiful song. It’s lush and bass heavy with a beautiful melody and sentiment. It starts off slow and methodically, never in a rush and never giving anything away. Bjork comes in with “You’ll be given love / You’ll be taken care of / You’ll be given…love / You have to trust it”, simple yet powerful. Once the front lady for the successful band known as the Sugarcubes, Bjork found her own identity and massive success after the Cubes broke up in 1992 by copying no one. She is a completely original artist that’s pretty much spawned Bjork wannabees but none of them could have ever dreamt having a song like “All is full of love” in their collections.

What’s more, the beauty and elegance of this song is captured perfectly in the video for the song and outside of a few exceptions in my opinion this is one of the best blends of image and song. It was edited and even banned in some countries and when you watch the vidoe I think you'll see why. Still I think it is amazing so watch and listen and let me know if you agree with me.

Don't Be Shy

This is the cool damn tune that I had to post because not only musically does it rock but Goapele tells a little story in her lyrics and songs like that always get me. The song is “Don’t Be Shy” and the beat quite frankly is banging and the track is the perfect bed for Goapele’s lyrics to lay in. The keyboards and bassline work in true harmony and while Goapele certainly isn’t the strongest vocalist out there, she’s carved out her little niche in the industry with these kinds of cool out songs. She isn’t the girl that is going to blow you away with her range or the girl who sang in her granddaddy’s church when she was five. What she is however is a young lady with runway model looks with a decent voice. That decent voice is used to perfection on this song.

It starts off cool enough with the keyboard patches and then the beat and her vocal kick in. Her story begins with her meeting a nice young man on a sunny day. he explains to her not to be shy and speak her mind but her insecurities get the best of her. At this point this songs got you. You're bopping your head and snapping your fingers....grooving! You may not even pay attention to the part of the song where she and that young man meet up again as they try to get into a club months later. Why might you not hear that part? Because you are....grooving!

There isn’t much else to say about this song except to take her advice, sometimes shyness is cool but it could also cost you. When the moment arises take advantage of it because it may never come around again. Released in August of 08 as an EP, you were given the accapella version and the instrumental version as well. While I like the song and think it’s groovy I don’t think all the other stuff is necessary. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

Closer

I guess it’s as good a time as any to talk about this song. It’s that kind of song that every group or singer lusts for, the kind of song that puts you on the map. The kind of song that generates publicity be it good or bad because as everyone knows there’s no such thing as bad publicity. You know the old adage right? “Say whatever you want, just spell my name right”. This was the song for Nine Inch Nails that put them on everyone’s map the second it hit and it sent the album “Downward Spiral” through the roof and made Trent Reznor a star. The song is “Closer” and while musically I feel Trent has done better, lyrically he outdid himself.

It’s starts off unassuming with a scruffy beat and then he comes in with lyrics that set off every woman’s group you can imagine but when he gets to the chorus all hell breaks loose. “I wanna fuck you like an animal / I wanna feel you from the inside / I wanna fuck you like you an animal / My whole existence is flawed / You get me closer to God”. From there the song builds in angst. More instrumentation, the lyrics that once started off as almost a whisper are now screamed at you and it’s like someone is losing control. The music becomes like the psyche of the person behind the lyrics and suddenly the name of the album “Downward Spiral” comes vividly into play. This person is descending into madness.

This song was a mega hit and while NIN had a dedicated following before it, it eventually pulled everyone into its web and even hip hop heads knew who NIN was. It was so big that David Fincher the director of “the social network” had Trent Reznor help score that movie and even used the instrumental version of this song as the opening credits to his movie “Seven” starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. I loved this song from the first moment I heard it and I still do. The music pulls you in and doesn’t let you go, it’s got a serious undeniable groove that eventually makes you nod your head to it. Ah who am I kidding, it’s all about those damn lyrics.

Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto remix)

I know I haven’t been around but I’ve been busy dealing with some setbacks in the personal but when I heard this song I had to share it. I thought it was just too damn sexy to keep to myself. It’s a song I’ve heard before but the remix of this song is one I’ve never heard before and in my opinion a remix of a song doesn’t make the song better, it just gives you a different viewpoint of the song. It let’s you see the song how the remixer sees it. This time however the remix of Paradise Circus by one of my all time favorite groups Massive Attack is better than the original. As usual the remix keeps many of the same elements as the original like the sultry vocals by Hope Sandoval and melodies but the remix slows this song down and incorporates a seductive groove that will have you wanting to hear it over and over again.

