What is the Gen X Sgt Pepper?

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  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON came out in '88...my senior year in high school. EVERYONE with half a clue, at least males anyway, was bumping that album, usually right along with Eazy Duz It, RELIGIOUSLY. And DAMN, how it CHANGED EVERYTHING! Prior to NWA, Run DMC was the rap norm...and in many ways Run DMC was corny. NWA moreso than ANYONE brought the REAL UNAPOLOGETIC STREETS to the forefront. And it changed A LOT of people's orientations along the way. That's exactly when a big societal line was drawn in the sand, between those who recognized that they were fighting a war, whether they wanted to or not...thus from then on, if they hadn't already done so, decided to be SOLDIERS 4 LIFE...aligned against the ENEMY. And damned if that shit didn't take off like wildfire. Gang-wise, it became hella hectic all over the country. Music-wise, we got a form of music way more INFLUENTIAL than anything Nirvana or Radiohead could ever muster. Honestly, if there's a Gen X'er out there that couldn't draw anything SIGNIFICANTLY PERTINENT from the emergence of NWA, then they simply don't count, period. And honestly, you aren't going to get the whole brunt of the folks who REALLY RODE for NWA back then, because a whole lot of them are in JAIL. And isn't that really the most significant thing about Generation X...that we were up to that point the MOST INCARCERATED GENERATION in US history/the whole world? I recognize that that bullshit trend has been passed down to the next generation in an all too heavy way, but we were the one's who first had to withstand the "demise" of American society...and I'm sorry, but Nirvana and Radiohead are only representatives of PRIVILEGED DISILLUSIONMENT and not ACTUAL FALL OUT. NWA is the ONLY shit in the running that really takes it THAT FAR to be ACCURATE.

  • SoulhawkSoulhawk 3,197 Posts
    STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

    PRIVILEGED DISILLUSIONMENT

    my mohawked punk buddy would play the NWA cassette in art class because it freaked out all the stuck up girls with mall bangs


  • jaysusjaysus 787 Posts
    Worldwide?



    Have never met a traveler who hasn't heard this one.

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    a list that features Soledad Mackdaddy O'Brian and Markos Moulitsas Z??niga... did somebody make that last name up to see if anybody would notice? Please. WTF.

    If my last name was Z??niga I'd name my kid Brooklyn.

  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts


    Women no longer considered to be included in GenX!!

    "They were spening all their money on shampoo and Prozac Nation, not music."

    More at 6!





    As far as I see it there could never be a generation x Sgt Pepper due to (as this thread illustrates) the diverging tastes of the generation

    I'm not sure I would go as far as that...I think whatever the record is, it would have to be one found in the majority of collections no matter what peoples' taste happens to be. I would say Nevermind and Thriller probably fall in that category. And it's not whether they broke ground over all - I'm sure there were folks who knew what Sgt Pepper was drawing from when it came out - but whether the record blew the majority's minds.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Spanky Hit it on the Nail......

    Public Enemy's second album was a lighting rod for everybody.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts


    Women no longer considered to be included in GenX!!

    "They were spening all their money on shampoo and Prozac Nation, not music."

    More at 6!





    As far as I see it there could never be a generation x Sgt Pepper due to (as this thread illustrates) the diverging tastes of the generation

    I'm not sure I would go as far as that...I think whatever the record is, it would have to be one found in the majority of collections no matter what peoples' taste happens to be. I would say Nevermind and Thriller probably fall in that category. And it's not whether they broke ground over all - I'm sure there were folks who knew what Sgt Pepper was drawing from when it came out - but whether the record blew the majority's minds.

    Straight Outta Compton didn't blow your mind?

    Even if it's just measured by reactions to the misogony, women were also dramatically affected by NWA.

    I mean, I don't expect many grandmothers of the future to revisit Straight Outta Compton for their grandchildrens' benefit...but if that's really the criteria here, maybe something from Mickey Mouse or the Chipmonks should become the best choice.

  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    Are those our only choices?

    Define "Sgt. Pepper" for me. What is a "Sgt. Pepper" album?

    record that changes the game and defines a generation

    A workable description, but the "defining a generation" bit is closely related to the concept of zeitgeist in the case of Sgt. Pepper. It blew up the way it did and became a cultural touchstone because it was released right before the Summer of Love and became the soundtrack of the season that many consider the point when the counterculture movement hit critical mass.

    However, the whole concept of lumping 20 years worth of people into an arbitrary category is pretty bullshit to begin with. I was born in 1978, and I have a hell of a lot more in common with someone born in 1981 than I do with someone born in 1961.


    [non-sequitor] I want that Billy Idol Christmas album. [/non-sequitor]

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Spanky Hit it on the Nail......

    Public Enemy's second album was a lighting rod for everybody.

    We all like to think so, and in many ways of course it was...but in the end, its impact has been exaggerrated over the years by a certain type of I-refuse-to-accpet-all-of-this-negativity-as-real rap fan...in pretty much, exact opposition to the more everyday rap fan's perception.

  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts

    Straight Outta Compton didn't blow your mind?

    Yes, it did.


    women were also dramatically affected by NWA.

    I am not disputing this - lol - this is my point!

    edit - I gotta chill on the exclamation marks.

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,902 Posts
    but in the end, its impact has been exaggerrated over the years


  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    The Tubular Bells of Gen X?





    eh...close, but you got recognize what was probably the true gateway for people to get into this shit....:

    IMG src=http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HNMG7ER5L.jpg>


    wait, i think tubular bells is ON there.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts

    Straight Outta Compton didn't blow your mind?

    Yes, it did.


    women were also dramatically affected by NWA.

    I am not disputing this - lol - this is my point!


    Oh...okay, point noted.

  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    but in the end, its impact has been exaggerrated over the years


    Maybe not for the average head or SStrut headcase, but how many people in the GenX demographic (still) own and listen to this record (even if it is once a year) compared to other LPs mentioned in the thread?

    And to properly compare it to Sgt Pepper, are we not considering if people will be buying and listening to it 40yrs from now?

  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts


    or


    for my own personal impact? odelay. first cd i ever bought and i still listen to it to this day. pauls boutique is an excellent choice too. seems like you're going the "musically interesting" route with this. sgt. peppers had a pretty diverse lush musical landscape, and i'd say the same about both of these albums.

    a lot of the albums in this thread might be classic, and great!, but musically theyre pretty....

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    but in the end, its impact has been exaggerrated over the years


    Maybe not for the average head or SStrut headcase, but how many people in this demographic (still) own and listen to this record (even if it is once a year) as opposed to others mentioned in the thread?

    And to properly compare it to Sgt Pepper, are we not considering if people will be buying and listening to it 40yrs from now?

    I just see it as...PE's undoubtedly amazing concept took off for a minute there but then died a quick and horrible death.

    As opposed to, you can still readily find 10 groups just like NWA in any given city.

  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    The Tubular Bells of Gen X?





    eh...close, but you got recognize what was probably the true gateway for people to get into this shit....:

    IMG src=http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HNMG7ER5L.jpg>


    wait, i think tubular bells is ON there.

    Pure Moods is like a Windham Hill sampler of Gen X.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts


    a lot of the albums in this thread might be classic, and great!, but musically theyre pretty....

    1. Says a guy riding for Beck.

    2. Name em.

  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    I'd say it'd be...



    I don't really ride for it that hard, but it seemed to get plenty of shine from people I didn't expect to dig it.

    even if its lame to like radiohead or whatever, and i dont really care much for half the stuff after this album, OK computer is yet another favorite. greeeeeat record.

    however nothing i say in this thread counts as i was born in 1987...(even if i did get odelay and ok computer right when they came out)

  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts


    a lot of the albums in this thread might be classic, and great!, but musically theyre pretty....

    1. Says a guy riding for Beck.

    2. Name em.

    im riding for the production on both of these albums, which strangely enough were both done by the Dust brothers. have you listened to odelay? if you liked pauls boutique i think its safe to say youd like at least like 60-70% of odelay. it was the album that got me into beats in the first place.


    let me go on to say that i dont think much in this thread could compare to sgt. peppers anyway, so its kinda pointless. nobody has had as much musical impact since the beatles, i challenge anybody to name somebody that has changed the game as much AND is a household name.

    whooops!

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts


    im riding for the production on both of these albums, which strangely enough were both done by the Dust brothers. have you listened to odelay? if you liked pauls boutique i think its safe to say youd like at least like 60-70% of odelay. it was the album that got me into beats in the first place.

    I like Paul's Boutique...but no thank you on the Beck.


    let me go on to say that i dont think much in this thread could compare to sgt. peppers anyway, so its kinda pointless. nobody has had as much musical impact since the beatles, i challenge anybody to name somebody that has changed the game as much AND is a household name.

    whooops!

    That's not a 5 pager, it's a one poster...Madonna.

  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts


    im riding for the production on both of these albums, which strangely enough were both done by the Dust brothers. have you listened to odelay? if you liked pauls boutique i think its safe to say youd like at least like 60-70% of odelay. it was the album that got me into beats in the first place.

    I like Paul's Boutique...but no thank you on the Beck.

    you dont like the vocals? or you dont like the beats?

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts


    im riding for the production on both of these albums, which strangely enough were both done by the Dust brothers. have you listened to odelay? if you liked pauls boutique i think its safe to say youd like at least like 60-70% of odelay. it was the album that got me into beats in the first place.

    I like Paul's Boutique...but no thank you on the Beck.

    you dont like the vocals? or you dont like the beats?

    Hate the vocals, indifferent on the beats.

  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    If we are still talking "gen x", meaning people who grew up in the late 80's/early-mid 90's, then I definitely think records like Odelay and Paul's Boutique have had a bigger impact on more people than something like NWA. Not saying that they are better or worse, just speaking from observations based on being a white guy growing up the suburbs in the 90's. I know this is soul strut and everything, but yeah, there are a lot of people my age who didn't really grow up listening to rap. Shocking, I know.

  • verb606verb606 2,518 Posts


    let me go on to say that i dont think much in this thread could compare to sgt. peppers anyway, so its kinda pointless. nobody has had as much musical impact since the beatles, i challenge anybody to name somebody that has changed the game as much AND is a household name.



    I'm fascinated by this topic, but I have to admit that I'm not all that knowledgeable on the true impact of Sgt Peppers.

    It's regarded as a triumph in the production realm as well, isn't it? In terms of it's adventurousness and innovation? Do yall think the "Gen X" equivalent of SP should be similarly innovative and surprising from a production standpoint as well as from a commercial or zeitgeist standpoint?

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,902 Posts
    but in the end, its impact has been exaggerrated over the years


    Maybe not for the average head or SStrut headcase, but how many people in this demographic (still) own and listen to this record (even if it is once a year) as opposed to others mentioned in the thread?

    And to properly compare it to Sgt Pepper, are we not considering if people will be buying and listening to it 40yrs from now?


    But to state the impact of It Takes a Nation has been exaggerated over the years is IMO wrong.

    Some might not wanna admit it. But NWA in the beginning was really just trying to be the west coast version of Public Enemy mixed with the gangster reality of the world around them.

    I'm not trying to degrade Straight Outta Compton in any way. I think they are both in the top 10 albums of importance of my generation. And while SOC is much more relevant today. At the core of the album is still the message NWA was projecting from Public Enemy.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    If we are still talking "gen x", meaning people who grew up in the late 80's/early-mid 90's, then I definitely think records like Odelay and Paul's Boutique have had a bigger impact on more people than something like NWA. Not saying that they are better or worse, just speaking from observations based on being a white guy growing up the suburbs in the 90's. I know this is soul strut and everything, but yeah, there are a lot of people my age who didn't really grow up listening to rap. Shocking, I know.

    Exactly, they didn't grow up listening to rap and then NWA came along and forced them to listen to rap. I was in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake when it dropped...so I know what you speak of. But better yet, I was in Orange County before that...so I can understand how you think such an insulated, self-congratulatory area would think that it's the rule to everyone else's exception. But across the country, kids weren't as glued to new wave/punk stuff as they were in California. It was a bunch of Van Halen for days. Then NWA came along and shook them from only what they were used to into a whole new thing...which they of course ate up like skittles.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    but in the end, its impact has been exaggerrated over the years


    Maybe not for the average head or SStrut headcase, but how many people in this demographic (still) own and listen to this record (even if it is once a year) as opposed to others mentioned in the thread?

    And to properly compare it to Sgt Pepper, are we not considering if people will be buying and listening to it 40yrs from now?


    But to state the impact of It Takes a Nation has been exaggerated over the years is IMO wrong.

    Some might not wanna admit it. But NWA in the beginning was really just trying to be the west coast version of Public Enemy mixed with the gangster reality of the world around them.

    I'm not trying to degrade Straight Outta Compton in any way. I think they are both in the top 10 albums of importance of my generation. And while SOC is much more relevant today. At the core of the album is still the message NWA was projecting from Public Enemy.

    I'd have to say that's a stretch to portray the influende between PE and NWA as anything more than symbolic. The energy was there, but the music and the messages were entirely different.

  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    Can we get somebody in here who was actually around to experience the impact of sgt. pepper?

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts

    That's not a 5 pager, it's a one poster...Madonna.

    Who sampled... Public Enemy

    But seriously, I Takes A Nation of Millions did get a lot of Dead Heads off their acid rock crap... but then they promptly got into Beck and the Beasties. Hard.
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