Beatles For Sale

Today in class, we listened to part of the album, Beatles For Sale, by the Beatles. Overall I did not honestly really like the album that much. In fact honestly, I think it is my least favorite Beatles album, even worse than "Yellow Submarine." The reason I feel this way, is because most of the time when I listen to the Beatles, I want to listen to an upbeat song that makes me happy, not gloomy songs about serious subjects, which I feel was basically the entire mood of Beatles For Sale. However, some songs had nice upbeat harmony to it... however what the lyrics were about completely ruined the song.

I'm A Loser- The Beatles

The song, I'm A Loser is a perfect example, it has a nice upbeat harmony, however the lyrics and meaning are just so depressing it honestly ruins the song for me. You can even tell just by looking at the album cover that this isn't a fun normal Beatles album, rather it has all four Beatles looking like they are dressing up for a funeral, with no expressions on their faces whatsoever. Anyways, let me know what you think, do you like the more serious, depressed Beatles? Or are you like me, who listens to the Beatles as "Happy Music."

Cruel Summer

This past week, G.O.O.D Music came out with their first album, titled "Cruel Summer." To start, I personally love G.O.O.D, considering them like the Avengers of Hip-Hop today, with big time rappers such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Big Sean, DJ Khaled, Kid Cudi, and Raekwon. Not only is it a group of rappers, but it also includes R&B singers such as R. Kelly and John Legend. Jay-Z started the label, with him being the Batman and Kanye being the Robin of the organization. However as time has progressed more and more rappers have joined the label, after being found mostly by Kanye. Last summer, G.O.O.D consisted only of Jay and Kanye, when they came out with their first album together, "Watch the Throne." My personal favorite on the album, was Otis, which used a remixed Otis Redding song, as the beat for the song, creating a really new and cool feel to the whole song.

Otis- Jay-Z & Kanye West

Off G.O.O.D's new album I would have to say my favorite song so far is, "To the World" It uses R.Kelly's amazing voice as the chorus followed by hard verses coming from Kanye, overall a very good opening song to in my opinion a very good album.

To The World- G.O.O.D Music

Overall I think the album has received all around good reviews, however I want to know what you think. Do you like the 'Avengers' of rap with Kanye sort of at the center of it all? Or do you think they should stay as separate artist? Let me know.

Englands Newest "Hit" Makers

Honestly, I hated listening to that awful "album." Almost on all of the songs, I found that the background instrumentals were really boring or just not appealing to me really. Also the fact that they only had one original song on the album, really pissed me off. It would be different if the Stones had a band of four guys all with great voices... instead they have Mick Jagger, in my mind an out of tune, obnoxious, and annoying singer. The purpose of covers, are that people recognize a song that they already like with possibly a better singer, and end up liking the cover more. However in my opinion, I have no idea how anyone could find any of these covers more appealing than the original versions.

Route 66- Rolling Stones



In my opinion this was the best song on the album, which is not saying much because I personally strongly dislike this song. I just find that even with an upbeat tempo, to me it is just honestly sort of boring. If this song had better vocals, and sounded better than Bobby Troup's version, I would probably actually like it, however to me it is just plain stupid if you prefer a version of a song with vocals worse than the original.

Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi has been one of my favorite Hip-Hop artists for the past couple of years. He just recently came out with his first single off his album coming out later in the year, titled "Just What I Am"

Just What I Am- Kid Cudi

Cudi took a break from rapping for about a year, when he stopped smoking marijuana, and released sort of an Alternative Genre album, which recieved mixed reviews overall. I myself did not like it much, maybe it was just because I was so accustomed to hearing Cudi rapping not really singing. Here is one of Kid Cudi's songs off of WZRD (his alternative album)

Teleport 2 Me- Kid Cudi

Let me hear feedback on what style of Cudi you personally think is better in the comments below. I will always be a hardcore Hip-Hop die hard for Cudi, not as much with his Alternative stuff, but it will be interesting to see what you guys think.

A$AP Rocky

The other day, I finally purchased my 3-Day Pass for Fun Fun Fun Fest. I plan on staying the majority of my time at the blue stage, just because I really want to see artists such as Rakim and the legendary Run DMC. However I had never heard of Saturdays headliner on the blue stage, A$AP Rocky. After doing some research on them I found out that he was a new rapper to hit the scene straight from the streets of Harlem. He founded the group "A$AP MOB" which critics are now calling the East Coast Odd Future.

