I don’t know if you’ve ever lost a friend to suicide. I’ve lost several; off the top of my head I can count four in the last seven years. And in at least one of those cases, I feel as though there’s something I could’ve done to save them, or something that I did do… Read More “How To Save A Life” by The Fray (2005)
There are lots of “mom dedication” songs in the annals of Black pop music. They didn’t start with hip-hop, either. The Intruders’ “I’ll Always Love My Mama”, The Spinners’ “Sadie”, even Jermaine Jackson’s utterly banal “Oh, Mother” all predated rap music’s popularization of open-hearted paeans to mama. One of the most, if not the most,… Read More “Hey Mama” by Kanye West (2005)
Sometimes a thing that can seem a little too obvious and on the nose can actually work. Case in point: Kanye West and Jamie Foxx going back to the well for “Gold Digger”. To backtrack: Kanye’s breakthrough moment as an artist was as a guest artist on Twista’s “Slow Jamz” (Twista was credited as the… Read More “Gold Digger” by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx (2005)
The original version of “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” (which I believe was just called “Diamonds”) is fine enough. I love the orchestral sweep of the production, thanks in part to the presence of Jon Brion, and thanks in part to the healthy sample of Shirley Bassey’s Bond theme “Diamonds Are Forever”. Kanye’s got that HDTV mindset, but is… Read More “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)” by Kanye West feat. Jay-Z (2005)
When I wrote for Epinions, one cool thing those of us who regularly posted music reviews did was a mixtape exchange. This exchange led to me hearing Ben Lee for the first time. Ironically (maybe?) the person I exchanged mixes with was also named Ben. I believe he was a Jeopardy contestant once. Anyhoo-the first… Read More “Catch My Disease” by Ben Lee (2005)
I’ve been over-thinking this one for the past day or so. The first question I had to myself was “is ‘Best Of You’ a 4-star song or a 5-star song?” As I write this, it’s a 5-star song. I gave it a listen just a few minutes ago, and I’m going to go with what my gut… Read More “Best Of You” by Foo Fighters (2005)
Two songs, performed a decade apart, charting MJB’s evolution from troubled young woman to triumphant survivor. “Be With You” appears on 1994’s My Life, which is widely considered to be the best MJB album (I agree). Mary’s singing about wanting to be with someone but wondering if the dude even wants her around. That pain… Read More “Be With You” by Mary J. Blige (1994)/”Be Without You” by Mary J. Blige (2005)
Two songs, same title, very different sentiments. David Gray’s “Be Mine” finds the Welsh troubadour falling rapturously in love (or at least becoming seriously infatuated). The soundscape is dreamy, with twinkling keyboards that call to mind shooting stars. Gray’s soul-influenced croon is particularly impassioned, and it’s clear that he’s either high off of longing or… Read More “Be Mine” by David Gray (2002)/”Be Mine!” by Robyn (2005)
Five Star Jamz 