Now that we've had time to let the latest album marinate, Rank the P discography

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Now that we've had time to let the latest album marinate, Rank the P discography

Started 7 years ago by Instrumentalist / toggle topic info

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latest reply from YoYoPo

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Instrumentalist

LP
Joined: Oct '06
Posts: 381

Posted 7 years ago #

A real challenge because I love em all and at various points each one I was spinning way more than the rest.
Album List
The Next Step
Question in the Form of an Answer
O.S.T.
...Or Stay Tuned
Stepfather
FUN DMC
Carried Away
Highlighter
12 Step Program
The Gettin' Off Stage, Step 1
The Gettin' Off Stage, Step 2
Sincerely, The P

My Ranking
1. Stepfather
2. FUN DMC
3. The Next Step
4. O.S.T.
5. Question in the Form of an Answer
6. Highlighter
7. Sincerely, The P
8. 12 Step Program
9. Carried Away
10. ...Or Stay Tuned
11. The Gettin' Off Stage, Step 1
12. The Gettin' Off Stage, Step 2
disiskurt

7
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 36

Posted 7 years ago #

Should TGOS1 and TGOS2 be ranked separately? They were released together on cassette, and originally conceived to be 3 EPs comprising their 10th, and presumed final, album. I know Thes calls Sincerely the 12th, but I dunno, I think in a ranking anyways they should be taken together.
Instrumentalist

LP
Joined: Oct '06
Posts: 381

Posted 7 years ago #

They had separate album releases, a year apart, they're separate albums, so yeah, they should be considered separate. Different albums that are part of a series are still different albums. That's like saying Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 shouldn't be rated separately because it was originally supposed to be one movie. And I'd say there's actually a better case for that than here since Kill Bill 2 was a continuation of the story in 1 whereas these EPs don't really have a story to connect them.
disiskurt

7
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 36

Posted 7 years ago #

Different calendar years =/= a year apart. November and April = 6 months. Step 2's cover, a nod to Back to the Future, makes no sense without the context of Step 1's cover. I might have guessed that Step 3 would've only consisted of the background from the first 2. A vinyl release of the 3 steps together was planned with a different cover design that created a larger image with all three put together. One could argue a "story" being told there.

TGOS was intended to be parts of a whole up to the release of Step 2, before the events that led to the hiatus. Your example, Kill Bill, was split before the release of the first one, so I would argue that's an apples to oranges comparison.

Not trying to say you're wrong, but you seemed rather incredulous at my suggestion so I wanted to give my rationale for it. I honestly feel dumb arguing over something this trivial.
Instrumentalist

LP
Joined: Oct '06
Posts: 381

Posted 7 years ago #

disiskurt said:
Different calendar years =/= a year apart. November and April = 6 months.

Making a semantic point like this doesn't help you without explaining why it means they should be considered the same release. 6 months, or one year, it's still widely separate times and distinctly separate releases.

Covers making sense has nothing to do with whether albums are separate releases or not. But the album cover does make sense without the first just by connecting it with the title. And no, you could not argue that there's a story because of the album art. That's as absurd as trying to say the story in kill Bill is the cover art. No, it's the movie content, and similarly, for albums it's the musical content. Of which here, there is no story connecting the albums. Really grasping at straws dude.

And Kill Bill is a perfect analogy. Just like TGOS was supposed to be a single series, but plans changed, Kill Bill was supposed to be a single movie, but plans changed. Both plans changed before the planned final project was completed.

I will agree this is trivial, but your reasoning defies common sense. Two albums released on two different dates with different musical content, literally titled in sequence, 1 and 2, that the artist identifies as separate is in every sense of the word two different albums. Any thought otherwise is irrational bias or misunderstanding the concept. You might as well say the 13 Madlib Medicine Show albums are actually just one release just because they're in a box set series even though each was released separately and didn't have a continuing story arc. That's not what it means to be the same album. Lord of the Rings? All three books/ movies are just one. Same with the Matrix and every other series. The reality is the discrete work being on its own and released as such means its its own work whether part of a series or not. It's really weird that you're so eager to pigeonhole your own unintuitive standard over the artist's and basically everyone else lol.

Really would have preferred rankings instead of this absurdity.

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YoYoPo

The Architect
Joined: Feb '05
Posts: 3,618

Posted 7 years ago #

I think for the purposes of ranking 'albums' I would combine TGOS 1&2 as there's more meat on the bones to compare with albums like OST and Stepfather which have 20+ tracks!!

It's a really tough call though and I think it's super telling that lots of people will have totally different top 5s. Not only have The P been super consistent (like not one bad record) they are also pretty varied...

Here goes (I've also added favourite track from each record just off the top of my head to see what I can remember standing out most!)

...

