42. Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland (2003)

A new Robert Wyatt album is always a huge occasion for any lovers of British music. He stands almost alone as an UK OG psychedelic pop innovator from the Hendrix & Floyd era, who continues to consistently produce amazing work, whilst remaining consistent to his original visions and never compromising one iota.
Cuckooland was especially welcome coming six years after his last full length Shleep, also an excellent release. Not a huge departure from Shleep, Cuckooland contained the usual collaborations (Brian Eno, Paul Weller, Phil Mazanera, and Wyatt's wife Alfreda Benge supplying both artworks and co-writing credits). However, Wyatt lovers want nothing but the same jazz tinged melodies, beautiful high pitched vocal, intelligent lyrics that combine the political, philosophical and personal in a way that characters like Billy Bragg can't approach, and most songwriters wouldn't even try.
Listening back to this era of Wyatt's music it is also interesting how he can make startling use of keyboard sounds and timbres that other more fashionable artists wouldn't have touched with a barge-pole due to their supposed in-authenticity  like synth washes and tinkles most associated with 80's new age music and big Pop productions. It occurs that Wyatt simply used any sound making technology available and found good use for it, also he never stopped using this stuff, due to any return to the source movements, but simply embraced sound in a kid/sweet shop approach that is commendable and reminds me of Prince. The artists of the hypnogogic scene such as, Oneohtrix Point Never and James Ferraro were at the start of this decade being hailed for rescuing unfashionable and hated synth sounds, and making then listenable and interesting again. Wyatt never had this problem, as his innate way with a song and musical imagination means that he could surely produce beauty with any musical means available to him.
So to describe the music therein, I shall make my attempt:

Just A Bit is dedicated to Richard Dawkins and reaffirms Wyatt's atheism, although instead of using Dawkins aggressive anti religion, Wyatt's sounds a much harder path to non belief, each verse saturated in atheism defying sweetness, and at each melancholic dismissal of God and superstition you feel aware that hope becomes more elusive and intangible.
Old Europe evokes 1950's Paris, specifically Paris' love affair with jazz. Miles Davis' extended Parisian vacation and affair with Juliette Greco. Wyatt's first love was jazz, and this album is filled with jazz instrumentation. Don't forget, Soft Machines initial aims largely involved grafting a jazz sensibility into pop thereby helping birth psychedelia. Wyatt has got better with age however, and at this stage is the equal of heroes like Miles Davis and The Beatles. He has a similar melodic inventiveness and taste of a UK Joni Mitchell, but unlike her has remained interesting.
Tom Hay's Fox contains synth tones that in 2003 was only used by drum 'n' bass producers for the 2min intro and inevitable breakdown section!
Forest is a significant work, featuring old friends Eno and Gilmore (who these days both need Wyatt's touch to produce magic). This Grimms fairy-tale nightmare follows a gypsy girl in her trials from Czech Republic persecution, to danger filled travel to an unwelcoming Dover. Backing vocals and guitar build ominously like so many branches enclosing her.


Beware continues the foreboding feel, with an smiling faces style warning, of the inherent un-trustworthiness of people. Great trumpet and drum breaks on this one, if isolated would make great sample material.



Cuckoo Madame and Raining In My Heart is more bittersweet sadness perfectly suited to Wyatt's humanist sensibility. The standard, Raining In My Heart is instrumental with lyric printed on the sleeve, I believe the intention is for listeners to sing along.
Lullaby For Hamza ends the first half with further solemnity. Hamza was a child born as the first bombs dropped in the first Gulf war, damaging the hospital in which Hamza was born. This song then is written, inspired by a letter from Hamza's mother expressing concern on how the second war would affect him, the lullaby swing in the track feels different when faced with data on the amount of children who are prescribed Valium to aid sleep in Baghdad due to bombing trauma, 'the worlds gone wrong again, I need a lullaby'. Of course, Wyatt can make all this trauma sound like bliss wrapped up in trombone and accordion.
This track is then proceeded on the CD versh by 30 seconds of silence 'for those with tired ears to pause and resume listening later'  how considerate Robert!
Trickle Down looks inward again, thinks about the act of listening, and might reference Wyatt's accident which left him unable to stand, with lines like 'press on your window, why some people float sometimes are floored'.
Insensatez is a bossanova Jobim cover, and a heart-breaker duet with Karen Mantler, daughter of jazz singer Carla Bley.
Mister E utilizes those synth tones again, which may even be the pan-pipe setting! Remarkably Wyatt makes it sound cool.
Lullaloop features Paul Weller on guitar, and is written by Alfreda. Funny and tender, this album highlight features Wyatt as a grumpy old man complaining about the noise, 'night's for lying down'.



