Wrektime
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Sound Bwoy Bureill
(w/Starang Wonduh, Top Dog)
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Home Sweet Home
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Album: Dah Shinin’ (1995)

I couldn’t decide if Smif-N-Wessun’s Dah Shinin’ should be categorized within LP Classics or Crate Diggin’.

One the one hand, Dah Shinin’ is a mid-90s banger, and was part of a wave of releases that brought some shine back to New York hip hop after years of West Coast dominance. So LP Classics seems like the right place for this post.

On the other hand, unless you were a serious connoisseur of rap, you’ve probably never heard of Smif-N-Wessun, its talented MCs Tek and Steele, or their underrated producers, Da Beatmizerz. The duo appears to identify itself with an underground aesthetic; so from that perspective, maybe Crate Diggin’ would be the more appropriate categorization.

It’s the rare record that can be both amazing and unknown, but Dah Shinin’ pulls it off. It’s not for everyone, though. The lyrics are raw, the beats are moody and ambient. And kids should definitely not attempt to learn spelling from the duo; everything in the Smif-N-Wessun universe uses ridiculous, phonetic spelling. (“Wipe Ya Mouf”?)

But for those who can hang with the realness, Da Shinin’ is one of hip hop’s most steady LPs; having a single producer oversee the record makes a huge difference to its flow.

Sorry about the skip that kicks off “Wrektime.” (When keeping it real goes wrong.) “Wrektime” is one of the LPs more upbeat cuts, though it conforms to the Smif-n-Wessun lyrical template of weed, guns, and getting into shit. I have no idea what Tek is trying to say with, “Mista Rippa slicker than your sista/Turn down the lights she got hit by the Vicksta,” but it is delivered with entertaining conviction.

“Sound Bwoy Bureill” is my favorite track on the record, and Da Beatminerz’s production is a masterful showcase for the art and power of minimalism. In addition to its memorable vocals, the track consists of a straightforward drum pattern, a driving bassline, some sparse keyboard flourishes, and a wind sound that subtly supports its ominous mood. Tek and Steele often employ Jamaican-style phrasing in their verses, most prominently on this classic joint.

I’ve been trying to track down the reggae toaster sampled at the beginning and end of “Sound Bwoy Bureill”. The Internet claims the obscure Super Beagle record below is the source, but it doesn’t quite match up with the badass toasting that appear on Smif-n-Wessun’s track (where is “LEAVE!”?).

Also, my guess is that the accapella intro part is not Super Beagle, but some Flavor Flav-ian hype man. Or is Super Beagle the name of the group and not the singer? I wish I knew that dude’s name.

The final selection, “Home Sweet Home” (they spelled that one right… why not “Hohm Suite Hohm?”) features a menacing excerpt from Roy Ayers’ oft-sampled classic, “We Live In Brooklyn Baby”. (Incidentally, the cover design for Dah Shinin’ also “samples” the cover design for He’s Coming, the Roy Ayers LP that includes “We Live In Brooklyn Baby”.) Tek and Steele each pull off some intricate rhymes: respectively, “What parts of no, do not you understand bro?” and “They was sent to represent and cause a ruckus amongst us.”

Unsurprisingly, Smif-n-Wessun were sued by Smith & Wesson after the release of Dah Shinin’, forcing them to change their name to Cocoa Brovaz. They must have worked something out with the gunmakers, because they changed their name back to Smif-n-Wessun in the mid-00s. They’re still recording and recently released a decent record with Pete Rock entitled Monumental. (The cover art is awesome.)

Driven To Tears
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When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around (Different Gear Remix)
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Voices Inside My Head
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Album: Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)

For an album that the band itself isn’t particularly satisfied with, Zenyatta Mondatta sure has some gems on it. The accepted story is that The Police were pressured to complete the record prior to going on a world tour, despite the band’s grumblings. Regardless, Zenyatta Mondatta succeeds due to the trio’s chemistry, songwriting, and musicianship.

