The 500 - #241 - Let It Be - The Replacements

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #241
Album Title: Let It Be
Artist: The Replacements
Genre: Post Punk, Alternative Rock, College Rock
Recorded: Blackberry Way Studios, Minneapolis

Released: October, 1984
My age at release: 19
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #156, up 85 places from 241 since 2012
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: I Will Dare

Let It Be album cover from The Replacements.

I knew little about the American, post-punk, rock band The Replacements until this week. Sure, I'd heard of them and knew that Paul Westerberg was their vocalist and guitarist. It was actually Westerberg who first came to my attention  in the spring of 1993 when I bought the soundtrack to the film Singles. Singles was a romantic-drama/comedy (dramedy) set in contemporary (early ‘90s) Seattle at the height of the grunge music scene -- a Generation X music phenomenon that became the dominant commercial genre in the first half of that decade.

Poster for the 1992 film Singles.

The Singles soundtrack featured Seattle-based artists from the ascendent grunge scene -- Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Mother Love Bone and Alice In Chains. However, it also contained songs from earlier Washington state artists, including May This Be Love by Jimi Hendrix and a cover of Led Zeppelin's Battle Of Evermore from The Lovemongers (a band featuring Ann and Nancy Wilson of the group Heart). In many ways, that CD was a  mix of the music I had thoroughly enjoyed for a decade, combining  the latest new sounds coming into fashion. I recorded it along with an assortment of other songs of the day. On a mixed cassette tape that "lived" in my car stereo for most of the spring of '93 -- a time when I was going through my own twenty-something, existential malaise. (Something documented in previous blog posts).

Album cover for the soundtrack to Singles.

The soundtrack contained two songs from Westerberg, his first as a solo artist after The Replacements disbanded in the summer of 1991. Those songs, Dyslexic Heart and Waiting For Somebody, won me over and, in retrospect, I am surprised I didn't dig deeper into his catalogue. Seeing him perform on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in December, 1993, (when Charlton Heston was the host) should also have kick-started my admiration for Westerberg's talent. His performances from that show were terrific and can be seen here.

Westerberg (centre) with Heston at right. Cast of SNL, including the late Chris Farley, in rear.

Westerberg's first band, The Replacements, formed in 1979 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Initially a punk band, the group comprised Westerberg (vocals & rhythm guitar), Bob Stinson (lead guitar), his brother Tommy Stinson (bass guitar) and Chris Mars (drums).

The Replacements (l-r) T. Stinson, Westerberg, Mars, B. Stinson.

Originally called (and I love this) Dogbreath, the band technically began in 1978 when 19-year-old Bob Stinson bought his 11-year-old brother Tommy a bass guitar to keep him "off the streets". Shortly after, Bob met Mars (who first played guitar) and they began jamming songs from an eclectic mix of artists such as Ted Nugent, Aerosmith and Yes. Westerberg was working as a custodian in the office of a U.S. senator and heard the trio playing in the Stinson's garage while walking home. After a few misstarts and name changes, Westerberg joined the trio, Mars moved to drums and The Replacements were ready to hit the scene.

The Replacements (early 80s).

Let It Be was an audacious title for the band's third record -- it is, after all, the same name as the final studio record released by The Beatles (#392 on The 500). However, that cheeky choice was perfectly "on brand" for a group who approached music with a "nothing is sacred" individualistic attitude -- truly "punk rock".

Let It Be album cover by The Beatles.

There were so many tracks on this record that resonated with me -- I Will Dare, Unsatisfied and, to my delight, a cover version of Black Diamond from KISS. However, the song that struck me was Androgynous, a piano ballad penned by principal songwriter Westerberg. The song is a celebration of a romantic relationship between two gender non-conforming individuals. It expresses the hope that we are heading to a future where all people and their relationships will be accepted. Some say it was decades ahead of its time; but I am pretty sure Andy Warhol, Candy Darling, Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground would disagree, as I discussed in my May, 2022 post.

Andy Warhol and transgender actress Candy Darling.

