Yeah, so I've let this blog slide again. Whoops.
I have big plans to do a write up on my first year at Duke... it will be up soon, I promise.
In the mean time, here's a completely random post about music. The recent new update to Spotify lets you build a library of albums separate from your playlists, so I decided to virtually recreate the CD collection I left at home when I came to the USA (there's the tenuous link to this blog's actual content). As well as some hearty reminiscing of days gone by, I was thinking about the albums which really left me awestruck, or perhaps how they related to various key events and themes in my life.
In no particular order, here are ten music albums that embody the good ol' days...
Cracked Rear View - Hootie & the Blowfish
I must've been about 15 when I first listened to this album. My brother-in-law had given me his second copy of the album and told me how great it was. I was going through a major dance music phase at the time (that's "EDM" for the yanks), but decided to humour it nonetheless.
I hated it.
Darius Rucker, at the time, sounded to me like a Triceratops having a particularly violent bout of period pains. I promptly shelved the CD, and didn't pick it up until many years later... during first year of university, if I recall correctly. But when I did, wow. Just, wow. It was like listening to it with a different pair of ears - it's funny what a few years can do to mature a person's taste. This album is pretty melancholy, and certainly makes for a great post-breakup soundtrack...
The Fat of the Land - The Prodigy
Speaking of techno music, and in stark contrast to Hootie, here's another blast from the nineties. I cannot explain to you how much I fucking love this album. It's just absolutely immense, drug-fueled, nonsensical madness. Yeah sure, I was a gimpy straight-A kid growing up, but listening to Fat of the Land was a nice little outlet for some subdued teenage rebellion.
As well as being an all-round kickass album, one of the tracks has the greatest music video of all time. No Kanye, nothing to do with Beyoncé - it's Smack My Bitch Up. I promised myself I wouldn't embed anything other than album art in this post, so here's a linky instead! Ok go on then, you can have a live version as well :)
Skull & Bones - Cypress Hill
Of course LA's finest were going to make this list! The only question - which album should I choose? Sure, the self-titled Cypress Hill is iconic, and Black Sunday was their breakthrough triple platinum-album. But only one of their works was game-changing, and that album is Skull & Bones.
This album comes on two discs - the "Skull" disc is a regular rap record (and by "regular" I mean awesome). The other "Bones" disc is a seminal work that marked the foray of traditional hip hop groups into the rap-metal scene. This album was perfectly timed to help create a rap-metal wave along with other bands - e.g. Limp Bizkit's Significant Other instantly comes to mind.
This album comes on two discs - the "Skull" disc is a regular rap record (and by "regular" I mean awesome). The other "Bones" disc is a seminal work that marked the foray of traditional hip hop groups into the rap-metal scene. This album was perfectly timed to help create a rap-metal wave along with other bands - e.g. Limp Bizkit's Significant Other instantly comes to mind.
La Scala Concert 03.03.03 - Ludovico Einaudi
For a long time, I thought all good classical music was created by chaps that were no longer of this world. How wrong I was. Einaudi is a veritable Picasso of the piano. This live album was the first of his records that I heard, and I was completely mesmerized by both his performance and his compositions.
After going on to discover his other amazing early albums such as I Giorni and Le Onde, I was really spurred on to listen to work by other modern classical artists & composers such as Yo Yo Ma.
I'm happy that his work is on Spotify... there is something really stirring and magical about his music.
Beyond Skin - Nitin Sawhney
For a long time, I thought all good classical music was created by chaps that were no longer of this world. How wrong I was. Einaudi is a veritable Picasso of the piano. This live album was the first of his records that I heard, and I was completely mesmerized by both his performance and his compositions.
After going on to discover his other amazing early albums such as I Giorni and Le Onde, I was really spurred on to listen to work by other modern classical artists & composers such as Yo Yo Ma.
I'm happy that his work is on Spotify... there is something really stirring and magical about his music.
Beyond Skin - Nitin Sawhney
Being a first generation British Asian can be a tough cookie sometimes - especially when you grow up in mostly traditional British middle and upper-middle class neighbourhoods (*cough*white*cough*). I always found the dichotomy between my parents' traditional Indian culture and the British culture of my friends to be a constant source of internal conflict and confusion.
Artists such as Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh and Asian Dub Foundation shared similar challenges growing up (I imagine!), so I was naturally drawn to these guys' music. Beyond Skin is a particularly striking album that really got British Asian fusion music into the limelight, having been nominated for the 2000 Mercury Music Prize - the prestigious British music award which Talvin Singh won a year earlier with OK.
