80. "Gin and Juice" - Snoop "Doggy" Dogg
If the 90s left any one concept to the cultural lexicon, it would be "cool." Cool dominated the culture, from characters such as Tyler Durden from Fight Club, Sonic the Hedgehog, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to the various advertising campaigns championing the "righteous" lifestyle. But no single figure embodied cool so much as Snoop "Doggy" Dogg, whom I shall hereafter refer to as Snoop Dogg due to the sheer number of times he has changed his name. The most iconic voice of West Coast rap, Snoop Dogg's self-assured yet relaxing flow brought tremendous success to both his rap career and his entire record label, Death Row Records. Most would cite his verse on Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' But a G Thang" as his best work, but, as I've stated previously, the track's lyricism leads a lot to be desired. (Indeed, one of Dr. Dre's verses contains one of the absolute worst lyrics in any song ever: "never let me slip, 'cause if I slip, then I'm slippin.'") "Gin and Juice," on the other hand, is as laid back as its more famous cousin, but more than manages to hold its own.
"Gin and Juice" sees Snoop Dogg at the top of his game, at the top of the hip hop hierarchy, on merely his second single. Normally, such unabashed arrogance would count against a rapper, but Snoop's commanding flow demands respect. "Gin and Juice" has so many internal rhymes as to make most rappers blush: "bubonic chronic," day/Dr. Dre/Tanqueray,""stoppin'/poppin'/Compton." He uses the line "we don't love them hoes" to bookend the first and last verses, creating a miniature ring composition in his rap. Few other rappers have ever put so much effort into partying. Snoop's flow is self-assured and intricate, warranting one's respect.
Even better than Snoop Dogg's flow is Dr. Dre's masterful beat. While The Chronic established Dr. Dre as a legitimate solo act, his production work on others' work has always brought out his best. "Gin and Juice" samples disco titan George McCrae's "I Get Lifted" for its killer bass line. Even better is the chorus, a reinterpretation of funk band Slave's "Watching You." While the original is a pretty tame pick-up line with weak harmonies, the chorus of "Gin and Juice" is a raunchy, re-harmonized ode to materialism from Daz Dillinger and Jewell. Never has chiasmus sounded so beautifully unethical.
As deliciously funky as "Gin and Juice" is, however, it cannot ultimately overcome its sexism. The women in "Gin and Juice" are little more than wallpaper, just additions to the overall narrative for aesthetic effect. Sure, Snoop Dogg has the decency to at least name the main woman in his song (Sadie), but her character is little more than that of an object for Snoop to use. But such casual misogyny is fairly standard to hip hop music as a whole, and I can't really fault this song entirely for its sexism. Were "Gin and Juice" to drop the "hoes" of the "money, cash, hoes" mentality, it would undoubtedly be higher on the list.
"Gin and Juice" sees Snoop Dogg at the top of his game, at the top of the hip hop hierarchy, on merely his second single. Normally, such unabashed arrogance would count against a rapper, but Snoop's commanding flow demands respect. "Gin and Juice" has so many internal rhymes as to make most rappers blush: "bubonic chronic," day/Dr. Dre/Tanqueray,""stoppin'/poppin'/Compton." He uses the line "we don't love them hoes" to bookend the first and last verses, creating a miniature ring composition in his rap. Few other rappers have ever put so much effort into partying. Snoop's flow is self-assured and intricate, warranting one's respect.
Even better than Snoop Dogg's flow is Dr. Dre's masterful beat. While The Chronic established Dr. Dre as a legitimate solo act, his production work on others' work has always brought out his best. "Gin and Juice" samples disco titan George McCrae's "I Get Lifted" for its killer bass line. Even better is the chorus, a reinterpretation of funk band Slave's "Watching You." While the original is a pretty tame pick-up line with weak harmonies, the chorus of "Gin and Juice" is a raunchy, re-harmonized ode to materialism from Daz Dillinger and Jewell. Never has chiasmus sounded so beautifully unethical.
As deliciously funky as "Gin and Juice" is, however, it cannot ultimately overcome its sexism. The women in "Gin and Juice" are little more than wallpaper, just additions to the overall narrative for aesthetic effect. Sure, Snoop Dogg has the decency to at least name the main woman in his song (Sadie), but her character is little more than that of an object for Snoop to use. But such casual misogyny is fairly standard to hip hop music as a whole, and I can't really fault this song entirely for its sexism. Were "Gin and Juice" to drop the "hoes" of the "money, cash, hoes" mentality, it would undoubtedly be higher on the list.
