Originally Posted by Moonshake
The issue which I described with this album is not actually with the music itself (if you notice, I did not comment on the content of the album whatsoever), but instead with the rather horrifying social influence of Anthony Fantano. Simply, without his high praise, I don't believe Kendrick Lamar's albums would be nearly as highly rated on RYM, and to me it is highly regrettable that one man has so much influence on the music tastes of others—To Pimp a Butterfly is the one true exemplar of this phenomenon.
However, you do raise a good point; when I said that the album and its physical copies should be incinerated and televised, I wrote that only taking into account the phenomenon above which I described. If I am reminded that the content of the music describes and explores concepts heavily related to Black Americans and their modern-day and historical struggles across multiple strata of society, which makes this album to be very important to those who heavily resonate with said content, then perhaps saying to incinerate all copies of the album is an overstep on my part.
But also, in a way, Fantano's high praise and wide reach (with an audience that is, for all intents and purposes, western, suburban and nonblack) likely dilutes the important sociopolitical messages of the album, by flooding the listener base with people who are wholly unprepared for, and unaware of, the actual content and messages contained within the music itself. Are we to call this, with concern for true social reform in the United States, a true victory? I don't think I would. The more something becomes common parlance, the less significance it carries, and we are obviously to never forget the brutal history of the United States, and how many of us ultimately have blood on our hands.
So, basically, I believe you and I were "tunnel-visioning" on two different aspects of this album, cats: me, on the social repercussions of Anthony Fantano's praise and the blind reception of those who do not know what they are hearing, and you, concerned over my hyperbolic and not-so-subtly ironic frustration in light of the extremely important sociopolitical themes and dialogue within the music itself. But principally, I don't believe we are in much disagreement.
Cheers 🥂
my comment was made in jest as an easy dunk, i don't actually think ur racist but i appreciate the good-faith, if ironic, approach. i was basically just echoing what an average annoying music fan might say, given that u left urself wide open for such an assertion
the correct take is fuck all these sites centered around reducing art to numbers
Originally Posted by Moonshake
You're wrong, but you have the right attitude. Maybe you'll reconsider in a few years.
probably but as of right now I am filled with so much rage and hate that I essentially act as a replica of the ark of the covenant
part of the uri-nation rateyourmusic
you clean your ears with a toothpick while listening to explosive diarrhea blood rectum metal
Originally Posted by basic
moonshake can you rate mine
What follows is a
SȺĐƗSŦƗȻ REVIEW of basic's 5 Star Ratings** on RateYourMusic.Com
A "Sadistic" review is one in which I will be selectively fair and unfair for primarily my entertainment and secondarily for the readers who may or may not be similarly entertained.
* Only choosing to comment on certain albums.
* I have received a private message containing a link to basic's rateyourmusic profile. Unlike in the case of piss, due to this being something that is not publicly revealed by basic (to my knowledge), I will not link it here.
Death Grips - Exmilitary (2011)
Finally, Death Grips appears. Another thing to mark off the RYM bingo card.
This group, while I think their music has aged like milk, should go on to be seen as historically important. The time when Death Grips appeared is around the time when the internet truly emerged as a place to discursively carve out your own digital fantasy world. The time when social media was beginning to be fully realized as an extension of our imaginations and consciences. Severed from real life, you're left alone in a place where it's only what you make of it. When this digital life takes priority over real life, the mode of digital life becomes the mode of real life. But you can't equate the two modes; if you act the same in real life as you do online, you will fall behind in real life. You'll see others who aren't as internet-socialized as you, and you become anxious. Am I missing out? No I'm not, FUCK these other people. I don't need them. It's my life, my profile picture, my alias, my t-shirt, my shoes, my steam profile, it's MY life. Sure, bro, you got the girls, but have you ever received 1000 listens on SoundCloud? No, you haven't. You have no idea what it's like to be me, NORMIE. I am the beast I worship.
Now, this sort of "narcissistic nihilism" of Death Grips is only one reaction of a possible few. More on this later.
CORRECT ANSWER: 2.5 Stars
Gorillaz - Gorillaz (2001)
Gorillaz did to American millennials with music in the 2000s what the CIA did to black neighborhoods with crack in the 80s. Both were pretty effective. Also, I appreciate this isn't Demon Days.