Foreign Accents uses circular blocks of repeated motifs 'Hiroshima / Nagasaki / Avigato / Konnichiwa / Vanunu / Mossadegh', the last four words meaning, thank you, hello, the surname of an politically imprisoned Israeli scientist who leaked details of stockpiles of nuclear weaponry, and the democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister ousted by British/American secret services only to be succeeded by 25 years of pro western 'oil friendly' dictatorship. This track works in a hypnotic Phillip Glass/Terry Riley style.
Brian The Fox puts to great use Wyatt's delicate vocals in long tones, stretched until you can hear the grain of his voice beginning to crack.
La Ahada Yalam (No-One Knows) finishes this album and massive accomplishment, continuing the themes of the human tragedy of war, with an Arabic instrumental dripping in middle eastern trauma.
Even without the themes and thinking behind Wyatt's work (which definitely enrich it), his music can be enjoyed as simply beautiful on it's own terms, and this is what makes this album so special, I never tire of hearing it.

43. Ghostface - The Pretty Toney Album (2004)

The third (final?) Ghostface Killah album to appear in this list is The Pretty Toney Album, which he released without the Killah title. It may seem controversial picking this one above Fishscale, which received all the plaudits and was widely considered his best work since Supreme Clientele. The thing is...I love the Pretty Toney Album. It came at a time when the extended Wu-Tang were at their lowest ebb, most members had a failed album behind them, and it had been years since the Wu had collaborated as a group. Ghost's previous effort Bulletproof Wallets had been dogged by sample clearance issues, and the resulting release was a compromised effort, and sold poorly. Pretty Toney then represented the moment when Ghost would step out from the shadows of the Wu, and begin to seem more important as a solo act than with his RZA helmed group. Importantly this time Ghost would bring along his own producers and rap crew the Theodore Unit (in true crap hip-hop acronym fashion, apparently meaning The Open Door). Only two RZA productions would feature and no Wu members.
Ghost had always featured 70's deep soul and Philly samples on his tracks, and this style was now amped up, and made as Ghost's own (Meth had blunted dusty beats, RZA had digital noise, Raekwon had the gangsta mafioso thing, GZA had chess and kung-fu, who knows what U-God had!). Pretty Toney kept our interest in all things Wu during these lean times. He also showed a new found maturity in subject matter, as along with the stream of conscious slang and ghetto brutality were feelings rarely expressed in hardcore hip hop; of male weaknesses, failure and at one point he even begs a woman to take him back, a brave move for a self proclaimed don-king who rocks a six inch high solid gold eagle on his arm, and a king tut piece about the size of 'lil Maurece.

So sit back, kick off your blue and cream wallabies, and get your mouth watered on some marvelous shit.

Biscuits kicks off proceedings with it's Sam & Dave sample. Ghost introduces his main foil for this and the subsequent 718 album, Trife Diesel. The track begins with Ghost admonishing some poor dude for getting him chocolate instead of a banana nutriment, and eager to succeed Ghost threatens, 'We gon get our money, If he front, They gon read about the rocks in his tummy'. 


Kunta Fly Shit is one of two RZA productions, and is a short track containing pure aggression, 'Flambey his brains, Hanging out his onion'

Beat The Clock features Ghost rapping three verses in quick succession (hence: beat the clock), It's amazing the variety of different rhythms and flows he puts together on this, using sing song stylings and double time maneuvers. Among Ghosts free association wordplay he claims that 'feeds dolphins', and that he has a diamond encrusted condom 'for pussies that's golden'!

Metal Lungies is slang for bullets, as in 'ask the clique yo, they spit metal lungies'. This provides the metaphor for guest rappers Styles P and Sheek Louch.

We then have to endure a skit whereby we hear Ghost bathed by a woman, whilst The Delphonics play in the background. It's what they invented a skip button for.
Save Me Dear's lengthy Freddie Scott soul sample runs dangerously long, then Ghost starts rapping, and you realise, he's just gonna rhyme straight over it, as you imagine he would have when learning how to rap by just putting on a record and rapping in time over it. Ghost's, grown man approach makes itself known here, when he raps the usual list of desirable female attributes, cooking, not snitching to cops, good in bed etc.. However added to the list this time are, being a friend as well as a lover, talking down his low moods and stupid ideas and making up following arguments. A Killah that can communicate might just be a dangerous proposition.

It's Over expands on this new found maturity, and finds Ghost noting that when everything seems to be going so well, the world can crash around you. Verse one is reminiscing over the peak Wu-Tang era, with money no object, Ghost is in a daze of drugs and girls and is too preoccupied enjoying himself to notice that he is being watched.  The murder of some crew members and a drug bust is the result. Verse two, tells of a girl that Ghost trusted who had access to personal data and robbed him.

Tush is underrated and is the lead single from the album. Featuring Missy Elliot as a perfect match for Ghost, and is a funky sexy P Diddy production, similar to prime Biggie or Ma$e productions. It's basically a sex track, but funny and as gritty as you'd imagine a tryst between Ghost and Missy would be. It's unusual for Missy to do sexual subject matter, as she says in the track 'you would think it was Lil Kim's lips ugggghhh', It is also a pleasure to Missy twist her syllables, 'Now shush, in my bush, And I can give you what you want, make a whoosh, Just throw it, i'll show you how to push, Kinky sex, tie ropes round your wroosts'.



Last Night contains Ester Williams, The 900 number and some pure filth.

Holla expands upon Save Me Dear's extended sample by just playing the whole of La La La Means I Love You by The Delphonics and letting Ghost run rampant over the top, a brilliant idea which has now been copied so many times. Keeping it real like '77, 'all we need is a drum, like fuck it he can rhyme, I'll sing'.


Ghostface is an attempt to repeat the success of Cherez La Ghost from Supreme Clientele, and uses a very similar palette of sounds.

Be This Way is a thumping soul stomper, Ghost paints vivid pictures of grimey Staten Island ghettos and corrupt cops getting backhanders from dealers. He then flips this on the second verse to a first person account of a crack dealer doling out fear and murder with the clinical coldness of a hardened gangster, 'We could do magic, splatter faggots in lobbies, the heat burn off their eyelashes, real tragic, forensic scientists called in to display graphics, the brain and spleen is left all over a fiends mattress'. A pained Billy Stewart sample loops in the background unable to decide between 'it's gonna always be this way', and 'It doesn't have to always be this way'. My gosh!

The Letter is a skit of Ghost choking up as he reads a letter; this then leads to Tooken Back, as Ghost and Jackie O in turn ask and beg to be taken back and forgiven their weaknesses. Ghost finishes with the advice, 'Don't be afraid to ask', I can't think of another hip hop album where this could happen.

Run was the big hitter, the track Westwood played. And although it featured a banging RZA beat and prime hip hop subject matter (running from the cops), it also addressed the subject in a way that felt un-glamorous and real. Whilst running from the cops Ghost drops his drugs, loses his trainers 'If you getting chased with no shoes on', and running on pure adrenaline hastly decisions are contemplated. Jadakiss who provides an excellent asthmatic verse (why are so many rappers asthmatic?) considers whether shooting at the cops is a good idea, whilst Ghost is running into all the wrong places 'If you see me coming get the fuck out the entrance'. Alongside these factors they hardly seem like successful criminals 'If you selling drugs in the school zone'.


Love  finishes the album with some uplifting soul, but it's too little too late and we still can't wash that metallic taste from our mouths.

Alongside Pretty Toney came an album from Ghost's new crew The Theodore Unit called 718. The tracks were all recorded during the Pretty Toney sessions, the highlights of which are worthy of your consideration.

Ghost's verses on 718 are less thematic, just rapping, like he feels less pressured to find a concept and can loosen up. Which is Ghost's art really, and he can be heard at his best sometimes when freestyling  nonsense and bragging over tough beats.
Guerrilla Hood sets out 718 promise to deliver 'Big stupid bangers'
'88 Freestyle puts Ghost over Big Daddy Kane's super fast Set It Off.
The Drummer is the only Ghost tune of this era to feature another Wu-Tang member, Method Man. Features a nice scratchy vinyl loop, and Meth quite rightly (and touchingly) raps to Ghost, 'The most important MC in the whole wide world is you, and you hardly even know it'.
Who Are We contains a shouty Bonecrusher chorus (exactly the reason why MF Doom said 'rappers shouting all in our ear like we're deaf!') over a punishing stomp.
Paychecks is a 'back when I was broke' rookie crime saga, whereby the Theodore Unit threaten young pretenders and entry level rappers with 'back then we was beatin the shit outta niggas, shaking niggas upside down on some cartoon shit'

Of the Theodore Unit, Trife is always worth a listen, but as for the others, basically skip any track that doesn't feature Ghost.

44. Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain (2003) / Madvillian - Madvillainy (2004)

The 44 spot goes to a duo of MF Doom albums released during a period when Doom was on fire. 1999's Operation Doomsday had been hailed as a classic (and released a few months later it would have made the top 5 of this list). Intrigued heads excited by the debut had dug back into the KMD discography, understood the significance of the non-release of Black Bastards due to it's cover art, and the subsequent death of Doom's (Daniel Dumile) brother and musical partner in KMD. In the years that followed Doomsday a trickle of singles and KMD bootlegs came out, and anticipation for new Doom material was huge. Then from 2003 - 2006 we had four albums recorded under various aliases (three collaborations with other producers), one album under the MF Doom moniker, many guest appearances for other artists and an overseer/producer role for albums by MF Grimm and Monster Island Czars! A release schedule like the fucking Monkees! We were truly spoilt. This run ended with Doom's MM...Food and his collaboration with Dangermouse, The Mouse and the Mask. Since this he has slowed down significantly.
Viktor Vaughn and Madvillian were both non Doom productions, with Vik handled by a bunch of next level, futuristic hip hop scions (King Honey, Heat Sensor) based at the Sound-ink label, and Madvillain a collaboration with Madlib (hence the name).
Aliases seem to be used by Doom mainly as a springboard for rhyming, others have looked for significant differences in theme between Doom, Vik, and King Geedorah. However, other that all being comic book villiains, the references Doom uses remain pretty constant through all his work; the mythology of the mask (he can be a hero, villain, hiding his identity, ugly), an underlying sadness or damage both from the streets, racism, and the loss of his brother. Doom also often raps about his hobo/bum lifestyle; he is influenced by Bukowski, with frequent references to heavy drinking, being over weight, a disconnect with emotion, failed relationships and looking like shit. All of this meaning is hidden beneath Dooms buttery flow, slang, funny and clever lyrics and can be missed easily, but importantly still enjoyed. Just like the comics and cartoons Doom loves, his music can be understood and enjoyed on many levels. Fans of Doom look deep into the lyrics and love his multiple puns, references to old hip hop culture, complex metaphors, unbelievable rhyme skills (if you think it sounds laid-back and simple, just try rapping along), references to where he wrote a verse (on Vaudeville Villain's creepy voodoo rap Lickupon he 'wrote this rhyme sick in bed, with his dick head inside a chicken's head') and Dooms fondness for twisting common phrases to making them different in a way you hadn't previously imagined. For a detailed analysis of every Doom lyric (I shit you not!) look for the nerds at www.rapgenius.com.



Vaudeville Villain begins with the title track, where Vik stamps his rhyming superiority over the competition early, 'Viktor the director flips a script like Rob Reiner, The way a lotta dudes rhyme their name should be knob shiner, For a buck they likely dance the jig or do the Hucklebuck, To Vik it's no big deal, They're just a bunch of knucklefucks'. Vik later proclaims himself 'A really big fan of Dan Akroyd' as only a Ghostbusters child could possibly do. Vik is also unafraid to demonstrate the amount of hard work which has gone into being this damn good, 'He study rhymes and patter-ins, with climbs so steep sometimes the beats don't be matterin'. 


Lactose & Lecithin which follows refers to the duff coke he buys from Mexican gangsters in this Ghostface like crime caper. A Dead Mouse features a great sitar sample whilst Vik uses cat and mouse metaphors to describe his rhyming skill. Raedawn was the first single of the album, and was a new sound for Doom, eschewing the soul samples for a synthetic, glitchy hip hop, Vik threatens challengers with a 'Triple shot of gnac with a chaser of bongwater'; it's ok Vik, you can have the mic!
Let Me Watch is one of the most interesting cuts featuring Apani B as Nikki and Doom as Vic, it starts as a tale of blossoming love, with Vic initially charming the cautious Nikki 'Heard he was the type to do her name in graffiti'. Things quickly unravel as Vik, inpatient for sex, casually calls her a Ho, he then tries to make up, as even the deeply flawed Vik kinda knows she was a good thing for him, Vik then seals the deal by asking Nikki if she could pick up 'two dutch' (for making joints), leaving Nikki declaring, 'I'd rather masturbate than fuck with Vik Vaughn', however Vik not knowing when he's beaten chips in with a desperate 'Let me watch'.  Hip Hop gold.



Saliva is produced by RJD2 and stands as his finest contribution to hip hop, fast paced and traditionally funkier than the rest of the album, Vik details his mic skills in fine fashion, 'Hold it like a drunk driver hold a CB on a sharp turn, Still clutching his chest from the heartburn'. 
Open Mic Night is probably funner for those who attend such things, with comedy rappers, and over earnest rappers upstaged by Vic and members of the Monsta Island Czars, who were Dooms crew at the time, each named after Godzilla monsters and having their own flow style of tricksy time signatures and hardcore subject matter.
Mr Clean features a nice cut up organ lick and scratch effect and was the second single, coming with a video where Doom nearly shows his face.



The final track is Change The Beat and does just that, flipping beats three times to showcase Vik's skills, almost every Doom line is great but a personal favorite on this track is 'If the pants fit, sport em but rock em low'. Doom can appeal to backpacking rap nerds, reference the old skool and rare gear and do cleverer than thou raps with the best, however what makes him more important is that underneath the swagger his rhymes cover a subject matter both personal and as ghetto as say M.O.P or the Wu-Tang, his art therefore contains more danger and intellect than indie rap types who wear the lifestyle like a fashion accessory. Doom is Hip Hop.