79. "Killing in the Name" - Rage Against the Machine
As I've discussed before, metal hit a point of musical stagnation in the 1990s, a stagnation especially disappointing considering metal's high point during the 80s. That decade saw Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Candlemass, and a whole host of other metal bands at their creative peaks. Come the 90s, few bands managed to keep their critical standings intact. Judas Priest jumped ship to speed metal, Iron Maiden ended up soundtracking one of the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels, Candlemass stagnated, and the Big Four thrash bands all got steadily worse. Only two new bands jumped up to fill the gap. The first, Pantera, pioneered and perfected the subgenre of groove metal; the title track to their fifth album, "Cowboys from Hell," was a strong contender for this list. However, the best metal band of this new generation was Rage Against the Machine, the only metal band in history to fuse rap and heavy metal and make the two genres sound wholly cohesive (unlike their bastardized cousins, Limp Bizkit). Their magnum opus: "Killing in the Name."
"Killing in the Name" is a rarity amongst metal songs: it's genuinely funky. Tom Morello and Tim Commerford produce one of the slickest grooves in metal history, altering from off-beat stabs to helicopter-like chops to impressive hammer-ons and pull-offs. Not one verse or chorus of "Killing in the Name"'s music is exactly the same, making each listen that much more enjoyable. Also helpful is the masterful sound production: each slam of the drums merely manages to enhance the other instruments. Last, but not least, is Tom Morello's blisteringly fast guitar solo, combining tremendous picking and tapping speed with mastery of the pedals. The entire song builds up to a final chorus of cathartic expletives, and the rush is outright intoxicating. It is impossible not to headbang to this song.
Normally, I find Zack de la Rocha's vocals somewhat distracting from Rage Against the Machine's overall sound, but they certainly pay off here. Ever the political metal singer, Rocha uses "Killing in the Name" to criticize those policemen who are secretly members of the Klu Klux Klan. His lyrics may be repetitive, but they're nonetheless poetically effective. The use of chiasmus to accent the hypocrisy of the KKK policemen in the chorus is an especially clever move, one with which lesser metal bands could not hope to keep pace.
Interestingly enough, "Killing in the Name" is a number one hit song. Normally, metal songs as violent as "Killing in the Name" never make it to the top of the charts... that is, the American pop charts. On the British pop charts, any song has a chance of making its way to number one. After five years of X-Factor winners having the Christmas week number one song under their control, the masses got fed up. Wanting anyone but Simon Cowell to be earning Christmas earnings, fans of RATM, led by DJ Jon Morter, flocked to Facebook, urging British fans to start buying the track on iTunes in bulk. The campaign succeeded, and "Killing in the Name" became the fastest selling digital download in British history. Given its tremendous funk-vibe and incredible power, it's more than worthy of this honor.
"Killing in the Name" is a rarity amongst metal songs: it's genuinely funky. Tom Morello and Tim Commerford produce one of the slickest grooves in metal history, altering from off-beat stabs to helicopter-like chops to impressive hammer-ons and pull-offs. Not one verse or chorus of "Killing in the Name"'s music is exactly the same, making each listen that much more enjoyable. Also helpful is the masterful sound production: each slam of the drums merely manages to enhance the other instruments. Last, but not least, is Tom Morello's blisteringly fast guitar solo, combining tremendous picking and tapping speed with mastery of the pedals. The entire song builds up to a final chorus of cathartic expletives, and the rush is outright intoxicating. It is impossible not to headbang to this song.
Normally, I find Zack de la Rocha's vocals somewhat distracting from Rage Against the Machine's overall sound, but they certainly pay off here. Ever the political metal singer, Rocha uses "Killing in the Name" to criticize those policemen who are secretly members of the Klu Klux Klan. His lyrics may be repetitive, but they're nonetheless poetically effective. The use of chiasmus to accent the hypocrisy of the KKK policemen in the chorus is an especially clever move, one with which lesser metal bands could not hope to keep pace.
Interestingly enough, "Killing in the Name" is a number one hit song. Normally, metal songs as violent as "Killing in the Name" never make it to the top of the charts... that is, the American pop charts. On the British pop charts, any song has a chance of making its way to number one. After five years of X-Factor winners having the Christmas week number one song under their control, the masses got fed up. Wanting anyone but Simon Cowell to be earning Christmas earnings, fans of RATM, led by DJ Jon Morter, flocked to Facebook, urging British fans to start buying the track on iTunes in bulk. The campaign succeeded, and "Killing in the Name" became the fastest selling digital download in British history. Given its tremendous funk-vibe and incredible power, it's more than worthy of this honor.
78. "Shook Ones (Part II)" - Mobb Deep
While the West Coast epitomized the "party all the time" attitudes espoused in "Gin and Juice," the East Coast delved into far more disturbing lifestyles. And rarely did East Coast hip hop songs come more violent and terrifying than Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones (Part II)," the greatest sequel in hip hop history. The original "Shook Ones" was a profanity-laden but effective murder rap that exposed Mobb Deep to the public at large. "Shook Ones (Part II)" stripped away the keyboards, the profanity, and the bounciness of the original and produced one of the most frightening songs ever written.
