Reviews (page 6 of 8)
I had no idea what was going on, I felt like I dropped acid
en meget tidlig hiphop produktion, virkelig blandede godter
I have a fever dream but someone left on the radio
The concept of hip hop mixed with world is very interesting, too bad the execution is lacking
Low-key a gem for 1983 with some cool famous samples showing up. Cool to hear this one, kind of an odd collection of songs, also confusing to me who the actual musicians and artists were as there are plenty of singers etc. but no one credited.
The music is pretty cool (although I am not really a fan of hip hop)...BUT...I am giving this a 1 rating based on finding out he had taken music from South African musicians and failing to credit them for their work. NOT COOL, NOT COOL AT ALL!
I understand this is experimental, but there is next to no cohesion across this album. It just feels like a lot of shit thrown at a wall and only a minuscule amount sticks.
Definitely never listed to anything on this album before. It was also definitely not what I expected based on Malcolm McLaren and his influence on late 70s punk music. This is the 80iest of 80s. Definitely the source of a lot of samples. I'm not sure what's with the "live radio DJ" stuff, but it's definitely a time and place. I also hate how they use "female" as a term. I think this will fall heavily into albums I've listened to, but won't ever listen to again. Not sure that I'll ever spin any of the individual songs either. Though the first half did make me feel like I was at a party on the ocean shore, the album really starts to drag on it's second half. Legba is terrible, and it doesn't much improve from there. By World Famous I was just waiting for the album to end, and...suddenly square dancing? What?? Ok. This is stupid. 1/5
Weird doesn’t even begin to describe this album. When the album started, that first song had me questioning what the hell I was listening to. When I look at photos and read descriptions on who Malcolm McLaren was, I was definitely not expecting these kind of sounds from this album. As the album progressed, and the vibe of the album became more clear, I found myself enjoying it more and I caught myself tapping my foot multiple times throughout the album. Yes, I do think the DJ bit throughout is corny/cheesy, but for 1983, I feel like it was par for the course. Overall, I enjoyed the album. I listened to it on my way to and from work yesterday, and both times, enjoyed it the weirdness to it. Also, I didn’t realize that Buffalo Gals was the original to Eminem’s “Round the outside, round the outside, round the outside” bit. The more you know
So Trevor Horn and Anne Dudley have lead credit on all the tracks for production and keys and strings, and Sedevine and Just Allah are the rappers. McLaren is listed as the band's "figure caller." This early instance of "world music" is credited like a circus with him as a ringmaster. His musical role is at best a conductor, at worst just hollering his copyright watermark over these people between songs. You would have to call this "exotica" because it would only be cohesive to an insanely sheltered person. Was it their idea to call themselves "The Ebonettes"??? No wonder they sued him. I was definitely thinking of Graceland (3 years later) and I was horrified to realize McLaren's goblin hypeman delivery might have influenced David Byrne. Between the heinous context, genuine talent on display, and clear influence on later albums, I have looped around to conceding it is an Important Album. What's good about it musically is no credit to McLaren, and what's influential about it may be as much ill as good, however you want to read it into our culture afterwards.
Well… this is basically just a mixture of sounds made by a man who never credited the people he stole from. It sounds good but it’s just all over the place
\"When you talk like an asshole and look like an asshole, you're an asshole\" -John Lydon on Malcom McClaren
Interesting use of samples that doesn't get too repetitive.
A ginger slaps his name on a bunch of work by black artists. Got it.
Okay I like the world music part of this :/ Still weird he's a white British guy tho
All over the places styles. World music, calypso, hip hop. Kinda dug it! Don't love the interludes, but it does give it an old school radio vibe at times. Would play again.
Weirdly brilliant in places, very cringe in others. But it's undone by the way this is a rich white English bloke adopting hip-hop, rapping, and scratching, which feels cynical and disingenuous.
Bland
This is a weird one. The guy who was responsible for the punk aesthetic makes a “rap” album that sounds like Graceland.
A bit weird and just a little bit interesting. Not quite a three but on the three side of a 2.5.
this was wild, enjoyed some of it.
He seems to be at his best when appropriating (stealing) from other cultures. Pretty sad really. A couple of the tracks were pretty cool, but I'd rather listen to the originals than a copy. The rest seemed to be crappy square dances (the final track in particular seemed to be aimed at toddlers, with cartoon sound effects and voices for good measure). Most of the creativity was stolen.
I don’t … really know what to do with this album. Tone is all over the place which can be a cool thing because it shifts genres so often but it throws off the vibe once it establishes a vibe. Goes from hip hop to line dancing to Jamaican jive to … how do you even categorize this? Works to listen to songs individually depending on what you want to hear in the moment but you don’t get consistent enough of a vibe to really enjoy this fully as a body of work, as a full project. At least on first listen, it’s jarring and unexpected.
Some catchy songs 3/5
Musically, I really enjoyed this, but god was Malcolm McLaren a shit
Music is pretty good on this album but the radio show stuff is just annoying. 3 stars or C- for me.
Not what I expected, pretty good
Based on the first track, I was getting ready to slap 5 stars on this album. Based on the second track, I thought this would be an interesting album even if it isn't a five. After I finished the last track, I barely knew what the fuck I just listened to. It starts out as an ambient African kinda thing then becomes very very early hip hop before just spazzing out with a million different influences in the final half. On top of the hip hop, there's stuff that sounds pure 80s, stuff that sounds ahead of its time, Spanish stuff, jive stuff, you name it. Very eclectic but not much of it totally stuck for me. Obatala was the standout ambient track thing. Also the "round the outside"sample was fun to hear in the wild.
Not really my type. Some songs are a bit annoying, but some songs are quite interesting. I liked "Song For Chango".
Fun radio-show.
1.5☆/5 08.14.2024
Yeah, that was a thing. Buffalo Gals was fun, but it's pretty dated.
Now this seems like the gentrification of early hip hop but it is not terrible... Buffalo girls still sounds a good as when I first hear it in 82. However the rest of the album is mildly interesting at best.
I'm slightly lost for words on this one Weird. Cringe. Laughable. It was all over the place. But I weirdly enjoyed it! Currently lying in bed rethinking all of my life choices after that album. Wondering why I'm giving it such a high score. Who knows 4 ⭐️
OK all you "Those Brits stole our music" types, this is what artless theiving sounds like. This is cultural appropriation. Funny thing is he clambered aboard the hip-hop / break-dance trend so quickly he's almost cutting edge (for a UK artist). I would say though as a South London kid when this came out I do rememeber Grand Master Flash, Break Machine, Rock Steady Crew around the same time. But it's bad, really bad, reprehensible, this overtakes Bon Jovi for most cringeworthy by a mile. And it doesn't just bust it's way into the black american music scene of the time, it also bizarrley heads off into the land of country jigs and hoedown. Then there's the childish "scratching" obsession and the tapping away at the same single vocal sample repeatedly. Jesus. Just painful.
Vähän sitä sun tätä :D Enimmäkseen instrumentaalista. Mukana aika läppia skittejä. Osittain myös räppiä. Parhaat: Aika tasapaksua, mikään ei pompannut erikoisemmin
Okay
insanely ahead of its time if morally dubious...that being said i admire this more than i enjoy its sonic textures 6/10
good
he's no jah wobble
this was all over the place - I didn't like anything about it
That last song. Wow
3.5 From what I understand, this isn’t really original work? More a white dude taking world music songs he likes and just kinda throwing them in a sequence, with little substantial changes to them? So I can’t rate it higher because of that, but honestly, he picked great songs. This was really fun to listen to. Just great energy all the way through.
Decent album made by an awful person. 3/5
The skits were okay!
The worst part of this album is Malcolm McLaren.
Some good quality early hip hop. Some strange songs sprinkled in but overall very enjoyable and fun.
1.75. Interesting hearing the early rap but the rest is just strange.
Definitely unique. I like the uniqueness of it, but it’s still not the best. Between a 3 and a 4, but I’m giving it a 3 because of the whole sampling problem on this. (It’s mentioned in some of the other reviews).
No
This is a weird one. Pretty eclectic collection of tunes. It's pretty shitty there are so many uncredited musicians on this album. Both black and white. Thank goodness the cultural appropriation police are out in force keeping us safe. Other than Buffalo Gals I didn't think I'd heard anything else.
I didn't know what was going on at any point during my listen of this one. Confused.
Now we're talking. This was like finally get a joke that you hear on the Simpsons...about half of the songs I've heard referenced before, and they were pretty good. Upbeat, energetic, a wide variety of genres (loved the last hillbilly ditty). This is the first album that made me want to go back and listen to more of the artist's catalogue.
I struggle with this one. Its incredibly interesting, but as I understand it, also controversial for the treatment of the recording artists on this record.
A visionary project. Combining some of the best bits and energy of early hip-hop with the gonzo genre hopping and anarchic silliness of Frank Zappa. It's also a chore to listen to.
Just a weird mix of music that doesn’t really make sense. Can’t see how this was a hit.
Very occasional moment of quality but overall should stick to management and being dead
Well, now I know where the opening of "Without Me" by Eminem came from. This brings forth the question of whether an artist who is influential in bringing a genre more to the public light, but the album isn't that great, needs to be heard. Duck Rock brought Caribbean music to a wider audience, yet I don't think I would listen to this album if I wanted to hear that sound. Buffalo Girls, Double Dutch aren't bad songs but I felt like I was listening to the theme from an 80's kid show at times. Perhaps I have failed to sufficiently embrace the craziness.
Прикольный. Интересно было услышать, что отсюда Эминем взял первые строчки на Without me. Интересно было послушать.
Ei kosketa ja tämä kokonaisuus tuntuu väkisin kasatulta eri palapelien paloilta jotka ei oikein sovi yhteen. Kuunteli kertaalleen läpi ja se riitti.
Tästä ei saanu otetta erkkikään. Mieleen jäi kohta, jota Eminem käyttänyt samplena ja levyn viimeinen loppuläppälaulu
New to me. I’ll keep it on rotation.
Not sure if this is even an album, felt like it was just radio play
I liked this way more than I expected to after reading the Wikipedia summary. Double Dutch, Punk It Up, and Jive My Baby were my favorite tracks. 3.5 rounded up to 4
I loved the first track, so got excited for the rest, but the rest was just so-so. Knew Malcolm as a manager of The Sex Pistols but had no idea he was a fairly prolific musician as well. The cowriter on most of the tracks, Trevor Horn, was familiar to me as a producer as well as a short lived vocalist for Yes. 2.5 rounded down.
It’s not some great classic, and I’m not likely to listen to it again, but I do appreciate that it’s on the list. And I guess it was probably a bit ahead of its time? Or that’s just being generous and we’ll never know? Definitely British!
weirdo shit but cool. also apparently an important album or whatever
did not liked it not in the mood maybe.. 80s rap/hip hop, with world music (afican percission etc). not timelles IMHO.
A pretty weird and out there album, a few songs had me moving but this didn’t really do anything for me. It’s meh.
This shit will keep you guessing. I would say at it's core it is Hip Hop but there are so many different styles of music going on from song to song and sometimes multiple within one song. I though it was a good mix of the classic upbeat hip hop I like with the added bonus of all kinds of unfamiliar styles and sounds I didn't expect. Very original and I am surprised I don't know of any groups that were inspired by this style because I think a lot more could be done with it.
Not for me
other than some popular samples, complete uhh? NNN
Some parts feeling more like Samba music some like HipHop I just didn't get into it.
4/5 - a lot of fun to be fair
Not a big world music fan but this was pretty fun. prob wont check out out again. Soweto and worlds famous were cool.
Not really my cup of tea. The range of sounds and styles is interesting.
I like the variety of the album, the world influences and that hip-hop was used so early in the decade. It is a superficial album, though and knowing Malcom McLaren he probably sampled a lot of stuff without crediting the original artists as he was known for taking things from others and sold it in his name.
- w t f ? -
Some werid shit, interesting bit of hip hop but combined with the Caribbean influences makes it sound very unique. Cool to find out eminem samples from this. Could second listen.
Reading the other reviews I realize how problematic this is from an appropriation standpoint but it’s still a uniquely interesting pastiche of musical styles. I’m torn.
At first I thought it would be some early hip-hop album. Turned out to be funky. These guys just look for good sounds from anywhere around the world throughout the whole album. And you can hear the fun they are having.
