575. Planet Rock: The Album - Afrika Bambaataa

Whilst this was  new album to both of us, there were many, many recognisable moments throughout the tracks. This has to be one of the most sampled records ever, with influences in techno, hip-hop, synth-pop and more. I was also familiar with Renegades of Funk, the song that gave a name to to Rage Against the Machine's cover album, Renegades. Whilst I was familiar with Afrika Bambaataa through references and influences, I hadn't come across the Soulsonic Force before. I was looking forward to an 80s-tastic set of tunes with booming basslines, razor sharp synth lines, and cheesy rapping; I was almost satisfied.

Don't Stop, the album opener, starts off catchy as anything, with a cutting use of cymbals and synth. It is very multi-faceted, with elements flowing in and out, and clocking in at six and a half minutes. Whilst this shows the talents of the musicians, it is also quite easy to fade out halfway through. The second track, Looking for the Perfect Beat was the best song for me, with it's use of scratching, snare, and back and forth vocals. Although the vocal content is fairly basic (naive was the term Chloe used), it has some redeeming features, such as an interesting Shakespearean reference. Renegades of Funk, to my ear, sounds better with Zack de la Rocha's more obvious anger over the top of it than the more upbeat, comedic approach of the original, although it does have a great horn section. Frantic situation doesn't really do it for me, sounding like a weak cross between hip hop and disco. The guitar intro on Who do you think you're funkin' with?, coupled with the obscene bassline makes this a proper toe tapping, head-bopping, smile inducer. The rapping is also much more convincing, which may well be due to Melle Mel's involvement. Go Go Pop has been heavily sampled, but doesn't really go anywhere as a song, whereas They Made a Mistake has better lyrical content, and some catchy moments, but that's about it.

I (think I) can completely understand why this album is so important, and formative for many groups. The technical ability and creativity is exceptional given what had come before. However, I think Chloe put it well when she said that it was a dance album that did not really make her want to dance. It is almost trying to be too clever, at the expense of a cohesiveness to the record. I can imagine a couple of tracks being belted out an an amazing soundsystem (I'm thinking Despacio good) in a club would sound jaw-droppingly good, but that isn't enough to make an amazing album. The album has some brilliant sections, but it is too inconsistent, and so ends less than the sum of its parts.

Chloe's rating: 5

Chloe's favourite track: 1. Don't Stop... Planet Rock

Olly's rating: 6

Olly's favourite track: 2. Looking for the Perfect Beat

Next week's album is 885. Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, an album I know pretty well, and am looking forward to getting my teeth back into.