
As he rapped on Wu-Tang’s “Dog Sh_t,”: “Got meals but still grill that old good welfare cheese.”ĩ6: Nick Lowe: Jesus of Cool/Pure Pop for Now People (design by Barney Bubbles) Forgoing any blinged-out tropes, the former Wu-Tang member put a doctored version of his welfare ID card on the front cover of his solo debut, as both a reminder of where he came from and to destigmatize being on public assistance.

Whenever hip-hop started to take itself too seriously, ODB was there to disrupt, agitate, and give the middle finger to convention. Listen here: 97: Ol’ Dirty Bastard: Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (design by Alli Truch, photo by Danny Clinch) Put the notorious bathroom cover together with the engraved invitation on the US replacement, and you’ve got the yin and the yang of The Rolling Stones at the time. Listen here: 98: The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet (design by Barry Feinstein)īeggars Banquet is a rare case where an album’s two famous covers really complement each other. The red velvet cover, with gold embossed lettering, served notice that Odessa was going to be unique and beautiful, which it was. If The Beatles could do a double “ White Album,” the Bee Gees could do a fuzzy red one. On their 1969 debut, the cavorting characters were there to remind you how much fun rock’n’roll was supposed to be. Album DescriptionBandleader Cyril Jordan’s terrific comic art has turned up on numerous The Flamin’ Groovies covers and posters over the decades. See More Your browser does not support the audio element. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo More info Given that it runs 25 tracks and two CDs, some may argue that it does its job a little too well, but the fact of the matter is, this contains all of his big hits, from "Keep Ya Head Up" and "Dear Mama" to "California Love" and "I Ain't Mad at Cha." Some may argue that it would have been more effective if it was sequenced in chronological order, but this remains the best place for casual listeners to get all the 2Pac they need.


Even with these misgivings taken into account, it has to be said that Greatest Hits does its job well. Sure, Tupac Shakur had more than enough hits to make a terrific compilation, but its appearance in the fall of 1998 felt a bit like another opportunity to milk his catalog, simply because of the plethora of releases, from previously unheard recordings to interview discs and bootlegs. Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
