ZOX - Take Me Home album review
Take Me Home is an album by Rhode Island based rock group Zox that was released in 2003 on Zox Music. This ZOX album somehow wasn’t that good as some people decided. Some of the songs end far too suddenly while others platter out too long as some have put it. Most music critics such as Allmusic have desensitized the listener away from listening to this particular ZOX album even if Take Me Home was well-favored album by hardcore ZOX fans or anyone interested in the Ska sound.
Canon is a tribute/cover song of Pachelbel's Canon which is recast simply as “Canon” right here that lingers into nearly six minutes. The Canon tribute/cover song is quite lyrically impressively though. The climate offers a scenic view. This tribute was a good idea.
Rain on Me is a sad ballad of feels and honesty that is quite similar to Homebody. The composition track Rain on Me is quite sad. Rain on Me is quite an intelligent ballad.
4/5****!!
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Gina Thompson - Snippets From If You Only Knew album review
Snippets From If You Only Knew were snippets of songs for the then upcoming If Only You Knew album in 1999 on Missy Elliott’s Goldmind Inc. label and EW.
Missy Elliott never gave Gina Thompson a chance while she was under her wing at Goldmind Inc. from 1996 to 2001. Elektra and Goldmind never really played her videos and didn't really put in much effort as into promoting the If Only You Knew album.
Ya Di Ya was the first single for her second album If Only You Knew featuring Missy Elliott which was released in 1999. Ya Di Ya has that Spanish mix and feel inside the percussion. The beats are very futuristic. Missy Elliott is known for her futuristic beats on her songs. Ya Di Ya is a standout track! The music video could have been improved with a little more money. Not their fault. Elektra, EW, and WMG were on the verge of going bankrupt around 1999-2001.
This is what Ya Di Ya is all about.:
Gina is saying that the man she is trying to get with is talking a lot of irrelevant nonsense. Irrelevant nonsense makes her want to leave him and not want to be bothered with him.
Gina just came from a late night, but once she got in she didn't feel right. The guy is uptight from the first time they met because Gina did not return his page. If he pages her once or twice, that's nice. It's crazy for ten times that he pages her. The mess that the guy is talking about Gina wants to say bye to him. The guy she is trying to get with is talking about irrelevant nonsense and it makes her want to leave him. Gina does not want to hear it. She does not want to be bothered by him. He is just really getting on her nerves.
Gina is not in the mood for the drama this evening. So Gina think the guy should be leaving because she doesn't need this or him because is it doesn't pay the bills. There are more guys with more skills that will definitely satisfy Gina. His talking is weighing out his good looks. Right now Gina thinks he should be walking right out that door.
On the last verse before the hook repeats, Missy Elliott wonders why the man she wants to get with is aggravating her. Everything he says agitates her. He’s bugging her with all that nonsense. Missy Elliott keeps it real on this song. She said don’t even play me unless he pays her bills.
So Gina asks him to take her number down from his pager so he can call her later. It’s obvious that Gina is tired of hearing from him. So she asks him to stop calling her for the night. Or week if she is really annoyed.
It Hurts seems to sample Toni Braxton/Deborah Cox ballad Nobody's Supposed To Be Here. The gospel interlude in the middle has a real church vibe to it. Gina Thompson takes it to church with her sultry gospel vocals on this one. It Hurts stands out the most on this album sampler. Her lyrics are laid back. Although it will stick in your head for days on end.
It Hurts is very similar in musical style and harmony towards the Deborah Cox ballad Nobody's Supposed To Be Here and the Lil Mo song called Why. In fact, the song It Hurts seems to sample the Deborah Cox ballad Nobody's Supposed To Be Here and the Lil Mo song called Why. The samples are both similar in both sound, composition, style, rhythm, and harmony. The sound, style and harmony stand out the most for this Gina Thompson song. Deborah Cox co-wrote this song with Gina Thompson herself.
Ladies Anthem has a really great beat! Her voice is really great on it! Ladies Anthem is an ode to all the ladies out there whether single or married. Hey girls just want to have fun as Cyndi Lauper stated back in the 1980s. Ladies Anthem have been great for a music video.