Dutch Rock I know Buffalo Gals and Double Dutch but not much else on here. I always felt this was probably similar to Tom Tom Club and some of the Big Audio Dynamite albums from a year or so later. It’s a bit of a curate’s egg, there’s lots to like, some great songs, lots of fun and experimentation and sense that it was ahead of it’s time, with early hip hop, pop, Afrobeat and a bit of Latin all mashed up. But it is definitely patchy and not everything fully works. The cultural appropriation thing is quite interesting too, I don’t really have a problem with people magpie-ing music and influences from wherever they hear them, but when they don’t give credit to people who play on the album and essentially co-write some of it, it feels a bit dodgy. Linked to that I also wonder what, apart from some rapping, what Malcom McLaren actually contributed musically. I get that he is more of a conceptual person, but it feels like Art of Noise plus various African and American musicians actually did this and he is just putting his name to it. Which is not uncommon for him, and I'm probably inclined to feel that is also dodgy. There are quite a few standout tracks. Obatala really grew on me on repeat listens, a lovely little track. Buffalo Gals is a great bit of early 80s hip hop through a weird Englishman’s lens. Great hook. I’ve always loved Double Dutch, a great bit of rapping with Afrobeat vibes. I don’t know what the words are in the hook but I like to sing ‘Airport, Airport M&S’, particularly if I’m buying some bottled water at an airport M&S. I liked the electro-soundtrack vibe of Legba. Soweto is just fantastic, a great groove, really infectious. Jive My Baby and Song for Chango I liked, even if they aren’t that strong. World Famous is fine, but feels dated. I wasn’t keen on Merengue and Punk it Up seemed to be an inferior version of Soweto. Duck for the Oyster is a bit annoying. You can tell it’s from the early 80s because of the drum machine sound, but apart from World Famous it doesn’t sound to dated. I suppose that’s due to the genius of Trevor Horn. Very identifiably 80s but still sounds good. Overall it’s definitely an enjoyable listen with some great highs, (Obatala, Buffalo Gals, Double Dutch, Soweto) but I don’t think it all quite adds up to a fully satisfying album. Sometimes these ramshackle eclectic albums are great, the sense of fun and experimentation is its own kind of unifying force, but sometimes, like this, it can feel a bit too scattergun and doesn’t hang together. There’s a decent amount of playslistable tracks but I think I’m more likely to turn to Tom Tom Club or Bing Audio Dynamite’s first 2 albums if I want a bit of 80s joyful eclecticism. ⭐⭐⭐ PS, love the Keith Haring cover
A summertime album, and apparently important for introducing Britain to hip-hop. The incorporation (and potential plagiarism) of South American music stands out among its late-80s peers. I'm glad I've heard this album, and may put some of its highlights on at a party, but I'm not sure if I'd spend a lot of time with it. It's a little dated. I can't hold that against it too much because the engineering holds up. I gravitate towards the instrumental tracks, which is unusual for me. I can't shake the fact that the ex-Sex Pistols manager (the one who recruited Sid Vicious) 'made' this. Maybe that's unfair; maybe it's simply discerning. Maybe it just means I shouldn't read the Wiki. Still, I'm hesitant to credit what I did enjoy to McLaren. Highlights: Obatala, Buffalo Gals, Merengue, Legba
Enjoyment level = zero. Desire to ever hear this again = zero.
Weird af
As a fan of hip hop and sample culture, it might sound a bit rich to criticise this sample heavy record which has some engaging tunes and fun ideas. But there’s a difference between sampling and appropriating and McLaren fails to acknowledge the contribution of the originators and tries to pass this off as his. Plus his dubious character takes the shine off this, which is a shame because it brought hip hop and world music to a wider audience. It’s just the price isn’t worth the admission.
I can dig this.
this was such an awesome listen. lots of hip hop influence, and all my fellow hip hop nerds will recognize MANY samples on this record.
Had a lot of different musical styles. Didn't feel warm and familiar on first listen. Might grow on me if I keep listening to it like Tap Root Manuscript did
mclaren had a beautiful anarchic creative spirit but he was also kind of silly
Quirky is the best way to describe this album. Still kinda fun. 2.5
Pretty, mostly instrumental Obatala instantly creates a mood. World music inspired. Buffalo Gals has a quirky intro, radio DJ samples, record scratches, and an old school hip hop sound to it. Programmed drums and synth bass. Double Dutch gets even weirder, with complicated melodies, but it's lots of fun. We go deeper into the Latin or Caribbean inspired sounds next, with classical guitar featuring. Punk It Up is a highlight. Back to instrumental next with Legba and it's incredible and cinematic, percussion like maracas with multiple overlapping synth melodies. Song for Chango is good too, tropical sounds. World's Famous is a short but excellent track, jazzy hop hop. I was hoping for another instrumental but the outro sounds like line dancing music. Never let them know your next move.
Mikä sotku. Mielestäni se tosiasia, että vanha Malcolm kutsuu itseään "impressarioksi" eikä "muusikoksi", on selvä. Tämä albumi on vain sekalainen sekoitus musiikillisia konsepteja. Mikään ei todellakaan toimi, eikä se koskaan varsinaisesti yhdisty millään johdonmukaiseksi. Tämä oli erittäin mielenkiintoista! Kuuntelin tätä ajaessani asioita autossani kahden päivän ajan. Oli hauskaa ja mukaansatempaavaa olla mukana. Tätä en yleensä kuuntele, mutta nautin siitä. Se oli musiikillisesti niin tiivistä, että minusta tuntuu, että minun pitäisi kuunnella se uudelleen ainakin kerran. meringue
This album was so much fun! I really enjoyed the tunes and early hip hop radio style.
Fun. 3
Not really a fan of this. African, hip hop, Caribbean montage crazy ass mix.
Nice to hear two Eminem hooks. Otherwise, this was a bit of a slog.
Lots of international sounds. Lots of blending of genres. Hoky at times, especially the ending. Nothing special.
Ehhhh
Meh
The instrumental intro was cool, the rest of the album was silly.
A lot better than I thought. I was aware of a couple of tracks before but was surprised what a decent listen this was
I understand why it's historically important for the UK but white guy steals black music. 2.5/5
This feels like what would happen if Microsoft's marketing department produced an album to promote diversity.
What an expérience, had to listen IT again for sure !!!
An eclectic mix of music genres for sure. I think Malcolm was having fun creating blends. Not for me.
Nostalgia maybe, but mostly holds up. Good example of how often in music, kids are way ahead of where the general market is. And a good early example for a young me that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, since Malcolm looked more like a quirky English professor than an innovative musician that played a part in mainstreaming hip-hop. This reminds me when rap was generally disrespected and presumed to be a passing fad. Us fifteen-year-olds seemed to know Buffalo Gals was something special. I also remember this being one of my first exposures to South African rhythms (three years before Paul made it mainstream with Graceland), and just loved it. Great to hear this again.
It doesn't seem like the album's producers did their due diligence to credit their influences.
Que bosta
Mal ganz nett. Teilweise bekannte Samples. Aber krasse Wechsel.
A very eclectic album by an artist I've never heard of. Apple Music says this is hip-hop, and while a couple of tracks have hip-hop elements, I certainly wouldn't put it in that genre. Maybe "World music?" Interesting enough stuff here to warrant at least one listen. And the in between stuff with the DJ was fine I guess. Favorite track: Buffalo Gals
May 11, 2024 HL: “Double Dutch”, “Merengue”, “Punk it Up” If I, a white man, made an album of traditionally black music, and it still sounded too white, can I copy/paste black American radio hosts between the songs to give myself further cred? No, now that I say it out loud, it sounds like a really stupid idea. “Buffalo Gals” deserves credit for being turned into better songs by Neneh Cherry & Eminem. 2.5
Unlike anything I’ve heard, in a good way.
