Top 25 All-Time Favourite Artists (10-6)

6. Bob Marley/The Wailers

Last year, I got really into discovering the legacy of Bob Marley and The Wailers. And much like The Beatles, I love Marley not only for the amazing music but also for having a very inspirational career. There are the undeniable Reggae classics like "Jammin" "Is This Love" "Turn Your Lights Down Low" and (my favourite) "Waiting in Vain", and aside from the singles Marley delivered some truly amazing albums in "Natty Dread" "Burnin" and the epic "Exodus". What I think is amazing about his career is that for one, he basically carried the whole Reggae genre on his shoulders and introduced it to the masses in the U.S. and Worldwide which in turn inspired dozens of artists in very different genres. Though he did have his fun songs, Marley also was very politically driven and used his music to let the world hear the voice of the oppressed in Jamaica, which actually translated quite well in the U.S. during the 1970's. And I think the most admirable thing about Marley's too short career was that he used his music to make a change. He used his music, his image, his celebrity and fame, and his power to make positive changes in his community. In videos and in different biographies, it seemed like he actually put his community above himself and was never really selfish or let his success go to his head and make him forget about what's really important. A truly inspirational genius.

myTop 3 Favourite Bob Marley/The Wailers albums: 1. Exodus (1977), 2. Kaya (1978), 3. Rastaman Vibration (1976)

7. Stevie Wonder

You don't even really have to dig too deep into Stevie's musical catalogue to know that this man is incredibly talented. His lyrics are beyond amazing, and of course he has a great voice. One of the highest regarded musicians of all time, with all the gold award trophies to prove it. If you do happen to dig deeper, which I did last year, you will realize that Stevie is one of the more diverse artists in our history. Of course he was part of the Motown machine in the 1960's, he truly emerged in the 1970's. And listening to any of those albums, "Music on My Mind" "Innervisions" "Songs in the Key of Life", you will see he never boxed himself into one genre. He experimented with Country, Reggae, Pop, Funk, R&B even Rap in the early 80's. A risk taker who loves music, and has contributed some of the most well crafted music of all time.

myTop 3 Favourite Stevie Wonder albums: 1. Hotter than July (1980), 2. Innervisions (1973), 3. Where I'm Coming From (1971)

8. Kanye West

This guy is well on his way to topping my list if he keeps going the way he's been the last four albums. I think I can personally relate to his music more than any other artist on this list. I love the fact that he's not the stereotypical Rapper of today, he's Himself and not scared of it. He wasn't scared to rhyme about working at the Gap on his first album instead of pretending he was a drug dealer or something like that. Things like that make me respect him on a personal level, and his music and how it just keeps getting better and better each album makes me respect him on that artistic level. He... like Prince... is always forward thinking, original and creative, gives you something outside of the norm but is still accessible to the masses. Genius!

myTop 3 Favourite Kanye West albums: 1. Late Registration (2005), 2. Graduation (2007), 3. 808's & Heartbreak (2008)

9. Missy Elliott/Timbaland (tie)

Don't really know what I can say that hasn't already been said about these two. They are just so far left and do their Own thing, and always have. The most unique, creative hip hop artists since they both were introduced on the scene. Admittedly, they both have fallen off considerably. Timbaland mainly because he keeps producing the same types of tracks over and over. And Missy only because she's been gone so long. I still will love them for the great music they gave me from 1996-2002ish...

myTop 3 Favourite Missy Elliott/Timbaland albums: 1. Da Real World (1999), 2. Shock Value (2007), 3. MissE... So Addictive (2001)

10. OutKast

I honestly don't know where to start when it comes to talking about these ATLiens Outkast. Who really knows what's going on with them at the present moment, but they have consistently produced some of the best Hip Hop albums of all time. In fact if you ask me, "Aquemini" and "The Love Below/Speakerboxxx" are two (or three) of the best albums Period. Simply put, they have had an incredible career. The two very different personalities of Big Boi and Andre 3000 work well on their own (as best evidenced in the aforementioned double album, and even on their most recent and underrated "Idlewild" album) but are just as good and sometimes better together. And what seemingly might be taken as gimmickry (Andre 3000's bizarre fashion sense, Big Boi's obsession with booty in his videos) to hide minimal talents, is completely not the case with this duo because from their beginning they proved they have the skills in both delivery and their writing and production. I hope there is at least one last album from the pair, and i'd have no doubt that it would be another classic.

