Track #2

Bahamadia "Kollage" album

(Chrysalis, 1996)

JOE KORAN: In my mind Bahamdia is one of the few consistent female hip-hop artists. It is rare to find a weak Bahamadia album. I think she kind of paved the way for many female hip-hop artists. Bahamdia is sick lyrically. Her flow is so simple yet so complex, making her a unique MC.

HAPP G: Bahamadia is one of my favorite emcees, period. This album is a straight up classic and represents philly hip hop so thoroughly. "UKNOWHOWWEDO" is an ode to all things Philly hip hop, with Bahamadia namedropping almost every major figure in this city's hip hop scene. I love that she has such a laid back, relaxing sounding voice but is also able to sound so powerful with her flow and lyrics. She came out in the era of female emcees really beginning to have to show some skin to sell records, and I respect that she had the integrity to just do what she did and not focus so much on some manufactured image in order to sell records. I love the cover photo and the fonts they used, it's just so clean and powerful. "3 The Hard Way" is a classic and one of my all time favorite DJ Premier beats. "Da Jawn" has amazing appearances by Black Thought and Malik B of The Roots and is a celebration of the best slang word Philly has ever produced. The version of this wax I have is pretty rare I believe, because its double vinyl and all radio edited versions, and the back cover track listing only shows it as having an A Side and B Side. 

Richard Pryor "...Is It Something I Said?" album 

(Reprise, 1975) 

JOE KORAN: I see Richard Pryor as the Dave Chappelle of the late 70’s. He did not hold back from talking about race or sexuality, and most of his routines were based around drugs. This record is pretty damn funny and it shows why Pryor is one of the top comics of all time. A weird tid-bit about this record is that it was recorded live in front of an audience in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

HAPP G: Richard Pryor was the man! He was so willing to talk about his innermost demons publicly and make fun of himself. Growing up in the 80s I mostly knew him from movies like Superman 3, Brewster's Millions, Harlem Nights, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil, but once I dug deeper into his stand up I really gained respect for him. 

Corpse Bride "Orignal Motion Picture Soundtrack" album (Warner Bros, 2005)

JOE KORAN: I do not think Danny Elfman knows how to make any music besides music for Tim Burton films. If I had to take a guess I would say that he has done the soundtracks for over 90% of Burton’s films. This soundtrack is similar to other Elfman/Burton film soundtracks. It is very dark and eerie sounding. It sounds exactly like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” soundtrack, which of course was directed by Burton and composed by Elfman.

HAPP G: I've definitely hit this record up a few times for samples, but I never saw the movie. Danny Elfman is definitely an integral part of the Tim Burton audio landscape, but don't forget that he also did The Simpsons theme music, from which alone, he is probably paid for life!

"Television's Greatest Hits Vol. 2" album

(Tee Vee Toons, 1986)

JOE KORAN: This one instantly brought me back about 18 years, to the days when I would actually wake-up before noon on a Saturday morning. I was always a big fan of cartoons, and I still am today. Cartoons always had the best theme songs. They instantly get stuck in your head and the next thing you know you are humming “The Smurfs” theme song at work in front of your more mature co-workers. I guess that is the whole point of theme songs. The top cartoon theme song of all time has to be “Peanuts”. You really cannot argue against that.

HAPP G: There's a lot of cool theme songs on here, as well as a bunch of pretty old school/obscure ones that I wasn't too familiar with. I sampled the "Time Tunnel" theme music for the 40th Dimension song "Scaaand". I think it's pretty cool that they have the chart on the inside with the visual aid of when these shows aired.

Anne Murray "Sings For The Sesame Street Generation" album

(Children's Television Workshop, 1979)

JOE KORAN: If I were a parent I would stay away from playing this record for my kids before they go to bed. Most of the songs on this record are pretty boring kids songs. I was expecting more up-beat and jolly songs, yet we found dark and dreary sounding tracks. Not only are the songs weird, but so is the artwork on the middle and back covers. Definitely not a children’s record by any means.

HAPP G: I remember some of these songs from when I was a kid, but I don't remember the "Inchworm" being as sad as he appears on the inside cover. Maybe he's just sad and overwhelmed by the difficult math problem he's facing.

Pacheco Y Su Charanga "Con Elliot Romero" album

(Alegre Recording Corp, 1963?)

HAPP G: This cover is pretty dope! This guy reminds me of a latin american version of Herbie Mann, but less engaging and dope. My favorite song on here is "Sabrosa Como El Guarapo", which is pretty chill and funky. We had some trouble locating a release year for this one.

JOE KORAN: Well I have absolutely no idea what is being said in any of the songs on this album. I might have taken eight years of Spanish throughout high school and college but I could not make out much of what was being sung.  This most likely explains why I could not listen to more than a few minutes of each song. Most of the songs are pretty repetitive and sound similar. The album does have some sick flute solos, reminiscent of Ron Burgundy’s.

Roger Whittaker "ALL TIME Heart-Touching FAVORITES" album

(Suffolk Marketing, 1982)

JOE KORAN: The record title should read “All Terrible Heart-Aching Flops”. Word of advice: Don’t play this on a first date!

HAPP G: This guy looks like your grandpa's poker buddy. He actually sounds a lot like Leonard Cohen, only without the edge. Or the good songs.

Beastie Boys "So What'Cha Want" single 

(Capitol, 1992)

HAPP G: This record brings back some really good memories for me! The original version of this song is one of my favorite all time Beasties songs. On this record, I love the uncredited B-Real appearance on the Soul Assasins Remix of "So What'Cha Want", but the real gem on this for me is "The Skills To Pay The Bills", which is unreleased on any of their albums.

JOE KORAN: Wow the Beastie Boys actually look like boys rather than grandfathers on this cover. What a classic song this one is. It is probably one of my favorite Beastie Boys songs. It is a great hip-hop song with some great hip-hop lyrics. “You Can’t Front on That”.

The Monkees "Self Titled" album 

(RCA, 1966)

JOE KORAN: I never knew the Monkees, a.k.a the wanna-be Beatles, had a TV show, and after listening to this record I’m kind of glad I never knew this.

HAPP G: Dang, Joe's hatin on The Monkees! I actually think The Monkees have a few really good songs, but the TV show just instantly took away any potential for them to have any edge to their image. "Last Train To Clarksville" is pretty good, but the rest of this album is just OK.

Jeru The Damaja "Me Or The Papes" single 

(Payday, 1997)

JOE KORAN: I am not really that familiar with Jeru the Damaja.  He is very strong lyrically and has a pure hip-hop feel. Not a great single, but it is a solid and consistent one. The hottest track on this record is “Tha Bullshit”, which was produced by DJ Premier.

HAPP G: I'm a big fan of Jeru's 2nd album "Wrath Of The Math", which this single is from. But for me by far the best track of this record is the remix version "Me, Not The Papes", which has such a slow and brooding feel to it, and with the Mad Skillz vocal sample added in the mix, it's a wrap. I do find it a bit odd that they chose to release the song "Tha Bullshit" as a clean version, especially because I think there are a lot of stronger songs from the album that could have been chosen. This single and the album feature some amazing DJ Premier production. 

Lou Christie "Lightning Strikes" album

(MGM Records, 1965?)

JOE KORAN: I would rate this record with one word, MEH! This was a pretty boring record from start to finish. Lou Christie comes off as a pretty corny dude. I mean just look at the album cover. The album does have an early version of “(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me...”, a song which I’ve heard on countless commercials and film montages.

HAPP G: Lou Christie does have an impressive vocal range, which he showcases well on the song "Lighting Strikes". I do like that song, and it is interesting to hear early versions of "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me...", made famous in the 80s by Naked Eyes, and "Going Out Of My Head" made famous by Little Anthony & The Imperials. Lou Christie strikes me as trying to flow in a similar vein as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, but also attempting to have more of a James Dean edge to him,and not really succeeding with either attempt. I do still like the song "Lightning Strikes", and "You've Got Your Troubles" is also a pretty dope song, but I don't see myself coming back to this record again and again. We had trouble solidifying the actual release year for this one as well.

Robin Williams "A Night At The Met" album 

(CBS, 1986)

JOE KORAN: It is quite obvious by Williams’ crazy fast-paced non-coherent rambling that this record was recorded during his cocaine days. Williams’ stand-up sets on this record are titled “Alcohol”, “Cocaine” and “Marijuana”. That pretty much sums up where his mind was at the time of this recording. What I found interesting and relevant to current events was Williams’ jokes about Khadafi. Its crazy to see that the same topics are still being talked and joked about 25 years later.

HAPP G: My brother and I used to listen to this record almost every night, which, thinking back on it, was kind of edgy material for a young kid to be soaking in. Definitely a lot of drug fueled topics, and there's some pretty hilarious stuff on here. I find myself still being able to recount some of these routines line for line. For folks who don't think that Robin Williams is funny anymore, I would definitely refer them to this record, which really has him in his top form. I think this may have been released as an early HBO special, but I'm not sure about that. Williams won a grammy for this in 1988 for best comedy album.

Steady B "Self Titled" album

(Pop Art, 1986) 

 

JOE KORAN: I find it quite humorous when we come across a record that is as old as I am. 1986 was a good year! This record however is not so great. The record has that classic “old skool” hip-hop sound to it. The beats are pretty generic and boring sounding. I was expecting much more from this record. Overall it is pretty dull.

 

HAPP G: Most Philly hip hop fans know about Steady B and Cool C for their roles in a botched bank robbery attempt that claimed the life of the first Philadelphia female police officer to be killed in the line of duty. Even though their lives and careers were capped off on such a cautionary and infamous note, there is no denying that Steady B and Cool C were influential to this city's early hip hop scene. If you look at the back of this record there are a lot of names that ended up playing a major role in this city's later hip hop scene, from Lawrence Goodman, Pop Art, to Hilltop Hustlers, to Joe Nicolo and Studio 4. As far as the music itself on here, "Bring The Beat Back" is an old school classic, "Yo Mutha" hints as his future more-edgy tracks to come later in his career and is also an early mom-dissing record, and "Surprise" sort of reminds me of a Fresh Prince storytelling jam, but a less engaging and funny version over more sparse and primitive production. In fact his whole flow and presence on here kind of reminds me of The Fresh Prince, but definitely no where near as effective. This record features Marley Marl production on the song "Get Physical". This is a very rare version of this album, which was later rereleased as "Bring The Beat Back" on Jive Records, but this is the original Pop Art version, signed by Steady B himself. When I look at the back cover I wonder where Kelly and Shaenae are today and if they miss this record. 

 

 

 

Track #1

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Steve Miller Band "Greatest Hits 1974-1978" album (Capitol, 1978)

JOE KORAN: Really not much to say about this record. Steve Miller band had a lot of hits. My favorites: “The Joker” “Take the money and Run” and “Jungle Love”. Just a classic album by a classic rock band.

HAPP G: So many well known beats were sampled from this record. "Fly Like An Eagle" is such a timeless anthem!

Jay-Z "Dead Presidents" 12" single

(Roc-A-Fella, 1996)

HAPP G: I actually prefer this version to the version that's on the "Reasonable Doubt" album, I think the lyrics just kinda mesh with the vibe of the music a bit more. I love the sadness in the musical landscape, but it also has an underlying resolve to it. Plus "Ain't No Nigga" was really THE song from this single that really blew up in the streets and put a 16 year old Foxy Brown on the map. This whole musical era brings back some great memories for me, I remember on the first day of my college orientation at NYU in the summer of 1996 buying "Reasonable Doubt", "It Was Written" and "Stakes Is High" all on the same day! We don't have release dates like that anymore!

Dr. John Rawlings "One Devil And Two Beasts" album (Landmark, 1970)

 

HAPP G: This one just creeps me out all around. I much prefer the other Dr. John! I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit scared of organized religions, but this one seems especially scary given this man's aggressiveness. He sounds a lot like the drill seargent from "Full Metal Jacket", and he tries to sell the listener right away on some membership to his record club. I do think this cover is pretty badass though, with the ill color scheme and just generally crazy bold with the layout!

JOE KORAN: Well this was a really odd record for sure. Honestly who the hell would sit down and listen to this rambling by a religion sales-person. Dr Rawlings sounds more like Billy Maze than a preacher. As soon as the record begins, Dr Rawlings is attempting to promote and sell his religious following. A word of advice to Dr Rawlings, next time don’t be so pushy! The cover is really crazy and creepy at the same time. There are depictions of various stories from the book of revelations. The book of revelations is about Doomsday and the end of the world. When I saw the cover I instantly thought about the current season of “Dexter”. The serial killer in this season uses the book of revelations to justify his murders. After listening to this record I can see this connection.

 

Ice Cube "Check Yo Self (featuring Das Efx)" 12" single (Priority, 1993)

 

JOE KORAN: I was pretty pumped when I saw this record. It is a classic rare single. Im sure everyone is familiar with “Check Yo Self”. “Chickity check yo self before you wreck yo self”, a classic hip-hop lyric. The B-Side features a remix of “It Was A Good Day”. “Momma cooked the breakfast with no hog”. The original track is way better than this remix. I feel like the remix is pretty weak and does not do Ice Cube justice, he deserved a better remix.

HAPP G: I also like the album versions of the songs better than these versions, especially "Today Was A Good Day", the original just has the perfect vibe to it, while the remix feels a bit disjointed musically. But I do love the cover and this era of Ice Cube in general! This is definitely from the same photo shoot as "The Predator" cover, in which he was supposedly smoking out of DJ Muggs' skull bowl.

Cat Stevens "Tea For The Tillerman" album (A&M, 1970)

 

HAPP G: He has such a relaxing and soothing voice and presence in general, and "Wild World" is such a powerful song. He drew the cover to this record himself, and it's definitely a bit weird. I'm not sure if I like the cover or not.

JOE KORAN: Who the hell is Cat Stevens? That’s exactly what went through my mind when this record was pulled out. His name did not ring any bells, yet when I heard the song “Wild World”, which is featured on this record, I realized I did know some of Stevens’ music. “Wild World” is a really chill yet powerful song. I know I have heard the song in multiple movies, although I cannot really pin-point the exact films. The cover for the record is weird. The artwork looks like it was done by a sixth-grader. It was actually done by Stevens himself. Obviously the artwork does not matter as this record went triple platinum.

J-Zone "Music For Tu Madre" EP

(Old Maid Entertainment, 1998)

 

HAPP G: This one brings back a lot of great memories! Shout out to my boy PSK who put me on to this record early on, around '98 or '99. This is an original pressing before they repressed this ep with an official front cover. I think this record is pretty rare. J-Zone has gone on to work with Biz Markie, Tha Liks, Akinyele, King T, Masta Ace, Devin the Dude, RA The Rugged Man, Tame One, The Lonely Island, and many more, but this is the joint that started it all. There is so much hunger on this record, and the production really holds up all these years later. This established him as a legitimate triple threat; on the beats, the mic, and the turntables. Standout tracks for me are "Candy Razors" and "Catch 22". Almost everything said on "Candy Razors" is still completely relevant over a decade later, and "Catch 22" is such a great storytelling track, and I'm also a sucker for the Menace 2 Society and ODB samples! J-Zone is apparently writing a book, which if you're familiar with any of his blog or magazine writing, promises to be hilarious, controversial, and eye opening.

JOE KORAN: Why was I never informed about J-Zone?! This album is bangin from front to back! I would classify this record as a hip-hop classic. Every track has a unique sound and each beat is sick. There are a lot of interesting samples. For instance “Candy Razors”, one of my favorite tracks, samples a greek-folk music record. J-Zone rhymes about issues that are still relevant today in 2011. Any fan of hip-hop should have this record in his or her collection.

Joe Lauer Presents "Everything You Wanted To Know About The Godfather....*But Don't Ask" album (Columbia, 1972)

 

JOE KORAN: I really did not know what exactly to expect when we put this record on. Of course I am a huge fan of “The Godfather” film series, yet I was not sure how a spoof would sound on record. The record is definitely unique and has a hilarious cover, there are gangsters sitting at desks in a schoolroom as if they were waiting for first period class to begin. Another funny aspect of the record is when the Godfather goes to the psychiatrist. I think we all have wondered what would happen if a notorious film character went to the doctor for help. Overall a pretty funny record, but not necessarily one needed for your personal record collection.

HAPP G: I think there's a Woody Allen movie reference in the title of this record. This one was actually more funny than I thought it would be. Kind of speaks to the amount of impact that the film "The Godfather" had on the world in general. There's a lot of funny little visual jokes on the front cover. I also think that this record wouldn't be as funny if it wasn't recorded with a live audience present, kind of gives it a different energy.

 

 

Rahzel "All I Know" 12" single

(RCA, 1999)

JOE KORAN: I absolutely love this song. I think the first time I heard this track was on the opening credits of NBA Live 1999. After hearing it I went on Napster and downloaded the radio-edit, original and live versions of the song. At the time I was not too familiar with The Roots or Rahzel. I guess I can thank this song for putting me on to The Roots. Just a great song with unique lyrics and a bangin hook and beat.

HAPP G: Such an amazing Pete Rock production! The cover image is pretty sick too with the microchip in his neck. Designed by Drew Fitzgerald with photo images by Jonathan Mannion. This was kind of Rahzel's first major solo move after leaving The Roots and this record had a HUGE impact in New York and beyond. I remember being surprised that he actually sounded pretty good spitting lyrics on this, but I guess if you're hanging out with Black Thought, Malik B, and Dice Raw that some of that skill and style is going to leave an impression on your own approach. And the way he incorporated all his trademark vocal scratching and sound effects into the song was kind of genius!

Phil Collins "No Jacket Required" album (Atlantic, 1985)

HAPP G: It's a courageous album cover here for Phil, especially given his hairline! "Sususudio" is one of those songs that I think I hate until I hear it and then I realize how much I actually like it. It's interesting to me to note that Phil was basically using a lot of the same equipment that the hip hop world were using, but was just doing completely different stuff with it.

JOE KORAN: Honestly who doesn’t like Phil Collins? I know my dad sure does. Phil has made some classic hits. “Sussudio” is probably his best hit and one of my favorites. I always think about “American Psycho” when I hear that song.  Phil Collins is a pretty dope artist. He uses different drum kits and beat machines, which I find funny because he looks more like a bookworm than someone who makes hot beats.

 

Howie Mandel "Fits Like A Glove" album

(Warner Bros., 1986)

 

JOE KORAN: “Bobby’s World” was one of my favorite cartoon shows when I was little, so when I noticed that there was a Bobby skit on this record I knew I had to put it on. Howie Mandel is a pretty weird dude. I know he is a germ freak and doesn’t shake hands with people. I noticed this on Deal or No Deal. He goes for the fist pound over a handshake. Maybe that’s the rationale behind the album cover, where he has a rubber glove fastened over his head.

HAPP G: This album just screams '80s cocaine comedy scene' to me! The cover is also pretty hilarious, especially when you consider Howie's well known germaphobia. I used to listen to this album with my brother all the time before we'd go to bed, and it's actually pretty funny, which seems kind of surprising if you know Howie Mandel only from "America's Got Talent". And his 'Bobby' character is HILARIOUS! I think this might be the first official appearance of Bobby, but not 100% on that. There's a strange, semi-post-modern/semi-desperate moment at the end of the record when Howie speaks directly to the listening audience at home assuring us that he's receiving a standing ovation.