It’s such a trip to find the origin of musical references (i.e. “two trailer park girls go round the outside”) amidst a crazy-eclectic hodge-podge of musical styles. I did enjoy the old-school hip-hop roots. Easily the best square-dancing single of 1983.
Don’t know what the fucking point of this is
Found this whole thing very silly (I love) and good party nonsense (more love) - a good lesson in why it’s sometimes better to not have any contextual knowledge of the “artist”
What a weird collection of tracks. With the exception of the weird radio DH call excerpts (which sounded terrible and weren't funny or interesting at all), it seemed like each one was completely different from all the rest. Which is kind of interesting, except that each one was either severely jarring and annoying to listen to or very amateurish and crappily recorded, or both. The only tracks that were somewhat decent were Obatala and Double Dutch, but I doubt I would ever listen to either of those again either. One star.
Some interesting ideas incorporating african influences and hip-hop on... an early 80s British album? Interesting from a historical perspective, it didn't wow me or offend me.
Not bad, not super good.
Interesting use of sampling
The western gaze
What the duck is this doing on a must hear list. Never Mind The Bollocks is classic, but the only good thing anyone in the group ever did. This is absolute garbage and I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a joke on the listener or not. Duck you, list makers, you suck again!
This really came out of nowhere and I don't know why it's on this list. A mix of south american/african sounds and this guy 'singing' about jumping rope? I looked it up and it was supposedly influential, I don't see how it influenced anything besides maybe being out of the box at the time. Malcolm just took sounds from other cultures and didn't add anything to it, and to top it off he also did not credit any africans that worked on the record so he was just a bad person. Bad person, confusing and derivative music, 1 star.
Groovy, but this album has no idea what genre it wants to be. The hip-hop tracks were good, but unimaginative for a time when hip-hop was the wild west. It's also jarring going from hip-hop to latin music so quickly and without any transition.
Surprisingly versatile and varied, with plenty of genres being displayed at a pretty competent level, and with influences on hip-hop so early in the genre's lifetime, it is done relatively well. I think the gimmick of the album is interesting, too, being that of a radio show that's the "best" on the airwaves. While actually catching most of these songs in the middle of the night would scare me more than anything, its basis is pretty solid. Most of the songs are cheesy, or even arguably annoying, and it has far too much filler for what could've been a very solid, early case of plunderphonics, but it's fun enough that I'd say I enjoyed my time. Certainly not essential listening, you really only need two or three tracks to get the whole picture, but I'll admit I'm at least pleasantly surprised, albeit more so than actually in tune with the music at play.
oh you want me to review this album? this one? this one specifically? you pulled this one for me? you generated this specific album particularly for little ol judy? out of all the albums that there are and that you listen to on the thing, you want me to listen and then review and rate this one in particular? well its ok i guess
Very cool use of diverse influences and beats from around the world
A pretty good example of musical experimentation done well, incorporating a wide array of world influences and synthesizing them into a fun, listenable record. The heavy use of Afro and Latin genres lend the album a joyful, festive sound, and the use of record scratching and samples predicts later artists in the vein of J Dilla and Madlib. I also particularly liked the radio show interludes that tied the record together into a pseudo radio program. Note: this review is for the actually music only, which was performed by amazing musicians from diverse backgrounds. Malcolm McLaren himself is an exploitive pedophile with no musical chops to speak of, and his contributions to this record make it worse. This album should be re-released with the proper credits and stripped of that creep’s name.
the music dances between being energetically fun and straight-up anxiety-attack-inducing; and the World's Famous Supreme Team denotes its place in hip-hop history while the straight-up theft of African music makes one want to scratch it from the annals.
A psychedelic trip blending genres I didn't know where a wonderful match. Not everything hit but an important album of its era.
This gets points for variety, but overall it's just kind of a silly unfocused mess of styles with very little substance.
First song good then he reverted to RAP crap.
Hypocritical cowardly creep with music that reflects that. Zero stars. Rounded up because whoever was in charge of buffalo girls did manage to write a decent pop arrangement.
SO confused. This is where some of our music as kids come from? More so after listening and reading about it. It felt fake to play double Dutch In white Perth but now, I question everything. Its alike a musical lies or a grotest charade where you find out years later all this stuff is just stolen from other cultures and sold to you as original. WHo the F is Malcolm McLaren (not a good stage name) and Duck Rock (typo?) and why does it sound So Familiar? Track 1 is Gamelan/PiPhat Thai beats. Im in a touristy restaurant. btu then - wait forit Track2 beatboxing? was sampled to hell by everyone from Max Headroom or George Michael for 'get funky' - and so EMINEM was really *really* taking the music history piss . rack 3 Double Dutch - 1983, (Perth WA) that meant was skip rope craze. Catchy to watch but thin poly rope stings... and ... boys cant jump! We had no idea how urben/getto/NYC music got as far as us. This is a bizaar to hear now. Then stealing music from the townships of South Africa and claiming it as yours? Bemused and annoyed and its a musical word salad.
I had never played this album before, and was only familiar with Buffalo Gals, a traditional American song, which most memorably featured in Frank Capra’s classic film, It’s A Wonderful Life(1946). In 1994, Liz Phair would lift lines from Double Dutch for her classic song, Whip-Smart. Both these singles made the 2UE Top 40 - Buffalo Gals reached 25 & Double Dutch climbed to #17. This is a terrific record that must have had a huge influence on the popularity of world music. So many styles, including some classy hip-hop, & all so well-done. In early 1986, I took a call at Scratches Record Shop from someone at the NSW Art Gallery. They wanted to know if I had a copy of the Bow Wow Wow album, See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy! McLaren had created & managed the band. They just wanted to borrow the cover, which they blew up into a wall-size copy for the 1986 Biennale, in which McLaren was one of the guest artists. We were invited to the opening & that’s when I got to see the bastard. The album cover famously copied Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe as a photograph. I really liked aBowWowWow, but I think Duck Rock is a better album.
