They're right. This album is pretentious. It has no cohesion and just at times seems like they added parts that really add nothing to the overall experience and just are adding tangents to what is already a mess. For instance, the opening melodic part of Antennas to Heaven after the ambient part with the children and stuff just seems random and entirely unnecessary.
This album tries so hard to be epic and i've given it years of proper unbiased judgement from someone who already listens to ambient and am familiar with a host of lengthy music/songs and the patience it can take sometimes to familiarize oneself with new music that is just as lengthy or even more so. Actually, in terms of length this is actually not that bad, but however.....I must admit there are parts, like the opening of sleep with the guy speaking and the ending part of sleep plus the part with the preacher which are quite emotional and very good, but these type of sections are so few and far between what is really an album with as much cohesion as two like charges.
I mean really, if this fucking band would figure out that transition in music is just as if not more important to the overall experience rather than just adding some good sounding idea THAT IS FUCKING FILLER because ultimately it does not mesh in the end (see opening paragraph) If they didn't have a problem shifting musically they'd make something that is not only shorter (because length =/= epic) but musically more rewarding because it wouldn't take so damn long to get there.
Ghostface strings together unengaging, nonsensical lyrics for the sake of hitting a rhyme over boring beats that lack the character of those that back the first wave of Wu albums. His entertaining flow and the album's couple of highlights--such as the feature-packed tracks "Buck 50" and "Wu Banga 101"--aren't enough to lift Supreme Clientele, its exhausting length, grating vocal hooks, terrible structure and overlong skits capping off this supremely overrated entry in the Wu catalog.
The critical acclaim this received at the time, and to an extent has continued to receive, just confuses me. It seems completely bizarre that this is considered to be her best album in some quarters - to me, it just sounds like she removed all the appealing things about Rid of Me and Dry, and replaced them with nothing. It's such a dull album that I returned it to HMV the same day I bought it, and it took me over four years to muster up the energy to listen to anything else she did.
"Cut self not" is a great opener and really the only reason to listen to this album. Its close to post hardcore perfection. I love its erratic guitars and catchy aggressive hook.
Somehow along the rest of the album the band turns into a lame The Police tribute band. The quality dip really catches you by surprise, it seems that they lost all motivation and energy after recording the first tune.
As a general rule of thumb, when an artist begins a song with the words “Here’s my philosophy”, you know you’re in trouble. Only triteness will follow. And when that line is completed with “living in a penitentiary” that makes matters far worse. Erykah Badhu improves matters somewhat from that cringe-inducing opening number (it's like if Lenny Kravitz was a woman, instead of occasionally just looking like one), but not by much. This music with its touches of funk and soul is so horribly lame and dated it might as well have been a set on That ‘70’s Show. Badhu is-at least on Mama’s Gun-often a shrill and irritating vocalist and her lyrics are just bad poetry (“I’m an orange moon and I shine so bright. Cause I reflect the light of my sun”). I would take her parts on Outkast’s “Humble Mumble” over the entirety of this silly trifle.
Hmm, pity to see this happen, so I'm not sure how to vote yet, I prefer 1970 in terms of albums, only slightly though, with Moondance and Bridge Over Troubled Water edging Supreme Clientele and my favourite PJ Harvey album, that said Skinny singles equal things up, particularly 'It Wasn't Me'. I voted for both users here in the round, but I'm not sure this time, , I guess technically I prefer the 1970 team slightly, but I don't feel right voting for an automated team also, I'll think this over...
Edit: Just had to give the edge to Skinny. _________________
Vote for RockyRacoon. Hope you have something proper to your name next time though. 1970 has a lot going for it so there are a great selection of albums and singles to choose from. I know you have much more to give.
Despite needing a win after losing in the first round, I'm genuinely gutted not to be facing an actual team, and was looking forward to seeing what Rocky had up his sleeve. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
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I know you have much more to give.
