Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman

Junior Boy's Own: 1993

As far as most folks are concerned, Underworld’s discography starts here. Speak not of the ‘80s albums, for they are weak and undeserving of attention. You may, however, point and snigger at Hyde & Smith’s former group, Freur, and the ‘classic’ Doot-Doot. No, don’t listen to the other songs. They can’t compare, they’re not worthy, they- Hey! I said stay put! What do you mean they’re actually interesting? Come back, come back!

Ah, forget him. You know what I'm talking about. Yeah, those of use getting into 'electronica' in the '90s, and finding a soundtrack or two that had an Underworld anthem, almost always the highlight on the CD. For most, it was Born Slippy on Trainspotting, but for those a little more in the know (or just a little older), it was Cowgirl on Hackers.

Of course, if you were really in the know, Cowgirl was just the icing on delicious cool cake, a proper LP climax to this here album (yes, I was going to get back to it). Dubnobasswithmyheadman tends to keep things chilled and low-key, even when the tempo has vigor to it. Much of that has to do with Underworld's aesthetic, relying on dub production so their music has plenty of sonic space, and thus being less in-your-face compared to other dance acts (not to mention some of their later work).

Another thing that helped dnbwmhm stand out from the crowd was how unique it sounded. The UK acid house scene having crumbled, a dearth of practiced Brit musicians making house music formed. Say whatever you want about their prior work, but by the early '90s, Hyde and Smith knew how to craft a proper tune, provided they had good support. Darren Emerson was the spark they needed to find their way into dance music's scene, though he came just a bit too late for them to cash in on UK acid house. Still, the track M.E., originally released in '92 as Mother Earth, suggests they would have fit right in.

Mostly though, Underworld's strength is in their groove, finding a rhythm with enough of a hook that it'll lock you in, and you're ready to go for the ride for as long as they deem fit. Dark & Long, Skyscraper, Spoonman, Cowgirl, Dirty Epic... all great, uptempo tunes that never oversell. Even River Of Bass, despite being downtempo, finds the mark with cool groove (and, might I add, should have been the proper closer to this album). Sweetening the package is Karl Hyde’s odd lyrical style, almost poetic gibberish so long as it complements the beat (not surprising he’s apt at it, because seriously, “doot-doot”). It's all quite different from what UK house music did before. It's forward-thinking; like, 'advancing house', or something.

Definitely this is an album that deserves its classic status, but those in the know already know. Then again, those in the super-know, know the EPs off here are where the true gold lurks.

Sly & Robbie / King Tubby - Dub Reggae

Proper Records: 1999

Here we go. Nothing gets to the roots of dub music better than a compilation featuring three of the most influential tastemakers the genre has to offer. Hell, King Tubby basically invented the damn thing, after experimenting with studio mixing techniques. Story goes, in an effort to make instrumental versions of various rock-steady and reggae records stand far and apart from competing soundsystem jocks, ol' Tubbs would play multiple copies through multi-track mixers and boost the rhythmic sections, thus creating cavernous echo effects that would define dub music forever after. Of course, only four-tracks were available at the time, so what we get here sounds incredibly simple compared to the sonic roads dub music would later explore, but it is a fascinating listen nonetheless.

The King's material on this particular release comes from music provided by The Aggrovators (though not necessarily written by The Aggrovators – case in point, the No Woman No Cry Dub). A band founded by reggae legend Bunny Lee, it featured a rotating cast of several more reggae musicians, many legends in their own right. Amongst them was one Robbie Shakespear, a bassist, and Sly Dunbar, a drummer. With dub music often highlighting drums and basslines, it’s no surprise that these two would go on to great success within the genre as Sly & Robbie.

