CJ, I don't really see Phrenology as "experimental". If you look at it, they aren't really doing anything that they haven't done in the past already...and they aren't doing it as well, in my opinion. Here's my take track-by-track: 1) Phretrow: throw-away introduction. I'm sick of introductions and skits (although interludes can stay). 2) Rock You: A song called 'Rock You' better make you break your neck...but this one doesn't do it. And the hook is VERY uninspired. 3) !!!!!: Um...skip. Some call this experimental. I call it pointless. 4) Sacrifice: This song's pretty nice. Melodic...a little bit sleepy. 5) Rolling With Heat: Just like Rock You, it's like they're trying to get me to nod my head, but they come up just a tad short. Nothing I can put my finger on, but I wouldn't describe this track as "heat". Sounds kinda like a Black Eyed Peas song. I like BEP all right, but I expect more from the Roots. 6) WAOK Roll Call: Talking about the pioneers. It's been done. But I guess Ursula needed the work. Skip. 7) Thought At Work: I get it. They're paying homage to the Bomb Squad. It sounds like the Bomb Squad...just not a very good Bomb Squad beat. Plus, when I listen, I can't help but think how much better I liked the original version with the "Hey Bulldog" sample. 8) The Seed 2.0: LOVE IT! They need to drop this as a single ASAP. 9) Break You Off: Sounds pretty run-of-the-mill. I found it hard to believe that Musiq is credited with "writing" the hook ("coming to break you off" X 8). And to top it all off, the Seed just goes to show you that you can drop an "unconventional" song and still have a hit. But despite it all, this song did grow on me since the first listen. There's a little more going on musically than I first realized, and the instrumental outro adds to the song. 10). Water: This is a great song. Beat is definitely getting me nodding my head. Poignant lyrics. A Roots classic. But why oh why did they have to try and get so abstract with the outro!!! I get the point. But it's not enjoyable to listen to by any means. It ruins the song for me. 11) Quills: Good thing I was looking at a tracklisting, otherwise I would have forgotten this song. It's all right, just not very memorable. The hook seems kind of out of place with the rest of the song. 12) *************** Galore: A GREAT song! One of the more insightful hip-hop songs out there. Gets me dancing too. 13) Complexity: A very nice song. Kind of along the lines of Sacrifice, but a little better. But I feel they under-utilized Jill Scott. If you've got Jill on a track, let her sing, dammit! 14) Something In the Way of Things: I really like this song. Definitely a step up from Ursula. I'm still trying to figure out what he's saying, but it gives me a feeling. I definitely feel that things are getting crazy in the world with Cheney, Rumsfeld and the rest of the warmongers...this song is kind of like the soundtrack to these times, for me. Hidden Tracks (I HATE HIDDEN TRACKS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE GOOD SONGS!) 15) Rhymes & Ammo: This song gets me hyped up. It's got "heat" and it "rocks". I don't know why they cut Dice Raw's verse, but it still sounds good. 16) : I like this. Here's a good example of "experimental." Don't know why they chose to keep it hidden though. I'm not big on techno, but I like this. DO NOT listen to this while driving at night. You'll think you're in a video game. To your other questions: Kweli's album is nice. Skip hit it on the head. It is a little more "mainstream" than you'd expect, and it does seem to lack focus. There aren't any tracks I skip except for the DJ Quick one. Nothings really wrong with it...but I never really listen to it. I think A) he's not saying anything that interesting, B) the beats are fairly mainstream, and C) Kweli's a victim of timing - there's just too much other good stuff out right now. And you should definitely get the 9th Wonder Remix CD. All you have to do is order the Little Brother CD through sandbox.com and you get the 9th Wonder CD for free (it's promo only). Or you can try emailing him and see if he has any more (ninthwonderbread@hotmail.com). J, are you sure that those are El-P's best beats? Have you listened to Cannibal Ox?
I guess I meant to just limit that to saying they were good for El-P but Insight did better...just went over the top. I've been wanting to go get Urban Renewal Project for awhile. Glad to hear it'll be worth it.
Just perusing through threads out of boredom and I will concur with the rest of you..."The Seed" is an amazing song!!!! It just has everything you would want in a good song. How do you get to the secret songs? I can go to track 15 and fast forward to when the song starts, but I can't just jump to track 18 or whatever it is. Does anyone else have this problem? They are awesome tracks and do belong with the rest of them. I'm motivating myself, right now, to get in my car and listen to "The Seed". Well, I'm hungry, too.