Hmm, this is a tricky one. Was this a prescient postmodern collage of world music, hip-hop, and sampling? Well, yes. Was it also a case of egregious cultural appropriation and exploitation of musicians by a talentless grifter? Absolutely also true. Malcolm McLaren had eclectic taste and the ability to spot interesting cultural movements at an early stage, which, here, gave him a first-mover advantage. Malcolm McLaren did not invent hip hop or world music or postmodernism, but he was the first to package them and bring them to market. This was particularly influential in exposing Great Britain to hip hop culture. He was also smart enough to identify collaborators (musical and visual) to realize and execute his wild ADHD-inflected ideas; Trevor Horn, Anne Dudley and the Art of Noise crew, Thomas Dolby, Keith Haring, Viviene Westwood, the Mahotella Queens, the Boyoyo Boys, and a host of other uncredited musicians and collaborators who did the actual work. In a few cases, their work was just stolen and included pretty much intact (sometimes with some additional vocal stylings from the tone-deaf and arrhythmic Malcolm). Malcom has good taste, but he wasn't shy about claiming credit for everything. It was Keith Haring who suggested that “perhaps it wouldn’t be a Malcolm McLaren project if it didn’t have a distinctly queasy underside”. So, what's it like to actually listen to? Well, there is some fun world music on there, but you would be better off tracking down real examples that didn't include Malcolm's annoying interjections. And the hip hop is not great, although influential and widely sampled subsequently. The singles were fun at the time, but I don't feel like they have a lot of legs. They certainly were novel at the time, but plenty of better songs have been released in that time. It is a weird and influential mix of styles and approaches, and introduced lots of ideas into the mainstream where they hadn't been heard before, but would all of these things have happened without him? Yeah, I'm pretty sure they would. And, secretly, this isn't that great to listen to.
Eclectic mix of r and b, international, funk, and spoken .
Ça c’est un certified drôle d’album, mais dans le bon sens du terme, c’est un véritable patchwork de styles qui fonctionnent drôlement bien ensemble. Hip-hop, musique du monde, électronique, rock, et même rigodon! D’un autre côté c’est pas THE shit, mais vu qu’ils ont essayé de quoi, point bonus
Feels like I should think this is more tacky and annoying than I actually do. It IS very tacky and annoying, but in a way that mostly works. Kinda had fun with this one.
Album - 3 Malcolm McLaren - 0
Very interesting
This was over the place. Interesting that Keith Haring contributed to the album illustrations.
This was great. Such a fun album from a really cool point in hip hop history. Miss radio shows :(
I just can't believe how out of nowhere this album is. So clever and creative.
never heard of this. pretty good. i have questions though.
I thought this was cool as hell. The best part of this group is discovering new tunes. I will return to this.
I suppose it was influential, but it's not great to listen to now. Some good instrumental bits, but better to go back to the sources
Genuine question: Is Malcolm trying to profit off of cultures he’s not part of while making mockeries of them? It doesn’t sound like he’s taking any of this seriously.
музыкально прям троечка, но как феномен круто
Сложно Вроде прикольный хип-хоп, местами хорошо, но не цепляет никак. Как будто не веришь Алкоальбом: да балтика 0
World music made by a British man in the 1980s.
I get where this could be influential, and some of it is pretty cool, but most of it is stolen, ripped off, or otherwise not made by the guy who's name is on the cover in any way, shape or form. It doesn't flow well either. Its the best 2/5 I've gotten in this project so far, but something about it is just off since it's stolen.
3.0 Probably influenced a lot of people, introducing world music and urban. Worth the listen but not going on a regular rotation
Very odd, with little or no hint of his involvement with some of the biggest bands of the previous decade. I liked it, I think, but it was so weird that I spent most of my first listen through spotting bits that had been sampled (and then trying to work out if it was from this album, or for this album, that the sampling took place!)
Lots to like on here. He seems like a bit of a cock, ripped off a lot of stuff and didn’t give any credit to anyone. The end result is quite cool though.
Side A rules...Side B slows just a bit. Overall a worthy listen. 3.5/5
This feels like a soulless version of Sandinista, just a pop grab rather than an homage as the Clash did. It’s a fun collage that darkens when you hear how this was just another white dude not paying tribute.
this was an incoherent mess
What people might not appreciate in 2024 is that ideas traveled much more slowly in 1983. It took people like Malcolm McLaren to go out and find new material and then encourge musicians to experiment with it. And what exciting ideas he discovered. This album shows the enthusiasm and consideration with which MM undertook the task - very different from the algorithmic fire hyrant of randomness and cat videos that replaced him.
Interesting…
Well that album was a mess. I guess I appreciate the artist approach and enjoy the variety of genres, but it really felt like an absolute disaster. The cool ideas hold it up a bit, but not too impressed. 2/5.
Electronic dance music, this thing is all over the place, African, latin, hip hop? Theres even a hoe down
influential in brining hip hop to the UK - think it would have been fine anyway
This album is incredibly influential, but there are some problems with the authorship and credit.
Never heard this one. Some great tracks and some odd
I didn’t expect to enjoy the album as much as I did. It was quite different. I mainly associate McLaren with the Sex Pistols so this was not what I expected. A good 3*
That was different. It's not going on regular rotation but was fun while it lasted.
Doesn't feel authentic.
Kinda fun with how bonkers it is. Left me wondering wtf genre is this album.
This was fun, more than I expected it to be. The variety of styles on this album is incredibly expansive to the point of near absurdity. It shouldn't really work at all, but somehow it does. The songs themselves are clever, charming, occasionally silly, and entirely over the top, but never boring. The weak spot for me would be anywhere McLaren uses his own vocal, which frequently is too weak to hold up to the boldness of whatever is going on musically behind him. Also yeah, these musicians deserved proper credit for their work. There's no album without them. Fave Songs: Buffalo Gals, Obatala, Double Dutch, Jive My Baby, Song for Chango
Nr. 150/1001 Obatala 4/5 Buffalo Gals 2/5 Double Dutch 4/5 El San Juanera 2/5 Merengue 4/5 Punk It Up 4/5 Legba 4/5 Jive My Baby 4/5 Song for Chango 3/5 Soweto 5/5 World's Famous 4/5 Duck for the Oyster 3/5 Average: 3,58 Well this was a surprise. Unconventional, but ultimately really fun. Unpredictable at every turn. Glad I was exposed to this.
Is this what cultural appropriation sounds like? The man took a bunch of sounds and styles from 80s NYC, threw them in a box and shook them up. I don’t hate this. There’s a lot of good stuff here. McClaren has an ear for talent and he’s very good at promoting different ideas. But some of it feels a little strange. It’s almost like he’s looking at NYC culture as a wild curiosity. Sometimes it feels more like creatures on display at the zoo, than a celebration of diversity. This is not to say that this is not a good record. I’d argue that it’s pretty great at times. I think the issue is with McClaren himself, who’s vocals feel more like PT Barnum hosting a circus. When it’s just music, it’s actually very good. He’s just a super weird cat of a man.
Novel. Very progressive new world music
Interesting, but my thing
I enjoyed this. Undoubtedly of its time - synth drums and the global music which Paul Simon and David Byrne embraced around the same time. But I had never heard it before (or don't remember it), and the songs made my commute pleasant 42+ years after they were recorded.
I do love Double Dutch and Buffalo Gals. I also admire MM for going completely left field after the punk explosion. He did some very interesting things - his later version of Madame Butterfly was stunning. The rest I found very samey but I still love those singles. More a case of admiration rather than enjoyment.
