Friday, December 17, 2004

TOP 10 of 2004

Hey Soul Mates,
here you go. These titles get my whole-hearted endorsement. You will be entertained, moved or energized by these albums. Each one is worth the price of admission. It's very hard to rank them beyond the top choice; any given day #8 could be #4, etc.
I will devote entire blog entries to the top 5. The "bottom 5" of the top ten are:

#10: To The 5 Boroughs... The Beastie Boys. This is a return to form with An Open Letter To NYC as the wonderous centerpiece. Ch-ch-ch-check it out.

#9. This Is Not A Test... Missy Elliot. Missy brings some wicked beats with Timbaland. A straight up danceable disc featuring Pass That Dutch and some hysterical raps in Toyz and Let Me Fix My Weave. I never would have guessed I would enjoy Missy E so much.

#8. College Dropout... Kanye West. If this were a vinyl album, it would be all about side one with All Falls Down and the rap reverie Spaceship. Plus, Kanye's got the funniest skits on record this year: "Gonna make 'em start jumpin up and down, sharin' candy and stuff!" If you can find the spoken word version of All Falls Down called Self-Conscious you'll be blown away by the poetry.

#7. Astronaut... Duran Duran. Comeback of the year ('cause Prince didn't "come back"). I saw D2 twice in 2003, playing Sunrise and What Happens Tomorrow. Fantastic material toward the end of the disc = this CD could have been programmed better. A small complaint. Make sure to stick around to hear Chains.

#6. Diary Of Alicia Keys... Alicia Keys. I know we complained about Fallin' 3 years ago. It got played out. But remember the first time you heard it? There was tons of promise there. Well, AK has delivered. This CD is superior to her debut. You Don't Know My Name is a perfect slice of Philly Soul. Even with the goofy spoken middle section, it's a contender for my favorite single of the year. It's like a song from my childhood (considering the affinity I have for the Jacksons, the O'Jays and the Spinners). There's a reason why Grammy has smiled upon this Soul Child. Check out If I Ain't Got You (that is if you've been miles away from radio this year) & So Simple (produced by Kanye West).

Stay tuned for my top 5!
Love, Power, Peace

Happy Holidays from Rush Hour Soul

Hey Soul Mates,
it's the holiday season and what better way to celebrate than to give out gifts. You will find our presents to you on the News page of our website. Follow the link above. Once you get there, look for the big box with the ribbon and open it up!

We have posted two very special performance videos from our last 2 shows. We hope you will enjoy them in the spirit of the season. They are streaming videos and only require you to click the song title.

My next post will be the first half of my top 10 for 2004. I promise. It's been a busy day on the website.
Love, Power, Peace.

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Rock Hall Class of '05

Hey Soul Mates,
we figured it would be a no-brainer that U2 would make it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; but how could the voters leave out Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five once they had been nominated. All along, I had thought that Run-DMC would be the first real hip-hop act inducted, but when GMF&F5 were named on the ballot, it felt like we'd see Melle Mel at the ceremony. Too bad. I'm kind of curious about the other inductees. The O'Jays are a clear choice (except they weren't announced in the press as being up for the honor, so surprise there). But I'm not certain that the Pretenders are more important than GMF. I love Chrissie Hynde and she deserves the honor, but not necessarily in the context of her group. Percy Slegde and Buddy Guy are well-deserving. They all are, frankly. The concert/induction ceremony should be a lot of fun next year. Much like this year, where Prince wowed the crowd with a contemporary show, U2 will be using the showcase to launch their Atomic world tour. Congratulations to the honorees.
Love, Power, Peace.