andyd1010 wrote:Nassim wrote:Albums
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
2 albums whose acclaim I really understand (they're both huge cultural landmarks with real artistic accomplishment and forward thinking music) but don't enjoy listening at all. TPaB has i and The Blacker the Berry though, so here goes my vote.
I agree with that about It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. To those who voted for it, I'm curious, do you really enjoy listening to it and think it's great music? I find Public Enemy very hard to listen to in general. It just doesn't strike me as musical. Most hip hop isn't particularly melodic, but a lot of the great artists still weave melodic lines into their beats or choruses (this is especially why I think Kanye is such a great artist). Public Enemy almost never does that. A lot of people respect them for their use of samples too, but I find that most of the time they create a cluttered, noisy background that just sounds like a mess to me.
I may be able to provide a perspective on this.
I grew up in the late eighties/early nineties listening to "Millions" as well as the other great albums by PE of the time. Yo Bum rush and Black Planet.
I actually considered myself their #1 fan at the time.
I still feel those three albums are one of the best if not the best 3 album string in Music history.
The music is just so energetic, and emotional. Between the beats by X, Chuck D's powerful voice and rap flow, and Flavor Flav's raps and comedic partner to Chucks seriousness.
The piercing shrill that is found on some songs on Millions, always sounded great to me. I can see how it could be a little piercing for some. But with Millions I think it works and it adds an emotional significance or weight, if you will, to the music. It adds a sense of urgency.
As far as messy samples, and the music itself, I urge you to listen again, and pay attention to just the density of some of the sounds on Millions. Listen to Party for your Right. And hear the 2 vocal tracks of Chuck and Flav layered over each other. I feel that they are competing but at the same time rapping together. Fires me up every time.
Fast forward 20+ years later, I have both Millions and TPAB in my car right now. I have listened to TPAB many times. And though I think TPAB has some great music, when I listen to Millions, I still get that charge when hearing Black Steel or Baseheads. It just fires me up in a way that TPAB doesn't.
So to answer the question, I absolutely 100%, feel Millions is better than TPAB. As always, music being music, and all bring their unique perspectives.
Hope that helps.
But hey, life happens. I'm choosing this game this week.