Top 25 All-Time Favourite Artists (5-2)

2. Madonna

As a kid of the 80's, some my earliest Music memories involve Madonna. She practically OWNED MTV and all the other video shows in the 80's, her songs were Always on the radio, and just the phenomenon that was Madonna back in the 80's is something that is really indescribable to someone who didn't live through that era. And she paved the way for alot of (well MOST of... i'd actually say 100% of...) the Female artists and Female celebrities in general of today. In terms of image, sexual empowerment, being an opinionated female Pop entertainer and being unapologetic about the things she did. And let's not even get into how Awesome she was at the whole Publicity stunt. She was really one of the first artists to totally Use the media for her own gain, and as you see so many artists Male and Female follow that trend. Another great thing about Madonna is that she really Is the only big artist from the 80's that still makes quality music and is as relevant over the past two decades.

myTop 3 Favourite Madonna albums: 1. Music (2000), 2. Bedtime Stories (1994), 3. Ray of Light (1997)


3. Marvin Gaye

I have to admit, I never fully got into Marvin Gaye until maybe 6 or 7 years ago. Ofcourse I knew Alot about him beforehand. Most of my close family members are Music lovers just like me so Good Music was always heard when I was a child and I knew alot about the Motown sound when I was really young. I read a Biography about Gaye and they talked alot about the "What's Going On" album, and how revolutionary it was for the time. How at the time Socially conscious R&B was not really heard of. How he produced it all himself and was the first act to use the technology to do His Own backing vocals, and it was the first album to have songs lead into each other. And how he fought so hard to get it out, how he refused to do any work for Motown until the album was released. He put all his heart into it, and you can tell... 37 years later. It's really the best album ever made. Aside from that one album, Gaye truly has one of the best stories. A guy who was overtly talented as a vocalist and for years was a team player doing what Berry Gordy wanted (not without a few fights though) and than totally took control of his career and his image and his name and from "What's Going On" and on did whatever was He wanted to do with His music. Truly an admirable guy. Fuckin crazy ofcourse, but I think most of the people on my list are Nuts.


myTop 3 Favourite Marvin Gaye albums: 1. What's Going On (1971), 2. I Want You (1976), 3. Let's Get It On (1973)

4. Mariah Carey

I've been a huge fan of Mariah's since her 1990 debut. And the reason that she is so high on the list is pretty simple. Her voice, the fact that she's a hard worker, writes her own music, and has provided the world with some of the best songs in the past 19 years. And in the past 5 or 6 years she's really settled into a place with her music that is really fun and really represents who she is, which is drastically different than her earlier albums, and it gives me a whole new respect for this major talent.

myTop 3 Favourite Mariah Carey albums: 1. Daydream (1995), 2. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009), 3. Butterfly (1997)

5. Daft Punk

I dont really know how to explain my love for Daft Punk, other than they are just right up my alley I guess. I was first introduced to them by their completely Awesome music video for "Around the world", and that one Awesome video started the love affair. They've only released Three actual albums in the past 10 years, but when they do release an album it's always on point, it's Always a completely different sound than the last, and it always gets major play from ME for the years I have to wait for the next album. And they've further impressed me with their Live album they released in 2007, I have never seen these dudes live because I never thought Electronic artists could put on an interesting show. I was hella wrong! The cd is AMAZING!!! The mixes they do, just genius. These guys are just geniuses at what they do.

myTop 3 Favourite Daft Punk albums: 1. Homework (1997), 2. Human After All (2005), 3. Discovery (1999)

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.

Album Review: Quick Update!!

I feel really bad about not updating this blog for so long. Being a good employee and good student has really been taking most of my time. So I'm going to just give you all (LOL!) a quick update on the new stuff I've been listening to since the last update.

