Happy 2005

Hey Soul Mates,
we here at RHS want to wish you a safe, happy and prosperous New Year. May the world of 2005 be filled with a little more love, a little more peace and a lot more of our music!
Thanks for sticking with us, this year we're gonna make you proud.
Love, Power, Peace

Top 10 albums of 2004 #1

Hey Soul Mates,
it's a tie of sorts:
#1 The Black Album... Jay-Z; The Grey Album... DJ Dangermouse.
Both of these discs feature vocals by Jay-Z. One features work by the cream of hip-hop producers from Rick Rubin, Timbaland, Eminem, Kanye West, the Neptunes, etc. The other features instrumentation by four guys named John, Paul, George & Ringo.

Swansongs aren't usually this focused or cohesive, but like Jordan's first retirement, we've already heard from Jay-Z since this record dropped. What's extraordinary is the dual nature of this pick. I read about the Grey Album and heard it prior to hearing the Black Album. It gave me a better appreciation of Jay-Z. I immediately ran out and bought the Black Album. Of course, the Grey Album doesn't really exist. DJ Dangermouse, as an exercise in production, sampled, looped and mashed the Beatles' White Album with Jay-Z's crooklyn flow. Thus White + Black = Grey. The Grey Album is not superior to the Black Album, make no mistake, but it is innovative and a companion piece nonetheless.

This was a big year in hip-hop, and Jay-Z's disc is the epicenter (apologies to Kanye West). It's loaded with great singles: Encore, Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Change Clothes and the utterly massive 99 Problems (more on that in a moment). Jigga calls it a "victory lap." Oh, yeah.

Change Clothes & Allure feature great production by the Neptunes on Black. Dangermouse backs them with samples of the baroque harpsichord of Piggies and a wild bit of Bungalow Bill, respectively. The genius of Grey is that each Jay-Z track is typically matched up with a single Beatles cut rather than a hodge-podge of samples. And Grey has its own track listing making it a completely separate listening experience, giving it a different flow.

Another standout is Encore. The Black features Kanye West's smoothed out R&B sample; Dangermouse makes it harder using Glass Onion and the horn flourish from Savoy Truffle to make Jay-Z sound even more agitated. John Lennon punctuates Jigga's rap with his patented "Oh, Yeah."

Finally, there is 99 Problems. This was my favorite single of the year. It's an ingenious lyric delivered wryly by Hova. His story telling skill is brutal and his rhyming impeccable. He runs through critics and the industry, golddiggers, and a DWB where Jigga plays himself and the officer: "Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo?/Well, you was doin' 55 in a 54." On the Black, Rick Rubin supplies an old school track with a powerchord sample from Billy Squier that sounds right outta 1986. Heavy. But then Dangermouse ups the ante by using a manic loop of the proto-metal riff from Helter Skelter. This is easily the best mash up to date. Which do I prefer? Which one is playing?

The same could be said for the albums. If you get your ears on a copy of the Grey Album, especially if you are already familiar with the Beatles, you'll get a kick out of it. Since it's release, the Grey has spawned a multitude of mash-ups to varying degrees of success. Don't fear the future, Dangermouse just showed us a glimpse. I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Jay-Z either.

In review:
My top 10 for 2004:

#10 To The 5 Boroughs... The Beastie Boys
#9 This Is Not A Test... Missy Elliot
#8 College Dropout... Kanye West
#7 Astronaut... Duran Duran
#6 Diary Of Alicia Keys... Alicia Keys
#5 Musicology... Prince
#4 Kish Kash... Basement Jaxx
#3 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb... U2
#2 Think Tank... Blur
#1 The Black Album... Jay-Z; The Grey Album... DJ Dangermouse

Honorable mention: Alfie (OST, we're pulling for an Oscar for Mick!); Franz Ferdinand... Franz Ferdinand; Bright Idea... Orson; Hi-Fidelity Dub Sessions Chapter 5... Various Artists.

Love, Power, Peace

Top 10 albums of 2004 #2

Hey Soul Mates,
#2 Think Tank... Blur.
This CD came out sometime in mid-2003, but it got lost in the shuffle. I didn't discover it until January and this is from one of my favorite bands. Think Tank is certainly the most difficult CD on my list. It takes several listens to get through the experimental layers and instrumentation. Pop albums usually don't employ Moroccan musicians or bedspring percussion. This is also the worst reviewed pick on my list and the one I figure the fewest of you have heard.

Hypnotic is the single word I'd use to describe Think Tank. The opening chant "I ain't got nothing to be scared of" from Ambulance signals lead singer Damon Albarn's m.o. As long as he has love and the ear of his listeners he's ready for the journey ahead. Formerly a quartet, Blur abruptly became a trio during recording Think Tank. Times of transition are often turbulent, I know. The result is a moody album that got me through a very moody period. The ballads Out Of Time (with it's exotic instrumentation and haunting chorus) & Sweet Song float in the brain pan. This is a headphone CD to be sure. Definitely my favorite melancholy late night listen.

Crazy Beat with it's Fatboy Slim production is son-of-Song 2 (you know, "woo-hoo!"), but more fun than it's predecessor. This is a great lost rock/dance track. I could've used a few more uptempo numbers on this album like it. The other Fatboy produced track is Gene By Gene with it's mattress and bicycle rhythm track. Inspired madness. The final track is Battery In Your Leg, which is beyond haunting, about how tiring performance can be and how addicted we become to it. The song is not mopey, just evocative.

To some, this CD probably feels indulgent. Albarn has already done experimental with his hip-hop side project Gorillaz; working with artists from Mali. Many of the tracks focus on mantra-like refrains and world beats. Why drag Blur into it? Without a lead guitarist and moving toward electronic music, this is a marvelously internal album with a lot of heart. To me Think Tank represents a group of mid-30s artists stretching to find inspiration in the 21st century world and presenting it on their terms. Blur may never be deemed as relevant or adventurous as U2 or Pink Floyd, but they have their charms and manage to keep things interesting.
Love, Power, Peace

Tuesday Morning Thoughts

Hey Soul Mates,
it's a very rainy day here in L.A. I'm battling a cold. Day 2. Not the flu, mind you.
I hope you all are doing well. Only a few days left in 2004. I'll be glad to see 2005. This is going to be a big year for all of us in RHS and those of you who have supported us. We plan to get out of town for some shows/festivals/music conferences, etc . There are recording dates with Richard Bosworth. Lots to look forward to.

I still have 2 more records to rank in my top 10. I will try to post #2 tonight. Ah, suspense.
Off into the squall.
Love, Power, Peace

p.s. Send some good energy to SE Asia. That tsunami was no joke.