ER Helps You Through the 'Chinese Democracy' Wait...

[Estranged Reality]

An album a day keeps the temptation to download illegal leaks away!

If you're chewing at the bit waiting to hear Chinese Democracy and those 24 days seem like an eternity, this thread is for you!

I ask only one thing of you:

- Don't listen to any GN'R material from now until November 23, 2008 (that includes older material!)

Why? Trust me - if you completely cut off your GN'R intake, you'll lose calories some of the anxiousness. It won't seem as long. I've done this before, you know. When that whole "13 Tuesdays" thing happened in '06, I just started listening to a lot of other music and avoided GN'R altogether to help the time pass by quicker. It worked splendidly, until the time arrived when I realized Merck had been a little bit facetious and then I relapsed like a junkie on welfare payout day.

Okay, here's how I'm going to do this. One album per day! 23 days. Twenty-three great albums to get your mind off of Chinese Democracy. Then, on the twenty-fourth day, we all have a musical orgy.

INDEX

October 30 - The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse

October 31 - Nas - Illmatic

November 1 - The Lyres - On Fyre

November 2 - Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

November 3 - Iggy Pop - Lust For Life

November 4 - Porcupine Tree - Deadwing (Review by Projected)

November 5 - Mad Season - Above (Review by Lithium)

November 6 - The Zombies - Odyssey and Oracle (Review by Lithium)

November 7 - The Fireman - Electric Arguments

November 8 - Keith Richards - Talk Is Cheap

November 9 - Opeth - Damnation (Review by Projected)

November 10 - Ry Cooder - Paris, Texas

November 11 - The Replacements - Let It Be

November 12 - Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me

November 13 - Brian Eno - Before and After Science

November 14 - Tom Waits - Closing Time

Edited November 15, 2008 by Estranged Reality

[Shuffle]

I thought this was going to be a joke-thread ER But this is much better.

I've been thinking about listening to The Wallflowers for a while but haven't gotten around to it, might do it now...

[Lithium]

Good tip there. The Wallflowers fit my current taste in music really well, and Bringing Down the Horse is a terrific album. Jakob is a really good musician, too bad he's in the shadow of his father, which is the case for most musicians that are the son or daughter of legendary musicians. He really resembles Bob too; especially his personality.

[Becket]

The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse

Comments: I like the song "One Headlight" a whole lot. They were seen as a one-hit wonder because of that track, but this whole album's consistent and worth checking out. The singer is Bob Dylan's son, by the way. And if you like this, his solo album is surprisingly good and just about on par with some of the material here.

I love that album. The first time I heard it I was having sex for the first time in years. Brings back memories.

[inthisriver]

Good Stuff. This should be a pretty good thread. Reminds me of something Adnan would've done.

[Death Star]

Well I'll go blast some Ween then.

[Saoirse]

great idea, duno if i can do it though

[Estranged Reality]

Nas - Illmatic (October 31)

Comments: I know a lot of users here don't like rap music very much...typically metal heads and rap fans are at opposite sides of the spectrum. I don't want to generalize, but that seems to be how it usually is. However, if you never want to hear any rap but only choose one album to listen to - make it this one. It's probably one of my "Desert Island" albums, along with Appetite and Blood On the Tracks. It's just awesome from beginning to end. Speaking of Appetite, I really think this could be described as the rap world's Appetite. It's an album about growing up in a shitty environment. And, like Axl Rose, Nas has never quite lived up to this record, and delved into a lot of excesses (including a double album!) later on. Some very interesting parallels between them. Anyway, Life's a Bitch is the best song to light up to, One Love is way too catchy, and Memory Lane is just entirely awesome. I made a topic about this album not too long ago, and I just can't stress enough how cool it is.

[gunsguy]

Nas - Illmatic (October 31)

Comments: I know a lot of users here don't like rap music very much...typically metal heads and rap fans are at opposite sides of the spectrum. I don't want to generalize, but that seems to be how it usually is. However, if you never want to hear any rap but only choose one album to listen to - make it this one. It's probably one of my "Desert Island" albums, along with Appetite and Blood On the Tracks. It's just awesome from beginning to end. Speaking of Appetite, I really think this could be described as the rap world's Appetite. It's an album about growing up in a shitty environment. And, like Axl Rose, Nas has never quite lived up to this record, and delved into a lot of excesses (including a double album!) later on. Some very interesting parallels between them. Anyway, Life's a Bitch is the best song to light up to, One Love is way too catchy, and Memory Lane is just entirely awesome. I made a topic about this album not too long ago, and I just can't stress enough how cool it is.

