There was a time that I could sing Baby Got Back in its entirety without missing a syllable.  I haven’t kept up with my freestyle “skillz” in recent years but I’d say I can still get through about 85% of it without fail.

Baby Got Back, of course, is a song familiar to many.  Probably not so familiar, however, are the rest of the songs that appear on Sir Mix a Lot’s 1992 release Mack Daddy.

For instance, the first single off that particular album was the first track, One Time’s Got No Case.

And that link will take you to the video, which I would have embedded but either I am stupid (entirely possible) or Spike won’t allow that video to be embedded (also possible, but less likely).

Now that’s a decent song.  It’s not NWA or Public Enemy, but as far as early 90′s hip hop goes, it’s strong.  Most of the album is solid, in fact, but there’s one jem on there that never got its due…I’m Your New God.

As far as I know a video was never made for the song, below is just the song playing to a picture of the album cover, but go ahead and listen to it in any event.

I bring up Sir Mix a Lot because I loved this album when it came out in 1992.  At that time (I was 14) I listened exclusively to punk…or so I claimed.

I went a long time decrying any music that wasn’t punk, or political, as weak and not worth listening to.  I was young and stupid and thought that everything I enjoyed (music and books, especially) had to be charged with ideals or “artistic”…whatever that means.

In any event, it took many years for me to admit it but, damnit, I like pop music.

OK, I like some pop music.

I mean, I don’t roll around blaring The Jonas Brothers.

I know I mentioned this one some time ago, but it’s so good it deserves a second go round…Shake It by Metro Station.

Around the same time that I was falling in love with big butts I also played drums in a short lived (I think we lasted a month) band called Boogie Shoes. We took our moniker from the KC and the Sunshine band song of the same name and the premise was that we covered disco songs but played them like a punk band. We never played a single show. I wanted to be in that band not for the punk, but for the disco…Let’s Get Down Tonight is still one of my all time favorite songs.

In case you are curious, here’s the song that inspired us.

Now imagine that song 3 times faster and out of tune. See why we never played a single show?

So, there you have it. For all my talk about bands no one has ever heard of I still enjoy some top 40ish stuff. I think, honestly, it comes down to the fact that, regardless of genre (and this is true of all creative outlets, I think) solid craftsmanship (for lack of a better word) shines. Do I think Metro Station is the next Beatles…of course not. On that one song, though, they really did capture something infectious and fun. I’m adult enough now to admit that I enjoy it…

But I can’t leave without sharing something with a bit of an edge…

Or something a bit odd…