Nevermind - Nirvana
Iconic - that's the only word I can really muster to describe this album. I can't imagine anyone growing up in the nineties without being influenced by Nevermind. It's the musical embodiment of dark, depressing teenage strife. Oh, and that kid on the album art - he's now now at college. Feeling old?
I'll be honest, I almost bumped this album in favour of In Utero, which I personally rate slightly higher than Nevermind. But how can you not have the album which starts off with Smells Like Teen Spirit feature up here?! Don't worry, In Utero gets an honourable mention below.
Play - Moby
Play is a really weird album - I almost feel like it has bipolar disorder. Tracks like Bodyrock and Honey are amazing feel good tunes that you could put on before a big night out with the lads. But then you have Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, The Sky Is Broken and Natural Blues, which are the kind of tunes you put on when you've just broken up with a chick and you need a soundtrack to accompany your bottle of Scotch.
Sometimes I feel angry at Moby for plucking at all sorts of emotions with this album, but not wholly satisfying any of them. But you really can't hold anything against him when many of the tracks are individually so excellent. Anyways, this is an outstanding album, and fully deserves to make this list.
The Score - Fugees
I genuinely can't remember the first album I ever bought, which is a bit depressing. What I can remember is that The Score was definitely *one of* the first. In fact, I'm pretty sure I bought it twice; once on cassette in India for about Rs.200 (I guess that was like £3 / $4), and again when it came out in the UK on CD.
I hate to overuse the word "seminal", but this album really was a major influence on the entire genre of hip hop music. I vividly remember hearing Ready Or Not on BBC Radio 1 for the first time when I was about 12... Mind. Blown.
I knew right then I needed to hear more of Fugees' work, and the album delivered everything I wanted and more. Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly, The Score, No Woman, No Cry, Zealots - in fact every single tune on the album just absolutely kills it. And the skits provide some unintended comic relief between tracks! "No, no, no, we want beef to eat. We ain't got no beef!". If that wasn't enough, when Aphrodite got hold of the album, he knocked together some pretty kick ass DnB remixes too... Icing. On. Cake.
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
Ahh, those trusty northern folk - ensuring that the British tobacco, alcohol and fast food industries remain buoyant, whilst simultaneously providing the NHS and Job Centre with a steady stream of customers. Could there be a more noble pursuit in life? There's no love lost between me and the time I spent growing up near Leeds, but one can't help but admire the stream of talented bands that have blossomed from the inhospitable north. The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, Elbow, The Stone Roses, Def Leppard and The Verve, to name but a handful.
And of course, of course, Oasis. Despite frequent bust-ups between the Gallagher brothers, on and off-stage antics, and even allegations of lyric plagiarism, these guys put out some sterling albums back in the day. What's The Story is one of those timeless albums, that you'll never get bored of listening. Don't Look Back In Anger is probably my favourite track, but there are so many excellent anthems, it's hard to choose!
The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One - The Prodigy
So, I've saved the best for last... of the other early Prodigy albums that could have made this list (and would have, had I not 'cheated' by including this, a mix album), this one steals the final spot with genuine ease. Many self-proclaimed music "experts" think that this could be the greatest mix album created. I don't care what they think. I *know* it's the greatest mix album ever created. For this single piece of musical brilliance, Liam Howlett deserves a Knighthood.
If I could take one record to the grave, this would be it.
Honourable Mentions
I had a super hard time getting this list down to just ten albums, so here is my much larger (and probably still woefully incomprehensive) list of those that need to be mentioned:
Artists such as Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh and Asian Dub Foundation shared similar challenges growing up (I imagine!), so I was naturally drawn to these guys' music. Beyond Skin is a particularly striking album that really got British Asian fusion music into the limelight, having been nominated for the 2000 Mercury Music Prize - the prestigious British music award which Talvin Singh won a year earlier with OK.
Nevermind - Nirvana
Iconic - that's the only word I can really muster to describe this album. I can't imagine anyone growing up in the nineties without being influenced by Nevermind. It's the musical embodiment of dark, depressing teenage strife. Oh, and that kid on the album art - he's now now at college. Feeling old?
I'll be honest, I almost bumped this album in favour of In Utero, which I personally rate slightly higher than Nevermind. But how can you not have the album which starts off with Smells Like Teen Spirit feature up here?! Don't worry, In Utero gets an honourable mention below.
