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Overall I think this is new innovative way for Galactic to come up with a different sound. They still have a track or two where they just jam but, as a fan of hip hop, it is definitely cool to see how they can intertwine the two genres to create a unique and funky sound. Each track gives the listener a different perspective. A fun and entertaining CD for sure.
They are trying to compete with bands like Metallica and the latest offering from Miley Cyrus in terms of how loud they want their disks to be. With each subsequent release, Galatic gets there mastering guy to make the album louder and louder. Which means there is more dynamic compression, more clipping, more brickwalling, more distortion, less nuance, less power (because everything is the same volume there can be no loud, only one volume), and less enjoyment. This is catastrophic for those who care about sound quality. I hope they get back to more sane mastering in their follow ups, as fans of their music care about sound quality.PS if you don't know what I'm talking about, go to wikipedia and look up 'loudness war'
What I can tell you is that the combination of Galactic's legendary laid-back groove and hip hop vocals is a winner.From the Corner to the Block rocks harder than previous Galactic releases I've heard, Stanton Moore's drumming is as sharp as ever, Ben Ellman's harmonica is a little more present than in previous releases (or maybe there's less of his sax playing) but overall, what makes this album is that marriage of groove and hip hop. Last week in Boston I (somewhat unreasonably, don't tell my wife) splurged on a whole load of CDs when visiting Newbury Comics. Having finally found the time to listen to it (don't you find it annoying that you can't load a CD on your iPod from a computer other than your primary. Since I don't know that scene, I can't tell you if these guys are famous or upstarts or considered good or bad. And this is what works for me here too. Guess I remember now why I'm not a big Steve "no-DRM" Jobs fan)., I wanted to share my first impressions with you.I've talked about Galactic here in passing already, but I haven't reviewed any of their records (my favorite of which is and remains the awesome We Love 'em Tonight: Live at Tipitina's).
Not only because I don't like them, but because they give the music a mechanical quality which is, to me, incompatible with groove. One of these records is Galactic's latest album From the Corner to the Block. One of the things I tend to dislike about most hip hop I've heard is the insistence on being backed by beatboxes and synths. In a way, From the Corner to the Block is both a result of the trend the band has been following lately and it's shift in audience, and a landmark release. Most of the songs feature singers from the hip-hop/urban scene, as opposed to the blues/soul vocals of resident vocalist Theryl 'Houseman' De Clouet. Hip hop artists backed by musicians (as opposed to machines) like Saul Williams, Abd al-Malik here in France, Nya with Erik Truffaz or the harmonica-laden Ironie du Son from Switzerland make for a much groovier combination in my opinion.
Boots Riley in particular has a delivery that works really well with Galactic's groove and when I saw them live in Paris he impressed me the most.Check this out, whichever side of the fence you're from, it's well worth your while.
Lyrically, these MCs tend to lean toward the racialy political, which is their right; it doesn't deter the dexterity and cements the relevence. This is Hip-Hop Funk (Funk Hop). that dazzles, a juxtaposition of an obscure New Orleans roots band with cult-like disciples with under-the-radar alterna-rap MCs which include the great Boots Riley (from The Coup) to the much-missed Ladybug Mecca (from the brilliant Digable Planets) to the obscure offbeat figure Chali 2na (from Jurassic 5) and even to the mainstream hometown boy Juvenile. Clearly the most thrilling Hip Hop CD of the year. My grade: A
15 times starting in 1999, but only have 2 of their albums. Just got this one & I really like the new direction. Trust me they pull this new one off. If you get the chance to see the new tour I highly recommend going.I saw them perform alot of this album this last October @ The Voodoo Festival in NOLA & The late night show @ Tipitina's that night. I have seen Galactic live approx. They did a great job mixing alot of their classic stuff with the new album. Cant wait till they get to MPLS Next month for a show at the Cabooze.
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