Widely considered as one of the greatest and most important rap albums of all time, The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die is an indisputable masterpiece and one of the cornerstones of East Coast rap. Released by Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Records in September, 1994, Biggie's debut album paved the way for countless future stars and signalled the beginning of an East Coast revival. Coming straight from the streets of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, The Notorious B.I.G. paints a picture of the darker, criminal side of early '90s New York, drawing mainly from personal experience. In contrast to the West Coast glamorization and glorification of the criminal lifestyle, Ready To Die includes tracks which give a brutally honest account of a crook’s life on the streets, something which helped Biggie gain the respect of the masses. The album also explores some of the rapper’s deeper and more troubling thoughts and emotions with tracks such as "Everyday Struggle" and the distressing late night phone call of "Suicidal Thoughts". The album’s lead single, "Juicy", went gold just over three months after its release, with following singles "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance" both certified platinum less than a year later. These three tracks signaled the arrival of the artist the East Coast had been waiting for to lead the charge against the West Coast dominance started by Dr. Dre and co. As well as telling the story of the streets, Biggie spends parts of the album explaining how his focus on music was a way for him to take a step back from the criminal lifestyle, something he demonstrates on "Machine Gun Funk" with the lyrics "Left the drugs alone, took the thugs along with me" and "I’m doing rhymes now, f*** the crimes now." However, the album also makes it clear that despite turning over a new leaf, it can be hard for someone who once had "a key knee deep in the crack game" ("Things Done Changed") to cut all ties with their past life. "Warning" documents a robbery attempt by two men who had heard of the known ex-drug dealer’s rise to the top of the rap game, and ends with Biggie firing two fatal shots, a poetic way of conveying the difficulty the rapper had in distancing himself from street life. Never shying away from telling his own story, "Respect" sees Biggie map out his turbulent life for us, from birth to dope smoking teen, drug dealer, convict, and finally rap sensation. With its old school loops and lucid yet humorous lyrics, Ready To Die cemented itself in rap folklore and marked the start of a career that was tragically ended far too soon with the rapper’s shooting in March, 1997. © Euan Decourt / Qobuz

Dropped by a major label in 2018, The Wombats could have sunk like a stone. Instead, the Liverpool-formed trio has come out of that dilemma as energized as ever on their last two albums, including the new Fix Yourself, Not the World. In fact, they seem to take the title to heart: The record is the sound of a pessimist becoming a realist and trying to make the best of what they have (not exactly optimism, but baby steps). Which is pretty impressive considering the members were in three different countries during the recording sessions. "Ready for the High" starts off as a bottom-heavy monster, with dark-cloud, give-up lyrics about feeling stuck. "You can scream like a banshee and still nothing comes/ You can buy a heart balloon and watch the sky grow dull," Matt "Murph" Murphy sings. But then the whole thing opens up at the bridge, giving way to a sea of swaying trumpets symbolizing the true meaning: "The song is about being engulfed in a bad place, but rather than accepting this as immutable, acknowledging that it is only temporary and that better times are closer than they (currently) appear," Murph has said. "People Don't Change People, Time Does" sends a similar message, even if it's from a skewed perspective. "Everything I love is going to die/ So baby keep your big mouth shut and stop wasting my time," go the lyrics, reminding you to hold tight onto the raft you have. Sometimes, though, that cling wrap can look a bit like desperation. Depending on your view, bop "If You Ever Leave, I'm Coming With You" either promises or threatens, "I'm forever locking myself in the glass of your rearview." Throughout, the muscular synth comes on like, well, not quite Duran Duran—maybe more like the ⅗ Duran side project Arcadia—with exuberant, dancefloor-ready pop beats. "Wildfire" has a mid-tempo swagger that cruises on a funk groove and finds Murph putting his falsetto to good use. "Work Is Easy, Life Is Hard" shimmies and shakes. "Flip Me Upside Down" is as frenetic as Friday rush-hour city traffic. And "Don't Poke the Bear" could be a Parklife-era Blur melody. Sometimes songs sound so alike as to blend one into the other, but it's a good schtick—even when the outlook slips back into old habits: "it's not paranoia if it's really there," Murph frets on "Worry," its chorus like careening on a rain-slick road. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

