Malcolm
McLaren was the mogul behind the Sex Pistols - that I knew. I did not realise
that he also created his own music, but was expecting something a bit PiL-esque
when this album got picked.
It is
hard to describe this album in terms of a specific genre - it is really a radio
show curated by Malcolm McLaren, and heavily produced and directed by Trevor Horn (one half of the Bugles). The
World Famous Supreme Team are the DJs that bring the collection together into
something more cohesive.
The range
of music influences is impressive, with Horn and McLaren travelling across
parts of Africa to record elements, with songs like Obatala sitting firmly in
the 'World' category. Other tracks, such as the fantastic Double Dutch have a
much more Western influence, and are possibly more naturally catchy to my ears
as a result.
McLaren
offered a combination of spoken word (with Horn apparently hitting him in time
to the music as he couldn't get the rhythm right) as well as the overall vision
for the album. Whilst the former can be written off, the latter demonstrates
his visionary nature. That it is this album that introduced scratching to the
UK indicates how far ahead of his time he was. However, his choice not to
credit many of the artists suggests that where he may have been ahead of the
curve musically, he still had a way to go morally.
Chloe's
album rating: 7
Chloe's
favourite track: 3. Double Dutch
Olly's
album rating: 6
Olly's
favourite track: 3. Double Dutch
Next
week's album is 961. Want Two by Rufus Wainwright.
No comments:
Post a Comment