Zenyatta Mondatta‘s biggest hits were the terrific “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” and the idiotic “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da.” More interesting are the dancefloor classics that captured a band willing to broaden their sound.

“Driven To Tears” is a propulsive, reggae-tinged jam that gives each band member a chance to shine. Stewart Copeland (who I learned was American — I thought they were all Brits?) provides steady yet adventurous support for Sting’s unusually melodic bass skills and Andy Summers face-melting guitar solo.

In the shoddy music video for “When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around” below, there’s a stretch taken from a live performance, and demonstrates The Police were even more exciting on stage than on record:

Instead of the original version, I’m featuring a 2000 remix credited to an outfit called Different Gear. Originally released as a bootleg, Zenyatta Mondatta‘s rightsholder facilitated an official release. Different Gear adds some tasteful house beats behind the original groover, but keeps the core track intact.

“Voices In My Head” was a disco smash, and can still move the crowd some 30 years later. It feels unfinished — especially lyrically — and may be one example of why The Police were frustrated with their deadline. Even so, it’s effective as a (mostly) instrumental exploration of one killer riff.

So what the hell does Zenyatta Mondatta mean? Nothing much, apparently. Stewart Copeland explains, “It’s not an attempt to be mysterious, just syllables that sound good together.” Agreed.

Let No Man Put Asunder
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Love Having You Around
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Dr. Love (Tom Moulton 12″ Mix)
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Album: Delusions (1977)

The onset of spring makes disco bloom on my hi-fi. And though it has its place, I’m not talking about the commercial disco I wish I heard at Studio 54; I’m talking about the soulful proto-house disco I wish I heard at the Paradise Garage. One of the best examples of the latter is First Choice’s Delusions LP.

Annette Guest and Rochelle Fleming founded First Choice when they were still Philadelphia high school students. Rochelle reminisces:

Our success didn’t hit us until graduation night. We were marching down the aisle and the principal of the school said he wanted to congratulate First Choice… then the whole graduation class just stood up and hollered and screamed.

Five years later, as disco was starting to dominate the pop landscape, First Choice (Rochelle, Annette, and new member Ursula Herring) released Delusions. In hindsight, First Choice is perceived as more of a singles act rather than album artists. Delusions, however, is a fairly consistent collection of songs, thanks in part to the lush production from MFSB’s rhythm section: Ron Baker, Norman Harris, and Earl Young.

“Let No Man Put Asunder” wasn’t released as a single initially. But 10 years after it was recorded, Shep Pettibone remixed “Let No Man Put Asunder” to huge success at the clubs:

The remix is a big improvement, thanks to the airtight rhythm and masterful mixing. But it sounds like Rochelle Fleming re-recorded her vocals, and I miss the soulful idiosyncrasies she contributes to the original.

“Love Having You Around” is the rare Stevie Wonder cover that improves upon the original:

I feel sacrilegious admitting that I prefer the looser, more euphoric vibe in First Choice’s 5-star classic version — Stevie Wonder is as close as it gets to a spiritual figure in my life.

“Dr. Love” is über-disco: over-the-top orchestrations, hard-driving drums, and risqué lyrics. Wisely, for the 12″ remix, they handed the reels over to legendary producer/remixer Tom Moulton. Moulton was a pioneer of “mixing down” — stretching out and weaving together the musical building blocks of the recording to improve danceability, and facilitate blending between different records. His original “Dr. Love” remix proved to be a bit too much for First Choice, and a shorter, edited version was used for the official 12″. This version appeared on a compilation a few years back, and you can hear how much fun Moulton had in exploring the different movements of the song.

Thanks to the fervid remixing of their records, First Choice sailed through the disco era and continued to keep party people dancing as house music started to take shape. They’ve reformed a couple of times since then, and Rochelle Fleming continues to belt out First Choice classics.

Shame (12" Mix)
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Smooth Talk
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I Don’t Know If It’s Right
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The Show Is Over
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Album: Smooth Talk (1977)

Evelyn “Champagne” King was all of 17 years old when her debut record Smooth Talk was released. Discovered while accompanying her mother as she worked as a janitor at Philadelphia International Records (home to The O’Jays, Lou Rawls, and Teddy Pendergrass, among many others), Evelyn was successful from the get-go with her 5-star classic first single, “Shame,” presented here in its extended 12″ mix. In addition to lengthening some passages within the song, the producer trebelled out the mix a bit. Or maybe my 12″ of “Shame” is in better shape than my Smooth Talk LP.

The title track is a true rare groover — one of those tracks that’s been given new life over the years via a white label house record or two. I’m surprised the breakdown that starts at 3:57 hasn’t been sampled yet (or has it?).

“I Don’t Know If It’s Right” has one of those choruses that is instantly catchy. I wonder how America today would react to a 16-year old singing, “I dont know if it’s right to let you make love to me tonight… ‘Cause I don’t want you to be just another man.” Ah, the 70s.

“The Show Is Over” may be familiar to fans of Ice Cube, who sampled it in “You Know How We Do It.” It’s also a great example of an orchestrated R&B track that takes its time to build up emotionally and musically. I believe Evelyn’s record label made a mistake by not releasing this as a radio single; to these ears, it’s a 5-star classic.

Evelyn continued to make records throughout the 70s and 80s, peaking with the 1982 hit “Love Come Down.” After taking a break though most of the 90s and the 00s, Evelyn released a new album in 2007 and continues to tour.

Beyond Belief
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Shabby Doll
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Man Out Of Time
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Almost Blue
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Released in 1982

Elvis Costello is a great all-around songwriter. His work features creative and catchy melodies, deftly honors a range of musical genres, and delivers lyrics that can be both narrative and poetic.

Imperial Bedroom is among his better LPs. Elvis’s artistic restlessness often results in his albums lacking in cohesion. But Imperial Bedroom succeeds due to its diversity and craft; no wonder it is regarded as one of Elvis’s best.

Released in 1982 — his seventh album in five years — Elvis teamed up with a new producer, Geoff Emerick. Emerick was an engineer on many of The Beatles’ later records (the first track he engineered was “Tomorrow Never Knows”), and his influence on Elvis Costello & The Attractions’ sound is clear.

Elvis earned the cover of Rolling Stone just after the release of Imperial Bedroom.

The album starts off with the two-and-a-half-minute epic “Beyond Belief.” The lyrics feel great rolling off the tongue (“History repeats the old conceits. The glib replies, the same defeats”), but my poetic interpretation skills are insufficient to decipher the song’s meaning; my best guess is that he’s awed by a woman who can be cruel.

“Shabby Doll” — which is really fun to say — is filled with idiosyncratic touches: Steve Nieve’s bouncy piano, Bruce Thomas’s bass popping up in unexpected places, and Pete Thomas’s driving rhythm punctuating the final minute of the track.

“Man Out Of Time” is one of those tracks where there’s a lot going on, but the sum is greater than its parts. The riotous shrieking that bookends the song is incongruous with its more serene middle. The lyrics can be inscrutable (“There’s a tuppenny ha’penny millionaire. Looking for a fourpenny one” Huh?). But when that chorus hits, it’s hard not to sing along.

The last featured track is definitely my all-time favorite (and 5-star classic) Elvis song, “Almost Blue.” Musically and lyrically, it could have been performed by Frank Sinatra or Nina Simone in a smoky lounge. Elvis really digs deep on his vocal performance, landing slightly behind the beat to heighten the melancholy.

In the liner notes that came with a CD reissue of Imperial Bedroom, Elvis reflected on his achievement:

Many of the… songs on the record… exhibit a malaise of the spirit and a sinking feeling about happy endings.

That pretty much sums it up.