It depends what I'm using to listen to the CD. On my computer, using winamp, I can go to the track like any other one. On my discman and in the car, I have to go to the track and then hold down the rewind button. The counter doesn't change at all but you start to hear the song being played.
I finally picked up the new J5 (I had asked for it for birthday and Christmas, but no such luck) and I'm loving it. For me, it's the perfect mix between old school vibe and the more serious songs. Obviously 'What's Golden' and 'If You Only Knew' are some standouts, but I'm also digging 'Day at the Races', 'Sum of Us' and 'Hey'. And it's hard to beat a CD that both samples Public Enemy and has a Kool Keith freestyle
On the Roots' CD, 'Thought @ Work' is actually my favorite song on there. 'Water', The hidden track with Talib Kweli and 'Seed 2.0' would be the other ones that make this an awesome CD. Does anyone know who the Roots are referring to in the liner notes for 'Coming to Break You Off'?
All I know about 'Break U Off' is that D'Angelo was supposed to be on it, but his label pulled him off. As for 'Thought At Work', have you heard the original version?
I haven't heard the original Thought @ Work...I have not had the good fortune to attend a live Roots show, and I've given up downloading songs before the release of an album I know I'll buy. Not due to some ethical dillema, mind you, but I missed that cool feeling of listening to a brand new CD; I had ruined the new Radiohead CDs by listening to every song, and then being disappointed when the actual versions were different than the demos. If I know nothing about the band, I may download a song or two to sample and see if I'll buy, but for established acts, I'll take the chance of purchasing. Listening to a new CD for first time is like catching up with a great friend you haven't seen in a while...you find out where they've been, what's been on there mind, and where they may be headed. So, anyway: Thought @ Work the first is pretty cool?
If he's talking about the version that I heard, then the answer is yes. It's just more energetic and powerful. Even though the CD version is great the first version is tons better. It's like the song "Shock Body" on the new Kweli album. It's great but the version he did on HBO's Reverb blows it out of the water.
Yeah, I have...I just don't know anything that isn't said there. Except that Gerald Levert was one of the 7 people. I think they might have asked Alicia Keys too.
HipHopSite.com has its Best and Worst of 2002. Pretty long, including best commercial/indie albums, singles, producers, emcees, disappointing albums, trends, beefs, etc. Some of the "best" mentions are questionable at best, especially Nelly, J.Lo and Lauryn Hill's Unplugged 2.0, but still a good read. And the guest artist mentioned in The Roots' liner notes for "Break You Off" does indeed appear to be D'Angelo.
In honor of today, everyone break out your Apocalypse '91 and listen to "By The Time I Get to Arizona" Speaking of PE, did anyone have a better 3 CD run than Nation of Million, Fear of a Black Planet and Apocalypse '91 (you could even include Bum Rush as a 4 CD run)? This isn't a hypothetical question, I really can't think of anyone who did better. Of course, I'm heavily biased towards Public Enemy, so I'd like some other opinions 2002 list was a real good read
I don't know if you could consider it because it was one group album and a bunch of solo efforts, but the first cycle of Wu albums was quite good. I wouldn't rate it as high as PE, of course, but there was some solid music the first go around. 36 Chambers, Tical, Ironman, Only Built for Cuban Links, Liquid Swords, Return to the 36 Chambers.
Okayplayer presents, The Roots Phrenology tour featuring Skillz and Cody ChesnuTT 1/31 - Montreal @ Metropolis 2/01 - Toronto @ Kool Haus 2/02 - Detroit @ State Theatre, also Big Daddy Kane 2/03 - Pittsburgh @ Laga 2/06 - Knoxville @ Tenessee Theatre 2/08 - Cinncinatti @ Bogarts 2/09 - Cleveland @ Odeon 2/11 - Indianapolis @ The Vogue 2/12 - Madison @ Opheum 2/13 - Minneapolis @ 1st Avenue 2/14 - St. Louis @ The Pagent 2/15 - Lawrence, KS @ Abe and Jakes 2/16 - Denver @ Filmore also The Beatnuts 2/17 - Salt Lake @ Harry O's 2/19 - Seattle @ Showbox 2/20 - Vancouver @ The Commodore 2/21 - Porland @ Roseland 2/22 - Eugene, Ore @ McDonald Theatre 2/23 - San Francisco @ Filmore 2/24 - San Francisco @ Filmore 2/26 - Anaheim @ HOB 2/27 - Los Angeles @ HOB 2/28 - Los Angeles @ HOB 3/01 - Los Angeles @ HOB 3/02 - San Diego @ Belly UP 3/03 - Phoenix @ Club Rio 3/05 - El Paso @ Club Vallere 3/06 - Alberquerque @ Sunshine 3/07 - Dallas @ Gypsy 3/08 - Austin @ Stubbs 3/09 - Houston @ Numbers 3/10 - New Orleans @ HOB 3/12 - Atlanta @ Roxy 3/14 - NYC @ Roseland 3/15 - Philly @ E Factory Also from Okayplayer, Common's Electric Circus will be re-relased with a bonus DVD on Feb 11.
