Gorillaz - The Fall album review
Gorillaz - The Fall is a revolutionary album for its time because all the songs for The Fall album were recorded on iPad in less than a few months. Damon Albarn produced the entire album himself. It sold millions within its first year of release. A reason why The Fall album was such a big deal is because this album is the first album to be recorded on an iPad to sell millions of records to be recognized on a mainstream level. The Fall is the first album to be recorded on an iPad to sell millions of records and receive public acclaim from mainstream music critics. The album itself sold in great numbers online.
Electronic music is more prevalent on this album as it was with the Plastic Beach album. This is one of their experimental albums next to Plastic Beach. Hillbilly Man, Little Pink Plastic Bags, Shy-Town, Revolving Doors, and The Parish of Space Dust are some examples.
Sadly The Fall did not match the sales of Plastic Beach as The Fall had not sold as many copies as Plastic Beach sold. EMI did not promote The Fall heavily as they did with their previous albums. I honestly don't understand why people hate this album. The arrangements and production were mastered perfectly. His quality electronic synthesizers and acoustic guitars are what made the album sound wonderful. Sadly the Gorillaz fandom overlooks so many wonderful songs by Gorillaz were not only on this album but their other albums as well.
The song Hillbilly Man is just absolutely beautiful and is wonderful. The acoustic guitar is what makes the wonderful and enjoyable enough to listen to. Acoustics are what sets Hillbilly Man apart from the other songs on The Fall album. Hillbilly Man should be held to the same caliber as Revolving Doors.
The layer of guitar acoustics which lapsed from 0:00 to 1:02 are what made the song just absolutely beautiful. The true beauty of this song comes from the layer of guitar acoustics. Guitar acoustics are what give Hillbilly Man a sense of calmness and mellow nature. Hillbilly Man is one of those songs to play at a campfire and is one of those songs to unwind your night to.
Honestly if Damon Albarn kept the layer of guitar acoustics from 0:00 to 1:02 and used the layer of guitar acoustics for an entirely separate song, that would have been a brehsive masterpiece of a song.
Hillbilly Man was written by Damon Albarn on the Escape to Plastic Beach Tour in 2010 along with several other songs on the album.
The Intro at the very beginning explains the congestion of the cities that he travelled to. He drove away alone south like real straight-shooter on a 3 lane road or highway. Most likely he drove down a 3 lane highway. These might be literal references.
[Intro]
Drive away
As in lonesome south
Like a real straight-shooter
Three lanes full
Drive away
As in lonesome south
Like a real straight-shooter
Three lanes full
These lyrics imply how easy it is to upset people and get them all riled up. Sometimes you don’t have to start to upset people or rile them up.
[Verse 1]
Gotta ride in my heart
Get 'em going down
You don't have to be a start
To get them going 'round
Even if you try to move
Wheel it to your right
So get on, on the driving wheel
Save it for a round
[Verse 2]
Got a ride in my heart
See I'm going down
Cut up by the ball front
Shoot a jamboree
Just a cold lighted day
Like a memory
Just a cold lighted day
Slip a line on me
The Parish of Space Dust is a song about he great state of Texas. The lyrics in The Parish of Space Dust revolve around imagery and symbology about the state of Texas. The Parish of Space Dust was recorded, written, and produced by Damon Albarn in Houston, Texas on October 19, 2010 during the US leg of the Escape to Plastic Beach Tour.
Damon Albarn and 2D travels toward Houston, Texas on their tour bus as the sun rises. They see the beauty of the rich colorful sunsets and swaths of bluebonnet flowers, both of which can be seen on the Texas countryside. Bluebonnet flowers and colorful sunsets are a part of Texan culture. Both of them see rusted roof while driving through the rural parts of Texas.
Damon Albarn was clearly inspired by the sounds of Chicago acid house when recording, writing, and producing Shy-Town. That makes perfect sense because Shy-Town was recorded in Chicago, Illinois on October 15, 2010. You have that tremendous loud noise from those electronic synths, retro electro pads, heavy bass, and thick processed beats. All of which represent Chicago acid house.
2D laments over a breakup or a relationship that didn’t exist at all to shelter his true emotions with these lyrics. 2D says he is moving on.
There's a red light in the moonlight
That's all, I'm moving on from you
You can try to leave me or doubt me
Oh, I'm the coolest still, right now
I'd never say goodbye, little baby
Never again
Little Pink Plastic Bags deals with demotivation. Little Pink Plastic Bags about having no sense of direction and having a lack of motivation. Lyrics to the bridge explain how life will pass you by when you are demotivated and have no sense of direction. “Oh, why'd you go right?/Some might go alone/What you want in life?/Someone here'll gonna get past by”
4/5****!!
