who needs a band when the beat just flows

Lovely to have lovely frenz who have lovely frenz, a bunch of us got tix to all 3 days of Pitchfork this stormthreatened wkd. Again, all to-morrows parties are clicked in as well, so we are getting not "Daydream Nation" this summer, but "It takes a Nation of Millions..." by Public Enemy.

And just like "Daydream Nation" is not the Sonics best LP -neither is "A Nation..." P.E.'s best.

But unlike last summer, I felt an almost anger @ the stupidity of Man in not recognizing "Sister" as the real Werke of Sonica. Truely I tell you that it felt like I was the only one calling for Jesus, and the rest of the mob kept chanting "WE WANT BARABBAS!!".

However - Although "Fear of a Black PLanet" is my most favourite of all P.E. LP's - "Nation" is a justified choice for Pitchfork - it came first, it featured all of the breakthrough sound crazies, and it's as fuckin' great as hell.

Don't get me wrong - "Fear" is a lot better - but it was not the the stunning eye opener that "Millions" was. Rather, it took the same concept of the earlier LP, improved it, and.......the kicker for me...... made it so much more dansable.

And what a LP.

PE came to me @ Lunt Street. Crankface* was jamming the initial track "Yr gonna get yrs" off their first LP for Blackie (notice - I was in the same room, but he was playing it for the Blackie. This I jut note - those days, late 1988 and early 1989, I could be very transparent if I felt it). What I remember is that Crank siad something about them in Gary, or wishing to se them I gary, etc etc etc, but Blackie misinterpreted and exclaimed "We should Go!!" before the disabusement.

The twin rockets of PE and NWA really took me into the world of rap. Yes, sure , i loved "You talk to much" by Run DMC and "Rapper delight" -who didn't? But still I was mainly a rock guy. When those two groups hit my scenes, we all appreciated it.

ANd some more than others. I went from wearing black on the outside because black is how I felt it would be kool on the inside to wearing ALL BLACK - the Sox jacket, the Sox hat, the BLACK Levi's, the black Nike;s, even the black Nike socks. And what, it didn't fit? I'm not a Sox fan? I don't wear Nikes? Black?

Memories. Driving around w/ Joker, blasting the LP's again and again and again. Making our own raps. Totally way way way out -surface of Mars out -@ Aagon Ballroom , so far into outer space (although it mita been the Agagons acoustics) I couldn't concentrate on....anything. Youth.

It was a fun time, and I still get the getup on every once in awhile. But it was the music that had me playing dress up. Although NWA was incredible, to this day my favourite is PE. ANd those 2 LP's are still their best and of the uppermost best LP's in my mind ever.

First off, they do sound very much alike. PE had a unique sound fashioned by The Bomb Squad. Back in the day when you could steal snippets of other music easier (in legal terms), The Bomb Squad threw all these different sounds - some music, some dialouge, some sirens, some....... shit, every sound y can hear there. "Nation" introduces us to this world, bit it's carried so further by "Fear".

But for me, what separates the twoLP's, is better songs on the "Fear" - or maybe , it's just that they are better to me ears. I always look for songs that shake girls asses, and "Fear" has one after another. Oh, yes, one mans danse song is anther mans snoozer, but look @ the trax on "Fear" : "Welcome to the Terrorome" and "Fight the Power" (one or the other played @ Big John's and Kats wedding in 2005 and dansed by me), "Can't do nutting for you man", famous in the "House Party" movie as one of the danse songs @ a house party - and, finally, @ a house party when a former 1207 resident (Now a resident of the M.D. style) had a party over west near Montrose and Francisco say 1993. Noticed no one was playing music, stepped in, and played "Power to the People". Party thrower liked it.

And then there is "Who stole the soul?", "Reggie Jax", and a personal fave -what a beat but it goes nowhere- is "Leave this off of your f*ckin charts". Danse song after danse song. Throw it on a party then sit in a corner and watch. easily, their best and most realised LP -according to me.

But, unlike last year, when I was supermilitant "Sister" head - I can agree that "Nation of Millions" shold be the LP focused on. AS I said, it was the precourser. What would be found on the later LP was all there in "Nation" - just not as well done the next year in "Fear". There are tonnes of great songs on "Nation" -just not nearly as many on "Fear". I can't wait to hear "Night of the Living baseheads" -my favourite PE song - as well as "Caught, can I get a witness?".

However, instead of just waiting for a few of my favourite songs, it's been kooler - for me - if they could have done the later LP. Then - for me - I would have to wait for the songs I really wanted to hear - every song on that LP is a song I want to hear.

And, of course, I probably won't danse. But that's more for "Fear of a crowd looking @ you" than "It takes a less dansable LP to keep me sitting"

Should rock nonetheless. Will be there. Will be wearing my Sox hat.

...........................................
* I have heard Crankface doesn't appreciate this oldest of nicknames. Slut.