Music Snobs

[Jezzer]

I just thought I'd add that as a youngster growing up in Inner City London in the 70's, 80's and 90's, I listened to a wad of hip hop and electro (although not the only genre that I listened to).

NWA (straight outta compton), KRS-1/BDP (Criminal Minded), Schoolly D (Am I Black Enough for You?),Eric B and Rakim, Grandmaster Flash &The Furious Five, Public Enemy, Herbie Hancock, Afrika Bambaataa, 2 Live Crew, Ice T (Six in da mornin'), Dr Dre (The Chronic is a classic). Easy E (all that G Funk that I like)... ah yes... and the Wu...

Aload of people hate rap because they don't understand where it's coming from, it's roots etc. Most modern 'R&B and hip hop' with its bling postering drives me nuts. Hate it with a vengeance. It's lost its soul.

I do listen toa fair bitof electronic stuff these days. Like turntablism. Not a fan of Coldcut. They're just 'ok' in my book. Ninja Tunes stuff isn't really my bag either. Do like James Lavelle, Tom Middleton/Jedi Knights/Global Communication. Kraftwerk's Minimum Maximum is a fantastic album. Nice reworkings of Numbers and Radioactivity. Agree that Tour De France soundtracks can sound a bit samey.

For those who want to 'get into' hip-hop/turntablism and don't know where to begin I whole-heartedly recommend downloading a few mixes from here:

http://www.djztrip.com/

DJ Z-Trip is very good.

 

[Biscuit]

yeah, I have a copy of uneasy listening, luckily only paid a tenner for it before most of the hype, so didn't have to pay stupid eBay prices

The mixes are awesome, remember downloading them after I first picked up the CD, not so sure about the album though.......

 

[Jezzer]

Give it a try cloth-ears! Some excellent mixes to download there.

Biscuit, I bought Z-Trip's studio album 'Shifting Gears' recently. Disappointed with it, to be honest.

 

[155]

analoguekid wrote:

I55 you are correct I was reffering more to the mainstream stuff, however a friend is right into real Hip hop and I still don't like it, I may be wrong, but th only hip hoppy record I like is miseducation of lauren hill, if you can point me in the direction of quality well produced stuff like this with intelligent and intelligable rapping, about subjects other than sex and the wrtiters ego, then perhaps I may seek it out, proper balck soul is different to the RnB missy elliot kinda pap that filled our popular music charts over the last 5 years.

You know, it is quite funny that you mention the 'MisEducation' album as it is one of 'those' albums that I have always had problems listening to, with only two songs on there that I actually like. She is an interesting case in point, as she does form an obvious bridge betweenHip Hop and soul.

In some respects Missy Elliot has pursued a very similar career, but in an opposite direction, beginning with Hip Hop, then working as part of the Devante Swing (of Jodeci) project 'Sista', before moving away to produce (with Timbaland)her very unique fusion of varying elements to produce some very interesting singles (her albums sometimesindicate that her inspiration ran out after four tracks - with the rest being fairly standard 'filler').

I love the fact that her most recent single used 'Clear' by Cybotron, if onlybecause it might inspire some individuals to go back to find the original track by that artist and his other work. Because of the way Hip Hop has operated from the beginning,using music from other artists to provideits basicstructure(particularly so when the musical structure ofHip Hop was centred around the relationship between the DJ and the MC),it has proven very useful in revivinginterest in music and artists that might otherwise have faded in to obscurity. Biscuit mentioned Bob James in an earlier post, I had no idea who Bob James was until I heard Grandmaster Flashusing two copies of 'Take Me To The Mardi Gras', and I wanted to know whatrecord Flash was using. From there you explore their catalogue, and find that the artist has producedmusic that I can (and do) listen to outside the context of 'Hip Hop'. Perhaps the best example here is James Brown, whobenefitted endlessly from the use of 'Funky Drummer', and whose career did enjoy something of a resurgence, and it did reconnect him with his primary black audience.

Regarding the 'pap', there is a great deal of it, but I would be more than happy to recommend some of the soul artists that I have listened to, particularly in the last few years. And I am willing to have you share some recommendations of the music that you listen to, and in that way we both perhaps gain from the venture?

155

 

[thommo]

I'm not a mega fan of the hip hop, RnB sort of stuff, but each to their own and all that.

I do really hate music snobs though. With a passion.

People who say "that's crap" when they mean (or at least should mean) "I don't like that". Much as I dislike hip hop etc, I'd never say it's no good, because it's totally subjective.

I dislike classical music, but will never say it's no good. Just doesn't do it for me.

Common courtesy, really.

 

[Jezzer]

99% of the music which appears in the singles chart is crap.

99% of the'bands' which appear on CDUK and TOTP are pants!

 

[Guest]

Thommo get you to a point but some of the music I'm thinking about is crap, no artistic conent, just moneymaking sham selling dross of the highest degree to those too young and too stupid to know anybetter, this is not to be confused with proper stuff, wether it be hip hop soul, rock etc.

TBH I meant that a lot was crap and the other stuff is not to my taste, so I55 I may look at some of your suggestions, but I reckon a lot of your suggestions will be wasted on me, I too feel that a lot I could suggest just won't float yer boat, prog rock, swing, fusion etc, prolly not gonna be your bag.

 

[JamPal]

Thommo, I hate to disagree with anyone twice in one day. But there is a point when intelligence dictates that no matter how polite you want to be some things are just Crap!

I rest my "heavy" case.

 

[Hawk]

Jezzer wrote:

99% of the music which appears in the singles chart is crap.99% of the 'bands' which appear on CDUK and TOTP are pants!

course the real talent is on pop idol/x factor

or maybe not

 

[thommo]

hifiwigwam wrote:

Thommo, I hate to disagree with anyone twice in one day. But there is a point when intelligence dictates that no matter how polite you want to be some things are just Crap!

