Crazy Baldhead, "Funky Drummer"
A repeat! No regrets! Bring on the juice!
Rob Swift, "Hip Hop On Wax"
A member of the X-Ecutioners, Rob Swift is a turntablist from New York who has had a long solo career as well. Always rooted in the traditions of hip-hop, his records feature his pyrotechnic scratching, which is worth seeking out just on its own. The overall quality of his albums often tends to be driven by the quality of the guests he's working with, with this being an example of one of his better tracks. If you like the sound of this, try out one of his early albums (this is from Sound Event).
The Four Tops, "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)"
One of the legendary Motown singles, it's easy to see why this label was so huge. It's 9:20 and I'm sitting in a Seattle basement, and somehow the sun still managed to come out.
Front 242, "This World Must Be Destroyed (Beta Version 1)"
Little instrumental thing here, a remix of one of their songs that appeared as a b-side on the "Gripped By Fear" single. And, you know, how on earth could you tell it was a remix? This is basically microhouse, though, which I kind of like.
Black Sabbath, "Planet Caravan"
Can't believe we haven't had Sabbath here before! We here at Five Songs listen to a fair bit of metal, as you might have noticed. It's worth it to look back on where it came from. The origins of metal are complicated, and it's been an long evolution, but I think you could make a case for Black Sabbath as the most important band in the entire history of metal. With their debut album, not only did they set the template for legions of stoner bands, they also got the ball rolling on doom metal. Basically, bands are still trying to re-create the first few Sabbath albums today, nearly fifty years later. I could write a long essay here, but it seems pointless. Being familiar with Sabbath's work is part of being a well-educated consumer of rock.
This, however, is kind of a throwaway from the otherwise great Paranoid.
Jimmy Hughes, "Chains of Love"
Always love it when we get Stax and Motowon in the same playlist.