The original version which is on the latest Massive Attack album "Heligoland" released earlier this year is in my opinion sounds hollow. It's a great song and the strings at the end are a great touch but the remix is a meal while the original is a slice of pizza. It's tasty pizza but it's still just a slice. I’m not going to bad mouth the original, I’m just really digging the remix more. While the original is hypnotic (which Massive does so well) the remix by Gui Boratto is seductive (there’s that word again). The beat and the bass line works so well together and the energy this song creates on a dancefloor is unimaginable. The piano comes in and everything just falls into place but then when you add the vocals on top of the rumbling bassline which leads into the dark twangy guitar, this song takes off.

It’s recently been used in a car commercial by Lincoln for their hybrid SUV and while I’m not always a fan of that, I have to admit that whoever put that commercial together used the song perfectly. Ignoring that little fact though, take a listen and let me know if you think this remix is as hot as I think it is.

Break My Soul

Welcome to the Europop portion of the show. I came across this group purely by accident. I was looking for something and this group popped up and I fell in love with what I heard. Anyone who knows me knows I love my music drenched in the low end. In other words, the more bass the better. Those that know me also know that I have a thing for dark grooves, great melody, and strings (my mom used to play the violin, don’t blame me). The music offered up by the group Hybrid pleases me on every last one of those fronts, hence the name “Hybrid” I guess. Their song entitled “Break My Soul” encompasses all of that. The melodies are beautiful, the strings are prominent, and this song isn’t meant to be heard through your little headphone buds but on real speakers because only real speakers can capture the low end properly. Add to that the fact that it's an anthem for women and you have a great song.

I fell in love with their album “I Choose Noise” and couldn’t wait for their next release which dropped earlier this year called “Disappear Here”. Now just because you hear vocals doesn’t mean that all of their previous music has this sound. The group comprised of Mike Truman and Chris Healings didn’t start really trying to write structured songs until Charlotte James rounded out the group. “Noise” and “Disappear” couldn’t sound more different and in some ways that’s a good thing and a bad one but I won’t criticize. If you choose to look into the group you can make that determination for yourself. All I know is that I love this song and one of the most beautiful things about this song is those are actual strings you’re hearing courtesy of The City of Prague Orchestra and not some synthesizer. It adds a more dramatic touch to the song in my opinion.

Just when you don’t think this song can get any better the break comes in with an acoustic guitar, strings, and Charlotte that’s just really pretty. It’s a nice reprieve from the darkness of the song, like a refreshing drink of water before the action resumes, and it does resume with a vengeance. There have been just a few songs where I wish I could have been in the studio at the time of their recording. Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy, Mercy Me”, Stevie Wonders “Love’s in Need of Love Today”, Prince’s “Purple Rain”, Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” and “Redemption Song” and this song. Strange I know but what can I tell you? Those that know me know what I mean.

Downtime

I have to thank my friend Art for hipping to this man. Robert Glasper is an amazing piano player and his song “Downtime” is the perfect soundtrack for those “lazy Sundays”. Off of his third album “Double Booked”, “Downtime” is the kind of track you cue up on your stereo while you’re in the kitchen making pancakes or reading the paper in your robe. It’s the perfect compliment to a day where the last thing on your mind is putting clothes on and going out. And if it’s raining or snowing then all the better.

If you haven’t been able to tell, I am always looking for new music and new doesn’t have to be fresh out the wrapper. New for me could be something that was released fifteen years ago but I just never heard it and my friends know this and Art had ever asked me if I’ve ever heard of Robert Glasper and I said no. He suggested I look into him (and his drummer, the amazing Chris Dave) and take a listen to “Double Booked”. The album was definitely impressive and one of the best cuts on the album in my opinion is “Downtime”. To me there’s nothing better than jazz on a Sunday morning and this song is the embodiment of that casual feeling.

Chris Dave is amazing and even on such a cool out, mellow tune his drumming is like an animal contained. His high hat work throughout the song from beginning to the end seems out of place at first but you slowly realize it’s just not random, that he’s playing his own little melody along with Roberts piano playing. For the majority of the song it’s just Robert and Chris but seemingly smack dab in the middle comes the cool upright bass played by Vincente Archer.

Do not, I repeat do NOT play this song while you’re in a rush to get somewhere. It will not put any pep in your step and in fact it may just slow you down and make you late. Hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

'Round Midnight

I figured since I mentioned him in an earlier post that I would post one of his most influential and one of my all time favorite jazz tunes by him. The him I refer too is Thelonious Monk and the song is called “’Round Midnight”. Quite simply one of the greatest pieces of music ever recorded in my opinion, composed and played by the mad genius of jazz. This song altered not only Monks life but so many others as well, most for the better, a few for the worse. This song has been done over by everyone from Dexter Gordon to Bobby McFerrin, it became a jazz standard. If you called yourself a jazz musician then you had to play this song, it was as simple as that. It’s melancholy in its melody and breathtaking in its simplicity. Monk has been called the man who plays those notes that fall in-between the cracks and this song I think clearly demonstrates that.

When I first came across Monk I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t like his music but then what the hell did I know, I was a jazz novice. I thought I knew what there was to know about music and I thought jazz fell into that category. I was a fool. Jazz is a completely different beast, a land all it’s own with Kings and Queens and not just anyone was allowed on the property. You had to know what you were talking about and now I realize back then I really had no clue. I thought Monks music was discordant and strange. I thought his piano playing took away from the overall beauty of what the other players were doing. As I grew as an appreciator of jazz and my appetite for the music grew I gave another listen to Thelonious Sphere Monk and he blew me away.

Instead of taking away from the other musicians playing with him, he enhanced them. Instead of ruining the melody, he made it unique. There was no one sounding like Monk and no one ever would or could and he became an icon to me. The coolest cat amongst the coolest of cats, Pannonica and I agreed on that. He’s had other pieces that have moved me but none like ‘Round Midnight. It’s crazy but the more you listen to it the more it grabs you and won’t let you go. If you disagree with me then I dare you to put it on repeat and see what happens.

Dark Water feat. John Boutte

How to even begin with this one? Let me start off when I first heard about this group. I was sitting at home and watching a show called “Treme” on HBO about post Katrina New Orleans. I tuned in because the creators of that show were the people responsible for the amazing series “The Wire” of which I was a HUGE fan. Again if that show were a woman there would have been a restraining order out on me but I digress. If you haven’t checked out “Treme” yet by the way, you really should but anyway, this one episode starred Elvis Costello playing himself and he was at a recording session. Session ends and the musicians invite Elvis to come check out this “funky group of white boys” known as Galactic. I thought to myself “I wonder if that’s even a real group” and after a little bit of digging I found out they sure were real and like they said in the show they damn sure were funky. I got the chance to see them in concert when they visited The Brooklyn Bowl earlier this year and they blew the roof off the place.

This song, “Dark Water” off of their second release “Ya-Ka-May” is by far my favorite off this album. First time I heard it the bassline reached out and grabbed me by the neck. My brain said “holy SH*T, turn that UP!” and since then I was hooked. The bassline dominates and the drums compliment it to perfection. It’s got a gangsta lean type feel to it, full of swagger and bravado and maybe that’s why I love it so much. Anything this bad ass is hard not to love and admire. The lyrics seem like an after thought but if you listen to them carefully they bring the song together. It would have been fine as an instrumental but the lyrics sung by the award winning John Boutte (whose song "Treme" is the opening theme to the same named HBO show) are profound and the vocals are another instrument the fits in along side the bass, drums, guitar, and cello (yeah I said cello, listen close).

If this is the kind of music they are rocking to down in Nawlens then I need to get my ass down there and QUICK because apparently there’s more down there than crawfish, The Saints, and mardi gras. Check it out and see if I’m wrong. Maybe you'll want to come with :-)

Paris Groove

I have been a fan of this group ever since I walked in a record store (yeah I know keep bringing up this thing called a record store but I swear they really did exist) at least twenty years ago and I heard them playing over the sound system. I bought the album right on the spot. I didn’t need to hear anymore of the album because the song I heard was enough to sell me right there on the spot. Ever since then I’ve been following The Rippingtons w/Russ Freeman with crazed enthusiasm. If they were a woman I’m sure there would have been a restraining order out against me. That’s how big of a fan I am of their brand of music. Now those that know me know I am a jazz lover and a purist. Trane, Monk, Bird, Dizzy and the rest of the masters are the ones I love the most but there’s just something about The Rippingtons and their sound that I can’t deny loving, it almost represents a certain lifestyle or way of living, especially this song.

“Paris Groove” is catchy, easy, breezy and the perfect antidote for whatever is ailing you. I’ve offered up songs I thought were day starters, well this song and almost anything else The Rippingtons do are after work songs. Throw this tune on and you’ll get caught up in it and I’m confident your shoulders will relax and whatever was stressing you about your day will fade away and you may not even need to imbibe in the spirits. “Paris” starts off with that classic guitar sound, very mellow, very relaxing, the kind of music you can bop around the house to. It’s great background music or driving music (not that I drive but you know what I mean). Then comes the accordion (or the accordion sound) that cooks and plays well with the guitar work.

There are so many other Rippington songs I can recommend but I’ll let you dig into their vast collection for yourself. That’s only if you like their sound and if you don’t I’d ask you the cake question. Not liking this sound is like not liking cake and how could ANYONE not like cake?

Alive and Kicking

This is for all you 80’s heads. This is one of my all time favorite bands and this song is one of their bests in my humble opinion. The band is Simple Minds and the song is “Alive and Kicking”. You may already know this song and hate it or like me you may love it and unlike me just forgotten about it. I’m here to introduce it to you or re-introduce you to it. This song is one of those early morning get up and go songs that propels you into your day with a smile on your face as you sing along with Jim Kerr on your way to work or in the shower perhaps. Off of their amazing album Once Upon A Time, “Alive” harkens back to the days of the 80’s and John Hughes films when Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson were icons to the misfits and disenfranchised youth we used to be. I know I played this album more than any other when I first got it. I never left the house without this tape (yeah, I said tape dammit).

Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland Simple Minds has been a phenomenally successful band and in fact “Alive” went to number 3 worldwide (Don’t You (Forget about me) went to number 1). Released in November of 1985 “Once” reached number one in the UK and number ten here in the States and became their most successful full length album of the bands career and that was done without the song “Don’t You” from “The Breakfast Club”. The thing I love most about this song is how it builds. It simmers at first with the drums and keyboards intro and then Jim’s voice comes in with “You turn me on / you lift me up / like the sweetest cup / I share with you / you lift me up / don’t you ever stop / I’m here with you” and that leads into the soulful chant which leads into the catchy chorus and we’re off and running.

After the second verse, soulful chant and catchy chorus there’s a piano break that comes in all alone and settles the song down only for the drums to come back in and bring the song back up to a simmer along with some soulful vocals very reminiscent of “Tears For Fears”. Guess that was the recipe for success back in the day and that credit should really go to Pink Floyd but I’m again getting off track here. Jim comes back in with the catchy chorus and his adlibbing at the end elevates this song to another level.

Quite simply this song cooks and it brings to mind Ferris and Bender, bananas in tailpipes, the moonwalk and everything else the 80’s gave birth too. Take a listen and enjoy the trip down memory lane.

Where is My Mind?

If you haven't heard this wacky, groovy, addictive song then allow me to bring it to you. It's by The Pixies and it's called "Where is My Mind?". Right away it starts off wierd with someone humming and someone else saying "Stop". Then the groove comes in starting with an acoustic guitar and then the drums, lead guitar, and funky bassline all join in. And behind it all is that humming that someone told someone to stop doing in the beginning. Wierd, right? Or is it just me?

Well wierd or not this song rocks even if it doesn't blaze and if it's not as tight as "lazy eye" by Silversun. But in fact it's the sloppiness that adds to the charm of the song in my opinion. It sounds like a stoner anthem actually and it probably is somewhere to someone. From the title of the song and with lyrics like "With your feet in the air / and your head on the ground / try this trick and spin it, yeah / your head will collapse / but there's nothing in it / and you'll ask yourself / where is my mind?", I ask you how could this song NOT be a stoner anthem?

The band is originially from Boston but never really found any serious success here in the States like they did in England which is why most mistake them from being from there. The Pixies are homegrown and while their record sales have never broken any records, they've been far more successful touring over the years and "Mind" sounds like it would be incredible to hear live. What do you think?

lazy eye

I felt it was time to flip the script so to speak and change things up. I thought it was high time I introduced some harder music on my blog and introduce you to a very cool band. The harder music comes in the form of a song called "lazy eye" and the band is the indie rock band named Silversun Pickups. I've been a fan of this band from Los Angeles for awhile now and "lazy eye" is one of my favorite songs from them. It's off of their album "Carnavas" and the first thing that caught me was the drums laid down by Christopher Guanlao. The word precision does him no justice.

