Planet Rock: The Album
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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Planet Rock: The Album
- Artist: Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force
- Rating:
- Release Date: 1986
- Total Time: 43:02
- Genre: Rap
Review
Afrika Bambaataa, one of hip-hop's progenitors, was known as a talented DJ before his single "Planet Rock" came out in 1982 on Tommy Boy. The song, which sampled (actually re-recorded in the studio) elements of Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express" and was the first R&B track to use an 808, helped define a new movement in music, electro, which then inspired Miami bass and Detroit techno, and pushed the musician's status toward near iconic. Planet Rock: The Album, a collection of singles that came out four years later, captures Bambaataa's energy and innovation. This is his work with Soulsonic Force, which means his collaborations with James Brown ("Unity") and John Lydon ("World Destruction") are missing, but it's a good collection, the equally interesting "Renegades of Funk" (in remix form) and "Searching for the Perfect Beat" also present. There are also three previously unreleased tracks, which although not quite having the impact of the first half of the record, are much more than filler, and include guest appearances from famed Furious Five rapper Melle Mel on "Who You Funkin' With?" and D.C.'s Trouble Funk, appropriately, on "Go Go Pop." The original 12" version of the title track is enough to make Planet Rock: The Album a worthwhile purchase, but the inclusion of the other material pushes that to necessary. ~ Marisa Brown, Rovi| Planet Rock: 1998 Remixes (1998 Album by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force) | |
| Planet Rubble (2007 Album by Lebanon) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Planet Rock: The Album
| Planet Rock | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Studio album by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force | ||||
| Released | December 1, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1982–1986 | |||
| Genre | Old school hip hop Electro |
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| Length | 46:09 | |||
| Label | Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records 01007 |
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| Producer | Arthur Baker John Robie Fats Comet Productions: Keith LeBlanc, Doug Wimbish, Skip McDonald |
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| Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [2] |
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Short sample of "Planet Rock", originally released in 1982 by Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force, but also included as track #1 on Planet Rock - The Album
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| Problems listening to this file? See media help. | |
Planet Rock: The Album is an old school hip hop album by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force, released in 1986 as a collection of previous singles. The song "Planet Rock" was one of the earliest hits of the hip hop music genre and remains one of its pioneering recordings. The single's liner notes include members of Kraftwerk with the songwriting credits. In creating the track, portions of Kraftwerk's "Numbers" and "Trans Europe Express" were interpolated (re-recorded in the studio, rather than through the use of a digital sampler), along with portions of songs by Captain Sky and Ennio Morricone. "Planet Rock" is also cited as the first electro funk record. It was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine at #240 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[3] and went on to become the first gold-certified vinyl 12-inch single. Slant Magazine listed the album at #84 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980's".[4]
"Renegades of Funk" was covered by Rage Against the Machine on its Renegades album.
Track listing
- "Planet Rock" (Original Twelve-Inch Version) – 7:31
- "Looking for the Perfect Beat" (Original Twelve-Inch Version) – 6:51
- "Renegades of Funk" (Original Twelve-Inch Version) – 6:45
- "Frantic Situation" (Frantic Mix) (feat. Melle Mel) – 5:07
- "Who You Funkin' With?" – 6:23
- "Go-Go Pop" (feat. Trouble Funk) – 6:00
- "They Made a Mistake" – 5:30
Personnel
- Arthur Baker - Producer, Mixing
- Keith LeBlanc - Producer
- Herb Powers Jr. - Mastering
- Latin Rascals - Remixing
- Afrika Bambaataa - Producer, Mixing
- John Aquilino - Illustrations, Hand Lettering
- Jay Burnett - Mixing
- Albert Cabrera - Remixing
- Skip McDonald - Producer
- Tony Moran - Remixing
- John Robie - Producer, Mixing
- Rae Serrano - Producer, Mixing
- Adrian Sherwood - Mixing
- Andy Wallace - Mixing
- Doug Wimbish - Producer
- Leroy Evans - Producer
- Monica Lynch - Art Direction
- Steven Miglio - Artwork, Design
- Fats Comet - Producer, Mixing
- M.C. G.L.O.B.E. - Additional Vocals
- The drum machine used was a Roland TR-808
- The orchestra stabs were provided by a rented Fairlight CMI
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Robert Christgau review
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/afrika-bambaataa-and-the-soul-sonic-force-planet-rock-19691231 500 grestest songs of all time—rolling stone
- ^ http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-albums-of-the-1980s/308/page_2
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums
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