A Lifetime-Plus of Music

     One of the more entertaining rock bands to emerge in the 1990s was Weezer, another southern California act.  If Green Day was the kids you knew in high school who went to punk rock shows and scribbled anarchy symbols on their lockers, Weezer were the dudes who were on the third-place computer programming team who tried to avoid confrontation with the football players in the hallway.  Despite their unglamorous appearance, they made some great music videos, have an outstanding sense of humor, and are just a very fun band to appreciate.  Their debut album “Weezer”, often known as the “Blue Album”, is rated #294 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     Their sound is built around two distorted guitars, with a surprising amount of melodic content to their songs.  The vocals blend in but do not dominate the tracks, and it isn’t hard to envision an early version of this band performing at local pizza parlors for free food and Cokes.  Clearly their talent caught the eyes of the industry, and this first record was produced by none other than Ric Ocasek from the Cars, which really helps to inform the sound and style of Weezer.

     For me, the defining song of this band and this album will always be “Buddy Holly”.  I have always loved the self-perceived imagery of a couple as Buddy Holly and Mary Tyler Moore.  Honestly, what more could any couple aim for in terms of a comparison?  The song is a great, driving pop-rocker with one of my favorite music videos of all time, with the guys performing on the same set and wardrobe as Richie, Potsie and Ralph Malph from “Happy Days”, as they rocked out at Arnold’s.  With modernized hipster lyrics and a guitar solo that hits a magical set of notes just before it goes back into the chorus, this song is an all-time favorite for me.

     The other two singles from this record we also successful, particularly “Undone – The Sweater Song”.  Along with “Say It Ain’t So”, you have two slower grunge-grind, pop-rock blends that have great chord sequences and more nerd-chic lyrics.  Unconventional perhaps, but extremely listenable and catchy as well.

     The rest of the album reminds me a bit of how I felt about “Fear” by Toad the Wet Sprocket.  The other tracks aren’t difficult to listen to, but none of them really stand out as memorable either.  The common link is distorted guitar and a unique outlook on life.  My favorite of these is probably “Surf Wax America”.

     Weezer has really endured and resurfaced many times over the years, which is a testimony to their talent and the staying power of the songs from this and subsequent albums.  I have never seen Weezer in concert, but that feels like something I should correct if I get the chance, even if it is at Arnold’s Drive-In or the local pizza barn.

     I debated whether or not to include today’s album, “Live On Planet Earth” by the Neville Brothers.  I have already discussed a live album from the early 1980s at Tipitina’s, and their best studio recording, “Yellow Moon”.  However, as I spent more than a decade searching for their best live recordings, when they released this album in 1994, it became a major part of my musical rotation for many years to come.  As I have noted before, the Neville Brothers are one of my all-time favorite bands, and an act I have seen more than any other, and while their studio work rarely captured the magic of their live sound, this record came closer than any formal release they ever put out to re-creating the experience I knew first-hand so well.  As such, I chose to include it, as it has just been too big a part of my life to leave out.

     The album was actually taken from a live performance in Israel, but it is a classic Nevilles set that could have been heard anywhere around the world.  The record opens with the New Orleans classic “Shake Your Tambourine”, followed by the soulful and funky version of Aaron Neville singing “Voodoo”.  “The Dealer” and “Junk Man” are both long-time Neville Brother classics from their nights at Tip’s, and then they go into some of their more recent studio recordings with “Brother Jake”, “Sister Rosa”, and a really strong live version of another amazing Aaron Neville track, “Yellow Moon”.

     Like every Neville Brothers show, there is one instrumental sax song led by Charles Neville.  On this one, they play “Her African Eyes”, which is not a favorite of mine.  It sounds more like a TV theme song and lacks the classic Nevilles mystical sound, but nonetheless, it is still the horn-man himself, which makes it worth a listen. 

     Like a good live show, the set really picks up momentum in the second half, and the rest of this album is just insanely good.  Charles wrote “Sands of Time”, which is a blistering live track with Cyril Neville on lead vocals.  Another New Orleans standard emerges on “Congo Square”, featuring Mean Willie Green on drums and the percussive explosion that is the rhythm section and any of the brothers who have free hands adding drums, cowbells, maracas, and rhythm sticks.  The rhythmic kaleidoscope of sound is just too much to believe until you hear and see it in person.

