Master Ace – Take A Look Around 4xLP

Traffic (2007, Reissue) 

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Though he's known as Master Ace on this album, his 1990 debut, I know him as Masta Ace.  I first heard Masta Ace from his "Jeep Ass N***h" single from the 1993 album Slaughtahouse.  That whole album is great, but when it came out, I didn't really know that the Masta had another album that came out three years earlier.  Later on, I did dig into Masta Ace's other albums.  I was really disappointed by 1995's Sittin' On Chrome.  The production is just not what I want to listen to, but I guess I shouldn't be too surprised as the sound of hip hop in 1995 had drastically changed from what I was interested in.

But, going backwards to Take A Look Around shows a younger Master Ace, who was just as adept on the microphone then.  The production isn't at all like Slaughtahouse, but 1990 Marly Marl was making some pretty incredible beats and the album is full of them.  Is it as lush and dynamic as things would get over the next couple of years?  It isn't, but it doesn't sound dated the way a lot of pre-1991 albums sometimes can.  The production is excellent top to bottom with head nodding bass lines providing a canvas for Masta Ace to rhyme over.

This version of the LP that I found is a quadruple LP version from 2007.  In addition to the original album, there's two extra LPs of remixes, bonus tracks and instrumentals.  I can't really say any of it is essential, but for me, I like to have the most comprehensive version of a record that's out there.  Most folks would be totally set with the main album, which more than stands on its own.  

Master Ace – Take A Look Around:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvULvhZ5CXk&ab_

EPMD - Business Never Personal 2xLP

Def Jam (2005, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

It's kind of funny to me that I've never written about EPMD's fourth album before.  It's mostly because the original single LP version has been in my record collection for a really, really long time and it's just now that I have a new version to write about.  I can't even tell you how much I love this record.  I have been listening to it kind of nonstop since it originally came out back in 1992.  It was the video for the song "Crossover" on Yo! MTV Raps! that first hooked me.  With its robot funk hook, hard beat and lyrics about not selling out and crossing over, it was tailor made for what I wanted to hear as a 15 year old.  I think some people forgot or just weren't around to see just how crazy the anti-sellout thing was in both rap and rock back then.  But it struck a chord with a lot of people and I was definitely one of them when it came to hip hop.

And as much as I was drawn in by "Crossover," a truly stellar song, I'm not even sure I would rank that one in the top half of great songs on this record.  It's one of those records that is flawless from start to finish.  The production on this thing is so amazing.  It's rugged, with big bass lines and a fullness that is tough to compare anything else to.  I don't know of too many records that sound like this, and if I'm missing something, please let me know.  In some ways I've spent the last 32 years trying to chase down another record like this one.

Lyrically, I think Erick and Parrish shine brighter than they ever did on Business Never Personal.  You'll never hear me say a bad word about the first three EPMD records.  They are all wonderful in their own way.  For me, this album is their peak.  Their vocals pack more punch than anything they'd done previously and the way they flow over the beats is just a joy to hear.  

The only possible criticism I could ever levy at this album is that an uncensored version doesn't exist.  They only ever released a version with the bad words scratched out in the wake of the Parental Advisory nonsense in the early 90s.  I still hold out hope that some day we'll get the ultimate reissue that finally uncorks the full, unedited album.  For now, this double LP reissue from 2005 will have to do.  It was a UK only release and tends to be tough to find and sell for more than I'd like to pay most of the time.  Luckily I was finally able to find a deal.

Having this as a double LP makes the songs sound the best they ever had on vinyl.  That makes it worth it for me as the art isn't anything special.  Especially irritating is the hype 'splotch' that they dumped on the cover art.  Give me a remastered double LP pressing (with the "Brothers from L.I." B-side as a bonus track), uncensored in a gatefold cover and I'll be the happiest person going.  Until then, this is the best version that there is.

