1001 Albums Summary

Lead singer sounds like a british sailor with caramel stuck in his teeth.... Harmonies r lowkey obnoxious and winey. There is no way they were sober recording this, off that straight piss from the pub. Instrumentation is nothing special, I can see how much it has influenced british rock, but that's not a genre I typically enjoy. Harsh vocals, standard band instrumentation.... Every song sounds like a shanty. Singer sounds better when he's not trying to sing and just commits to shouting. I can hear the spit leaving this mans mouth on londons burning

Unbelievably classic. No album can encapsulate 90s New York hip hop more than this. Nas makes it sound so effortless and authentic at the same time. His flows remain timeless, and it seems so natural to him, like he’s just talking and happens to be rhyming and flowing. His stories bring me to the Queensbridge ghettos, they’re so simple because it’s just a recall of his daily life. It feels like the verses were recorded as the stories he describes were happening. Like his boy got caught at a coke deal and he went straight to the booth to talk shit on the police and rival gangs. The beats do feel dated, but in a great way. It couldn’t be timeless since they are such a great representation of the blend of various cultures, genres and influences that come together to make it feel like that grimy New York 90s vignette he and the producers make, Beautiful yet simple use of sampling, tons of jazz influence, very solid production all around that I’m sure was incredibly innovative at the time. It’s simply a perfect representation of 90s New York hip hop. Lowkey mid lol

Kinda wish it wasnt the live album.. But still a lot of fun, I love how engaged the crowd is throughout the performance and how James plays off of it. I've heard some of his songs previously, but man this guy has a set of pipes on him. Insane vocal range, I love the uncertainty he creates with his vocal patterns, I have no idea where he's gonna go on a given melody. Feels like the music is geniunely coming from his soul, no pun intended. He is a vessel of the capabilities of a human voice, and on this project it feels like he's just flexing it and having fun. Great band in the back too, without the crowd noise I would think it was studio recorded. Gonna check out some of his other work for sure