Jun 4, 2025 at 11:29 PM

272. Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (1968) [June 4th, 2025]

One of the finest live records ever made. While I wouldn't call myself a big overall country fan, (I'm not one of those losers that hates country, I just haven't gotten too well versed) the whole outlaw country subgenre has always been really cool to me. The whole idea of just being a cowboy on the run is so awesome, and the fact that Johnny recorded this concert at a literal prison makes it so much cooler.

The rendition of the classic "Folsom Prison Blues" is elevated by the reactions of the inmates. "Cocaine Blues" is so f---ing fun man"

Early one mornin' while makin' the rounds
I took a shot of cocaine and I shot my woman down


The duets with June are great with "Jackson" being the most popular, and the decision to end the record off with "Greystone Chapel" which was literally written by an inmate, is dope as h---. 2 years ago, this album served as my introduction into Johnny's work (which is very expansive, like d---), and I got enraptured right away. Definitely recommend.

 

Jun 5, 2025 at 12:14 AM

I can exchange Side B for Revival, is that ok?

 

Jun 5, 2025 at 12:14 AM

I’ll check it out!!!

 

Jun 5, 2025 at 11:51 AM

273. Chalino Sanchez - Nieves de Enero (1992) [June 5th, 2025]

It's funny. I'm nearly 300 albums into this thread, and this is the first time that i've logged an album that reflects what I listened to when I was a kid. Aside from like Michael Jackson, most of the music that I heard when I was a kid was made up of Mexican Regional music, so even though this exact record wasn't what I listened to (although I don't doubt that some of these songs were on the radio), I still have some nostalgia for it. Not even use if anybody on this forum knows about Chalino (Marsh might), but he's essentially become the face of Mexican Regional for a large amount of Mex-Americans in Texas, which is wild considering the fact that he died in 1992.

"Nieves de Enero" is probably one of Chalino's signature songs, and for good reason. The accordion that starts the track is so memorable, and his personality makes the whole track great. The record's first half is mainly composed of love songs like "Me Persigue tu Sombra" and "Florita del Alma", while the second is composed of corridos like "Ramoncito Quiñones" and "Rodolfo Garza". The variety in subject matter makes Nieves de Enero feel like Chalino's definitive record in my opinion. Thinking of buying the vinyl I saw at a record shop, when I go back to uni.

 

Jun 5, 2025 at 4:33 PM

the next album was supposed to be Post Malone's beerbongs & bentleys, but it was so boring that I quit 3 tracks in

 

Jun 5, 2025 at 4:49 PM

274. Kanye West - Donda (2021) [June 5th, 2025]

More than most records, I admit that I am biased towards Donda. The listening parties, and the aftermath of the release has to be one of my favorite events on this forum. The imagery around the rollout was stellar, and considering what Kanye has been releasing since, I wouldn't be surprised if we never see something of this calibre from him ever again.

In a lot of ways, Donda is Kanye's White Album. Its his longest record that mixes a ton of great, decent, and terrible ideas into an unfiltered flow of creativity. Even though I think The Life of Pablo is a greater record overall, I think that Donda takes the concept even further.

"Jail" legitimately shocked me when it was played for the first time at the Atlanta LP. Hearing Jay on a Kanye song for the first time since 2012 ("Pop Style" doesn't count") was incredible, even if it'll probably never happen again. "Off the Grid" is an incredibly hype showing from Kanye, Carti, and Fivio, and "Ok Ok" is UNDERATED. "Believe What I Say" and "24" are some of the best tracks in Kanye's discography, and I can debate that FOR DAYS.

"Jesus Lord" has to be one of the best songs in Kanye's discography lyrics-wise, and Jay Elec kills his verse. The Larry Hoover Jr. outro is so moving, that it almost makes you forget that Larry Hoover is probably gonna die in prison for good reason lmao. "Tell the Vision" is probably the lowest point on the record, but that piano is too f---ing funny for me too hate it. The extraction on Pop Smoke's vocals....

The run from "Pure Souls" to "No Child Left Behind" is stellar man. I don't really count the Pt. 2's as part of the album, but they're fine. In a lot of ways, this feels like Kanye's swansong. After dropping a mid record like "Jesus Is King", he proved that he still had it, and he dropped one of the best records of 2021. He was newly single, but he still had big deals with brand like Gap. and the whole future seemed bright. We all know that things fell apart a little over a year later, but I can't help but think about what could've been. Overall though, I still love Donda, and part of me still has a SMALL hope that we can have a record as monumental as this once again.