411 Music Buy Or Sell 08.31.10: In One Ear & Right Out The Other

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 08.31.2010

Is Lil Wayne’s new song “Right Above It” with Drake worth buying? Is “Just A Dream” Nelly’s big comeback? Is Ke$ha’s “Take It Off” her worst song yet? 411's David Hayter and Aaron Titan tackle these songs and more in the latest 411 Music Buy or Sell!


Hey there, everybody. Welcome back to another week of 411 Music Buy or Sell - the newest hit column on 411mania. I'm your ol' buddy Mitch Michaels and I pick the songs.

Each week, we'll look at some of the hottest new and hit singles and a couple of our esteemed writers will decide if they want to keep the song (Buy) or drop it like it's hot (Sell). This week's listeners are reviewer David Hayter and the master of the Music 3R‘s, Aaron Titan.

Let's get to it!

1) Five Finger Death Punch - "Bad Company" From War Is The Answer (Prospect Park) Released May 17, 2010
David Hayter: SELL Five Finger Death Punch's cover of Bad Company's self titled trademark track is a solid effort but does little or nothing to improve upon the original. Replacing the spacious, atmospheric, and ultimately sexy seventies sound with unimpressive power chord bluster. It all feels very 1999, and this track certainly sounded a lot better in 1974; so I'm going to have to sell on this one. It's certainly not terrible, there is just no reason to download Five Finger Death Punch's version when you could get the original for the exact same price.
Aaron Titan: BUY I really enjoyed this track immediately from the first plunking guitar diddy and the crooning vocals all the way to the very end. The little I've listened to from these guys was a lot heavier and rawer, so it was interesting to hear this song, as it's more in the realm of Shinedown. At the very least, the vocalist is going for a James Hetfield-style of delivery here. But yeah, cool song that I could get down with!
ANALYSIS: SPLIT Mitch's Opinion: Interesting that Aaron should mention James Hetfield, because I was thinking that Metallica has kind of spoiled us on metal covers of 70's rockers. Metallica's take on Bob Seger's "Turn The Page" added a new road-weariness to the song, making you realize it was perfect for the blue-collar metal ethos. While 5FDP's "Bad Company" cover isn't on the same level, it is another example of a 70's rock hit sounding like it belongs in the realm of today's metal scene - "Bad company til the day I die", what could be more metal? I like it. BUY.

2) Lil Wayne feat. Drake - "Right Above It" From I‘m Not A Human Being (Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown) Released August 17, 2010
David Hayter: BUY I've said it before, and I'll say it again; Drake and Lil Wayne together on a track just doesn't work. Now they aren't terrible together, they simply have the same strengths, weaknesses and flow. It ends up being a case of subtraction by addition. They are too similar, and hearing them together makes this fact all too apparent. Now that said, "Right Above It" is a track that grows in potency as it evolves, and by it's finale it can feel genuinely stirring. Unfortunately, both Wayne and Drake don't appear to have much to say. Boasts about women and guns over a tired, but not all together uninteresting, beat is hardly a recipe for success. Make no mistake; "Rise Above It" is a welcome return to form after Rebirth, but sadly, it isn't anything to get excited about either.
Aaron Titan: BUY This is a really cool, introspective-feeling beat that I could see myself bumping on a Friday night while driving to watch some hockey this fall. I've loved everything Drake's come out with thus far and this song is no exception. I'm not AS huge of a Wayne fan past Tha Carter III and a few of the better songs from Rebirth, but he doesn't detract from the track for this listener. I'm more of a fan of conscious hip-hop like The Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Common, and shit like that, but I can also dig on braggadocious hip-hop like this too.
ANALYSIS: SPLIT Mitch's Opinion: I‘ve never been a big Lil Wayne fan and this one doesn‘t convince me. His flow is just too lazy. Drake is OK, but like Dave says, you put two laid back guy like Weezy and Drake together and you wind up with something that sounds like no effort was given. That beat is made for football season - hell, I can almost hear the college bands playing it during halftime - but it‘s only unique and not that good. No thanks here. Sell.