My biggest take away from this album was that I got to hear what I am assuming is the source material that Eminem used in one of his songs (Buffalo Gals).
This was a fun listen. In a strange way, there were more than a couple of moments that reminded me of Laurie Anderson with the backup singers and the melody choices. It was dated, and eclectic, and upbeat, and I even enjoyed the "supreme team" theme that ran through the record.
This was cool and something I'd never even heard of before. I recognized Buffalo Gals from Eminem, but aside from that this was all new territory. What a bizarre album. I don't love that Malcom's name is all over this and not the musicians, but whatever, it's cool and the musicianship was on point. Fun examples of early hip-hop and various world musics.
Wow! What a gem to discover this album. Pure aural delight. I listened to this two times and I see many more spins in my future. Jive my Baby is gonna be today’s ear worm
Really fun album, something you can shake your ass too! I love the Caribbean influence in some of the songs, and it was cool hearing the original song for that famous sample!
Wederom behoorlijk vreemde tonen van tijd tot tijd
Kek album wel, gevarieerd en origineel. Aardige banger ook die ‘Buffalo Gals’
Dit is echt helemaal niet gek zeg, behoorlijk groovy
World music meets hip hop and helps introduce the UK to the genre. Put together in a way that sounds like listening to the radio with a DJ and call-ins. Interesting that there are so many different sounds/genres but apparently he seems to have ripped off original artists without crediting them. Standout is "Double Dutch" while the last track "Duck For The Oyster" is super annoying.
obatala, merengue
Two Buffalo Gals go around the outside.... is that where Eminem got that line from holy shit?? I don't have much to say about this one 🤷♀️
A haiku: Sex Pistol guru Makes hip-hop square-dance opus Eminem loves it
At times this felt like appropriative whitewashed claptrap, but then the track would change and the artistry would shine through. Settles on a 3 for me, but I do find myself wanting to relisten
Well that was unexpected! I recommended it to Paul Reinert, as right up his unusual, funky, melodic alley.
Hmmmm not sure to make of Malcolm McLaren being the "impresario" of this album. I liked a few of the tracks but didn't understand the whole endeavour – is this not just a white man appropriating black artists' work and putting his name on it?
Interesting, but felt all over the place
I understand why this is on the list, introducing the UK to hip hop, etc. but it had really worn out it's welcome by about the half way point. Double Dutch is a good song, and there are a few other interesting ideas. But overall its just bland. The interludes are annoying also. The last song should be considered a crime against humanity
Felt dated and all over the place - not sure what to make of it but I did not enjoy it.
Horrible. No idea what this shit is. There may have been a decent song buried in here somewhere but way too much bullshot surrounding them
A haphazard approach to world music, with some beautiful-yet-simple tracks led by choruses of vocalists, mixed together with subpar takes on proto-hip-hop. The track listing was the definition of hit-or-miss, with strong cuts like Jive My Baby (man, that hook), Punk It Up, and Double Dutch alternated with some noticeably weaker ones (Song For Chango, Legba, Buffalo Gals). I don't really get what McLaren was going for, but whatever concept might have existed was pretty messy and inconsistent. Other notes: - Cover artwork is great - The context of this album and the unacknowledged theft of musical ideas must be taken into account - 3/5
Well, I finally get the "round the outside" reference in that Eminem song. This is a weird album if you can call it that. Kudos to McLaren for bringing African mbaqanga and American hip-hop to a broader audience in the UK, fuck McLaren for the classic colonialist move of not crediting the artists properly (or at all). Outside of the short lived cultural significance this has, there's not a lot to recommend it. It's more listenable than I expected, and the mbaqanga grooves on "Double Dutch" are infectious, but I'd much rather be listening to the real stuff over this pastiche.
Malcolm McLaren is quite the divisive character. Manager(and sometimes the ostensible creator) of many great musical groups like The Sex Pistols, New York Dolls, Adam and the Ants, and Bow Wow Wow. And while he had a large hand in making them famous, I don't think any of these relationships ended well. On Duck Rock, there is a wide variety of wonderful musicians and sounds from across the world. And while McLaren has done a good job bringing them together on this album, my thoughts on it are colored by his controversial approach to how he treated and (ab)used these musicians. Relationship Status: It's Complicated
Interesting. I like and didn’t at times
It felt like listening to a video game car radio. Except video games give credits to the artist. Apparently this guy didn't and just straight up stole all songs and packaged them in a funky hiphop package
Interesting, very interesting…seeing McLaren’s name I was afraid it would be a shambles…but no…it’s very listenable, very catchy, a very subtle way to start people listening to genres they might not otherwise have explored
Some reallllly nice, sommige eh
A poor attempt at trying jump onto the hip hop/ rap scene with some resemblance of afro instruments and sounds... bit aside from mediocre chart entries from Double Dutch and Buffalo Girl, I don't think there was ever much impact from Mr McClarens little experiment. The tracks prick memories from that time, but there's absolutely nothing on the album I would want to listen to again.
Took me about two years to finally listen to. Not worth the wait.
A wife mix of world music and hip-hop. Pretty interesting. Enjoyed the South American-type songs.
The song's on this record are a weird mix of genres and I love that. The interludes with the radio show are lame, and I can't shake the feeling they were then as well. I remember rolling my eyes in the early 90's at those types of skits. This came a little earlier, but in any case, they were a low point.
meh
Hmmm, tricky one. Ambivalent about the whole project. Real sense of unease about creepy old Malcolm appropriating the sound of young black and hispanic New Yorkers. That said, quite a few tracks are genuinely good, and it hangs together quite well as a piece despite the random mash-up approach. I hope all the artists got paid properly I suppose, not just the old swindler.
He was an odious sneering prick back when I was reading smash hits. Never listened to anything he did that wasn't forced on me by the radio. The hip hop here is cool, but it isn't McLaren's doing
0/5
3.5 enjoyable album to listen to as a whole. I wouldn’t say any single song stands out on its own but the album as a whole is good
Until there's a word that specifically means "worse than awful", referencing this album will have to suffice.
Dad rock the album. That's mean, it's a fine album and a catchy one.
Energetic, a bit unhinged, this was probably off the walls in 1983. Not bad, just kind of dated.
Of course, it's extremely outdated, however, I guess this is the kind of album that probably really changed the game when released, spreading all these different music styles around the world. I bet that McLaren was probably not a music genius, but his marketing feeling proved one more time to be very sharp.