Dude I thought this might be a good idea, but if you are suggesting I turn of GNR and listen to this garbage you have lost your mind!

I listened to wallflowers yesterday, I like that record but this is a complete waste of time listing crap like this sorry if you like it but I will be listening to AFD tonight! better luck next time

hey if you like it cool but do us all a fovaour and never mention rap, nas and GNR or AFD in the same sentence again, thanks

Gunsguy

Edited November 1, 2008 by gunsguy

[Estranged Reality]

Nas - Illmatic (October 31)

Comments: I know a lot of users here don't like rap music very much...typically metal heads and rap fans are at opposite sides of the spectrum. I don't want to generalize, but that seems to be how it usually is. However, if you never want to hear any rap but only choose one album to listen to - make it this one. It's probably one of my "Desert Island" albums, along with Appetite and Blood On the Tracks. It's just awesome from beginning to end. Speaking of Appetite, I really think this could be described as the rap world's Appetite. It's an album about growing up in a shitty environment. And, like Axl Rose, Nas has never quite lived up to this record, and delved into a lot of excesses (including a double album!) later on. Some very interesting parallels between them. Anyway, Life's a Bitch is the best song to light up to, One Love is way too catchy, and Memory Lane is just entirely awesome. I made a topic about this album not too long ago, and I just can't stress enough how cool it is.

Dude I thought this might be a good idea, but if you are suggesting I turn of GNR and listen to this garbage you have lost your mind!

I listened to wallflowers yesterday, I like that record but this is a complete waste of time listing crap like this sorry if you like it but I will be listening to AFD tonight! better luck next time

Gunsguy

Maybe Velvetgirl will like it if you play it for her.

I'm assuming you're probably writing it off based solely on the idea of it being a rap album. That's really a shame, because it's a fantastic album. If you don't like rap, that's your prerogative, but don't act like an asshole about it. And don't act like I've "lost my mind" when Illmatic has gained just as much praise within its genre as Appetite has.

http://www.amazon.com/Illmatic-Nas/dp/B0000029GA

570 reviews and an average 5-star rating. That tells you something right there, gunsguy.

Edited November 1, 2008 by Estranged Reality

[gunsguy]

Nas - Illmatic (October 31)

Comments: I know a lot of users here don't like rap music very much...typically metal heads and rap fans are at opposite sides of the spectrum. I don't want to generalize, but that seems to be how it usually is. However, if you never want to hear any rap but only choose one album to listen to - make it this one. It's probably one of my "Desert Island" albums, along with Appetite and Blood On the Tracks. It's just awesome from beginning to end. Speaking of Appetite, I really think this could be described as the rap world's Appetite. It's an album about growing up in a shitty environment. And, like Axl Rose, Nas has never quite lived up to this record, and delved into a lot of excesses (including a double album!) later on. Some very interesting parallels between them. Anyway, Life's a Bitch is the best song to light up to, One Love is way too catchy, and Memory Lane is just entirely awesome. I made a topic about this album not too long ago, and I just can't stress enough how cool it is.

Dude I thought this might be a good idea, but if you are suggesting I turn of GNR and listen to this garbage you have lost your mind!

I listened to wallflowers yesterday, I like that record but this is a complete waste of time listing crap like this sorry if you like it but I will be listening to AFD tonight! better luck next time

Gunsguy

Maybe Velvetgirl will like it if you play it for her.

My daughter prefers real music with real musicians sorry ta burst your bubble

Gunsguy

[Black Sabbath]

Well, I don't know if I'll listen to the albums in this thread, but I will try to stop listening to Guns N' Roses from now until the 23rd. I was going to only listen to old stuff and official released singles, but I'm going to try not to listen to any.

[Estranged Reality]

Nas - Illmatic (October 31)

Comments: I know a lot of users here don't like rap music very much...typically metal heads and rap fans are at opposite sides of the spectrum. I don't want to generalize, but that seems to be how it usually is. However, if you never want to hear any rap but only choose one album to listen to - make it this one. It's probably one of my "Desert Island" albums, along with Appetite and Blood On the Tracks. It's just awesome from beginning to end. Speaking of Appetite, I really think this could be described as the rap world's Appetite. It's an album about growing up in a shitty environment. And, like Axl Rose, Nas has never quite lived up to this record, and delved into a lot of excesses (including a double album!) later on. Some very interesting parallels between them. Anyway, Life's a Bitch is the best song to light up to, One Love is way too catchy, and Memory Lane is just entirely awesome. I made a topic about this album not too long ago, and I just can't stress enough how cool it is.

Dude I thought this might be a good idea, but if you are suggesting I turn of GNR and listen to this garbage you have lost your mind!

I listened to wallflowers yesterday, I like that record but this is a complete waste of time listing crap like this sorry if you like it but I will be listening to AFD tonight! better luck next time

Gunsguy

Maybe Velvetgirl will like it if you play it for her.

My daughter prefers real music with real musicians sorry ta burst your bubble

Gunsguy

Have you truly convinced yourself, now, that you have a daughter who happened to register on the exact same Internet forum as her father - for a 1980s rock band, no less? You've convinced yourself that this imaginary daughter posted messages with the exact same writing/grammatical style as her dad, who's presumably much older than her?

Edited November 1, 2008 by Estranged Reality

[BrandNewCadillac]

I'm looking to get interested in more Hip Hop and Rap. ER, you seem pretty knowledgeable on the genre, so I hope you don't mind me steering off-topic a little.

Apart from Illmatic, what other albums would you recommend?

[inthisriver]

I'm gonna go with thread, and download this album. I'll listen to it later. Not something I'm really all the interested in, but hey... what the hell, maybe I'll like it. Nas never really bothered me as much as some of the others.

[Randy Lahey]

I'm deleting all the GNR from my iPod tomorrow and I'm going cold turkey till the 23rd.

I've never really been a fan of Nas. His voice just doesn't do it for me. For a rap pick I'd go with Southernplayalistic by Outkast.

[Estranged Reality]

I'm looking to get interested in more Hip Hop and Rap. ER, you seem pretty knowledgeable on the genre, so I hope you don't mind me steering off-topic a little.

Apart from Illmatic, what other albums would you recommend?

Cool. You know, I don't mean to sound like a know-it-all when it comes to rap. I have nothing against people who don't like rap, but I know a lot of people - and gunsguy is obviously one of them - who refuse it as a principal. They hear the shit flooding the airwaves and assume it's all like that. I know, because I used to be one of these people. I said the same thing as gunsguy - "it's not real music" - but that's one of the most ignorant arguments ever. It's like someone coming up to you who listens only to classical music and operas, saying, "Guns N' Roses isn't real music. They aren't artists." And then you find out they're basing this prejudiced opinion on having heard a Hinder or Nickelback song on the radio and getting sick of hearing generic rock music on the radio over the years. The point is, there's nothing wrong with disliking any genre, but if you've never actually heard it, and you're just saying this shit because you hate the cultural shift it represents, that's not fair.

Anyway, Jay-Z's debut, Reasonable Doubt, is worth checking out alongside Illmatic. They were the two big albums from that time. Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die is also a classic but I don't like it as much as Illmatic, to be honest. Tupac is an obvious choice; I'd just go with the Greatest Hits.

In general, any of these guys:

- Public Enemy ("It Takes a Nation of Millions..." is very political and especially relevant with everything going on right now)

- Erik B. & Rakim - Paid in Full is another "classic" rap album

- Madvillain (they're the Buckethead of rap music - weird underground stuff - they dress up like superheroes but their songs are awesome. The song Accordion is literally just vocals over an accordion beat, it's totally unique)

- Count Bass D

- MF Doom (he's one of the two guys in Madvillain and has done a lot of weird solo work)

- Wu-Tang Clan

- Beastie Boys (you've probably heard these guys, they pretty much started combining rap with rock. Sabotage is just awesome, it even has a guitar solo.)

- OutKast

- Dr. Dre

There's lots more, those are just some off the top of my head. Hope you like them!

Edited November 1, 2008 by Estranged Reality

[Ant]

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Liquid Swords are pretty cool, as far as rap albums go.

I love the song Kick In the Door (Notorious BIG), but I wouldn't recommend Life After Death the album, it hasn't aged well. Ready to Die, his debut, I haven't bothered to listened to for some reason, but it's supposed to be a classic.

Edited November 1, 2008 by Ant

[Randy Lahey]

NWA's hooray for tolerance!z4life is one of my all time favorite rap albums. It's probably one of the most violent, filthy, and over the top albums ever made but it's got great production. Dr Dre is a genius and Eazy E has got the coolest voice in rap. I wish that song he did with Axl would come out. The two of them were the most hated men in their respective genres at one point.

Edited November 1, 2008 by Randy Lahey

[tat2d1]

The only rap I can really get into is Geto Boys (their self titled is one of the most violent albums I've ever heard), NWA, 2 Live Crew (funny shit), Cypress Hill, a little bit of Eminem, and this dude called Haystak.

[Estranged Reality]

The only rap I can really get into is Geto Boys (their self titled is one of the most violent albums I've ever heard), NWA, 2 Live Crew (funny shit), Cypress Hill, a little bit of Eminem, and this dude called Haystak.

Geto Boys are awesome. Was just talking about their song in Office Space a couple days ago. Never get tired of hearing that track.

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Liquid Swords are pretty cool, as far as rap albums go.

I love the song Kick In the Door (Notorious BIG), but I wouldn't recommend Life After Death the album, it hasn't aged well. Ready to Die, his debut, I haven't bothered to listened to for some reason, but it's supposed to be a classic.

Liquid Swords - I've been listening to that lately. Heard it for the first time not too long ago.

I'm still delving into all the Wu-Tang stuff, but have loved everything so far.

[Estranged Reality]

Nas - Illmatic (October 31)

Comments: I know a lot of users here don't like rap music very much...typically metal heads and rap fans are at opposite sides of the spectrum. I don't want to generalize, but that seems to be how it usually is. However, if you never want to hear any rap but only choose one album to listen to - make it this one. It's probably one of my "Desert Island" albums, along with Appetite and Blood On the Tracks. It's just awesome from beginning to end. Speaking of Appetite, I really think this could be described as the rap world's Appetite. It's an album about growing up in a shitty environment. And, like Axl Rose, Nas has never quite lived up to this record, and delved into a lot of excesses (including a double album!) later on. Some very interesting parallels between them. Anyway, Life's a Bitch is the best song to light up to, One Love is way too catchy, and Memory Lane is just entirely awesome. I made a topic about this album not too long ago, and I just can't stress enough how cool it is.

I love Illmatic man. But to be honest, Straight Outta Compton is the AFD of hip-hop without a fucking doubt in the world. Do you have the original release or the 10th anniversary edition with the bonus disc (the cover you have posted).

See, Straight Outta Compton's great and all, but I still just feel like Illmatic is more akin to Appetite. I think part of it's the really gritty, dirty production. Compton sounds more professional, if that makes sense. Better production values. Illmatic sounds recorded right off the street. But that's just me - most people think Compton is as gritty as rap albums get. It's a masterpiece regardless (and was probably the first album that really turned me on to rap a couple years ago - Illmatic reinvigorated my interest though).

I just bought the 10th Anniversary edition of Illmatic a few days ago. I had downloaded it ages ago, but my CD player in my car doesn't play burned CDs, and it was only about $10 and it's a two-disc set, so I bought it. Been playing it in my car nonstop the past couple days.

Edited November 1, 2008 by Estranged Reality

[Projected]

I'm looking to get interested in more Hip Hop and Rap. ER, you seem pretty knowledgeable on the genre, so I hope you don't mind me steering off-topic a little.

Apart from Illmatic, what other albums would you recommend?

Can I play too?

ER has already mentioned some greats, lemme just give you more options.

First, Tupac. Probably the most popular and influental rapper of all times. I WOULDN'T go with the greatest hits, though.

The Don Kiluminati: The 7 Day Theory - Last album before Tupac's death, just raw emotion. Very dark and filled with genuine anger. Song after song it just sucks you in into his state of mind.

Xzibit - Restless. Yes, the guy from Pimp My Ride. This is probably his only real good album, but it's a damn fine one. If you wanna know what West Side sounds like - listen to this album. Great beats by the Doctor, great guests, all in all great album.

Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP. Fucking masterpiece. Again, just raw emotion that really comes through in the lyrics and presentation. Not one bad song on this album.

For some underground stuff check out Mos Def - Black on Both Sides. Some strong political messages, great wordplay, stuff that really makes you think. I love Mos Def.

[Lithium]

Illmatic is a an unbelievably good album - a true masterpiece of its genre. I first heard when I was fourteen, two years ago. At that point, I was unable to see its brilliance, and ignored it until I was fifteen. At the second listening, I loved it, and it has been one of my favourite rap albums for over a year now; it's without a question in my top ten rap albums. Those kinds of albums are really weird and psychological, in a way. I like to think it was the maturity I had gained in that year that made me love it. It's kind of similar to my experience with Trout Mask Replica.

Illmatic is really an incredible album. So, era-defining and influential on later music. To think that two years before the recording of this album, mainstream rap was pretty much songs like DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand", and that it now had developed into songs with a lot more serious subjects like "Life's a Bitch". Together with 2Pac, Biggie, Dre and Snoop, Nas was the most important person in '90s rap music.

Gunsguy, those kinds of comments are just ignorant. I was a firm believer in the same as you, all music that doesn't have a guitar solo in it equals bad music, when I was, well, uhm, twelve. Then I opened my eyes for stuff like pop, rap, funk, jazz, avant-garde, indie, soul and so on, and I think that gave me a much better relationship to music than staying with rock music would have given me. Open your eyes for as much music as possible, you won't regret it.

I hope to see more rap and hip hop albums in this thread. I'm sort of going through a rap phase right now, and it would be great to be pointed to the direction of some new, interesting stuff. I'm far away from as known with the underground scene in rap as I am with the underground scene in rock. And to build a little on ER and Projected's recommendations, here are some good ones:

Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle

Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet

2Pac - All Eyez on Me (although 2Pac is one of those artists that you can chck out the entire studio album discography and not be disappointed)

Outkast - Stankonia, Speakerboxx/The Love Below (I haven't properly checked out their pre-Stankonia stuff, but I'm sure that won't be a disappointment either)

Run-D.M.C. - Raising Hell (a great starting point for a rock fan)

Jay-Z - The Blueprint

Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

The Game - The Documentary

Edited November 1, 2008 by Lithium

[gunsguy]

Nas - Illmatic (October 31)

Comments: I know a lot of users here don't like rap music very much...typically metal heads and rap fans are at opposite sides of the spectrum. I don't want to generalize, but that seems to be how it usually is. However, if you never want to hear any rap but only choose one album to listen to - make it this one. It's probably one of my "Desert Island" albums, along with Appetite and Blood On the Tracks. It's just awesome from beginning to end. Speaking of Appetite, I really think this could be described as the rap world's Appetite. It's an album about growing up in a shitty environment. And, like Axl Rose, Nas has never quite lived up to this record, and delved into a lot of excesses (including a double album!) later on. Some very interesting parallels between them. Anyway, Life's a Bitch is the best song to light up to, One Love is way too catchy, and Memory Lane is just entirely awesome. I made a topic about this album not too long ago, and I just can't stress enough how cool it is.

Dude I thought this might be a good idea, but if you are suggesting I turn of GNR and listen to this garbage you have lost your mind!

I listened to wallflowers yesterday, I like that record but this is a complete waste of time listing crap like this sorry if you like it but I will be listening to AFD tonight! better luck next time

Gunsguy

Maybe Velvetgirl will like it if you play it for her.

My daughter prefers real music with real musicians sorry ta burst your bubble

Gunsguy

Have you truly convinced yourself, now, that you have a daughter who happened to register on the exact same Internet forum as her father - for a 1980s rock band, no less? You've convinced yourself that this imaginary daughter posted messages with the exact same writing/grammatical style as her dad, who's presumably much older than her?

My daughter loves GNR and VR, she is as old as most of the kids here, so you are saying kids cant like good music? Look in the photo thread you will see there are pleny of teens here. I do have a daughter and she did post, if you believe otherwise thats up to you.

what you putting up today Kris Kross?

btw I do listen to all kinds of music, but I also call it as I see it, hopefully today we can ween off gnr for 21 days with a decent record

Gunsguy