Up All Night is a romantic song with laid back lyrics featuring Jon B. This one is a standout track! Jon B produced this song. Caught Up has a hook that will stick in your head for days on end. The song Caught Up would have been a great choice for a single and a music video. However Caught Up is only a snippet of less than 2 minutes.
3/5***
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C-Loc - Killa Instinct single review
This IS NOT the same C-Loc from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This C-Loc is white and better know as Shawn Curry. He is from Clinton Township, Michigan near Flint. This cassette single was released on Hustlin' Records in 1995. His kind of style is similar to Esham and White Lee (Lee Laury) of Criminal Background. C-Loc does mimic Esham's acid rap. There weren't a lot of white rappers that did acid rap in the 90s. So that's why C-Loc stands out.
Streets of War is a real acid rap track with a pinch of Esham influence. Gangsta rap meets acid rap as well as horrorcore rap on Streets of War. No Streets of War is not written from a militaristic point of view.
Killa Instinct is about being in that killa mode! As Lil Black of CKC would put it as "pants saggin', minds in that killa mode!". It's very dark and grimey track. Gangsta rap meets acid rap as well as horrorcore rap on Killa Instinct.
5/5*****!
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MOSS - MOSS Erb-N-Reality album review
This album was released on Imperial BlewBack Entertainment from Flint, Michigan in 1995 on CD and cassette. This album was different from the ghetto tech sound and gangsta rap coming from Flint rap at that time. It was more like East Coast and G-Funk blended and mixed together. It's not only as sample crazy as a lot of rap was in the 90s. They freestyle over the sampled instrumentals too. Compare the likes of Method Man, Shyheim, U-God, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Kevin Brown, Nikki D, Main Source, Heather B., Monie Luv, Native Nuttz, Skillz, and FOE from Black Market Records all mixed together.The groups accents are lot different from the average Flint rapper and any rapper in Michigan.
This album was really different from all the rap albums in Flint at that time. The album cover for Erb-N-Reality stood out because there are 2 men laying in a pool of blood yet MOSS is NOT a gangsta rap group rather an intellectual lyrical group. (Possibly looking at a shooting victim here.) The origins of the photo are unknown because the members of MOSS refuses to reveal the origins. MOSS should have released a 2nd album as a follow up album to their debut. That would have been the shit!
(MOSS means Ministaz Of a Sinista Society. Members are Big G, Cognac, Scurvy, Googiemac, and G Storm. MOSS is from Merrill Hood which is a neighborhood located in Northside Flint.)
The track Erb-N-Reality shows us morbid sad reality of daily life inside urban reality. Erb-N-Reality shows us how life in Flint can be hell. How people can become fiends and how people can become crack heads. It's not all prostitution and killings. The song shows no solutions or answers to the problems. Overall the song is filled with negativity with no solutions to the sadness of urban reality.
But life is not all that bad in Flint since the late 2000s revitalization attempts of the area of Downtown Flint is slowly rebuilding especially with Kettering University. Don't forget that folks.
8 MC's has that deep dark, grimey mid 90's East Coast sound to it. Particularly that grimey NYC sound. East Coast hip hop meets Midwest rap on 8 MC’s. Think Onyx, Das EFX, Necro, Ill Bill, Almighty RSO, Non Phixon, Orko, U-God, Bahamadia, and The Undatakaz. It has jazz samples like as many East Coast hip hop and rap songs did at that time. Flint was a gutta and ghetto place at that time and it still is.
8 MC’s is the MOSS posse cut which is a hardcore rap freestyle that is a posse cut that includes all members unleashing verses including Big G, Scurvy, and Googie Mac. MOSS members Googie Mac, Cognac, and Scurvy stand out the most as usual. However MOSS members Scurvy and Googie Mac stand out the most as they are the ones all over this album with Big G and Cognac. Overall 8 MC’s is a MOSS posse cut.
The track 8 MC’s was produced by The Beat Faktory who produced for legends such as The Dayton Family, Project Born, DOA, Took N Bone, Mean Gene, Bootleg, Shoestring, and more.
