359 - Outkast - Stankonia

There were three rap acts that brought me back to enjoying hip-hop after losing interest with the emergence of gangsta rap in the early 90's - St. Lunatics/Nelly, Missy Elliot, and Outkast. While there is a thug element to several of the tracks on Stankonia, it is a minor part of the album. What I find most rewarding about the album is the amount of hooks that get your attention on the first and subsequent listens followed by the layers upon layers of samples, synths, and sound effects that can be found after the initial exposure.

The sound of each track can vary greatly, but the quality doesn't waver much; there isn't a big gap between a few great singles and throw-away album tracks on Stankonia at all. Sure, there is a bevy of skits and "interludes" you can expect on a rap album but they are short and sweet and don't distract from the rest of the album.

I liked the group when "Ms. Jackson" came out, but didn't buy this album until after Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. That didn't do this album well. I listened to the new album much more and, worn from the double album effort, tended to only listen to the singles on Stankonia. This album stands strong on its own and I have my going through the Rolling Stone list for exposing me to that truth and ensuring this album gets more plays.

Songs I knew I liked: "So Fresh, So Clean," "Ms. Jackson," and "B.O.B."

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Gasoline Dreams," "We Luv Deez Hoez," and "Slum Beautiful"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: After my second listening, I had "Toilet Tisha" in this spot, but the song has grown on me since and I have removed it from here.

Writer's Block: When the moon hits the sky...

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In the 80s and 90s the best pizza on the planet was Godfathers Pizza. The crust was soft and buttery, the cheese was thick and on top of all of the other ingredients, and the sauce was superb. Since then I haven't found a single replacement.

Pizza is now in two categories for me - gourmet and pizzeria pizza. Mezza Luna in Jones Valley makes a fancy meat lovers pizza (Amanti della carne) that I love on the gourmet end of the spectrum. On the other end of the spectrum...hmmmm...I still have fond memories of a pizza place near SMU that JD and I loved while living in Dallas. I did a 60 second Google and didn't have any luck reminding me of their name, but it was New York style thin pizza.