BONUS Talkin' Quincy Jones (RIP) - GNX First Reactions - And De La Disappoints?

Explicit content warning

12/23/24 • 71 min

Hello all, I am writing this a few weeks after we recorded to say this is the last episode dropping this year. Do not despair, we will be coming out strong into the new year with our 3 album-run deep dive episodes that we promised in the preview. But I just want to thank everyone who gave us a chance in our first year. We appreciate everyone who told us were listening, you know who you are - please message us "potato salad" if you read this! More season 2 is to come with new episodes planned that we will preview soon.
We usually try to keep it vague but time is weird, so you are allowed to know that this was recorded almost a month after the passing of Quincy Jones, and a week after the release of Kendrick Lamar's surprise album "GNX." Julius took time to mull over a playlist that pays tribute to Quincy Jones' artistry, and willingness to allow it to be remixed and sampled by rappers, which is just one of many things to celebrate about him. Links to the playlist of songs and the song they sample below!
Then we give our early reactions to GNX - an album that received mixed reviews out of the gate. We address some of those reviews and give our own takes, and what you will hear is shocking: We love it!
We cap it off by reacting to some rather disappointing news about De La Soul's cold reaction to the newly released cultural biography "High and Rising: A Book About De La Soul" by Marcus J. Moore. If you listen our "Fall" episode, you'll get more context on why we felt the need to react.
Happy new year everyone! See you in... gulp... 2025!!!!
Songs featured in the episode:
Links to the Quincy Jones Playlist:
Spotify - Apple Music - Youtube

Send us a text message!

You can follow us here:

Send us a message, we'd love to hear from you! Email is thegmspod at gmail
Leave us a rating and review if you want to!
Thanks for listening!

Send us a text message!

You can follow us here:

Send us a message, we'd love to hear from you! Email is thegmspod at gmail
Leave us a rating and review if you want to!
Thanks for listening!

Previous Episode

S2 E4 Music from Movies: PART 2 Julius's Version (Playlist Episode)

Part 2 is here! Our resident film expert Julius dives right into their list, which is full of great music in addition to mesmerizing films that feature it. From the Lynchian "Blue Velvet" to the short but perfect party film "Lovers Rock," you will be more than satisfied checking out any of the films on this list!
Songs/Movies Discussed
"In Dreams" - Roy Orbison - from Blue Velvet (1986) - dir David Lynch
"Love and Happiness" - Al Green - from Menace II Society (1993) dir. Allen and Albert Hughes
"(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction" - DEVO - from Casino (1995) dir. Martin Scorsese
"Silly Games" - Janet Kay - from Lovers Rock (2020) (from Small Axe series) dir. Steve McQueen
"Everytime" - Britney Spears - from Spring Breakers (2012) dir. Harmony Korine

Playlists
- Danny: Spotify - Apple Music - Youtube
- Julius: Spotify - Apple Music - Youtube

Stay tuned for a bonus episode paying tribute to Quincy Jones and discussing the new Kendrick Lamar album! Menace II Society is back on in the cultural spotlight mainly because Julius chose to discuss it in this episode, but I guess Kendrick did reference it in the squabble up video. He must have hacked our Google Drive and saw our notes! He a fan, he a fan, he a fan...

Send us a text message!

You can follow us here:

Send us a message, we'd love to hear from you! Email is thegmspod at gmail
Leave us a rating and review if you want to!
Thanks for listening!

Next Episode

S2 E5 Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" > "Born in the U.S.A." > "Tunnel of Love" - 3 Album Run

It's been a minute since our last proper episode, so thanks for bearing with us! We've been hard at work on two special episodes that break our normal format. Introducing "3 Album Runs." We'll devote a full episode to dive into 3 albums from one artist, discussing the music, the context in which they came out, and connecting the dots of how the music progressed over time.
Today, Danny takes the lead on a series of 3 albums from the Boss: Bruce Springsteen. This run takes place in the 80's when Bruce was at the height of fame, but the uninitiated may be surprised at what they hear: a subdued demo-tape of an album and a mostly solo "bedroom" divorce album as the bread of the meaty, saucy "Born in the U.S.A." samwidge.
Not only do we give our thoughts on these three albums, but we provide the context in which they came out: Bruce's arc up to this point, the state of his mental and physical health. Plus, where in the world is Little Steven, how did "A Star is Born" (2017) predict the future of popular music - and what does that have to do with Bruce Springsteen???
Next week we will discuss a 3 album run from J Dilla, and then we'll be back to the regular format.
Sources:
"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen
"There Was Nothing You Could Do: Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the USA' and the End of the Heartland" by Steven Hyden
"Bruce" by Peter Ames Carlin
Songs featured in this episode:
"Born in the U.S.A. - Live September 1985"
"Banned in the U.S.A." - 2 LIVE CREW
"Sandpaper" - Zach Bryan feat. Bruce Springsteen
"I'm On Fire"
"Nebraska"
"Atlantic City"
"Darlington County"
"Glory Days" - Live on Late Night with David Letterman
"Tougher Than The Rest - Live April 1988"
"Cautious Man"
"Seeds - Live September 1985"
Tunnel of Love Tour Video mentioned in episode