3) Nelly - "Just A Dream" From Nelly 5.0 (Derrty Ent./Universal Motown) Released August 17, 2010
David Hayter: BUY This really isn't my thing, or the type of track that excites me artistically, but as a slice of mainstream commercial hip-pop it's hard to complain. Sure there is a fair dose of retrospection but as far as tender feel good ballads go, this is about as good as they get from Nelly. He has really mastered the art of the softly spoken million selling rap. "Just A Dream" is remarkably well arranged; peaking at all the right moments, and actually encouraging the listeners to put their hands in the air. There's not much more that you could ask of a club jam. So it's with a shrug of the shoulders that I buy this track. Nelly knows his audience, he understands his niche, and he plays his strengths in a satisfying way. While I certainly won't be purchasing "Just A Dream", I can appreciate why so many others most likely will.
Aaron Titan: SELL Nelly has always been hit or miss for me. As such, sweet of a vibe he's going for on this song, I've never been able to take him seriously. That's not a slight against his abilities as a performer. It's just that whenever he tries to get serious or introspective, it always sounds forced. It sounds like he's performing someone else's song, which may or may not be that far from the truth. I dig the party-style Nelly songs like "Hot in Herre," "Party People," and "E.I.," but not shit like this.
ANALYSIS: SPLIT Mitch's Opinion: I really love the intro to this song, and it just vibes into a nice slow jam. I hope this marks a comeback for Nelly, who spent the beginning of last decade being the biggest name in music before falling off the map for no reason. Stuff like this song certainly makes you wonder just why the hell that happened. BUY

4) Ke$ha - "Take It Off" From Animal (RCA) Released July 13, 2010
David Hayter: BUY Before I joined 411mania I reviewed Ke$ha's Animal on my own website. I came to the conclusion that Ke$ha's music was so willingly vapid, so amoral, so shameless AutoTuned, and so devoid of artistic integrity that it actually, in many ways, captured the essence of 21st Century society itself. Ke$ha is the sound of brain dead skanks falling out of night clubs and vomiting all over their half naked boyfriends. It's the sound of a thousand terrible Saturday nights. For better or worse Ke$ha has captured the zeitgeist of her time and "Take It Off" is no exception. She uses every dirty, tired, shameless trick in the pop play book, and she does them all in this one track. Sure it's morose, but so what? That's the point. Ke$ha is probably oblivious to the wider connotations of her morose sex rhymes, but that's what makes her so endearing, and so strangely essential. Ke$ha is the ultimate product of all the worst aspects of her age, but by harnessing the power of all that awfulness, she has actually created something quite brilliant. Unintentional social satire, what's not to love? (I know everything right?)
Aaron Titan: SELL This song sucks just like every other Ke$ha song I've heard. She sounds obnoxious vocally and she's also quite obnoxious to look at. Appearance shouldn't affect my judgment of the music, but this is the pop music genre and artists like Ke$ha have to get super glammed up for a reason: to make up for the lack of musical quality. I'm sure drunken college kids will like this song though! Just not me! Hey drunken college kids: Try playing some Pantera and slamming some whiskey instead of drinking Bacardi Razz to music like this! Tell me who's hardcore!
ANALYSIS: SPLIT Mitch's Opinion: I've hated all three of Ke$ha's singles before this one, but wow, do I loathe "Take It Off". It makes "TiK ToK" sound like Rush's "2012". Ke$ha's whiny, AutoTuned vocals grate my nerves worse than anything Britney's ever shit out, and that's saying something. As Dave said - this is the worst of everything, but that doesn't make it worth a listen. SELL