In the very first verse of "Shook Ones (Part II)," Prodigy announces that he will "rock you in the face, stab your brain with your nose bone"; he will punch any false gangster in the face so hard that the cartilage from his nose will be pushed into the brain, causing the "shook one" to hemorrhage to death. And that's only the 46 second mark. Prodigy threatens entire families and gangs, hailing himself as the most dominant gangster on the New York streets. His flow is incredibly clever, emphasizing the off-beat so to advance his murderous persona. Additionally, his pauses make it seem as if he is freestyling, making him appear that much more confident.
Havoc's verse is just as good, playing upon the phrases "mustard gas" and "in God we trust" in the very second line. While Prodigy's verse has better rhymes and flow overall, Havoc adds an element of self-reflection that is often lacking in gangsta rap songs: "Sometimes I wonder, "Do I deserve to live/Or am I going to burn in Hell for all the things I did." No sooner does he think this than does his gangster lifestyle kick back in, suggesting the cyclical nature of violence and how urban youths can be drawn into it. Havoc's verse ends on a warning note to any children who may end up drawn into the lifestyle, cautioning them about the insanely murderous adults (like Prodigy's character) who live in the dark corners of the city.
The chorus of "Shook Ones (Part II)" gains new meaning from each chorus. Prodigy's chorus is mocking and bitter, throwing scorn upon any false gangsters aspiring to ascend the criminal hierarchy. Such false gangsters are the "shook ones." Havoc's chorus is more concerned, with the "shook ones" being those young kids caught up in the chaos of gang violence, kids who don't want to be crooks but are nonetheless killed and arrested.
With its expertly crafted verses, its chilling chorus, and eerie, minimalist production, "Shook Ones (Part II)" is one of the most finely crafted gangsta rap songs ever. The only reason it isn't higher is lack of strong inflection: as vicious as Prodigy and Havoc's words are, their voices don't really fit the words. Their tone is somewhat off. Now, should Nas or Method Man have been spinning these rhymes, the song would have made the top fifty. As it is, it's one of the best remixes ever and a cornerstone of East Coast hip hop.
In the very first verse of "Shook Ones (Part II)," Prodigy announces that he will "rock you in the face, stab your brain with your nose bone"; he will punch any false gangster in the face so hard that the cartilage from his nose will be pushed into the brain, causing the "shook one" to hemorrhage to death. And that's only the 46 second mark. Prodigy threatens entire families and gangs, hailing himself as the most dominant gangster on the New York streets. His flow is incredibly clever, emphasizing the off-beat so to advance his murderous persona. Additionally, his pauses make it seem as if he is freestyling, making him appear that much more confident.
Havoc's verse is just as good, playing upon the phrases "mustard gas" and "in God we trust" in the very second line. While Prodigy's verse has better rhymes and flow overall, Havoc adds an element of self-reflection that is often lacking in gangsta rap songs: "Sometimes I wonder, "Do I deserve to live/Or am I going to burn in Hell for all the things I did." No sooner does he think this than does his gangster lifestyle kick back in, suggesting the cyclical nature of violence and how urban youths can be drawn into it. Havoc's verse ends on a warning note to any children who may end up drawn into the lifestyle, cautioning them about the insanely murderous adults (like Prodigy's character) who live in the dark corners of the city.
The chorus of "Shook Ones (Part II)" gains new meaning from each chorus. Prodigy's chorus is mocking and bitter, throwing scorn upon any false gangsters aspiring to ascend the criminal hierarchy. Such false gangsters are the "shook ones." Havoc's chorus is more concerned, with the "shook ones" being those young kids caught up in the chaos of gang violence, kids who don't want to be crooks but are nonetheless killed and arrested.
With its expertly crafted verses, its chilling chorus, and eerie, minimalist production, "Shook Ones (Part II)" is one of the most finely crafted gangsta rap songs ever. The only reason it isn't higher is lack of strong inflection: as vicious as Prodigy and Havoc's words are, their voices don't really fit the words. Their tone is somewhat off. Now, should Nas or Method Man have been spinning these rhymes, the song would have made the top fifty. As it is, it's one of the best remixes ever and a cornerstone of East Coast hip hop.
77. "C.R.E.A.M." - Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan's influence on hip hop is incalculable. They were the group that introduced Ghostface Killah, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, and Raekwon to the world, all of whom are considered amongst the top tier of rapping emcees. Leader RZA's production design on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) laid the groundwork for all subsequent East Coat hip hop, including the work of the Notorious B.I.G. and Nas. However, it's difficult to distill all of that influence into a single Wu-Tang song. Few individual tracks from any Wu-Tang member or the Clan itself is of the same pedigree as the best song of non-Wu-Tang rappers, with one major exception. That exception is "C.R.E.A.M." or "Cash Rules Everything Around Me." A song addressing the harsh reality of a life dominated by capitalism, "C.R.E.A.M." has become something of a manifesto for all rappers trying to make their way in the world. It's still one of rap's strongest reflections on the ruthlessness of the materialistic world.
