BY MIKEY MIGO
I really don't like half year recaps. I think for the most part they're a comp out and unimaginative. But in the same respect, I love me a good year in review. So much that after last year's 411mania "Year in Review" special, I started keeping tabs on all albums that I listen to. With that, I basically jot down albums I enjoyed most in 2009 as the year goes on. When I was adding a new one this past week I realized that there's been some really good albums to come out so far this year and that my jotted down album titles actually formed a nice little list.
So in true hypocritical fashion, I'm just going to bite the bullet and put together my Top Seven albums of 2009. I'm not saying these are "THE BEST", but rather what this one listener has found to be the most listenable. More times than not, I'll review a CD or listen to it for the first time with an open mind only to find myself forget about it within a week. So by what I consider as "the best" are merely the albums that I've found myself listening to the most so far this year.
7.) Tech N9ne - "Sickology 101"
In the first of a few bounce backs, Tech N9ne hits on all cylinders on this one. I wasn't that big on the "Midwest Choppers" or "The Killer" albums, but have been a fan since around 01 or 02. "Sickology" has a really good flow to it for what's mainly a collaboration album. The stand out tracks to me are "Sickology 101", "Poh Me Anutha"(with my dudes in "Potluck"), "Dysfunctional", and the first single "Red Nose". This is a really good step in the right direction for Tech. His recent stuff hasn't seemed as raw or experimental as his older stuff. Sadly, his recent stuff has blended in with sounding like KmK and related groups. Those old crazy beats and samples seem to be a thing of the past, but lyrically Tech has matured leaps and bounds with this release. If we can somehow get those old beats back on top of these lyrical skills then Tech N9ne will sell another million albums (As he already has..On his own!) in no time.
6.) The Lonely Island - "Incredibad"
I've been a fan of Andy Samberg since pretty much everyone else. It was that witty and too catchy for its own good "Lazy Sunday" that did it. I was already an avid SNL fan, but another reason to watch after the Fallon/Fey era is always welcomed. Since then, we've had "Natalie Portman's Rap", "Dick In A Box", "Jizz In My Pants", and other musical sketches that have pretty much egged the house of pop culture relevance. All four of the songs I mentioned are on the debut album "Incredibad" by The Lonely Island crew and then "some" (by "some", I mean "like fifteen"). "I'm On a Boat", "Like A Boss", "We Like Sportz", "Ras Trent", "Space Olympics", and so many other fun tracks make this really easy to keep listening to. Most of the time a comedy album like this is purely novelty, but in this case it's pretty damn good. The music is pretty good, but the wit of the album is within the lyrics. I've heard this album at least two dozen times since it's February release and I still keep managing to find new jokes and lines that I probably missed by laughing over them the times before. I've not enjoyed a musical comedy album this much since Adam Sandlar's old classics like "Piece of Shit Car" and "Hanukah Song". With "Mother Lover" and other new Digital Shorts on the horizon, one can only hope this is the first of many albums by the Lonely Island trio.
5.) Prince - "LotusFlow3r/MplSound"
As a double album, this album is pretty good. When you selectively trim out some of the overly religious stuff, you're left with a great album. The opening track "From The Lotus…" is a really different track. I played it for a not to expecting friend and he was shocked to find out it was Prince. The cover of "Crimson & Clover" is really slept on by most people out there. I really do think this is one of those situations where an artist could get away with releasing a cover as a single. I should verify that a little more. It's a situation where an artist could release a cover as a single and not completely suck ass and ruin it for people (See: Bizkit, Limp). There's "Colonized Mind". Yes, that's the title of the track. It's so weird and distinct to Prince's style that it somewhat feels like a satire of his own work. We get some bad ass funky Prince in "Feel Good, Feel Better, Feel Wonderful", but it DOES sneak in some religious undertones. There's nothing wrong with religion in music, but it just doesn't feel right from the guy who gave us "Pussy Patrol". The R&B dirty funk hits hard in "Dreamer", but for some reason Prince's vocals seemed to be turned down too low. "(There'll Never B) Another Like Me" is the single of the album and it definitely has the feeling to it. This is the Prince who used to kick The Time's ass in Purple Rain and Graffiti Bridge. The video should have just been of random people lip syncing the words and then Prince appearing out of nowhere and bitch slapping each and everyone one of them. "Chocolate Box" has that old school Prince vibe to it too and is really enjoyable. Pretty much half of the second half of the album feels like a "NPG" era work. You can't be mad at that. I can listen to this album all day on a loop. It's great background music to doing some productive. It's not the Prince album we're all wanting, but there are some gems in there and you have to remember that Prince is like The Simpsons. Even the bad episodes are good.
