The Pop Open Group F REVEALED
Aug. 3rd, 2007 12:38 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
freakytigger.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
poptimistsSorry for the big delay on this! Here are what the tracks are - and what I thought of them.
Hear them for yourself here: http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2007/07/pop-open-week-8/ (streamed) and here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/t0tk21
TRACK ONE: Me'shell Ndegeocello - "Leviticus - Faggot" - springy, soulful, serious funk, more about the side-effects of religion but ironically I think it might have been more powerful if Me'shell got a bit churchier - it passes by too pleasantly to have much impact.
TRACK TWO: Army Of Lovers - "Israelism" - "Army of Lovers on a mission!" - certainly memorable and worshipping at the altar of WTF, not for the first time with AoL I think their production and sonic chops weren't quite up to their ideas, the hi-NRG backing here just isn't as beefy as the song needs. But it's a good song, though I'm not sure I'd dare to parse it. Would get a vote from me.
TRACK THREE: Candie Payne - "By Tomorrow" - Payne has a great voice and presence, tons of poise amidst the hustle-bustle of the song. Only the tacky sampled horns stop me giving it a vote.
TRACK FOUR: Amy Grant - "Come, Thou Font Of Every Blessing" - props to this for i. staring the topic pretty squarely in the face, ii. having a really gorgeous soft country melody. My top pick I think.
TRACK FIVE: Genius/GZA/Killah Priest - "B.I.B.L.E." - I have actually owned this and still didn't recognise it, not a good sign. Lots of good lines when you concentrate on them but the track rolls along without ever demanding that you do. I've often felt there's something a little dodgy about the love critics gave to the Wu-Tang's crackpot syncretic belief systems, tho I can't quite pin my finger on why.
Here's the poll - open until Monday 12 noon.
[Poll #1030830]
We're not exactly deluged with votes so keep them coming.
Hear them for yourself here: http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2007/07/pop-open-week-8/ (streamed) and here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/t0tk21
TRACK ONE: Me'shell Ndegeocello - "Leviticus - Faggot" - springy, soulful, serious funk, more about the side-effects of religion but ironically I think it might have been more powerful if Me'shell got a bit churchier - it passes by too pleasantly to have much impact.
TRACK TWO: Army Of Lovers - "Israelism" - "Army of Lovers on a mission!" - certainly memorable and worshipping at the altar of WTF, not for the first time with AoL I think their production and sonic chops weren't quite up to their ideas, the hi-NRG backing here just isn't as beefy as the song needs. But it's a good song, though I'm not sure I'd dare to parse it. Would get a vote from me.
TRACK THREE: Candie Payne - "By Tomorrow" - Payne has a great voice and presence, tons of poise amidst the hustle-bustle of the song. Only the tacky sampled horns stop me giving it a vote.
TRACK FOUR: Amy Grant - "Come, Thou Font Of Every Blessing" - props to this for i. staring the topic pretty squarely in the face, ii. having a really gorgeous soft country melody. My top pick I think.
TRACK FIVE: Genius/GZA/Killah Priest - "B.I.B.L.E." - I have actually owned this and still didn't recognise it, not a good sign. Lots of good lines when you concentrate on them but the track rolls along without ever demanding that you do. I've often felt there's something a little dodgy about the love critics gave to the Wu-Tang's crackpot syncretic belief systems, tho I can't quite pin my finger on why.
Here's the poll - open until Monday 12 noon.
[Poll #1030830]
We're not exactly deluged with votes so keep them coming.
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no subject
Date: 2007-08-03 09:00 pm (UTC)It's certainly true that much of it is nutter-down-the-pub stuff (the counter-argument being so is much of mainstream religion if you actually read the core texts rather than listen to soothing CofE sermons). Once interviewed Killah Priest and his sidekick (with great urgency) told me that there were plans to build a monorail across the Atlantic, which was somehow part of the NWO.
I think the Wu got a pass partly for at least being interested in ideas (is that rockist? or maybe post-punkist?), partly because you wouldn't mess and partly because they were (and still are, in the case of the Ghostface Killah) sporadically GREAT.
I voted for Amy Grant! That's the first time the 'blind listening' has meant I endorsed something I would have probably dismissed out of hand – a welcome development.