My girlfriend and I are flying up to Cinci for the Feb 8th show! I can't wait... There's also a Slum Village tour going on right now and talk of a Kweli & Common & Gangstarr tour... Slum Village (w/ Ess Band), Pharoahe Monch, Dwele (w/ Ess Band), & Phat Kat 3/20/2003 - Lansing or Kalamazoo, MI 3/21/2003 - Indianapolis, IN 3/22/2003 - Columbus, OH 3/23/2003 - Cleveland, OH 3/25/2003 - Pittsburgh, PA.....WORD ILL BE HERE 3/27/2003 - Rochester, NY 3/28/2003 - Albany, NY 3/29/2003 - North Hampton, MA 3/30/2003 - Burlington, VT 4/1/2003 - Boston, MA 4/2/2003 - New Haven, CT 4/3/2003 - New York, NY 4/4/2003 - Philadelphia, PA 4/5/2003 - Washington, DC 4/6/2003 - Norfolk, VA 4/9/2003 - Chattanooga TN 4/10/2003 - Asheville NC 4/11/2003 - Columbia SC 4/12/2003 - Savannah GA 4/13/2003 - Tallahassee or Gainesville FL 4/15/2003 - Houston TX 4/16/2003 - Austin TX 4/17/2003 - Lawrence KS 4/18/2003 - Boulder CO 4/19/2003 - Albuquerque NM 4/20/2003 - Phoenix AZ 4/22/2003 - San Diego CA 4/23/2003 - Los Angeles CA 4/24/2003 - Santa Cruz CA 4/25/2003 - San Francisco CA 4/26/2003 - Eureka CA 4/28/2003 - Portland OR 4/29/2003 - Seattle WA 5/2/2003 - Boise ID 5/3/2003 - Salt Lake City UT 5/6/2003 - Minneapolis MN 5/7/2003 - Milwaukee WI 5/8/2003 - Chicago IL 5/9/2003 - Detroit MI
Anyone want to meet up with me in Chicago on March 8th (the day before my birthday)? Coca Cola presents.....THE ELECTRIC CIRCUS TOUR COMMON*TALIB KWELI*GANG STARR*FLOETRY 2/26 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 2/27 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel 2/28 - Worcester, MA @ Palladium 3/1 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory 3/2 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Metropole 3/4 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue 3/5 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom 3/6 - Detroit, MI @ State Theater 3/7 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave 3/8 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues 3/9 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 3/12 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox 3/14 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater 3/15 - Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre 3/16 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 3/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues 3/19 - Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues 3/20 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues 3/21 - Phoenix, AZ @ Cajun House 3/22 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater 3/23 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
So, the last two weeks have seen a sudden coup launched upon my car cd player by these two artifacts of the past- If anyone hasn't heard those solesides singles, you are missing the Gist of Gab on another plane. I was actually supposed to be up in Chicago on March 8th for the UofL/DePaul game, but work ended up wanting to send me to San Diego that week, so I'm screwed.
Oh yeah, Last week I got Peanut Butter Wolff's Jukebox 45s and The Bedford Files is a little more consistently interesting, plus it boasts RJD2's awesome remix of Vast Aire's Tippin Dominos. Jukebox 45s is by no mean essential- You'd be better off buying the good singles (The Ox {Fantastic Four}- Medaphoar & Oh No), if you can find them. It does have some good old obscure funk on it.
Has anyone heard of what Mr. Dibbs has been up to. I haven't been able to find and information on him and Esoteric for a while. I found a great self-titled album named Prophetix. Recommend people check it out.