1. Mariah Carey,"Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel".
Mariah, or Mrs. Cannon, keeps the winning streak going from 2005's "Emancipation of Mimi" to her current stunner which is actually the best of her current albums. Working with just one production team, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, and putting together a cohesive story with amazing vocals and great and funny lyrics. Mariah seems so at home on the kiss-off songs "Up Out My Face" and "It's a Wrap", but is also able to switch it to a more vulnerable vocal on "Angels Cry" "Languishing" and her Foreigner cover "I Want to Know What Love Is". In just sticking to one vibe and one story Mariah pulled off probably the best album of her career.

2. Zoot Woman, "Things are what they Used to Be".
I first found out about this Electronica/Dance group when I was doing research on Stuart Price, producer and remixer for acts as diverse as Madonna, Gwen Stefani and The Killers. Price is the mastermind of a few different groups, and Zoot Woman is the closest to a legitimate vocal group. This album is their third and is actually a great sonic experience. This album has a few misses, but the overall vibe and production on this album save it from completely falling apart. Album opener "Friend of Mine" as well as "Lonely by your Side" could easily become global hits. While "Saturation" and the calming stunner "Blue Sea" help seal this album as a winner.

3. Kid Cudi, "Man on the Moon: The End of the Day".
The newest back-packer rapper backed by top Hip Hop names Kanye West and Jay-Z. Seems familiar? (Lupe Fiasco anybody?) Cudi has seemed to follow the same story coming up, but he is actually delivering. Not to keep a comparison going, but Cudi suceeds in his debut because he seems like he's not scared to take risks, unlike Lupe who's debut was relatively safe (with the result coming off as boring). Cudi's debut is a nicely strung together story of the Lonely-Loner, narrated by Common. There's a few times where Cudi tries to go a little too mainstream ("EnterGalactic" "Simple As"), but there are true star moments throughout this whole album. And a true commitment to the concept of the album, and also the rare case of vulnerability in delivery. A Very Promising debut album.

4. Mr Hudson, "Straight No Chaser".
Mr Hudson's single "Supernova" had been burning up my iPod all summer, and than he popped back up on Jay-Z's "Young Forever". His album doesn't drop in the US until December (which I'm guessing is because they are trying to cross-promote with that aforementioned song. I could be wrong) but was released in the UK a few weeks ago. I was really excited for this album, and there are times on this album where that excitement was justified. "There will be Tears" is an amazingly weird Electronic/Pop almost Trip Hop concoction that is actually very heartfelt and emotional. "Stiff Upper Lip" is a surprisingly laid back and soothing break-up song, and "Learn to Live" is a fantastic 80's homage. However, there seems to be alot of desperation in getting a mainstream hit. "White Lies" the albums second single and the albums title track come off as a little phoney in delivery ("I was just playin' girl" and "we don't waste our time on Fake Thugs"... hmmm), but still have great production behind them. Another complaint is that it's sometimes too all over the place and could have used a better sequencing job. Having said that, it's mostly passible and I'm sure it will grow on me the more I listen to it, which I plan on doing.

5. Basement Jaxx, "Scars".
It seems like every time, I get excited for the new Basement Jaxx album and when it comes out I'm slightly disapointed. Their first two albums "Remedy" and "Rooty" were flawless, "Kish Kash" was about half and half and "Crazy Itch Radio" suffered the same problem of being way too much. Luckily the duo have calmed down a bit in their frantic production. In all honesty, it's the times when they get a little too frantic on this album that are the worst of a pretty okay album. The best moments are when they really slow it down, which on those past two albums were the best moments of their careers ("If I Ever Recover"), and they have some amazing moments like that here with "A Possibility" "D.I.S.tractionz". Even on some of their more traditional housers they show restraint with their effects box to make some great cuts like the first single "Raindrops" "Feelings Gone" and "Gimme Gimme Somethin True". All in all this album is a step back into the right direction for the duo and I'll have some justification in being excited for their next album.

Album Review: Jay-Z "The Blueprint 3"

As well all know at this point, Jay-Z "retired" in 2004. However he's released two albums since than, but after listening to his 11th studio album "The Blueprint 3" it almost feels like those two previous efforts don't count as a true Return or a true Comeback. 2006's "Kingdom Come" came at a point where Hip Hop was so stagnant that he didn't have to put much thought or skill into the album to sound better than the active Rappers at the time. And it came across that he didn't, it was a bit of a lazy come-back effort. 2007's "American Gangster" (which technically is a Soundtrack album)was a step in the right direction, with some great cuts but somehow the bulk of it was a little redundant.