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Lil Sin - Frustrated By Death album review
Lil Sin - Frustrated By Death is one of his darker album filled with dark depressing subject matter. Many of the songs revolve around the subject of death.
Lil Sin - Frustrated By Death was Lil Sin's best album. This has to be one of the most wanted hip hop/rap albums to have ever come out of Texas and San Antonio along with Suthern Merchandise - Suthern Stress. When Frustrated By Death by Lil Sin is sold online, the album goes for such astronomical prices! All of Lil Sin's albums are underrated classics as his albums have always been very underrated overlooked. The album has the funky smooth laid G-Funk production from Ricé’s signature production style of double bass and double guitars on top of high quality sound.
Ricé produced a bulk of the album using his signature production style of quadruple layers which is double synths, double bass, and double guitars. While Rice performed on instruments on a majority of the songs, Finesse 1 and Michael Parker had produced a bulk of his debut album. Despite there being Ricé’s sound all over the album, Finesse 1, Ricé, Inez, Mike McGarity, C-Ordell, and Clyde H. Williams (Suga Bear) were the producers for this album. Denise James (now Denise White) sings the background vocals and Daryll Surratt played the guitars. Denise James is on the vocals with Ricé as well. Lil Sin only collaborated with San Antonio artists on his first album. For instance such as C-Ordell, Ricé, and Lil Acid.
A side note for those who don't know, He started out on BLVD Records with Clyde Williams III aka Sugabear and C-Ordell in 1994 while working on C-Ordell's Under Investigation album. They both got him started in the music business and so did his father Ronald Warner Sr. (R.I.P.). Lil Sin (Ronnie Warner Jr.) is from the Eastside of San Antonio (Eastwood). Lil Sin is a mix of Scarface, 2Pac, Tela, and Devin The Dude.
The intro starts off with harmonious church organs and church bells in the background. Hands can be heard clapping. A priest is speaking at a funeral where everyone is gathered. Lil Sin is the one who is being buried. The priest talks about how Lil Sin was a rebel and a soldier. Lil Sin was bad to the bone.
On the title track Frustrated By Death, Lil Sin learns that death is inevitable. Lil Sin learns that every living thing on Planet Earth dies. He sees things clearly in a whole other world. His sanity is gone.
Ricé uses his signature production sound on the song Frustrated By Death with those quadruple layers which is double synths, double bass, and double guitars. One thing’s for sure is that Ricé sure knows how to put together a masterpiece song. Ricé, a well known producer from San Antonio, is in the background vocals. You’ll love the heavy synths used on this song.
Lil Sin expresses his feelings towards the loss of his friend Winston Horne (Gangsta Horne) on the song Gangsta Horne. Lil Sin was going through grief due to the fact that his friend and homeboy Gangsta Horne (Winston Horne) had died in a driveby with Crips. All it took was one blast from a gat. Now Lil Sin is in a fucked up situation. Lil Sin can't bring Gangsta Horne back. Tears are there from Lil Sin.
19 year old Winston Horne was shot and killed at the corner of East Houston Street and New Braunfels Street sound 2 AM Thursday, January 5, 1995. Winston Horne was caught in the cross fire of a heated exchange and was fatally wounded. Gangsta Horne (Winston Horne) had died in a driveby with Crips.
Red Eyes is a song dedicated to all those weed smokers out there smoking joints, smoking on blunts, puffin' on blunts, and drankin' on tanqueray. Another G-Funk laced track! Fuck yeah! Lil Sin feelin' high as a kite smoking up in Plentz Park down in San Antonio with C-Ordell and Lil Acid. BLVD is getting high too! Ain't nothin' but a BLVD thang! Red Eyes uses interpolated samples of Toto - Africa, Toto - Georgy Porgy, and Rick James - Mary Jane.
Final Cry is about Lil Sin coping with the death of his father Ronald Warner Sr. Lil Sin learns that every living thing on Planet Earth dies. The song is about coping with death.
Finesse 1 was the producer for Final Cry as he was the original producer for the song. Big Twin produced the beats for Final Cry while Ricé performed on the guitar. Big Meat, Suga Bear, Big Twin, Lil Sin, and C-Ordell the road hard on this one. This is because they are real musicians.
For those who don't know, this version of Final Cry is a remix from the original version of Final Cry that was on C-Ordell's Under Investigation album from 1994. The original version with C-Ordell had that Southern US swang to it. It has that G-Funk production sound with heavy guitars played by Ricé. Both songs deal with the death of Lil Sin's father, Ronald Warner Sr.
Lil Sin is begging for his final cry. Lil Sin has been so hard with himself. He can’t let loose. There ain’t no reason why. His stress causing himself too much internal pain. There’s no clouds above his heart. Why does he keep on feeling rain? His pain is so deep. He can’t help himself. He has an in-person conversation with his mother as he tries to explain to her that he needs some help. Lil Sin tries to relax but his mind wonders about death. Days keep on passing by and Lil Sin sees his time is coming. Lil Sin sees his time of death is coming eventually.
