Rock Around the Clock & Opinions on Kendrick Lamar

time

Rock Around the Clock: Time to wind up those pocket watches and chronometers. Jim and Greg take you on a fourth-dimensional voyage as they explore their favorite Songs About Time. Then they review the second album from Grammy winning rapper Kendrick Lamar.

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The man commonly referred to as "the fifth Beatle," Sir George Martin, died Tuesday at the age of 90. Martin, a producer, was originally known for bringing success to Parlophone Records in the 1950s by producing comedy albums by such performers and Peter Sellers, Peter Ustinov, and The Goon Show troupe.

Then, in 1962, Martin met with an unknown band called The Beatles. The group had been rejected by every label they had spoken to prior, and Martin, though not thoroughly impressed by their music, signed The Beatles to Parlophone. Luckily for them—and for the droves of Beatles fans-to-be—Martin had been seeking a new group to represent the rock ‘n’ roll scene emerging from the UK, and he liked their sense of humor. He taught the novice, live band about recording and producing.Between 1962 and 1970, The Beatles produced 13 albums and 22 singles under Martin's guidance. And though he went on to produce several big-name bands after that, Martin is most well-known for bringing The Beatles from obscurity to the forefront of popular music.

Listen to the Sound Opinions Classic Album Dissection of George Martin-produced album Revolver  here.

Songs About Time

Ready to rock around the clock? This week, Jim and Greg play their favorite Songs About Time.

Jim

  • The Dukes of Stratosphear, 25 O’Clock
  • The Chambers Brothers, Time Has Come Today
  • Fairport Convention, Who Knows Where the Time Goes?
  • Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Time

Greg

  • Ice Cube, It Was a Good Day
  • The Easybeats, Friday on My Mind
  • The Roots, The OtherSide
  • Sharon Van Etten, Every Time the Sun Comes Up

untitled unmastered. Kendrick Lamar

untitled unmastered.

Last year, Compton  rapper Kendrick Lamar released the groundbreaking album To Pimp a Butterfly. Both fans and critics enjoyed the record, and it earned him numerous Grammy awards just a few weeks ago. Now he's back with untitled unmastered., his new album full of "leftover" tracks from Butterfly. To Greg, the polished songs hardly seemed like leftovers. He admires Lamar's fusion of different musical styles and poignant lyrics and says Buy It. Jim is also enthusiastic. While contemporaries Kanye West and Drake have also recently released "unfinished" material, this is a bigger achievement. "Short, but sweet" and a double Buy It.

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