Obliterating the concept of guilty musical pleasures, I Get Wet turns hair metal hedonism, punk energy, and pop melodies into an instant, insistent blast of fun with all the power of a beer commercial. From the opening anthem, "It's Time to Party," to the excellently named finale, "Don't Stop Living in the Red," the album is all climax -- the blasting guitars, blaring keyboards, and Andrew W.K. himself are all turned up to 11 throughout. W.K. is a one-man manifesto, dedicated to spreading the way of the party with songs like "Party Hard" ("We do what we like and we like what we do!" could be "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap" several generations down the road), "Party Til You Puke," and "I Get Wet," and the fact that he looks like the stoner bully from high school only adds to his cred. Guessing whether or not Andrew W.K. is a big joke or not is almost beside the point; he comes on so strong that he either really means it, maaan, or he's got his tongue stuck firmly in his bloodied cheek. Either way, there's not much fence-sitting with his music -- you'll think the big, dumb, cartoonish "Girls Own Love" and "Ready to Die" are the stupidest songs you've ever heard, or you'll love them because they're the stupidest songs you've ever heard. Even I Get Wet's sensitive "She Is Beautiful," which is about being too shy to talk to a pretty girl, is about as subtle as a high schooler's after-shave -- and just as awkwardly charming. While the album has a certain sameness due to the frenetic beat that drives nearly every track, it's the perfect complement to W.K.'s party-centric vision. Refreshingly simple and cleverly stupid, I Get Wet is a great big bear hug of an album, and resistance to its hard-partying charms is futile.© Heather Phares /TiVo

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam Smith delayed, reworked, and retitled their third album, originally planned for release in May 2020. Love Goes landed that October, and in somewhat anticlimactic fashion appends as bonus tracks most of the lead-up singles, spanning a period of well over two years, careening from the free and easy disco-house of "Promises" to the muddled arena pop of "I'm Ready." Another throw-in is the intended title track. Relegated as it is, "To Die For" -- a gentle piano ballad with Smith longing for idyllic companionship as they gaze at their "solo shadow on a sidewalk" -- fits with the album proper, drawn from the singer's first real-life heartbreak. The connection Smith makes with it and the surrounding material here doesn't sound any tighter than it did on In the Lonely Hour or The Thrill of It All, but that's less a criticism than a credit to them as a consistent performer. Smith previously had no trouble expressing romantic torment, and that continues throughout the reliably low-spirited and highly-expressive Love Goes. One divergence from the previous albums is in the way Smith handles separation, almost bursting with regret on the lean "Forgive Myself," reminiscing with fondness on "For the Lover That I Lost," and extending benevolent acceptance in the pulsing and swirling "Another One," containing one of their most nuanced and appealing vocals. Smith elsewhere romanticizes recklessness in the a cappella opener "Young" and the doubly wistful send-off "Kids Again," but contrary to those visions of cutting loose, there's little evident taking of risks from a creative standpoint. Made with staunch collaborators Jimmy Napes, Stargate, and Disclosure's Guy Lawrence, and a mix of other high-profile songwriters and producers expected to deliver hits, the album is all tightly hemmed and neatly pressed. The faintly cosmopolitan dance-pop grooves and finely measured ballads offer few unexpected turns. They're set apart more by a lack of gospel and soul, consequently rendering Love Goes plain by Smith's standard -- unfortunate for an artist whose instrument is anything but that.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