 

Madonna "Like A Virgin" album

(Sire, 1984)

JOE KORAN: She might be a virgin but she sure dressed like a slut. Madonna is featured on the album cover wearing little to no clothing. Pretty Ironic considering the title of the record. I don’t know many virgins that would dress like that. Then again I don’t know many virgins.

HAPP G: I really respect people who have the courage to be themselves and that force the world to meet them on their own terms, and Madonna really exemplifies this attitude. This has my all time favorite Madonna song on it, "Into The Groove", which was featured prominently in the film "Desperately Seeking Susan", which happened to be the only VHS movie that my grandparents in New York City owned, so my brother and I probably watched that movie 50 times! She definitely does not look virginal on this cover.

Agallah "Presents Crookie Monster" 12" single

(Game, 1999)

JOE KORAN: You really cant make fun of the Cookie Monster or knock his hunger, or can you? That is exactly what Agallah does on this record. Using a Sesame Street style sample for the beat, Agallah rhymes about the gangster lifestyle using a Cookie Monster sounding voice. The song is hilarious sounding, yet it does have a unique sound to it. The best part of the record is the front cover, which features a scantily clad woman in a bikini. Probably one of the better covers we have found so far.

HAPP G: This record is such a funny concept, right on the edge of being too cheesy and over the top, but I think Agallah really pulled it off. I spent a day right after college hanging out with Agallah and Scram Jones, and it was a trip! Agallah is really a character, and he's pure hip hop to the core. He has palpable passion and enthusiasm and that really comes across on all his records. He's definitely not one of these 'fake persona' artists who you meet and you're like "this is the guy from that record?!?" And this is just another one of the classic Game Recordings covers which featured half naked chicks. Game founder Jonathan Shecter is a Philly native who also was the co-founder of "The Source" magazine.

Company Flow "Funcrusher Plus" album

(Rawkus, 1997)

HAPP G: This record really jumpstarted the whole independent hip hop movement of the late 90s, and also put Rawkus Records on the map. "Bad Touch Example" is such a great first song and really sets the tone well for the rest of this album. "8 Steps To Perfection" is a timeless classic. And the cassette and vinyl-only song "Corners 94" is such a funky song, it almost sounds out of place on the rest of the record which sounds so metallic and apocolyptic to me, but it's definitely one of my favorites on here. "Lune TNS" is a frenetic celebration of graffiti culture. One of the songs that was so huge on this album was "The Fire In Which You Burn", which for some reason just never really clicked with me. I think the front cover is pretty impressive and iconic, but the back cover looks like a bad photoshop/illustration attempt to me. And there are so many phone numbers listed on the back of this record that I have the urge to call them all to see if any are still in existence. I wonder if the people with these phone numbers now know that their phone number is on the back of such an iconic underground album.

JOE KORAN: The only reason I know about Company Flow is because I own a few El-P albums. El-P sounds like a totally different rapper on this album. His voice isn’t as raspy and whiny as it is now. It also seems as though he has more interesting topics to rhyme about on this album than his more recent ones. “Funcrusher Plus” was produced by El-P and was released by Rawkus records.

Bruce Springsteen "Born In The U.S.A." album (Columbia, 1984)

 

 HAPP G: Look how young Max Weinberg and Little Steven look from this era! All of them do! It's kinda ballsy of Bruce to just show his ass on an album cover. Not sure if it is supposed to be some deep statement or a joke or just a 'kiss my ass' kind of a vibe, but pretty bold regardless. I didn't know that Annie Leibovitz took the front cover photo! When listening to this album again I'm struck by how upbeat his songs can sound musically while his lyrics can be really deep & sad. I think it kinda makes the pill of his musical message go down easier.

JOE KORAN: Damn Bruce! Why do you have to have an ass shot on the front cover!?! I really am no a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen. I know a lot of people that absolutely love him, but I just don’t get it. Yes, his songs are poetic and do have an “American Dream” feel to them I can’t argue with that. I do not understand why people are so obsessed with him. Maybe I am totally missing out on something.