Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week (2023) - Music Diaries

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Working on this now ... Recommendations welcome ... Fwiw, this doesn't mean I am "done" with working on the "Best Animated Films" list, but I have needed a break from it ... I may also start working on Country (with side genres) and Pop (plus associated genres), but I'll start with Hip Hop etc and see where that leads me. Basically the three/four major genres that are most prone to the mainstream (Pop, Country, Hip Hop/R and B)... filling these out a bit more. A side curiosity of this "project" is also to clarify my ratings below 7.3, including below 6.8 (which I may fill out a bit more than usual ... we'll see how long I can last with that) and also out of curiosity to see if my ratings hold as well (or not) in that range in comparison to Scaruffi. Generally, mainstream Hip hop, R and B, and Pop seem to have a lower similarity rate than other genres whether I try one before he rates it or after. Or, more specifically, is that my similarity to Scaruffi's ratings tends to be closer in proportion to how "non-mainstream" the work is (probably approx 85% similarity, within less than 1/2 ratings point, for less mainstream works), and then dips to maybe 65-70% on more mainstream albums. So there is a part of me that is curious to see if listening to more of these closes that gap (or not), while just simultaneously polishing up my own "feeling of accuracy" in these ranges regardless of how similar they are to Scaruffi or not. This all of course also aligns to my intended re-consideration and re-working of my criteria page ratings scale, nerdy shit like double checking how many 6s go into a 7 or 7.5, and what-not, which will hopefully lead to a re-working of the "combo ratings" and then the "higher precision" or more "advanced" calculations that were being discussed with DelBoca and, later, Rhyner.

Best Hip Hop/R & B/Soul/Funk Albums

8/10
<<<<<8.1>>>>>
It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy (1988)

7.5/10
<<<<<7.7>>>>>
Purple Rain - Prince (1984)
Friendly as a Hand Grenade - Tackhead (1989)
<<<<<7.6>>>>>
The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem (2000)
I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses - Backxwash (2021)
The ArchAndroid - Janelle Monae (2010)
Eli And The 13th Confession - Laura Nyro (1968)
Frizzle Fry - Primus (1990)
Tetsuo & Youth - Lupe Fiasco (2015)
<<<<<7.5>>>>>
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye (1971)
The College Dropout - Kanye West (2004)
Remain in Light - Talking Heads (1980) ***arguable/questionable genre selection***
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West (2010)
<<<<<7.4>>>>>
Smoke In The Shadows - Lydia Lunch (2004) ***arguable/questionable genre selection***
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (1992)
Clouddead - Clouddead (2001)
The Reality of My Surroundings - Fishbone (1991)
Endtroducing - DJ Shadow (1996)
Buy - Contortions (1979) ***arguable/questionable genre selection***
<<<<<7.3>>>>>
Glee - Bran Van 3000 (1998) ***arguable/questionable genre selection***
Untitled - Dalek (2010)
Summertime '06 - Vince Staples (2015)
Iridescence - Brockhampton (2018)
The Cold Vein - Cannibal Ox (2005)
Sign O' the Times - Prince (1987)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill (1998)

7/10
<<<<<7.2>>>>>
Private Dancer - Tina Turner (1984)
One Nation Under A Groove - Funkadelic (1978)
Negro Necro Nekros - Dalek (1998)
Maggot Brain - Funkadelic (1971)
Float - Aesop Rock (2000) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Fear of a Black Planet - Public Enemy (1990)
Exmillitary - Death Grips (2011)
<<<<7.1>>>>>
Aquemini - Outkast (1998)
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Wu-Tang Clan (1993) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Baduism - Erykah Badu (1997)
Madvilliany - Madvillian (2004)
More Than a New Discovery (aka "The First Songs") - Laura Nyro (1967)
Psychodrama - Dave (2019)
<<<<<7.0>>>>>
The Chronic - Dr. Dre (1992)
Ready to Die - Notorious B.I.G (1994)
To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (2015)
The Money Store - Death Grips (2012) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys (1989)
XXX - Danny Brown (2011)
The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest (1991)
No Now - Clarence Clarity (2015)
Funkentelechy Vs The Placebo Syndrome - Parliament (1977)
New York Tendaberry - Laura Nyro (1969)
There's A Riot Goin' On - Sly & The Family Stone (1971)
New Amerykah Part One - 4th World War - Erykah Badu (2008)
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - Ice Cube (1990)
The Slim Shady LP - Eminem (1999)
<<<<<6.9>>>>>
Bad - Michael Jackson (1986)
Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder (1976)
Stand! - Sly & The Family Stone (1969)
Personal Journals - Sage Francis (2002)
The Score - The Fugees (1996)
Boy in Da Corner - Dizzee Rascal (2003)
3 Feet High and Rising - De La Soul (1989)
Doggystyle - Snoop Doggy Dogg (1993)
Late Registration - Kanye West (2005)
Since I Left You - Avalanches (2000) ***arguable/questionable genre selection***
Mothership Connection - Parliament (1975)
Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock (1973) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Innervisions - Stevie Wonder (1973)
Raising Hell - Run D.M.C (1986)
Bangerz - Miley Cyrus (2013)
<<<<<6.8>>>>>
Black On Both Sides - Mos Def (1999)
Paid in Full - Eric B & Rakim (1987)
1999 - Prince (1982)
The Love Below - Andre 3000/Outkast (2003)
Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z (1996)
On The Corner - Miles Davis (1972)
Illmatic - Nas (1994)
Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A (1988)
Channel Orange - Frank Ocean (2012)
Curtis - Curtis Mayfield (1970)
Vivid - Living Colour (1988)
The Carnival - Wyclef Jean (1997)
Thriller - Michael Jackson (1984)
Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill (1991)
Supa Dupa Fly - Missy Elliott (1997)
MAYA - M.I.A (2010)
Injury Reserve - Injury Reserve (2019)
Dump YOD: Krutoy Edition - Your Old Droog (2020)