5) Katy Perry - "E.T." From Teenage Dream (Capitol) Released August 17, 2009
David Hayter: SELL Poor Katy, she tries so hard to be more than just another hit and miss pop star, but it never quite clicks. Sure she has top notch production and pulls the right edgy/quirky poses, but ultimately that's all they are, poses. She's like a human mannequin; she can pull all the right shapes, wear the right clothes, and be in all the coolest locations, but it never feels real. Not as creative or brilliant as Gaga, not as shameless as Ke$ha, and not as real as Amy or Lily; Katy is doomed to wallow in artistic no man's land. Now that said Katy is always good for a few hit singles, and catchy numbers, and "E.T." is no exception. It tries hard, and it is certainly enjoyable, but it all feels recycled and second hand. I'll happily sing and dance along to this one, but for all that effort it achieves nothing of real note. It neither captures the moment nor transcends it. "E.T." will do fine while it's in radio in rotation, but in couple of year's time few will remember it fondly, or even comically.
Aaron Titan: BUY Goddamn if we don't have another awesome Katy Perry song! This song actually rocks in a weird indirect way, and I like it way, way more than "California Gurls." The beat is dirty, grimy, and begs to be nodded to. Plus, while this is still most definitely a pop song, it's not overbearing like that Ke$ha song. I definitely don't feel guilty for listening to it out of my laptop speakers, that's for damn sure. Rock on Katy!
ANALYSIS: SPLIT Mitch's Opinion: I don‘t agree with either of these guys. Dave is way too harsh on Katy, for one thing. This chick covered Fountains Of Wayne, of all people - she‘s got some musical background. And every single has been golden thus far for her. In fact, there hasn‘t been a Katy single I haven‘t like (though "Waking Up In Vegas" did start to grate on your nerves after a while). Until now. That subtly altered Queen-beat just sounds like trash to me and it kills anything else by overpowering the rest of the song. I‘m not along for the ride on this one Katy. SELL

6) Cage The Elephant - "In One Ear" From Cage The Elephant (Jive/RED) Released March 2010
David Hayter: SELL Hello 2008, how are doing? Good? That's nice. I hate to break it to you, but I haven't missed you whatsoever. Please, if you would, do me a favor, never visit me again. Okay, Thanks. So as you might have gathered "In One Ear" made my eyes roll in 2007 and after hearing it on the radio again, and again, and again in 2008 I was pretty much ready to put my head through the nearest brick wall. Thankfully, Cage The Elephant seemed to fade as quickly as they'd risen, and I appeared to have escaped their pondering retro rock. That was until now. I'm not sure what to say exactly, their lyrics suggest that if I (as a critic) insult them, it will only fuel them to write more songs (heaven forbid). So perhaps I should say something nice....hmnn....well okay here goes...."In One Ear" is erh....short and catchy. There I said something vaguely pleasant; now go away please. Cage The Elephant: the reason I play Borderlands on mute.
Aaron Titan: BUY Yeah, this is more of a guilty please "Buy" for me... This is undeniably catchy with a great riff and drum beat to boot. There's just too much that's great and fun about this song not to like it, unless you can't stand white dudes rapping I suppose. These guys are incredibly likely to be a one-hit wonder, if a song like this can garner radio play. I would venture that the vocalist doesn't rap on the majority of the album and that this was designed to be the catchy smash that got them to the top. Whether they have the gusto to reach big fame and retain it is anybody's guess, but I dunno…
ANALYSIS: SPLIT Mitch's Opinion: You guys are fucking crazy. I love this song and Cage The Elephant is a good band - why feel guilty about liking an actual ROCK band these days? I got into Cage The Elephant last year when I saw the video for "Ain‘t No Rest For The Wicked". I was worried when I bought the album that it‘s be a one-song purchase, but those fears were put to rest when I heard "In One Ear". This track is already #1 on Alternative radio, so I don‘t think I‘m alone in wanting to hear a lot more of this band. BUY BUY BUY.

And that will do it for this week. What do you think of the singles we covered? Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments!