Discovering The Classics: Vol. 2

This is part two of a series in which I highlight some of the classic albums that I've finally gotten around to listening to. Check the previous entry for the first group.



The Stooges - Raw Power (1973)
The amazing thing about this album is how swiftly and effectively it rendered every other hard rock album in my collection utterly useless in comparison. Raw Power is so electric of an album it could probably heat my home for the winter. At any given moment there's this underlying energy -- this raw power, if you will -- that's so potent that it's all the band can do to keep it from spontaneously combusting into a cacophonous clusterfuck. They barely succeed in preventing it from doing exactly that. Which is all for the best because, really, have you ever tried getting pieces of raw power out of your hair? It's a bitch.

Score: 9.5/10

"Search And Destroy"

Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded (1987)
This album didn't impress me at first for some reason, probably because it was effectively overshadowed by Eric B. & Rakim (see below). But with time, it grew on me. I like how it mixes a good amount of the reggae sound, as it was Jamaican's (DJ Kool Herc in particular) who were largely responsible for the birth of hip hop in the first place. This comes together the best on "The Bridge Is Over", which is one of the best rap songs ever recorded, I've determined. Somehow I get the hint that KRS-One dislikes Queens.

Score: 7.5/10

"The Bridge Is Over"

Television - Marquee Moon (1977)
The first time I heard this I felt it was merely an above average art-rock album. But it's had some time to simmer in my mind, and in that time it has only grown on me more and more. Those guitar riffs are too sexy. I don't have enough of a technical knowledge to know exactly what's going on with them, but I know enough to know that it's probably too complicated an album to try to learn from. I imagine this inspired many people, though.

Score: 8.5/10

"Venus"

Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full (1987) and Follow The Leader (1988)
I've always wondered what the greatest rapper ever would sound like, and I found out once I picked up Paid In Full. The last track, "Extended Beat", sounds mildly like a rejected mix for Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Casino Night Zone. And that's about the only flaw this album has going for it. The rest of it is more than deserving of the classic status that it enjoys. The beats are minimal but deadly, seemingly made for b-boys. Songs like "My Melody" and "As The Rhyme Goes On" makes me want to finally make good on my years-old promise to learn how to break. And though Eric B. is certainly a skilled and innovative producer, it's hard not to focus most of my attention on the incredible rhyme skills of Rakim. Hearing him, it became immediately apparent where two-thirds of all worthwhile rappers in the last two decades got their style from.

As if he wasn't impressive enough on Paid In Full, he manages to one-up himself a year later on Follow The Leader. By that time, their debut had sent shockwaves through the underground, effectively changing the game. It seemed almost impossible to fathom that they, especially Rakim, would top themselves, yet the only aspect in which the album failed to live up was in terms of impact. The higher production values take away some of the rawness the debut enjoyed, but Eric B handles them well. Lyrically, Rakim is more furious than ever, especially on the first three tracks. With these two albums, Eric B. & Rakim have become my new favorite band.

Score: 9.5/10 and 9/10

"My Melody"


"Follow The Leader"