     The night only gets hotter with a medley cover of “Love the One You’re With” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”.  Over the years, the Neville Brothers performed with both Stephen Stills and the Rolling Stones, so these songs were natural fits and like “Congo Square”, this time with Poppa Funk Art Neville on lead vocals, the drive of the rhythm section dominates the groove.

     We get another medley cover with “Let My People Go” and “Get Up Stand Up”, naturally with the reggae vibe dropped by Cyril with passion and intensity.  The Neville Brothers spoke for all injustice, having experienced more than their share of it growing up as black men in the deep south.  However, as the set almost spilled over with this fury, just as they always did later in their career, they closed the set by bringing us all back together.  The encore would open with Aaron singing “Amazing Grace” as only he could, and as we all tried to hold it together, they would close the show in uniting spirit with the medley of “One Love” and “People Get Ready”. 

     Although the Neville family has been grossly underappreciated by the mass media markets in the music industry, they are one of the greatest success stories in American music history. Their spirit carries on today through the band of their children, “Dumpstaphunk”, which features Tony Hall on bass, just like he was here on “Live On Planet Earth”.  My life will forever be better for the many nights I spent in concert with this amazing family and their band, and I’m glad I have albums like these to remember the moment as long as I can.

     There is a certain amount of irony in today’s selection, “Illmatic” by Nas, which is rated as album # 44 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of All Time, and the #2 Hip-Hop album of all time.  The irony comes from the fact that despite its highly acclaimed status, and my love for good hip-hop music, prior to this day I have heard very little, if any from this album.  It didn’t feature catchy pop-rap that prominently made its way into radio mixes with censored, watered-down versions.  It is just very authentic New York City street rap, as Nas relayed his life growing up in the projects of Queens.

     I have read several comparisons to Rakim in describing his style, and I think that is a fair comparison, and one that doesn’t come lightly from me.  Working primarily with producer DJ Premier, as well as some production help and one vocal appearance from Q-Tip, this feels to me like the beginning of the deepening of the foundation of hip-hop as the fundamental soundtrack for many Americans, regardless of what was selling or charting.  “Illmatic” wasn’t a huge commercial success, but the credibility, acclaim and popularity within this culture for Nas and this album far outreached the superficiality of Top 40 radio.

     I listened to the album several times, and I enjoyed it front to back.  “N.Y. State of Mind” sets the stage perfectly for the world Nas is opening us up to, and the next song “Life’s A Bitch”, which also features AZ, has an appearance from Nas’ father Olu Dara on cornet.  The next song, “The World is Yours”, has a very 1960’s jazz feel to it, and of course I can’t help but think of the iconic reference to the blimp scene in Scarface when I hear this song.

     “Halftime”, “One Love” (with Q-Tip on the recurring chorus)”, and “One Time 4 Your Mind” stand out on a smooth, overtly cool album of easy rhymes and one of the stronger thumping bass tracks I have heard to date.  It isn’t hard for me to see why others love this album so much, and I’m happy to mix it in to my collection of playlists.

     One of the more intense albums I have encountered on this journey is “The Downward Spiral” by Nine Inch Nails.  At this stage in my life, I could not have been further removed from the world of heavy industrial rock, so most of this music was pretty unfamiliar to me, other than the defining song of their album and their career, “Closer”.  I’m also a bit murky using the term “they”, as Nine Inch Nails was essentially Trent Reznor, who wrote and performed almost all of the music on the record.  He was assisted by producer Mark Ellis, better known as “Flood”, and the omnipresent Adrian Belew served as a guitar consultant and contributor on this record, but for the most part, this is the work of Mr. Reznor.  This album is rated #122 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     My overall reaction is one of growing appreciation.  This record is definitely an acquired taste, and not one that can be experienced as a casual listener.  It is the antithesis of many records I have identified as perfect background music.  The urgency of these songs requires your full attention, and if you aren’t all in, it is likely to just strike you as unnecessary noise.

