#92...

#92 - Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted

Well, here's another band I'd heard of but not actually heard. I can see this is going to take place quite often.

Coming at a time when bands such as the Pixies had just about been and gone (but most certainly left their mark, like an Irish Wolfhound in a pack of chihuahuas), Pavement released this, their debut album. And clearly, they had their influences. The opening chords, lazy drum beat and lumbering bass remind me very much of the Pixies themselves, kinda like a slower "Debaser"; a more defunct "Monkey Gone To Heaven"; with an added lazy-ass more-talkative-than-singative voice Rivers Cuomo could sue for copyright infringement. 

"In The Mouth Of A Desert" and "Loretta's Scars" are also, seemingly, a Pixies-esque humdrum of music. But I think I might be taking this comparison a little too far. Nevertheless, those two tracks contend for my favourite on the album along with opener "Summer Babe (Winter Version)".

The hook in "No Life Singed Her", screamed by the lead singer - fucked if I or anyone else knows what he says - reminds me very much of Gorillaz's "Glitter Freeze", namely because of it's Mark E. Smith-ness in it's delivery. Unsurprisingly, considering Smith sued them for being a rip-off of The Fall. Similarly, on "Conduit For Sale!", a collection of words is listed off as a vocal, once directly over the rest of the band onomatopoeiaising shit up (2:04 - 2:11) is like Smith's relaxed but firm release of random statements on that track from Plastic Beach. But anyway, enough of cartoons.

Some of the tracks - namely "Zurich is Stained" and "Two States" - seem too short. The former track in particular, because it's one of the more relaxed songs that can be slipped onto repeat in order for it to be done justice. The latter, because it sounds like an American Clash slipping in a cheeky dig at the current socio-political affairs of the US. But hey, I'm conjecturing here. At the same time though, "Chelsey's Little Wrists" sounds itself like a filler, as if they wanted to slip on some form of noise for 76 seconds: a rag-tag mess of screaming, overdrive, poor drumming and what sounds like an oompa-loompa moshpit at the climax. 

There's a certain sound that come from this band; uniquity isn't the word, because nowadays, nothing is unique. And doing some research, they weren't original. But everyone has their influence. I don't know...there's just something endearing to the music on Slanted and Enchanted - something surf-rock-ish, that I can't place; something that makes me want to re-listen, as I feel I will have to with quite a collection of albums throughout this saga.

They do know how to throw a little sentimentality into their tracks though, from time to time. For example, had I been a foppish-haired skater boi teen in the early nineties, I'm sure "Here" would have been my key cover song to make those like-minded girls weak at the knees. 

Key Tracks: "In The Mouth Of A Desert"; "Summer Babe (Winter Version)"; "Loretta's Scars"; "Two States"

How's That For Indie?: Rather than signing to a major label like many bands who started up in the late '80's had done, Pavement - for their entire career - remained on independent labels. Take that, EMI, Sony, et al. 

#94...

Metallica - Kill 'Em All

Well. What an experience. The debut album from these metal gods really does pack a punch. Or several hundred.

They really went hell for leather on this, going out to prove what they could do with an axe and a double-bass pedal. Oh, and skill. They've got that in relatively huge abundance too. And I thorough knowledge of knowing how and when to change time signature. Because they do that bloody loads.

Paving the way for thrash metal in America, by fusing speed metal with inspiration from British heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Kill 'Em All has been incredibly influential as an album itself, not to mention how inspirational Metallica are regarded themselves. Proof of this can be seen by the fact that nearly every track on this album has been covered by a different band: "Hit The Lights" has been covered by Black Tide; "Motorbreath was covered by two bands, D.O.A. and Anacrusis; "No Remorse" copied by Cannibal Corpse; the list goes on. Understandably so - inspiration is like a disease. A nice disease, that spreads and mutates into new music.

I can't say this was a pleasurable experience for me, to be honest. But, it's part of the list, so it had to be listened to. Strangely enough, the more you listen, the easier it becomes on the ears. And the patience.

Key Tracks: "The Four Horsemen"; "Whiplash"; "Seek & Destroy"; "Anaesthesia (Pulling Teeth)"

The Farewell to Dave Mustaine: The original lead guitarist in Metallica - Dave Mustaine (funnily enough) - was not exactly an asset to the band, due to his alcohol and drug problems, and his many disagreements with Ron McGovney, the bassist. Once McGovney left, Ulrich and Hetfield felt it only right to rid themselves of Mustaine too, employing Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett into the mix, and forming that iconic foursome that have wowed their audience ever since. Despite their disagreements, Mustaine was still credited with co-writing on four of the tracks on Kill 'Em All. And in fairness, he went off to form Megadeth and take a hefty wedge of moolah himself. Every cloud.

#100...

Kanye West - The College Dropout

Well, what can be said about this man? The mentalist. "The C from the CRS" has sorted himself out now after a pretty crazy year - it won't make this list but My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a cracker.

But lest we forget, he started off with a 'cracker' too. Kicking off with one of many (too many?) skits,The College Dropout arguably shifted the "gangstaaaaa" persona off of rap music altogether - more humanity, less "guns 'n' bitches" - redefining the genre and opening it up for more acts to follow. And each single released from the album just built up the hype around Mr West. Maybe a little too much.

However, West's flow, rhyme and diversity in sample use told us all that he was here to stay.

Key tracks: "Jesus Walks"; "Slow Jamz"; "Through The Wire"; "All Falls Down"

Final Thought: Although long, "Last Call" is a clever way of letting all of us know how he got to where he was then - endless thanks to the jiggaman himself, Jay-Z, for believing in the young pretender. And it's a perfect way to teach all those bairns out there that if you try hard enough, and believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.