Goldie- A$AP Rocky




After listening to a couple of his songs the only one that I thought was pretty good was this song, "Goldie" I plan on going to see him at Fun Fun Fun Fest, hopefully he throws just as good as, or even a better show than Odd Future.

The Beatles Documentary

After watching The Beatles Documentary, for me at least I got a big feeling for how crazy their fan-base was back in the 60's. The fact alone that 1/3 of the seats at The Ed Sullivan Show had to be replaced because of the fact that so many girls peed themselves watching them, is something I feel like no single artist or group could do today.

While watching the documentary, I really enjoyed seeing they're performance of "Please Please Me" its pretty cool seeing how crazy the crowd was acting towards them, however you can imagine that they would be when a band such as the Beatles is singing about 'oral sex' in front of a bunch of teenage girls.

Please Please Me- The Beatles (Live at the Ed Sullivan Show)

The Beatles First Album

Overall I really enjoyed listening to, Please Please Me, by the Beatles this week in Music History. I personally had never heard to some of the Beatles first works so it was really entertaining for me to listen to them perform some of they're first big hits. Out of all of the songs, I would have to say "I Saw Her Standing There" was my personal favorite.
I Saw Her Standing There- The Beatles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsgWfAilIEM

I enjoyed listening to it a lot, just because I really liked the whole feel to the song, being really upbeat giving you a sense of what partying was like in the 60's.
Also after doing some research I found out that "I Saw Her Standing There" was ranked by Rolling Stones, as #139 on their list of the Top 500 Best Songs of All Time. So what do you think? Is this song worthy of being up there at #139? In my opinion it is a definite yes, let me know if you agree.

Frank Ocean's VMA Perfornance

Over the past year or so i started to listen to some songs by well known artist Tyler, The Creator. At first I didn't exactly like his style of music, how he seemed to be so satanic with all of his songs like "Yonkers" and "She".
Yonkers Music Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4_VwADxyis

However after listening to a couple more of his songs his music sort of grew on me, with his use of odd literary devices to describe himself, for example "Imma f***ing walking paradox, no I'm not." and also his, (at times) funny lyrics. 

After listening to more and more songs about Tyler, I soon discovered the group he created known as Odd Future, with the members being made up of Tylers good friends from back in highschool, one of which who's music really caught my attention. That one member happened to be Frank Ocean.

The first Odd Future song that I heard was "Oldie" basically a big collaboration with all of the artists from Odd Future. At first you know I thought it was a pretty good song, and then I heard Frank Oceans verse and I thought to myself, this guys good. 

Oldie- Odd Future

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzi24Nssiow

However after looking him up he didnt have his own album or anything like that, just some stuff here and there. Then last summer, he came out with his debut album, Channel Orange, and I absolutley loved it especially "Thinkin' Bout You" 

Thinkin' Bout You- Frank Ocean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHXI6AzJi2E

Then just last night Frank Ocean performed that very song live at the VMA's, but with a little twist

Frank Ocean 2012 VMA Performance- Thinkin Bout You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLxZlGxFCNw

In the VMA performance, he used an acoustic guitar as the beat, however in the original he used a different more electronic beat. I personally thought that his performance was amazing at the VMA's but I also really like the original beat. Let me know what you think the better beat for "Thinkin Bout You" is.

Childish Gambino- Royalty Review

Throughout this past week I've been listening to artists that I know are going to Ausin City Limits, one of which being Childish Gambino. In the past I have been a big Childish fan, so I decided to get his newest mixtape, "Royalty" unfortunatley i was dissapointed with what i listened to. Nearly every song had two or three featured washed up old rappers. The only song that I found that I actually enjoyed was R.I.P featuring Bun B. Even though it wasnt exactly up to my standards when it comes to Childish Gambino I enjoyed listening to it and I suggest you go check it out. Overall though, I did not like most of the songs on the mixtape and am just hoping he keeps the playing of songs from "Royalty" at ACL, to a bare minimum.

Jerry Lee Lewis

This week in History of Rock and Roll, we listened to alot of classic Rock artists such as, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and a couple more. Overall I enjoyed watching the video of Jerry Lee Lewis performing at the piano. The way that he was up and moving around, playing a stationary instrument so actively was really interesting to me.