Buried Treasures & Opinions on Nicki Minaj

Jim & Greg unearth a new batch of musical Buried Treasures.

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After The Beatles finally announced the band would put its catalog on iTunes, Jim and Greg noted that only a few major artists remained holdouts. One such musician is Kid Rock, and according to a recent Billboard article, this might be a smart move if your goal is making money. Kid Rock's recent release Born Free has sold over 612,000 copies, but reporter Glenn Peoples says that he would have only sold 294,000 had digital singles been available. So by forcing consumers to buy whole albums, Kid Rock may have made an additional $3 million.

Next, Jim and Greg play catch up on some big news that broke over the holidays. Rock & roll experienced one of its greatest losses: Don Van Vliet, otherwise known as Captain Beefheart. Jim remembers Beefheart and his band's off the wall performance on Saturday Night Live. It illustrates what a unique performer he was. But, as Jim goes on, Beefheart wasn't just weird, he was an ambitious perfectionist – and one that influenced many and was imitated by none, according to Greg. To honor Captain Beefheart, Jim and Greg play "Ella Guru" from his 1969 album Trout Mask Replica.

Buried Treasures

If new music was on your list of New Year's resolutions, look no further. Here is Jim and Greg's first batch of Buried Treasures for 2011.

Greg

  • Bilal, Airtight’s Revenge
  • Off!, First Four EPs
  • Trombone Shorty, Backatown
  • Diamond Rings, Special Affections

Jim

  • Clive Tanaka, Jet Set Siempre No. 1
  • Tame Impala, Innerspeaker
  • Faun Fables, Light of Vaster Dark
  • Das Racist, Sit Down, Man

Pink Friday Nicki Minaj

Pink Friday (Deluxe Edition)

Nicki Minaj has taken the rap world by storm. Some are comparing her to Lady Gaga, while others say Lil’ Kim. But neither do justice to Minaj's flair for role-playing and rhyme skills. Jim doesn't think all of the tracks on her debut Pink Friday are successful, but when she's on, she's on. He'd also add Missy Elliott and Peter Gabriel to the list of comparisons. Jim gives the record a Burn It rating. Greg has been blown away by the rapper's cameos on other records, but the situation is reversed on Pink Friday – the guest stars outshine her. Despite the ruckus Minaj has caused in the rap world, Greg is let down. He gives Pink Friday a Trash It.

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