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LL COOL J The FORCE( Def Jam)
When LL Cool J first hit the scene in 1985 with“ I Can’ t Live Without My Radio,” decked out in his trademark Kangol hat and gold chains, it was a shocking clarion call for the music industry. Over Rick Rubin’ s minimalist drum machine patterns, LL rapped an ode to the power of terrestrial radio as a cultural megaphone. A full decade before the advent of the internet, radio was the current conduit of trends, styles, and a new style of music for the streets: hip hop. A fixture on the scene since the genre ' s birth, LL would remain a powerful voice throughout the next few decades. While the genre would become more controversial in the turbulent 1990s, LL would distance himself somewhat from the more violent and salacious world of gangsta rap and focus on club jams that could get the party started. The rapper your mother could love, LL would also become a congenial presence on TV, having a long-running lead role on NCIS: Los Angeles and becoming an indemand award show host. Breaking a tenyear hiatus from music, The FORCE( an acronym for Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy) finds the iconic rapper pairing up with Q-Tip( A Tribe Called Quest) as the producer for the entire LP to renew his vows to his craft. This new pairing pays off huge dividends, with Q-Tip’ s wildly inventive production style being a fresh and unique backdrop for LL’ s sturdy lyricism. Q-Tip fully immersed himself in the project, making beats, providing vocals, and playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums. Never a flashy lyricist like Nas or Eminem( who makes an awesome guest appearance on the wacky fever dream“ Murdergram Deux”), LL’ s biggest talent is his way with a hook, which is why he has some of the most successful singles in rap history.“ Mama Said Knock You Out,”“ Rock The Bells,”“ I Need Love,”“ Doin It,”“ Hey Lover,” and“ Phenomenon” were all massively huge singles, where his album output didn’ t garner the same
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respect as others. The FORCE feels different like this is an attempt at a full album statement with a clear purpose: returning LL to the discussion of Greatest Of All Time( a term he, for all intents and purposes, coined on his 2000 album The G. O. A. T.)“ Saturday Night Special” finds him trading bars with Rick Ross and Fat Joe over a beat that sounds beamed in from the mid- 90s. The best yet is“ Basquiat Energy,” where LL’ s complex flow perfectly suits Q- Tips ' ultra-funky backdrop, which is as bold and colorful as one of Jean-Michel Basquiat’ s paintings. While this whole record couldn’ t be more out of step with the current rap music landscape of vapid auto-tuned vocals and cold, clinical trap beats, The album should be an absolute gift for fans who came of age in the 80s and 90s. Overall, The FORCE is a testament to the fact that an artist can reinvent themselves decades into their career after a substantial hiatus: Just don’ t call it a comeback.
– Andy Derer
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FRANK ZAPPA Apostrophe(‘) 50th Anniversary LP FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION Whisky a Go Go, 1968( Zappa / UMe)
Delivering upon the promise of 1973’ s“ gateway album” Over-Nite Sensation, Frank Zappa cracked the mainstream with 1974’ s Apostrophe(‘). It was the multihy-
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18 YEARS
Record Store Day is back! Now in its 18th year, our full release list in this issue includes some amazing titles that can also be viewed on recordstoreday. com and our digital edition. Our picks featured here are some of our favorite titles released on RSD, Saturday, April 18.
THE COLOURFIELD Virgins & Philistines [ 40th Anniversary Edition ]( Chrysalis)
This is a newly remastered 2LP yellowcolored vinyl version of The Colourfield ' s debut album, Virgins & Philistines. Following on from his previous groups, most notably The Specials, Terry Hall formed The Colourfield, releasing two albums and a handful of singles. Their debut was produced by famed producer Hugh Jones, who brought out the diverse sound mixing 1960s and 1970s pop with melodies and string arrangements. This newly expanded edition includes a bonus disc with non-album singles and b-sides.
THE GLADIATORS Roots Natty( Tabou)
Tabou is proud to present Roots Natty, a treasure trove of rare tracks from one of reggae’ s most iconic groups, The Gladiators. These songs were recorded during reggae ' s golden era, from 1977 to 1979, a time when the genre was shaping global music culture.
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During this period, alongside other reggae giants like Culture and Burning Spear, The Gladiators crafted unforgettable arrangements to match their deep, thoughtful compositions. With Albert Griffiths and Clinton Fearon at the helm, their lyrics transported listeners to a mystical land where peace reigned, Rastafari thrived, and the chaos of Babylon was left far behind. The majority of the tracks on Roots Natty are rare Jamaican singles featuring mixes that are harder, heavier, and more dub-infused than their album released in the West at the same time. Initially released in small, exclusive batches in Jamaica, these singles have been carefully restored and remastered, preserving their raw, authentic energy for a new generation of Reggae lovers. With the authorization of the Gladiators, St Elizabeth, Jamaica.
JUDAS PRIEST Live In Atlanta ' 82( Legacy)
Previously only available on CD as part of the 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music boxset, Judas Priest ' s incendiary performance from the Atlanta stop of their World Vengeance tour, recorded at the Omni on 11th December 1982, will be released as a double LP solid red vinyl set for Record Store Day 2025.
OASIS Time Flies 1994-2009( Legacy)
Ahead of the start of Oasis Live’ 25, Time Flies is made available on vinyl for the first time since it was originally pressed in 2010. This limited edition, numbered set includes four colored LPs and features the band’ s entire singles collection from 1994 – 2009. Includes Roll With It, Live Forever, Wonderwall, and more.
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