While Skinny doesn't quite love this one as much as I do, returning to Phrenology has been quite a treat. When this album was released, it really solidified The Roots as a top tier hip hop group that was gonna stick around for a long time. And really, it proved they they were far more than just a hip hop group. Just like the Beastie Boys snuck heavy hardcore punk into their records, The Roots records a soul/funk record that mixed in tons of other styles.
The first Roots album I heard, way back around 2000, and still my favorite. After this record they shed some of their jazz sensibilities for soul. Much more consistently great than Phrenology, and featuring the incredible collaboration with Erykah Badu, this is one of those few records that actually gets increasingly better as it goes along. "Adrenaline!" "You Got Me" and "Don't See Us" really seal the deal for this being my favorite Roots record.
The predecessor to Things Fall Apart is not far off from it's successor. Cases can be made that this is the best Roots album and it'd be hard to argue.
2 more Roots albums to go and then I'll try to rank them. _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
meccaleccaVoice of ReasonProfile The Land of Enchantment
After listening to their later material, Do You Want More?!!!??! sounds like the skeletal jam session that set the foundation for future releases. Conscious jazz hip hop that they would improve upon greatly over the next two releases. But don't let that make you think that this is a throwaway record. There's a lot to take away from The Roots sophomore effort. "Proceed," "Mellow My Man" and "Silent Treatment" are all great tracks and this is one of the first records you'll get to hear Rahzel's epic beatboxin'.
Calling Do You Want More?!!!??! a skeletal template in my previous post was probably a bit premature. Their sophomore record feels much more fleshed out in comparison to Organix. Here we see The Roots setting the foundation for the next few decades. Who would've guessed that this would end up becoming the house band for a late night talk show? The chops are certainly there but in the future The Roots would become far more than just the good jazzy hip hop group we see here. _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
meccaleccaVoice of ReasonProfile The Land of Enchantment
Listening to The Roots for the past day straight, I'm impressed by just how consistently great they've been over the years and their ability to avoid treading water by reinventing their sound with each record just enough to keep it interesting. That makes it incredibly hard to rank their records but I'll try anyway.
Not quite as startling as his debut, but damn can this man play the guitar. Too bad his voice isn't nearly as strong. _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
meccalecca