     However, if you give it all of your time and attention, my guess is you will walk away as a fan, if you weren’t one already.  We are on a roll of albums centering on depression and darkness, and this one is no exception.  If you guessed that the album’s title referred to one’s descent in to the darkest corners of life, contemplating the merits of life vs. death, you would be corret.  Reznor himself was deeply conflicted and battling depression when he recorded this album, and if you need further evidence of where his head was at, he actually moved into 10050 Cielo Drive near Los Angeles to record this album.  Does that address sound familiar?  If so, it is probably because it is the home Sharon Tate and several others were brutally murdered by the Charles Manson family.

     There are few rays of sunshine here, as we crush through the opening tracks “Mr. Self Destruct”, “Piggy”, and “Heresy”, where Reznor declares “God is dead, And no one cares… If there is a hell, I’ll see you there.”  Next comes the raging “March of the Pigs”, with these really odd but intriguing piano-voice solos.

     “Closer” then pulses into the mix, and even to the novice, that opening beat is pretty recognizable.  If you aren’t familiar, “Closer” is one of the most overtly and expressively sexual songs I have ever heard.  No need to go much further, but this song is not about the “making love” end of the spectrum.

     “Ruiner” is another of my favorites on the record, it has a great keyboard vibe to it that almost takes you back to the world of Depeche Mode before Reznor unleashes his fury.  It really is a titanic song as it ebbs and flows. 

     The rest of the album is truly a descending spiral of emotion, and a track like “A Warm Place” captures that feeling of emptiness and cold, before softening and warming with the aura of hope as the song evolves.  I don’t know if I have heard music that pulls at you quite like this since some of Pink Floyd’s best work on “The Wall”, but it really does hit home.

     After hitting rock bottom on the second to last song, which is the title track, the final song “Hurt”, wallows in that wreckage of pain, yet like “A Warm Place”, it slowly evolves into a track that offers some hope for a brighter future, even as it leaves you alone and isolated in feeling and sound.  I know these descriptions may be hard to reconcile or envision, but I think they accurately reflect the change in moods Reznor was aiming for on this surprisingly impactful album.  I never really knew what I was missing here, but this album will be an important add to my mix going forward.

     An album I recall very well from its time of release is “Superunknown”, the next release from Soundgarden.  Building on their momentum from “Bad Motorfinger”, “Superunknown” was their most commercially successful album, with several songs that dominated rock radio at the time.  It is rated as the #4 grunge rock album of all time on loudwire.com.

     Chris Cornell was truly a brilliant musician, and I resonated with this album for multiple reasons.  The first is that it is very riff-based, guitar rock that pairs up perfectly with his insanely powerful voice.  It doesn’t surprise me that Cornell ultimately became close professionally and personally with Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, as there is plenty of overlap in this sound.  My favorite “new” track on this record is “My Wave”.  It has such a crunchy, fantastic riff that carries most of the song, and I would possibly rate it now as my second favorite on the album.  It tends to drift a little towards the end, and I wish they would have kept the song a little more compact on the basic riff and chorus, but nonetheless, it is a phenomenal song.

     Another great song on the album is “Spoonman”, which I learned today was originally suggested as a potential band name by Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam, and was based on a California street musician named Artis the Spoonman who actually plays on the song.  I love that extra context to the song, but even without it, the bass line and riff on this song is another killer product, and Cornell elevates it like all of these songs with his vocals. 

     “Black Hole Sun” is another top-notch track that most all rock fans will instantly recognize.  The meaning of this song is a bit more oblique, and it is more of a slow hammer, but I love it just like the others.  It just feels slightly off-balance all the way through, which I love, and Cornell shines once again.  This entire record is truly a tribute to his greatness.

     For all of those great songs, to me, the centerpiece and most impactful song of this record is “Fell On Black Days”.  I don’t believe that I have ever personally had to cope with clinical depression, and I have been blessed to lead a mostly happy and healthy life.  That said, we all have our moments when life isn’t very positive, pleasant or enjoyable.  I was definitely in one of those places in life when this song came out, and I felt it in a very personal way.  Sadness, just like this song, comes and goes out of our lives as we all see change, and it serves as a reminder that things can suck for a while, but all is not lost.  Aside from extremely powerful lyrics, this song also packs an amazing wallop with the chords that open the track.  It is just a really good, hard-hitting, emotionally relevant guitar rock song that I loved then and now.

     Unlike me, and hopefully most of us, Chris Cornell did deal with severe bouts of depression throughout his life.  Sadly, just hours after a show in Detroit in 2017, potentially impaired by some added medication he had taken, he chose to take his life.  For someone who had lived for so long and through so much, one would have hoped that maybe he had learned to function and cope with his demons more successfully than some of his peers, but for reasons none of us will ever know, that night was the night.  I love his music, and it is clear he was loved by all across the music world, especially the family of bands that made up the Seattle music scene in the early 1990s.

“Whatsoever I’ve feared has come to life, and whatsoever I’ve fought off became my life”

“Just when everyday seemed to greet me with a smile, Sunspots have faded, now I’m doing time”

“Cause I fell on black days, I fell on black days.”

     An important release today, in the sometimes-derided sub-genre that is pop punk.  “Dookie” is the major label debut album from the band Green Day.  It ultimately was a major commercial success, and remains well regarded to this day.  It is rated as album #375 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     A few thoughts on Green Day.  First off, the sound of this album, which emerged from the shadows of their more hard-core punk rock roots, could be considered a bit one-dimensional.  Is that such a crime?  Bands like AC/DC have made an entire career with a relatively one-dimensional sound.  Even more, as you do hear some diversity of pace and style eventually on the record, and certainly later in their career, I still like them best when they are playing fast and loud.  So much for diversity… at least from Green Day.

     With regards to pop punk, which like many labels, is not completely accurate nor fair, I don’t think the basic concept is flawed either.  I like good pop music, and I certainly love good punk rock, so what is wrong with bringing a more melodic sound to the thrashing guitars I know I enjoy?  In my head, I have always looked at Green Day as being at the front end of this movement in the 1990s and beyond, but my insightful son reminded me that this combination traces back clearly to The Ramones and other bands who attempted the same blend.  I was a little disappointed in myself for not connecting those dots on my own, but I’m happy to give credit where credit is due.

     As noted, “Dookie” was their first major label release, which fairly well got them blacklisted from the clubs they grew up in, but it is hard to dispute the choice to “sell out”.  The album contains five singles, each of which were big hits on modern rock radio, and still are.  My favorite will always be “Basket Case”, speaking to the challenges of mental health and sexual identity.  While those are valid topics, I mainly love this song because it flat out rocks.  The trio of front-man Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt on bass, and Tre Cool on drums really pack a wallop, and this song is a great rush, no matter how many times I have heard it.  My other favorite of the five singles is “She”, for pretty much the exact same reason.  It just hits hard and fast, and just like “Crackerman” from Stone Temple Pilots, it just never slows down or gives in.  “Longview” and “When I Come Around” were also massive hits, but don’t enthrall me quite as much.  Even as I typically welcome this change in tempo, I keep coming back to the fastest rockers.  As such, the other big hit from this album, “Welcome to Paradise” is much more in line with my preferences here.  It is actually a re-recorded version of a song from an earlier album, “Kerplunk”, and I encourage you to check out both versions for comparison.  One more I would add to this favorites list is “Sassafras Roots”.  Once you listen, you will understand why.

      I can’t wrap things up without acknowledging the last track, a “hidden” song called “All by Myself”.  At first, I thought it was a big goof by Armstrong, as it sounds like a castoff from the Muppet Show.  However, once I learned the entire song, including vocal and guitar, was performed by drummer Tre Cool, it made me smile a lot.  You can never take life too seriously…

     Armstrong evolved into one of the most influential songwriters and voices for his generation of rock musicians and he has even seen his work transform into a successful Broadway musical.  He’s the perfect face for a band who can deliver thrashing punk or thoughtful ballads, all with the same caliber and attitude. 

     1994 begins with the next release from Alice In Chains.  This is actually an EP (Extended Play) vs. a full album, but it contains seven songs, several of which were very successful for the band.  It is a notable departure from their last two records, with most of the songs based heavily in an acoustic sound from Jerry Cantrell’s guitar.  There are some similar themes, as the darkness and prevailing sadness that was also reflected by Layne Staley’s ongoing battle with heroin addiction continuing to work its way into the music.  Cantrell remains the primary creative influence, but even with his decline into deeper addiction, Staley assumed a larger role with each release in creating the lyrical content.

