I was living in Brooklyn when "Straight Outa C" came out. You could not escape that, nor the Public Enemy. Every vehicle shook by these beats...but that was the summer of 88...after that it became Heavy D or some other thing. I remember watching the grease at the center of my slice's pepperonis ripple as this music shook the earth.
Last CD you bought/ Book you read
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As for Cube, (I know you know) he went mainstream; bad films, etc. Cashed in; not that I blame him. When Sinead O'Connor (sp?) called him America's greatest living poet (most important), or something like that, it wore me out. Not that she was right or wrong, just that I had my own opinion and really didn't care. Especially since it happened near the time when I was reading "Madrigals." Again and again and....
The good doctor, Dre, methinks, kept it together on that 4Life CD, and probably made it what it was: a suburban wonder-bread smash hit. The other CD, "Compton," not familiar with, so can't comment. Being interested in music, I often pick up a bunch of titles to listen to wtf is going on "” and I pick up oldies, too. Is it worth picking up "Compton?" (funny to call that an oldy, damn - :o)
Pax
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mjp
Founding member
Well, Straight Outta Compton was as much a cultural seismic event as a record. At least in this neck of the woods. There had never been anything quite like it before. Whether it's worth listening to now, more than 20 years after the fact, I don't know. As for Ice Cube going mainstream, you might want to listen to the first three or four records he put out after leaving NWA before you make that claim. They were, at the time, quite far from the mainstream. And I'm pretty sure you still couldn't play them on the radio.
Ice Cube and Eazy-E created "gangsta rap," and Cube did not stray far from it for some time. For anyone who believed they were putting on a show, I remember an LA Weekly interview with them that was done shortly after Compton was released. The writer said something that implied that he was questioning their authenticity. Eazy-E went into the house and came out a few minutes later with a pillowcase full of guns. He said, "We usually have more on hand, but this is my mom's house." That was pretty funny.
You know, unless one of them was shooting at you. Things were a bit more jumpy in Los Angeles in those days.
Ice Cube and Eazy-E created "gangsta rap," and Cube did not stray far from it for some time. For anyone who believed they were putting on a show, I remember an LA Weekly interview with them that was done shortly after Compton was released. The writer said something that implied that he was questioning their authenticity. Eazy-E went into the house and came out a few minutes later with a pillowcase full of guns. He said, "We usually have more on hand, but this is my mom's house." That was pretty funny.
You know, unless one of them was shooting at you. Things were a bit more jumpy in Los Angeles in those days.
I'm kind of working my way back through hip hop since it isn't going anywhere without me. I haven't made it all the way back to NWA yet (I'm stuck on Tupac, haven't started Biggie, and I've barely dug into Nas or Jay-Z). I'm lovin' Wu Tang, though.
I remember I first saw the Wu Tang brand when I was like 10 years old in an advanced reading class (lol). They had some serious marketing to make it to a whitebread, middle class cowboy-wannabe kid.
I remember I first saw the Wu Tang brand when I was like 10 years old in an advanced reading class (lol). They had some serious marketing to make it to a whitebread, middle class cowboy-wannabe kid.
Last book I read was Joyce's 'Dubliners'. Some great short stories there! I have only got into Joyce recently but I love his writing style.
I also have read 'A Portrait of the Artist....' which has some absolutley stunning lines in it. Admittedly there were a few chunks of the book where and I almost gave up, but it was worth sticking with it for the points where it seems like the words just flow out of his soul. Being 20 years old I can also relate a lot with some of the thoughts, in the same way I related with a lot of Fante's books dealing with that age. (Ask the dust, Road to LA, Wine of Youth)
The latter in particular remined me of Joyce, mainly due to the heavy themes of catholicsm, the struggles of growing up and trying to channel these artistic desires.
I have 'Ulysess' in the pipe line too. Bloody hell, it's a beast of a book! I know it has a lot a mixed ratings, I also know it's not the most conventional book written. I'll have to wait and see what I think.
I also have read 'A Portrait of the Artist....' which has some absolutley stunning lines in it. Admittedly there were a few chunks of the book where and I almost gave up, but it was worth sticking with it for the points where it seems like the words just flow out of his soul. Being 20 years old I can also relate a lot with some of the thoughts, in the same way I related with a lot of Fante's books dealing with that age. (Ask the dust, Road to LA, Wine of Youth)
The latter in particular remined me of Joyce, mainly due to the heavy themes of catholicsm, the struggles of growing up and trying to channel these artistic desires.
I have 'Ulysess' in the pipe line too. Bloody hell, it's a beast of a book! I know it has a lot a mixed ratings, I also know it's not the most conventional book written. I'll have to wait and see what I think.
mjp
Founding member
Not only intense, but different. I have heard 500 million songs in my life, so when something makes me stop and say, "What the fuck is that?!" I know they are on to something.
Digney in Burnaby
donkeys live a long time
Did the math on this one while at work (I have so much time :p).
If you were 50 years old (and I guess you're just a year short of that you young pup) you'd have had to listen to 10,000,000 songs per year to get to 500 million.
And there's only 525,600 minutes in a year (not a leap year though, add 1440 minutes for that).
So even if those 10 million songs were only a minute long, well, there just ain't enough time....
(Another name for mjp: "hyperbole mike".);)
And in keeping with the thread I bought Middle Cyclone by Neko Case. Got it at Starbucks. And the reason I was in Starbucks was that the guy I relieve on the road showed up 9 minutes late on 12 minute headway so I didn't get to grab a coffee on my first trip. Had to wait four hours for my next opportunity. And the reason I saw the cd was that they were playing Eleanor Rigby as done by Ray Charles and they were closing up so one of the cream/sugar stands had been cleaned up (the one by the door) so I stopped back by the cash register to see if the song was on a cd there. And then I noticed the Neko Case cd which was featured in today's newspaper with an "A" rating. And I like Neko, and tolerate the coffee when I have to.
And one minute, let alone nine (he was 12 and 13 minutes down two days running last week), is a long frigging time.
"hyperbole bp"
The Book of Cain by Alexander Trocchi was the last book I read.
I think the last CD I bought was The Peppermint Tree and the Seeds of Superconsciousness by Amorphous Androgynous.
I think the last CD I bought was The Peppermint Tree and the Seeds of Superconsciousness by Amorphous Androgynous.
mjp
Founding member
No, just counted again. It's 500 million.
Digney in Burnaby
donkeys live a long time
Fast listener.... And counter....
Back in 2001, when we were on strike, I listened to The New Pornographers' first cd, Mass Romantic. got me searching for Neko ever since.
Gerard K H Love
Appreciate your friends
Digney in Burnaby said:
Nice video good song. Where are they from?
mjp
Founding member
Ever see that movie The Matrix? How the bullets stop in front of the guy from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure? Well that's kind of how I listen to music. So it might not seem like enough time to you, but that's just because you still think there is a spoon.
Or you took the wrong color pill or something.
Digney in Burnaby
donkeys live a long time
Haven't watched 500 million movies like you. Time still marches on at a rate of one minute for each minute. I haven't reached the hyperbolical state you obviously have.
And we spell it colour. It's a gift we kept from the colonial days. (And, like most gifts, we treasure it.)
And for Gerard, The New Pornographers are from Vancouver, BC. Sort of a "supergroup" made up of local players. This afternoon heard A.C. Newman's newest release. Newman, Dan "Destroyer" Bejar, Neko and others make up the band.
And we spell it colour. It's a gift we kept from the colonial days. (And, like most gifts, we treasure it.)
And for Gerard, The New Pornographers are from Vancouver, BC. Sort of a "supergroup" made up of local players. This afternoon heard A.C. Newman's newest release. Newman, Dan "Destroyer" Bejar, Neko and others make up the band.
Just finished reading Bright Lights, Big City which I thought was a hoot at times and poignant at others. Really enjoyed it. Just started on 'Mary and the Giant' by Philip K. Dick (it's one of his mainstream novels) and it looks good so far.
Mary and the Giant was very good by the way.
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
Just bought two books on the yearly book sale here:
Richard Dawkins - "The God delusion", and, "Noam Chomsky - "Hegemony or survival-America's quest for global dominance."
I've read a lot about Dawkins book so I expect it'll be a good read. I have'nt read Chomsky before but I've seen a couple of documentaries about him and I liked them. One was about how the newspapers choose what news to report and what news not to report. Chomsky had made a scientific study about it. It was quite interesting...
Richard Dawkins - "The God delusion", and, "Noam Chomsky - "Hegemony or survival-America's quest for global dominance."
I've read a lot about Dawkins book so I expect it'll be a good read. I have'nt read Chomsky before but I've seen a couple of documentaries about him and I liked them. One was about how the newspapers choose what news to report and what news not to report. Chomsky had made a scientific study about it. It was quite interesting...
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Just finished 'South of no North' which was predictably excellent ;) and I've just started on 'Northline' by Willy Vlautin, which appears good so far. I really enjoyed his other novel 'Motel Life'.
Northline was brilliant by the way. Desperately sad in places but also uplifting in places. A very 'human' book I thought.
Northline was brilliant by the way. Desperately sad in places but also uplifting in places. A very 'human' book I thought.
now this is too intriguing to be left alone.
you can tell us what it is... we wont judge you. ;)
last CD bought... i cant remember, its been a while.
currently reading...
the simpsons and philosophy
light in august - faulkner
justine
stop the penistry
i didn't buy, but had bought for me as wedding gifts from my lovely husband:
a signed first in near fine condition (NOT the ugly franklin edition - the pretty trade edition instead) of raymond carver's 'where i'm calling from'. never thought i'd own a signed carver.
a signed first, in near fine condition, of tobias wolff's 'in the garden of north american martyrs', which if you're a wolff fan you'll know is pretty rare.
a signed first in near fine condition (NOT the ugly franklin edition - the pretty trade edition instead) of raymond carver's 'where i'm calling from'. never thought i'd own a signed carver.
a signed first, in near fine condition, of tobias wolff's 'in the garden of north american martyrs', which if you're a wolff fan you'll know is pretty rare.
last book i read was a play, the night of the iguana by tennessee williams.
and i hate music.
and i hate music.