Killer albums post-glory days prove aging bands still know how to rock
Justin Pacheco
Issue date: 3/25/09 Section: Entertainment
While he starts off just angry, the rest of album also features Chuck D's aggressive style of rapping, but also has him show his maturity-if not his age- as well. He sounds a little slower, heavier, and just a bit tired in many songs. This is particularly true on "Harder than you Think" but Chuck D's maturity does the song a favor and is probably one of the highlights.
Oh, and yes Flava Flav is on the album, reprising his clown prince role in Public Enemy. Ignoring his reality TV exploits, he still fits in with Public Enemy, perfectly cutting under Chuck D's heavy sound with his own nasally rhymes.
Public Enemy is still politically charged, with the group taking on many issues but specifically blasting the prevalence of violent gangsta rappers. Listen to "Sex, Drugs, and Violence" for example, which has a chorus of children singing, "We like those gangsta rhymes/ but make sure they don't corrupt our minds."
Rock bands seem to have more frequent late career reinvigorations. In 2008 two hard rock staples of the late seventies and early eighties released new albums. AC/DC released Black Ice and Motorhead released Motorizer, both of which show the bands still have some juice left.
Going a lot further back in time, The Kinks have a very interesting career arc. They started out with huge hits in the 60s like "You Really Got Me" and "Tired of Waiting." Then it fell out of favor for few years, only to return with another hit "Lola," following which they band seemed to again decline in popularity (at least in America).
However the Kinks have a great album from its Low Budget (1978.) The album is a hard, grungy rock masterpiece. The guitars trudge along depressingly in the title track, perfectly reflecting the economic crisis of the time. "Wish I Could Fly Like Superman" mixes the heavy guitar sound with a relentlessly pulsing disco like drum beat.
It's tough getting old, but some musicians are able to age gracefully and keep on rocking for years after their debut. It's hard to think that your favorite band will one day be thought of as old and out of touch, but there's always hope that like these artists, they'll still have a few good albums left.
Oh, and yes Flava Flav is on the album, reprising his clown prince role in Public Enemy. Ignoring his reality TV exploits, he still fits in with Public Enemy, perfectly cutting under Chuck D's heavy sound with his own nasally rhymes.
Public Enemy is still politically charged, with the group taking on many issues but specifically blasting the prevalence of violent gangsta rappers. Listen to "Sex, Drugs, and Violence" for example, which has a chorus of children singing, "We like those gangsta rhymes/ but make sure they don't corrupt our minds."
Rock bands seem to have more frequent late career reinvigorations. In 2008 two hard rock staples of the late seventies and early eighties released new albums. AC/DC released Black Ice and Motorhead released Motorizer, both of which show the bands still have some juice left.
Going a lot further back in time, The Kinks have a very interesting career arc. They started out with huge hits in the 60s like "You Really Got Me" and "Tired of Waiting." Then it fell out of favor for few years, only to return with another hit "Lola," following which they band seemed to again decline in popularity (at least in America).
However the Kinks have a great album from its Low Budget (1978.) The album is a hard, grungy rock masterpiece. The guitars trudge along depressingly in the title track, perfectly reflecting the economic crisis of the time. "Wish I Could Fly Like Superman" mixes the heavy guitar sound with a relentlessly pulsing disco like drum beat.
It's tough getting old, but some musicians are able to age gracefully and keep on rocking for years after their debut. It's hard to think that your favorite band will one day be thought of as old and out of touch, but there's always hope that like these artists, they'll still have a few good albums left.