This week, and this post, began with the recognition that "I didn't know much about The Replacements". I'll end by saying I know quite a bit now. I've read articles, watched YouTube documentaries and, most importantly, listened to Let It Be many times. I'm happy to report that I am now a fan, rectifying my lack of appreciation for the group in 1993.

The 500 - #242 - RUN-D.M.C. (debut) - RUN-D.M.C.

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #242
Album Title: RUN-D.M.C.
Artist: RUN-D.M.C.
Genre: East Coast Hip-Hop, Rap Rock
Recorded: Green Street Recording Studio, New York City

Released: March, 1984
My age at release: 18
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #378, dropping 136 spots since 2012
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Rock Box

My family emigrated to Canada from England twice. The first time was shortly before I was born, in 1964. The second time was in the spring of 1971 just after my twin brother and sister were born. Consequently, I grew up with few relatives in Canada. I had only two second cousins, Daryl and Karen, who lived a few hundred kilometers away, initially in Bramalea, near Toronto, and then in Bobcaygeon, east of Peterborough, Ontario.

A handy "Cousin Chart".

I mentioned this because it was my cousin Daryl, who was one year older than I, who introduced me to funk and hip-hop music. When he came to visit me in London, in the summer of 1981, I was excited to share with him my record collection, including favourite progressive rock bands Rush, Genesis and Yes. He had brought his favourite cassettes, including Feel Me, by the funk band Cameo.

Feel Me by Cameo.

I was surprised to learn that all of his revered music was by black artists. In retrospect, I shouldn't have been surprised. Daryl attended a school in the Greater Toronto area that was far more multicultural than the one I went to in the white enclave of London. I often joke that my early-’80s high school experience was so white that the Portuguese kids were the only ones considered “people of colour. That isn't the case now; Saunders Secondary School (which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022) is one of the most multi-cultural schools in the city.

Saunders Secondary School in London, Ontario.

He listened to some of the records I played on my cheap, bedroom turntable. He had his driver's licence and we went for a cruise in the nearby countryside so that he could play some of his choices. As I listened to Cameo and an album by Kurtis Blow called, The Breaks, Daryl began to explain his love for break-dancing. It was the first time I had heard about the acrobatic form of street dance that had its roots in the African and Caribbean communities of New York City in the 1970s.

An example of Break Dancing.

As we drove, listened to music and talked, it became increasingly obvious to each other that we had little in common. I suspect we both realized that we would probably not be friends if it were not for our blood connection. However, the experience shaped my earliest understanding of the hip-hop genre -- one that was about to explode into the mainstream (even at my fairly monocultural high school). Among the first bands to gain a foothold was RUN-D.M.C., a group that formed in the Hollis, Queens neighbourhood of New York City.

Jason Mizell, Darryl McDaniels
& Joseph Simmons (l-r) are RUN D.M.C.

Formed in 1983, the groundbreaking trio comprised musicians Joseph Simmons (DJ Run), Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) and Darryl McDaniels (DMC). When they performed, Mizell worked the turntables while Simmons and McDaniels performed their raps on the microphone. The influential group pioneered the relationship between the disc jockey (DJ) and the mike controllers (MCs). They were massively successful, becoming the first hip-hop group to have a gold record (their self-titled debut) and a platinum record (Raising Hell, released in 1986 and #123 on The 500). They were also the first hip-hop act to have a video air on MTV, appear on American Bandstand and make the cover of Rolling Stone magazine (December, 1986).

It wasn't until their 1986 release, Raising Hell, that I became familiar with the group. I will share that story when we get to that record in about two years. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to their debut album for this blog. I was surprised by their piece, Rock Box, which blends hard rock and hip-hop, and a blistering guitar solo from studio musician Eddie Martinez. This was the first of several Rap-Rock songs released by the group and paved the way for many other artists in the late ‘80s, including one of my favourite groups, Rage Against The Machine.

Raising Hell - the 1986 platinum released from RUN-D.M.C.

I was also surprised by the lyrics on the RUN-D.M.C.debut album. I had pigeon-holed a lot of early rap as being excessively self-aggrandizing. Much of the mainstream rap I heard in the ‘80s focused on the rapper's skills and the lyrics seemed full of boastful statements about the singer's financial status or success with the fairer sex. Sure, there is some of that on RUN-D.M.C.'s debut, but the record also addresses poverty (Hard Times) and positive relationships (30 Days). The song Wake Up recounts a dream about a utopian world, free of hate, war, violence, homelessness and greed. It was written to address the tensions created during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union when the threat of nuclear annihilation was palpable.

The back cover of the debut record by RUN-D.M.C.
including the track listing.

After that summer afternoon with Daryl, I saw him only once more -- the next summer when my family rented a cottage near Bobcaygeon where he was then living. I haven't spoken with him in more than 30 years. Our lives simply grew in different directions. It would be interesting to reunite and talk about where our love of music took us through our 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. I wonder if he still likes Cameo? I do now.

The 500 - #243 - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #243
Album Title: Black Sabbath
Artist: Black Sabbath
Genre: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Recorded: Regent Sound, London, U.K.

Released: February, 1970
My age at release: 4
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #255, dropping 112 spots since 2012
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Wasp/Behind The Wall Of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B.

The debut record from Black Sabbath is one that I first heard in high school in the early ‘80s. More specifically, while attending basement parties in London, Ontario. Listening to it in its entirety this week transported me back to those heady days of my youth. I was going to use the adjective "carefree" to describe that time in my life because, in retrospect, it was. However, back then, it didn't always feel that way. Awash in surging testosterone, I, like many teens, could run the gamut of emotions on any given day. Psychologists have dubbed this turbulent affliction as a period of "emotional overstatement." It can also occur during menopause or andropause. However, as adults, we are often better equipped to deal with it -- at least I think I am. I touched on my experiences with andropause in a 2016 post I called "Twitter and the lesson that makes me cry".

In September, 2022, I wrote about Black Sabbath when the group’s third record, Masters Of Reality, appeared on The 500 list at position #300. I will write about them again in November, 2025, when their best-selling record, Paranoid, arrives in position #131. It is another record that got plenty of plays in those smoke-filled, basement bars of my youth. As my wife said when we were listening to Black Sabbath this week: "When I hear this record, I can actually smell those wood-paneled, basement parties -- that mix of cigarette and marijuana smoke blended with stale beer and a hint of damp, musty mildew." Indeed, the sense of smell, or olfaction, is our most primary sense and one that can trigger powerful memories. How fascinating that music can trigger olfactory recollections.

An online shot of an 80s basement party.

The debut record by Black Sabbath is considered the first in the heavy metal genre. However, their sound had its genesis in a tale of tragedy and perseverance. Before becoming a professional musician, 17-year-old guitarist Tony Iommi made his living working at a steel mill in his hometown of Birmingham, England. On his last day of work, hours before a scheduled departure with his first band, The Birds And The Bees, on a tour of Germany, Iommi came home for lunch and briefly considered skipping the afternoon shift. His mother encouraged him to return to the factory, saying: "You have to finish a job properly."

Iommi as a teenager.

When he returned to the mill, he learned that another worker, who operated a guillotine-style machine on the assembly line, had not shown up. Iommi replaced him. In a 2020 interview, the left-handed guitarist recalled what happened next, saying:

"They said, 'You've got to go on the machine yourself because there's nobody else to do it'. So, as I'm pushing the metal through the press, the machine came down on my hand, and in the action of pulling my hand back quick, I pulled the ends of my fingers off."

As fate would have it, the fingertips were on his right hand, the one he used on the guitar fretboard to make chords while his right hand strummed and picked the strings. When the wounds had healed, Iommi struggled to play through the pain and even considered switching to play right-handed. He was frustrated and thought of quitting music altogether.

However, the manager of the  factory urged Iommi to try something different. The manager purchased him a record by legendary French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Reinhardt had taught himself to play the guitar, masterfully, after losing the use of all but two of his left-hand fingers – the index and ring fingers – in a fire. 

Django Reinhardt and his misshapen hands following
nerve damage resulting from a fire.

