Early house music produced some absolute bangers. “French Kiss” by Lil’ Louis is one of the songs that defined the genre in the last moments before house became commercial. Truthfully, there’s not much to the song. A wave of synthesizers pulses over the course of nine minutes (in its highly regarded “underground” mix, occasionally punctuated… Read More “French Kiss” by Lil’ Louis & The World (1989)
“Doin’ It” is one of LL’s most fondly remembered songs, and it finds the rapper indulging his playfully nasty side. Over a chunky sample of Grace Jones’ exotic smash “My Jamaican Guy”, LL and his lady (played here by LeShaun) get extremely freaky. The fact that there’s an actual male/female dynamic at play separates “Doin’ It” from the… Read More “Doin’ It” by LL Cool J featuring LeShaun (1995)
Was “Cream” the last song with a straight-up blues structure to hit the top of the pop charts? It’s certainly one of the most bluesy songs Prince was involved in up to that point. Mr. Nelson stated that he wrote “Cream” while standing in front of a mirror, and with that in mind, it’s pretty hard to… Read More “Cream” by Prince and the New Power Generation (1991)
In which we find our hero, once again, doing his best beg-and-plead to get some lady to do the nasty with him. I read T.P’s autobiography two or three years ago, and there’s no denying the man had a libido as healthy as his notorious ego. By the time the Teddy album (the one with… Read More “Come Go With Me” by Teddy Pendergrass (1979)
“Cold Blooded” was a humongous R&B hit, spending over a month at the #1 spot on the soul singles charts. It also represented maybe the last time anything Rick James did could ever be considered cutting edge. The King of Punk Funk simplified his sound on this track, relying on a percolating drum machine pattern… Read More “Cold Blooded” by Rick James (1983)
If “Adorn” was Miguel’s breakthrough “I Wanna Be Your Lover”-style hit, “Coffee” was his “Dirty Mind”. I make the Prince comparison because…well, because it’s apt. It also means Miguel’s next album will make him a pop superstar. After all, Prince’s fifth album was 1999. I’m getting ahead of myself. “Coffee” was the lead single from… Read More “Coffee” by Miguel (2015)
I was reading the Wikipedia page for The Downward Spiral (while also listening to The Downward Spiral, an album that’s not aged as well as I would have liked), when this line sank into my eyeballs: “Lyrically, “Closer” is a meditation on self-hatred and obsession, but to Reznor’s dismay, the song was widely misinterpreted as… Read More “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails (1994)
Teddy Pendergrass was the sex god of the late ‘70s, or so the legend goes. When T.P. was at his peak, I was a toddler and had no idea what a “sex god” was, so I can’t say I have first-hand knowledge. One listen to “Close The Door”, though, and I think you’ll believe the… Read More “Close The Door” by Teddy Pendergrass (1978)
Don’t think Madonna belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because her music isn’t “real rock”? Play “Burning Up”. That should “rock” hard enough for you. Now, I’m smart enough to know that “rock & roll” includes more than just heavy guitar music. And I’m smart enough to know that Madonna, as the… Read More “Burning Up” by Madonna (1983)
De La Soul’s “Buddy” arrived mere months before A Tribe Called Quest changed the hip-hop love song paradigm with “Bonita Applebum”. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that Q-Tip and co. were inspired to make “Bonita” because of “Buddy”. After all, Tip and Phife Dawg (marking his first appearance on record) are both featured… Read More “Buddy (Native Tongues Decision)” by De La Soul (feat. The Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love, Queen Latifah & Prince Paul) (1989)
Five Star Jamz 