Oddly enough, "C.R.E.A.M." only features verses from two members of the Clan: Raekwon and Inspectah Deck. Raekwon comes out swinging, delivering lines loaded with his trademark triple entendres. Take the line: "Only way I be gettin' the G off was drug loot." The term "G off" could refer to rising to prominence as a gangster, acquiring money, or achieving sexual satisfaction. Throughout his verse, Raekwon describes how the Wu-Tang Clan and rapping saved him from a life of hustling drugs on the streets and running from the cops by clambering on fire escapes. The verse is very much to the point, and its concision helps it immensely.
Inspectah Deck's verse is far longer. While not as tightly packed with wordplay as Raekwon's, it tells a similarly vivid story of a man caught up in the same drug trade. Deck, on the other hand, gets caught by the police, finding out, to his horror, that life on the streets and life in a cell are equally bad. Unfortunately, Deck turns to drugs to numb himself to the pain; only with the help of the Wu-Tang Clan is he able to get out of his rut. His final words are a direct appeal to the urban youth, imploring them not to let the materialism of the era to trap them in the gangster lifestyle.
The production from RZA is some of his best. RZA frames the song around the classic 60s song from the Charmels, "As Long As I've Got You." But while the original was a seductively lush love song, "C.R.E.A.M." is dark and brooding, using the Charmels' piano introduction to tremendous effect. The descending trills suggest the perilous fall of innocence and youth that gangster culture engenders. Just as important is Method Man's vicious chorus, a chorus that leaves nothing to the imagination. Additionally, every inflection on "C.R.E.A.M." far outpaces "Shook Ones (Part II)." While the hazy psychedelic intro to the beat can be somewhat repetitive, the overall musical structure is still sound.
Though "C.R.E.A.M." isn't the hardest hitting rap song of the 90s, it is undoubtedly one of the most influential, being quoted in songs by countless successive emcees. With its chilling beat and excellent verses, "C.R.E.A.M." exposed the Wu-Tang Clan to the public in a way none of their other songs could match. Oddly enough, for a song denouncing the dangers of capital, "C.R.E.A.M." remains one of the Wu-Tang Clan's most successful songs. It deserves the cash.
Oddly enough, "C.R.E.A.M." only features verses from two members of the Clan: Raekwon and Inspectah Deck. Raekwon comes out swinging, delivering lines loaded with his trademark triple entendres. Take the line: "Only way I be gettin' the G off was drug loot." The term "G off" could refer to rising to prominence as a gangster, acquiring money, or achieving sexual satisfaction. Throughout his verse, Raekwon describes how the Wu-Tang Clan and rapping saved him from a life of hustling drugs on the streets and running from the cops by clambering on fire escapes. The verse is very much to the point, and its concision helps it immensely.
Inspectah Deck's verse is far longer. While not as tightly packed with wordplay as Raekwon's, it tells a similarly vivid story of a man caught up in the same drug trade. Deck, on the other hand, gets caught by the police, finding out, to his horror, that life on the streets and life in a cell are equally bad. Unfortunately, Deck turns to drugs to numb himself to the pain; only with the help of the Wu-Tang Clan is he able to get out of his rut. His final words are a direct appeal to the urban youth, imploring them not to let the materialism of the era to trap them in the gangster lifestyle.
The production from RZA is some of his best. RZA frames the song around the classic 60s song from the Charmels, "As Long As I've Got You." But while the original was a seductively lush love song, "C.R.E.A.M." is dark and brooding, using the Charmels' piano introduction to tremendous effect. The descending trills suggest the perilous fall of innocence and youth that gangster culture engenders. Just as important is Method Man's vicious chorus, a chorus that leaves nothing to the imagination. Additionally, every inflection on "C.R.E.A.M." far outpaces "Shook Ones (Part II)." While the hazy psychedelic intro to the beat can be somewhat repetitive, the overall musical structure is still sound.
Though "C.R.E.A.M." isn't the hardest hitting rap song of the 90s, it is undoubtedly one of the most influential, being quoted in songs by countless successive emcees. With its chilling beat and excellent verses, "C.R.E.A.M." exposed the Wu-Tang Clan to the public in a way none of their other songs could match. Oddly enough, for a song denouncing the dangers of capital, "C.R.E.A.M." remains one of the Wu-Tang Clan's most successful songs. It deserves the cash.
76. "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" - Busta Rhymes
I love weird. Weirdness in music can often lead to genuinely creative and incisive ideas. Frank Zappa, rock and roll's ultimate champion of weird, is one of my top ten favorite artists. But, in the 90s, weird music emerged in different outlets than standard avant-garde rock. Few were better than the first single of Busta Rhymes, "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check." While Busta Rhymes made his grand debut on A Tribe Called Quest's excellent "Scenario," it was on "Woo-Hah!!" that he really came into his own, the song in which he formally introduced himself as the weirdest rapper in the game.
