Kool G. Rap & D.J. Polo
On The Run (Dirty Untouchable Remix)
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Released in 1992

Ray Bryant
Up Above The Rock
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Released in 1969

I had a thing at work recently where I was overdramatically quoting (sotto voce) that psycho De Niro speech from The Untouchables:

That same day, my iPod shuffle randomly selected a remix of Kool G. Rap & D.J. Polo’s 5-star classic “On The Run,” which samples that very same quote. Funny how the universe works sometimes.

For those unfamiliar with Kool G. Rap, he was one of the progenitors of first-person mafioso rap, influencing The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and scores of others. “On The Run” tells the story of a drug courier for the mob who decides to steal from his employers, only to discover the Luciano family isn’t giving up its stash without a fight. Kool G. creates a compelling narrator, and moves the story along without sacrificing flow or rhyme:

The thought alone makes me shiver, damn
What if I get caught? They’ll find me floatin in the Hudson river
But if I escape, I’ll be in shape for my life
but they might, get my kid and my wife

Kool G. and Polo recorded the record in Los Angeles, which was unprecedented for an East Coast hip hop artist. Sir Jinx — a Los Angeles-based producer who worked on Ice Cube’s seminal AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted album — worked with Polo on the beats.

“On The Run,” was built around a minor-key sample from Ray Bryant’s late-60s piano-soul 5-star classic “Up Above The Rock.” It’s a prime example of building and releasing tension, with the melody shifting from Ray’s piano to horn, Grady Tate’s drums maintaining the beat while upping the frenzy, and an occasional piercing “Hey!” jolting the mood to a new place.

17th Street
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Must Be Something
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The Bottle
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Album: It’s Your World (1976)

The year was 1976. America was reveling in its bicentennial celebration. I was five, and don’t remember a thing. But my pop culture-filtered nostalgia imagines 1976 as the precipice between free love optimism and cocaine-fueled excess.

It’s Your World — a (mostly) live double-LP credit to Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson — was recorded just a couple of days before the July 4th holiday. While America at large was patting itself on the back, Gil was giving voice to those Americans who felt the country wasn’t living up to the Declaration of Independence’s key phrase, “All men are created equal.”

Gil Scott-Heron is so closely associated with his politics that it’s easy to forget the musicality apparent in his songs. Though Gil penned many of his own tunes, Brian Jackson contributed many of the duo’s finest compositions, and was the primary keys player.

“17th Street” is a lyrically-atypical song from Gil, shedding polemics in favor of getting down. But even his “party” songs include a hint of danger:

I come from 17th Street and that’s on the other side of town,
an’ if you see me wit’ my brothers
don’cha dare go no further
you know we gonna get down, down, down.

“Must Be Something” was a track I slept on until I started prepping for this post. But as I listened closer to the tight harmonies and Brian’s classy electric piano solo, I was won over by its charms.

The final selected track is “The Bottle,” which is among Gil and Brian’s best-known songs, and one of the most harrowing depictions of addiction ever committed to wax. The live version ups the tempo considerably, and provides a showcase for the three percussionists Gil and Brian brought along on tour. Brian proves he’s got fingers of fury, keeping up with the galloping rhythm via some truly dexterous flute work.

After a 16-year hiatus (which, sadly, included a couple of drug-related stints in prison), Gil recently released a new record, I’m New Here. Though I’ve only heard a bit of it, “New York Is Killing Me” proves Gil hasn’t lost much over the years. Check it out.

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.

Common (w/Kanye West & John Mayer)
Go
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Album: Be (2005)

Linda Lewis
Old Smokey
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Album: Lark (1972)

Common has had quite the inconsistent career. But when Kanye West came knocking, Common stepped up his game, resulting in the pretty darn awesome LP Be. I fear Be may end up being the apex of Common’s recording career, but I’m still rooting for one of Chi-town’s finest.

Though Be has a number of enjoyable tracks, I’ve been surprised by how much its third single, "Go" has stuck with me. I think it’s the contrast between the mellow beat and the risqué lyrics that keeps it in rotation.

Kanye makes an able hype man and as for John Mayer, I think his contribution is limited to the echoed "Go" that is looped every two bars or so. (And he gets a songwriting credit?)

I hadn’t heard the Linda Lewis track Kanye sampled in "Go." To be honest, I hadn’t heard of Linda Lewis. But "Old Smokey" is a sweet, feel-good song that is ideally suited to a Sunday morning. Whatever led Kanye to isolate the short electric keyboard breakdown that appears towards the end of the song is a mystery to me, but I’m indebted to Yeezy for leading me to this rare groover.

Only You
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Close The Door
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It Don’t Hurt Now
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When Somebody Loves You Back
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Album: Life Is A Song Worth Singing (1978)

This is part two of a two-part tribute to Teddy Pendergrass. part one

Teddy Pendergrass’s Life Is A Song Worth Singing is a fine example of how Philly soul adapted to the disco/funk movement while remaining true to the diverse vocal personalities, complex orchestral arrangements, and accessible melodies that defined this popular regional subgenre. Teddy was (arguably) the biggest star of the storied Philadelphia International label, with a voice that can blow you away or woo you to bed — sometimes within the same song.

The first featured cut is “Only You,” which I can’t listen to without remembering Eddie Murphy’s classic bit from Delirious:

“Close The Door” may be my all-time favorite Teddy track, an unequivocal 5-star classic and Teddy’s only single to crack the Top 40 pop charts. Laid-back but with a driving backbeat, this is a groove you can put on at the end of a night of dancing for one last feel-good jam.

Your hip black aunt would have been mighty pissed at me if I didn’t include “It Don’t Hurt Now,” which was one of those Teddy tracks that had women throwing their panties onto the stage. What did Teddy do with all those panties?

The final selection is the uplifting stepper “When Somebody Loves You Back,” arranged by the legendary Thom Bell (check the “Flight of the Bumblebee” strings). This is typical of the songwriting style pioneered by (Kenny) Gamble & (Leon) Huff — catchy and straightforward with a touch of melancholy.