Monday, December 14, 2009

big lights will inspire you..

for years..
i hated hip hop with a passion!

i found it..
  • pointless
  • stupid
  • misogynistic
  • idiotic
  • too repetitive
but suddenly..
i've turned over a new leaf.

a couple of weeks back i caught the vh1 top 100 hip hop songs of all time on mtv.
i was intrigued to see what would be on offer.

after watching a fair amount of the show
i found myself humming old hip hop tunes i remembered from the early 90s.

snoop dogg, dr dre, ice cube, puff daddy, tupac, notorious b.i.g etc..

suddenly, i held a great deal of respect for hip hop music
.. the old school stuff, not the shitty polished stuff these days.

so definitely check out the old tracks that put hip hop on the map
and allowed the pussy shit rappers of today to become successful.

cha cha cha - mc lyte
nuthin' but a g thang - dre & snoop
it was a good day - ice cube
gangsta's paradise - coolio
gin & juice - snoop
killing me softly - the fugees
i'll be missing you - puff daddy & faith evans


but this is blog is not a complete slate of new hip hop.
there is some stuff out there that deserves a mention.

as much as i'm going to hate saying this..
kanye west's graduation & 808s & heartbreaks
are fantastic feats of hip hop music.
defiantly check out his songs
flashing lights, stronger, heartless & love lockdown

and the current hip hop heavy-weight..
jay z.

his latest offering..
the blueprint 3
offers a fantastic flashback of old school hip hop
as well as introducing new elements that blend nicely.
run this town & empire state of mind are 2 tracks to definitely listen to.

so whether you love it or hate it..
hip hop is a culturally significant form of music that rose up
and conquered.

respect.

duran duran - live from london (2004)

so.
might as well get started straight away!

everybody has that one band that is able to define them.
the band that made them who they are.
and in my case, duran duran was spoon fed to me since i was still developing in the womb!

and i'll be the first to say,
i'm pleased i was!

the band that essentially defined a generation through their unique approach to modern popular music, and their outlandish style.
duran duran easily became the pop culture image of the 80s.

after 20+ years in the industry, duran duran made their triumphant return in 2004 with the release of their first studio album with the original 5 members since their album seven & the ragged tiger.

the new album astronaut brought back the old elements that made duran duran so unique, and had modern influences sprinkled on top.

not ng after the release of the album, duran duran proceeded to play a 5 night (sold out) arena concert at wembely arena, london.

the result of these shows; duran duran - live from london

this live performance may possibly be one of the best live dvd/cd sets i've seen in a long time.
sure, some credit goes out to evanescences anywhere but home and linkin park's road to revolution, but this show is one that sends shivers down the spine after every piercing note is played.

featuring all of their greatest songs, including planet earth, come undone, hungry like the wolf, save a prayer, ordinary world & rio, their performances still hold the power they once held over all the adoring fans worldwide.

seeing the fabulous 5 back in action is a thrill (too bad it ended so soon with the departure of andy taylor.. again) and will leave you pumping afterwards singing all the songs over & over again.

as a member of the audience's sign says; 'duran, thanks for the dream'

they definately gave everyone a dream, and their music has continued to inspire, and create new waves of fans who will forever hold duran duran close to their heart.

wicked cool stuff!
loved every second of it!
highly recommended :D

introductions..

why hello there :)

my name is james..
i currently reside in auckland nz..
and i'm 18.

i work in a retail store called jb hi-fi
as a music advisor.. so i know my stuff.

the world of music is where i really live
and i plan to use this blog as a tool to open your eyes
to fantastic music :)

i'm also going to use this page as a general blog too :)

so.. i hope you enjoy
and stay tuned :)