The six hundred and sixty-third album: #663 NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Our last album of the eighties hits hard. The gangsta rap album hits with Fuck the Police as its second track, an openly hostile challenge that continues to resonate stronger in modern days in the US. The raps are written as a more real sound, focusing on the reality experienced instead of having a party atmosphere.
The two hundred and forty-second classical recording: #905 Dmitri Shostakovich - Piano Concerto no. 2
This is an intense piece that's full of life and energy, racing you through the motions at a speed that's really engaging and interesting. There's enough going on to keep you focused at all times and I really loved getting immersed in it.
The two hundred and thirty-eighth TV show: #47 Sea Hunt
Not every show connects. The premise of Sea Hunt, that of following a trained diver helping with emergencies, leads to some interesting adventures, and there's some excitement in it, but ultimately it feels toothless as it's more about rescues than crime and there's a limit to what you could film at the time. It means that the central conflict never feels as engaging as it could be and the episodes just pass you by. As a concept, it's reached some nice places, but ultimately there's a limit to what excites me these days.
The two hundred and thirty-seventh TV show: #213 Land of the Lost
There's something to be said about judging shows based on their own criteria. A 1974 action adventure with stop motion dinosaurs is always going to look dated to our eyes and with a kids' audience, there are limits to what it can do. But having immersed myself recently in Japanese tokusatsu, flowing out from Ultraman, and Doctor Who, which aims to hit a similar spot, this doesn't hold up. The production values are cheap, sure, with the focus going on the stop motion effects and the early blue screen availability, but there's no great story to go along with it - the stories never feel clever or interesting - and the acting feeling quite bad. None of the actors give that good a performance, which seems only partially age-related, and the whole thing just feels unconvincing.
The six hundred and sixty-second album: #662 Jungle Brothers - Done by the Forces of Nature
While we just covered some sample-heavy, produced albums, Jungle Brothers uses a lot more original material, with thoughtful lyrics and a more mature sound. It's here to tell a story and give a message, but works as a strong set of songs as well.
The six hundred and sixty-first album: #661 Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814
While her brother was the more known king of pop, Janet Jackson shows on Rhythm Nation 1814 how much she brings as well. Heavily layered, her vocals work really well with a lot of different songs, from heavy rock tracks to ballads and the very danceable funkier tracks. There's a lot of production in this, but I do feel her stamp is on this work. The lyrics feel very personal, which adds to the sensitive feeling of a lot she sings about.
The six hundred and sixtieth album: #660 De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
The legal issues surrounding sampling really changed the face of hip hop, where this older album really uses a lot of it - songs made up of samples, with few or no original vocals included, mixed with songs with rap tracks that have the sound and feel of the era, without complex lyrics. It's not a challenging album but it's got a good party vibe to it.
The six hundred and fifty-ninth album: #659 Soul II Soul - Club Classics: Vol One
In a major step up in the visibility of R&B, Soul II Soul introduces its distinct sound that feels fresh in its era here. The rap and songs work and create a very danceable set of tracks, especially as it flows into heavier dance tracks as the album progresses.
The six hundred and fifty-eighth album: #658 Fugazi - Repeater
By this point, punk has gone, and we're in the post-area of various underlying streams of the genre. This follows the hardcore vibe, calling back to past garage rock, angry and dark, droning but more written than before. It feels almost improvised at times, but then goes into bigger themes where there's clearly more thought put into it. It's not going to hit for everyone, and a full album of it was a bit more than I could stomach, but it's still a decently good sounding album.
The six hundred and fifty-seventh album: #657 Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time
As a heartfelt Americana album, Nick of Time does a lot right. There's a real folk rock root here, often without too much instrumentation but instead focuses on nearly acoustic sounds. It's a stripped down sound that allows you to focus on the emotional songs, something that feels like a real insight into how Bonnie Raitt was feeling. It avoids the gimmicks for something more real.