myTop 3 Favourite Outkast albums: 1. Aquemini (1998), 2. Speakerboxx/The Love Below (2003), 3. Stankonia (2000)

Album Review: Rihanna, Lady GaGa

I Love the Internet. Probably my most anticipated release of the year leaked about two weeks early. And I'm so happy it did. Coming after the hugely successful "Good Girl Gone Bad" and the trio of singles released from it's re-release, Rihanna had a lot to live up to on her 4th album "Rated R" (officially released November 23rd). Not even going into her personal troubles, Rihanna was definitley busy this past year fine-tuning what is actually a pretty amazing album. This wasn't clearly evident late last month when she leaked 3 of the tracks off the album. On their own they were very underwhelming, and I lost some faith in the album.
Luckily it turns out that the songs she leaked are basically all the filler, as she left some really outstanding stuff for the album. In fact the album is sequenced so well, that the filler tracks sound alot better while listening to the whole album. The similarities between "Rated R" and "Good Girl Gone Bad" end at the fact that they both are very well put together and can easily be played from front to back.
"Rated R" has Rihanna continually evolving from a teeny-bopper Pop personality into a more edgy Rock Icon. The sound of "Rated R" is Definitley darker, edgier, more street and more mature, which is exactly what I love about the album. What made me fall in love with Rihanna in the first place was her personality and aggressive attitude she left on the tracks, this album takes all of that to a new level. Her voice and her vocally delivery have improved quite drastically on this album, the official first single "Russian Roulette" and the perfection that is "Cold Case Love" (masterfully produced by Justin Timberlake's production team The Y's) show her vocal maturity. And tracks like "Rude Boy" and "Hard" show that even when presented with material that might sound a little dated, she owns with the delivery of the lyrics which make the songs.

Probably the three stand out cuts on this album are the aforementioned "Cold Case Love", which is such a great production in that it builds, her vocals and the great lyrics are at the forefront throughout most of the song and than it builds up to a grand finale. Truly an epic track. The same can be said for "Firebomb" a perfect Pop/Rock mashup, almost reminiscent of a Leona Lewis or Beyonce track, but the producers take it to a rougher edgier level. This song also has great lyrical content. Finally "Rock Star 101", an infectious track and her Swag is at 110% on this one. The rest of the album flows really nice, there are actually a bunch of great songs I could name, "Stupid in Love" "Hard" "The Last Song" "Photographs", even the one I like the least are undeniable. I was worried, but I don't have any doubts that this 4th album will establish Rihanna as a force in the industry that is definitley here to stay.

Now if you follow this blog, you might have seen my "Love/Hate" article about Lady GaGa. And I was on the "Hate" side at that time. I felt like she was getting alot of undue praise for being just average. Since than, a bunch of Lady GaGa songs have ended up becoming guilty pleasures and I have seen her turn in a few outstanding live performances. So when her "The Fame Monster" leaked, I got it. And boy am I shocked. Let's just clarify one thing first, "The Fame Monster" is going to have a bit of a complicated release on November 23rd. There is a Deluxe Edition that will act as a re-release of her debut "The Fame" and including the 8 new tracks she's recorded for the "Monster" portion. And you can buy the "Monster" portion by itself, it will still be titled "The Fame Monster" even though it won't include "The Fame".