If you could criticize Vaudeville villain for anything it would be that some of the production quality did not match Dooms rhymes. Madvillany, Madlibs project with Doom promised to sort this, with his music already highly respected. Madlibs smoother, eccentric west coast jazz funk beat duggery shares the spotlight more equally with Doom and both styles are well represented.
The twenty two short tracks are typical of Madlibs style, quick switches, never allowing the beat to settle for long enough to become hypnotic, like George Clinton with an attention deficit disorder. Five minutes flies past, leaving your brain processing the accordion sample, the sample from Frank Zappa's Uncle Meat classic 'Sleeping In A Jar', and you've probably missed already some of Dooms most visionary couplets; did he refer to himself in the third person again 'When he got the mic, you don't go next', did he refer to someone as 'Borderline schizo, sorta fine tits tho', and then 'The old man preaches bout the gold sand beaches, while the cold hand reaches for the old tan Elllesses....Jesus', wow we really are a bunch of shallow motherfuckers!



Americas Most Blunted was a bonafide smash, sampling Steve Reich's tape loop experiment Come Out, for the service of a stoner anthem, 'One day he might grow a barn full, recent research say it's not so darn harmful'. The album carries on in this fashion, with Doom rapping in a lower register, it's easy to let the whole thing wash over you, as it's one of the most blissful hip hop albums since the days of prime Native Tongues, 'The best emcee with no chain ya ever heard'. Lord Quas also features on a few tracks as Madlibs high voiced alter ego, notably on Shadows of Tomorrow, based upon Sun-Ra's Space is the Place movie. Strange ways concerns white collar criminality and government criminality, namely the Iraq war, and is remeniscent of Bill Hicks in his observations, 'It costs billions to blasts humans in half, into calfs and arms, but only one side is allowed to have bombs' Doom also addresses the equally cunty suicide bombers.


Fancy Clown is heartbroken but hard and cynical, denying hurt in exchange for sex and violence, a cheating song, appropriately sampling a ZZ Hill/Swamp Dogg tune. In anger Vik raps 'Like all foul men at times I hit ya moms off, I told he knock it off, But she had to set the rocket off'. 




All Caps reaffirms Dooms mastery over a chemically altered horn sample, hiccups and piano loop.



The album finishes with two of the best tracks, Great Day and Rhinestone Cowboy. Great Day includes some great Doom cadences  'This one he wrote in cold blood with a toothpick, One thing this party could use is more...Booze, Put ya'self in your own shoes'. Rhinestone Cowboy is just one great line after another as Doom squeezes in The Grand Old Opry, jalopies, and seemingly effortless bragging. The problem with writing about Doom is that simply transcribing lines like 'Goony goo goo loony koo-koo like Gary Gnu of New Zoo Review, But who knew the mask had a loose screw? Hell could hardly tell, Had to tighten it up, Like the Drells and Archie Bell', could never actually prepare you for how good it sounds when heard rapped by Doom.

45. The Fall - The Unutterable (2000)

The Fall circa 2000 were very much an unknown quantity. The big split from Hanley/Burns etc in '98 was still fresh in the memory, and there were serious doubts about the competency of the new line up. The Marshall Suite a year earlier was a glorious conjurers act of raw primal garage and production tricks, largely attributable to Smith and Julia Nagle, then a major song contributor and electronics instrumentalist.
Anyone who had seen The Fall during the tour that supported The Marshall Suite however, often witnessed a shambolic performance from a band who were unable to get it together. The only time I have witnessed MES apologizing for a poor show, was at Bristol Fleece and Firkin (a tiny venue) in 1999, the group didn't know how to start or stop the songs, and players sat out tracks entirely, looking embarrassed. MES himself compensated by being more sober than he had in years, with clear vocals and ad libs that are always a delight for the faithful. That MES may even become, or have to supplement his Fall work as a spoken word performer, was a distinct possibility with one solo CD and a few solo shows during the difficult time post '98.

Not for the last time then, a new Fall album made us curse our doubts and think; how the hell does he do it! Using the same group line up as The Marshall Suite, The Unutterable's songwriting was dense and detailed, and it's production by Grant Showbiz brought out a more polished, group led Fall. Grant Showbiz, has a legendary track record with The Fall, his productions seem to bring out the subtleties in MES's performance, and provide hidden corners to keep you coming back for endless listens. Showbiz's Fall productions runs thus, Dragnet, Totales, Grotesque, Slates, Hex Enduction Hour, The Frenz Experiment, Shiftwork, Twenty Seven Points, Chisellers, Country on the Click, The Unutterable and Imperial Wax Solvent; good work Grant! There was no single or Peel session in support of the album, which always make this one seem kind of stand alone and lost among other more celebrated releases.