The song Googie Mac has the dope Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers sample in it! It really showcases Googie Mac’s rap style and East Coast flow. His accents is a lot different from the average Flint rapper and any rapper in Michigan at that.
The song Googie Mac is a solo cut recorded and written by none other than Merrill Hood rap legend Googie Mac. This is a solo cut where Googie Mac gets the spotlight to stand out the most on the MOSS album. He gets his time in the light. Hip hop meets rap on Googie Mac.
On Sodom and Gammorah, an unnamed voice tells us not to adjust the sound on our speakers for the next 34 minutes on the b side of the cassette. The voice tells us how city people are evil. For example calling them thieves and murderers. The voice tells that the city of Flint is like Sodom and Gammorah. Flint has reached a point beyond redemption. People get robbed and beat up in these city streets of Flint. The Jazz sample is from J. Blackfoot.
Fully Automatic was a dark song with the high pitch note violins squealing in the background. It had that dark and grimey NYC sound as well. Gangsta rap meets East Coast hip hop on Fully Automatic. D.I.D is a G-Funk track which is the hardest shit ever! You will love the Jamaican intro at the very start. B-Def from Detroit is on this Moss posse cut.
You will love the Isaac Hayes sample used on Confessions. It has a sad yet sentimental feel. MOSS gets holier than a bible on Confessions. Each member of MOSS gives a confession about their life and sins. DJ Psycho was responsible for production.
DJ Psycho does the cuts on Verbal Murder. Bangtown (Pharlon Randle) produced Verbal Murder. Verbal Murder is a Cognac solo which is a solo cut that has an East Coast rap and hip hop feel. The track Verbal Murder is similar to Fully Automatic.
The Rick James sample used in Marijuna was a genius idea. Bangtown knew what he was doing as he, himself, was the person who produced the track Marijuana. War - Cisco Kid is used as a sample on Marijuana. No Escape tells us there's no escape from Flint. No Escape has samples from the film called Shocker. The track No Escape is similar to the track Sodom and Gammorah.
5/5*****!!
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Raw Breed – Blood, Sweat & Tears album review
Raw Breed – Blood, Sweat & Tears was a byproduct released before the Puff Daddy era where pop rap was at its peak even though this album was released the same year Puffy was in his prime on his way reaching celebrity status in stardom. Raw Breed MCs sound just like Onyx and Mobb Deep on this album as well as their other albums. The group has similarities to Onyx. It could be coincidence. (Or coincidental at that.)
Everyday Tactics showcases how street savvy/streetwise Raw Breed really is and exactly how raw they really are. Raw Breed as a rap collective proves to be both street savvy and streetwise. The track Everyday Tactics has a Mobb Deep sound.
I Want It is a cut about how to get from rags to riches. Everything's Lovely has a smooth swing jazz sample. Overall the sound is very deep and brooding. I Want It showcases a barrage of street smarts and savviness.
Overall this is a dope album despite running a bit long. This album is a perfect representation of 1997 New York hip hop before the Puff Daddy era. Most rap fans have slept on Raw Breed as a whole. This album is no particular exception to that case.
4/5****!!
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Raw Breed - Lune Tunez album review
Raw Breed - Lune Tunez was released on Continuum/Warner Brothers in 1993. Raw Breed MCs sound just like Onyx on this album as well as their other albums. It could be coincidence. (Or coincidental at that.)
Jimmy Crack Corn is a menacing narrative of a psycho criminal that is on the loose. Kind of similar to those horror movies that take place where a psychopathic criminal is on a murder spree located on a college campus. Of course the track gets deep, dark, and brooding. Foxhunt is a well-executed East Coast production styled song where the rappers talk about going to college campuses in search of some pussy or this case “tail”.
4/5****!!
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Raw Breed - Killa Instinct album review
5-man crew from the Bronx, New York was set to release a 3rd album (well second if you don’t count the Lune Tunez album that got redistributed by MCA which WB redistributed also) in 1996 called Killa Instinct. But the album that was planned to be released on Warner Brothers Records never hit shelves in music stores or the public. Instead the album remained unreleased. Warner Brothers Records shelved the album due to its explicit content deemed too hardcore for the public. That was until 2017 when the album was released publicly for the first time ever on CD & LP on the label Dust & Dope Recordings.