Okay all of that out of the way, "Monster" is actually a really great set of dance material which subtly shows GaGa's growth as an artist. Listening to the album, it's like each track is a different form of Dance music. Unlike her debut, which I felt was a majority of uninspired and generic dance beats, this one ventures into everything from straight up House tracks, 80's Freestyle, Industrial, New Wave, Funk and even some R&B. The track "Speechless", reminiscent of "Brown Eyes" from her debut, actually is heavily (and obviously) inspired by the Beatles and the hook recalls "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, though her vocals make the song all her own. Which can be said about every song on this album actually. At certain points, there is a MAJOR Madonna sound ("Alejandro" "Dance in the Dark") but on first single "Bad Romance" and album closer "Teeth" it's 100% GaGa. She can even hold her own against powerhouse Beyonce who is featured on the Rodney Jerkins produced "Telephone". I'm not fully on the "Love" side for GaGa, but my ears and eyes are open and I think maybe she could become a bit of a force in the music world.

Top 25 All-Time Favourite Artists (14-11)

Without purposely ranking them like this, this next seems to be a celebration of of artists who were a major part of a incredible groups, but also were able to emerge and have incredible solo careers as well.

11. No Doubt & Gwen Stefani

In the late 90's No Doubt had their big breakthrough in the now classic album "Tragic Kingdom". The Orange County based ska/pop/rock group exploded on MTV and have since stayed a constant staple on U.S. Pop radio. Their big hits like "Underneath it All" "Just a Girl" "Spiderwebs" and their timeless classic "Don't Speak" can be heard daily on Pop, Alternative and Rock stations. The bands work was incredible, but it wasn't just the music that made America fall in love with the group. Their front woman Gwen Stefani can take a lot of the credit for making the group so marketable, a gorgeous, smart, fun and stylish blonde. And much respect for Stefani who decided to make a fun Pop Dance album in 2004 while the group was on hiatus which became a huge success, leading to a second album and two national solo tours. She has now said she is done with the solo thing and the group is back in the studio hoping to deliver some incredible new music (crossing our fingers) together in 2010.

myTop 3 Favourite Gwen Stefani/No Doubt albums: 1. Rock Steady (2001), 2. Tragic Kingdom (1995), 3. Love Angel Music Baby (2004)

12. Janet Jackson/ Michael Jackson & Jackson 5 (tie)

May he rest in peace, all of the various and never ending specials about Michael Jackson can't really describe the impact he had on the 80's. And I imagine the same can be said about the impact of the Jackson 5 in the 70's. I just remember seeing his concerts on TV and all the people who had to be wheeled out on stretchers because they were so overwhelmed with the guy. And I also remember how whenever Michael Jackson had a new video coming out... All the family would gather around and watch it like it was the Oscars or something. I remember all the 80's Douchebags with one glove or the "Beat It" jacket. And than I remember how quickly everybody turned on poor MJ when a scandal hit. However, before the possible pedophilia was exposed he already created a great catalogue of music for himself. And let's not forget the scandal can't erase the fact that he's still regarded as The best Music Video artist ever. And his death this past summer is somewhat bittersweet. We lost a legend, but now people appreciate his legacy a lot more and his groundbreaking music.

By the time that the scandal hit, it was already time for Miss Jackson to take over as the most popular Jackson. Janet, while sort of a puppet, is a performance artist point blank. And you can criticize her minimal vocal skills, or alleged Co-writing skills, or her plastic personality, or that she has a pattern of blatantly lying to the media. One thing you can't talk bad about is her on stage. Compared to concerts by her brother, I won't hesitate in saying she's a way better performer than he is. And probably one of the best performers of the past 30 years. It's no secret that she often lipsyncs, but she Attacks the stage like nobody's business. And (up until the last two albums) she was a very consistent album artist... you were almost guaranteed an excellent album if her name was attached.

myTop 3 Favourite Janet Jackson albums: 1. The Velvet Rope (1997), 2. Rhythm Nation (1989), 3. Control (1986)

myTop 3 Favourite Michael Jackson albums: 1. Off the Wall (1979), 2. Thriller (1982), 3. HIStory (1995)