4.) Method Man & Redman - "The Black Out 2"
I've been a fan of Method Man since my ears with hit with "M-E-T-H-O-D MAN". On the flip, I've never really gotten into Redman. I like the guy, but never got into his albums. So basically with the "Black Out", I was divided on interest. This one is different. I dug Redman's lyrical work and he kept my attention. I want to mark this one up as my own problem, but obviously Red is talented on this one. My favorite tracks are "I'm Dope Nigga", "Errbody Scream", "Dis Iz 4 All My Smokers", and "Neva Herd Dis B4". The best track however is "Four Minutes To Lock Down" featuring Raekwon and Ghostface Killah of the Wu. I know the Wu Tang Clan is a very exclusive group, but why not just add Redman. Most casual fans probably think he's in the group anyway as much as he's associated with Meth and a few of the others. I will flat out say that "The Black Out 2" is the best hip hop album in a good five years. You have no choice but to bob your head to the beats and let your brain absorb the lyrical wit these two have.
3.) Marilyn Manson - "The High End of Low"
I did a review for this album about a week or so ago. In the review I had stated that "The High End of Low" is the best Manson album to come out in over ten years. Since then, I've listened to this album at least another dozen times. Despite not liking "Arma-Goddamn-Motherfucking-Gedden" or "Pretty As A Swastika" much at all, I really don't skip them when listening. To me there are two or three tracks that come off like "Disposable Teens/Mobscene" Take 19. By that I mean that they sound like the same recycled singles that Manson has disguised as new over the past 10 years. There are songs on it like "Four Rusted Horses", "Running to the Edge of the World", and "Leave A Scar" that have invaded my thought process. So much that I go back to the album just to hear these songs again. What happened every single time is me ending up listening to the entire album again and again. Since "Mechanical Animals", I've been a very passive Manson fan. Nothing has connected with me or hooked me to the point where I listen to the album more than the singles or live. This album has grown on my like a rash after sex with a hot woman. You're still glad you had the experience and the itching will make it that much harder to forget it.
2.) U2 - "No Line On The Horizon"
I always go into a new U2 album with really high expectations. Sometimes it pays off and I'm treated to one of the best albums of ALL TIME (See: U2 catalog, most). So yeah, I'm a huge fan. I am bias to seeing U2 succeed, but not deaf. I didn't care much for "How to Dismantle" except for "Love and Peace or Else". You can shit on Bono for doing for humanity than most countries, but when you get past that horrendous fact you still have one of the best voices of rock and roll history. That's right, I said "history". A band doesn't stay around that long without making their claim to a legacy. Okay, off the soap box and on to the album. I was weary of the first single "Get On Your Boots". It didn't hook with me and it faded my expectations for the album a lot. So maybe with the faded expectations, I went into the album with a clearer and more open mind. What happened was me rediscovering my love for U2's music. "No Line On The Horizon" is my favorite U2 album in quite some time. The title track has been stuck in my head more days than not since its release. But catchiness aside, you have tracks like "Magnificent", "White As Snow", and "Cedars Of Lebanon" that are a lot more stripped down in vein of classics like "One", "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", and others. The album has a contrast though, as "Stand Up Comedy", "Breathe", and even the single "Get On Your Boots" in small doses are all pretty good foot tappers. This album is what most U2 fans have waited for. It's the next evolutionary step in the epic career of U2. Great listen!
1.) Franz Ferdinand - "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand"
"Tonight" has easily been the album I've listened to the most of all of 2009 new and old. The opening track "Ulysses" is absolutely my favorite track of the album, but the album itself is what we're talking about. The flow, variety, and work on this album is pretty much flawless in my tastes. More mellow and spacey tracks like "Twilight Omens", the closer "Katherine Kiss Me", and especially "Dream Again" show a side of the band that I've never been exposed to before. I really enjoyed my first impression of this album, but as time went on I found myself listening to it more and more. If you'd of asked me six months ago if I thought I'd like the upcoming Franz Ferdinand album I'd say "maybe". If you'd of asked if it'd be my FAVORITE album of the half year in 2009 I'd say "shut the fuck up". Well, folks… "shut the fuck up" and get your hands on this album. Hopefully, like me, you'll be in for a huge surprise and a new musical addiction.
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