Widely considered as one of the greatest and most important rap albums of all time, The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die is an indisputable masterpiece and one of the cornerstones of East Coast rap. Released by Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Records in September, 1994, Biggie's debut album paved the way for countless future stars and signalled the beginning of an East Coast revival. Coming straight from the streets of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, The Notorious B.I.G. paints a picture of the darker, criminal side of early '90s New York, drawing mainly from personal experience. In contrast to the West Coast glamorization and glorification of the criminal lifestyle, Ready To Die includes tracks which give a brutally honest account of a crook’s life on the streets, something which helped Biggie gain the respect of the masses. The album also explores some of the rapper’s deeper and more troubling thoughts and emotions with tracks such as "Everyday Struggle" and the distressing late night phone call of "Suicidal Thoughts". The album’s lead single, "Juicy", went gold just over three months after its release, with following singles "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance" both certified platinum less than a year later. These three tracks signaled the arrival of the artist the East Coast had been waiting for to lead the charge against the West Coast dominance started by Dr. Dre and co. As well as telling the story of the streets, Biggie spends parts of the album explaining how his focus on music was a way for him to take a step back from the criminal lifestyle, something he demonstrates on "Machine Gun Funk" with the lyrics "Left the drugs alone, took the thugs along with me" and "I’m doing rhymes now, f*** the crimes now." However, the album also makes it clear that despite turning over a new leaf, it can be hard for someone who once had "a key knee deep in the crack game" ("Things Done Changed") to cut all ties with their past life. "Warning" documents a robbery attempt by two men who had heard of the known ex-drug dealer’s rise to the top of the rap game, and ends with Biggie firing two fatal shots, a poetic way of conveying the difficulty the rapper had in distancing himself from street life. Never shying away from telling his own story, "Respect" sees Biggie map out his turbulent life for us, from birth to dope smoking teen, drug dealer, convict, and finally rap sensation. With its old school loops and lucid yet humorous lyrics, Ready To Die cemented itself in rap folklore and marked the start of a career that was tragically ended far too soon with the rapper’s shooting in March, 1997. © Euan Decourt / Qobuz

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam Smith delayed, reworked, and retitled their third album, originally planned for release in May 2020. Love Goes landed that October, and in somewhat anticlimactic fashion appends as bonus tracks most of the lead-up singles, spanning a period of well over two years, careening from the free and easy disco-house of "Promises" to the muddled arena pop of "I'm Ready." Another throw-in is the intended title track. Relegated as it is, "To Die For" -- a gentle piano ballad with Smith longing for idyllic companionship as they gaze at their "solo shadow on a sidewalk" -- fits with the album proper, drawn from the singer's first real-life heartbreak. The connection Smith makes with it and the surrounding material here doesn't sound any tighter than it did on In the Lonely Hour or The Thrill of It All, but that's less a criticism than a credit to them as a consistent performer. Smith previously had no trouble expressing romantic torment, and that continues throughout the reliably low-spirited and highly-expressive Love Goes. One divergence from the previous albums is in the way Smith handles separation, almost bursting with regret on the lean "Forgive Myself," reminiscing with fondness on "For the Lover That I Lost," and extending benevolent acceptance in the pulsing and swirling "Another One," containing one of their most nuanced and appealing vocals. Smith elsewhere romanticizes recklessness in the a cappella opener "Young" and the doubly wistful send-off "Kids Again," but contrary to those visions of cutting loose, there's little evident taking of risks from a creative standpoint. Made with staunch collaborators Jimmy Napes, Stargate, and Disclosure's Guy Lawrence, and a mix of other high-profile songwriters and producers expected to deliver hits, the album is all tightly hemmed and neatly pressed. The faintly cosmopolitan dance-pop grooves and finely measured ballads offer few unexpected turns. They're set apart more by a lack of gospel and soul, consequently rendering Love Goes plain by Smith's standard -- unfortunate for an artist whose instrument is anything but that.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

