The Goats

No Goats, No Glory (Ruffhouse/Columbia)
by Troy D.

Once again, Hip-Hop, THC, and white guys with guitars join forces to fight racism and political injustice. Somewhere between Rage ATM and Public Enemy, The Goats‘ CD, No Goats, No Glory (Ruffhouse/Columbia), combines hip-hop, jazz, and crunchy guitar with pretty swell results. The turntable work is polished and utilizes some choice discs (George Clinton, Bad Brains, etc.). There are reefer references (that’s alliteration kids) and slick rhythms galore. I’ve been to Philly, but if you haven’t, it doesn’t matter. You can still appreciate the loyalty these young men feel for their town. Violent content, a prerequisite G(whiz)-thang, is also present and it sounds as macho as it does on every other hip-hop release in existence. Oh, by the way, my father can kick all of your fathers’ asses. The fact that most of the music is actually performed and not sampled from old Captain and Tennielle(?) LPs really turns me on. As an aside, did you know that muskrats hang out in flocks that sometimes exhibit gang-like tendencies?

The drumming has that laid-back, triplet feel, and the bass player is as funky as my ex-girlfriend’s private area on a Sunday morning after a long weekend of not showering. As Arsenio Hall would say, “Play me some of that dirty ass, crotch pickin’ funk.” If you’re still not convinced that I like this CD, well, you’ll just have to ride to work with me (to the Wonder Bread Factory) and see for yourself what tape’s in the deck of my Volvo. Remember, it’s been pasteurized, homogenized, and hermetically packaged for your protection.