Cyber Insekt opens the album with a galloping rockabilly science fiction vibe, MES is playing on the 'book of film, film of book' lyric, he always seems to love the sound a word or phrase can make, and can roll around words in his mouth, emphasizing timbre, meaning, mispronunciations unlike anyone in the 'rock' world. Apparently the subject stems from a conversation between Smith and Nagle, they were joking about making a film of the incident in NY which started with the band splitting and culminated in MES' arrest. Who knows what the Cyber Insekt is, but I like the concept. Here they are bludgeoning the track into submission.




Two Librans resists explanation, but intrigues with its references to international wars, the evil of television (a fave subject), a great mispronunciation of Chcheeecchhechneeya, and the two librans themselves both 'high and low in mind'. Some obsessives would even read predictions of 9/11 in the line, 'miracles of blonde September', although I still haven't heard a convincing explanation of 'to Oprah Winfrey, she studied bees'. The whole puzzle is driven forward with dub deep bass, punk riffery and depth charge synths. Smith the psychic can be glimpsed here.


Next up track three W.B. stands for William Blake, and completes as perfect a triumvirate of tracks as can open any album. Mid paced and reflective, MES' timing and delivery are expert, fascinating, an equal to Patti Smith or Damo Suzuki. The lyric borrows from Blakes, A Song of Liberty; from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. MES has used this text before, namely The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom. For W.B. The fire, the fire is falling! Look up! look up! O citizen of London. enlarge thy countenance: O Jew (MES says merchant), leave counting gold! return to thy oil and wine: O African! black African! (go, winged thought widen his forehead). The Fiery limbs, the flaming hair, shot like the sinking sun into the western sea. Blake remains a massive influence on The Fall, as an early English philosopher, romantic and working class man. It reminds the listener that deep down MES is a romantic too.
Watch this excellent film made using Blakes illustrations from the book.



Sons of Temperance follows, notable for the urgent, electro rockabilly, and MES' gruff, preacher style delivery. Old bug bear, the 'present crypto moralist nation' is roundly cursed and some poor soul gets, 'you're an androgynous piece of slop'. The smoking ban was around the corner, and MES was keen to point out, albeit cryptically, the hypocrisies of our supposed liberal leaders (and public).
Sons is named after a film by Mark Aerial Waller who collaborated with MES on two short films during this period. Waller had quite an influence on this album, but seems overlooked, for instance he is not mentioned in any of the Fall biographies. His films Glow Boys and Midwatch both starred MES, in the former he played a caterer in a nuclear plant. MES performs a version of The Caterer (track) in the film. Midwatch, which MES also named an Unutterable track after, is set in a nuclear submarine and filmed in total darkness. Unfortunately these are the only clips I could find.




Dr. Bucks Letter is a Bukowski tribute, that has a distinct narrative, tying three threads together; first is MES regretful over his rude behavior toward a friend, secondly a letter from a doctor, and thirdly a piss take of a Pete Tong interview with MES laughing incredulously over the DJ's inane words. All this over a crunchy churning bass line and blips. Dr. Bucks is well regarded among fans, and has probably stayed in the live sets longer than any other track on the album.
Hot Runes is an great upbeat tune, with memories of Saturday football and a join in chorus, file alongside British people in hot weather and Get a Summer song going.
Way Round is MES disorientated by roundabouts, an example of MES' ability to find the uncanny in the everyday, he 'stumbles into glass discos'; I've seen him onstage, you can't imagine him driving, can you?
Octo Realm/Ketamine Sun took a long time to reveal it's merits for me. There's a reference to a Lou Reed song (Kill your sons) I've never liked, plus the sluggish pace. The only thing of interest is an unusually fragile and heartbroken MES lyric hidden beneath the dirge.
Serum ups the pace with techno beats, and an interestingly cryptic lyric that perhaps refers to addiction; 'when will the serum come again', lots of random shouting of numbers 101.1. It's similar in feel to the overcrowded confusion vibe sought by tracks like A Past Gone Mad or City Dweller.  Add in some great insults like, 'Your lock stock and barrel reflected backward mind', before the track stutters into disconnected syllables, and you have a glorious Orwellian nightmare, a desperate dystopia is visioned.
You know how sometimes Fall albums often contain one really weird track of either experimentation, jokeiness, or randomness? think; WMC Blob 59, Light/Fireworks, Crew Filth, Papal Visit or Bonkers in Phoenix. Well the rest of this album contains four of these! Hold your limited edition hologram There's A Ghost in my House 12"s, we're going in.
The Unutterable track itself is a short spoken word with tapping piece; think Live at the Witch Trials. Pumpkin Soup and Mashed Potatoes is a cocktail jazz piece with electronic flutes, unique among the Falls discography. MES can be heard extolling the virtues of said dish. A surprisingly nutritious choice for MES, and I suppose, easy to manage if you leave your false teeth anywhere.
Hands Up Billy is written and sung by Nev Wilding also on guitar duties, it's a perfectly fine pop punky tune. However there remains something wrong about anyone other than MES or his wife/girlfriend singing whole tracks on Fall albums.
Midwatch 1953 stretches the patience with it's repetition of two sentences over a lengthy strum, amist bloops, presumably there to evoke submarines as in said film.
Of much more worth is Devolute, a kind of state of the nation address with two overlapped vocals, al la VU's The Murder Mystery. MES really explores the cadences of his lyrics on this one, as MES bemoans an English Glasnost and asks the horric question, 'what would life be like without music and comedy', a hidden gem.
The album ends with Das Katerer, a re-versioning of spoken word piece The Caterer from The Post Nearly Man. Really funny, the music is basically the keyboard riff from Free Range, with MES in his caretaker guise from Glow Boys, 'Chicken and chips off the bone'.
In retrospect the last quarter of this album now seems to suggest that MES was still trying to find a Fall group he was happy with, as many of the tracks are mainly MES solo effects and Grant Showbiz's excellent production. Next album Are You Are Missing Winner, would contain some great tracks, and live the group would improve. The Fall's studio output in 2001 would suffer in comparison to The Unutterable, due to it's lack of production, and reliance on a Fall group, who weren't up to scratch in the studio without a producer to guide the way, evidence that although MES is The Fall, and without his presence there is nothing, the contributions of others are the building blocks through which MES must build his vision.

46. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale / More Fish (2006)

Fishscale was touted as Ghostface's return to form, the best since Supreme Clientele, a fact Ghost seemed to anticipate with the build up to The Champ 'you ain't been this hungry since Supreme Clientele'. In fact Ghost hadn't gone far wrong since 2000, also the year of the Wu's comeback, Gravel Pit etc.
Bulletproof Wallets had been hampered by sample clearance issues, and left a trail of unincluded gems.The Pretty Tony Album was great; Ghost, as always could be heard guesting on other acts material, often as the highlight of a R&B single or a Masta Killa, MF Doom LP spot.
Despite this Fishscale promised a return of classic hard boiled crime narratives with the renowned detail, complex slang and metaphors that take many listens to decipher, and even more intangible Raekwon tag team bouts. Fishscale gave us all this, and also productions from Pete Rock, MF Doom, J Dilla and Just Blaze that make the album diverse with experimental, soulful and anthemic points intertwined. What the album lacks is any RZA productions, Ghost's relationship with RZA seemed at a low point in 2006, with negative comments over the production of 8 Diagrams, the Wu album at that time.
Ghost also presents himself as the Alan Sugar of rap on this one, and very little of the untrammeled emotion and grown man weaknesses developed previously show on this, however Ghost still raps with an intensity that can put a lump in your throat at the most unlikely moments, with what may seem nonsensical raps Ghost can turn a phrase, or drop a line beyond the grasp of other rappers.

Fishscale is slang for uncut cocaine, and Ghost begins with the tale of a botched heist. The opening of an album this rugged and raw has to be big, and Ghost doesn't disappoint, immediately dropping us into a scenario you can imagine like a Tarrantino script; 'whip smellin' like fish from 125th, throwin' ketchup on my thighs, hitting baseball spliffs, back seat with my leg all stiff, 'push the fuckin seat up', tartar sauce on my S Dot kicks'. The detail of the 77 year old lady is also priceless.




Raekwon makes his first appearance on second track Kilos. Years before Breaking Bad this track breaks down the cocaine trade as 'professors at war over raw, killing partners for a million dollars'. The Champ is a Just Blaze anthem interspersed with Rocky 3 samples (Clubber Lang), and is full on, high octane fighting talk. 9 Milli Bros is a full Wu-Tang collabo, over MF Doom's Fenugreek fragrance, and an obvious highlight. Ghost and Cappadonna win this one though, Ghost with his 'Y'all be nice to the crackheads' opening, and Cappa AKA The Cab Driver (who at this stage 10 years post Ironman, was actually driving cabs!), who will 'drop you off in the middle of fire, dirty island, drag bodies to the murderland', oh, it's alright Capp, I'll walk to Shaolin.



Beauty Jackson follows with a J Dilla beat from Donuts, the subject matter is funny and very MF Doom like, perhaps showing that Ghost had been listening closely to Dooms narratives. This is like the Viktor Vaughn track Let Me Watch where he horribly misjudges a relationship with a woman, who he falls for, and who could be good for his flawed character. Admissions of weakness are a rarity in hip-hop, but can be glimpsed through these tracks if listened closely. In Beauty Jackson, Ghost similarly meets a woman he likes, then just as things seem to be going well, Ghost drops a gun from his pocket... Ghost watch your biscuit.




Crack Spot follows, with it's reminiscence of a scene featuring Raekwon and Ol' Dirty, a guy collapses and hits his head badly at Ghost's house after taking some very potent cocaine, then the door knocks, the Wu have been caning it for days and paranoid visions of who could be at the door bother Ghost, 'cause I spazzed out, rolled up in the stash house and barked on Justin'. The man at the door is Crime, who has come to sell knock off electrical goods, hilarity ensues.
R.A.G.U. (an acronym for Rae and Ghost united, and the title of a album that never came) is a Pete Rock soulful banger, with Rae and Ghost at their conversational best, just two verses about a difficult to manage young gangster, the only reason Rae didn't smoke him, is he was Ghost's family, Ghost's response - fuck him.
Whip You With A Strap is another J Dilla Donut, that is widely assumed to be a straightforward, kids aren't punished enough these days lecture, however with Ghost recounting several severe beatings he received as a youngster, describing welts leaking from his legs at school, over such crimes at wetting himself, and a plaintive vocal, I feel that the feelings behind this song are more complex than Ghost is letting on.
Back Like That was the big hit with Ne-Yo. I never felt that it fitted well on Fishscale, although wouldn't want to deny Ghost the big hit. Also, the jealous tirades and hypocritical sentiment in this song, culturally I just overlook, skip.
Be Easy was a more fitting single choice another Pet Rock bounce, and a chorus!
Clipse of DOOM is perhaps the album highlight, using Trife from Ghostface's pet project Theodore Unit, they take bragging into realms of hyper-real bone-crunching fantasy. 'Blow a hockey puck hole in the back of your spine, she put two cut up mirrors in the place of your eyes, so when the cops look they see themselves, they all gonna die' and 'it's a tale of pimps and thugs, crips and bloods, get your face bashed in on the concrete rug'. 



Jellyfish is the third of four Doom productions. Dogs of War is a Sly sampling posse cut with wah wah licks, featuring Sun God (Ghost's son). Big Girl follows, with Ghost rapping over an unaltered 70's soul tune, a style started on Holla from Pretty Tony, this time it's You're a Big Girl Now from the Stylistics, Ghost mixes rampant misogyny and an uplifting message to all ghetto women as only he can.
Underwater is Doom's Orange Blossom, and one of the strangest tracks, seemingly a deep sea fantasy including bizarre lyrics like, 'I saw Spongebob in the Bentley Coupe, bangin the Isleys', it ends with a pro Islam message, as if Ghost dreamt up an underwater Wizard of Oz fable, where Allah ruled the emerald castle.
Momma may seem initially unpromising as the list of momma songs in hip hop and reggae grows long and syrupy, Ghost however chokes you, as he opens the track in that tone of voice with, 'it's not ya mommas fault, it's ya father's fault, it's ya fathers fault your mother is an alcoholic', and you're away, gutted with Ghost. File this one with Tearz, All That I Got Is You, Impossible and I Can't Go To Sleep. This is how the album should end, instead we get a retrofitted Biggie collab, skip.




Fishscale was so critically and commercially successful that Def Jam wanted a quick follow up, amazingly Ghost delivered with More Fish, which deserves to be heard as a companion piece to Fishscale, with some tracks at least as good and some better than the preceding release. Ghost uses this album to showcase his Theodore unit and gives them some tracks alone, which they seem to want to use by rapping about poker!
Worthy of mention on More Fish is the opening Ghost is Back, starting in a celebratory mood after Fishscale at a NYE party, a triumphant fast paced Ghost boast riding Rakim's On The Ledge beat.



Gunz N Razors rides a Doom beat with murderous rhymes on a posse cut. Blood Red is a psychedelic Madlib production with Ghost at his most deranged 'Cuz if Lil' Jon can ice his cup, I top that shit and ice my nuts'.
Greedy Bitches is a risible sexist comedy, memorable for me due to his ATP appearance of that year with full Theodore Unit in tow, when he had a stage full of female indie types dancing to, 'greedy bitches, the hoes ate the orioles'. In fact it was a delight to have Ghost's team at ATP, they spent the weekend among the crowd, hustling CD-R's and having a good time, I brought five, when I got home only one worked, I was robbed by Ghostface Killah.
Alex (Stolen Script) is a real hidden classic, in the boneyard of a follow up album, Ghost feels free to experiment with this track concerning getting a film script stolen by a different type of criminal, this is told over one of Doom's thumping stuttering productions, and is the kind of thing that still gets hip hop fans in a sweat about possible full length collaborations six years later.