This is great! Most of the album is African pop but there's also a couple old school hip-hop tracks including the incredible "Buffalo Gals." Once the hook came in ("First buffalo girl go around the outside," etc) I realized that I knew it from being referenced and sampled in other songs. (Eminem's reference to it was the first one that jumped to mind.) Anyway, the song is awesome. Great beat and great record scratching! It's a jam. "Legba" was another stand out track for me. The synth tones sound like nothing I've ever heard before. They're sad and beautiful. I love the way the different layers of melody seem to speak to each other. It's a gorgeous song that I got lost in. The concept of being a radio show fits the album because it's got a little bit of this and a little bit of that musically. It can feel like you're listening to a radio DJ playing whatever he wants. I'll probably want to skip past some of the DJ transitions on future listens but it was fun on the first go. The only track that didn't work for me was the rodeo dance closer "Duck For Oyster." I just didn't see the point of that one. But overall, this was fascinating and fun. I'm clicking through the tracks and remembering how many excellent songs are on it. The soft, mellow opener "Obatala" is beautiful. "Double Dutch" is big fun and really catchy. And "Song For Chango" is another interestingly layered track I'm gonna want to revisit.
This was a great listen. Thoroughly enjoyed and I'm more impressed after reading the backstory of the album and the artist and how influential this record was. I don't know if I would often reach to put this album on but I'm left impressed and happy after hearing it here for the first time. Will make myself put it on in the future!
No
What a quirky album. Jumped around from old-school hip-hop jock radio to tracked that have this African sound to it, but with a cool blend of the two. And a yee haw howdy square dancin' ending. What on earth
This is a weird one to listen to and read about. First track going into the second track is a wild time if you don't know what's coming next. As a whole though, it's a fun listen. I'm not really sure what Malcolm Maclaren's role in this whole thing is, but the end result is interesting and a cool intersection of early hip-hop and "world music".
Not crediting the people who actually made most of the music on the album is a scummy move, and drags it down. There are some cool beats and interesting bits, as well as parts that drag a bit and the interludes could have been better instead of just making it messy. It felt like a concept album without a concept...or maybe exploitation was the concept? Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens and the other uncredited musicians get a 4 on this album, Malcolm McLaren gets a 1, so I'm left at a 2.5 and rounding down. Highlights: Obatala, Buffalo Girls, Double Dutch, Soweto
This album was absolutely wild. It was like if Paul Simon and the Avalanches had a love child that grew up on 1950s Cowboy serials. That being said, it was absolutely captivating from start to finish; not a single track felt like it was too long or out of place. Just a barrage of noise that individually might have felt chaotic or annoying but somehow combined was greater than the sum of its parts. Some tracks genuinely stirred something in me that didn't want them to end. Just a bizarre and fun experience.
Well, that was interesting… I spent a good bit of time giggling about what you would be thinking listening through that album… Did you get through all of it? You skip through some songs after the first 45 seconds? That one might be interesting from a historical perspective in someway, but I don’t really get it…
Well.. Not sure what to say about that to be honest... Like some others I saw in the reviews, I was hopeful with the 1st track "Obatala", but then things quickly devolved from there... I get that setting up an album like a radio show might have been creative back then, but that's why we have radio stations - as I'd rather listen to that if that's what I'm in the mood for... In fact, this past weekend I was listening to 104.1 HOT FM in The Cayman Islands, as we travel there a lot, and it was a very similar in terms of DJ interruptions and comments over the music et al - except with Reggae & SOCA music... 104.1 HOT FM is authentic - "Duck Rock" absolutely was not in my opinion... Only other song that I enjoyed was "Legba", as the rest of the tracks just seemed less-than-authentic to me - like the artist was TRYING to be like someone else - as opposed to being true to what they were about... Also loses points, because I heard that many of those who made the music on this album - were NOT credited, and that's where the money is - so definitely big-time shady if you ask me... I was sort of perplexed me that "Buffalo Gals" & "Double Dutch" were apparently hits - so I listened to each a few times to make sure that I wasn't missing anything - but other that the "Buffalo Gals" chorus that sounded like Eminem's "...please stand up... repetition in 2000's "The Real Slim Shady" (i.e. not sure if Eminem got that from this song or from somewhere else...) - there was absolutely nothing compelling about either in my opinion... BTW - there was a tie for WORST song on the album - among a lot of them, but it was a race to the bottom between "Jive My Baby" & "Duck For The Oyster" - as both were among the most dreadful songs I've heard on the 1,001 to date... Finally - pretty sure that one of my group participants is going to absolutely love this album... Hope I'm wrong, but that's my vibe... : )
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Obatala, Buffalo gals, Merengue, Jive my baby
I liked the first song. it gave me high hopes for something to add to my instrumental playlist, but the rest of the album was a bit of a slog to get through.
Best Song: Punk It Up. The strength of this song lies entirely in the female vocals, so it begs the question how much this can be considered one of Malcolm's successes. Worst Song: Legba. When I was a kid, we had a shitty electronic keyboard. I would put the keyboard on my bed, put on whatever atrocious backing rhythm tracks came preloaded on the thing, and play random notes over top while fiddling with different audio settings. This feels like it came from my "space" era. Overall: I didn't like it. Scattered ideas, no clear delineation between skits, radio DJs, and music. And the worst part is: I bet this inspired a lot of terrible music that came later. This gave us the Beastie Boys, didn't it?
I've loved this from since its first release.
a real island feel, interspersed with something else from the 80s. Can't put my finger on it now. Would love to be chilling on an island right now with some Kalik.
I going to pretend i didn't hear "Duck for the Oyster"... definitely a bizarre experiment to close the album. Though it probably had about 50-75% too much skit, i was surprised by the creativity and how the world-music influence hip hop was pretty interesting and enjoyable. Double Dutch, Punk It Up, Jive My Baby and Soweto stood out for me. Buffalo Gals had a bit of a dated sound, but overall the album was a bit of a positive surprise.
love the south african vibes but other than that it was not a refined record in my opinion
Not bad but stinks of cultural appropriation.
Viihdyttävä 3/5 Oli kyl aik mielenkiintonen 3.5/5
I liked this a lot. Very novel and compelling. I understand why this album is in the list of 1001 albums to listen to before you die tomorrow.
Started off fun in a corny off beat kinda way. Then never evolved
Who are the artists singing on these tracks? Couldn't know from the song credits. 2 for white nonsense.
If the people who wrote the music and performed the music were given credit for it, I would rate this album much higher. I'm getting tired of all of these British records stealing music from people of color.
World famous, but I didn’t know it!
fun and groovy
Hip hop roots. 5/5
Erg grappige en goed uitgevoerde mix van stijlen, zeker als je beseft hoe oud dit is. De man is verder niet vies van een beetje verbale zelfbevlekking als het gaat om zijn bemoeienis met de Sex Pistols
I have no idea what I just listened to.
It's like listening to a radio station of music from around the world, but you are better off making your own playlist.