Stepfather - These two are on a similar vibe for me but Stepfather clinches it as it blew my head off when it came out
Highlighter
- Pumpin

OST Bumped about 100 times on release.
- The Double K Show

Question In The Form Of An Answer
- Blowin Wax

Sincerely, The P
- Red Onion Wrap

12 Step Program - the shortest album but totally solid all the way through. Underrated choice I'd say
- Break Up Music

Carried Away
- DQMOT

Fun DMC
- Anotha BBQ

The Next Step
- Time To Rock Our sh!t

Or Stay Tuned... - Hard to rank the EPs against the long albums. Damn this is impossible!
- Outrun

TGOS 1 & 2 - I don't even want this at the bottom, it has some of their best tracks !
- Alleys (bada)
YoYoPo

The Architect
Joined: Feb '05
Posts: 3,618

Posted 7 years ago #

Instrumentalist said:
I will agree this is trivial, but your reasoning defies common sense. Two albums released on two different dates with different musical content, literally titled in sequence, 1 and 2, that the artist identifies as separate is in every sense of the word two different albums.

I think it's up to you - rank away! And to be fair as I recall Thes initially referred to TGOS as an album in 3 parts... but they had originally intended to release them much closer together and actually do 3!
disiskurt

7
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 36

Posted 7 years ago #

It's really weird that you're so eager to pigeonhole your own unintuitive standard over the artist's and basically everyone else lol.

Everyone else = you? And as for the artist...

https://ibb.co/BB7n3N2

Just gonna leave at that, as the first two sentences speak for itself. Believe what you want, but maybe stop being so pissy and dismissive about what I believe? That said:

(Favorite track in parentheses)
1. O.S.T. (Keepin It Live)
2. Highlighter (Can't Hold It Back)
3. The Gettin' Off Stage (Back from the Dead)
4. Question in the Form of an Answer (Blowin Wax)
5. Carried Away (Carried Away)
6. Stepfather (More Than You Know)
7. Sincerely, the P (Dream Sequence '88)
8. Or Stay Tuned (O.S.T. Remix)
9. The Next Step (Time to Rock Our sh!t)
10. 12 Step Program (Ste for Reefer)
11. Fun DMC (Same Beat)
Instrumentalist

LP
Joined: Oct '06
Posts: 381

Posted 7 years ago #

You're leaving it at that because the best you can muster is an outdated quote that doesn't reflect his current stance and understanding that even you acknowledged. How disingenuous. It's not a matter of belief, you're just wrong. lol. Two physically different albums that are released in different years months apart, and that the artist acknowledges as such are different. Plain and simple. Everyone understands this. A shame you don't. And a shame you would not respect the artist and think you know better than he does.
disiskurt

7
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 36

Posted 7 years ago #

Ooo, an I-respect-the-artist-more-than-you diss from the I'm-a-bigger-fan-because-I-buy-multiple-copies-of-their-vinyl-releases guy, that hurts badly. No one is taking either of our sides here, because this sh!t is embarrassing to read. Your claim that everyone understands sh!t the way you see it is wishful thinking. If that quote is outdated, let's see your quote from Thes that renders it such and reflects your understanding. The fact that you're still going back to them being separate physical releases with different release dates when the IG post explicitly acknowledges they're being released that way and still being considered parts of their 10th album, means you either have some proof to show me or that you're ignoring logic and just being an argumentative ass. I'm going to assume the latter, but I'll wait and see.
Instrumentalist

LP
Joined: Oct '06
Posts: 381

Posted 7 years ago #

You already acknowledged that Thes recognizes Sincerely as his 12th album. Are you backpedaling and feigning like you don't already know that reality? Because that's the only reason I would need to provide this proof is if you're backpedaling. Would be happy to do so if you admit that. :)

I also never said I'm a bigger fan because I buy multiple copies of their vinyl release. But good job further proving that you're disingenuous and dishonest. By the way, didn't you say, "Just gonna leave at that"? More lies I guess.
disiskurt

7
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 36

Posted 7 years ago #

True, I'm getting a little heated and misspeaking as a result. As I mentioned to start, Thes called it the 12th album, that is settled and not what I was trying to debate. My original argument when entering this thread was for the purpose of counting TGOS as one album in ranking their albums, hardly a monocle-dropping suggestion but you thought otherwise.

You preceded to shoot it down as it not being the artist's vision for them to have been considered one album, using Madlib and Tarantino and whatever tf you were going on about. It was, beyond the release of Step 1, and the IG post illustrates that. But it is readily apparent to their community of fans that it was personal tragedies and health emergencies that led to the indefinite hiatus and subsequent discontinuation of their original vision for TGOS. I veered off the tracks in our back and forth, as I bristled at your condescending argument of them not qualifying as one album because they lacked a common thread/story, like all of their releases are concept albums or something. But there isn't anything out there to suggest that the original vision for TGOS wouldn't have been completed were it not for those tragedies. But they did, sadly, and we are left with the reality and events we have now.

My argument was only for ranking them together, and that got muddled in the back and forth. Sorry about the confusion. But you're still a prick. Now I'm done talking to you.
Instrumentalist

LP
Joined: Oct '06
Posts: 381

Posted 7 years ago #

By the way. Never said it wasn't originally in the artists' vision to make them a single album. Just that it isn't the reality now. Hence why KB fit perfectly. Tarantino envisioned it as a single movie, but the reality now is that it isn't.

Toodles.
YoYoPo

The Architect
Joined: Feb '05
Posts: 3,618

Posted 7 years ago #

I'm shutting this down its got silly. I say rank them how you want ...

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