Enter "The Blueprint 3". An album that has virtually everything you want from a Hip Hop album on it. He pulled the Best producers to contribute some excellent tracks, and the album on the whole is very diverse and very different sonically than his last two albums.

The most important thing is that Jay-Z actually comes to the forefront and has obviously evolved, because his delivery and his lyrics are thoughtful, creative and shows that he truly is the Best Rapper Alive (well, one of very few). Thematically, I think this is the best of all "The Blueprint" albums, at least as far as staying true to the Blueprint concept. The first in the series is still his and one of the Best Hip Hop albums ever recorded, it was truly a original sound with really soulful emotional delivery on his part. "The Blueprint 2" was less about anything, great original production, but played more like a Hip Hop Mix Tape instead of sounding like one concept. This album, Jay is really talking to all the up and coming Rappers, and sticking to the concept of laying down the rules to have a successful Rap career. The albums first single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" is a good example, where Jay talks about the contradictions in the Hip Hop game as of late "I don't be in the project hallway, talking 'bout how I be in the project all day... If you a gangsta, prove it to me, just get violent". He goes on to talk about how the new rappers shouldn't wait for the downfall of Hip Hop Legends on "Already Home", further saying they definitley shouldn't compare themselves with said Legends or wait for them to open the door for them "the fact is, we not in the same bracket, not in the same league, don't shoot at the same baskets, don't pay the same taxes... So how am I in the way". Timbaland produced tracks "Reminder" and "Off That" also display Jay's irritation toward Rappers who obviously want to follow in his footsteps, but don't want to give credit where it's due.

One of the albums best tracks "A Star is Born", has Jay-Z actually "applauding" alot of Rappers who have had success by forging their own lane. He name drops everybody from Ludacris, T.I., Eminem, Snoop and Nelly among others "Wayne's scorching, I'll applaud him, If he keep going, pass the torch to him". He says "Drake's up next, see what he do with it", but the guest rapper on this track J-Cole actually does an impressively amazing job of keeping up with Jay on this track. Ofcourse leave no doubt "they come, they go, some friends, some hoes, but no, I goes nowhere this Hov".

Jay goes through some pretty typical Hip Hop concepts, but takes them to another level. For instance "Venus vs. Mars" could have been your typical Rap Sex song, but he plays it well lyrically showing the buildup of a relationship and the eventual downfall "we were supposed to Takeover, I caught her bumping Ether, I thought shawty liked Mike, found out she like Prince, thought she was Adrian, it's been Rocky ever since". "Hate" "Empire State of Mind" "Thank You" "As Real As It Gets" and "Run this Town" cover things he's talked about before, but further display his growth over the past few years, making them fresh all over again. Overall, a very very solid album and a true return to form. Save for the last two tracks (which may -- and probably will -- grow on me) every song here is catchy with excellent production with Jay-Z reminding us that he's still got it and is still one of the best we've ever had.

Album Review: Whitney Houston "I Look To You"

