This is by far the most interesting hip-hop record that's come up on the list to date. And that's all I'm gonna say about it. You wanna know more, you're just gonna have to listen to the damn thing yourself... You won't regret it!
Okay, fine... I'll talk about it... While OutKast's roots may have been in gangsta rap, they were never really of that genre, and they share less with any warring East Coast or West Coast faction than they do with their peace-loving, psychedelic brethren, 30 years their senior and 700 miles to the north, in Detroit City (you know who I'm talkin' about, and if you don't, well, I guess I'm not talkin' to you, am I?). After the obligatory intro, the record opens with political manifesto "Gasoline Dreams," but continues with the laid back soul of "So Fresh So Clean," which sets the tone for the rest of the record. "Ms. Jackson," a touching, confessional open letter to the mother of Andre 3000's ex and baby mama, Erykah Badu, is the record's tour de force. The song runs entirely counter to the conventions of rap, turning the form's testosterone-driven bravado on its head. In that context, it's an astoundingly daring piece of work; in any other context, it's an exemplary party track, a perfect combination of groove and flow. "Spaghetti Junction" is another stand-out, characterized by jazzy percussion and horn samples, and soon to find its way into my summer BBQ mix... The insane jungle-infused rock of "B.O.B" (Bombs Over Baghdad) brings politics back to the fore, if with something of a sugar-coating, the mood soon after lightened by the A-3 vehicle "Xplosion." "Humble Mumble" hints at the dichotomy between Andre 3000's interplanetary ambitions and Big Boi's more conservative Gangsta/Dirty South leanings, a tension which would define their subsequent works. The syncopated funk of "Red Velvet" puts this dichotomy to rest for a bit, while "Gangsta Shit" is, well, gangsta shit... "Toilet Tisha" finds OutKast back in form, painting the story of teenage pregnancy with the brushes of Clinton and Prince. "Slum Beautiful" and "Stankonia (Stanklove)" close the record with a lovely brand of '70s-infused soul. With Stankonia, OutKast created what I believe to be their masterpiece, at once paying homage to their forebears and challenging the conventions of their peers, in the process helping to define the sound of a decade.
#361, New Order's Substance 1987: As I'm sure you know, New Order was the band formed in the wake of Ian Curtis' suicide. Their stuff doesn't hold up quite as well as Joy Division's, but it's worth a listen for nostalgia's sake, and Substance 1987 is pretty much the definitive compilation. Unfortunately, it's out of print. If you can get your hands on a copy, though, I highly recommend it...
#360, Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream: As far as I'm concerned, this is Smashing Pumpkins' swan song. Gish remains my favorite work of theirs, of course, but Siamese Dream retains much of that record's primal energy, while exploring new ground... subtly. And that's key to this record's success. Follow-up Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (see review here) found Billy Corgan biting off way more than either he or his band could chew. Hints of that record's over-reach can be found on Siamese Dream, but they're rare, showing up only on "Disarm" and "Spaceboy." If there's one song on this record that should have predicted Corgan's emerging self-indulgence, by way of sheer length if nothing else, it's "Silverfuck." But as it happens, this was one of the best cuts on the record... This song should have defined the band's direction on Mellon Collie, but unfortunately, that did not come to pass.
#358, The Buzzcocks' Singles Going Steady: One of my earliest memories as a young lad was heading through the 'hood with my friends to either Bock's party store, or the local 7-11, to ply the video game machines with our hard earned rolls of quarters. Bock's had the Williams machines; Defender, Robotron and the like, while 7-11 had more pedestrian consoles, such as Pac-Man and Centipede. My friends and I came to favor the more cutting edge technology at Bock's, while the tough kids that scared the shit out of us hung out at 7-11. On our way over, we would cut through the back of a Good Year tire store, passing one of those olive green HVAC units, which somebody had vandalized with the words "Sex Pistols." Every time we walked by that thing, it would catch our attention; we had no idea what a sex pistol was in those days, but we would find out soon enough... And not long after, we would discover the Buzzcocks (the tough kids at 7-11 were still listening to Van Halen and Led Zeppelin at this point). Let it suffice to say, this shit takes me back... Fuck the queen. God save the Buzzcocks!
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