Don't cross him, don't boss him - he's wild in his sorrow

Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time...

#239 : Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions (1987)

BDP copped a gangsta stance, sporting guns on the album cover, but they opened their debut with “Poetry,” an ode to the edutaining power of their music — “It takes concentration for fresh communication,” KRS-One informs. DJ Scott LaRock laced funky samples into taut, hard-hitting tracks like the classic interborough beef fests “The Bridge Is Over” and “South Bronx,” the latter doubling as a glorious origin story of hip-hop’s early days. LaRock was killed shortly after the album’s release trying to break up a fight.

There's a possibility I was aware of BDP back in the day, but if I was they have completely slipped my mind in the intervening period.  I was aware of KRS-One but had to rack my brains to remember where from - but (without resorting to Google) I managed to remember he provided the somewhat odd rap section on "Radio Song" by REM (apparently Michael Stipe was a fan of BDP, which also seems somewhat odd).  I didn't know quite what to expect with this album, but when I listened to it, I found myself thinking "Ah yes - this should have been what I was expecting", but tbh I'd almost completely forgotten about this kind of scratchy, sampling, beat-heavy hip-hop.  I can't say I really liked it, but I guess I found it an interestingly nostalgic diversion.

Wikipedia goes on about the feuding and rivalry which culminated in Scott LaRock's untimely death (about which Robert Christgau bizarrely writes "Music will miss him more than Jaco Pastorius and Will Shatter put together").  The other main theme is the creative use of samples which wasn't that common at the time, particularly the wide range of musical styles sampled - my favourite being ""Remix For P is Free" contains a sample from the Yellowman recording "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng"".  The band's entry doesn't go a lot further to be honest - although BDP continued after Scott LaRock's death, it was really a KRS-One solo project and concentrated on socially conscious themes.  Almost as though the lesson had been learned too late, one might unfortunately surmise.  "Customers also listened to" a load of people I'm pretty certain I've never heard of, but my mind could be playing tricks on me again.  I didn't mind listening to this, but I can't say I liked it and I'd really struggle to describe it as a great album.  

#238 : Trans Europe Express - Kraftwerk (1977)

In 1975, someone asked legendary rock critic Lester Bangs where music was going. “It’s being taken over by the Germans and the machines,” he replied. Not a bad prediction. This German group’s sound sought to eliminate the distinction between men and machines. Kraftwerk’s robot-synthesizer grooves influenced electrodisco hitmakers, experimental geniuses such as Brian Eno, and rappers including Afrika Bambaataa, who lifted the title track for “Planet Rock.” The whole world of EDM may not have happened without them.

I was sure I'd met these crazy German funsters previously on the list, but it turns out I completely made that up.  Which seems like an odd thing to make up - maybe I need to go for a lie-down in a darkened room?  Either way, I was expecting this to sound like the title track, which I was aware of.  And well, it pretty much does.  I can't say I love it, but it's a very clean sound which was years ahead of its time.  I very much admire their tenacity in ploughing their own furrow and influencing the world and his wife whilst doing so - this was a fine musical educational diversion for me if nothing else.

Wikipedia has quite a lot to say about the album, although I have to take issue with this statement "Hütter and Schneider met with musicians David Bowie and Iggy Pop prior to the recording, which influenced song lyrics" - unless they mean than Dave and Iggy told them basically not to bother with any.  The commercial performance section is quite interesting - apparently the album charted in the UK in 1982, but gives no reason why that might have happened (and a quick Google also fails to throw any light on the matter).  

The group's Wikipedia entry is quite lengthy (particularly the "Influence" section) and interesting - but rather than telling you anything useful, I'm going to go for a couple of "those crazy Germans" stories.  Apparently, their phone in the studio doesn't have a ringer because they don't like any noise pollution - so if you want to contact them, you have to wait for them to give you a time to call them and they'll answer it then.  Also, Chris Martin wanted to use one of their melodies on a Coldplay album and "he sent a letter through the lawyers of the respective parties and several weeks later received an envelope containing a handwritten reply that simply said "yes"".  "Customers also listened to" Art Of Noise, which is an obvious comparison that didn't occur to me.  I can't say I'll be rushing back to it, but I'm glad I was made to listen to it.

#237 : Red Headed Stranger - Willie Nelson (1975)

Newly signed to Columbia, Nelson was feeling ambitious. “It was the first time I had ‘artistic control,’” he recalled. “So I thought I would just start writing.” Nelson had penned the song “Red Headed Stranger” years before, on a drive back to Austin after a Colorado ski trip. He kept the arrangements extremely spare, in sharp contrast to the gussied-up music coming out of Nashville at the time. The songs locked together to tell a riveting and heartfelt tale of murder and infidelity, and the concept album became one of Nelson’s biggest hits.

Willie Nelson was one of those US musical acts who popped up approximately every 5 years during my musically formative years and I was always puzzled as to who this grizzled old dude was with his terrible country music.  So I can't say I was particularly looking forward to listening to this - but I'd have to say I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to.  It's very stripped back (more on this later) but it really suits his style and the songs had enough story to keep my interest with the title track intriguing in particular

The yellow haired lady was buried at sunset
The stranger went free, of course
For you can't hang a man for killin' a woman
Who's tryin' to steal your horse

The WIkipedia entry for the album is quite lengthy, focussing mostly on this being WIllie's first album under his new contract with CBS which gave him complete artistic control. And I think it's fair to say they didn't appreciate his effort when he handed it in for release - "Did he make this in his living room? It's a piece of shit! It sounds like he did this for about two bucks".  But they had no choice but to release it in the form Willie demanded,  And it was one of his most successful releases - so what did they know, eh?  It's interesting that it's a concept album that hangs together (as much as these things ever do, anyway) but most of the tracks are cover versions of older songs - this certainly doesn't come across when you listen to it.  Apparently they also made a film based on the album as well - I think I'm probably fine giving that one a miss though

His Wikipedia entry is "somewhat" lengthy - he's had a full life, shall we say?  In between all the extramural excitement, he's also released over 70 albums - he does chuck them out at a rate (amusingly, the one recorded to pay off his tax bill is called The IRS Tapes).  He's been married four times - one of them ended in divorce when his wife found the receipt from the maternity hospital for the baby he'd just had with his next wife!  I'd also forgotten that he somehow found time to write "Crazy" which is a very fine song indeed.  "Customers also listened to" Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash - some reasonably well known country staples there.  All of whom I still don't believe I like, but then again, I didn't think I liked Willie Nelson either and I have to admit to having had a slight re-evaluation of that with this album.

So, not Boogie Down Productions for me, but both of the other two have their good points and are almost impossible to compare.  So, obviously I will - and I'm going to give it to Willie, mostly for the unexpected enjoyment it gave.

#242-240 - All return visits - some more welcome than others.
#236-234 - I only work in black.  And sometimes very very dark grey.