     The first two tracks are particularly dark and brooding; there is no explosive opening to this record.  That said, it is eye-opening to hear this softer side of the band, particularly with Staley’s vocals, and this entire record gives us a much barer view of his ability as a performer, and sadly one of the last glimpses we would get.

     The next two songs were the hits of the record.  “I Stay Away” sounds more like classic Alice In Chains, with the exception of a dramatic string arrangement that surrounds the build of the song.  “No Excuses” is the more upbeat of the two, and an excellent example of the evolution of this band.  The harmony vocals between Staley and Cantrell are prevalent throughout this entire album, but never more compelling than they are on this track.  My former roommate Matt, who was a professional musician whose tastes leaned much more to funk and jazz, bought this CD specifically because he loved the unusual harmonies on this song.

     “Whale & Wasp” is a unique guitar track, and the repeating guitar drone is very representative of the call of a whale.  Cantrell proves his versatility as a musician as well as showing he is able to create great music on his own.  “Don’t Follow” is one last really transparent vocal performance by Cantrell and Staley, and the overwhelming sentiment of loss bleeds out on this track.  The final song is “Swing on This”, and yes, it actually is a variant of a swing tune.  Starting off with a standup-sounding bass line from Mike Inez, you hear a lot of life and spirit from a band that is fighting inner demons.

     Two last thoughts on this record.  The successfully experimental sound of this EP reminds me of what Led Zeppelin did with their third record, with the insertion of acoustic and softer sounds as a contrast to the colossal blitz of their previous releases.  It would have been really remarkable to see what this band, particularly the duo of Cantrell and Staley could have created with health and time.  Unfortunately, that was not the destiny for Alice In Chains.  They would release one more album, but never toured or recorded again after that point, as Staley slowly wasted away before finally losing his endless struggle with addiction in 2002.  His story of isolation, depression and addiction is one of the most drawn-out and extended tragedies in rock and roll.  Family, friends and peers all tried endlessly to get him help, but there was no changing this course.  At first, I dismissed Cantrell’s resurrection of the band with a new vocalist, as I struggled to envision anyone but Layne Staley singing these songs.  However, this experience has helped me appreciate how much personal creative ownership Cantrell has for this catalog, and I now applaud him for moving forward with multiple albums and tours as he also continues to pay tribute to Staley at every turn.  Despite several years of inactivity leading up to Staley’s death, Cantrell never gave up on him and never made a public scene of this very private issue.  I respect the friendship and support they all offered, standing by their mate to the end.

     Yet another round of hip-hop legend today, as we go back to the west coast for the next Death Row Records release, the debut hit from Snoop Dogg, or Snoop Doggy Dogg as he was known then.  Even though this was his first release, he was already a well-known commodity serving as the primary MC on Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” album.  Like many, I have always been thoroughly entertained by Snoop Dogg.  He is pretty much a cartoon character at this point, but his smooth delivery and his comically overcooked version of gangs, weed, booze and women serve as an effective parody as well as a sadly accurate lens on life in the inner city.  “Doggystyle” was a very successful album commercially, and is rated as album #340 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     Musically, the production on the album is outstanding.  It is another G-Funk classic, and while the years have created some controversy between Dr. Dre and other collaborators as to who produced what, at the end of the day, that team with Snoop’s vocals created an album I could easily listen to over and over again.  There are several iconic songs on this record, including the first two singles released, “Who Am I?” (What’s My Name?)” and the even more-famous “Gin & Juice”.  It’s hard to imagine many fans of the genre not loving these tracks.  They have great hooks, really bouncy bass beats, and Snoop’s one-of-a-kind delivery makes them sound like no other in the hip-hop world.  I may laugh and smile when I play them, but I assure you both are on my play list and always get turned up.

     The album has some other classics, and is really a strong product from beginning to end.  “Murder Was the Case” is another gangster-cliché track that mirrors the trial of Snoop and his bodyguard for a gang shooting.  He is loved by most now, but he certainly had a legitimate past in the world of crime and certainly is a more productive member of society in his current role as rapper emeritus.

