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The Real Rock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Real Rock
Studio album by
Released1990
GenreReggae, rap
LabelElektra
Shinehead chronology
Unity
(1988)
The Real Rock
(1990)
Sidewalk University
(1992)

The Real Rock is a studio album by the reggae/rap musician Shinehead, released in 1990 via Elektra Records.[1][2]

The album peaked at No. 155 on the Billboard 200.[3]

Production

[edit]

The album was recorded in New York and Jamaica, with contributions from the rhythm section of Steely & Clevie.[4] It contains interpretations of the songs "Family Affair", "Love and Marriage", and "Till I Kissed You".[5][6] "World of the Video Game" samples the music of Super Mario Bros.[7]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Chicago Sun-Times[4]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[10]
Los Angeles Times[11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[12]

The Los Angeles Times thought that "even the strongest songs are more well-crafted than inspirational, and the cleverest verbal forays are undercut by the musical retrenchment."[11] Trouser Press wrote that "the music on The Real Rock is more sophisticated in terms of technology and styling, but the songs are hit-and-miss."[13] The Washington Post declared that "the album's highlight ... is an inspired remake of Sly Stone's 'Family Affair', which mixes slap bass, scratching, soul singing and speed-rapping into an imaginative defense of black music, black neighborhoods and the black family."[5] The Philadelphia Daily News called Shinehead "the most captivating and versatile of the reggae-rap artists."[14]

AllMusic called the album "one of the best rap releases of 1990," writing that "the East Coast resident wisely avoids being predicable."[8]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."The Real Rock"4:07
2."Family Affair"4:23
3."World of the Video Game"3:42
4."Potential"4:42
5."Good Things"3:59
6."Strive"4:16
7."Dance Down the Road"3:50
8."Love and Marriage Rap"4:12
9."Till I Kissed You"4:14
10."Cigarette Breath"3:28
11."Musical Madness"4:00

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Pareles, Jon (August 3, 1990). "Reviews/Music; Shinehead's Lessons in Morality". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Huffman, Eddie. "Shinehead Declines to Be Pigeonholed". Greensboro News and Record.
  3. ^ "Shinehead". Billboard.
  4. ^ a b McLeese, Don (July 20, 1990). "Shinehead: The Real Rock". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 57.
  5. ^ a b "Records". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  6. ^ Hill, Edward (Aug 17, 1990). "Shine On". News. The Plain Dealer.
  7. ^ Dafoe, Chris (29 June 1990). "Shinehead makes splash with reggae tour". Toronto Star. p. E12.
  8. ^ a b "The Real Rock - Shinehead | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  9. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Shinehead". www.robertchristgau.com.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 420.
  11. ^ a b "** 1/2 Shinehead 'The Real Rock' Elektra". Los Angeles Times. July 22, 1990.
  12. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 631–632.
  13. ^ "Shinehead". Trouser Press. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  14. ^ Takiff, Jonathan (28 Jun 1990). "Sunsplash '90: Reggae and the Roots of Rap". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 37.