CORRECT ANSWER: 2.5 Stars
JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - Scaring the Hoes (2023)
I'm going to talk about Kendrick Lamar again. Despite what I've said about his popularity in some corners of the internet, he never once envisioned that a 17 year old guy named Tyler from Hastings, Nebraska would "totally fuck with" his song "King Kunta". So, even though the discourse around his music has been completely poisoned, I wouldn't say Kendrick Lamar has betrayed himself as an artist.
However... in the case of JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown? GUILTY AS CHARGED!
CORRECT ANSWER: 1 Star
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)
I've already said too much about Kendrick Lamar. But, if you HAD to give one album of his a 5 star rating, it'd be this one.
CORRECT ANSWER: 3 Stars
Machine Girl - ...Because I'm Young Arrogant and Hate Everything You Stand For (2017)
I mentioned that Death Grips's reaction to the digital age is one of a few paths one can take. As I've let this idea germinate in my head for about 30 minutes now, I've devised a much simpler explanation which will be more easily understood by my fellow hopelessly romantic netizens: Death Grips is to NPD as Machine Girl is to BPD. ¿Preguntas?
CORRECT ANSWER: 2 Stars
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
This album has fallen out of my rotation over the years. But I get it.
CORRECT ANSWER: 4 Stars
The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow (1984)
Here's where my sympathies will be the closest—OBVIOUSLY, these recordings here contain the best output of The Smiths. There's something about session/demo recordings that often have this indeterminately feral sound that I find to be more lively than studio recordings. Same with live albums/tracks, although in those cases you'll usually have to reckon with the crowd in the background. For example, the performance here of "Still Ill" reaches FAR beyond the recording on Meat is Murder. To the uninitiated, it might not seem like there's a crazy difference between the two recordings. However, the devil is in the details!
1. The tempo is slightly slower and is found to be a more appropriate choice.
2. The mix is more dry than Meat is Murder and that is a more appropriate choice (the guitar sounds more "jangly", the entire sound is more "intimate").
However, the real hero here is Mike Joyce on drums:
3. Referencing the track on Spotify, if you go to the 1:11 mark, you'll hear the transition to the pre-chorus ("It just wasn't like...") where he IMMEDIATELY opts for the ride cymbal instead of withholding it for the actual chorus (Am I still ill?), and that was the perfect and correct choice. To further heighten the chorus, he makes use of a tambourine, since the ride has already appeared.
While everything presented here is subtle, it makes a dramatic difference in the end. They should have recorded the rest of their output in the same manner and called it quits.
CORRECT ANSWER: 4.5 Stars
Soda Stereo - Dynamo (1992)
Whenever I talk about rock music with a Spanish speaker, Soda Stereo always comes up. But they always send me "De Música Ligera" instead of anything from this album. I'm actually a little upset nobody sent this to me before.
By the way, Señor Básico de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios Ponte y Blanco, did you know your country has its own musical shining star (and perhaps this is the reason why an 8th star was added to the flag?) I'm not sure if there's a better band of its kind in the Spanish-language world.
CORRECT ANSWER: 4 Stars
System of a Down - System of a Down (1998)
I was thinking to myself "Really, THREE 5-star-ratings for System of a Down?" Then I remembered where you're from. NOW, to the uninitiated, that might read like a somewhat ignorant and judgmental statement, but to those who know, CLEARLY there's something about the Armenian-American struggle that resonates deeply with Latin Americans from all walks of life, specifically those from the historically chaotic countries of Colombia and Venezuela. I can imagine "Spiders" would fit perfectly as a background when walking the streets of Caracas. I've met tons of people from that area who, when asked for their favorite bands, will say SOAD as one of the first answers. I have to not only respect it, but also express solidarity. One struggle. Venezuela Libre.
CORRECT ANSWER: 3 Stars
System of a Down - Mezmerize (2005)
I think the band started running out of juice here.
CORRECT ANSWER: 2.5 Stars
Kanye West - Yeezus (2013)
At the very least, I like that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or 808s and Heartbreaks isn't on here.
CORRECT ANSWER: 2 Stars
Discord: bicycleforrats
<[Obey]Quest> yall needa tap into my telegram on gad
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