On a whim I went back and critiqued a couple old albums.

Guns N’ Roses
Appetite for Destruction:


With the opening effects heavy intro riff of the first track “Welcome to the Jungle” blaring out of your speakers this album seems to be perfectly named. Swinging wildly from punk, blues, metal, and classic rock influences the album slithers around your expectations. While the album rarely slows down, when it does; the results are a wonderful aesthetic counterpoint to the harshness of the environment that spawned the aggressive tendencies of the band.

Lyrically, the first few tracks are an introduction to the bands mindset. Surrounded by the decadence and excesses of Los Angeles, the album addresses topics ranging from groupie promiscuity (It’s so Easy) to drug addiction (Mr. Brownstone), to unwarranted prosecution (Out ‘ta get me). The portrait the band paints is down, dirty and often crude. While the album lacks the high polish of a true pop album, such polish would be out of place and destroy the ambiance created. This is not to say that the entire album is a call for nihilistic hedonism. But instead is often an expression of the bands desire to escape that environment with their sanity and character intact. The second half of the album in particular is often a counterpoint to the decay expressed in the first. Expressing a longing for a less hostile environment (Paradise City), or a promise to stand by a friend that has been wronged (Rocket Queen).

The album is a lesson in contrasting aesthetics. Axl Rose’s harsh, gritty vocal tones often both complement and contrast with Slash’s relatively clean guitar lines. The music itself is rarely indulgent. Instead of using guitar solos and bridges as an opportunity to show off technical ability, Slash uses them to complete and color the lyrical portrait. On the first listen you’re hit in the pit of the stomach with the aggressive punk and metal based riffs. On subsequent listens the blues influence of artists like B.B. King can clearly be heard.

It would be easy to dismiss the remaining members of the band as being little more than a support act for Axl Rose and Slash. But what’s easy isn’t always right. Duff McKagans bass lines are understated, but provide a wonderful bridge between the different elements of the song. Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler build a strong enough foundation to build a skyscraper upon.

If music is meant to be pure expression, this album, and the individual songs on it are one of the most perfect examples of that expression on a very primal level. The passion and energy put into this album more than make up for the lack of eloquent turns of lyrical phrase and demonstrated technical prowess. Even when the album is at its most technical musically, it keeps its emotional integrity intact. More importantly one feels that had the band attempted to make any of the songs any more technically difficult, it would have lost the energy and integrity that leaves the listener eager to listen again and again.

It’s rare that a song, or even an entire album can escape the verse, chorus, verse format we have become accustomed to on pop radio and do so successfully. But this album consistently takes that format and consciously ignores it. With guitar solos buried underneath vocals, tempo changes that reinforce the subject matter of the song rather than simply for novelty, and a level of chaos rarely seen outside of a mosh pit… this is an album that demands to be listened to, not just heard.


Fugees The Score:


Like the needle on an old turntable, the Fugees are most at home buried deep within a groove. Drawing heavily on reggae, disco and funk; The Score would be listenable even without a single lyric. The influence of artists like Sly and Robbie (Who do a remix of Fu Gee La as a CD bonus track) is apparent without being derivative, even when samples are used.

The groove of the instrumental tracks belies the intensity of the lyrics. As the words flow effortlessly from the performers it is easy to underestimate how powerful the lyrics can be once you actually listen to what is being said. Where Shakespeare used rhyming couplets to indicate plot points and importance, the Fugees instead use them more like an afterthought. As though they reach the end of a line and realize that the genre called for a rhyme. Lauryn Hill is especially adept at using rhyme to provide a through line to a second topic or point.

While the Fugees do address many of the common themes of hip hop such as crime, police intimidation, poverty and who is the best MC; they do so not by glamourizing their personal role as gangsters or street kids. But instead by pushing the idea that they are in some way above the fray and commenting on it. So while they may participate (lyrically) in the struggle, they are also slightly horrified that that participation is necessary. Or as Lauryn Hill puts it in “Zealots”: “And even after all my logic and my theory/ I add a muthaf**ker so you ignorant n***** hear me.”

What is most notable about the lyrics is that each track is not a particular story, but instead multiple points of view on a theme. Small anecdotes are buried inside of verbose tracks with wordplay that is not only clever, but poignant. For example In Wyclef Jeans verse on “How Many Mics” he transitions from an anecdote about playing golf on his days off to discussing professional success with the lines “Problem with no man /Before black, I'm first human/Appetite to write like Frederick Douglass with a slave hand.”. This seemingly offhand remark, and others like it, is worth listening for. The sheer quantity of these lyrical gems keeps the entire album fresh through multiple listens.

One Hip hop cliché that is notable in its absence is the use of promiscuity as a status symbol. While there are a couple examples, they are rare and countered by the presence of Lauryn Hill. One can’t help but feel that this absence is one part respect, and five parts fear of her destroying you on the next track.

Although the album lacks a true anthem “Ready or Not” comes the closest. From Lauryn Hills nearly a cappela opening notes (“Ready or not, here I come, you can’t hide/ Gonna find you, and take it slowly/ Ready or not here I come, You can’t hide gonna find you/ and make you want me”) we would expect another pop love song. Instead we encounter the Fugees desire to obtain the respect and audience they deserve.

If pressed for two tracks that don’t need to be on the album, one would be inclined to point to the two covers. A lyrically updated version of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry”, and a fairly straightforward remake of “Killing Me Softly (With His Song)” popularized by Roberta Flack. Both are beautiful tracks, and well executed, but superfluous. While they do offer a respite from the lyrically heavy album, you’ll find yourself waiting for the section the Fugees added to it. When it doesn’t materialize, you’re left feeling slightly left down. You find yourself aching to hear what words tracks such as this would inspire from the trio. In retrospect you realize it is the rest of the album.

The argument I haven't heard yet.

I am in favor of Universal health care. I have multiple reasons for this. Many of them revolving around the basic concept that healthy people can be productive people. Not all of them will be of course, but they can be.
I am not the picture of health myself. I wear glasses because of a work injury. I can't run or do other types of cardio exercises for extended periods due to asthma, and haven't taken the best care of myself in terms of diet and other forms of exercise. Part of this stems from an early perception that the people who did tend to take good care of themselves tended to treat others poorly and didn't want to find myself associated with that stigma. Early perceptions are often wrong, but their effects last for years.
That being said, I still feel that exercise, and basic health care are things which we should take more seriously than we currently do in our society.
As the health care system evolved here we began to offer health insurance and health care through our insurance as part of our pay packages to employees. Which makes sense as it does reduce the cost in many ways.
However our economy is changing, and what we think of as traditional jobs are not going to be the cultural norm for much longer. Moving to a Universal health care system will allow these non traditional jobs to become viable career paths earlier in an individuals career, and allow a mobility in the workforce that currently does not exist. This will spur innovation and job growth much faster than tax breaks for wealthy individuals or other ideas being bandied about.
This is because innovation does not begin at the top. It begins at the bottom. Successful companies are ones that were able to monetize their founders initial innovations or concepts, and then produce variations on that core concept. However once successful, the founders time is spent away from the environments that inspired their innovation and concepts.
This leaves the task of innovation to those farther and farther down the corporate ladder. However their innovations and ideas can be stifled by the need to hold onto a position in order to obtain the benefits associated with the position such as health care which would be unaffordable to the individual if they were to attempt to form their own business.
The job market is changing, making that transition as smooth and as painlessly as possible will be the difference between the society excelling and the society falling farther and farther behind.

Random thought

As we look at at and redefine gender roles, it is obvious that some concepts are also going to need to be redefined as well. For example the pejorative terms "slut" and "bitch". When a woman was bound by society (Both socially and sometimes legally) to completely abstain from sexual intercourse until marriage, not abstaining made her a "slut". The more times she didn't abstain, the bigger of a slut she was. In part this was due to women being seen as property as much, if not more than people that were enslaved. By engaging in "slutty" activities they were devaluing the property (themselves). This obviously wasn't true in all societies, just as it is not untrue in all societies now.
But at this point, as people are being forbidden from marrying their lovers approximately 10% of the time, and as most societies no longer allow people to be considered property... The situation no longer applies. If anything, today the word slut can best be described as defining "any woman who partakes in sexual activity for their own pleasure instead of obligation." Activities can vary from intercourse to wearing outfits with the intention of attracting a potential lovers attraction. Or even the attention of people who may want to become lovers, but provoke no interest from the woman in question.
Bitch on the other hand has often been used to demean women who had an opinion that differed from the one they were handed. Or to emasculate men by saying they were behaving in a cowardly or feminine way. Both of these meanings can be related back to the actions of the original bitch. The matronly dog. When exposed to hostility or disapproval a dog will often whine and display their subservience to the one doing the disapproving. Thus the emasculating use of the term. However obedient and subservient a dog may be however... they will still rip out your throat if they have to. Thus the former definition of a "bitch". As the word contradicts itself, depending on the situation, the term is essentially meaningless when lacking context. Although perhaps not... perhaps a bitch is somebody that offers themselves as being subservient when necessary in order to placate the people they care about. Much like a parent will forego sleep in order to comfort a child. But who will defend the ones they care about to the death if the need arises. Robbed of its pejorative context a bitch is actually a very beautiful person, who exhibits the very finest qualities humanity has to offer.
So for examples: Catherine the Great was a slut, since she enjoyed her sexuality. Susan B. Anthony was a bitch because she fought for those she cared about.
I feel I am fortunate to have made quite a few friends of both genders who can proudly wear the title of "Slutty Bitch". Although they may not have their faces on currency, my life is enriched by knowing them.

Dislike vs Suck

For those of you wondering what the difference is between you disliking something, and something sucking:

You may dislike Miles Davis as a trumpet player, but should be able to appreciate his skill at his craft.

But put a trumpet in my hand and I suck.

Land of the hissy fits

I'll be honest, not because of some high moral standard, or desire to live a holier than though existence. But because it is more fun that way.

For example. While dining in a restaurant, when the server asks you how things are... 99.99999% of the time you will just say "fine" and continue on with your meal and conversation. Even if the meal is not "fine".

Of course there are people who will complain even if the meal is in fact "fine".

Both of these are dishonest answers. But imagine truly honest answers:

"The meal is not quite good enough to get me laid tonight without winning over my date with witty repartee"

"This Steak is so good I need to complain about the lack of parsley instead."

"The meal is fine, just quietly refill my drink so I can continue reading my book."

"I'm not even sure if this is what I ordered, but I'm eating it."

It is the honest, true reactions of people that I like. Not contrived pre-planned scripted responses to stock questions.

2012: A year in review

It may be a bit early to start looking back at the best parts of 2012, but I've decided that this year I would be a trendsetter.

Of course the biggest news was the election. Last minute cliffhangers in the primaries, a couple scandals with voter registration efforts, Millions of dollars spent on advertising... and most of the people that voted couldn't tell the candidates platforms apart from each other because it was all mudslinging and blame laying from May to November.

Hollywood had a great year. Releasing a record setting (for the millennium) five movies that were not based off of previously works in other mediums. Four of them were nominated for best picture, and two of them even turned a profit.

Apple of course released the ipad "SJ" in a somber matte black donating all profits from its sale to cancer research. Microsoft immediately instituted an all black theme for its Windows "8ish" platform.

Fortunately the economy rose steadily throughout the political campaign season, although unemployment remained high, and wages low.

In an unforeseen turn of events Websters dictionary began parsing chat rooms to determine the most common spellings and uses of various words, and it is now permissible to use "epic" to describe a children's book aimed at 3 year olds without a hint of sarcasm.

The hacker group Anonymous had several of its most ambitious efforts rewarded when it managed to hack into every newspaper in the world and insert the word "grapefruit" as the 4th word in the third column on page 6. Supposedly this was a Secret service codeword for the presidents morning meal. Our world is safer due to their diligence. Thank you Anonymous.

As I'm in Chicago, some local news. The Cubs finally took a good, long, hard look at their record and realized that all the people in the stands were die hard optimists. They then attempted to sell said fans a bridge.

But most importantly the world did not, in fact, end simply because we reached the end of a timekeeping cycle. This time. But watch out for 2013...