The liner notes of Raw Breed - Killa Instinct explain the history of the album. Included is a detailed article about how their follow up effort was censored. The article inside the liner notes explain clearly that the follow up effort was a censored retail release. Included is all the original artworks from the actual Killa Instinct album that was to be released in 1996.
Raw Breed - Killa Instinct was dubbed “the banned album within the hip hop community” due to the fact Warner Brothers Records shelved the album due to its explicit content deemed too hardcore for the public. It was the hardcore content, explicit nature, and phat ghetto rawness as to reasons why the album never saw light of day until now.
5/5*****!
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NBOH - Streetz Got Me Gone album review
The intro is a collab tracks of artists from Mobstyle Records such as Mr. Cas, Silk, Pops, Les Mo, Skin Head, and more. City of Thugstas show us the troubles of inner city youth in America who face crime, gangs, warfare, drugs, poverty, lack of a quality education, and much more drama.
G A Day is about serving a gram of cocaine a day to drug dealers and keepin' it g. It's about pushing a hard line of cocaine dust. A large line. 800 Vs Ides is about comparing the two alcoholic beverages.
BG Thang is the best song off the whole album! The music video even accommodates the song since it was released during the lovely era of the 1990s when the G-Funk sound ruled. It ain't nothin' but a BG Thang. Let the lil loccs hang. Let the big homies know.
Streetz Got Me Gone is the title track about how the streets can turn you into a crazy criminal. This has absolutely crazy insane bass. Suspect Unidentified samples clips from Lone Ranger, Walker Ranger, various detective shows, detective movies, cop shows, and other action movies.
All Da Bitches is an ode to all the females. Locs Dye 2 is a song dealing with death. B Long Live Da Hustlas is an ode to all hustlas! No Luv has the siccest G-Funk line ever heard with a boisterous grand piano playing in the background. That bass is great!
5/5*****!
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Various Artists - Poets & Gangstas album review
Poets & Gangstas was a compilation album of artists from San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth released on Youngsta Records in 1995. Youngsta Records was based in San Antonio, Texas. Poets & Gangstas is a gangsta rap compilation of sorts.
The first song is the title track with Nino, Kottonmouth, and Pops. This song has that San Antonio Doo-Dooism sound with heavy bass and heavy guitars. That's what San Antonio rap and hip-hop sounded like in the mid 90s. Pops is from Lake Como, Texas. Kottonmouth is from Dallas, Texas. Great song! Think Creepin' On Ah Come Up as the track Poets & Gangstas is very similar to Creepin' On Ah Come Up
The Murda Afta Murda song is not the remix that is on Kottonmouth's 1995 debut album on Youngsta Records. This is the original version. It is one heavy ass G-Funk bass track! DJ Snake produced the beats. It would have been dope if this version was on his 1995 debut!
The song Ill Regala was written and performed by the rap group Ill Regala. Ill Regala was a rap group from the Westside of San Antonio, Texas in the mid 90s. The duo was more the less unknown outside the highway loops of San Antonio. Ill Regala has both a hip hop and rap sound. A funky guitar loop resonates all over the track. The song Ill Regala is hip hop sound meets rap.
Nino tells us how he talk the talk and walk the walk on Walk On Walk. This song has that San Antonio Doo-Dooism sound with heavy bass and heavy guitars.
Million Me's is song by Mad Wisdom with a Kenyatta Banks sample. Bhumble The and DJ Snake produced the drums and bass used on this track used. Million Me’s is just a dope ass freestyle song. Mad Wisdom is from Fort Wort, Texas and was on Youngsta Records and Midwest Records from 1995 to 1998.
All In is a smooth fast song by Pinhead aka C-Lo from Fort Worth. He was in P.K.O. in the 1990s. Do or die is the mission. So don’t ask why, fool. Pinhead sounds a lot like Ice Cube.