Yet, their contributions to this Dub Reggae CD isn’t quite as interesting. The messy experimentation of King Tubby’s work is part of its charm, but Sly & Robbie’s production is crisp and clear in comparison. I suppose it can’t be helped, as by the time the duo began releasing records of their own, studio mixdowns must have improved significantly compared to ol’ Tubb’s day. Say, when were these tracks released anyway? *made up sounds effects of Discogs searching*

Huh. No wonder Sly & Robbie’s tracks sound so clean-cut. This is just a re-pressing of their 1991 album Dub Rockers Delight, only the tracklist is backwards. Really, Proper Records? You couldn’t clear the rights to any of their ‘80s material? You know, the records that would have been a superior showcase of the genre’s origins? Alexander Gelfand wrote such a lovely little essay in the liner notes covering dub reggae’s history, giving the CD proper class. Finding this out, though, makes me realize Dub Reggae really was nothing but a quick cheapy release after all. Guess that’s why it was lurking in the bargain bin along with several other Absolute Best compilations featuring other odd, obscure genre music from Latin America like ‘new wave Brazil jazz’ and ‘ska’.

And frankly, aside from the historical interest, Dub Reggae’s rather dull. The cuts are short, and I can only take listening to a bare-bones echoing instrumental for so long before the aesthetic grows tiresome. It’s like listening to a Dub Remix on Side B2 over and over and over. The King Tubby tracks are worth the look, but there are undoubtedly releases out there far more comprehensive of dub music’s history than this one.

Bill Laswell - Dub Chamber 3

ROIR: 2000

Wow, another Bill Laswell release. Over-exposure, much? Now you know what it’s like following dub music, period. The bassist is quite literally everywhere, cropping up at times even when you least expect it. You’ll be listening to some world dub vibes when suddenly, that bass tone makes itself known. Rushing to the credit notes, you realize, yep, there he is again. Quite the mercenary, Mr. Laswell be.

Dub Chamber 3 is one of his solo efforts though; or rather, him and whoever he invites over for a jam. Don’t bother looking for a Dub Chamber 1 or 2, as they don’t exist. This was, however, his third album released on Reachout International Records, the two prior being his Sacred System material. To confound discographers further, his fourth ROIR album was once again as Sacred System, but also titled Dub Chamber 4 (subtitled Book Of Exit, a nice call-back to the first album). And, that’s not even the end of his ROIR output, where he released a compilation of Sacred Dub System Chamber material, plus a collaboration project with Roots Tonic, not to mention- help! I’m being swallowed by Laswell’s discography! It’s so massive, it has a gravitational pull of its own!

Back on this release, we have only four tracks to deal with. Yep, they’re long ones, and oh are they ever jazzy. Aside from second tune Cybotron, I can never remember how any of these go. Well, that’s not entirely accurate, as they’re currently occupying a slightly hazy corner of my brain, but that’s only because I just listened to them. Mark my words, within a day or two, they’ll be forgotten again until I happen to hear a clip (“Oh yeah, that one has that bit with the spacey trumpet. Now I remember, that one has the nice guitar tones. Oh, I didn’t know it slowed down there. Didn’t I hear this before?”).

Cybotron though, that one sticks out for me for a couple reasons. Obviously first, the name, but more than that, it’s one of Laswell’s spaced-out dub-reggae jams, and as a point of personal preference, I enjoy his material the more outworldly it sounds. Plus, the bass tones used are a deep rumble, some of my favorite under the Laswell name, and probably due to this being a collaboration with Jah Wobble, another bassist of significant note (are they dueling basslines? Awesome if so!). I recall Muzik Magazine often ripping into Laswell, calling him the “poor man’s Jah Wobble”, but as I’ve only heard sporadic material from the guy (much of which also paired up with Laswell) there’s no way I can back that claim up.

As for Dub Chamber 3, it’s not a terrible release, as all the musicians present are highly skilled at their craft. Unfortunately, if you don’t fancy the jazz side of downtempo dub jams, this album has little that might win you over. In the end, it’s just another drop in the endless sea of Laswellian downtempo dub-jazz jams.

Bob Marley - Dreams Of Freedom: Ambient Translations Of Bob Marley In Dub

Axiom: 1997

Dreams Of Freedom was something of a stoner’s classic back at the turn of the century, many a pothead owning a burned CD containing tracks from this release cobbled from P2P search inquiries. Heck, I was such an individual, using AudioGalaxy to find more Bill Laswell and ‘ambient dub’ musics, only to discover tunes off here high in search results. It really is a can’t-miss idea: Bob Marley, dub remixes, and ambient textures; the prefect late-night, crash-and-spark album for ganja smokers.

This isn’t just a generic remix album either; rather, it’s a concept album, using classic Marley songs to create a journey of sorts. It helps that the driving force behind everything is Bill Laswell, thus maintaining a consistent tone throughout. There are a couple guest collaborations with Tetsu Inoue, but by and large, it’s Laswell’s show. And yes, his discography is incredibly hit-or-miss, but much of his Axiom output was class, and Dreams Of Freedom's no exception. He treats the source material with enough respect to let it shine through, while his deviations enhance the calming atmosphere.

The best way I can describe Dreams Of Freedom is “Marley In Space”, as Laswell makes ample use of his outworldly pads between the songs. Each segues into the next, as though drifting through alien landscapes before settling at a stage where another Marley song is being performed. Sitting nearby with his bass is Laswell, jamming away between the choruses as dub rhythms dance about. Come for the memorable melodies, stay for the spliffed-out music sessions.

So this is a nice little album, but an elephant doth dwell in the room; or rather, a Mr. Bob Marley is missing from it. Yes, his face is on the cover, that’s his name on the title, and these are songs that he wrote, but aside from Midnight Ravers at the end, he only sparingly crops up during choruses, if at all. Of course, this is because Dreams Of Freedom is a dub album, of the traditional sense. Dig into the works of the genre’s founders, and you’ll find many dub releases were just instrumentals of reggae singles; in fact, the whole notion behind dub music was giving the music itself freedom to breathe between the spaces. This album doesn’t hide the concept, explicitly stating these are ‘ambient dub translations’ right in the title. If you know dub music, the lack of ol’ Bob shouldn’t come as a surprise. Still, I maintain it’s kinda deceiving having a photo of someone known for his singing barely show up in the album proper.

I cannot deny the 'dub translations' scene being at times tedious, producers seldom adding much of note to the originals. And to be fair, Dreams Of Freedom falls in this category too. Fans of vintage Marley won't find anything new, and Laswell's style's long been 'like it or leave it'. Still, this album executes as expertly as one can hope, given the players involved. If anything, it's a great sleepy-time CD.

Robert Miles - Dreamland

BMG Music Canada: 1996

Right, Robert Miles. Children. The Dream Version. *cracks knuckles*.

I hate this whore of a track. Loathe it. Despise it. Every time I hear the first plink of piano, I cringe, but know I cannot escape the saccharine journey that is about to unfold. Maybe, just maybe, it might be okay. There must be something to enjoy, somewhere. Strings? Yeah, those are nice, but- What? That's your rhythm!? Holy hell, I thought the melody was sap, but this is pathetic. How do you ruin off-beat basslines and kick drums all in one shot? I know trance isn't the funkiest groove out there, but there was still some jump to it, some energy. This has nothing. It's just... there, sucking.

And I hate Fable even more.

That's only the first two tracks though, and seeing as I'm reviewing Dreamland, it can't be a total write off, right? I have kept the odd crap CD over the years after a used-shop haul (collector's obsession), but I bought Mr. Miles' debut album when it was new, hence me covering the original version without One & One (thank God!). Part of it was the lack of options living in the hinterlands of Canada while getting into trance-proper. Dreamland was about the tranciest thing one could find in any shop in 1996, and beggers can't be choosers.

More than that, I actually rather like the other tunes on Dreamland. Okay, they don't deviate far from the 'dream house' template Miles made popular, but it’s enough that it shows he can craft a half-decent beat. Fantasya: a bouncy bassline! Landscape: the rhythm has skip to it! In My Dreams: breaks ...that are funky! If you can craft a rhythm like this, why you no be funky elsewhere, Mr. Miles?