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Widely considered as one of the greatest and most important rap albums of all time, The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die is an indisputable masterpiece and one of the cornerstones of East Coast rap. Released by Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Records in September, 1994, Biggie's debut album paved the way for countless future stars and signalled the beginning of an East Coast revival. Coming straight from the streets of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, The Notorious B.I.G. paints a picture of the darker, criminal side of early '90s New York, drawing mainly from personal experience. In contrast to the West Coast glamorization and glorification of the criminal lifestyle, Ready To Die includes tracks which give a brutally honest account of a crook’s life on the streets, something which helped Biggie gain the respect of the masses. The album also explores some of the rapper’s deeper and more troubling thoughts and emotions with tracks such as "Everyday Struggle" and the distressing late night phone call of "Suicidal Thoughts". The album’s lead single, "Juicy", went gold just over three months after its release, with following singles "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance" both certified platinum less than a year later. These three tracks signaled the arrival of the artist the East Coast had been waiting for to lead the charge against the West Coast dominance started by Dr. Dre and co. As well as telling the story of the streets, Biggie spends parts of the album explaining how his focus on music was a way for him to take a step back from the criminal lifestyle, something he demonstrates on "Machine Gun Funk" with the lyrics "Left the drugs alone, took the thugs along with me" and "I’m doing rhymes now, f*** the crimes now." However, the album also makes it clear that despite turning over a new leaf, it can be hard for someone who once had "a key knee deep in the crack game" ("Things Done Changed") to cut all ties with their past life. "Warning" documents a robbery attempt by two men who had heard of the known ex-drug dealer’s rise to the top of the rap game, and ends with Biggie firing two fatal shots, a poetic way of conveying the difficulty the rapper had in distancing himself from street life. Never shying away from telling his own story, "Respect" sees Biggie map out his turbulent life for us, from birth to dope smoking teen, drug dealer, convict, and finally rap sensation. With its old school loops and lucid yet humorous lyrics, Ready To Die cemented itself in rap folklore and marked the start of a career that was tragically ended far too soon with the rapper’s shooting in March, 1997. © Euan Decourt / Qobuz

Ready to Die arrives with none of the heady expectations of The Weirdness, the 2007 comeback that found Iggy Pop and the Asheton Brothers, aided by the sturdy Mike Watt, attempting to re-create some of the madness of Funhouse. For a variety of reasons it didn't work, but it wasn't so much an embarrassment as it was, well, weirdness, from a band weighed down more by its own ongoing internal tensions than its legacy. A little over a year after its release, Ron Asheton died and the group did what they did last time they were hanging by a thread: they brought in guitarist James Williamson. Back in 1973, he was the fuel that propelled Raw Power, an album that found Ron sitting in uneasily on bass, and he and Iggy recorded a bit after the Stooges final '70s implosion, but after 1980 he retired from music, choosing to pursue electrical engineering. So, in a sense, Williamson was further removed from rock & roll than Ron Asheton, who always plugged away in a variety of Ann Arbor- and Detroit-based rock bands, which makes the success of this second-phased Stooges reunion all the more remarkable. Because Ready to Die feels like a Stooges album in all the right ways, throwing out the halting, lurching hard murk of The Weirdness in favor of successive blasts of sleaze, intermittently interrupted by the occasional moment of reflection. Ballads were verboten in the olden days -- whenever the Stooges slowed the tempo, they got mired in a dirge -- so this pair of quiet ones suggest an older band, one filled with musicians facing their seventies (perhaps that's the origin of the title?), but the rest of Ready to Die showcases grizzled, gnarly vets who not only know how to deliver the goods but take pleasure in doing so. That sense of joy is a new wrinkle for the Stooges: at their purest, their fun was nihilistic, celebrating the joy in destruction. Here, there's a sense of joy in still being alive and still being able to make noise. Much of that comes from Williamson -- who not only writes and plays guitar but produces the album, giving it a clean, efficient attack -- as the guitarist seemingly relishes the opportunity to get back into the game. If he takes things seriously, Iggy most decidedly does not, happily succumbing to silliness -- he's on his knees for those Double Ds, bringing to mind the Iggy who's always anxious to encore with "Louie Louie" -- and that reckless vulgarity is preferable to the strained pretension of The Weirdness, particularly when it's supported by the righteous noise of the reconstituted Stooges. Liberated from the weight of their history, they're just ready to rock while they still can, and that's why Ready to Die is, against all odds, a terrific Stooges album.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo