 |
From the Vault...
04/29/2007
#1044 |
|
info
Various Artists
"NOW 17"
© Capitol/EMI Records
<
Year of Release: 2004
Rating:
|
track listing
Let's Get It Started--
Black Eyed Peas
Lean Back--
Terror Squad
Goodies--
Ciara
I Like That--
Houston
Ch-Check It Out--
Beastie Boys
My Place--
Nelly
Sunshine--
Lil' Flip
You And Me--
J-Kwon
Why--
Jadakiss
Locked Up--
Akon
Baby It's You--
JoJo
Angels--
Jessica Simpson
One Thing--
Finger Eleven
Dare You To Move--
Switchfoot
Cold--
Crossfade
Pieces Of Me--
Ashless Simpson
Take Me Out--
Franz Ferdinand
1985--
Bowling For Soup
Here For The Party--
Gretche Wilson
Days Go By--
Keith Urban
|
WSVNRadio Archives
Various Artists related sites:
|
|
|
Various Artists
"NOW 17"
The NOW Series (Now That's What I Call Music debuts on WSVNRadio
this week, as many of the numbered volumes reached the top of the Billboard
Top 200 albums chart: 4, 6, 7, 9, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, and most recently,
24. An assortment of popular tunes at the time, most of them were actual #1
hits, and most preferably, CLEAN versions, that were easily played on Top 40
Radio.
"Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas -- C'mon, You've heard
the main chorus on TV and commercials, and easily grooved to the beat. The
next two songs were #1 on the Billboard Top 100. The first is not really one
of my favorites, yet it was to others, I'm sure: "Lean Back" by Terror
Squad. Ciara's "Goodies" has its moments, especially when Ciara is
singing. Rapper Petey Pablo helps out, yet me not being enthusiastic into
Rap music in general (some of it I can tolerate), his rap lyrics could easily
be ignored.
The next two songs are just as annoying: "I Like That" by Houston,
with help from Chingy, Nate Dogg and I-20, has the rhythm beats beats as
"Goodies" (that's the good news anyway). But can us older folks stomach
the Beastie Boys' "Ch-Check It Out" ? I did enjoy their Licensed To
Ill release, but albums/songs after that, is pretty outright annoying, and
quite frankly, un-entertaining. However, Nelly's "My Place" seems to
relax the atmosphere after songs by Houston and The Beastie Boys. One question
remains though: Is this a slowed down version of that #1 song by Bone
Thugs-N-Harmony? (Tha Crossroads) Of those two songs, Nelly gets the
thumbs up.
Lil' Flip (with help from Lea), tries to bring some of the old 1970s soulful
sound to the song "Sunshine," while updating it to today's Rap style.
With that setting the stage, unforunately, this song is just too boring.
"You & Me" by J-Kwon is where I have a strange premonition -- I sense to
hearing (faintly) Spandau Ballet's "True." "True" wasn't sampled
as P.M. Dawn's did on the #1 song "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss," but I
just can't get that song out of my head as I listen to this song by J-Kwon.
Put my baseball cap on sideways, put on some oversized clothes, and put my
hands in the air, move to the music, and yell "yo-yo-yo" to the next song:
"Why" by Judakiss. Ahem, no, I don't think I look too good doing that,
and that's how I feel about this song... "Locked Up" by Akon has its
moments; Akon's rapping doesn't make this song so great, but the rest of it
isn't that bad.
Is it Jo Jo or Shakira? That's the style of "Baby It's You," one of
few songs I can actually say that I enjoyed from this compilation, up to this
point. The same can be said for the nice ballad "Angels" by Jessica
Simpson. I've never heard of Finger Eleven, but it is nice that the NOW Series
mixes Rock artists/bands with the rappers. "One Thing" is a pleasant
song to listen to.
The current Rock sound continues with bands such as Switchfoot's "Dare
You To Move," another good, pleasant Rock song. Crossfade's "Cold"
is another rocker, yet I enjoyed the Switchfoot song better of the two.
Ashlee Simpson is a far better than her sister Jessica, as her song "Pieces
Of Me" is a really good song, as the Rock style continues. Ashlee's
vocal range and style of this song resembles to that of Alanis Morissette,
Ashlee is a good rocker, as her albums reached #1, which her sister has yet to
accomplish.
Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" has the most rock edge up to this
point, and there's a 1980s song in my head towards the end of this song; I just
can't put my finger (and ears) on it, but somehow The Cure (or some band/artist
like them) may have something to do with it. Another good rocker is Bowling
For Soup's "1985" (What a name for a band...)
Country fans will not disappointed to know that today's current Country
is heard on this volume. Gretchen Wilson should be no stranger to anyone, but
for those who were born yesterday, her popular hit "Here For The Party"
achieved just as much greatness as the other song from her album of that name,
"Redneck Woman." Keith Urban's #1 Country tune "Days Go By" is
also on this release, another song remembered by fans of Urban, and Country
music in general.
Something for everyone on the NOW compilations, but for us older folks, we
tend to want to be rocked or country-whoo'd for the best entertainment. The
rock artists and country artists makes this release, yet the NOW compilations
draw the biggest attention to the younger crowds, as high schoolers. The music
for today's teens is in the areas of Rap, Hip-Hop R&B, and what other Popular
songs they just may be into. Again, Rap music is not for everyone, but it
attracts the younger crowd than us older folks. The NOW Series points out who
is popular in the current trend of music, and as Rock and Country has been
around forever, today's Rap and Hip-Hop has easily followed.
© WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Capitol/EMI Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
|
|
