Welcome to Review Revue, where every Thursday I dig through the KEXP stacks to share DJ reviews and comments written on the covers of LPs (and occasionally CDs) in the ’80s and ’90s, when the station was called KCMU, the DJs were volunteers, and people shared their opinions on little white labels instead of the internet.
You might think that the local section of KEXP's record stacks, featuring mostly albums from the '80s and '90s, would be an unending wave of grunge, proto-grunge, and other heavy rock. And of course, there is a lot of that. But there's so much more, too! And I can't think of a better way to get a feel for what people were listening to and loving (and, occasionally, hating) than flipping through those records and seeing the wide variety of music there — and the wide variety of opinions on said music.
The debut LP from Tacoma's Criminal Nation is a perfect example. It seems like the group had some well-established contacts with the station, and the DJs are obviously enthused about the music (and disappointed that it has so many "red dot" tracks, i.e. those with language the FCC would not approve of). And hey, it's 1990 and there isn't a single person on here saying "This isn't even music! They're just talking with beats!" — not bad.
"Wow. Great record, but so many red dots. The OK (non-red dot) tracks are 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 2-2, + 2-3. Try either of those last two."
"The red dots are the best tracks, unfortunately. Good for M though. They thank Don, Chris, ["+ Neil" written in another hand], Kathy, the Almighty God and Jesus Christ on the back."
"Much respect due to MC Deff and Posse for putting out the best Northwest Rap LP. Too bad about the red dots, but the FCC-approved tracks are still fine. Criminal Nation combine the two most hardcore strains of Rap today - NWA-inspired Gangster Rap and Public Enemy's black nationalism. Also very funky. I'd say H, but I'm biased."
"1st rate."
"I've never been thanked on an LP - what an honor!"
"Pot high!" [This means to turn the volume up when you play this record, for those who might have thought it was a drug reference.]
This week's Review Revue spotlights the album The Age of Consent by Bronski Beat. See what KCMU DJs thought back in the day.
This week's Review Revue spotlights the Bambi Slam's self-titled album. See what KCMU DJs thought back in the day.
This week's Review Revue spotlights the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie. See what KCMU DJs thought back in the day – albeit about 12 years after its original release.