Busta Rhymes's performance on "Woo-Hah!!" is nothing less than masterful. Rhymes has repeatedly proven himself to be one of rap's finest masters of flow. In addition to being one of the fastest rappers in history, Busta Rhymes can completely change his style from song to song or stanza to stanza. Busta's flow on "Woo-Hah!!" is erratic but nonetheless brilliant, often using triplet rhythms against the duples of the beat, nonetheless concluding his rhymes on the same beat. Busta even makes fun of his complex flow with the line, "which mother****** stole my flow?/eeenie, meanie, miney, moe," emphasizing the off-beat with each word. He simultaneously mocks rappers who would dare imitate his style while adding an element of surrealism in that someone might actually have taken away his ability to flow in a standard fashion.
"Woo-Hah!!"'s main lyrical conceit is its rhyme scheme: the chorus and verses all follow a single AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA rhyming structure. Sixteen bars of a single rhyme is actually quite difficult to write while simultaneously creating a coherent story. Accordingly, Busta Rhymes frames his verses as a flurry of insults and brags, asserting his dominance over the rap game with an amalgamation of wordplay, allusions, and jokes. The chorus follows a similar structure, but it encourages the listener to headbang to the tune, to the point that one might "break [one's] neck" through so much dancing.
The beat from producer Rashad "Ringo" Smith is similarly insane and brilliant. The bulk of the production comes from a sample of Hair composer Galt McDermot's instrumental track, "Space." However, instead of sampling the piano line at its cadence, Smith takes the riff in the middle of its melodic line and loops it. The resulting melody resolves slightly but not completely, creating music just as disjointed as Rhymes's flow. Though such music would be a detriment to any other rapper, it only manages to enhance Busta Rhymes's persona. "Woo-Hah!!" seems to take us on a trip into the mind of a disturbed rapper, cussing his way through all his detractors. In spite of its bright tone, the music has a dark effect.
"Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" is a fantastic single from one of the best emcees of the 90s. In fact, it was so good as to get Busta Rhymes nominated for a Grammy. He regrettably lost the award to LL Cool J, especially disappointing seeing that both "Woo-Hah!!" and Nas's "If I Ruled the World" were nominated that same year. Nonetheless, "Woo-Hah!!" has managed to endure for a few decades whereas LL Cool J's "Hey Lover" has been mostly ignored. Creativity and weirdness have a staying power that cannot be matched.
75. "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop
Many light pop songs have very complex subtexts. Most famous of these is likely Nena's "99 Luftballoons," a song that almost jubilantly welcomes the apocalypse. In a similar fashion, Dexys Midnight Runners' "Come On Eileen" is actually a breakout anthem of pure love enduring in spite of conservative oppression. The best 90s equivalent to these songs is Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha," a seemingly simple reggae-sounding song that reached the top of the British charts in 1998. Seeing as "Brimful of Asha" is a piece of cod reggae, a musical genre widely considered to be one of the least genuine and most insulting in all of music, one would think the song would be repugnant. Once one understands the song properly, though, one can appreciate its importance.
Cornershop provided an excellent breakdown of the song on their website, but I'll summarize the interpretation. "Brimful of Asha" is an ode to Indian cinema/Bollywood and the importance of said movies to escapism. India is an extremely turbulent country, what with the death of Indira Gandhi and the continued problems of the Kashmir valley; the carefree, musical environment of Bollywood often provides a spiritual escape for children. At the same time, most Bollywood stars do not sing their own music; rather, it is background singers like Asha Bhosle, the "Asha" of the title, who end up producing the main magic. Asha Bhosle is the Marni Nixon of Indian cinema, having sung over 12,000 songs in her career. In fact, the Guinness Book of World Records credits her as the most recorded artist in history. "Brimful of Asha" is a credit to those who produce joy in the world but who do not ask for tremendous payment or attention in return.
Most music critics tend to prefer the Fatboy Slim remix of this song, what with its accented drums and techno-beat. I, on the other hand, prefer the stripped down arrangement of the original. I like the subtle use of synthesizers to introduce the song and the strings that serve to close the song. I am especially fond of the simple but effective drum fills, fills which make each chorus and verse an individual experience. While the chord progression is a simple I-V-IV pop progression, the syncopated rhythm makes for an incredibly fun listen.
"Brimful of Asha" is a deceptively simple song with endless replay value and a fantastic set of lyrics. While not everyone will catch all the references, anyone who can will find one of the most delightfully intelligent songs of the 90s. It may have a cod reggae feel, but it transcends its mediocre genre to produce a truly excellent piece of music.
74. "Praise You" - Fatboy Slim
No DJ has made sampling sound more fun than Norman Cook, AKA Fatboy Slim. After all, he turned "Brimful of Asha" into a highly successful dance hit before it ever became a mainstream cod reggae song. The undisputed master of big beat music pioneered dozens of techniques now standard for college DJs and radio stations. But while the offshoots of his legacy have been less than exemplary, his own hits are extremely enjoyable. Case and point: "Praise You." While extremely simple musically, "Praise You" calls upon both generic and esoteric pop music tropes to produce one of the finest dance tracks of the 90s.
