Edd’s MANtra: The Top 10 Albums of 2009, Part 1

Earlier this month, I told the wifey that I didn’t plan on compiling an end-of-the-year music extravaganza. Why? Because outside of a handful of albums, I’ve found most of this year’s releases to be overhyped, disappointing or, in the case of Gucci Mane, just plain stupid. I didn’t want to write about a bunch of albums I barely liked.

Check out: “3 a.m.,” “Stay Wide Awake”


9. Robin Thicke, Sex Therapy: The Experience

 My review


Thicke has always frustrated me – his albums are good, but never quite reach “great” territory. Sex Therapy comes closest to getting over the hump.


Ahem.


Thicke’s probably the best crooner of this generation – he’s not as whiny as Ne-Yo and not as certainly asinine as The-Dream. Give him a steamy track like “Sex Therapy” and watch him work his magic. The album is bogged down by too many unnecessary guests, but it’s certainly worthy of being put into your slow-jam rotation.


Check out: “Mona Lisa,” “It’s In The Mornin'”

Did I miss the memo? Since when has it been cool to hate on Timbo? The atrocious reviews for Shock Value 2 call him a sellout, overrated – everything but a child of God, as the old church ladies say. Mmmmhmmm, chiiille, they sho’ do.


I found the album refreshing. Yes, Tim is a horrible rapper but his creativity more than makes up for his feeble wordplay. And yes, he decided to work with obscure rock artists rather than his usual buddies. But that’s what gives this album character – its unpredictability. Sometimes the album is too goofy for its own good (the Justin Timberlake and Miley Cyrus songs, for example) but I welcome the change of pace.


Any album that turns me on to Nickelback and the Fray deserves a look.


Check out: “Meet In Tha Middle,” “Undertow”




7. Ghostface Killah, Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City

My review


Yet another album that received unwarranted hate. How come when Lil Wayne and company release songs saying “Call me Mr. Flintstone/I can make your bed rock” it’s “hot” but when Ghost tries to play the role of cupid he gets his wings clipped? Tuning out this album simply because it has an R&B theme is doing yourself a great disservice. Ghost hops from track to track touching on maturity (“Baby”), heartbreak (“Lonely”) and falling in love (“Paragraphs of Love”) all while sticking to his gritty roots. This is grown folks’ music, y’all.


And for those who just wanna get freaky, “Stapleton Sex” is for you. But I’m warning you – you’ll need to take a shower after listening to it.


He could have kept the lowbrow club songs, but I welcome Ghostface’s newfound maturity. Tell ’em about it, Ghost:


“You gotta tell the fans that you not gettin’ no younger here, we gettin’ older! And everybody don’t sell crack no more, man. I don’t sell crack, yo….I ain’t movin’ no bricks or none of that other s***. I ain’t shoot nobody in like since the early 90’s, man.”


The power of love keeps Ghost from shooting people. I guess.


Check out: “Guest House,” “Forever”


6. Maxwell, BLACKsummers’ night

My review


I was never a huge Maxwell fan. I’d say he was, gasp, overrated. That’s until I heard BLACKsummers’night. While I found a lot of his earlier work sleepy and dull, this year Maxwell left the bushy hair at home and brought the funk.


Many lamented the album’s lack of sex appeal but who cares when you’re jamming to a track like “Help Somebody?” Sure it’s corny, but it’s full of energy thanks to the percussion and brass backing up Maxwell. Those great arrangements bring life to the sultry “Bad Habits” and Prince-ish “Fistful of Tears.” The album’s extremely short running time was my only complaint – I hope we don’t have to wait another eight years for him to resurface.


Check out: “Cold,” “Bad Habits”


Join us tomorrow for the Top 5 albums of the year! Did Jay-Z make the cut? Alicia Keys? Or Rihanna?


I’ll tell you right now, you gotta be crazy if you think Rihanna made it. Sorry.