The 500 - #135 - Slanted and Enchanted - Pavement

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-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: #135
Album Title: Slanted and Enchanted
Artist: Pavement
Genre: Indie Rock, Noise Pop, LoFi
Recorded: Louder Than You Think Studio (Stockton, California); South Makepeace Studio (Brooklyn, New York)
Released: April, 1992
My age at release: 26
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all
Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at position #199, dropping 74 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Conduit For Sale

In recent years, I’ve reshaped how I approach writing fluency in my Grades 6 and 7 classroom. Instead of assigning a major graded task every few weeks, I now focus on enhancing learning and confidence through regular entries in our Writer’s Notebooks. At the heart of the shift is the “Quick Write” strategy -- posted prominently in our class room (see below) -- which encourages students to get their ideas down without overthinking grammar or spelling. The approach is simple. I want them to write freely and often using topics that are generated from our class discussions or novel readings. I read each entry and offer one piece of targeted advice, helping them grow without overwhelming them with a page full of red ink editing suggestions. The goal is progress, not perfection. Later, they can choose their favourite piece and edit it thoroughly for grading.

This approach to writing came to mind as I researched the recording of Slanted and Enchanted, the debut record from California rockers Pavement. Created in a makeshift home studio on a shoestring budget, the band embraced a lo-fi aesthetic that favored raw energy over polish. The sessions were described as relaxed and spontaneous. Drummer Gary Young reportedly hit record on the tape machine and ran to his kit, capturing “takes” that were imperfect but authentic. The result was a landmark indie rock album, celebrated for its disheveled charm, jagged guitar riffs, and off-kilter melodies. Like a Quick Write, Slanted and Enchanted wasn’t about perfection, it was about capturing something real, unfiltered, and emotionally resonant. That spirit of creative freedom is exactly what I hope to foster in my students’ writing.

Pavement (circa 1992).

Until last year, Pavement had slipped under my radar. It wasn’t until May, 2024, when guest blogger T.J. Gillespie wrote about their fourth album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (#212 on The 500) that I gave a proper listen. The record’s offbeat charm and melodic grit pulled me in. So when I noticed their debut, Slanted And Enchanted, ranked higher than Crooked Rain on The 500 list, I was eager to learn more. 

I'll admit, Slanted And Enchanted was a tough listen at first. The album’s lo-fi production and a raw, unpolished sound, felt chaotic and the vocals seemed a little pitchy. Yet, as I sat with it, I began to appreciate its scrappy brilliance. It wasn’t trying to be perfect, it was trying to be honest. That same spirit is what I aim to cultivate in my classroom – a space where students can create freely, without fear of flaws, knowing that the real magic often lives in the rough edges.

A stack of Writer's Notebooks from my current class, 
ready to be picked up for their next Quick Write opportunity.

I’m thrilled with the growth I’m seeing in my young writers. This week, we’re diving into seven strategies for crafting irresistible introductions, a skill that will elevate their writing instantly. I can’t wait to read their next Quick Write and see how they experiment with these techniques before applying them to a reworked polished piece. Just as writing this weekly blog has sharpened my own skills, their progress shines through every opportunity I give them...even when the work is raw, unpolished, and a little chaotic. As we've learned from Pavement, that’s where the magic begins.

The 500 - #138 - The Chronic - Dr. Dre

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-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: #138
Album Title: The Chronic
Artist: Dr. Dre
Genre: West Coast Hip Hop, G-Funk, Gangsta Rap
Recorded: Death Row (Los Angeles, California)
Released: December, 1992
My age at release: 27
How familiar was I with it before this week: A couple songs
Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #37, moving up 101 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Lil' Ghetto Boy

"Fo shizzle, my nizzle!"

There was a time when that phrase was the height of cool. In the early 2000s, the Grades 7 and 8 students I taught tossed it around like a linguistic VIP pass. Though they lived in a predominantly white, working-class neighbourhood their speech was steeped in the slang and swagger of West Coast hip hop. It was language that had traveled straight from a recording studio in California to our Canadian classrooms on cassette tapes, CD's and music videos. One student, especially fluent in the culture, even gave me a nickname. I wasn’t “Mr. Hodgkinson” to him. I was “Mitta H.” “Mitta,” of course, being his hip hop remix of “Mister.” Thinking back it still makes me laugh: his slightly pudgy, freckled face delivering lines with the confidence of a seasoned MC.

"Mitta H? Can I axe you sumthin' real quick?"

"Mitta H? I ain't gonna lie, I didn't do the homework, but lemme explain."

"Mitta H? I can't stay, I gotta bounce."

The phrase “Fo shizzle, my nizzle!”, made famous by rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg (born Calvin Broadus Jr.), gained widespread traction with his 2000 single Snoop Dogg (What’s My Name? Pt. 2) from the album Tha Last Meal. It was part of Snoop’s signature linguistic flair: a playful remix of English where he added the suffix or infix “-izzle” to everyday words, creating a kind of lyrical shorthand. In this code, a table became a tizzable, a chair a chizzair, and a house a hizzle. So naturally, “Fo shizzle, my nizzle” translated to “For sure, my friend” -- with “nizzle” standing in for the N word, which, in African American Vernacular English, is often used as a term of camaraderie and cultural solidarity.

Snoop Dogg in 2000.

I’ve long been fascinated by the etymology and evolution of slang, so diving into the origins and trajectory of “Fo shizzle” for this post was a delight. As it turns out, what sounded like a fresh catchphrase from my gregarious student in the early 2000s was, in fact, the product of a linguistic lineage stretching back over sixty years. While Snoop Dogg popularized the phrase in 2000, its roots predate him by several years. The “-izzle” infix first surfaced in rapper E-40’s 1996 track, Rapper’s Ball, where he dropped “fo’ sheezy” into the mix. But even E-40 was riffing on an earlier influence. He'd borrowed it from Frankie Smith’s 1981 funk hit Double Dutch Bus, which featured playful “-iz” speak as part of its lyrical style.

Cover for the single Double Dutch Bus, by Frankie Smith.

Smith, in turn, drew inspiration from the coded language of the 1970s African American street culture, specifically the cant used by pimps and hustlers to obscure their conversations from law enforcement, the same reason that East Londoners in the U.K. contrived Cockney slang in the 1900s. Similarly, the, slang “izzle” was a linguistic sleight of hand, much like Pig Latin, which can be traced back to the Harlem Renaissance (1918–1935), when young black girls are believed to have developed rhythmic, coded chants while jumping rope. What began as a form of playful secrecy evolved into a cultural cipher, one that would eventually echo through boom boxes, bounce off classroom walls, and land in the everyday speech of kids hundreds of kilometers away.

Girls jumping "Double Dutch" in Harlem, New York (circa 1940).

Before he was a household name, Snoop Doggy Dogg made his explosive debut on Dr. Dre’s 1992 landmark album The Chronic. With his laid-back flow and unmistakable drawl, Snoop appeared on multiple tracks, including the iconic Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang, instantly becoming a standout voice in West Coast hip hop. His chemistry with Dre was undeniable and the buzz around this lanky Long Beach newcomer was electric.

Album cover for Ain't Nuthin' But A G Thang featuring Dr. Dre
and Snoop Dawg. 

The Chronic was the groundbreaking debut solo album from rapper, producer, and future mogul Dr. Dre (born Andre Young). Released in 1992, the album marked a bold new chapter for Dre, who had recently split from the pioneering West Coast group N.W.A. following a bitter financial dispute with their manager, Jerry Heller, and groupmate Eazy-E. Frustrated by what he saw as unfair contracts and mismanagement, Dre left the group and co-founded Death Row Records with former bodyguard-turned-entrepreneur Suge Knight.

Vibe Magazine cover (1996) featuring (clockwise l-r)
Snoop Dawg, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight.

Determined to carve out his own legacy, Dre poured his energy into The Chronic, crafting a sound that would come to define an era. Drawing heavily from 1970s funk, especially the grooves of Parliament-Funkadelic (#177, #276 and #479 on The 500), he pioneered the G-funk style -- a laid-back, synth and bass-driven sound that stood in stark contrast to the aggressive, sample-heavy beats of East Coast hip hop. The Chronic became a cultural juggernaut, selling millions of copies and reshaping the sound of hip hop in the 1990s. Many consider it more than an album. Critics and fans have lauded it as a statement of independence, a reinvention of West Coast rap, and the beginning of a new dynasty.

Funk collective Parliament-Funkadelic.

Despite the six-decade journey it took for “Fo shizzle” to land in the vocabulary of my students, it took barely a year for the phrase to hit cultural saturation and promptly flame out. Like so many slang terms that bubble up from Black culture and cross into the mainstream, especially when adopted by white audiences, it lost its edge seemingly overnight. By 2005, when Michael Scott awkwardly dropped it on television’s The Office in a cringey attempt to bond with his younger, more diverse staff at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, the phrase had gone from cutting-edge to a cartoonish punchline.

Steve Carell portraying "Prison Mike" in a classic episode of The Office.

By the early 2000s, even I was using it, but only with a heavy dose of irony, usually to mock my own attempts at being “down with the kids.” And yes, "they fo shizzle rolled dey eyes, son".

The 500 - #178 - The Anthology (1961 - 1977) - Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions

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: #178
Album Title: The Anthology (1961 - 1977)
Artist: Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions

Genre: Soul, Funk

Recorded: 1967 - 1977

Released: December, 1992

My age at release: 27
How familiar was I with it before this week: A few songs

Is it on the 2020 list? No, but two other Mayfield albums are on that list.
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: People Get Ready

Ranked at #24 on Rolling Stone's list of The Greatest Songs of All Time, People Get Ready is, at first blush, a simple and beautiful gospel song rich with harmonies. However, the 1965 single from The Impressions, the vocal doo-wop and Chicago soul quintet, had a massive impact on the Civil Rights Movement that decade. In fact, political activist Gordon Sellers told Rolling Stone Magazine: "It was warrior music. It was the music you listened to before going into battle."

Album cover for People Get Ready by The Impressions (196).

My first recollection of the song was in the early ‘80s. At the time, I was going through an obsessive phase, listening to and collecting records from the band Genesis as well as from the members’ solo projects. The group's drummer and vocalist, Phil Collins, released a concert film on video cassette in June, 1983, that was recorded in Pasadena, California, entitled Live At Perkins Palace. The video cassette took up residency in our family Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) for much of the next year. In fact, it was one of the videos I chose to watch on the evening prior to my 20th birthday. Melancholy and pensive, I sat up well past midnight to bid farewell to my teens.

Video Cassette cover for  Live At Perkins Palace.

The final song on that Collins tour was his rendition of People Get Ready, performed along with his nine-piece band. Most performers like to end their concerts with a bang, typically playing one of their biggest hits or an up-tempo number that will keep people bopping as they leave. Collins opted to end the show with this slow, quiet, soulful gospel selection -- which, he has said, was one of his favourites as a teen.

Collns, left, on stage with his band in 1982.

It is a powerful piece, despite its simplicity and melodic beauty. Comprising four verses and no chorus, it is an allegory that leverages the metaphor of a train travelling the world to find people of faith and provide them passage to heaven.

"People get ready, there's a train a-comin'
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin'
Don't need no ticket, you just thank the Lord."

More agnostic than religious, there is a lot to appreciate about the Christian faith my mother enjoys. Over the Christmas holidays, we attended a service at St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral in London, Ontario together. It was easy to respect the community she shares with her congregation and the choir is exceptional. The Gothic Revival architecture of the 150-year old building is stunning and I love to belt out a song, especially those familiar Christmas bangers. Plus, there is usually coffee, cookies and kind conversation at the end.

The chancel, at the front of St. Paul's Cathedral (London, Ontario).

People Get Ready was written by Curtis Mayfield, often dubbed the Gentle Genius, who was the lead tenor and guitarist for The Impressions from 1958 until departing for a solo career in 1970. Shortly after the song's release, it was included in hymn books in Chicago. Ironically, church renditions made the lyrics seem less Christian and more socially conscious, changing Mayfield's "You don't need no ticket/You just thank the Lord" to "Everybody wants freedom/This I know."

Single for People Get Ready, The Impressions

A few years after hearing Phil Collins’ rendition, another version hit the airwaves. In 1985, guitarist Jeff Beck released his rendition with Rod Stewart taking vocals on his fifth studio record Flash. Their version hit the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard chart and got plenty of play on local radio. Beck's soulful guitar work and Stewart's raspy vocals cemented my love for the song, even though I still hadn't heard the original.

Album cover for Flash, Jeff Beck

After leaving The Impressions in 1970, Mayfield went on to a fascinating and successful solo career. His sound moved from soul toward funk, but his passion for social justice and positive change for the black community shone throughout. Prior to hearing this anthology in preparation for this post, I was only familiar with two tracks, Superfly and Pusherman, both from the 1972 blaxploitation film Superfly.

Album cover for the soundtrack to Superfly.

