Listed below are the overall rankings for the best albums in history as determined by their aggregate positions in over 59,000 different greatest album charts on BestEverAlbums.com! (Chart last updated: 5 hours ago).
"The production is definitely the strong point of the album, reminds of his earlier work but still far from conventional hip-hop. In contrast to his most acclaimed album up to that date (that would be Labor Days), where he produced only 4 tracks, here he is in full charge, which definitely helps t...""The production is definitely the strong point of the album, reminds of his earlier work but still far from conventional hip-hop. In contrast to his most acclaimed album up to that date (that would be Labor Days), where he produced only 4 tracks, here he is in full charge, which definitely helps the cohesion of the album. Considering he followed the same route for his next album, being again the producer, we can safely assume he was also happy with the outcome. One could argue that it hurts variety, but I don’t think that’s the case here, there are songs like Ruby ‘81 which signify a welcome change of pace. Moreover, as his name already suggests, rock music has been an influence (“Led Zep staring daggers down page mill”), something that is apparent on songs like 1,000 O'Clock, Grace, or Saturn Missiles, which help spice things up.
Despite running so smooth, I have to point out that you can tell it's 17 tracks, especially after repeated listenings. On the other hand, there is no track I would consider skippable or too long, so I can’t quite put my finger on what bothers me. 55 minutes isn't that long for a hip hop album anyway. Also, not sure how I'm feeling about the female vocals in Crows 1 , in theory you'd expect them to fit the overall sound and spirit of the album like a glove, but I can't say they do it for me. However she delivers one of the most memorable quotes “And they call to let you know your friend is dead in a box The crows have the tools to get the meat out of the box”. In Tetra it’s even worse, they are distracting and sound somewhat out of context. Finishing with the downsides, I’ m not a fan of the outro of Cycles to Gehenna, without it I would consider this a candidate for best song of the album.
Being a producer also helps when it comes to rapping. His delivery is neither spectacular nor below par, it’s dictated mainly by the beat, which is no easy task when you have to fit so many words, but it works just fine.
The lyrics are what I like to call "randomly sophisticated", at times leaning more towards randomness and at times towards sophistication. Even when the former is the case, it still works. It can be because it helps approach some deeper themes in a lighter way, for example in Fryerstarter spirituality and donuts go together ( “Picture if you will a witching hour on a weak night in the trenches Where paranoia dead-ends in a bright florescent heaven With sprinkles, I know right yum”) or in “Racing Stripes”, where there’s more to a visit to the barber shop than having your hair cut (“Crudely, some say to praise the lord I say you wanna feel saved baby shape the orb And I will see you all in Helven Read he fled a panic room pissed”). After all, some silliness balances out the overall dark tone. Or it simply provides some great storytelling (for example in Grace, who can’t relate to being forced to vegetables as a child) or contribute to some funny wordplay (see the second verse of Homemade mummy), that along with the production and the delivery save the day.
Best song: I would go with Zero Dark Thirty and Racing Stripes would be a close second. Other highlights include the first verse of Fryerstarter, the third verse of Leistureforce (“Grace of a misled teen who prefers his scenes with a little Wilhelm scream”), the wordplay – or dare I say letterplay – in ZZ Top and the outro of Gopher Guts, no matter if I’m prepared, I never see it coming.
Favorite line: “The scarf thank Mom's new hobby, kssssht! Copy”
All in all, an album that can be appreciated and enjoyed by pretty much anyone no matter your general attitude towards hip-hop."[+]Reply
"It only took me two and a half spins to really get into this album. For people expecting Cross 2.0, you're going to be let down a little, but for people who are looking for a little change from their artists after a four year layover, I think this will be right up your alley. Justice breaks out t...""It only took me two and a half spins to really get into this album. For people expecting Cross 2.0, you're going to be let down a little, but for people who are looking for a little change from their artists after a four year layover, I think this will be right up your alley. Justice breaks out the guitars in this one, especially in the second half of the album. The track Newlands sounds like something AC/DC or The Who might have produced in their day (maybe not in the vocals, but in the music for sure.) Parade leans more towards rock as well. However, for those who still need their hard electronic fix, there's the hit track Civilization and the awesome Canon, which might be the best song on the whole thing. The only knock I have on the album is just how much you can point out how it sounds like other artists. Air, Daft Punk, Gorillaz (Re: Canon), and even Beach Boys at parts. But that's a minor quibble. Overall, this is one of the strongest albums of the year."[+]Reply
"A solid debut - slightly above average overall. It's pretty consistent, but there are only a few "wow" moments. The first three songs are particularly good, and The Killing Hand and Light Fuse and Get Away show flashes. Only a Matter of Time only got worse with age - it's not a good live song."Reply
"Changed the way I hear music. Worth listening to and exposing to more people. Fun, full of energy and possibly has the best drumming I've ever heard."Reply
"I think the last couple of songs could have been better - but overall the first side was very solid the energy was kept up through most of side two. One of her best albums."Reply
"Crammed full of singles, slick production (natch), tight harmonies... but obvs. B’s star shines brightest. For me, the apogee of 90s pop/R&B (only rivalled by TLC’s CrazySexyCool and FanMail), and still an album I take out for a more-than-occasional spin some 20+ years since it first landed."Reply