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The massacre song rating12/15/2023 With heavy acoustic guitar reliance, rock n roll drums, and psychedelic rock sounds, this album feels very core to the style of front man Anton Newcombe. I’m not sure what caused me to fall off track as a listener, but diving back into this album has proved worthwhile, and I think many new listeners could easily be attracted to the shoegaze-y sounds that are presented. Now diving into the bulk of the album, “The Brian Jonestown Massacre” is the bands 17th album, demonstrating the quite prolific nature of the artist. So, when I noticed they had a release from 2019, I felt compelled to write a review. Funnily enough, I heard the album before this, “Something Else”, in a skate video. It’s very rare that an artist can recreate that feeling, so for me this album is quite special, as I had lost traction with Brian Jonestown Massacre in my recent years. It’s interesting that music often takes a full circle with its listeners, who often revisit songs and albums to try to grasp a similar feeling they once had. After listening to, “The Brian Jonestown Massacre” my opinion of them is not diminished but rather reignited as a few years have passed since my youth. I regarded them as one of music’s greatest gifts. Later, when “Bravery Repetition and Noise” was released and then “Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request”, my thoughts on Brian Jonestown Massacre improved further. More specifically, “Going to Hell” and “Wasting Away” were huge influences on my musical taste. When I first heard their music, I was listening to their album, “Strung Out In Heaven”. Taken that way, it's an excellent effort.Ever since first being introduced to Brian Jonestown Massacre by the numerous skateboarding videos that featured their music, I’ve been a fan. It really just wants to challenge other rappers' albums and not its predecessor. Trim a couple tracks and a couple beefs and rearrange the album and you have what sounds like Get Rich's lesser sequel, but The Massacre doesn't look back. Guest spots are kept to a bare minimum and besides the intro, skits are nonexistent. Dre, and Eminem are the only big names in the producer's chair, but everyone else serves up fine tracks, especially the great Needlz. "Ryder Music" is more easygoing than expected, "Build You Up" (featuring Jamie Foxx) is actually sweet, and "God Gave Me Style" has just about the dreamiest beat in the G-Unit universe. Besides mentioning Kurt Cobain and Ozzy Osbourne, "A Baltimore Love Thing" is the big shocker as 50 poignantly tells the tale of a heroin-addicted girlfriend destroying all that's good. For those who've had it with the gunshots, the Shady/Aftermath boasting, and the usual "G-G-G-G-Unit!" shouts, The Massacre has just enough surprises. Like "Candy Shop," "Outta Control," "Disco Inferno," and on and on, "Piggy Bank" succeeds because of its serviceable rap, believable swagger, inescapable hook, and phatter than phat beats. "I'm Supposed to Die Tonight" and "Gatman and Robbin" are both great tracks from the quirky/macabre house of Eminem, but it's the Fat Joe-dissing "Piggy Bank" that steals the show. Silly and short intro out of the way, the slinky "In My Hood" gets down to business and gives way to four tracks of the same-old, same-old bravado and beats that are still just as stunning and catchy as hell. At a stunning, slightly overstuffed 78 minutes, it's overwhelming, too, but without a perfect flow to hold the listener's hand the whole way through, it's also a testament to 50 and crew that The Massacre doesn't test your patience until after the one-hour mark. At worst, it feels unfinished, and at best, it feels like a mixtape cobbled together from mostly choice tracks but without that overseer's polish. That's the most frustrating thing about the otherwise satisfying Massacre. It kept the debut momentum moving and it's half the reason why The Massacre doesn't feel like Get Rich's proper successor, the other half being the album's effortless attitude. To cushion the blow, 50 released an album by his G-Unit crew, made numerous guest appearances on other artist's tracks, and helmed ten mixtapes in his G-Unit Radio series. Crafty man that he is, 50 must have known following up the massive Get Rich or Die Tryin' was going to be extremely difficult, especially for a rapper rightfully known more for creating headlines than rhymes. Following up one of the biggest debuts in hip-hop history, crack dealer turned charisma dealer 50 Cent makes some bold moves, recycles plenty of old ideas, and sprinkles in some perfect party singles for The Massacre.
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