Jay-Z borrows ADM's latest marketing campaign but fails to impress the critics
The week in ADM
Michael 'Corleone' Palmer looks back on the week's notable album action in the ADM chart and makes you an offer you can't refuse
Here's the good news. Ready? Here it comes: If you access
anydecentmusic.com, you'll be able to read this column a week
before everyone else. For free. Yes. For free. Amazing right? Don't
you think that shows what astute businessmen we are here at ADM?
That's what we're all about. Offering product directly to the
people, just the way they want it. All you need to do is show up
here. A few clicks later you get what you want. Great right?
Thought so. Now give us $5,000,000.
Unfortunately, this doesn't work for everybody.
Jay-Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail charted this week,
and it doesn't look good. 5.4. Five point four! Ouch. Releasing his
new album right after his pal Kanye seems to have
invited comparison a bit more than Jay would have liked, as it does
not stack up well. West's Yesus is still going strong up at the top
of our chart with 8.2. Does not stack up well at all. Only three
reviews above 6 for MCHG (what's what we're calling it now? really?
fine.) Even those few positive ones only seem to be scoring points
for Timbaland's production. A full six critics rate it less than 5.
Hov' may be watching the throne, but Ye is sitting in it.
While Jay-Z sells his album to a phone company for a 5.4,
El-P and Killer Mike are giving one away for free
for an 8.3. One that The 405 calls the "rap album of the year so
far", mind you. As if to purposely highlight the differences
between the response to these albums, Magna Carta Holy Grail didn't
get a single review above a 7.0, Run The Jewels didn't get a single
review below 7.5. It did get a 10 from Sputnik.
Sitting just below Run The Jewels on our Current Chart is our
latest Old Band New Music entry, Pet Shop Boys.
After a damp response to their previous album (6.1), they step up
their game with what music OMH call "the most essential album Pet
Shop Boys have made in 20 years" which immediately makes you wonder
what they put out 20 years ago. After a quick "Something" search…
Very, apparently. Well there you go. Very. Back to the present, and
a 6 from The Scotsman weighing down the rating slightly, balancing
out a couple of 10s from music OMH and Daily Telegraph.
Riding the wave of post-hardcore/metal/noise-rock albums being
released in the last few weeks is Letlive. Just a
handful of critics having their say, but they seem to agree that
it's pretty good. A handful of 8s and a 9.4 from AltSounds helping
the album achieve a 7.5 average and a spot in the top 20 of our
Current Chart.
Elsewhere: David Lynch releases his second album
to a 7.2, R&B-pop stalwart Ciara makes a fresh
start and gets a 6.9, Maps is still living in the
shadow of his Mercury prize nomination with a 5.8, Benin
City impress to the tune of 7.4 and Gauntlet
Hair disappoint with only 5.3.