I honestly didn't think this was going to happen, but Whitney Houston is actually all set to release her 6th studio album "I Look to You". This is 7 years since her last effort "Just Whitney", and as we all know A LOT has happened in her professional and personal life since that release. Even years before that, her once massively successful career was tarnishing. The worst of it, her voice was always and still is regarded as one of the best voices in recorded music, and through her personal and professional struggles it seemed her voice was ruined. Her 2002 "Just Whitney" was not a terrible album on the production end, but her voice was obviously struggling (her remake of "You Light Up My Life" is especially horrific to listen to with flawless ballads of her past like "I Will Always Love You" and "Didn't We Almost Have it All" in mind.).
What I can say about this new effort, is that her voice doesn't detract from the polished production on this album. Clive Davis and the label heads made some very calculated and very smart moves with the direction of the album. Whitney started her career just singing whatever was thrown at, her voice was that strong she could tackle the Bubble gum pop songs, the dancer floor House songs, the R&B slow burners and the Pop Torch Ballads. Her voice always sounded best to me when she was doing more mid tempo R&B, which is why her 1999 "My Love Is Your Love" album was my favourite. It stressed more urban numbers as opposed to her previous Ballad filled albums. "I Look to You" is actually more urban, more contemporary, very radio ready with a few very good Ballads mixed in. It's a expertly crafted Pop/R&B album, and I'm actually a little proud of Whitney for being able to keep up with the producers who obviously came to work on this album.
Her voice isn't necessarily outstanding on any of these songs, however she does her best to not get drowned out on most tracks. I think that some of the ballads were maybe aiming a little too high for her vocal strengths at this point, but Whitney was obviously up for the challenge this time. As opposed to the vocals on "Just Whitney" where you could obviously tell she was straining and in some sort of vocal pain while singing, she breezes through alot of the vocals. There aren't any huge belts or long notes, like Whitney in the 80's, but there's enough to tell that she has been working on improving.
There's actually not much to complain about on the album, there are a few songs I can go without (and mind you, I'm writing this as I'm listening to it. First time I've done this). The producers really came with really strong songs. I think alot of these songs were hit-ready even without Whitney. I can't say that she makes something that would have been Good Great, but she does bring an attitude and a life to a handful of the tracks. She worked well with Stargate on their two contributions, "Call You Tonight" and her remake of "A Song For You", which isn't a slow by the numbers R&B ode, but a Houser to remind us of the late 90's Whitney Club Queen era. Akon's two tracks are very breezy and complimentary of her voice. And surprisingly she works well with Danja on "For the Lovers" and my favourite track off the album "Nuthin But Love". The lyrical content is somewhat personal on this album, you hear her fessing up to having problems and trying to make it right ("I Didn't Know My Own Strength", "Nuthin But Love" on which she says 'to anyone who tried to hate on me, the ones who tried to break me, the ones who tried to take me down... Nuthin But Love' later saying 'I ain't blaming nobody if i ain't got my stuff worked out'). However the album isn't brought down by too much testimony, and she sticks to light love songs throughout most of the album.
This is definitley a proper comeback, there's enough potential hits on the album. Still, she hasn't shot a video and isn't promoting the album which is due to be released on Tuesday. We have yet to see if she can back this all up live. If she is up for that challenge, she should sweep the Grammy's and have a really long and succesful run from this album. The thing is, she's coming back into an industry that doesn't expect much from it's artists, and putting together an album that has a majority of great tracks and a female vocalist that actually has some skill and is sounds alive is alwasy impressive. Having said that, in my eyes at least, Whitney has actually risen back to the upper echelon of the Pop/R&B world. Bring on the Live Performance!

Top 25 All-Time Favourite Artists (16-19)

16. Pharrell Williams/ Kelis/ N.E.R.D./ Neptunes (tie)

So around 2001-2004 I was a complete Neptunes freak. My cubicle at work was practically nothing but Pharrell and Chad pictures, I had countless Neptunes mix cd's I made constantly, and I was almost always talking about them in some way. And the technical first introduction I had to this Awesome production team was via Kelis' first album "Kaleidoscope". At the time, the production on that album overpowered anything she was doing, and ever since than I followed the Neptunes careers. What I think I loved the most about their productions was they came really hard with the beats and bass and what not, but everything they did was undeniably dance worthy. Like you'd catch yourself nodding your head or tapping your feet and not even realize it. Now I can't lie or ignore the fact that around 2004/2005 they officially started to fall off, and I'm not even sure they produce as a duo anymore. Pharrell's solo album was a bit of a disappointment, and NeRD are sometimes a little TOO out there. But the Neptunes gave me a Good 5 Mix cd's that I still play to this day, and I actually think that in 2008 they did a good job of saving their name, by bringing some actual New sounding stuff on Madonna's "Hard Candy" and select tracks from NeRD's "Seeing Sounds".