13. Beyoncé & Destiny's Child

I'm not going to go on and on about Beyoncé (because I could... easily), what I will say is I didn't think an artist like her was possible anymore. So accustomed to having a female artist who could either Dance and entertain but couldn't sing and wouldn't sing live. Or the powerhouse singers whose performances consisted mainly of dramatic gowns and alot of standing. In comes Beyoncé and Destiny's Child. It wasn't until maybe 2001 where the true artist in Knowles truly started to emerge and on her debut solo album she easily shot to the top of the list in the industry. And incredibly gifted vocalist, who also is an incredible performer who sings Live (in stiletto heels no less) and engages the crowd. And she continually, in all areas, improves album after album. A True Legend in the making. Okay that's all I'm going to say =)

myTop 3 Beyoncé/Destiny's Child albums: 1. B'Day (2006), 2. The Writings on the Wall (1999), 3. Destiny Fulfilled (2004)

14. Raphael Saaqiq & Tony! Toni! Toné!

Saadiq is one of the most underrated Geniuses out there today. Beginning with the New-Jack swingers Tony! Toni! Toné! of the early 90's. They were never the majorly successful mainstream group, or flavor of the moment either. They did provide a consistent string of solid and truly soulful hit singles, creating new sounds all with clear influences from the 50's 60's and 70's and using live instrumentation. At the top of this decade Saadiq formed the short lived Lucy Pearl with En Vogue's Dawn Robinson and Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammed. Though they only had one album, it was as flawless earthy and soulful as previous Tony! Toni! Toné! albums. His first solo album "Instant Vintage" is one of my all time favorites and his productions for other artists (Badu, Joss Stone, Dangelo, Whitney, Total) include a lot of my all time favorite songs.

myTop 3 Favourite Raphael Saadiq/Tony! Toni! Toné! albums: 1. Instant Vintage (2002), 2. Lucy Pearl (2000), 3. Sons of Soul (1993)

Top 25 All-Time Favourite Artists (Tie for 15)

15. The Beatles/ The Rolling Stones (tie)

Last year I did a little Musical Education course of my own on the music of the 1960's. And with the Motown Sound, the Wall of Sound, the Girl Groups and the Garage Bands and everything else I have to say (as I've said before) the 60's is my favourite decade of popular music. And the true stars of the 60's were two Brit Bands that have both made an everlasting impression on music and culture. And now, an everlasting impression on me. Both of these groups will probably place higher next year because I like both more and more as the months go by and I discover more of their music.

I'm talking of course about The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

They both started out being heavily influenced by the Rock & Roll/Blues sound of the US as their groups formed. Both crossed the pond around the same time in the early 60's, and both had their US breakthrough singles around the same time as well. Both groups have dynamic personalities and are focused on the music above all else.

Let's first speak on the group that is still active, and has basically become the Greatest Rock & Roll Group of all time, based on their over 50 year recording history. The Stones have contributed a slew of some of the Greatest songs ever made. The genius songwriting of "Sympathy for the Devil", the socially conscious and stirring "Gimme Shelter", their fun rock anthems "Jumpin Jack Flash" and "Satisfaction". And that's just to name a few.

The reason I'm such a big fan is because they cover all these musical genres, and a lot of lyrical and conceptual diversity within their music, but they do it all in good fun. The one complaint is that throughout their career they haven't stayed the most consistent. A lot of their late 60's albums were hit or miss, though they did have a popular string of albums from 1969 up until 1971. Than from what my research shows, they got a little played out and started using publicity ploys to increase excitement for much of the rest of the 70's. However throughout the next 3 decades they've always managed to have at least a handful of great singles and a few great albums.

What I love about The Beatles, is that althought they didn't have as long a stretch, they managed to be consistent and constantly grow with their albums. Like The Stones, they were always witty with their lyrics though The Beatles had a more polished production and vocal style. The catchiness of their early singles like "I Want To Hold Your Hand" "Ticket To Ride" "Hard Day's Night" are what make them classic. Their simplicity really paved the way for Pop music of today.

