A perfect segue into a perfect album, King of the Carrot Flowers is a masterpiece. This is the way songs should be written, performed, and produced. Jeff Mangum strums the catchiest 3 chords on his acoustic guitar while his piercing vocals spill lyrics of psychedelic sophistication. I can still remember the first time I heard him sing the lyric - 'and your mom would drink until she was no longer speaking, and dad would dream of all the different ways to die, each one a little more than he would dare to try' - in a rising climax. The energy and power is then sustained into a C drone from an organ, followed by an amped acoustic guitar being plucked clumsily. And like a street preacher we again hear Jeff, he belts 'I love you Jesus Christ' while the rest of the band hit fuzzed-out power chords F and C until a storm swells with cymbals, horn, bass, guitar, Jeff's voice and another rising movement to yet another climax. Propelled by an electric frequency that chops like a helicopter blade inches over-head we are lead into Part 3, often referred to as 'Up and Over'. This last part explodes into fuzz rock in all it's garage-roots glory with lyrics like - 'I will shout until they know what I mean, I mean the marriage of a dead dog sing, in a synthetic flying machine'. As the fuzz is sustained heavily the song ends with 1 last climax; the one-note piano brings us to a close.

King of the Carrot Flowers Part 1 introduces the theme of 'loss of innocence'. The narrator, addressing his lover nostalgically, compares the emotional deterioration of the older parents with the emotional and sexual discovery of their youth - 'your mom would stick a fork right into daddy's shoulder, and dad would throw the garbage all across the floor, as we would lay and learn what each other's bodies were for.' This motive returns later in the album, as does his 'Jesus Christ' theme. Jeff Mangum alerts the listener in his lyric sheet that he believes what he sings, and that this 'Christ' theme is but the spiritual light he finds within everything. The album further treats themes like the Holocaust, death of loved ones, visions of ghosts, and all the horrors of man with this light. It is a beautiful and terrifying experience unlike any rock record to date. Personally, my favorite song of all time.

A classic pop gem with the quintessential catchy, sing-along melody. Pristinly written, performed & produced by E6 Godfather Robert Schneider and his Apples in Stereo. With a chorus determined to make you hum in your sleep, or over a dozen pints with your mates, or loud enough for your co-workers to secretly dispise your chummy disposition, this song will never lose its appeal. Piano, guitar, snare and bass bring back the days of 'ole, and they do it in style. This has to be someone's favorite song somewhere!

"Dr. Octagon" is actually Kool Keith, who must have had something on the brain when this record was produced. This is my favorite song on the album, and it is a good representation of the the cool, controlled beats and inane, yet infectious lyrics present throughout. Dr. Octagon's words are on the same level as Eminem's in that they are not to be taken literally. Eminem took the gangsta/mysogyny route, Dr. Octagon took the thirteen year old boys immature babble about god-knows-what route. In any case, this song is fresh, and you can't help getting that little bob of your head going when you listen. When you catch yourself singing along, realize you sound like an idiot though.

Gangsta rap hit its peak in the early 90's on the West Coast with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dee Oh Double Gee. Since then, it's been all downhill for the genre and it's playas. However, while some may say gangsta rap is dead, Dr. Dre and his disciples have managed to keep it alive since the foundation of Deathrow Records began to crumble. For "Phone Tap", Dre laid down yet another phat track this time for the lyrical stylings of Nas Escobar, AZ, and Nature. He even does the vocals for a mad catchy hook: "We got cho' phone tapped. Whachu gon' do? Cuz sooner or lata, we'll have your whole crew. All we need now is the right word or two... To make it all stick like glue, then you through."

The opening track of Edwyn's usually-overlooked follow-up to 1994's "Gorgeous George", this song is a perfect example of what orchestral pop should be.