     My favorite track I was not familiar with before is “Lodi Dodi”, a reshaped version of “La Di Da Di”, created by Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh.  I loved the slow-paced hook of this song, and the lyrics are just as wonderfully ridiculous as any on this album.  You even hear a segment of the song that would eventually become “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G., as he also borrowed from the same roots this song originated from.

     Dre and Snoop and crew created another top-of-the-line record with “Doggystyle”, and even though you won’t find either this or “The Chronic” on any streaming service these days, a little extra effort will get you right back to Long Beach or Compton just in time for the fun to continue.

     Another dose of hip-hop style today, with the next album from A Tribe Called Quest, “Midnight Marauders”.  Like their last album, “The Low End Theory”, it is mostly a very soothing mix of low-fi, jazz-based beats that are very easy to listen to.  It was also highly regarded and well received, and is rated as album #201 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.  Because this exercise is often about comparison, I can’t help but compare it to yesterday’s Wu-Tang Clan album, as well as “The Low End Theory”.  With regards to Wu-Tang Clan, I think it all boils down to mood.  Most of the time, I think I would naturally gravitate to the more relaxed vibe of A Tribe Called Quest, particularly when lead MC Q-Tip is on the microphone.  I really love his delivery.  Overall, I don’t think I loved this album the same way I did their last one, but every artist has to deal with following up a massive hit, and they certainly did a respectable job here to say the very least.

     When going through this record to pick out the songs I liked best, without even knowing it, the three I picked are the three songs they released as singles.  “Electric Relaxation” is my favorite, it just exudes a real warmth not often found, and it samples the song “Mystic Brew” by jazz organ player Ronnie Foster, which I will have to check out next.  “Award Tour” was their biggest hit from the album, and it also is remarkably listenable.  “Oh My God” is quirkier and more unusual, especially the repetitive chorus that surfaces in the second half of the song, but like an infectious commercial jingle, it effectively invades your brain until you find yourself wanting more.

     The album opens and connects tracks with a computer-generated female voice track, offering messages of logic, morality and common sense.  My favorite is “You’re not any less of a man if you don’t pull the trigger, you’re not necessarily the man, if you do.”  Gangster cliché perhaps, but I think it carries a fair amount of meaning beyond its original intent.

     A Tribe Called Quest remains one of my favorite acts in the hip-hop world, and a full consideration of this album only furthered that belief for me.  I didn’t cover their debut album from 1990, but I can’t wrap things up without also citing my favorite song I have always enjoyed, “Can I Kick It”, which samples “Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed.  I highly encourage you give all of it a proper spin as you build up your hip-hop playlists.

     Coming back as a response to the smooth, chill vibes emanating from the west coast hip-hop scene, we are confronted with the in-your-face response from Staten Island, in the form of Wu-Tang Clan, an eclectic mix of rappers who delivered their explosive debut, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”.  With an attitude that is based on hardcore street knowledge and a guiding light of Asian Kung Fu discipline, the Wu-Tang Clan reopened the door for east coast hip with this highly acclaimed album that is rated #27 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of All Time.  It is also the #6 rated hip-hop album of all time on definitivedose.com.

     While I might not place it quite as high on either of those lists, I did really enjoy it, and I know it is an all-time favorite of my son, whose hip-hop knowledge I respect and appreciate.  One of my favorite songs is the very first “Bring da Ruckus”.  After an appropriately placed Kung Fun opening, RZA and Ghostface Killah give you your marching orders.  It is a pretty powerful opening that gets you ready for what follows.

     I love the ensemble mix of rappers, including the iconic voices of Method Man and Ol’ Dirty Bastard.  Their raw and mixed delivery presents a real street scene, and the subtle backing track is clearly secondary to the MC rotation.  Each song is previewed by some additional martial arts wisdom, and in one of their smokier vibes, we have their most recognized hit from this record, “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)”.  As Method Man reminds us, it’s all about the “Dollar dollar bill, y’all”.

     My personal favorite is the heavy bass hammer that is on “Wu-Tang: 7^th Chamber – Part II”.  I’m not clear on the segmenting or titling of the song, but it definitely has the best thumping beat on the album.  This entire album is refreshing in its approach.  They aren’t looking for a poppy hook, they just want to riff and hit you hard… mission accomplished.