Definitely a change of pace. I enjoyed the idea of it feeling like a radio show with chatter between music. In the streaming era we don’t get that anymore.
I appreciated this bad boy more after reading the context and it started off much stronger than it finished but overall fairly enjoyable.
I don't like instrumental music.DNF
Ach, das fängt ja schön an. Angenehm zu hören.
Con miembros de lo que sería The Art Of Noise.
couldn't get past first three songs, unlistenable
A nice diversion, not much more.
I tried. This album is awful. Like zero stars awful.
wild and weird, but kinda cool
What a boring album, you can hear the lack of passion echoing around it.
Seems really innovative in terms of style, but what is with the hoedowns?
Not for me
I'm not really sure what I just listened to, it was so wacky. Can't place it genre-wise but there was some impressive scratchwork and I would imagine it's been sampled a fair few times
I really love this album. It is a bit quirky for something to recommend to everyone to listen to, but the first track is really sublime and feels timeless. If you would have played that first track and said it was a new song by Damon Albarn, I would have believed it! The rest of the album is very early hip-hop, compiled seamlessly like the DJ's that wouldn't really show up for years later. The album, as a whole, really does feel like a lost link or precursor to so many other hip-hop and DJ acts that I've loved for two decades.
its rly weird probably good for some! not i!
It’s alright if you’re into goofy rap. I’m not.
2.5 probs
Album cover is funny as fuck but what is this? Why is it on the list? Is it bad? No. But it's noisy as hell, makes me feel nothing but desire for it to end. More like a 3/10 but I can't justify putting it with other 2/5s. Fav tracks: - .....
Certainly unique. A fun blend of different influences.
Very neat. A world album from the 80's. Lots of different influences. Not much singing.
Too eclectic and all over the place. 1/5
It's . . . something. Verging on the plunderphonics of the era, but not quite on par with its contemporaries. Idk it's run of the mill for sure, unique but not necessarily "great". 5/10.
Manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls. Interesting, experimental soundscapes + world music. But, not really for listening.
I vaguely remember buffalo gal from way back, wasn't taken with it then and not enthused by this album now. Not for me
Strange album. Felt more like a bunch of indivual experiments that got combined into one album. None of the songs jumped out to me as something I need to come back to.
The hip hop side of this album was not my favorite. If it had been more focused on the world music aspect I think I would have enjoyed it more. It felt like it didn't quite know what it wanted to be. 1 star because I wouldn't ever recommend this album to someone I know, and I don't think I'll listen to it again.
Yeah, Duck Rock wasn't the easiest album for me to enjoy. It had quite a lot of interesting ideas with all of its influences from multiple countries (Not Britain surprisingly even though the artist is from there) However, with so many of these influences, they made the album feel incredibly directionless. I was hoping for a better album since all of the ideas were quite cool but that unfortunately refused to happen. Best Song: World's Famous Worst Song: Duck For The Oyster
3.5
Super interesting album and unlike anything I've ever heard before. Not what I expected from the manager of the Sex Pistols!
Lost a star cause of the final track. Wtf was that?!
This was weird, but a bit cool, I guess
Sounds like someone mixed a bunch sounds together...not my favorite album
My favorite part of this album was the wikipedia article. And it's always nice to learn some origins of stuff that is just ubiquitous later. 3/5
surprised by this, i liked it!
I really liked the first song, but the rest of the album not as much.
out there is an understatement when it comes to this album. holy moly. if i were to give a good summary of this stuff? a very wacky trek around the world. we're going to africa we're going to mexico we're going to america we're going where?? this album was actually not mainly written by this malcolm mclaren guy, but rather this is believed to be the very first album by the art of noise, crazy experimental synths, sample-flipping and all. being their first ever album, you can immediately hear their style being established, and while charming it's a little rough, but nothing too bad!
Wait, where did this come from?! Might be the most eclectic album I've heard in a long time. Thought it was going to be some kind of early hip-hop sample based album kind of like Entroducing, but then it switches to a pop banger on 'Double Dutch', then a wild salsa song, a synthpop kind of song, and it's all tied together with this radio show concept with little skits appearing throughout. I love it. And it was made in 1983, insane. A 2.73 average rating though, you people should be ashamed.
3,5. Skemmtilegir sprettir.
Oh, this was fun
Solid. Interesting
This is an album in line with the direction some English punks rockers went after punk blew up: Jah Wobble, PiL, Big Audio Dynamite. It's an awful mess of genres but I like it and I think its fun.
From the second I saw this guy was the Sex Pistols’ manager, I knew this would be scummy. A plagiarized pastiche of various cultures that somehow manages to steal without making anything interesting of the loot, an LP that sounds like a world music sampler thrown in a blender - however you slice it, this is not good music or a good look in any way.
Very weird album. From the manager of the sex pistols this is the last thing I expected. It seems to be an almost random combination of different genres and instruments, and it just doesn’t do anything for me, not awful but certainly not good. 2/5
I can't help but contrast this to Paul Simon's Graceland, that was given to me two days ago. While Graceland seems like a genuine effort of collaboration between western and South African musicians, this feels much more... exploitative. Given the nature of Malcolm McLaren and the legal issues levied at him by the musicians on this record, it looks like my gut feeling is justified. It is an interesting blend at least, and the music really does try to shine, but the end product is unfortunately tarnished.
Based on prior info, I thought I'd dislike this more. A few moments really poked through and shined though, and instead I got a confusing album.
Pretty mad. Put me in the mood for avalanches. Some cool sounds
Never heard of these. I have no idea what this is trying to do. Afrobeat, 80s hip hop, rock all over the place
Had no idea Malcolm made albums, but am aware of him from the Sex Pistols. I think this album is fun and full of good samples. The users that are mad at this album for trying to be hip-hop must have 0 idea what sampling is or what Malcolm was trying to accomplish.
Just… no. [0086/1001]
I liked the radio programme concept but a) why is this so childish? b) not sure why it's classified as hip hop? c) it was nice to hear African musical styles, but on further research it just appears to be a white British guy?
Can see why this would have been an important album for British Hip Hop, but don’t think it makes for an enjoyable listen, all a bit all over the place, not one I’ll rush back too.
World music, hip hop. Que lo baile que lo baile...
Sorry dude. You tried, sampled world music and that may have been am eye-opening experience in Britian. But full, better versions of all of these styles exist elsewhere. Fits with McLaren's aesthetician, doesn't work for me.
Like Joe Strummer, McClaren does a brilliant job of blending all of the amazing music floating around London at the time. But the best parts, by far, are entirely the work of the South African musicians he neither credited nor compensated until they successfully sued him (with Paul Simon's help). So we're back to the the 21st Century moral dilemma - what do you do with really interesting art produced by Tossers?
Es experimental, me gustó mucho ✨
👎
I do not get it.