The main hook of "Praise You" is a descending chromatic piano riff, repeated ad infinitum. Oddly enough, this sample is a transposed snippet of a track called "Balance and Rehearsal" from a JBL album called Sessions, a record released by a headphones company featuring various sample music sounds. In essence, "Praise You" samples the demo tracks featured on a standard keyboard. Yet Fatboy Slim enhances this simple riff perfectly, adding in cowbells, a James Jamerson inspired bass lick, and a disco guitar lick taken from The Mickey Mouse Club. Throw in the standard beat pulses one would expect from a dance track, and one gets a more than satisfying dance track.
The singing comes from a track called "Take Yo' Praise" by Camille Yarbrough. One of the spoken word pioneers of rap music, along with the more well-known Gil-Scott Heron, Yarbrough fused Nina Simone-inspired soul with 70s funk guitar to create some truly powerful poetry. She's often considered one of the underrated forbears of late 80s and early 90s adult alternative. Her influence can be heard in artists ranging from Lauryn Hill to Tracy Chapman to... Fatboy Slim. Her sultry vocal is just unassuming enough for Fatboy Slim to transform it into a defining chant of the 90s.
"Praise You" might not be impressive today, considering that thousands of successive dance songs have aped its success. Nonetheless, for its time, it was a pioneering track. From its excellent beat to its varied sampling to its intense direction, "Praise You" fully understands what makes a great dance song. Hats off to you, Norman Cook.
The main hook of "Praise You" is a descending chromatic piano riff, repeated ad infinitum. Oddly enough, this sample is a transposed snippet of a track called "Balance and Rehearsal" from a JBL album called Sessions, a record released by a headphones company featuring various sample music sounds. In essence, "Praise You" samples the demo tracks featured on a standard keyboard. Yet Fatboy Slim enhances this simple riff perfectly, adding in cowbells, a James Jamerson inspired bass lick, and a disco guitar lick taken from The Mickey Mouse Club. Throw in the standard beat pulses one would expect from a dance track, and one gets a more than satisfying dance track.
The singing comes from a track called "Take Yo' Praise" by Camille Yarbrough. One of the spoken word pioneers of rap music, along with the more well-known Gil-Scott Heron, Yarbrough fused Nina Simone-inspired soul with 70s funk guitar to create some truly powerful poetry. She's often considered one of the underrated forbears of late 80s and early 90s adult alternative. Her influence can be heard in artists ranging from Lauryn Hill to Tracy Chapman to... Fatboy Slim. Her sultry vocal is just unassuming enough for Fatboy Slim to transform it into a defining chant of the 90s.
"Praise You" might not be impressive today, considering that thousands of successive dance songs have aped its success. Nonetheless, for its time, it was a pioneering track. From its excellent beat to its varied sampling to its intense direction, "Praise You" fully understands what makes a great dance song. Hats off to you, Norman Cook.
73. "Regret" - New Order
New Order was one of the best bands of the 1980s. With songs like "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "True Faith" in their extensive catalogue, New Order provided some of the darkest, most thoughtful, most engaging pop tracks of their era. After several incredibly good releases in the 80s, New Order split from their record label. After releasing the Republic album in 1993, New Order broke up so to let the members explore solo projects. This move proved to be at pop music's detriment, as the pop charts rarely heard from bands as consistently good as New Order until the 2000s. At least the band left "Regret" as a testament to their brilliance.
Cited as the last great New Order song by bassist Peter Hook, "Regret" tells the story of two people in a relationship with an extremely rocky start. If one gives "Regret" a cursory listen, one could misconstrue the song as a plea for help. Rather, if all the lyrics are considered, "Regret" is a pure expression of joy. After several mis-steps in a relationship, the narrator has finally come to terms with his emotional partner. Now that the two are at peace and are happy with each other, neither regrets those misunderstandings and negative experiences of the past. The chorus feels truly alive, a rush of emotional finality and contentment. Normally, such sentiments do not bode well for creativity, but New Order makes it work.
"Regret" shows New Order making some clever updates to their sound. While not the most guitar-dominant band, New Order took some cues from U2 and added some reverb-focused effects to Bernard Sumner's guitar. After hearing such sparing guitar parts from Sumner ever since New Order's days as Joy Division, it's quite refreshing to hear a song so wonderfully huge. Furthermore, the guitar echo offers a sense of nostalgia to "Regret," an effect I rarely ever find in music. Just as good is Hook's bass line, providing a steady groove in the main chorus but a pulsing heartbeat in the bridge and post-chorus. Plus, he even throws in an incredible bass for good measure.
"Regret" is a soaring classic, keeping the best parts of 80s synth-pp alive in the 90s. Yet it has an edge very few synth-pop songs do. It managed to bridge the gap between the decades in a way few other songs could. Though "Regret" might have been New Order's last hurrah for the decade, it was an ending the fans could certainly respect. One could not ask for more of one of the best bands of the 80s.