He has thoughts of laying in the dirt. Lil Sin wants to join his father in heaven but the wait is too long. The horns blew and his father went into heaven’s gates. Now who’s to blame for this tragedy? There is no pain and suffering as he rests in peace. This is what it’s meant to be. Eternal life was just all a lie. Nothing lives forever in this world. So we all will die. So many years of his life wasted. His soul is filled with so much anger as he begs for his final cry.
11 Overs is about the life a sneaky drug dealer who is able to evade law enforcement as he makes careful maneuvers with his transactions. However he eventually gets caught. 11 Overs was produced by Finesse 1 and Ricé. This is a tight gangsta rap track!
On 11 Overs, Lil Sin has crack cocaine on his lap and the laws are on his ass, fool. Ya'll better come with it! Be damned if Lil Sin gets caught! Check it out while you motherfuckers hear Lil Sin on this track. Peep game. Niggaz be packin' glocks. Dope sales and clienteles got Lil Sin nervous.
Lil Sin thinks of fatal thoughts of dying young while in the process of selling crack cocaine. Ain't no shorts in the drug game. Lil Sin says he's on a late night creep. He cooked 11 Overs. He does get caught in the middle of the song. He don't trust nobody no more. His income gets larger and larger every time he makes a sale or a transaction.
38 Reasons has that G-Funk sound too as nearly all Hip Hop/Rap albums did in the mid 90s. The song was recorded in 1995 with Ricé. Ricé is singing in the background vocals. Lil Sin dedicated this song to 2Pac.
Lil Sin never sleeps on his enemies. Lil Sin has fatal thoughts of being killed. He does commit a homicide by killing someone which he admitted to in this song. Lil Sin is quick to start static with his automatic. He is basically robbing people. Lil Sin is smoking weed in at da crib in the middle of the song. Lil Sin is feeing high. He had killed someone and now he's in a sticky situation. The lyrics “I did my dirt all by my lonely.” explained exactly how he was living at one time.
Lil Sin explains how he lives his life on the streets of San Antonio, Texas as he lives that criminal lifestyle on the song Streets. The streets have taken Lil Sin under and now he lives a life of crime. Lil Sin is high. He is killing people. The glock is in his hand. Talking about murder in the first degree and putting people in body bags. The streets are nothing nice. Lil Sin is paranoid. The laws are catching up to him. The production and beats on point! This is a gangsta rap track also!
Lil Sin wonders what life is like in the afterlife and wonders what life is like after death postmortem on Mind Keeps Wondering. Lil Sin wonder what happens to him after death. I love the production skills! Denise James sings in the background vocals over Ricé’s signature production of
Whatever It Takes samples and is a cover version of Anita Baker - Whatever It Takes. This song is about searching for true love. It has that Stax/mid-70s soul sound to it. Love should be given. Anyone can say they love someone. Don't fall back on your words. 3 quarters into the song, you can hear a couple having sexual intercourse.
Denise James sings some of the original lyrics which are used in this cover version. However most of the lyrics have been altered and changed.
I wonder what would happen
If you would trust in me
Whatever it takes to make you happy, baby
Whatever it takes to make you smile
Whatever it takes to make you feel good, baby
Bounce'n & Floss'n is jump a joint to bump to in your ride. The bass samples a bit So Ruff, So Tuff, by Roger Troutman of Zapp. It has that 80s soul and that 90s G-Funk sound! Something to listen in your Lowrider while 3 Wheel Motion. This is 96 G shit! Another SA anthem right here! References to Stevie Wonder, former San Antonio rap group P.K.O., and Nino of P.K.O. are made.
Party'n Wit Sin is a party joint. It has that 90s G-Funk sound. Ricé produced the song with heavy layers of double guitars and double bass.
Playa Hatas has some sick ass bass added to it produced by Ricé and Inez. C-Ordell is on this track playas! Lil Sin goes straight reggae on this track! C-Ordell kicked ass with his southern funky flow right with perfect timing! Playa Hatas a C-Ordell/Lil Sin cut.
Nina is a song about his girlfriend. Creeping through the alleyways of these SA-Town streets is Lil Sin with another G-Funk cut.
Deadman Talk'n is a C-Ordell cut. It has some sick ass bass lines and heavy blaring horn synths used on this track. Another G-Funk cut. The only downside is that it's shorter than all songs on the rest of the album. That's the only problem with this song right here. It should have included Lil Sin because this is his album.
The sixteenth track is the radio version of Mind Keeps Wondering. It is slightly remixed from the ninth track on the album. The treble is slight faded and reduced.
The Outro picks up where the Intro left off at the very beginning of this album. On the outro, a Sister is singing at the funeral of Lil Sin. Many people are mourning the loss of Lil Sin.
5/5*****!!
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Nuwine - As Tha World Turns album review
Nuwine - As Tha World Turns is actually a compilation album and not a Nuwine solo album. Some Nuwine fans thought this album was a Nuwine solo album which is clearly not the case. Nuwine bought a slew of artists to the table with the new wave of Christian ministry and entertainment. Featured artists included on this compilation are Lil Raskull, Stephanie Hogan, Chucky Jenkins, Breadman, Eternal G's, Rock A, Trilogy, and Blackseed. The compilation was on the independent label Wine-O Records in 1998. This compilation was released on CD and cassette. The album was intended to promote the gospel and take it to the streets. The album was also intended to promote God. (The word of God.) Nuwine takes gospel to the streets with this compilation album. The album was never to glorify man.
A lot of Nuwine's albums during his career as a religious artist were very overlooked in 1990s and 2000s despite having regional and nationwide distribution in the United States and Canada. As The World Turns is no exception in this case. This album, When Thugs Fly, Da Bloody 5th, Ghetto Mission, and 1998 are his most religious focus oriented albums to date. Nuwine comes with fresh production and settling Christian verses from the bible.
Mr. No Compromise has a message about the type of attitude that Christians should carry on a daily basis. Him and Trilogy are on the horizon with the bold truth. Trilogy tells his audience to be on the lookout! Be on the lookout for him!
Rock A produced Mr. No Compromise while Trilogy wrote the song. Trilogy was on the horizon. Mr. No Compromise comes with the Houston sound in term of music. The song itself is a bold dark song with a dark mood. His bold attitude is what sets the darkened mood even thought the song has a darkened mood itself. The song speaks for itself.
Nuwine gets very spiritual in the track More Than Just A Soap Opera. More Than Just A Soap Opera has a powerful Christian bible passage. The bible contents are only identified as Acts 2:17. Listen closely for scriptural background.
"And it shall come to pass that in the last days, says God. That I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams." (NKJV)
Faith Walker was written by Chucky Jenkins. Chucky Jenkins tells us we need to have faith in God and faith in Jesus. Having faith in both God and Jesus will get you through the day slowly. Being the standup comedian that Chucky Jenkins is, he heals the souls with laughter with the comedy of his. It's laughter that heals the soul on this song.
Nuwine and Lil Raskull get spiritual with the gospel on Wake Up and Die. Listen closely as Wake Up And Die has a Christian bible passage. Listen closely to Romans 6:6-7 for scriptural background. When you listen to this bible scripture, the underlying truth of the words cannot be denied. The religious subject of this track will confuse non-Christian listeners.
Desolate Lady is about a touching narrative about a misguided woman. This woman is trying fit into today's society. She tries fitting in by society's warped views on how women should be. Stephanie is the female vocalist who is bringing the R&B style singing in her vocals for this track.
4/5****!
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Vallejo - Thicker Than Water album review
Vallejo - Thicker Than Water is a classic rock album with a lively sound and loud nature but is not too brash. 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. Vallejo - Thicker Than Water was released in 2008 on Vallejo Music Group from Austin, Texas.
Temporary Thing is about deciding whether or not to break up a current relationship or to stay together. Also to break up. The song resolves the problem with a solution of getting on with our lives. The title says it all! Temporary Thing is quite similar to Move On due to the fact Temporary Thing is another love song. The song has a reggae sound and vibe.
Sweet Maria is about a lady named Maria. AJ goes solo on this track as he sings about a lady named Maria. AJ’s vocals are sort of strained. That is because he had been touring and recording songs in the studio with the Vallejo band. James Speer contributed to Sweet Maria by playing an organ. The song uses a blend of classic rock grooves and potent guitar work. Overall the song has a fun vibe. Not too many people know this fact but Sweet Maria used to be called “Come With Me”.
My Bleeding Heart is known for its rhythmic Latin guitar solo. The mood and tone match each other. It took countless takes to record My Bleeding Heart. The song is quite melodic hence the melodic groove. AJ’s vocals are sort of strained. That is because he had been touring and recording songs in the studio with the Vallejo band. He is also the one that performed the guitar solo. Omar played some amazing bass. My Bleeding Heart is known as a groovy ballad to the band. This is also one of their more creative songs.
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!) The producers did a good job with the instrumentation.
Live definitely represents Vallejo and the music scene in Austin for SXSW. The song uses great horns and synths. Producers did a good job with the instrumentation. The song Thicker Than Water is about love as in Blood is Thicker Than Water. The title says it all! What else more needs to be said? Salvation is another good song of theirs which went overlooked.
5/5*****!!
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