Both songs and, to some extent the film, addressed the prevalence and pitfalls of drugs, violence and poverty in African American urban communities. Mayfield brilliantly walked a fine social line with his lyrics. He captured the essence of life in these impoverished neighbourhoods, while criticizing the tendency for people (especially black youths) to glamourize the lifestyles of drug dealers and pimps. Truly a Gentle Genius.

On August 13, 1990, tragedy struck when Mayfield was hit by a falling metal truss that was holding up stage lighting equipment at a concert in Flatbush, New York. He was paralyzed from the neck down. Despite his paralysis, Mayfield continued to compose and sing for another nine years, before succumbing to complications from diabetes. He was 57. I like to think his faith helped him "board that train".

 

The 500 - #236 - Mr. Excitement - Jackie Wilson

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: #236
Album Title: Mr. Excitement
Artist: Jackie Wilson
Genre: R&B, Rock, Soul, DooWop
Recorded: 1952-1975

Released: November, 1992
My age at release: 27 
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: To Be Loved

Although I wasn't familiar with this 1972 song anthology until recently,  during my first listen I realized  I had heard many of the songs before. Thanks to American crooner Jack Leroy Wilson Jr, who amassed a catalogue of hits that have permeated pop culture for decades. For example, his biggest hit, (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher, features prominently in Ghostbusters II; Disney's The Kid, Death To Smoochy, Stranger Things 3; and in commercials for Colgate Total toothpaste,  Gain Flings fabric softener, and Qatar Airways.

Mr. Excitement is not only the name of this anthology, it is also the nickname ascribed to Jackie Wilson, a trail-blazing American singer and master showman.. Born in Highland Park, Michigan, in 1934, he formed the group The Falcons, which featured his cousin, Levi Stubbs, later of Four Tops fame. After spending time with a few other doo-wop and R&B groups, including The Dominoes, Wilson became a solo performer and hit the charts in 1959 with what became  his signature song, Lonely Teardrops.

Over the next 27 years, Wilson released more than 50 charting singles in multiple genres, including soul, doowop, rock and roll, R&B, and easy listening. He died at the age of 49 in a manner that seemed scripted for a bad Hollywood movie. In a cruel bit of irony, while performing  Lonely Teardrops at the Latin Casino in New Jersey in 1975, he had a heart attack and collapsed just as he reached the words, "my heart is crying".  The audience applauded, thinking it was part of the act. Cornell Gunter of The Coasters rushed from  backstage to Wilson's side. He was able to revive him, but Wilson spent the next nine years in hospitals, mainly in a semi-comatose state until his death on January 21, 1984.

The mausoleum in Wayne, Michigan where Jackie and his mother are buried.

Reading about a slim, 42-year-old suffering a massive heart attack was a sobering thought for me, a 58-year-old beefy Canadian. However, there was an unusual explanation. Wilson wanted to sweat profusely during performances because, as he confided to Elvis Presley, "the chicks love it". Consequently, he took salt tablets and drank litres of water before going on stage each night. Doctors concluded that high salt levels contributed to his heart attack and difficulties with recovery. Ruined financially by hospital bills, a fund-raiser was organized following his death to purchase his mausoleum.

Wilson performing on stage to his adoring female fans.

The story that struck me most while reading up on Wilson was one about his arrest in 1967 on "morals charges". He and his drummer, Jimmy Smith, were taken into custody by South Carolina police for "entertaining two white women in their motel room". I was two in 1967 and 50 years  later I sometimes have to remind myself that I was alive at a time when racial injustice and segregation were zealously enforced in the U.S. through notorious Jim Crow laws. Often, I think of those events being something from well before my time on the planet -- but they were not.

A sign from the time of Jim Crow segregation.

Wilson was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. His operatic, multi-octave vocal range and energetic, athletic stage presence made him a tough act to follow. In fact, his stagecraft at live shows has been cited as an inspiration by a host of legendary artists such as Elvis Presley, James Brown, Teddy Pendergrass and Michael Jackson.

Mr. Excitement indeed!

The 500 - #249 - Automatic For The People - R.E.M.

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: #249
Album Title: Automatic For The People
Artist: R.E.M.
Genre: Post-Punk, Alternative Rock, Baroque Pop, Rock
Recorded: Three Studios - Woodstock, NY; Athens GA; New Orleans, LA.
Released: October, 1992
My age at release: 27
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #96, up 153 spots from 249 since 2012
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Try Not To Breathe

In September, 2019, I wrote a blog post about Document, the fifth record from American rock band R.E.M. In that post, I wrote:

"I went through a heavy R.E.M. phase in 1992 when the commercially successful juggernaut record Automatic For The People was released. Soon, the entire R.E.M. catalogue was in my collection -- even more obscure releases, such as the live acoustic record Blue."

Needless to say, I was excited to get a chance to revisit and write about Automatic For The People, the eighth studio release from the influential quartet from Athens, Georgia.

R.E.M. (1983) are (l-r) Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.

If you were a friend of mine between 1983 and 2000, I probably made a mixed cassette for you. If it was after 1993, I guarantee the updated cassette would contain at least one track from R.E.M. Likely something from either Automatic For The People or R.E.M. Blue, the acoustic record released following the group's appearance on MTV's Unplugged television program.

In 1992, I upgraded most of my stereo system which included the purchase of a JVC XL-M415TN CD Player. Back then, this gorgeous, buffed, black-silver chunk of audio hardware was the latest in hi-fi electronics. The user was able to pre-load a cartridge containing six compact discs. However...and hold onto your hat with this one...one could also swap an additional seventh disc (on the fly no less), through a CD port conveniently located on the front of the unit. To top it off, there was a remote control that allowed you to switch discs or tracks from a distance!

Promotional poster for XL-M415TN CD Player from JVC.

In this day of "on-demand", streaming music services and voice-activated speakers, that technology is archaic. However, at the time, it was an impressive upgrade and many of my friends were duly impressed. I would even use it when mixing music for parties, including several events at a  Kelsey's restaurant where I worked. Switching between discs and songs wasn't seamless, but fairly quick...for the time.

Working the tables near the upstairs bar at Kelsey's - London, Ontario (1994)

At home, I had  a handful of compact discs that never left that player, and Automatic For The People was one of them. It is one of those albums that I call "all killer, no filler" and I love every track and the order in which they are presented. Listening to it again this week felt like getting a warm hug from the early-’90s -- a time when, flush with cash from bartending, I enjoyed the wonderful, chaotic madness that comes with twenty-something independence.

Me (left) serving tequila shots at the bar. (1994).

In 2017, R.E.M. released a 25th Anniversary version of their multi-platinum record. Remastered from the original analog tapes, it sounds incredible through my Spotify account and Sonos speakers. However, if you purchase the boxset  presented in Dolby Atmos Sound, you will enjoy an even higher quality sound that provides a rich, three-dimensional  spacious surround experience. Unfortunately, I don't have access to the boxset, yet. I am eagerly looking forward to hearing the lush string orchestrations that were arranged by the legendary John Paul Jones, best known as the bass and keyboard player for Led Zeppelin.  

Automatic For The People 25th Anniversary boxset (2017).

The boxset also contains 13 live tracks from a November, 1992, performance at the iconic venue, The 40 Watt Club. Located in their hometown of Athens, Georgia, it, along with CBGB's in New York and the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles, was instrumental in launching the punk rock and new wave scene of the late ‘70s in America.

Front of the iconic 40-Watt Club in Athens, Georgia

As you might imagine, it was difficult to pick only one  single track for my own playlist of The 500. Eventually I settled on Try Not Breathe, the second track on the first side. In part, this was because of an episode of the Song Exploder podcast I listened to several years ago. On that 2017 installment of the short, weekly podcast, creator and host, Hrishikesh Hirway talked with R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe and guitarist Mike Mills about creating the song.

Mills revealed that the opening melody was originally crafted by guitarist Peter Buck on the Appalachian dulcimer, a stringed instrument played on the lap with a history that goes back to the Scottish/Irish immigrants to North America in the early19th century. The vibrato and "twang" of this unusual instrument gives the song a beautiful, but hauntingly ethereal quality.

An Appalachian Dulcimer.

In the same podcast, singer Stipe revealed that the lyric, "I have seen things that you will never see" was inspired by the final, tragic and beautiful 42-word monologue of the android Roy Batty in my favourite film, Blade Runner. The correlation between the lyric and the movie  was something I had long suspected and I was thrilled to learn I was right.

Rutger Hauer as the ill-fated replicant, Roy Batty.

There is so much I could write about I could write about Automatic For The People.  It is certainly my favourite from R.E.M. and likely in my top twenty of all time. Perhaps I’ll get around to cataloguing my Top 20 in my final post when I finish my epic commentary on The 500 list.  Thanks for reading and do yourself a favour...go listen to this incredible record again.