What I Luv Most is a song by dat infamous playa K-Sam. This is a different version of the original version that appeared on the Infamous Playa EP by K-Sam in 1994. DJ Snake produced the beats for this song of course. This is one playalistic remix!
K-Sam details his life in the illicit drug trade as an infamous drug dealer. His life as a drug dealer filled with danger that comes along with the lavish thrills. He is often able to take out of state trips throughout the entirety of this song.
! K-Sam tells us why he loves being a drug deala. He stays strapped at all times. He ain't gettin' caught slippin' by no motherfuckin' BG. K-Sam got that fresh candy on his hoopty.
Gangsta Mental is an instrumental drums and bass track done by the one and only legendary DJ Snake from Dallas. DJ Snake was going back and forth from Dallas to San Antonio at that time in the mid 90s working for both Youngsta Records and Profile Records. DJ Snake needs to make a comeback with Ron C again like he did in 2004.
No Luv is a song by Chilly D. He is an OG from the Westside of San Antonio. He had his own label from 1997 to 2003 called Hunt Dawg Records. No Luv would later appear on his 1997 debut Too Thuggish 4 U. He had a group called SAOGz also.
The final song, Poets & Gangstas (Remix), is a remix of the first song with an unknown quirky rap group called ANIA. ANIA was apparently a one time rap group that collaborated to perform this song.
It would have been more dope if C-Stud Vill, Lil Sin, C-Ordell, Sweet-P, Denise James, K-Ski, Staci Russell, Mr. Joshay, Ricé, Finesse 1, Dirty Red, Jr. Boy, Twice Tha Power, MC Falcon, and Sharon Lincoln had made features on this dope ass compilation. But for whatever reason they didn't. Which is too bad. .
If you mix Ruthless, Bad Boy, Rap-A-Lot, Black Market Records, AWOL, Grapetree, Motown, New West, and Luke Records, you'll get Youngsta Records! Think about it that way. Be sure to buy this dope ass compilation if you because it is long out of print! You won't regret it!!
5/5*****!!
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Mean Gene - All Night Thing/Yes Yes Ya'll single review
DJ Clay did most of the production, Carlito-D (C-LO D) wrote most of the single, Mean Gene was the incredible visionary of this single. This cassette single was released in 1995 on Boomin' Records in Flint, Michigan. The front cover are the colors of the Green Bay Packers football team colors with the mascot hornet. This whole single is rock. Rockin' hard! Some Mean Gene fans refer to this as an album. Rock meets rap and hip hop on this single.
The front cover are the colors of the Green Bay Packers football team colors with the mascot hornet. You would have thought Mean Gene was from Wisconsin. For those who don't know, Mean Gene is from Flint and not Lansing, Michigan or Wisconsin as many people thought he was. Mean Gene is a real cool big dude.
It's an All Night Thing when Mean Gene is on a late night creep. Chasing skirt and licking booty. It only involves all the women that Mean Gene meets. This track remind me of a precursor to Freak Nasty - Da Dip. Maybe it's just my imagination. Anyway this song is mainly about late night sex. You can feel that Freak Nasty vibe to it. The remix is even better! DJ Clay is on the wheels of steel! He does a superb job as usual. The bass is super heavy but not too hyphy.
You will love the incorporated Yes Yes Ya'll sample from Beastie Boys - Slow and Low used on Yes Yes Ya'll. It has that East Coast feel to it. The timbre, beats, and production are on point! You can feel Mean Gene rockin' it during one of his live concerts on this one right here! I love how the Tom drums are used mixed in with the beats. You can tell Mean Gene put his heart and soul into it. Mean Gene is good at what he does.
DJ Clay did a superb job on Wheels of Steel. The samples are on point.Anything you know that DJ Clay does is the shit!! It hits hard. DJ Clay definitely goes hard on the wheels of steel wether it be live in concert or in the recording studio.