I should also bring up that plinky piano. I’m not a fan of it (shock), but Miles does sometimes put it to good use as a melodic counterpoint. In My Dreams starts with lovely, mournful string pads, which thus become the focus of the whole song - the piano merely dances around it to wonderful effect. He pulls a similar composition with In The Dawn, once again backing pads driving the melody, with his piano making only a brief appearance; not to mention the rhythm in this track’s got a nice shuffle to it. It’s not revolutionary, but for the ideas Dreamland presents, it’s far more intuitive than the big hits.

And that’s not even getting into the two tracks just about everyone agrees are good, the Original Version of Children and Red Zone. They’re closer to the sort of trance most folks enjoyed at the time and worth a look-see even if you wrote Robert Miles off because of Fable and the like.

Oddly, most of Dreamland has been forgotten, many disappointed there’s not more generic ‘dream house’ bilge. My God, those are the crap tunes. When Miles goes beyond the ‘limp-beat-plinky-piano’ template, that’s where this album get’s interesting.

BKS - Dreamcatcher

Quality Music: 1993

Wow, another Chris Sheppard release. Over-exposure, much? Now you know what it was like living in Canada if you followed the pop end of dance music. In this case, however, we’re dealing with his early production group, BKS, an acronym of all the members’ last names. At around the time their second album, Dreamcatcher, came out, EDM was growing quite popular, so damn straight their label, Quality, was gonna promote the ever loving hell out of the group.

First, it was a tie-in with the Don Cherry home video series Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em, which showed NHL highlights of the Canadian blowhard’s choice (mostly big, bruising hits). Since Quality was also responsible for VHS distribution, they thought it’d be fun to get BKS, then just a rave act, to make a theme for it, with Mr. Cherry guest... talking, or something. The result was one of the all-time hilarious-worst videos MuchMusic ever put out (if you’re wondering, Shep’s the one with a tuque). That could have sunk the group right there, but Quality was undeterred, getting the group to be less ravey and more commercial friendly.

Dreamcatcher certainly is that, hopping on a few early 90s house bandwagons. The titular track has an undeniably catchy chorus, sort of a meeting point between italo house and euro dance. The two big singles, Living In Ecstasy and I’m In Love With You (plus a remix of Can We Dance from Legion Of Boom), are modeled after the sexy deep house made popular by Lil’ Louis’ French Kiss and, um, Madonna’s Erotica. There are also a couple stabs at garage, but nothing Strictly Rhythm would tremble over. In all, it was quite a departure from their earlier sound.

Almost like a bone thrown, the second half of Dreamcatcher features remixes and B-Sides that are about as rave as the music could get in ’93. They’re fun, but two in particular stand out. The Moons Of Saturn (The Abbeywood Trance Mix) is, as the title suggests, something of a tribal-trance stomp, while dialog from an old documentary about Saturn’s moons plays out. It’s amusing to hear such dated theories, and since it involves Saturn’s system, it’s fucking awesome! Joey Beltram also shows up to provide a remix on Talkin’ Bout Love, a tune from the first BKS album (and which already had a rub earlier on Dreamcatcher). He does the bangin’ hoover techno thing, which is light-years better than anything BKS manages to kick out with their remixes (okay, that Do It Again, Vivaldi track’s spiffy as well - the ending feels like I’m riding Falkor!).

So overall Dreamcatcher is a mixed bag, and frankly I can’t see anyone outside Canada having much interest in it (boy, I’m saying that a lot lately). I won’t deny having fun nostalgia trips hearing Living In Ecstasy and the like, but only because BKS was so ubiquitous on Quality compilations, I can’t help but reminisce of my early ‘techno’ explorations.

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

Nothing Records: 1994

One of ...oh, who knows number of industrial albums you're supposed to have, even if you're not a fan of industrial music. I've barely scratched the surface of that scene, so there may be at least two dozen releases the discerning rivethead will point you to. The Downward Spiral, however, received critical acclaim across the rags, properly exposing the rock world to the world of industrial ...again (oh, how the originators were forgotten because of EBM). All hail Reznor, then, for bringing respect back to the industrial scene! ...for a few years anyway.

Man, what the hell am I supposed to say about this one? I've only just recently heard this album in full, although I'm familiar with the big hits like Closer, Hurt, and March Of The Pigs. The fact it's taken me this long to check out an album that's hailed as a classic of the 90s – of any genre – leaves me soundly kicking myself. It even falls into my sphere of musical interests, being electronic and all. Yeah, there's thrashing metal and other elements of rock throughout, but that shouldn't have shied me away from it. I liked The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers, after all, and Trent Reznor's a far better producer and musician than either of those acts.

I have only the music industry to blame. 1994 was still reeling from the loss of their current rock poster child, Kurt Cobain, and left scrounging for another Next Big Thing. Instead of scouring for potential new stars in other scenes, they stuck things out with grunge, hoping acts like Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, or, if you were Canadian, Our Lady Peace would be the next Nirvana. Or hey, how about that Brit-wave thing, with Oasis and Blur maybe rescuing rock from post-grunge doldrums! Oh please, anything but industrial, where only weird computer hackers enjoy it. They are the only ones that enjoy it, right?

After all, who could like this? Okay, so The Downward Spiral has some amazing production going on; an incredible attention to all the little details, yet keeping things smoothly flowing as each song progresses. If Reznor’s a good musician then, why can’t he make something more radio friendly? All that choking industrial distortion, creepy sound effects, eerie ambient passages, counter-pointed acoustic melodies, and shout-singing that sounds as though the machinery of society is holding all his angst back - that no matter how much he tries to make his voice heard, it will forever come through only in a digitized, garbled mess of noise. Geez, none of that can be played on any respectable airwave. Maybe that “fuck you like an animal” song, if he cleans up the language.

So thus, The Downward Spiral was initially relegated to the fringes, where yours truly never noticed it until the momentum it caused for industrial rock made it impossible to ignore. Would I have liked it had I heard it the year it came out? Hell no, I had ‘techno’! *kick, kick*

Jamie Jones - Don't You Remember The Future (Original TC Review)

Crosstown Rebels: 2009

(2012 Update:
Yikes, but am I ever confrontational in this one. I couldn't help myself though, as the PR hype for Jamie Jones' debut album pissed me off to no end. A few years removed from it now, I actually found myself enjoying most of this album, if only marginally. There's an undeniable level of competent groove going on, which is fine if that's what you're aiming for. I think I alluded to such merit somewhere in all that snark.

As it turns out, Jamie Jones managed to last a little bit longer than the last deep tech house hero, enough to earn #1 DJ status at Resident Advisor. He's starting his drop-off though, the new hotness being Art Department and all things Seth "He So Crazy" Troxler. I wonder if it's backlash...)


IN BRIEF: Minimal-deep-tech’s latest hero. With luck, he’ll last longer than the last one.

What’s this? A concept house album? Oh my, whoever does that? Okay, so Kerri Chandler has (Computer Games being the most recent example). And Mark Farina (Air Farina). Also-

So there are a lot of house producers who do concept albums. It’s just not the expected thing to do, is all. That said, despite the spotty track record such endeavors hold, folks often look forward to seeing their favorite producers show a little musical ambition when it comes to the LP format. Simply hearing a clutch of old and new singles can be rather uninspiring when you’ve got a CD playing for an hour-plus-ten.

So, good on Jamie Jones, giving us something a little challenging with his debut artist album. After the near-ridiculous praise his hit single Summertime earned this past spring, it could have been an easy affair to simply ride that song’s coattails into an album format. Instead, it’s smartly placed into the k-hole trudge of Jones’ deep-tech offerings, turning a rather simple tune into an epic anthem. I mean, my God! Melody! Real melody!

I think I should make it clear right now that, contrary to what the PR blurbs have purported, there isn’t much concept going on with Don’t You Remember The Future. This is supposed to be a futuristic-sounding album, but aside from a few electro zaps, sci-fi samples, and bloopy bits, it’s about as contemporary as deep-tech gets. Frankly, there’s examples of tech-house from the 90s that’s more forward-thinking than what Jones offers here. What I can buy into, is the idea that an injection of retro-funk and soul is required to rescue the future from soulless music. Quite obviously, the Egyptian Lover featuring Galactic Space Bar works wonders in selling this notion, but again, it’s nothing we haven’t heard before from retro-futurism seekers. If you’re going to go on about how this is a concept album, actually go full-out with it - simply making use of synthy sounds that have been used in house music for years and calling it a future-concept album isn’t enough.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the biggest handicap on this album; rather, it’s the very nature of Jones’ music. Much of it is loopy, aims to be deep, but is executed as serviceably as deep-tech typically gets. Summertime aside, the opening half of Remember The Future amounts to little of consequence. Oh, I’m sure there will be plenty of excuses from the ketamine-crowds to proclaim its brilliance: “it works better on the dancefloor”; “you just have to really pay attention to get it”; “it rewards repeated listens”; etc. Fine and all, but the main complaint remains: it’s all just functional music, the kind of stuff that easily fades from your memory once the next track takes off, and easily overshadowed by tunes that have more funk, melody, or soul in them. Arranged so the vibe is continuously inclined, cuts Deep In The Ghetto through Sand Dunes have little quirks and shifting elements to keep them from being total write-offs, but it’s merely a simmer compared to where house music’s been and can go. That’s minimal-deep-tech for you though: never awful, but seldom riveting. Once we leave that segment, however, and Jones branches out a little, we finally see things pick up for the better. Absolute Zero is more of an icy-cool jazz outing, and I’ve already touched upon Galactic Space Bar; both serve as a welcome detour before we get back into the deep-tech again. Once in, Jones brings more funk to the proceedings with Tuning Tables, does the k-hole plod-step ‘menace’ thing with Belter, and brings the two together in Mexico, a track that suggests the album is about to take off for a strong climax. Alas, Mexico is the climax, a decent one considering where Remember The Future’s been (oh my God, it’s melody again!), but coming off more like a coda with its mournful tones. Still, it’s an effective way to wrap the album up.

Given Jones’ huge rise to stardom this year, there was a large amount of expectation going into Remember The Future, and some seemed eager to force themselves into finding the ‘classic’ they wanted to hear. It isn’t, though. Jones has crafted a deep-tech house album that basically keeps things at a competent level, and very easily becomes lost in the sea of competent deep-tech house releases that have come out over the years. His idea of doing a concept album is partly to blame for this, as he simply doesn’t shoot far enough with the theme; we’re offered little more than a cursory peek into this future of his, one that fails to offer anything unique in the process. You can still reasonably enjoy this on those chill days when you don’t want anything to assault your ears, but with hundreds of releases catering to that sort of thing, it places Jones’ offering squarely in the glut.

Various - Dogwhistle: The Life & Times Of An Afterhours DJ

Quality Music: 1995

For my un-Canadian readers, Dogwhistle was an alias of Chris Sheppard, one of the biggest DJs to emerge from my country’s dance scene during the 90s. He’s been relegated to something of a footnote now that he’s retired, but to any young Canuck discovering underground dance music back then, it was likely a Shep’ compilation opening the door. Primarily a radio jock, he’d play the occasional rave as well, which is where Dogwhistle comes in.

This came out around the time Sheppard was crossing over to the mainstream, so I suppose Life And Times Of An Afterhours DJ was an attempt at keeping some underground cred. The result is this odd little DJ mix, recorded live at the Outlaw Rave in Toronto, and somewhat schizophrenic in its attempt at straddling the underground and mainstream.

It opens with trance. Not just any ol' trance, but acid trance. Spacey acid trance. Hardfloor trance! Kick ass, but Armand van Helden's classic Witch Doktor is only two tracks after. How will Shep' transition to- ...oh, he doesn't. He just lets Into The Nature play out in full. What... kind of DJing is that? And this was done live? No, I can't believe it. It has to be a studio edit, for time considerations. Yes, that's it.