EPMD - Business Never Personal:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lFTq20kYiq_JyLVJrG8qsHl5gV5HEN6Iw

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes – ¡Blow It…At Madison's Quinceañera! LP - Gold in Purple LP

Fat Wreck Chords (2024)

I have never owned a Me First and the Gimme Gimmes record before this one.  They have always just been one of those bands that existed, doing their cover band thing and frankly, by about 1998 or so, I was pretty content with the number of punked up cover songs out in the world.  I really didn't need a whole band that played nothing but them.  

What changed my mind?  Well, it was the fact the the Swami himself, John Reis, joined the band for touring over the last couple of years.  He's manning the guitar on this album which was recorded live at an actual quinceañera.  While this record is never going to be a gateway drug to launch me into the band's entire catalog, it's a fun enough listen and it being a live album helps quite a bit - despite me not being a fan of live albums in general.

There are songs like "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Dancing Queen," which are the sort of things I expect when I imagine what the Gimme Gimmes would be playing.  But an unexpected highlight are the five songs sung in Spanish.  Some have horns (with Jason (JC2000) Crane on trumpet) and a more dynamic approach to the songs.  I dig those, they're genuinely fine.  As a frontman, Spike has a really good, self deprecating/self aggrandizing schtick that makes for some fun banter.

Swami on guitar is fun.  I'm not used to hearing him in the Fat Wreck style, but he pulls it off effortlessly and you can hear his influence on the guitar sound in places.  But this band isn't really a showcase for John.  It's a showcase for Spike, a showcase for a band having fun and hopefully a showcase for Madison having a great quinceañera.

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes – ¡Blow It…At Madison's Quinceañera! :
https://gimmegimmes.bandcamp.com/album/blow-it-at-madisons-quincea-era

Nice & Smooth - Nice & Smooth 2xLP - Green & Yellow Split Vinyl

Priority Records (2017, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I have told this story a bunch of times over the years, including on this website.  One day in 1991 I was at a Coconuts record store with my dad.  I'm not sure why I had money, but maybe it was saved up from mowing the lawn or something, but I had enough to buy three CDs.  The three I bought were Def Before Dishonor by The Hard Corps (Ended up not liking it at all, a purchase greatly influenced by my love for the PE/Anthrax version of "Bring The Noise"), Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest (Loved it to death and still do to this day) and Ain't A Damn Thing Changed by Nice & Smooth.

I didn't end up liking the Nice & Smooth record quite as much as I had hoped based on the strength of the videos they had on Yo! MTV Raps, but I did like it.  It was a totally solid record with a few high points that were pretty great.  I eventually got their follow up Jewel of the Nile a few years later, but wasn't really into that at all.  What I never did was work backwards and check out their first self titled record from 1989.  It wasn't until many years later that I finally gave that a listen.  I picked up this LP a few years ago, but it's been sitting in a pile of records to write about that has grown way too big.  I'm trying to get through those though.

So what to make of this record?  It's very good, certainly better than their 1994 album.  Is it as good as Ain't A Damn Thing Changed?  Not to me, but I also have 33 years of history with that record as opposed to maybe eight with this one?  But if I try to ignore emotional and nostalgic connections, it might be the actual better record.  Sure there's a few slow jam-y R&B tinged songs that are absolutely not my cup of tea, but for the most part the production is on point.  The beats have aged better than a lot of other albums that came out in 1989 with the highlights typically being the faster paced songs.

Greg Nice and Smooth B are always great on the mic.  They compliment each other perfectly, with B's slicker, laid bad flow being a balance point to Nice's high pitched, somewhat frantic delivery style.  On their own they're both good, but together there's a PB&J type chemistry going on that elevates both.  I'm not sure why Ain't A Damn Thing Changed never got a reissue, but this colored vinyl edition of their self titled album came out in 2017.  I'm a sucker for split color vinyl too, so that's a fun bonus.

Nice & Smooth - Nice & Smooth:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nBpWc5eL9OffVT9zwE9olWLCADOld0S7I