Turkey Shoot 2006 & Reviews of Jay-Z and Tom Waits
It's Turkey time! This week Jim and Greg celebrate Thanksgiving with their annual "Turkey Shoot." The two critics will name some of the biggest musical disappointments of the year and bury them for good. They'll also review the first post-retirement album from hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and make holiday gift suggestions for the music lover in your life.
Music News
First up in the news is a discussion of the legacy of R&B singer Ruth Brown. She passed away earlier this week at the age of 78. One of the original divas, Brown helped establish Atlantic Records and the R&B sound as we know it today. In fact, Greg explains that Brown even predates the great Ray Charles. She also won a Tony Award for her part in Black and Blue, and starred as "Motormouth Maybelle" in Hairspray. The singer was an activist in the music industry and pushed Atlantic to start the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, which worked toward royalty reform and distributed millions of dollars directly to musicians in need.
Kingdom Come Jay-Z
After a much-hyped "retirement," Jay-Z has returned with a new album, Kingdom Come. While many folks take up pottery or flock to Florida during their retirement, the hip-hop star became a CEO, bought a basketball team, and made a number of cameos. Perhaps this life didn't satisfy J-Hova, because he was compelled to return to rapping after only three years. But, neither Jim nor Greg can understand the urgency. To them, he just sounds bored. This is not a new issue for Jay-Z -- he's often been plagued with a great voice and very little to say. But Greg thinks Kingdom Come is his worst effort ever. The album gets two Trash Its.
Orphans Tom Waits
Next up is a review of the new album by Tom Waits. Longtime listeners know that Waits is often a bone of contention between our two hosts, and this time is no different. The new record, Orphans, is a three-disc set that began as a trip through the Waits archive. But Waits also added 30 new recordings to the mix. Jim thinks this is a perfect example of the songwriter's consistent inability to self-edit. He used to love Waits, but now just plain hates him. For Jim, Waits is an art-rock caricature, and this album is a Trash It. Greg is a tried and true Waits fan, and thinks that his storytelling is in top form. He is also interested in the sonics on Orphans and thinks it's one of Waits' best albums. He recommends listeners Buy It.
Turkey Shoot 2006
Every Thanksgiving, Jim and Greg like to get out and shoot some turkeys. But don't worry -- these turkeys deserve to die. This year's nominees for most disappointing album are:
- Pharrell, In My Mind (original review)
- Pink, I’m Not Dead (original review)
- Tool, 10,000 Days (original review)
- Audioslave, Revelations (original review)
- David Gilmour, On an Island
- The Killers, Sam’s Town (original review)
- Outkast, Idlewild (original review)
Box Set Gift Suggestions
This episode of Sound Opinions isn't all negative. Jim and Greg also provide you with some holiday gift suggestions for the music lover in your life. They recommend wrapping up the following box sets:
- The Clash: The Singles
- What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977)
- Rockin’ Bones: ‘50s Punk & Rockabilly
- Jerry Lee Lewis: A Half Century of Hits
- Tommy Boy Presents Hip Hop Essentials
Here are some other box sets to check out:
- Steve Reich, Phases: A Nonesuch Retrospective
- Gram Parsons, The Complete Reprise Sessions
- Buddy Guy, Can’t Quit the Blues
- Waylon Jennings, Nashville Rebel
- The Byrds, There is a Season
- Various Artists, A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box
- The Pretenders, Pirate Radio
- Tori Amos, A Piano: The Collection
- The Bee Gees, The Studio Albums, 1967-1968
- Robert Plant, Nine Lives
- David Crosby, Voyage
And for DVD fans:
- Michael Franti, I Know I’m Not Alone
- Nirvana, Live! Tonight! Sold Out!
- Jeff Tweedy, Sunken Treasure: Live in the Pacific Northwest
Featured Songs
- Ruth Brown, "Teardrops from My Eyes," Rockin' With Ruth, 1984
- Jay-Z, "Oh My God," Kingdom Come, 2006
- Jay-Z, "30 Something," Kingdom Come, 2006
- Tom Waits, "Sea of Love," Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, 2006
- Tom Waits, "World Keeps Turning," Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, 2006
- Tom Waits, "Fish in the Jailhouse" Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, 2006
- The Johnny Otis Rhythm & Blues Caravan, "Turkey Hop," The Original Johnny Otis Show, 1994 Ohio Players, "Jive Turkey" Skin Tight, 1974
- Pharrell, "Number One," In My Mind, 2006
- Pink, "Conversations with My 13 Year Old Self," I'm Not Dead, 2006
- Pink, "Dear Mr. President," I'm Not Dead, 2006
- Tool, "Wings for Marie Pt. 1" 10,000 Days, 2006
- Tool, "10,000 Days (Wings for Marie, Pt. 2)," 10,000 Days, 2006
- Audioslave, "Broken City," Revelations, 2006
- Audioslave, "Original Fire," Revelations, 2006
- David Gilmour, "The Blue," On and Island, 2006
- The Killers, "The River is Wild," Sam's Town, 2006
- Outkast, "The Mighty O," Idlewild, 2006
- Diplo, "Florida," Florida, 2004
- The Clash, "White Riot," The Singles [Box Set] 2006
- Cyril Neville, "Gossip," What It Is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves, 2006
- Ronnie D, "Action Packed" Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk and Rockabilly 2006
- Jerry Lee Lewis, "Hi Heel Sneakers," Many Sides of Jerry Lee Lewis, 2006
- Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick, "La Di Da Di," Art of Storytelling. 1999
Dear Listeners,
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