The gray color of the album cover is a crossover reference to both The Beatles and Metallica's self-titled albums (The Beatles [self-titled album] being white and the Metallica [self-titled album] being black). The self-titled Beatallica contains 8 tracks made from combinations of Beatles and Metallica songs as well as giving tributes to other well known rock musicians such as Lemmy from the band Motörhead, Dokken, Glenn Danzig, The Misfits, Bananarama, Diamond Head, and Warrant as well as others! This album was released on Oglio Records in 2004.
Parody titled songs are Blackend In The USSR (reference to Back In The USSR by The Beatles), Sandman (reference to Enter Sandman by Metallica), And I'm Evil (reference to 20 Eyes by the Misfits), Got to Get You Trapped Under Ice (references to Got to Get You In My Life by The Beatles and Trapped Under Ice by Metallica), Leper (reference to Leper Messiah by Metallica), Hey Dude (reference to Hey Jude by The Beatles of course) I Want To Choke Your Band (reference to I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles), and the last track We Can Hit The Lightz (reference to We Can Work It Out by The Beatles).
The band had faced legal problems as well unfortunately. One fateful day on February 17, 2005, a cease-and-desist notice was sent to David Dixon and the band's web host by Sony, Capitol Reocrds, EMI, and ATV Music Publishing, the companies which holds rights to most of The Beatles' catalog. The notice stated that certain sections of the official Beatallica website had constituted a copyright violation and therefore should be taken down. A response to this was a petition requesting Sony, Capitol Reocrds, EMI, and ATV Music Publishing, to cease their threats of legal actions that were created.
Luckily for Beatallica, Lars Ulrich saved from further legal action. Luckily, Lars Ulrich had a sense of humor by not being a dick about it and taking Beatallica to court as Steven Speilburg was with Snoop Dogg when he did the music parody of Charlie's Angels called Doggy's Angels on TVT. The debut was released in 2000. I don't think Steven Speilburg has a sense of humor. (Yeah Steven Speil, Columbia Pictures, District Attorney Chan Gaines, and Coniyac [Kim Proby] sued TVT for $100 million in copyright infringement and royalties in 2000 which resulted them disbanding in 2002. The suit was finally settled in 2006.)
Anyway, Lars Ulrich was aware that the band was just parodying famous rock songs. The band members of Metallica, of course, have been very strict about piracy, file sharing, digital downloads, and DRM. They were pretty much against digital downloads.) Lars Ulrich even offered to provide legal assistance with negotiations and also asked Metallica's attorney to try to defuse the situation with the four. The four companies apparently had reached an agreement with Beatallica and their new indie label Oglio Records.
5/5*****!
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Torrey Carter - The Life I Live album review
Take That is the club banger of the album! Take That was named in Vibe Magazine's Top 10 Club and Head Bangers & Summer Jams of 2000! It also has Missy Elliott's mad ad-lib's to add to it. Missy herself is on the chorus. The Latin guitar riff is heard throughout the whole song. It has a catchy beat. Take That is aimed at all the those trifling backstabbing females that really don't love Torrey. Take That is all about bling-bling and keeping it clean too.
Shotgun is about cheating one ex-lovers and playing around as well as playing games with them. This one features the gospel artist Lil Mo man ex-protege of Missy Elliot as well!. Shotgun also is aimed at all the those trifling backstabbing females that really don't love Torrey.
The Life I Live (The Life I Wanna Live) features Nokio of Dru Hill. This is the title track. It's about the good life. Getting to do what you want like com home late at night and sleep all day, have sex in hotels, and such as being carefree! All that good shit!
Cream (Ride or Die) features both Lil Mo and Nokio of Dru Hill is about is having your love partner always by your side in a relationship until death. It's basically Ride or Die. A marriage theme song to say the least. It is about sexual intercourse.
Same 'Ol features Missy Elliot. The track starts out with Missy Elliott arguing that Torrey Carter is in the studio recording music every damn night. He's not selling that many cuts and records. Missy tells him to look at this damn house, he hasn't took out the trash, hasn't paid the bills, and really he hasn't done anything. He basically has done nothing.
Torrey comes home late at night and sleeps all day. Missy wonders what Torrey is going to do with himself. Torrey states that he's been working hard overtime. He's busting his ass making themselves dough. Torrey can't seem to get it right. He's about to give up.
The beats and synth horn were off key on the track Insanity. Bounce and soul do not mix together. That’s one thing the producer for this here track did not do a good job.
The reason Torrey Carter did not get very much success was because he sounded as a carbon-copy of Ginuwine. The market was not looking for that at the time. Torrey had recorded his album and Right before his album was due for released he was dropped from Elektra and Goldmind Inc.! It was due to Atlantic Records revamping. He was the third male artist to sign to Missy Elliott's Goldmind Inc. in 1999 and 2000 next to Timbaland and Magoo. Timbaland should have been a producer on this album more.
Torrey had basically went behind the scenes and went into production after The Life I Live album was released and later shelved. The Life I Live album was released as a limited press. The kid had potential, but he sounded too much like Ginuwine. He was a knock-off of Ginuwine to most music fans. Let me put that way. The whole album of The Life I Live is Soul. Just think R&B/Soul.
If Same Ol' and If It's Money That You Want were promoted as singles and music videos were made with time and efforts into these songs the album would have sold better. Torrey should have tried not to mold himself just to fit in with the other R&B/Soul male artists that were out there at the time.
That's why only a limited number of promotional copies of this album were pressed on CD and why The Life I Live was not given a proper release by Goldmind Inc. and Elektra.
Torrey Carter was carbon-copy of Ginuwine and Usher similar to how Lil Johnny was a carbon-copy of Usher as well! Other than that, Torrey Carter should just stick to releasing singles and EPs.
3/5***
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FOE - Scissorhands album review
The FOE - Scissorhands album was an underrated classic that was overlooked. The album came out on Black Market Records/Priority Records in 1996 right after Xorcist. Scissorhands was distributed by Priority Records. People who overlooked this album said it was wack. FOE is from NYC, New York.
The albums production and beats are very good and matching up with the darkside horrorcore rap Black Market Records style. Now this album came out after Season Of Da Siccness and Xorcist in 1996 on Black Market Records/Priority Records. FOE has an East Coast flow like Method Man and Mad Skillz out of VA (Virginia). (FOE is not to be confused with Sacramento rapper Foe Loco, who came out with Bomb Sac on Odysea Entertainment/Street Level Distribution in 1998. This FOE is from NYC.)
Standout songs are 21 Gun Shot Salute, Lifestyles, Consigliare, and Scissorhands. Take Covers and Letters are both underrated tracks. Consigliare should have been chosen as a single due to its dark mood.
FOE was signed to Priority in 1996. Black Market Records was up and coming at the time and Priority had sent him there. Black Market was mainly West Coast artists and not East Coast artists along with the exception of a few Southern artists such as D-Flexx, Kock D-Zel, and Savior.)
Black Market Records did not promote East Coast artists very well. Similar to how Def Jam did not promote their West Coast artists well. Similar to how Def Jam treats its West Coast artists. X-Raided's Xorcist came out during is murder trial and Brotha Lynch Hung's SODS album hit gold (750,000 units) which is why Sicissorhands album was overlooked and very under-promoted. Despite how Consigliare and Lifestyles had music videos, it was still overlooked.
5/5*****!
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Vallejo - Thicker Than Water album review
The Vallejo - Thicker Than Water album was released in 2008 on Vallejo Music Group from Austin, Texas.
Move On is about getting on with our lives. It’s obvious, of course. It seems that Vallejo has pumped up a bunch of money in the Move On music video using a tour bus. (Wonder how much that cost them especially the music video for it!)
Temporary Thing is about deciding whether or not to break up a current relationship or to stay together. Also to break up. Temporary Thing is quite similar to Move On due to the fact Temporary Thing is another love song. The song Temporary Thing resolves the problem with solution of getting on with our lives.
The song Thicker Than Water is about love as in Blood is Thicker Than Water. The title says it all!
What Will It Take is a song about forgiveness. Let It Go is the same thing as Move On. Sweet Maria is about a lady named Maria. Temptation has a smooth timid feeling. Hope You're Feeling Better is a tribute to Get Well Soon. Salvation is a good song. Live definitely represents Vallejo and the music scene in Austin for SXSW. Sonata Del Toro is an instrumental. Without You should have been a single! Tu Corazon Es Para Mi has great horn synths.
Now looking at the album cover, it seems that Vallejo - Thicker Than Water is paying homage and/or tribute to the album cover artwork of Led Zeppelin - Zoso. The fiery hear has almost the same liquidated font typeface as the Led Zeppelin - Zoso did. To sum it all up, both Zoso and Thicker Than Water pay homage and tribute to each other.
5/5*****!!
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Black Mikey - We Drop Bombs EP review
We Drop Bombs EP by Black Mikey was released in 1998/2000 on Filtered Souls Records, PAYBAK, A.F.T.E.R. Liphe Entertainment, and Skyline Records. Many people and die-hard Black Mikey fans refer to We Drop Bombs as an album despite being released as a cassette single and on vinyl. The vinyl and cassette single were released in 1998. The vinyl itself was released on A.F.T.E.R. Liphe Entertainment.
We Drop Bombs is basically a freestyle song which is exhibiting Black Mikey's lyrical skills. This song is produced by Filtered Souls (E-Low & Shysti) which is the first single on the EP. We Drop Bombs was the B Side to the Gimmie single.
The live horns productions are off the hook! Black Mikey displays his Reggae style voice which he was well known for in the 90s in San Diego (SESD). Reggae Black Mikey is sick! We Drop Bombs is a dope song.
Pacific Coast Niggaz features Big Maine who was signed to the same labels (Skyline Records and Filtered Souls) as Black Mikey. Black Mikey and Big Maine exhibit their freestyle skills on this song which deal with issues such as east and west coast rivalry. Big Maine represents blue (Crips) and Black Mikey represents red (Bloods). They both overcame their gang politics and made bread together by doing this track.
That's what Black Mikey and Big Maine were trying to tell people is that they can do more besides self-destruction. Black Mikey and Big Maine were label mates on Filtered Souls Records and Skyline Records.
On the song Gimmie, Black Mikey talks about greed, jealousy, selfishness, envy, and how some people can be on some "gimmie!" or "can I get?" tip. He's tired of people putting his bidness (business) in the mix. He's sick and tired of this Jerry Springer bullshit. The song Gimmie introduces life characters such as Gimmie (Mr. Gimmie Can I Get), Michelle The Playahatress, Jealousy, and Envy. This is a song in life that all everyday people can relate to. Gimmie has that rock sound.
5/5*****!!
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Lady the Band album review
The album Lady was released on Truth & Soul Records in 2013. Mix the 60's sound of Motown, Stax, and Atlantic Records with R&B/Soul, Blues, and Jazz, you have the result of the band Lady which is made up of Nicole Wray and Terri Walker. Think Soul and Jazz. Which is similar to Stax. Think R&B, Pop, Rock, Soul, Jazz, and Blues. This album is filled with pop flair of the 60's.
Get Ready is a soulful bouncy tune. The mood is playful. Get Ready was the second single off the album. The music is the blood of Nicole Wray and Terri Walker.
Money was the first single off of the 11 track album. Money was the most promoted song on the whole album since it was the first single. Money is, well, about money. The single Money is old school soul meets new school neo-soul.
Hold On is about moving too fast in a relationship during love. Hold on to your heart. Baby slow down. You’re moving too fast.
Sweet Lady was an inspirational uplifting dedication towards their mothers type of song. Sweet Lady is a dedication song to their mothers. Sweet Lady is similar to an upbeat positive 60s Motown song. There is a lot of positivity in this song. Their mothers are really there for them in the end when no one has their back.
5/5*****!!
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k-os - Beautiful Rebellion album review
To start off, k-os is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He does reggae and rap. Anyway… Crucial is a reggae track on the album with a palette of both rapping and singing. Everything seems so authentic. (Which is hard to do these days.) Reggae music meets rap music on the Beautiful Rebellion album. k-os is very well-known in Canada for the Beautiful Rebellion album. On top of that, k-os is internationally well-known too.
Crucial is a reggae track on the album with a palette of both rapping and singing. Crucial seems to sound similar to a love song. Love Song is self-explanatory. No one needs to go there in order to get the message.
4/5****
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311 - Transistor album review
First of all, 311 is an awesome band! Both their older stuff and newer stuff a crossover of rock-reggae type of sound. You don’t typically get that with rock bands. You may think this 311 album sound very typical that it almost sounded like Pop music. It was during that 1997-1999 period. Well, you are wrong. Transistor is a crossover of the rock-reggae type of sound not typically heard at that time.
Color is a “colorful” instrumental song henceforth the title. Color is as “colorful” as Borders if you listen carefully to the melody and tune.
The song No Control tackles on the issues of emotional abuse. A lot of things are out of your control. So don’t let people emotionally abuse you for things that are out of your control. It doesn’t matter if you’re a rock star or a child.
Borders is somewhat a colorful song.
4 1|2/5 ****(.
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