Good point well made. I am rightly reproached.You love her, you do.

 

[thommo]

AK - yup, fair enough.

I suppose there is/has to be a threshold below which there is no redeeming quality, and that can be described as crap without fear of contradiction.

 

[Biscuit]

has anyone heard that album, I'm intrigued

:raoflmfao:

 

[Jezzer]

That Michelle is a walrus.

 

[JamPal]

thommo wrote:

you love her, you do.

:lmao::lmao:

 

[Guest]

Jezzer wrote:

That Michelle is a walrus.

hoi, don't insult my power amp

 

[155]

analoguekid wrote:

Thommo get you to a point but some of the music I'm thinking about is crap, no artistic conent, just moneymaking sham selling dross of the highest degree to those too young and too stupid to know anybetter, this is not to be confused with proper stuff, wether it be hip hop soul, rock etc.TBH I meant that a lot was crap and the other stuff is not to my taste, so I55 I may look at some of your suggestions, but I reckon a lot of your suggestions will be wasted on me, I too feel that a lot I could suggest just won't float yer boat, prog rock, swing, fusion etc, prolly not gonna be your bag.

Well,

Here are three albums that I return to continually, and which have been realesed within the last ten years or so.

1) 'Adriana Evans' Adriana Evans (1997 BMG Entertainment). In particularlisten to 'Looking For Your Love'. Beautiful.

2) 'Individuality (Can I Be Me?)' Rachelle Ferrell (2000Capitol Records).

3) 'Who Is Jill Scott? (Words And Sounds Vol 1)' Jill Scott (2000 Hidden Beach Recordings/Sony Music)

Just to start you off.

155

 

[Testure]

155 wrote:

Testure wrote:

Not worth getting wound up about, anyway what does he know about music, he just infered that Kraftwerk had run out of ideas by listening to Minimum Maximum!!Chill with a beer and dream of shinny63DP :dude:

AgainI will answer the point. I simply stated that 'Minimum Maximum' might be taken as a sign that Kraftwerk had run out of ideas, or (to take it further), that electronicmusic in general had 'caught up' with them.Look at thelast few albums they have released, 'The Mix' - although interesting it is nothing more than a remix album of varying success, followed byanalbum built around the concept of the 'Tour De France' - an album which should have been completed in place of 'Electric Cafe'.

But since then?

Furthermoreit could be argued that'Minimum Maxmum' is nothing more than the concept of a remix album taken live -thatalbum primarily being 'The Mix'.

There is no denying the influence of Kraftwerk, and on this particular thread it is quite interesting to note their influence on Hip Hop and Electro Funk in particular - especially through the work of Afrika Bambaataa and Soul Sonic Force, Arthur Baker and John Robie. 'Number's runs through most of the early 1980'sWest Coast Hip Hop produced by the World Class Wreckin' Cru, The Unknown DJ and The Egyptian Lover.But unfortunately they have yet, in my opinion, to produce anything that matches the originality of 'Computer World', 'Trans Europe Express' or 'Electric Cafe'.

155

An apology is due 155, it was a bit of a sweeping statement on my part.

It didn’t help that I was still stuck in the office on Friday evening, getting wound up with a program that wasn’t quit working!!

Thanks for expanding your thoughts, I thought I'dstart a new post relating toKraftwerk and have posted my thoughts on this.

 

[subterranean-alien]

analoguekid wrote:

Jezzer wrote:

That Michelle is a walrus.

hoi, don't insult my power amp

She is NOT! There are differences, aside from the 'tash and the fishy odur Michelle is nothing like a walrus and I think they would be highly offended at the suggestion.

 

[Guest]

yeah one of them is a huge blubbering stinking mass, and the walrus is a sea mammal

 

[155]

Testure wrote:

155 wrote:

Testure wrote:

Not worth getting wound up about, anyway what does he know about music, he just infered that Kraftwerk had run out of ideas by listening to Minimum Maximum!!Chill with a beer and dream of shinny63DP :dude:

AgainI will answer the point. I simply stated that 'Minimum Maximum' might be taken as a sign that Kraftwerk had run out of ideas, or (to take it further), that electronicmusic in general had 'caught up' with them.Look at thelast few albums they have released, 'The Mix' - although interesting it is nothing more than a remix album of varying success, followed byanalbum built around the concept of the 'Tour De France' - an album which should have been completed in place of 'Electric Cafe'.

But since then?

Furthermoreit could be argued that'Minimum Maxmum' is nothing more than the concept of a remix album taken live -thatalbum primarily being 'The Mix'.

There is no denying the influence of Kraftwerk, and on this particular thread it is quite interesting to note their influence on Hip Hop and Electro Funk in particular - especially through the work of Afrika Bambaataa and Soul Sonic Force, Arthur Baker and John Robie. 'Number's runs through most of the early 1980'sWest Coast Hip Hop produced by the World Class Wreckin' Cru, The Unknown DJ and The Egyptian Lover.But unfortunately they have yet, in my opinion, to produce anything that matches the originality of 'Computer World', 'Trans Europe Express' or 'Electric Cafe'.

155

An apology is due 155, it was a bit of a sweeping statement on my part.

It didn’t help that I was still stuck in the office on Friday evening, getting wound up with a program that wasn’t quit working!!

Thanks for expanding your thoughts, I thought I'dstart a new post relating toKraftwerk and have posted my thoughts on this.

Testure, that was really nice of you, hopefully we can now discuss music in the same way as Biscuit and I now can! I'm just glad that Biscuit invited me over, so that I could answer some of the points made in my absence.

Incidentally,one of the best concerts I have been to was Kraftwerk performing at the Brixton Academy in London.

155