Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.SNOOP DOGGY DOGG
Doggystyle
(eastwest 6544922791)
With advance orders in America pushing the two million mark, Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle looks set to be the first debut album to enter the charts at number one. Snoop's talents have already been extensively featured on Dr Dre's multi-million-selling The Chronic, and the demand thus aroused has obviously not been harmed by his arrest for murder.
Snoop is certainly a doggy old dog: a cool, leering caricature of amoral phallocentrism and 'nigga' behaviour in which virility has become inextricably confused with casual violence. Doggystyle opens with a succession of explanatory raps about his hedonist interests, brutally interrupted by the gunshots announcing 'Murder Was The Case'.
This track sees Snoop gunned down, plea-bargaining with God, then entering prison on a murder rap. It's the art which his life imitates, in which the concluding image speaks powerfully of a life of perpetual paranoia on both sides of the wall.
Snoop's cool is matched by the blend of Seventies funk and sinister breakbeats that has made Dr Dre the production player of the year. But rap- wise, there's nothing much new here; and the ethical and political dimension is entirely absent from his work. What's on offer is the sheer appeal of delinquency.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Beavis And Butt-head
Experience
(Geffen GED 24613)
As delinquents go, MTV's cartoon duo Beavis and Butt-head are as pathetic as any: a sniggering pre-teen Wayne & Garth. Their tastes run to hardcore rap and death-metal, and their critical vocabulary stretches only to 'This is rilly cool' or 'This sucks]', comments frequently repeated on the promo videos played on their show.
This is a collection of death- themed delights deemed 'cool': Megadeth's '99 Ways To Die', Nirvana's 'I Hate Myself And Want To Die', Anthrax's 'Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun'. With a couple of rap tracks, contributions from such as Aerosmith and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and an amusing spoof soul number, it makes for a surprisingly approachable album, spoiled only by the duet with Cher on 'I Got You Babe', which rilly, rilly sucks.
GUNS N' ROSES
The Spaghetti Incident?
(Geffen GED 24617)
An album of mainly punk covers, The Spaghetti Incident? is actually Guns N' Roses's most enjoyable LP, since, though they can play a bit, they have never been able to write a decent song of their own.
Alas, their idea of a good song extends to the likes of The UK Subs, whose 'Down On The Farm' is graced with a DickVanDykean cock-er-knee accent from Axl Rose. The track which really fits them like a glove is The New York Dolls' 'Human Being', which they whip into a perfect lather.
The album's good-natured noisy fun is bookended by a couple of excruciating tracks. Rose's vocal on The Skyliners' 'Since I Don't Have You' is hysterical; and, not listed on the sleeve, is an appalling ballad, 'Look At Your Game, Girl', written by Charles Manson. He may be a criminal psychopath, but to use the Butt- headian vernacular, as a songwriter Charlie's a complete wuss.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments