Wednesday, June 06, 2007

The Back Burner


It's not so much that I'm planning to post any Tupac joints today---this image just seemed to succinctly summarize my attitude towards (thug) life at this particular moment in time. I'm having the sort of really bad day that makes one wish to consume a plenitudinous quantity of alcohol...or use a thesaurus very awkwardly, whichever comes first.

Despite my real or imagined misery, what kind of person would I be if I completely neglected the soul children for another day? Fortunately you won't have to find out, because my heightened sense of immoral responsibility just won't let it be.

Consequently, I'm offering a handful of mighty tunes that have been doing their part to lift the weight of the world from my shoulders. Hopefully their importance in your (thug) life will be equally substantial...

"You Didn't Really Mean It"---Carolyn Franklin
(Amazing tune from Aretha's most underappreciated sibling; appears on Sister Soul: The Best Of The RCA Years 1969-1976)

"Bright As the Stars"---Black Star
(Dope Kweli/ Mos Def joint that I've been meaning to post for the longest; appears on Black Star: B-Sides & Rarities)

"Killin' Time"----Natural Essence
(A slower jam that appears on In Search Of Happiness, 1973; dig for this LP if you love soul, jazz, and/or funk)

"Groovin'"---Marvin Gaye
(Cover version of a popular track by The Rascals; appears on That's The Way Love Is, 1970)

"Resurrection (Large Professor Remix)"---Common
(Extra P's take on a joint from when Common still had some Sense; that may sound dismissive, but bloggers are shitty like that sometimes)

"Ponytail"---Corduroy
(Stunningly funky basslines and jazzy beats; appears on Dad Man Cat, 1997)

Word From Your Moms:

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Real nice selection.

Anonymous said...

A lot of people disagree with me on this . . .

But I think Forest Whitaker's best performance in a movie was in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. The movie is a cult classic and a flick I often throw in the DVD when there's nothing on television.

Nice selection, BTW.

Keep it soulful.

Anonymous said...

That Carolyn Franklin song is great. I heard a few of her songs before, but I wasn't all that impressed. This piques my interest.

Another fine post.

Scholar said...

Bullion---Gratitude.

Trent---Ghost Dog is one of my favorite flicks of all time. Jim Jarmusch + Forest + RZA is a formula that was destined for greatness. I also really like the scene where he does his ninja moves, but I couldn't quite justify that as Word From Your Moms.

Anon---Glad to see that you're diggin' the Carolyn Franklin. Some of her records are def. better than others, but since I really started listening to her a few months ago, I've been trying to pick up anything I can by her. She's at somewhat of a disadvantage, because listeners tend to immediately compare her to Aretha. If you think of her outside of that context, it's much easier to appreciate her skills.

Travis said...

Sch-sch-scholar!

Good stuff, that Talib/Mos joint was as good as anything on the album, but of course I never cared for the album, so I'm probably in the minority.

Perttu said...

I have to revisit this "older" post just to say, that I absolutely love "You Didn't Really Mean It". It's an incredible song. Thank you so much for yet another gem.

Scholar said...

Trav---It's blasphemy to not like Black Star--but fuck it. We have have mad respect for each other despite our differences in taste.

Satch---I got you on those Ghost Dog joints. Forgot for a minute, but they're coming your way.

Perttu---That Carolyn Franklin song is rather special to me as well. Thanks for stopping back to let me know that. Always good to know the tunes are doing something worthwhile for my peoples.

Donna said...

Grateful for you writing this blog.