reviews

Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nostra **

'Q' trys a little too hard to make a covers album for the kids.

Daaaad. Pleeeease don't drop me off right in front of school again. And turn the music down for funks sake. Nobody listens to Tevin Campbell anymore. Sheesh. What have you and Wyclef been doing? It sounds like an Ibiza dance party. Have you been auto tuning your pace maker again? What the Harold Melvin is this? It's not a power ballad is it? Yuck. And why is Akon singing 'Strawberry Letter 22'? Everybody knows Sugie Ottis' version is the illest. Yes Dad. I've heard the story about the time you played golf with Luda. No I don't know who the greatest slap bass player of all time is. This Stevie joint is kind of cool though. Word? That's Victor Axelrod on keys? That's dope. But that pinky ring... ugh. Please take it off. Here. Play this instead. The kids love it. It's called 'Thriller'. Peace Pops.



Lyrics Born - As U Were ***

Intellegent, introspective lyricsm with shoulder pads.

Can we get the fuck out the 80s already? Just take the reverb off the snare and let Bowe go?... I like Lyrics Born. I really do. He's a creative dude. But it's 2011. It was 1980 last year. This year global warming is in full effect so there's no excuse for leg warmers. Ray Bans, maybe. Synth-soul, no. Still though, Lyrics Born is more than just a Kraftwork covers band. He switches his rhyme pattern and cadance on every song and his lyrical content is always relevant. So even if you hated Flash Dance, songs like 'Something Better' (an uplifting dance track that slyly addresses the divides of religion) and 'Pills' (where Born rhymes 'We don't cop from Avon Barksdale, the shit sells itself, it ain't a hard sale, doctors, the pharmacies, the companies, they're all down') will keep you entertained. But this album would still definitly sound better in stirup pants with matching scrunchie socks.