Play - Moby
Play is a really weird album - I almost feel like it has bipolar disorder. Tracks like Bodyrock and Honey are amazing feel good tunes that you could put on before a big night out with the lads. But then you have Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, The Sky Is Broken and Natural Blues, which are the kind of tunes you put on when you've just broken up with a chick and you need a soundtrack to accompany your bottle of Scotch.
Sometimes I feel angry at Moby for plucking at all sorts of emotions with this album, but not wholly satisfying any of them. But you really can't hold anything against him when many of the tracks are individually so excellent. Anyways, this is an outstanding album, and fully deserves to make this list.
The Score - Fugees
I genuinely can't remember the first album I ever bought, which is a bit depressing. What I can remember is that The Score was definitely *one of* the first. In fact, I'm pretty sure I bought it twice; once on cassette in India for about Rs.200 (I guess that was like £3 / $4), and again when it came out in the UK on CD.
I hate to overuse the word "seminal", but this album really was a major influence on the entire genre of hip hop music. I vividly remember hearing Ready Or Not on BBC Radio 1 for the first time when I was about 12... Mind. Blown.
I knew right then I needed to hear more of Fugees' work, and the album delivered everything I wanted and more. Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly, The Score, No Woman, No Cry, Zealots - in fact every single tune on the album just absolutely kills it. And the skits provide some unintended comic relief between tracks! "No, no, no, we want beef to eat. We ain't got no beef!". If that wasn't enough, when Aphrodite got hold of the album, he knocked together some pretty kick ass DnB remixes too... Icing. On. Cake.
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
Ahh, those trusty northern folk - ensuring that the British tobacco, alcohol and fast food industries remain buoyant, whilst simultaneously providing the NHS and Job Centre with a steady stream of customers. Could there be a more noble pursuit in life? There's no love lost between me and the time I spent growing up near Leeds, but one can't help but admire the stream of talented bands that have blossomed from the inhospitable north. The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, Elbow, The Stone Roses, Def Leppard and The Verve, to name but a handful.
And of course, of course, Oasis. Despite frequent bust-ups between the Gallagher brothers, on and off-stage antics, and even allegations of lyric plagiarism, these guys put out some sterling albums back in the day. What's The Story is one of those timeless albums, that you'll never get bored of listening. Don't Look Back In Anger is probably my favourite track, but there are so many excellent anthems, it's hard to choose!
The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One - The Prodigy
So, I've saved the best for last... of the other early Prodigy albums that could have made this list (and would have, had I not 'cheated' by including this, a mix album), this one steals the final spot with genuine ease. Many self-proclaimed music "experts" think that this could be the greatest mix album created. I don't care what they think. I *know* it's the greatest mix album ever created. For this single piece of musical brilliance, Liam Howlett deserves a Knighthood.
If I could take one record to the grave, this would be it.
Honourable Mentions
I had a super hard time getting this list down to just ten albums, so here is my much larger (and probably still woefully incomprehensive) list of those that need to be mentioned:
- All Eyez On Me - 2Pac
- Relationship of Command - At the Drive-In
- The Hour of Bewilderbeast - Badly Drawn Boy
- Bollywood Flashback II - Bally Sagoo
- Rooty - Basement Jaxx
- Parklife - Blur
- 18 Till I Die - Bryan Adams
- Parachutes - Coldplay
- Discovery - Daft Punk
- 2001 - Dr. Dre
- The Slim Shady LP - Eminem
- You've Come a Long Way, Baby - Fatboy Slim
- Timeless - Goldie
- Gorillaz - Gorillaz
- Travelling Without Moving - Jamiroquai
- Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life - Jay-Z
- Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World
- Quiet Is the New Loud - Kings of Convenience
- Follow the Leader - Korn
- K - Kula Shaker
- Leftism - Leftfield
- Significant Other - Limp Bizkit
- Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park
- In Search Of... - N.E.R.D
- In Utero - Nirvana
- OK Computer - Radiohead
- Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Out of Time - R.E.M.
- New Forms - Roni Size & Reprazent
- OK - Talvin Singh
- Tenacious D - Tenacious D
- Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits - The Ataris
- Dig Your Own Hole - The Chemical Brothers
- Americana - The Offspring
- Urban Hymns - The Verve
- The Mirror Conspiracy - Thievery Corporation
- Weezer (2001) - Weezer
- And finally... slightly cheating again because they're compilation albums, but... every single Ministry of Sound Annual ever released (well, mainly the early ones mixed by Tong, Jules and George)
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