Having a comments feature on this blog has long been an unobtainable Holy Grail for me, ever since I tried and fucked it up royally - so many thanks to Anna de L for finally fixing it for me. Like Jim.
Okay, so I'm slowly slipping back into buying singles against my better judgment, and yesterday I caved and bought Mark Ronson featuring Ghostface Killah, Trife & Saigon - 'Ooh Wee'. This is definitely one of those tunes made by music geeks who like a specific time period/sound, for other music geeks (Ronson being the geek here rather than the vocalists, obviously, even though Ghost is clearly a comics and food - yes, food - geek). Specifically, to me this sounds like an echo of late Nineties hip-hop trying to sound 'old school' - which essentially means bringing out the 'Take Me To The Mardi Gras' cowbells and laying some Quincy Jones approved strings and horns over the top. I've fallen for it though, partly because I've been in need of an uncomplicated old-fashioned party tune (that doesn't sound too crazed and maniacal), and partly because I'd happily pay Ghostface Killah to rap over anything, no matter how generic. And he doesn't disappoint here, particularly with the "slot machines, ding-ding-ding-ding-ding when they ring off" bit.
Just one quibble: although there are pros and cons, I've always thought you're better off putting the best MC's verse at the end of the track. That seems the equivalent of top-billing, because then the whole song just builds to the point when they come in (see Biggie on 'Mo Money, Mo Problems' for a prime example). Plus the fact that otherwise, you risk people getting bored after the first minute and a half...
Okay, so I'm slowly slipping back into buying singles against my better judgment, and yesterday I caved and bought Mark Ronson featuring Ghostface Killah, Trife & Saigon - 'Ooh Wee'. This is definitely one of those tunes made by music geeks who like a specific time period/sound, for other music geeks (Ronson being the geek here rather than the vocalists, obviously, even though Ghost is clearly a comics and food - yes, food - geek). Specifically, to me this sounds like an echo of late Nineties hip-hop trying to sound 'old school' - which essentially means bringing out the 'Take Me To The Mardi Gras' cowbells and laying some Quincy Jones approved strings and horns over the top. I've fallen for it though, partly because I've been in need of an uncomplicated old-fashioned party tune (that doesn't sound too crazed and maniacal), and partly because I'd happily pay Ghostface Killah to rap over anything, no matter how generic. And he doesn't disappoint here, particularly with the "slot machines, ding-ding-ding-ding-ding when they ring off" bit.
Just one quibble: although there are pros and cons, I've always thought you're better off putting the best MC's verse at the end of the track. That seems the equivalent of top-billing, because then the whole song just builds to the point when they come in (see Biggie on 'Mo Money, Mo Problems' for a prime example). Plus the fact that otherwise, you risk people getting bored after the first minute and a half...
<< Home