Cited as the last great New Order song by bassist Peter Hook, "Regret" tells the story of two people in a relationship with an extremely rocky start. If one gives "Regret" a cursory listen, one could misconstrue the song as a plea for help. Rather, if all the lyrics are considered, "Regret" is a pure expression of joy. After several mis-steps in a relationship, the narrator has finally come to terms with his emotional partner. Now that the two are at peace and are happy with each other, neither regrets those misunderstandings and negative experiences of the past. The chorus feels truly alive, a rush of emotional finality and contentment. Normally, such sentiments do not bode well for creativity, but New Order makes it work.
"Regret" shows New Order making some clever updates to their sound. While not the most guitar-dominant band, New Order took some cues from U2 and added some reverb-focused effects to Bernard Sumner's guitar. After hearing such sparing guitar parts from Sumner ever since New Order's days as Joy Division, it's quite refreshing to hear a song so wonderfully huge. Furthermore, the guitar echo offers a sense of nostalgia to "Regret," an effect I rarely ever find in music. Just as good is Hook's bass line, providing a steady groove in the main chorus but a pulsing heartbeat in the bridge and post-chorus. Plus, he even throws in an incredible bass for good measure.
"Regret" is a soaring classic, keeping the best parts of 80s synth-pp alive in the 90s. Yet it has an edge very few synth-pop songs do. It managed to bridge the gap between the decades in a way few other songs could. Though "Regret" might have been New Order's last hurrah for the decade, it was an ending the fans could certainly respect. One could not ask for more of one of the best bands of the 80s.
72. "What They Do" - The Roots
I like to think of "What They Do" as a better version of "I Used to Love H.E.R." After all, unlike Common, the Roots actually play their own instruments. Every piece of music in "What They Do" comes from the band; even those pieces that are sampled are re-performed by the band rather than merely mixed in. And it's some of the best R&B of the 90s. The chorus alone is one of the smoothest pieces of music I've ever heard, with shimmering harmonies, delicate drums, precise hammer-ons and pull-offs, and a thumping bass line. It's a piece of music that could make artists like Roberta Flack and the Undisputed Truth jealous.
Furthermore, "What They Do" is another incisive critique of the excesses of gangsta rap. Though "What They Do" lacks the clear punchline and metaphoric weight of "I Used to Love H.E.R.," its insults are much more direct and to the point. "The principles of true hip-hop have been forsaken/it's all contractual and about money makin'" - there's no beating around the bush. The first verse is also rife with internal rhyme and clever wordplay. The Roots deliver a smackdown to faux-rappers like Vanilla Ice while demonstrating their own lyrical superiority.
But "What They Do" isn't purely destructive. The Roots' main emcee, Black Thought, builds up his own character. He doesn't rap because it's fun or because it makes him feel good. He genuinely wants to create an art that has been used throughout the past several decades to uplift the black community. Rather than focusing on creating dance jams, the Roots focus on creating music and rhymes one to which one listens. Enhancing the art and challenging the mind is the main goal of new music. Sure, the cash and limousines are part of the pop musician's lifestyle, but they should never be the overriding focus. Black Thought even dedicates his final verse to his writing process, including his way of re-interpreting his influences. He goes so far as to mentions the main sample of the song.
Best of all, the music of "What They Do" mirrors its lyrical aspirations. The guitar on the track is utterly spectacular, calling back the delicate strums of the jazz great Wes Montgomery. The synthesizer riff echoes of George Clinton and Stevie Wonder, while the bass line is clearly inspired by the greatest of the Motown bassists, James Jamerson. Even the whisp-like samples remind the listener of the magical sounds of Curtis Mayfield's Superfly. The Roots create a union of black American music, establishing "What They Do" as another song as part of a long, proud tradition.
"What They Do" is an expertly crafted musical track. While Black thought's inflections aren't the best, his flow and rhymes more than make up for his deficiencies. Furthermore, the attention to detail in the production is practically nonpareil. It's one of the finest hip-hop tracks the 90s produced, perhaps the greatest throwback hit of the decade.
Furthermore, "What They Do" is another incisive critique of the excesses of gangsta rap. Though "What They Do" lacks the clear punchline and metaphoric weight of "I Used to Love H.E.R.," its insults are much more direct and to the point. "The principles of true hip-hop have been forsaken/it's all contractual and about money makin'" - there's no beating around the bush. The first verse is also rife with internal rhyme and clever wordplay. The Roots deliver a smackdown to faux-rappers like Vanilla Ice while demonstrating their own lyrical superiority.
But "What They Do" isn't purely destructive. The Roots' main emcee, Black Thought, builds up his own character. He doesn't rap because it's fun or because it makes him feel good. He genuinely wants to create an art that has been used throughout the past several decades to uplift the black community. Rather than focusing on creating dance jams, the Roots focus on creating music and rhymes one to which one listens. Enhancing the art and challenging the mind is the main goal of new music. Sure, the cash and limousines are part of the pop musician's lifestyle, but they should never be the overriding focus. Black Thought even dedicates his final verse to his writing process, including his way of re-interpreting his influences. He goes so far as to mentions the main sample of the song.