Inspired, Iommi fashioned himself thimble-sized fingertips from melted "Fairy Liquid" dish-detergent bottles and pieces of his leather jacket. The homemade prosthetic worked, sort of. He was unable to feel the strings, so he tended to push down on them much harder. Consequently, he was unable to “bend” the strings – an important manipulation to adjust the tone. His remedy was to replace the heavy gauge strings with lighter ones from a banjo. He also loosened the strings, lowering the guitar tone three semitones down from standard guitar tuning.

Iommi's hands, including the prosthetic fingertips, on his guitar fretboard.

Additionally, Iommi was forced to slow down his finger movements to prevent the tips from coming off, so he started to make the most of chord shapes and the sound created by the changes to his strings. The result was a bigger, weightier and darker sound -- and a heavy metal guitar legend was born.

Black Sabbath in 1970, (l-r) Geezer Butler, Iommi, Bill Ward
and Ozzy Osbourne.

I've thought about Iommi's story often since learning about it many years ago. It reminds me that, sometimes, persevering through hardship can lead to something better.

There was the time I was fired from my bartending job at East Side Mario's Restaurant in Oakville, Ontario. I was broke and, at 27, forced to move back home with my parents. It was a terrible time when I felt at my lowest. However, my financial situation forced me to quit smoking and I eventually got a much better job at Kelsey's Restaurant where I met one of my best friends (and frequent guest blogger), Steve "Lumpy" Sullivan. I also decided to go back to school to pursue a second degree and that led me to Teacher's College and to a career that I still love.

So, take a page from the book of Iommi -- you've got to finish a job properly.

 

The 500 - #244 - The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #244
Album Title: The Marshall Mathers LP
Artist: Eminem
Genre: Horrorcore, Hardcore Hip Hop
Recorded: Six Studios: Los Angeles (4), New York (1) and Detroit (1)
Released: May, 2000
My age at release: 34
How familiar was I with it before this week: A couple songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #145, climbing 99 spots since 2012
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Stan

Although recently updated, the Ontario Language Curriculum (2006), contained the following expectation in the Grade 7 writing section during the past 12 years.

"By the end of Grade 7, students will identify the topic, purpose and audience for more complex writing forms including a rap or jingle to express a personal view to the class."

As a suburban-raised, middle-class, life-long rocker, I was at a disadvantage. How could I teach students (in an effective and culturally respectful way) this important, contemporary lyrical art form? After all, it was one that developed almost exclusively in under-advantaged, urban communities predominantly populated by African and Caribbean Americans. I was out of my element.

Rapping gained in popularity in the late 70s early 80s.

I pride myself on being a "life-long learner" and began my research in earnest when I returned to a Grade 7 classroom in 2019 -- after a decade-long absence. Three resources were particularly valuable.

• The Juno award winning Canadian music documentary series, Hip-Hop Evolution (2016).
• Nas Teaches Hip-Hop Storytelling, which was part of the Masterclass series to which my wife and I subscribed for two years.
• The Vox Media video Rapping Deconstructive: The Best Rappers of All Time which is available here on YouTube.
  

  

  Hip-Hop Evolution (top) and
  Nas Teaches Hip Hop Storytelling. 

A rudimentary background in music theory helped me understand the importance of "beats" and "bars" when writing a rap. Most rap songs, like most pop and rock songs, are written with four beats in each bar. The rapper or M.C. (mike controller), would then deliver the necessary words or syllables between those bars to create a rap that had rhythmic flow.

Two simple bars, with four beats in each bar.

One of the earliest raps to gain mainstream popularity was The Breaks by Kurtis Blow. Simplistic by today's standards, the beat is punctuated by nouns and verbs and each verse uses only "end rhyme", following a basic AABB pattern. The song relates a straightforward story about dealing with life's ups and downs.

car/star and lose/shoes AABB rhyming pattern in The Breaks.

Fast forward to 1986 and raps have become more complex. The duo Eric B. and Rakim release Paid In Full (#228 on The 500) and their songs feature numerous, multi-syllabic rhymes occurring at both the end and within phrases (end rhymes and internal rhymes).

Eric B and Rakim, Paid In Full album cover.

Additionally, the duo are among the first to begin "crossing the bar line". As you see in the example below, the clever, self-referential lyric, "The party is live, this rhyme can't be kept in/side", does not end with the bar, but "crosses over" to the next bar; a technique that improves the presentation and flow of the rap.

Example of "crossing the bar line" in Eric B Is President (1986)

Hip-hop and rapping continued to evolve over the next two decades. Other rappers on this list, including The Notorious B.I.G (#476) and OutKast (#500 and #361), have been recognized for their extraordinary ability to write rhythmically dense lyrics with complex multi-syllabic rhymes (both long and short) that can simultaneously surprise, challenge and satisfy a listener. See the example below from Hypnotize, by Notorious B.I.G., often considered one of the smoothest rap pieces in the genre and a game-changer in 1997.

Hypnotize rhymes and bar lines.

Which brings me to Eminem. Born Marshall Mathers and raised in Warren, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit), he has two records on The 500 list – The Slim Shady LP at #275 and this week's album, The Marshall Mathers LP, which lands at position #244. Eminem is considered one of the greatest rappers and, as a white entertainer, is credited with popularizing hip-hop in middle America. He tops the list as best-selling hip-hop artist of all time, with sales exceeding $220 million.

Eminem (Marshall Mathers) in 2001

I wrote about his sophomore album, The Slim Shady LP, in March, 2023. In that post, I discussed the controversy, and my discomfort, with his earliest style, a “sub-genre” of hip-hop called horrorcore or hardcore rap. On that record, Eminem embodies his alter-ego, Slim Shady, in order to vent about the injustices and problems the, then unknown, rapper had with the world. 

Eminem - 2000

The follow-up record, The Marshall Mathers LP, continues this theme of anger. This time, the singer rants about the challenges of fame, criticism of his music and his estrangement from his family and wife. Once again, the lyrics are vulgar, violent, misogynistic and homophobic. The lyrics were so offensive that they were criticized at a U.S. Senate hearing and the Canadian government briefly considered refusing Eminem entry into the country. Despite all of this, he received praise from many music critics who lauded the record's emotional depth and his lyrical ability. Journalist Estelle Caswell summarized his talent by saying:  "Eminem doesn't just pack in tremendously dense, multi-syllable rhymes, he is also able to tell a vivid story with them and, for many, that wins the day." This is something that Philadelphia-based music historian, teacher and writer Martin Connor called "Cinematic Rap".

Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Biggie Smalls - masters of Cinematic Rap.

The success of the record set the stage for the 2002 release of the semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile which starred Eminem as a fictional version of himself –a young, white rapper trying to break into the world of hip-hop in a predominantly black community in Detroit.

The soundtrack from the movie sold 10 million copies and the lead single, Lose Yourself, became Eminem's biggest hit. Connor, who wrote the book, The Artistry Of Rap Music, has annotated the words and syllables in the song with colour coding to illustrate the complexity of its dense and clever lyrical structure. See an example of Verse 1 below.

In 2002, Lose Yourself became the first rap song to win an Academy Award. It also marked a change in Eminem's lyrics and approach to hip-hop. Upon turning 30, he moved away from the horrorcore and hardcore approach to hip-hop that made him famous. His work became more self-reflective and even political.

Eminem at 50, 2023.

Although he is a bit of a dinosaur in the world of contemporary hip-hop, Eminem remains a legend. I'll admit, I have a tough time coping with the cleverness of his lyrics when they are so vile and offensive -- even if it's satire, even if it was a long time ago and even if he has apologized.

In an effort to rebrand himself, Eminem performed at the 2001 Grammy Awards with openly gay superstar Elton John. John, who has been sober since 1990, became Eminem's good friend and eventual sponsor in 2009, helping the rapper to get clean from drugs and alcohol.

I will admit, Lose Yourself (the clean version) is a terrific way to illustrate to students the complex possibilities that are available with rap writing. Over the past few years, my "life-long approach to learning" has paid off and my hip-hop unit is engaging, culturally respectful and effective. I have started presenting it in conjunction with Black History Month. Indeed, my Grade 7 students have penned some magnificent raps about Martin Luther King, Mary Ann Shadd Cary and Viola Desmond. Here are two samples from my former students Arshiaa and Anviksha.

Arshiaa

Anviksha