SONG: The Watcher
ARTIST: Dr. Dre
ALBUM: 2001

2001 was the very first album I owned....and what a good one it is.
Dr. Dre speaks the trufe in dis beat. I picked this song to review off the album vs all the others mainly because I like what he says in this one the most. It may not have the best beat or rhythm on the album but I find his lyrics in The Watcher are the most powerful. Dre really put some serious thought into his raps, and this was no exception. His biggest reacurring theme through this rap is change in the rap industry. It is very bitter rap, filled with slams toward the new rappers coming up and rappers who have made it big but have become washed out. Ol' Dre has been around the block a few times and has made some good observations.

Here are a few of my choice lyrics:

"The strangest things can happen from rappin, when
Niggas get wrapped up in image and acting,
Niggas get capped up and wrapped in plastic,
Zipped up in bags when it happens, that's it."

"I've seen 'em come; I've watched 'em go,
Watched 'em rise, witnessed it and watched 'em blow.
Watched 'em all blossom and watched 'em grow.
Watched the lawsuits when they lost the dough."

SONG: Rock On
ARTIST: David Essex
ALBUM: Rock On



This song has really confused the heck out of me. For the longest time I thought David Essex was black, I thought the song was from the 80's, and I categorized it as Reggae, and I though he was talking about a pretty girl he saw a dance that he was trying to find again. And to top it all of I have no idea when or where I came up with this song in my itunes.
Well after a little research---David Essex is most definetely white, "Rock On" was recorded in 1973, it is not in fact reggae but rock, and he is talking about early rock and roll and James Dean.
Okay, enough with my mumbo jumbo, ON TO THE REVIEW!!!

I was hooked right off the bat with the beat. Very reggae sounding if I do say so myself. Its got some great toe tapping qualitys about it. Starts off very basic, then another beat is added on top, a more interesting one complete with exotic sounding drum and percussion additions. Then David Essex jumps in with the vocals and they jive very well with the beat. His vocals are very choppy in parts and in other parts they are very slow and lingering, add this to some pauses for effect and it makes for a pretty interesting song. Other attention getting factors are the spacey sounding strings and horns bit for the instrumental part in the middle. Makes a good summertime song, and is good if you're in the mood for something a little groovy.

This is a very interesting journal. I really like the diversity I see hear; you don't restrain yourself to a single type of music at all. Great choices with The Cult and The Zombies, Time of the Season is one of my favorite songs by them :D. Keep up the good work! This has the potential makings of a great member's journal (although I may not listen to a lot of the stuff in here). Very well written. Don't give up like a lot of the journals here!

Well what a complement! Thats nice to hear thank you very much, music phantom. Sound like you have good taste in music, Ill be looking forward to reading your posts and such. Keep checking in and tell me what you like :)

Why thank you! I will do that. Think I need to do a journal of my own sometime soon, but first I want to do a bigger project: I know it's pretty cliche here, but I'd like to do a top 100 albums. I've been working on just making the list for a while, it's quite a monumental task what with all the albums I need to listen to and relisten to. I'm gonna start that soon though, should be fun. And I'll continue following, just keep it coming!

I have to give you major props for following a post about Dre with one about David Essex. Keep it up dudette

Much obliged, Piss Me Off

SONG: Sunshine Superman
ARTIST: Donovan
ALBUM: Sunshine Superman


(The girl in the video is supposedly the girl that he wanted in the song, obviously.)

Some people cruise with their rap playing, some with their jazz, some with *insert genre here. Well, I cruise with Donovan in my purple '93 Oldsmobile Royal. My friends laugh at me, but hell with em, this is a great song.

Released in 1966. Quirky, fun, and a tad crazy are words that really define this song. Donovan uses many of the normal instruments that are used in about every band, but they just make them sound so odd. Throughout the song, all these instruments blend and mix, pop in and out, and it really keeps your interest. Starts off wonderfully with this wacky bass line and bongo-ish sounding drums, and then the other guitars take the stage. Nobody else but Donovan himself could sing this song, mainy because his vocals are just as trippy as the melody. All the lyrics are saying is pretty much he is the best super hero so the girl he wants will be his. All the rest is up for your own interpretation ;) A little fact you may want to know about Sunshine Superman is that is was one of the first songs to be classified as physecadelic.

Love that Donovan song, great entry too. I would want that girl too, shes totally worth writing a song about. :)

RE: Sunshine Superman

Donovan has some fantastic songs and albums and was one of the most creative and individual front men of the era. This is his most broadly appealing song to be sure.

Thanks, yeah, shes pretty smokin. Can't go wrong with a blonde. ;)

You are 100% correct.


SONG: The Pusher
ARTIST: Steppenwolf
ALBUM: Steppenwolf

This song reeks of awesomeness. I first heard it while I was watching Easy Rider when they did the deal and got on their motorcycles and headed out, awesome scene, and I can't help but think of that when I listen to it now.


(It takes about 3 min 30 sec to get to the song on this clip.)

The lyrics are fair, in my opinion, but all you really need to hear is John Kay yell, "I said god damn, God Damn! The pusher man!" and hear the drawn out wailing of the lead guitar. :bowdown: Your life will then be complete.