1001 Albums Summary

Honestly, this is a very boring album. Like i get the appeal but it's just not my thing.

I’ve had multiple insights into the messaging behind this album, my main one being that I'm missing context on gang politics that I think would have given this extra depth. I wrote the second half of this sentence halfway through track 1 but at 2/3 through the album I think it’s even more pertinent . There are a number of real-world issues addressed in this album that are greatly overshadowed by the message to perpetuate gang violence. Totally appreciate that this message is a commentary on survival as a black man in the US. It’s born of desperation, and the threats and disses in the album are attacks with words rather than bullets but it’s an attack nonetheless. It’s hard to see the anti-racial activism addressed in the album as anything more than ironic. Isn’t until track 5 that we hear genuine artistry There’s a stark juxtaposition between certain instrumental elements throughout the album. An example of this is the keyboard solo from 3mins on 'Fuck Wit Dre Day' and the flute accompaniment on Lil’ Ghetto Boy. Overall it’s a bit of a mix, I don’t vibe with the violent and sexist messaging in the album, I don’t understand why it’s become mainstream. It’s an interesting insight, delving into a precursor to more modern genres but it disheartens me slightly that modern artists don’t have the perspective to steer towards a more positive change in messaging.

Theres a quote from Pitchfork on Tortoise's spotify bio, it reads "Tortoise floats free, a planchette moving over a Ouija board guided by 10 sets of fingers, where everyone watches the arrow float in one direction but no one is quite sure how it gets there or who is doing the pushing", I think that sums Djed up quite nicely. It's not a song so much as it's an audio experience. It's a spectrum of textures, it's almost tactile. The strength and driving energy of the album as a whole sound like a source of inspiration for bands such as Public Service Broadcasting.

Where do I begin. I was so hyped by the opening track, it set a standard that absolutely did not carry throughout the rest of the album. If I could take this album and remove more-or-less all vocals it would be fantastic. ABC are great at writing music and absolutely suck at writing lyrics. Favourite tracks were Show Me (track 1) and Look of Love pt. 4 (track 10)