Now onto the Live Concert version of Yes Yes Ya'll!! Mean Gene put his heart and soul into performing live at his concerts on stage! For the Live Concert version of Yes Yes Ya'll that is! Mean Gene is good at what he does. You can feel Mean Gene rockin' it during one of his live concerts on this one right here! He knows how to put on a good show. The crowd at the end went wild!! The Live Concert version of Yes Yes Ya'll was not included on his 1995 Back To The Old School album.
5/5*****!!
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C-Stud Vill - Payback EP/single review
Payback is an EP/single that legendary rapper C-Stud Vill dropped on cassette in 1993 on Mystic Records that sold over 33,000 units in its first year. The Payback EP was a demo C-Stud Vill recorded in 1990. C-Stud Vill, Papa C, Anthony Jasper Sr., and Anthony Jasper Jr. were responsible for promoting and producing this EP. Legendary songs C-Stud Vill Trick-uh-Treat (radio version and street version) and Payback are included on this EP. Songs included are Trick-uh-Treat (radio version and street version), Payback, and 1 to 10.
The hit single Trick-uh-Treat exploded producing sales of over 30,000 copies alone. The single had sold over 33,000 units later that year. This and his success gained the attention of an independent record label called Mystic Records operated by Papa C, Anthony Jasper Sr., and Anthony Jasper Jr.
Due to his lack of knowledge of the music business, C-Stud Vill was left with an unlicensed and non copyrighted cassette master to the demo EP and lost contact with Papa C. After searching for 3 years, Papa C was found and released those full masters to the 4 song EP. Soon after the EP was licensed and copyrighted, Mystic Records released the 4 song EP.
Due to inexperience of the music business, C-Stud signed a 2 year contract with Mystic Records without a legal review of the contract which entailed the release of all his music rights to Mystic Records. Due to financial strains within the record label, C-Stud Vill was released out of his contract and given back all his music rights.
The Payback EP/single has those eerie G-Funk sines and heavy bass over banging hard hitting beats for those whom are fans of rap music overall. Fans of San Antonio rap will truly appreciate the sound coming from this single.
The hit single Trick-uh-Treat exploded producing sales of over 30,000 copies alone in 1993. The single had sold over 33,000 units later that year. Trick-uh-Treat has an eerie gangsta rap sound over grimey beats. Real eerie sounds similar to PKO, K-Sam, Natas, and Esham.
Payback has a deep dark eerie underground sound with reduced treble and highly reduced bass. C Stud Vill claimed to be the craziest motherfucker out of the SA streets in the 90s with his finger on the trigger looking for fools to slip. What C Stud Vill gave people in the 90s is the payback.
1 To 10 was a short (55 seconds) less than a minute freestyle rap with gangsta rap lyrics. Honestly 1 To 10 was too short of a track should have been extended even longer. Gangsta rap meets freestyle rap on 1 To 10
5/5*****!
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Handsome JET - ￢(゜~゜)Г album review
Jet Boogie is a Handsome Jet melody of all the songs on the ￢(゜~゜)Г album all onto one track. Think of this song as a mega melody. A loud heavy hard rock mega melody is what it sounds like. Hard rock meets heavy metal mega in this mega melody song. The volume is set quite loud! Handsome JET does his usual chanting, singing, and yelling through the enchanted power of music. Handsome JET himself takes the lead in this song as a vocalist.
Duck [アヒル] is a perfect song to play at night during the peaceful nighttime. Dusk has that peaceful nighttime vibe to it and also that quiet lonely day vibe. Handsome JET himself takes the lead in this song as a vocalist. Take notice of the harmonics used on Duck. Handsome JET is the one playing the harmonica. The song Duck has a rather happy upbeat vibe yet sad vibe at the same time.
self-haunting is a duo cut with longtime Handsome JET Project members Toshio Sakurai and Handsome Jet. self-haunting is a dark song.
Basically￢ (゜ ~ ゜) Г is a non-facial person. It is supposed that the face is not understood. Meanig that the face of the person who wrote this album is not to be understood and remain unknown to the audience regardless. [￢ (゜ ~ ゜) Г is a notation used to represent an emoticon.]