The second thing that caught me were the vocals by lead vocalist/guitarist Brian Aubert. His voice is so smooth over this track that it's the perfect compliment over the guitar distortion abd syncopation. The distortion smacks of early Nirvana to me but it works with the vibe of the song and of course the vocals. The band also includes vocalist and bassist Nikki Monninger and the guy the band considers their secret weapon keyboardist Joe Lester.

Carvanas is their first full length album and for a first attempt it's damn good and the highlight of the album is "lazy eye". Take a listen and let me know if you agree with me. They might just make you a fan too (and keep your ears open for those drums).

I'm Not The Enemy

When I first I heard this song I thought it was compelling but I didn’t pursue it. I liked the melody and instrumentation but for the most part I brushed it aside. How foolish of me. Thankfully I heard it again this past weekend and I pounced on it and had it on repeat for the majority of the weekend. It’s an amazing song by lina entitled “I’m Not The Enemy” off of her album “Stranger on Earth”. Lina isn’t the strongest vocalists out there, she’s not anywhere in the same category of say a lizz wright or a Laura Izibor but her vocals work for her style and they definitely work for this song. “Enemy” is a well executed song on all fronts. It’s arranged beautifully and it couldn’t have been produced any better. This song has a seriously sexy swagger to it and if downloaded you will put this song on repeat because it’s that good.

The instrumentation has a retro 1920’s feel to it but what stands out to me are the lyrics. The chorus speaks nothing but the truth when lina sings “You can’t love nobody unless you love yourself / Don’t take it out on me baby / I’m not the enemy”. Once I heard those words I played a lot closer attention to the rest of the lyrics because honestly upon first listening I was purely focused on the music. It’s just so damn catchy but the songs lyrics make this song something definitely worth listening to. Lina starts off with “I don’t know you, don’t know those melancholy eyes I see / do you even know me?” and she goes on to talk about how her man is familiar to her but his words aren’t and it speaks to a certain part of me as I’m sure it would most men. There are those moments when we don’t open up, when we don’t speak and we hold in things until we explode and we become unrecognizable to those who love us at that instant but they aren’t the enemy, we are.

Why this song didn’t get more play, earn a Grammy nomination, or put this artist on the map I will never figure out or understand because it should have. This song is worthy of that kind of attention, at least it is in my humble opinion. Take a listen and see if you agree with me.

Just One More Day

I ask you, honestly is there an all around voice in the history of all around voices better than the man that is Otis Redding? You could argue Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Teddy Pendergrass, Smokey Robinson perhaps? You could even add Al Green and Sam Cooke sang better than Otis and it would be hard to win that argument but there is no way anyone could argue on how once you start listening to Otis your soul yearns for more. With a voice that is one part smooth as glass, two parts Southern Baptist preacher, and two parts gravel road Otis’ voice is unmatched by those other magnificent vocalists I mentioned earlier. The man mastered the begging and the pleading on a record before Teddy did it and he rivaled James Brown for the beg and plead crown. And in my opinion Otis was at his beg and plead best on “Just One More Day”.

The song is about a man who would do anything his woman wants him to do if he could just have one more day and as a man I can definitely relate to that sentiment. Hell, regardless of the sex I think we can all relate to that at one time or another. This was a song in his collection that I think was severely overlooked which is understandable when you look through his collection of hits and classics but “Just” should be right up there. The music is beautifully mournful, melodic, and simple. It’s Otis and a guitar at first and then an organ comes in followed by some horns (a staple of his). Then the more instruments come in but it never loses that intimate feel. The song then builds at the end and Otis gets his begging and pleading on but you saw that coming even if I didn’t give you the heads up.

Taken from us far too soon who knows what Otis was working on and would have given us before his untimely demise. Thankfully though the man was a workhorse and left us so many songs to enjoy and remember him by. “Just One More Day” is definitely one of those for me.

