Lil Wayne - Rebirth

Unlike most of these cds, I actually didn't reach into the cd case for this one. Rather, I opened the box from Amazon. I know some of the reviews are quite scathing, but this cd isn't too bad. Let's break it down track by track:

1 - American Star - Wish they would've started out with a stronger song. This is one of those first tracks that'll make you wear out the "next" button. (2 stars out of 5)
2 - Prom Queen - You've probably heard this one if your a Lil Wayne fan. The first time I heard it, I couldn't stand it. It's grown on me a ton to the point where I'd go ahead and say that I actually love this song. If I were younger, I could proclaim this a certifiable banger (4 stars out of 5)
3 - Ground Zero - Possibly the coolest bassline intro I've heard in ANY rock song since "Seven Nation Army" (which, by the way, I realize isn't played on the bass). One of my favorite songs on the album. (5 stars out of 5)
4 - Da Da Da - This sounds a little bit like Lil' Wayne trying to do an autotune impression of Andre 3000 from Outkast. This song is neither good nor bad. (3 stars out of 5) 5 - Paradice - Another song that I don't think showcases Weezy's talents. It sounds like an average grunge song. Doesn't do terribly much for me. (3 stars out of 5)
6 - Get a Life - This song has a little pop-punk sound to it. Surprisingly, it's a sound that Lil' Wayne actual does better than you'd expect. He does it better on a few other songs later in the album though. Third straight average song. (3 stars out of 5)
7 - On Fire - This song rocks! A remake of "She's On Fire" from the Scarface soundtrack. Probably the least "rock" sounding song on the cd... actually this would fit on his other cds probably better than this cd. (4 stars out of 5)
8 - Drop the World - With a guest spot from Slim Shady, this is hands down the best song on the album. This is the sound that I was hoping to hear more of on the cd. Eminem drops a terrific verse at the end. (5 stars out of 5)
9 - Runnin' - Not a bad song. Just sounds a little dated. If this song would've came out in the Evanescance era, I could've seen it doing quite well. Nothing special about it. (3 stars out of 5)
10 - One Way Trip - First time I heard this, I thought it was pretty lame. It's actually growing on me a little bit, though. You can definitely hear the Travis Barker and Kevin Rudolf influences here. (3.5 stars out of 5)
11 - Knockout - This is definitely the most pop punk sounding song on here. I can see the young'uns really liking this. Wayne is surprisingly likable in this format. Again, I didn't love this song the first time I heard it, but it's pretty decent. (3.5 stars out of 5)
12 - The Price is Wrong - This sounds like Wayne trying to be a little hardcore. I don't know what it is about the "yeah yeah yeah yeah" and the "ok... ok... ok ok ok" vocal ticks that ties the song together, but I find myself liking it. It's a really simplistic song, but it's enjoyable. (3 stars out of 5)

Above the Rim Soundtrack

You remember a lot of first. Your first date. Your first kiss. Your first varsity basketball game. Your first cd you bought with a parental advisory sticker. That would be where the Above the Rim soundtrack comes into the picture. I actually owned the Above the Rim soundtrack approximately 3-4 years before I first saw "Above the Rim" on TNT after the NBA All-Star Saturday for the first time. Like the last disc, let's take a track-by-track review:

1 - Anything by SWV - I only know two SWV songs... the first is the one that samples a Michael Jackson song. This is the other. I used to love that this was the first song on the cd because I could set my cd alarm to go off in the morning. I could blare the first song before turning the volume down before we got to all of the cussing later in the cd. (4 stars out of 5)
2 - Old Time's Sake by Sweet Sable - This is one of those average songs that I think I've elevated to a decent song because I've listened to it on this cd so many times. Before R&B stunk, they used to make songs like this. (3 stars out of 5)
3 - Part Time Lover by H-Town - One of my least favorite songs on the cd. Definitely has a mid-90s sound, though. (2 stars out of 5)
4 - Big Pimpin' by Tha Dogg Pound - If you are a fan of early Snoop but have never gotten into Daz Dillinger or Kurupt, you've gotta check this song out. It also features an early Nate Dogg cameo. I don't know anything about this song that isn't likable. (5 stars out of 5)
5 - Didn't Mean to Turn You On by 2nd II None - On most soundtracks, this would be one of the better songs. On this cd, it's just another in the list of solid songs. (4 out of 5 stars)
6 - Doggie Style by DJ Rogers - This is the type of R&B I'm not big on. Another one of my least favorite songs on the disc. (2 stars out of 5)
7 - Regulate by Warren G and Nate Dogg - What can I say about this song? For my money, I can't think of a better song from the 90s. Yes, that's counting everything done by Kurt Cobain, James Hetfield, Alanis Morisette, Garth Brooks, Thom Yorke, Eddie Vedder, Billy Corgan or whoever you want to compare. (5,000 out of 5 stars)
8 - Pour Out a Little Liqour - Thug Life - This is essentially a 2Pac song. After California Love, this is the second 2Pac song that a sheltered kid who didn't have the internet or MTV fell in love with. (5 stars out of 5)
9 - Gonna Give It To Ya by Jewell and Aaron Hall - Not my cup of tea, but at the same time, it's not horrible. (2.5 stars of out 5)
10 - Afro Puffs by The Lady of Rage - I'm fairly sure that the Lady of Rage hasn't done anything besides this song. If you are going to have a one hit, though, why not this one? Unfortunately for her, though, she only released one cd and her best song (this one) isn't even included. (4.5 stars out of 5)
11 - Jus So Ya No - CPO & Boss Hog - This is a really weird song. It sounds like it's going to be an R&B song, but instead it's some weird almost spoken word rap song. Strangely likable, though. (3.5 stars of out 5)
12 - Hoochies Need Love Too by Paradise - Another strange song. can we all agree that in the 90s, we were all considerably less politically correct. Could a song named "Hoochies Need Love Too" be released today without a 10-minute Bill O'Reilly rant? (3 stars out of 5)
13 - I'm Still In Love With You by Al B. Sure! - I wasn't too excited about the whole "New Jack Swing" scene... there were a few decent songs, but I can't help but feel like they're all trying to sing Prince songs that just aren't as good as Prince songs. (3 stars out of 5)
14 - Crack 'Em - OFTB - This is a a signature sounding "gangsta rap" song from the mid-90s. Even if you don't know this song, I could play this to anybody between the ages of 25-35 and I bet they could guess the year this song came out within a year or two. (4 stars out of 5)
15 - U Bring Da Dog Out - Rhythm & Knowledge - Probably my favorite R&B song (besides SWV) on the entire cd. (4 stars out of 5)
16 - Blowed Away - B-Rezell - Uh... forgot how lukewarm I was on R&B. (2 stars out 5)
17 - It's Not Deep Enough by Jewell - again... average R&B. (2 stars out of 5)
18 - Dogg Pound 4 Life by Tha Dogg Pound - I love how some mid-90s gangsta rap had an eerie, almost horror movie-like, sound. (4.5 stars out of 5)

The sad thing is that this soundtrack (one of the greatest movie soundtracks ever?) could've been better. Look up the song "Pain" by 2Pac, "Loyal to the Game" by 2pac, "Pump Pump" by Snoop Dogg, "Take It To Ya Face" by Naughty by Nature, "OH S***" by the Pharcyde, "Holler If Ya Hear Me" by 2Pac, and "Stick Em Up" by the Beastie Boys. Now imagine that you replace all of the average songs on the cd with all of the good ones. In fact, that's an idea for a podcast. One of these days, I'm going to have "Above the Rim" day on the podcast.

Saves the Day - Through Being Cool

When I first got this cd my freshman year in college, I nearly wore it out. I'd be willing to bet I delivered over 1,000 delicious Dominoes Pizza with this cd playing in the background. Some cds wear better than others. I'll give this cd a listen every three months or so and the result is always the same... just as good as new. Again, let's do the track by track:

1 - All Star Me - Great opener. I'd even go ahead and guess this is my favorite non-single that opens a cd ever. (5 stars out of 5)
2 - You Vandal - Love the breakneck speed of the verses followed by seemingly half-speed chorus. This is a technique I believe NFG played the crap out of about 3-4 years later. (5 stars out of 5)
3 - Shoulder to the Wheel - This song has a little more pop song that the previous two. Still has the crunchy, distorted guitar sound that I love. (4.5 stars out of 5)
4 - Rocks Tonic Juice Magic - My favorite song on the album. Lyrically, it's pretty dark, but it's not really a dark song. I can't put my finger on what I love about this song, but it's my favorite STD song hands down. (5+ stars out of 5)
5 - Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots - Another keeper. I think this may be one of the more popular songs on the cd. (4.5 stars out of 5)
6 - Third Engine - This songs has more hardcore roots than some of the slightly poppier songs. What I like about songs like these is I can't point to this song and say "Oh, hear's STD trying to play their Fugazi song." I've noticed that about a lot of today's up-and-coming bands. They'll have a song that sounds like they are trying to be Blink and another song that's trying to be NOFX, but they lack some sort of connection. (4 stars of out 5)
7 - My Sweet Fracture - Love the opening bassline. Like most of the songs on this album, it's a song that's short and full of teenage angst, but well done. My favorite part of the song is at about the 2:30 mark when it slows down and Chris Conley sings "rather forget the days we spend trying to stay afloat in shallow water" over and over again. (4.5 starts out of 5)
8 - The Vast Spoils of America - Probably one of the more forgettable songs on the album. Which, to me, is quite amazing because it's a stellar song. (4 stars out of 5)
9 - The Last Lie I Told - Starts off as probably the slowest-sounding song on the cd. Which lasts for about 6 seconds. There is something about this song that's a little more mellow than other songs. Still vintage Saves the Day, though. (4 stars out of 5)
10 - DO You Know What I Love the Most - I'd be willing to guess that my description of this song is longer than the song itself. Clocking in at just 1:30, this is the shortest song on the album. I miss the short song, though. I might have to do that podcast sometime... best 15 songs that clock in under 2-minutes. (4 stars out of 5)
11 - Through Being Cool - This would've been a cool last song on the album. Not quite as cool as the actual last song on the album. Can we all agree that a cd that's full of teen angst titled "Through Being Cool" is probably one of the coolest titled cds of all time? (5 stars out of 5)
12 - Banned From the Back Porch - This song has the perfect blend of agressive guitars and whiny Chris Conley vocals. Probably my second favorite song on the album. This song makes my running iPod playlist more often than not. (5 stars out of 5)