Kelis, that's just a cool bitch. She also has a lot of songs that I can personally relate to (which is oddly difficult to find). And she's just Different, a very unique artist. I've Never been disappointed by any of her albums, even though she's distanced herself completely from the Neptunes her music has actually gotten better which proves that she did bring a lot to the table and didn't just show up to sing over the Neptunes beats all those years. I really wish she was more popular... but what are you gonna do?

myTop 3 Favourite Kelis albums: 1. Kelis was Here (2006), 2. Kaleidoscope (2000), 3. Tasty (2004)

myTop 3 Favourite Pharrell/Neptunes/NeRD albums: 1. In Search Of... (2002), 2. Neptunes Present Clones (2003), 3. Seeing Sounds (2008)

17. Jay-Z

I'm gonna admit something here. I wasn't a big fan of Jigga when he first came out. I did like the "Aint No nigga" with Foxy. I didn't hate dude or anything like that, but I really wasn't paying much attention to him during the "Reasonable Doubt" era. I did notice that dude wasn't going away and that he had a huge hit that even I couldn't deny every Year (hell every six months). Than around the time of "In My Lifetime Part 2" and "Can I Get A..." when you just literally couldn't get away from him... I did start to respect him and see him from a different perspective. He's had a few missteps, but overall he's been a very consistent albums artist. And his singles are crazy. Plus he has some of the best, funniest and thought provoking bars of any rapper Alive. I was a little mad at his "faux" retirement, and "Kingdom Come" was a real let-down. "American Gangster" was a step in the right direction, and I'm actually Really excited for "Blueprint III" coming out in September.

myTop 3 Favourite Jay-z albums: 1. The Blueprint (2001), 2. Reasonable Doubt (1996), 3. The Black Album (2004)

18. Devo

Being a 80's baby, it almost goes without saying that I was familiar and a fan of Devo's biggest hit "Whip It" and it's music video. It wasn't until a few years ago when I heard their wonderfully twisted cover of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" that I wanted to hear more from them. Just within this past year I've started to listen to their catalogue, and for some weird reason I seem to love everything they do. Most of their music is really unconventional (for me), like they lack melody or harmony. Still they are addictive and the band themselves are amazing together. Towards the mid-80's they did start to stagnate with their sound, but they had a really great run of very creative, and ultimatley innovative music.

myTop 3 Favourite Devo albums: 1. Q.Are We Not Men? A. We Are Devo! (1978), 2. Freedom of Choice (1980), 3. New Traditionalists (1981)

19. Usher/Timberlake (tie)

These two are definitely the Kings of the Industry when it comes to artists from my generation. The feeling that we grew up together probably is the reason they are so high on my list. Especially Usher, who has been recording solo since he was 13. They both have had their share of peaks, massive hit singles and awards, and breaking records. Usher with his "Confessions" album which in 2004 became one of the few instant Classic albums of this decade. Timberlake's solo debut (coming from probably the most successful 90's Boy Band 'N Sync) "Justified", with the help of Neptunes and Timbaland, crossed over and was also pretty highly regarded. And ofcourse they both have their signature, un-escapable Monster single, Usher with "Yeah!" and Timberlake with "Sexyback".
However. Usher's last album was a bit of a dud, he's working on a 6th album which will hopefully redeem him from not only a disapointing album, but very underwhelming live performances. Timberlake hasn't even got to his 3rd solo album, and currently he's more of a television star than a recording artist. They are both escaping the "Teen Dream" phase, so their next releases are going to have to take them to a new level. If not they might totally fall off this list. (Like they care!)

myTop 3 Favourite Usher/Timberlake albums: 1. Confessions (2004), 2. Justified (2002), 3. 8701 (2001)

Okay that's it for now. I'm actually going to come back really quick with the Tie for #15. I think they both deserve their own profile, and a longer explanation of why they are tied. And you can see #20-25 here.