Others - Probably 6.8+
Gris Gris - Dr John (1967)

NOTE: The 7/10 section is fairly incomplete (mainly what I've revisited recently enough to have rated with confidence). 6.7 and below is especially incomplete (not a lot I've revisited recently enough + many I still need to hear to fill it out more...

6.5/10
<<<<<6.7>>>>>
Fishscale - Ghostface Killah (2006) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Stankonia - OutKast (2000) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Supreme Clientele - Ghostface Killah (2000) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
House of Balloons - The Weeknd (2011)
Black Messiah - D'Angelo (2000) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Me Against The World - 2Pac (1995)
The Blueprint - Jay-Z (2001)
<<<<<6.6>>>>>
Make It Big - Wham! (1984)
Dont Smile at Me - Billie Eilish (2017) [EP] ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? - Billie Eilish (2019) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Rhythm Nation 1814 - Janet Jackson (1989)
Beware (The Funk is Everywhere) - Afrika Bambaataa (1986)
<<<<<6.5>>>>>
Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Red Hot Chili Peppers (1991)
<<<<<6.4>>>>>
All Eyez On Me - 2Pac (1996)
A Grand Don't Come For Free - Streets (2004)
Dirty Mind - Prince (1980)
Break Out - The Pointer Sisters (1983) [1984 Re-Release; 1983 Original Release: 6.3/10]
Songs in A Minor - Alicia Keys (2001)
<<<<<6.3>>>>>
Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston (1985)
Good Kid M.A.A.d City - Kendrick Lamar (2012)
Frank - Amy Winehouse (2003)
The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five (1982)
Original Pirate Material - Streets (2002)
Control - Janet Jackson (1986)
Whitney - Whitney Houston (1987)
License To Ill - Beastie Boys (1986)
Don't Be Cruel - Bobby Brown (1988)
Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye (1972)

6/10
<<<<<6.2>>>>>
Arular - M.I.A (2004)
Brown Sugar - D'Angelo (1995) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Hello Nasty - Beastie Boys (1998)
<<<<<6.1>>>>>
Dangerous - Michael Jackson (1991)
The Great Twenty Eight - Chuck Berry (1982) [Compilation] ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Mariah Carey - Mariah Carey (1990)
<<<<<6.0>>>>>
808s and Heartbreak - Kanye West (2008)
<<<<<5.9>>>>>
21 - Adele (2011)
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown (1965)
Faith - George Michael (1987)
Back to Black - Amy Winehouse (2003)
Ballads 1 - Joji (2018) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul - Otis Redding (1965)
<<<<<5.8>>>>>
Speakerboxxx - Big Boi/Outkast (2003)
I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You - Aretha Franklin (1967)

5.5/10
<<<<<5.7>>>>>
Cooleyhighharmony - Boyz II Men (1991)
Bedtime Stories - Madonna (1994)
Check Your Head - Beastie Boys (1992)
<<<<<5.6>>>>>
<<<<<5.5>>>>>
<<<<<5.4>>>>>
DAMN - Kendrick Lamar (2017)
I'm So Excited - The Pointer Sisters (1982)
Yeezus - Kanye West (2013) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
<<<<<5.3>>>>>
Janet - Janet Jackson (1993) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***

5/10
<<<<<5.2>>>>>
In the Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett (1965)
<<<<<5.1>>>>>
Tell It To My Heart - Taylor Dayne (1987) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
25 - Adele (2015)
Butterfly - Mariah Carey (1997)
Off The Wall - Michael Jackson (1979)
<<<<<5.0>>>>>
Ill Communication - Beastie Boys (1994)
19 - Adele (2009)
Daydream - Mariah Carey (1995)
FutureSex/LoveSounds - Justin Timberlake (2006) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (Disc Two: HIStory Continues) - Michael Jackson (1995)
<<<<<4.9>>>>>
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley (rec: 1955-58; rel: 1958) [Compilation]
Meet The Temptations - The Temptations (rec: 1961-64; rel: 1964) [Compilation?]
<<<<<4.8>>>>>
After School Session - Chuck Berry (1958) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Live at the Apollo - James Brown (1962) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Here's Little Richard - Little Richard (1956) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Think! - James Brown (1960) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
Dance Party - Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (1965)

4.5/10
<<<<<4.7>>>>>
Dangerous Woman - Ariana Grande (2016)
<<<<<4.6>>>>>
<<<<<4.5>>>>>
Justified - Justin Timberlake (2002) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
<<<<<4.4>>>>>
<<<<<4.3>>>>>
Rated R - Rihanna (2009)
Beyonce - Beyonce (2013)

4/10
<<<<<4.2>>>>>
Lemonade - Beyonce (2016)
<<<<<4.1>>>>>
<<<<<4.0>>>>>
Let's Get It Started - MC Hammer (1988)
II - Boyz II Men (1994)
<<<<<3.9>>>>>
<<<<<3.8>>>>>

3.5/10
<<<<<3.7>>>>>
<<<<<3.6>>>>>
<<<<<3.5>>>>>
<<<<<3.4>>>>>
Spellbound - Paula Abdul (1991)
Regulate ... G-Funk Era - Warren G (1994) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
<<<<<3.3>>>>>
Twist & Shout - The Isley Brothers (1962)

3/10
<<<<<3.2>>>>>
Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys (1996)
No Strings Attached - NSYNC (2000)
<<<<<3.1>>>>>
Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em - MC Hammer (1990) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
The Velvet Rope - Janet Jackson (1997) ***tentative rating / may need revisit***
<<<<<3.0>>>>>
<<<<<2.9>>>>>
Spice - Spice Girls (1996)
<<<<<2.8>>>>>

2.5/10
<<<<<2.7>>>>>
Hooked - Vanilla Ice (1989)
<<<<<2.6>>>>>
<<<<<2.5>>>>>
<<<<<2.4>>>>>
<<<<<2.3>>>>>
Music For The People - Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch (1991)
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Last edited by AfterHours on 05/20/2022 03:40; edited 1 time in total

TiggaTrigga

Would you consider the Steroids EP from Death Grips to just be 1 whole song or multiple songs?

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

TiggaTrigga wrote:

Would you consider the Steroids EP from Death Grips to just be 1 whole song or multiple songs?

Yeah, I don't see why not. Looking at it, I actually have heard it a couple times (also, pretty sure you've recommended it to me before?). Pretty sure the whole 22 min EP is continuous, one track, isn't it?

Don't know what I would rate it though. From memory, I recall thinking it was pretty frantic and electric (as Death Grips tend to be) and had potential, but hard to determine if as immersive and impinging as their best material (Exmilitary above all). Sometimes very talented artists can put on spectacular technical displays yet can be a fine line of really using that with a strong enough sense of purpose to where it is more personal or meaningful art with more substance and reason to exist, as opposed to doing so for spectacle and mainly for the sake of impressing its audience or to just create a novelty "look what we can do" that doesn't otherwise actually have much to say (Mars Volta, for instance, despite ridiculous talent, has this difficulty with their albums in large part, excepting Frances). Determining whether Steroids is one of those is tough, I would probably have to listen to it one or two more times.
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TiggaTrigga

Looking forward to what you'd rate it if you do. I definitely agree that it's pretty hard to pinpoint its value. The song/album is very all-over-the-place.

Facetious

Gender: Male
Age: 24
Location: Somewhere you've never been

Thoughts on Sour and favourite tracks on it?

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Facetious wrote:

Thoughts on Sour and favourite tracks on it?

Good 4 u, Driver's License, Brutal and perhaps one or two others (that I didn't track the names of so far) could be called favorites of the bunch.

Follows in the footsteps of Taylor Swift (the teenage drama characterizations her songs traverse, but superior vocals in general, with more attitude when called for, if probably not the diversity of songwriting talent) and probably Lorde, with possibly mild echoes of Adele (the slower ballads, the way her voice is always broken in heart break/nostalgia seems a cross between Lorde and Adele's vocalizations).

Scaruffi draws a parallel with Everything But the Girl too for those that approach punk like good 4 u, brutal (I'd have to revisit them to make the same comp, but it seems legit).

This also brings some vague echoes of peak Alanis Morissette (JLP among the ultimate examples of this sort of thing, but comparing with this also illustrates the huge gap in depth between them).

Album is ultimately probably too generic to get much above 5.8/10, but there is no doubt she is a superb pop vocalist when she sings with a combo of vigorous emotional baggage and angst/attitude (peaking with good 4 u, approaching this on brutal and some others). Too many of the other songs deal with semi homogenous territory of teen heart break sung in her broken tones, verging on grief or nostalgia. Her sincerity keeps it "good enough" but she treads dangerously close to over-doing this emotional/thematic ground. All in all, she is an above avg "actress" in the way she is able to traverse emotional progression, nuances and personalized characterizations, witty one liners or bursts of attitude amidst performance and this puts her above more pop vocalists than not and adds more to the mostly unremarkable but solid set of songs.

It will be interesting to see if she diversifies her material more on future albums (and hopefully chooses a more consistently energetic/vigorous route more often than not, where she most excels) ...or if she gets stuck in the rut of repeating the same material to "stay successful". History says it will most likely be the latter but she sounds talented enough, vocally at least, to stretch herself a bit (maybe a lot) more.
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Facetious

Gender: Male
Age: 24
Location: Somewhere you've never been

AfterHours wrote:

I haven't heard their others yet but may say a bit once I hear at least Saturation 2 or possibly the whole trilogy.

RYM scores can be reliable for finding lots of 6.5s, 7s (and occasionally better), though (to me) is not often an indicator of which work was an artist's best (except perhaps for a mainstream artist's oeuvre). Though maybe marginally less than other similar sites, these popularity contests often reward albums the most that find a middle ground between semi-creative (or "faux-experimental") and popular music (mid period Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Beatles peak, Bowie, and so on), but only occasionally (if at all) those that push the envelope much past that into newer or more radical, ambitious sound worlds, more singular expressive ground, etc.

I'm particularly interested in what you think the best tracks on the album are. The biggest obstacle for me is that the album seems quite backloaded; it doesn't hit its stride until Weight, and even after that I'm not sure whether it's consistent enough to justify anything above a low 7 and whether the album wouldn't benefit from some cutting. What do you think makes the album so extraordinary, and how do the individual tracks contribute?

Facetious

Gender: Male
Age: 24
Location: Somewhere you've never been

So it's official: Olivia Rodrigo > The Beatles circa pre-1967?

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Facetious wrote:

So it's official: Olivia Rodrigo > The Beatles circa pre-1967?

I don't recall having any issues with Iridiscence's consistency, but when I listen to it again, I'll see if I can take note of best tracks and see if I agree/disagree with you.

Re: Sour vs Beatles pre-1967 ... Well, that's mostly true of most/all mediocre-decent artists, in that probably most/all of them have one (sometimes more) "peak" albums better than that period of the Beatles career, whether Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Adele, Pointer Sisters, Coldplay, etc.... I don't view this as a remarkable accomplishment at all. I think the typical ratings/rankings of those Beatles albums are completely bonkers (as do many listeners, especially their bigger fans, tend to think my ratings/rankings of them are, conversely, bonkers).

The main trouble the Beatles have, especially in those years, is that their characterizations, their personalities being expressed through the vocals are utterly generic and do not sound like individual, insightful people almost ever, and are almost always just generalized superficial "views" or "reactions" to "love". They start to branch out some from this on Rubber Soul and then a bit more on Revolver, but it isn't until Sgt. Pepper that they rise above those mildly inspired, rather timid and under-developed novelty acts (of folk-rock, of pop art and so on) to come into more of their own or at least a much more inspired, developed version of (mainly) Pop Art, Psych Pop, than Revolver. White Album features their most personal work in many ways (where you feel like you're getting insights, characterizations, from real people no longer mimicking the 40s and 50s-early 60s vocal groups or music hall so much), but unfortunately (for a higher rating above Sgt. Pepper or Abbey Rd) is probably way too inconsistent and lacks a unified purpose/vision.

They aren't really comparable to the music of Rodrigo stylistically (except in that they could both be categorized as "pop") but I suppose if I were to point out the primary reason why Sour rates above those earlier Beatles albums, it is probably in this above point: that she is a far superior vocalist (on avg), who actually seems to be expressing real (whether "well acted" or actually "her") characterizations/personalities in her songs, that seem to journey through time and experience (within the individual songs and across the set of songs) which lends her work enough depth to do so.
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Facetious

Gender: Male
Age: 24
Location: Somewhere you've never been

Possible inclusion for hip hop list: The Go! Team?