5.05.2009

Animal Life in the Great Swamp

Swamp click S/T
(1996, Big Easy Records)
from cassette to 320 mp3

Here are the current internet CD prices for this album: Amazon - $132.94, New. $57.97 Used. Ebay - $39.99. On cassette a month ago it cost 4 dollars at Peaches (thanks 2 IV).

I think that the presence of an animal in a Pen & Pixel cover really drives up the demand from internet bidders and this cover has 4 of them. And it might be the most varied, though the dog/vulture combo of 8ball's "Lost" comes close.

The double dog is the iconic standard (Backyard 196 "Wicked Wayz", Big Swiss "The Inaugaration), outdone (thru opposite extremes) by the bloody disc biting beast on Mersonary Kilaz "Blood Thirsty" and the very many mutts of Big Pokey's "Hardest Pit in the Litter". The white tiger is a personal favorite of mine (and one I've put to use in my own ripping off) but one that toes the line and no one need mention the Big Bear of CMP covers at this point. Not that they haven't once brought me joy.

I wouldn't want to not mention the race horse in flight on Criminal Elament's "Hit Em Where It Hurt". And someone explain to me what the geodesic dome on the back of SC's swamp jeep is for.

I can only hope that available downloading drives down the price of releases like this. No one should have to pay more than $20 for a release that is not that good, not that rare and not at all historically significant, alligators or no alligators.

There is shit on here I like. Three quarters thru, things starts picking up with a short swamp instrumental. Then a moment of self-reflection: "Yo B, we ain't got no hype shit on dis album dawg", after which things stay better.

I really like the noodling instrumental behind the "Shoutz Out", I wish it was a proper track.

5 comments:

barns said...

I imagine it's something like the road-surfing contraption described in ZZ Top's "Master of Sparks" except converted for off-the-streets-on-the-creeks use.

Walkmasterflex said...

big ups for making the vibe top 50 blogs list! you're one of only 4 rap blogs i look at, the others being cocaine blunts, so many shrimp, and blvd st. well done dude!

Anonymous said...

The large red element on the rear of SC's hummer is a fan motor and protective grid from an "Air boat".
I had to drive 40 miles to shoot the damn thing and it took as long to cut it out in photoshop, one tiny square at a time. The cover took about 22 hours to complete. If you look closely you'll see a lot more than four animals!
SB

Marnacle said...

Aye!P&P Animals? ... Don't forget the spread out monkey on the back cover of Magnolia Shorty:
http://www.cdcovered.org/A06/12_1_06/Magnolia%20Shorty%20Monkey%20On%20The%20D$ck--b.jpg

Is it supposed to look like a cooter? Thats tyte

J Real said...

the cd has an alligator with a blunt in its mouth its great