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07-16-10 Footnotes
Show 242: Bands That Went Off The Rails, Reviews of Big Boi and Alejandro Escovedo
Listen to the MP3 Stream of this show: (link)
Download the Podcast: (Download the MP3)
1 Sound Opinions is a show that celebrates music. But, once in a while we have to get a little negative and call out artists that disappoint us. In particular, there’s a crop of singers and musicians who began as great talents with promising careers, but ended up breaking our hearts by going “Off the Rails.” Think of it as the musical answer to “Jump the Shark.” Jim and Greg think these career wrong-turns are too big to ignore.
Jim
Rod Stewart
On the Path: Never a Dull Moment
Off the Rails: Stardust
Sex Pistols
On the Path: Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Off the Rails: Filthy Lucre Live
Ice Cube
On the Path: AmeriKKKas Most Wanted
Off the Rails: Lethal Injection
Liz Phair
On the Path: Exile in Guyville
Off the Rails: Somebody’s Miracle
Greg
Lauryn Hill
On the Path: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Off the Rails: MTV Unplugged No. 2.0
Chris Cornell
On the Path: Superunknown
Off the Rails: Carry On
Eric Clapton
On the Path: Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton
Off the Rails: Me and Mr. Johnson
Metallica
On the Path: Master of Puppets
Off the Rails: Load
2 Outkast rapper Big Boi has released his first solo album called…wait for it… Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. Big Boi is often thought of as the more down to earth of the two Atlanta hip hop artists, but both Jim and Greg think the record is very inventive and ambitious. Greg does miss Andre 3000’s presence, and thinks the two make each other better. But overall, Sir Lucious Left Foot is full of great beats and oddball touches and gets a Buy It rating. Jim agrees and was pleasantly surprised to hear these tracks, especially after all the torture that went into making it. It has a tad too many vulgar and juvenile lyrics, but he still thinks listeners should Buy It.
3 Alejandro Escovedo has been making music since the 1970’s, but this past decade has brought him his highest profile to date. The Texas-based rocker’s new record is Street Songs of Love, a concept album about rock’s favorite topic: love. But, Jim feels like he’s heard these songs before, particularly the mid-tempo classic groove. This is not Escovedo at his best, according to Jim, who gives it a Burn It. Greg thinks it’s easy to be let down because Escovedo is such a smart lyricist, but the more he listened, the more he liked it. Greg thinks the singer/songwriter is that rare artist who has gotten better with age and gives Street Songs of Love a Buy It.
Songs Featured in Show #242
Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train” Blizzard of Ozz, 1980, Jet
Rod Stewart, “You Wear It Well” Never A Dull Moment, 1972, Mercury
Rod Stewart, “Embraceable You” Stardust: The Great American Songbook Vol. III, 2004, J Records
Lauryn Hill, “Everything is Everything” The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, 1998, Columbia
Lauryn Hill, “Freedom Time” MTV Unplugged No. 2.0, 2002, Columbia
The Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” Filthy Lucre Live, 1996, EMI
The Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols, 1977, Warner Bros.
Soundgarden, “Fell on Black Days” Superunknown, 1994, A&M
Chris Cornell, “Billie Jean” Carry On, 2007, Suretone/Interscope
Ice Cube “Bop Gun (One Nation)” Lethal Injection, 1994, Priority
Ice Cube “AmeriKKKas Most Wanted” AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, 1990, Priority (2:07)
John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, “All Your Love” Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, 1966, London
Eric Clapton, “Layla” Unplugged, 1992, Reprise
Eric Clapton, “Love In Vain” Me and Mr. Johnson, 2004, Warner Bros
Liz Phair, “6’1” Exile in Guyville, 1993, Matador
Liz Phair, “Wind and the Mountain” Somebody’s Miracle, 2005, Capitol
Liz Phair, “Bollywood” Funstyle, 2010, self-released
Metallica, “Battery” Master of Puppets, 1986, Elektra
Metallica “The House That Jack Built” Load, 1996, Elektra
Big Boi, “Shutterbug” Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, 2010, Purple Ribbon/Def Jam
Big Boi, “Tangerine” Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, 2010, Purple Ribbon/Def Jam
Big Boi, “General Patton” Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, 2010, Purple Ribbon/Def Jam
Alejandro Escovedo, “Tender Heart” Street Songs of Love, 2010, Concord Music
Alejandro Escovedo, “This Bed Is Getting Crowded” Street Songs of Love, 2010, Concord Music
Tortoise, “Ruba’iyat” Why Waste Time?, 2010, Thrill Jockey
Drive By Truckers, “George Jones Talkin’ Cell Phone Blues” The Fine Print (Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008), 2009, New West
Vince Gill, “One More Last Chance” I Still Believe in You, 1992, MCA Nashville
Gram Parsons, “Return of the Grievous Angel” Grievous Angel, 1974, Reprise
Michael Jackson, “Thriller” Thriller, 1982, Epic
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