Project 1001: 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... by Arrested Development
Take me to another place (Oh) / Take me to another land (Oh) / Make me forget all that hurts me (Oh) / Let me understand your plan (Yeah)
My memory of Arrested Development was that they were huge. One of hip hop’s shining stars. 3 Years, 5 months and 2 Days in the Life Of… was a monster. The big singles, “Tennessee”, “People Everyday”, and “Mr. Wendal” seemed to be everywhere in 1992. This was one of the legendary hip hop albums of the 1990s.
I also seemed to remember Arrested Development as a juggernaut outfit for many years. But this debut offering was the group’s only top 40 Album. Two others charted in the top 100 of Billboard’s album chart but only one of them (Unplugged) went gold. And only two other minor hits on the pop chart; “Revolution”, their contributions to the soundtrack for Spike Lee’s Malcom X, and “Ease My Mind” from their sophomore album Zingalamaduni from 1994.
I remembered them as much bigger. I guess that speaks to the power of 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... It’s an amazing album. No weaklings pollute this disc. Some of the songs are decidedly excellent including the classic “Tennessee” and “People Everyday”. A middle stretch of tracks I found particularly enticing: “Children Play With Earth”, “Raining Revolution”, “Give a Man a Fish”, and “U”.
The only observation veering into the negative is this music is very much a product of its time, and the group takes itself a little bit too seriously. There doesn’t seem to be much humor or lightheartedness here. In any event I was very glad to give this touchstone hip hop album a spin today. My rating:
Steve Huey of AllMusic concluded, “3 Years... was a major influence on a new breed of alternative Southern hip-hop, including Goodie Mob, OutKast, and Nappy Roots, and it still stands as one of the better albums of its kind.”
Widely adored when it appeared in 1992, Arrested Development's debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... seemed to herald a shining new era in alternative rap, when audiences and critics of all colors could agree on the music's importance. Of course, that didn't happen, as Dr. Dre instead took gangsta rap to the top of the charts with The Chronic. In retrospect, 3 Years... isn't quite as revolutionary as it first seemed, though it's still a fine record that often crosses the line into excellence. Its positive messages were the chief selling point for many rock critics, and it's filled with pleas for black unity and brotherly compassion, as well as a devotion to the struggle for equality.1
The L.A. Times wrote, “The spiritually tinged ‘Tennessee’ is one of the year’s most captivating singles” and “(t)his Georgia rap sextet supports its positive commentaries with bright and imaginative musical signatures.” while suggested this album would make a good Christmas Gift.2
In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, John Lewis wrote:
…it would be a crime to ignore the gentle genius of this album (titled after the time it took to land a recording contract).
Traces of their Southern-fried funk eventually resurfaced, particularly in the work of other Atlanta natives like TLC, Cee-Lo Green, the Goodie Mob, and notably, Andre 3000 and Outkast. It showed hip hop could draw from centuries of black musical culture while still looking into the future.3
Enjoy and listen without prejudice.
“And just remember, different people have peculiar tastes”
~ Lou Reed
Cheers!
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For details about this project, read this: Project 1001 Albums
Charts
• Peak on Billboard 200 album chart: #7 4
• Singles on Billboard Hot 100 chart: “Tennessee”, #6; “People Everyday”, #8; “Mr. Wendal”, #6 5
• RIAA certification: 4x Platinum | February 8, 1995 6
Released on March 24, 1992. Here’s what else was happening:
Pop Culture
• Number one song: “Save the Best for Last” by Vanessa Williams7
• Number one album: Ropin’ the Wind by Garth Brooks8
• Number one movie: Basic Instinct by Paul Verhoeven9
• Most watched TV programs: 60 Minutes, Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Cheers, Coach, Home Improvement, Designing Women, Full House, Major Dad, Murder, She Wrote10
• NYT bestseller, fiction: The Pelican Brief by John Grisham11
• NYT bestseller, non-fiction: Revolution from Within by Gloria Steinem12
Some other albums released that week
• Between 10th & 11th by The Charlatans
• Code: Selfish by The Fall
• Honey's Dead by The Jesus and Mary Chain
• Apollo 18 by They Might Be Giants
• Doin' the Nasty by Slik Toxik
• Funky Divas by En Vogue
• Human Touch by Bruce Springsteen
• Lucky Town by Bruce Springsteen13
Sport
• Mar 25 ICC Men's Cricket ODI World Cup, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia: Pakistan beats England by 22 runs for their first trophy; Player of the Match: Wasim Akram (PAK) 33 (18) & 3/49.
• Mar 26 Mike Tyson sentenced to 10 years in rape of Desiree Washington.
• Mar 29 Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Oakland, California won by Kristi Yamaguchi (USA).14
Notable Births
• Mar 23 Kyrie Irving, American basketball guard (2011 NBA Draft: #1 pick Cleveland Cavaliers), born in Melbourne, Australia.
• Mar 24 Mr. Kitty (Forrest LeMaire), American singer-songwriter, record producer, and DJ ("After Dark"), born in Arlington, Texas.
• Mar 31 Phil Dunster, English actor (Ted Lasso), born in Northampton, England.15
Historical Events
• 22 March Fall of Communism in Albania: The Democratic Party of Albania wins a decisive majority in the parliamentary election, marking a significant turning point in Albania's political landscape and signaling the end of communist rule.
• 23 March Mir Space Station Deorbited: The legendary Russian space station Mir was deliberately deorbited and plunged into the Pacific Ocean after an impressive 15-year mission in space. This controlled re-entry marked the end of one of the most significant space habitation projects in human history, symbolizing the transition from the Soviet/Russian space era.
• 29 March Basque Separatist Terrorism Prevention: French police successfully arrested three men suspected of planning a potential terrorist attack targeting the 1992 Summer Olympics, preventing a potential security threat.16
Notable Deaths
• Mar 25 Nancy Walker, American actress (Rhoda, McMillan & Wife), dies of cancer at 69.
• Mar 27 James E. Webb, American government official (Administrator of NASA, 1961-68, James Webb S[ace Telescope named after him), dies of a heart attack at 85.
• Mar 29 Paul Henreid, Austrian-American actor (Casablanca, Now, Voyager), dies at 84.
Lewis, John, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Fifth printing, ed. by Robert Dimmery p. 680.
Ibid.
Ibid.
I listened to this one a lot as well, and perhaps it’s the timing but I always grouped it in my mind with PM Dawn. Plus, it’s a great gateway to Sly & The Family Stone!