Day 1 - Aaliyah to Aguilera via AC/DC

Today is the big day! Today is the start of something awesome, something marvellous, something ... utterly pointless. It's my intention to work my through the 1000 The Guardian chaps decided I should listen to before I die. So unless I die within the next two years, that's precisely what I am going to do. Oh, and blog as I go. Yes, I am a nerd. Here goes ... read from the bottom up if you want to get all chronological on me ...


Christina Aguilera - Stripped
Two songs in and I now remember why I never listen to this stuff normally. Give her some due though, she can really sing, and she has some attitude. There are some quite nice sultry moments, reminiscent of Michelle Pfeiffer in that red dress. Smacks of "girl power" and all that rubbish a little too much. There is nothing raw or edgy about this music, it's so highly polished that I can almost see my face in it. Even the guitars sound like they were produce by a synthesiser, along with everything else. Although I must admit that when she gets all latino on me it's much better to listen to, lot of soul in there and she sounds more at home than the soppy pop stuff. When she is upbeat she's okay to listen too, but the ballads make me want to throw myself out of a window.
Standout Tracks: Walk Away, Fighter, Infatuation, Dirty, Make Over, Soar



AC/DC - Powerage
I knew exactly what to expect with this one, having listened to plenty of AC/DC before, and the album did not disappoint. AC/DC are one of those bands that you just know what you are going to get when you put the record on, and what they do, they do very well indeed. Highly infused with a blues feel to it, the vocals are not quite as harsh as they sound in later years and have more of that classic seventies rock feel (although given that the lead singer (Bon Scott) is apparently different to the guy you normally associate with AC/DC (Brian Johnson) that would explain it!). Satisfyingly and unashamedly rock and roll, fun to listen to, excellent album!

Standout tracks: Down Payment Blues, Riff Raff, Sin City, Gone Shootin', Kicked in the Teeth




Above the Law - Livin' Like Hustlers
Ah, gangsta rap. Yep, I know as much about this as I do about RnB (although I have at least listened to an RnB record now). This one is in your face from the word go. Huge beats, and repetitive synth noises start the whole thing off. Kind of a funk feel to it in places, and a soulful feel in others, with the harsh lyrical content laid over the top (although the rappers are not unpleasant to listen to, with a smooth vocal style). Despite the aggressive lyrics, there is a real sense of humour to this record also (check the start of Livin' Like Hustlers for an example) and a real laid back feel to the music that contrasts with the lyrics. It's very difficult to avoid bobbing your head and calling people "homez" while listening to this.
Standout tracks: Untouchable, Freedom of Speech




Aaliyah - Aaliyah
I don't know the first thing about hippety hop or BnR (RnB?), but this is not an altogether painful experience. The bass is pretty kicking and driving each song along pretty well, broken up at times for a bit of variation. Aaliyah herself has one of those honeylike voices that is actually rather easy on the ear. The moaning about relationship problems is starting to annoy, but the music itself is surprisingly pleasant, and vocally interesting, although it all gets a little dull and repetitive after a while. But hey, I'm an old metalhead trying to keep an open mind here! One other minor irritation ... "you" is spelled "you" not "U". Seriously, does it take that much effort to type out three characters...
Standout tracks: More than a woman, I Care 4 U [sic], I Refuse, What If.