Best of all, the music of "What They Do" mirrors its lyrical aspirations. The guitar on the track is utterly spectacular, calling back the delicate strums of the jazz great Wes Montgomery. The synthesizer riff echoes of George Clinton and Stevie Wonder, while the bass line is clearly inspired by the greatest of the Motown bassists, James Jamerson. Even the whisp-like samples remind the listener of the magical sounds of Curtis Mayfield's Superfly. The Roots create a union of black American music, establishing "What They Do" as another song as part of a long, proud tradition.
"What They Do" is an expertly crafted musical track. While Black thought's inflections aren't the best, his flow and rhymes more than make up for his deficiencies. Furthermore, the attention to detail in the production is practically nonpareil. It's one of the finest hip-hop tracks the 90s produced, perhaps the greatest throwback hit of the decade.
71. "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" - Spiritualized
It's a genuine cop-out to call "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" other-worldly, what with Spiritualized being the premier space rock band of the 90s. Furthermore, to do so would be to utterly fall for the song's production value rather than its actual lyrical structure. Indeed, as complex and rich as "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" may sound, it's little more than a remix of Pachelbel's canon and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love." That being said, "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" is so good as to make the listener not care that the music is unoriginal. No chord progression is truly original; what matters is the execution. And no one has ever made the Pachelbel sequence more ethereal and dream-like than Spiritualized.
The production of "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" makes the song seem as if a conversation between two astronauts... floating in space. Both are at different places in their romantic life, with one using the loneliness of space to console himself in heartbreak, while the other quotes Elvis in declaring his love to a woman. Ultimately, the latter astronaut breaks through, championing love as a force beyond space and time. While the despairing astronaut gets in a few more repetitions of his line, the second astronaut ends up triumphing, eventually articulating two lines to the despairing astronaut. A third voice joins in, discussing the sheer mystery of the world around us and love's profound effect on us. The song then ends.
I, however, prefer the original studio version of the song, the one not censored by the Presley estate. In this track, a massive choir sings "Can't Help Falling in Love" in the last minute of the song instead of the third voice. The sample has a stirring effect, triggering our collective nostalgia for one of the best and sappiest love songs ever. The use of the classic Elvis tune anchors the depths of space in the simplest yet most complex expression of humanity possible: "I love you." By the same token, "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" also highlights just how alien love can be for those who have not felt it. It's at once an ode to complexity of feeling as it as an ode to love conquering the cosmos.
Each pulse on "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" works. From the shimmering of the synthesizer line to the creaks and whistles of the intercom, the song does sound atmospheric. The distortion on the vocals is also spectacular, filtering the humanity of the singer through a device rather than receiving it in the raw. Yet the production never takes away from the unifying concept of the song or its melodic composition. It's a tightly knit piece in which each detail matters. As far as electronic rock is concerned, that is my primary concern as a critic.
"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" might be a bit too technological for pure rock fans, but any fan of music in general is bound to enjoy it to some extent. While the rest of the Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space record is more than fair game for criticism, this one song is wholly transcendent as opposed to the rest of the material. Spiritualized managed to outdo themselves with this track, a spectacular song for a new age of music.
The production of "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" makes the song seem as if a conversation between two astronauts... floating in space. Both are at different places in their romantic life, with one using the loneliness of space to console himself in heartbreak, while the other quotes Elvis in declaring his love to a woman. Ultimately, the latter astronaut breaks through, championing love as a force beyond space and time. While the despairing astronaut gets in a few more repetitions of his line, the second astronaut ends up triumphing, eventually articulating two lines to the despairing astronaut. A third voice joins in, discussing the sheer mystery of the world around us and love's profound effect on us. The song then ends.
I, however, prefer the original studio version of the song, the one not censored by the Presley estate. In this track, a massive choir sings "Can't Help Falling in Love" in the last minute of the song instead of the third voice. The sample has a stirring effect, triggering our collective nostalgia for one of the best and sappiest love songs ever. The use of the classic Elvis tune anchors the depths of space in the simplest yet most complex expression of humanity possible: "I love you." By the same token, "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" also highlights just how alien love can be for those who have not felt it. It's at once an ode to complexity of feeling as it as an ode to love conquering the cosmos.
Each pulse on "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" works. From the shimmering of the synthesizer line to the creaks and whistles of the intercom, the song does sound atmospheric. The distortion on the vocals is also spectacular, filtering the humanity of the singer through a device rather than receiving it in the raw. Yet the production never takes away from the unifying concept of the song or its melodic composition. It's a tightly knit piece in which each detail matters. As far as electronic rock is concerned, that is my primary concern as a critic.
"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" might be a bit too technological for pure rock fans, but any fan of music in general is bound to enjoy it to some extent. While the rest of the Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space record is more than fair game for criticism, this one song is wholly transcendent as opposed to the rest of the material. Spiritualized managed to outdo themselves with this track, a spectacular song for a new age of music.