It Could Happen To You

This is an old favorite of mine and I smile whenever it plays in my headphones so I thought I would share it. It’s a well known jazz standard and when I bought the album “Heavy Nova” by Robert Palmer all those years ago I certainly didn’t expect to hear it. What was even more surprising was that it was done so exquisitely well. On the same album as his mega hit “Simply Irresistible” and the Gap Bands great remake “Early In The Morning”, “It Could Happen To You” was snuggled away and vastly overshadowed but when I heard the vocals and those strings I was floored. I was never a really big Robert Palmer fan before this album but after this album I was because this album definitely showed his range. This album also contains his version of The Jackson’s “Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming”, the easy, breezy “She Makes My Day” and the mellow “Between Us” and it’s those songs plus “It Could” that clearly demonstrated his ability and willingness to step out of the box and go against peoples perception of who they thought he was.

Robert had been recording music pretty much all of his life but it wasn’t until his stint as point man in Power Station with a few members of Duran Duran (when that group took a hiatus from each other, remember Arcadia?). The success of Power Station along with his album previous album “Riptide” propelled “Heavy Nova” to number one here in the States. You remember the video for “Simply Irresistible” right? Does the all girl look alike band with the short skirts “playing” the instruments ring a bell? That wasn’t the reason why I bought the album but it wasn’t not the reason either (if you know what I mean). To be honest I forgot what the reason was that I bought “Heavy Nova” but I’m glad I did.

“It Could Happen To You” is a classic jazz standard that’s been recorded by such luminaries like Dinah Washington and Chet Baker. It was even done by the late Heath Ledger in the movie “A Knight’s Tale (who gets an A for effort). It’s a great song with a great message of be careful because this love thing could happen to you like it happened to me. With lyrics like “Guard your dreams at night / lock your heart up tight / it could happen to you” and “All I did was wonder / how your arms would be / and it happened to me” makes this the perfect cautionary tale about love done in such a lush way that you can’t believe it’s Robert Palmer doing it but it was him doing it and he did it well.

Ali in the Jungle

I’ve got another morning song to put some pep in your step. It’s called “Ali in the Jungle” by the band The Hours. Now if you think you’ve heard this song before you’re probably right. It was used ingeniously in a Nike campaign. It’s where I first heard it and fell in love with it. It asks that age old question about after you get knocked down, how quick are you going to get back up. As you may have also already figured (thanks to the title of the song) Muhammad Ali is mentioned numerous times in the song but so are other prominent historical people who’ve dealt with difficult circumstances only to overcome them and succeed.

Now while the lyrics are uplifting and encouraging, they would almost be insignificant if it weren’t for the backing track. The music grabs you and propels you forward. It starts of some double time percussion which is joined by a guitar lick and piano. Then comes one of the greatest opening lines to any song, ever “It’s not how you start, its how you finish” and after that the song is off and running. And to top it off, at the end of the song you get the radio broadcast that was aired when Ali beat George Forman in Kinshasa, Zaire which was the perfect finishing touch. This song will definitely recharge your battery and if it doesn’t you might want to look into getting a new battery, asap!

Land of Promise

Okay, I can’t hide the fact that I am in love with this song "Land of Promise" off the album “Distant Relatives”. A joint effort with Nasir Jones and Damian Marley “Distant” is a collection of some of the catchiest melodies, hooks, and singing I’ve heard in awhile. All of that is so clearly on display on the song “Land of Promise.” The first thing that catches you about this song is the menacing bassline. It works in such a way that you can’t help but nod your head in time with it and Damien Marley’s vocals float on top of the track so perfectly that he almost reminds you of his father Bob. Then Nas comes in and rocks the mic like he hasn’t done in years. His recent projects haven’t come close to the lyrics he drops on “Distant Relatives”. His own albums don’t contain such uplifting, political, empowering, and searing verses delivered with the power like he offers on this album and if you listen to his rap on this track it’s a good representation of his work on the other tracks.

How these two got artists got together I don’t know but I hope they get together again and do another project soon. “Land of Promise” is a hot track but there are other tracks on this album in my opinion are simply amazing. That doesn’t mean there aren’t tracks that should have been reworked or completely forgotten about but for the most part if you are a fan of these two men then you will love this album. Songs like “As We Enter”, “Friends” and the poignant “Africa Must Wake Up” are just three of the highlights on this album and on “Strong Will Continue” Nas even raps about his recent marital strife and being divorced from the mother of his newborn son.

If you’re not a fan of hip hop or reggae then maybe you won’t like this album but if you’re of an open mind then maybe, just maybe you’ll listen to this song and enjoy it as much as I do (well, maybe not as much but I’m confident you’ll like it).