999. Arular

Arular 
M.I.A.
2005

Tracks
1. Banana Skit
2. Pull Up The People
3. Bucky Done Gun
4. Sunshowers
5. Fire, Fire
6. Dash The Curry Skit
7. Amazon
8. Bingo
9. Hombre
10. One For The Head Skit
11. 10 Dollar
12. U.R.A.Q.T.
13. Galang

I anticipate enjoying Beck and the White Stripes, so this might be our last shaky entry on the List.

M.I.A. is doing some interesting things here, none of which suit my personal tastes. She adds world music to her hip hop, often imbuing the music with political awareness which is something dance music often lacks. I actually found such short tracks hard to get into. As soon as I found my footing, the song would end.

Still, at least she is doing something different with hip hop. 

RATING: 2/5

994. A Grand Don't Come For Free

A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
2004

Tracks
1. It Was Supposed To Be So Easy
2. Could Well Be In
3. Not Addicted
4. Blinded By The Lights
5. Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
6. Get Out Of My House
7. Fit But You Know It
8. Such A Twat
9. What Is He Thinking?
10. Dry Your Eyes
11. Empty Cans

Artists are really interesting in telling stories in their album lately, and this one is no exception. In this story (which is much easier to follow than the plots about witches or comatose drug addicts), the protagonist loses £1000 and tries to make his money back. At the same time, he starts a relationship with a girl named Simone. 

I like the concept behind this, and how every track was essentially a chapter in the story (with "Could Well Be In" being my favorite). It does make it feel like you are listening to the soundtrack of a musical, which I know won't appeal to everybody. I am not sure how well the songs work on their own. It ends up being an enjoyable novelty album without much incentive to listen to it twice. 

Not enough happens in the story to make it entirely compelling throughout, so it gets a bit wearing by the seventh track. The protagonist is pretty obnoxious. Still an intriguing idea though.

RATING: 3/5

944. Power in Numbers

Power in Numbers
Jurassic 5
2002

Tracks
1. This Is
2. Freedom
3. If You Only Knew
4. Break
5. React
6. A Day At The Races
7. Remember His Name
8. What's Golden
9. Thin Line
10. After School Special
11. High Fidelity
12. Sum Of Us
13. DDT
14. One Of Them
15. Hey
16. I Am Somebody
17. Acetate Prophets

I think Common's Like Water for Chocolate was the last hip hop album I could stand, so I was grateful this came along. They are everything that mainstream hip hop in 2002 isn't. 

Instead of misogynistic preening, we are treated to a really intelligent and well-crafted album. I particularly enjoyed "One of Them" where they express their distaste for gangsta rap. They are reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest without being a copy.

So a mellow, thoughtfully written album. Will definitely need to check them out more AL (after List).

RATING: 4/5

773. G. Love and the Special Sauce

G. Love and the Special Sauce
G. Love and the Special Sauce
1994

Tracks

1. The Things That I Used To Do

2. Blues Music

3. Garbage Man

4. Eyes Have Miles

5. Baby's Got Sauce

6. Rhyme for the Summertime

7. Cold Beverage

8. Fatman

9. This Ain't Living

10. Walk To Slide

11. Shooting Hoops

12. Some Peoples Like That

13. Town To Town

14. I Love You

I hadn't heard of this band, and I was nervous we were going to have a poor imitation of the Beastie Boys on our hands. Lo and behold, this was actually really enjoyable. 

These were pretty catchy songs. They clearly have a heavy blues influence, and a healthy dose of folk as well. They managed to create their own sound, without sounding like copies of anybody else.

I guess these guys are from Philadelphia. Thanks for representing the Keystone State in a way that doesn't bring shame on my people. We already have to atone for Bill Cosby and James Buchanan (when I was in school we learned that he was the worst ever president of the U.S., a factoid that hasn't particularly aged well). 

RATING: 4/5

710. 3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life of Arrested Development

3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life of Arrested Development

Arrested Development

1992

Tracks

1. Man's Final Frontier
2. Mama's Always On Stage
3. People Everyday
4. Blues Happy
5. Mr Wendel
6. Children Play With Earth
7. Raining Revolution
8. Fishin' For Religion
9. Give A Man A Fish
10. U
11. Eve Of Reality
12. Natural
13. Dawn Of The Dreads
14. Tennessee
15. Washed Away
16. People Everyday (Metamorphosis Mix)

I know I have complained about how many hip hop albums are on this List, but I actually enjoyed this one. At least they are doing something different with their sound; it's all the West Coast hip hop albums I can't stand.

One big difference is that Arrested Development weren't seething. Some of their tracks were quite cheerful. It was actually a cool blend of R&B and an alternative hip hop sound. I particularly enjoyed "Mr. Wendel." There hasn't been such a cheerful hip hop song since De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising.

Maybe not something I want to listen to on repeat, but a nice change of pace. 

RATING: 3/5

672. Sex Packets

Sex Packets
Digital Underground
1990

Tracks
1. Humpty Dance
2. Way We Swing
3. Rhymin' On The Funk
4. New Jazz (One)
5. Underwater Rimes
6. Gutfest '89
7. Danger Zone
8. Freaks Of The Industry
9. Doowutchyalike
10. Packet Prelude
11. Sex Packets
12. Street Scene
13. Packet Man
14. Packet Reprise

So that was pretty strange. It began as pretty standard hip hop fare. I can have sex with any woman I want, don't try to match my rhymes, I swear my penis isn't that small, etc. Then we transition into this strange concept where you can buy sex packets, which are pills you can take to have sex with whoever is on the cover of the packet (which includes Black virgins, sisters, and Chinese girls). 

I guess it is meant to be a parody of all the hip hop songs that glorify selling drugs. I am not a huge fan of novelty albums; they tend to wear out their welcome pretty quickly, and this was over an hour. 

For that reason, I enjoyed the first half of the album more than the latter half. The first idiot that came up with the idea of having a woman moan in the background while they rapped about "hitting it" must have been enormously pleased with himself.

RATING: 2/5