Anyhow, only the first two tracks are trance. The rest is house, some prog, some garage, some... tech, I guess? Not sure if tech house was a much of a thing in '95. The big tracks, Atlantic Ocean's Waterfall and Pizzaman's Trippin' On Sunshine, come in the middle, one after the other. Try and imagine that transition. There's also an example of the brief 'country twang' house micro-genre that was popular in the mid-90s (of which Sheppard was responsible for a few such tracks no less), in Bravado's Harmonica Man. Don't worry if you've never heard of it, because it was just a one-off novelty tune.

In fact, there are a lot of one-off tunes on here. Twangling's Twangling, Rollo Goes Camping's Get Off Your High Horse (yes, that Rollo), Lovechild & Rolfe's Time Travelers, Chameleon's Larger Than Life, Thats-A-Noise's Livin My Life. Not that this is the only CD some of these tracks have appeared on, but you have to give some credit to Shep' for selecting a few obscure tunes, wonky mixing and all.

Speaking of firsts, here's a funny story. My post-drinking puking virginity was taken while Life And Times happened to be playing. Hoo boy, was that ever a mess the morning after! I can't listen to Helicopter's On Ya Way anymore without the hint of corn chips affecting my nostrils. Ah, the follies of youth.

That's about all I have left to say about this CD. Canadians are likely the only folks who'd be interested in a Dogwhistle mix, and aside from the odd curiosity in the tracklist, there's very little here to recommend that you couldn't find elsewhere (and without that annoying MC).

Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle

Death Row Records: 1993

One of one Snoop Dogg albums you’re supposed to have, even if you’re not much of a Snoop Dogg fan (say what!?). Yeah, ol’ Cal’s released tons of albums since, but ask any discerning fan of hip-hop, and they’ll immediately point you to this one, and let you figure out the rest later. Doggystyle was huge the year it came out though. Along with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, it properly kicked off the G-Funk era of hip-hop, and cemented Death Row Records as the West Coast label to be reckoned with. And while an album’s legacy can distort some viewpoints, this one’s rep is totally deserved. Everyone got a kick out of Atomic Do- …whoops, I mean Who Am I? (What My Name).

So once again, I’m left with a classic album to talk about without much to add to the chorus. Eh, you noticed something odd about the title? I’m sure everyone knows Snoop Lion initially went by Snoop Doggy Dogg while still on Death Row. Technically, all copies of Doggystyle should still carry his original moniker, so here it is thus. Yep, even these reissue copies that came out in 2001. Speaking of this reissue copy, why was Gz Up, Hoes Down removed from the tracklist? To make room for the Who Am I? video? Curse this still limited turn-of-the-century ‘Enhanced CD’ technology. One benefit of the reissue is having most of the skits merged with the tracks, but they’re stupidly put at the beginning of each one. Dammit, that’s annoying if you want to skip W Balls, funny though it is.

Right, less ramble, more music talk. Gin & Juice. Classic! Seriel Killa. Classic! Doggy Dogg World. Classic! Hell, they’re all classics, perfectly capturing the ‘every day is summertime’ vibe that persists throughout Doggystyle. Even with darker moments like Murder Was The Case, this is one of the quintessential summer albums to own. Bouncing electro-funk basslines, squealing Moogs… you can practically smell the ganja smoke wafting by your nose as you drive past palm trees.

One thing that makes me double-take while listening to Doggystyle today is how much Snoop’s voice has changed over the years, and for the better. He’s always had a charming drawl with a touch of menace, but as he’s aged, the drawl’s now more lyrical, turned deeper, and filled with less venom. Understandable, as Mr. Broadus of 1993 was a very different individual compared to Mr. Broadus of 2012. Wow… nearly two decades since Doggystyle came out, huh. Can’t wait to see what the next reissue will have in store for us!

You don’t need me to tell you this is a classic album that you should own. Either you already know that and have it in your collection in some format, or you haven’t heard anything beyond Gin & Juice and Who Am I? I suppose some might be turned off by the gangsta overtones, but compared to the misogyny the dirty south promotes, Doggystyle is downright quaint.