Due to budgetary concerns, Handsome JET played with a single acoustic guitar. Toshio Sakurai sang on most of the dark songs such as Dusk and self-haunting. YUEI had nothing to do with this album. Despite being associated with Handsome JET in the Bemani Games, Yuei-san had nothing to do with the recording or engineering of this album.
Songs from Bemani games such as GuitarFreaks and Drummania were not included due to copyright reasons. Even the original songs he wrote for Bemani games GuitarFreaks and Drummania are not on this album.
Only around 10,000 copies of ￢ (゜ ~ ゜) Г were pressed on CD and sold via Amazon, by Handsome JET directly himself, sold at GITADORA LIVE concerts, or were sold at those Handsome JET Live concerts hosted by Bemani with help of Konami. Most copies of ￢ (゜ ~ ゜) Г were pressed sold on Amazon.com.
Sadly however, ￢(゜~゜)Г and Honto (the CD-r that Handsome JET only gave out at concerts) was the only album from Handsome JET that was ever released. Lead singer Handsome JET of Handsome JET Project died in May 2008 in a traffic accident while riding a motorcycle with his friend in Japan. The friend survived while Handsome JET did not. Handsome JET sang a multitude of songs from Konami originals and licensed covers alike. His real name has never been revealed and is not known. Handsome JET Project and Handsome JET himself would have taken off to become a national success in Japan if the lead singer hadn't died.
*Handsome Jet is the name of the lead singer of the coincidental band Handsome JET Project consisting of Handsome Jet, YUEI (Yuei Uematsu), Kozo Nakamura, Brad Holmes, Asaki, Thomas Howard Lichtenstein, and Toshio Sakurai.
*He is credited as Handsome JET or Jetto-san (ジェットさん) as he was in the Bemani games GuitarFreaks and Drummania.
4/5****!
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Vallejo - Vallejo album review
Vallejo - Vallejo (Shining Sun) is the self-titled debut album by Vallejo that was released on the Chicago, Illinois record label IMI Records and TVT Records in 1997. Shining Sun sold 5,000 copies upon its release in just a few weeks! TVT Records took notice and singed Vallejo to their label the same year. Their debut album was repackaged and re-released as the Shining Sun album on TVT Records.
Bobby Francovillo was responsible for launching the career of Vallejo. Their (Vallejo) original contract with IMI allowed them to sign a joint deal between IMI and TVT. However despite that, the contract between TVT and IMI led the label to effectively shelve the album. Vallejo managed to sell over 50,000 copies of their debut.
Just Another Day was an instant hit which caught fire on local radio station KLBJ in Texas and eventually the US. Texas fell in love with the song Just Another Day. Just Another Day is similar to the raw raunchy Latin rock sound of Santana. Just Another Day was the single that became an instant hit. Their first single Just Another Day reached #30 on the Billboard Alternative Rock charts.
Boogie Man is a hard rock song with all hard rock energy. You can feel the intensity and energy in style with this hard rock song. Boogie Man does get startling at times. Honestly Boogie Man should have became an instant hit for the Vallejo band.
House (Casa De Amor) is a Vallejo love song with a Latin rock infusion. There is a Spanish touch to House (Casa De Amor) however.
The album cover was changed from the Sacred Heart artwork to the sun and thorns because of religious controversy. Vallejo caught flack with he Catholic Church and various religious organizations (as well as TVT Records) back in the 1990s. So TVT Records revamped, repackaged, and re-released their self-titled debut album with a whole new completely different look visually in 1997.
Now the album cover with the burning heart (Sacred Heart artwork) is the album that was originally released on IMI Records in 1997. If you have the IMI1969 edition of the self-titled debut album, then you have the original version of the self-titled Vallejo album. Artwork for both versions differ. Photography was done by Todd V. Wolfson.
Shining Sun is the self-titled debut album by Vallejo. None of the songs were changed either on the original version or the re-release. TVT Records was the one responsible for releasing new album cover now known by Vallejo fans as the "Shining Sun" album. The Shining Sun album you see in the retail market is the self-titled album which is the re-release version. Bobby Francovillo was responsible for launching the career of Vallejo.
5/5*****!!
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