Some mini reviews

A review of used CD purchases made at Criminal Records in Atlanta last weekend:

Sonic Youth – Dirty

In the New Rolling Stone Album Guide, Rob Sheffield claims that Sonic Youth are better at sprawl than concision. Apart from overlooking what he loved about Sister, it's a dubious claim in light of all the great noise-nuggets SY have strewn over their most austere atonal skronk-fests. 1992's Dirty, the second of their mainstrream trilogy (1990's Goo and 1994's Experimental Jet Set, Trash, and No Star are the others), is what the title promises: a dirtier Goo, with the vocals as foregrounded as the politics. "Youth Against Fascism" and "Chapel Hill" are their most scathing indictments of fascism to date, although you can bet that if Thurston or Lee had sung "Swimsuit Issue" instead of Kim we'd be accusing SY of succumbing to that old adage: those with condemn fascism can goose-step with the most devoted brownshirt. As it is, Kim makes like a drunken butterfly and eats your créme brulée, inspiring her comrades to record their sexiest music until last year's fantastic Sonic Nurse. Burn Goo's best tracks on a CD-R along with Dirty's and you'll have a real winner. Grade: A-

Eric B & Rakim - Follow The Leader

The best hip-hop album before It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back? Follow The Leader is effortless and relentless while Public Enemy's masterpiece is shrill and relentless, a showcase for the most gifted, ambitious deejay (Eric B) until Prince Paul would supplant him when he inaugurated the Daisy Age and a rapper (Rakim) so quicksilvered that he makes Chuck D look like Heavy D. At once symphonic and insular, Follow The Leader is what happens when artists infatuated with tone and timbre don't settle for just sonic impact – a disease afflicting much hip-hop and, yes, rock (take that 50 Cent and Beck). For Eric B & Rakim, a sound doesn't resonate until the word is made flesh; you hear their joy in their discovery in every one of Rakim's crisp declaratives and Eric B's on-target sample bursts. Grade: A+