Later in their career they started to expirement with their sound to great results. Incorporating sounds and instruments from different genres and cultures, and their ability to still remain relateable and accessible to the masses while doing so is nothing short of amazing. With only 13 albums before they dismantled, The Beatles had probably one of the best recording careers of all. They were able to constantly grow, while still being top sellers, and not having to compromise their style or image to remain relevant.

myTop3Favorite Beatles albums: 1. Magical Mystery Tour (1967), 2. Revolver (1966), 3. Abbey Road (1969)
myTop3Favorite Rolling Stones albums: 1. Aftermath (1966), 2. Let It Bleed (1969), 3. Beggars Banquet (1968)

Album Review: Shakira, Leona Lewis, Mario

Easily the biggest surprise I've had in the music world this year is how great Shakira's new album "She Wolf" (which actually won't be released in the US until November 23rd). The albums title track was cute and catchy, and the video was sexy as usual for her. However it wasn't strong enough for me to really want to hear the whole album. Than I saw the video for the second International single "Did It Again".
I instantly fell in love with the song, and when I looked up information about the album I noticed that The Neptunes (or Pharrell Williams) had produced a good number of tracks on the album. As you might have seen, I think very highly of Pharrell and I was very interested to see how they would work together. Williams is responsible for the aforementioned single and a host of the more infectious dance floor ready cuts like "Why Wait" and "Good Stuff", but surprisingly the best cuts come from the producer of the title track, John Hill. "Men in this Town" is a new wave/disco ode to Los Angeles that works great with Shakira's unique voice. The same can be said for the more rocked out "Mon Amour". The biggest surprise though, is that the whole album is solid with different collaborations with Wyclef and Amanda Ghost.
This is only Shakira's third all English album, but it seems like her confidence with the language is peaking. And she is able to deliver something totally relate able, current, and completely undeniable. It at times reminds me of Madonna's last effort "Hard Candy" (she does use the two primary producers on that album, Timbaland contributes what will be the second US single "Give it Up to Me") except that Shakira's vocal delivery is more fun and alive, and the lyrical content more witty and creative. Shakira's performances have always amazed me, and now it seems her recordings are finally going to match that greatness. This album has flaws, but I think her future in English recordings will get better and better in time.

All I had to do was listen to Leona Lewis' rendition of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" to know that Leona had a bright future in front of her. She's the U.K. phenomenon who won the "American Idol" styled show "X-Factor", released a massively successful first single in "Bleeding Love" and delivered a solid (if boring and a little dated towards the end) debut album. Her follow up "Echo" (released November 17th in the US) is a step toward that bright future with a few stunning ballads, a little more current sounding than her debut "Spirit". The album is just solid, there's not a tremendous display of growth or personality for that matter. It just shows that her voice is consistent, and that it is able to transcend different genres. The problem is, there's really not enough diversity on the album. They throw her only one uptempo, which actually is a very well done Electronic sounding "Outta My Head", and the rest is a variation of different ballad types. She owns the Poppier type ballads, the first single "Happy" and "I Got You" and my favorite track "Can't Breathe". There are two other standouts in the minimally produced "My Hands" and the Justin Timberlake featured "Don't Let Me Down". The rest of the ballads go from terribly boring to just not very well produced.
However, if you are a fan of albums that are heavy on the ballads this will probably be right up your alley.

As Shakira was my biggest surprise, Mario's new "D.N.A." might be my biggest dissapointment. To be fair, I only skimmed through the songs on iTunes and download about half of the songs based on that. Which isn't a good thing to begin with. When I listened to those few songs, almost none of them showed any personality and sounded terribly stale and uninspired. Both vocally and production wise. I enjoyed his last effort "Go" as it did give him a great showcase for a great voice, while that album was based in R&B, this album is a little all over the place. There's a few pop ballads, there's a few Hip Hop/R&B hits, there's a few dance cuts. And unfortunatley it just sounds like a bad radio station and doesn't showcase the artist at all. The albums first single, production wise, is hot (they should have taken Sean Garrett's voice off the song and given his verse to Mario so it's clear that it's HIS song) and the albums second single "Thinkin' About You" isn't bad, but the real highlight of the whole album is "Soundtrack to my Broken Heart" which should get some serious consideration as a cross-over Pop single.