Note to Marks & Spencer: Whispering over the top of slow motion footage of food doesn't make it tast...
Note to Marks & Spencer: Whispering over the top of slow motion footage of food doesn't make it tastier or any less fattening.
Member since:22.05.2004
Reviews:143
Members who trust:153
For seasoned rap observers like myself the glory days of this particular genre of music was the three year period 1988 to 1991. This was the birth if "gangsta" rap and the mellow, polar opposite "DAISY Age" murmurings of De La Soul and PM Dawn. Then Ice Cube left NWA and went solo, NWA split up, Dr Dre discovered Snoop Dogg, and the pioneers of rap in the late 80s failed to find their voice and repsond successfully to the poppier direction in which rap was heading.
Then in 1993, from New York, came a crew of eight random individuals so effective as solo units and incendiary and explosive as a group, that rap music took a long overdue slap on the arse upon their very arrival. They were the Wu-Tang Clan and lined us thus: The RZA (pronounced Rizza), Method Man, U-God, Rebel INS, Shallah Raekwon, Ghostface Killer, Ol' Dirty Bastard and The GZA (pronounced Jizza). On the next album
they would be joined full time by Inspecktah Deck and on a part-time basis by a rapper named Cappadonna. The next ten years would see their members dying of a heart attack, releasing fantastic solo albums and scoring the Kill Bill movies.
This album was their debut and the opening BRING DA RUCKUS was their statement of intent on this their statement of intent album! The beats are explosive, and the sign of The RZA's fascination with old 70s kung fu movies soundtracks and samples rings through. The album is split into two sections namely Shaolin Sword and Wu-Tang Sword. Method Man and Ol Dirty Bastard are in incediary form with some great rapping and rhyming and this track, with its sparse and almost tinny production sets the explosive theme of the album.
SHAME ON A NIGGA is next and The RZA's production is more thoughtful and carefully planned. It's quite bassy, so opposite to the tinny soundscapes of the last track. Suring Raekwon's verse, there's some weird sampled piano that fits in nicely with the groove of the song. This more poppy than the first cut on the album but was never going to be released as single because of the title.
CLAN IN DA FRONT is four and a half minutes of pure freestyle rapping with each member of the band (except the musician, producer and most talented member - The RZA) setpping up to the mic and rocking it. The beats are back to furious and the bass once again mixed down to provide stomping, sharp-edged beats.
Next come two fantastic six minute epics, namely WU-TANG: 7TH CHAMBER and CAN IT ALL BE SO SIMPLE. The latter is their poppiest effort on this album. It samples an old Gladys Knight number and is a stroke of genius mixing together Knight's smooth, 1970s soul vocals with some roughcut 90s rapping and beats. The former track is stark and underproduced, but is a good indication of what the Wu-Tang Clan were trying to achieve with this album. Whilst peaceful rap groups like De La Soul and the Digable Planets were successful in trying to play down the harshness and machismo of gangsta rap, the music had got staid and predictable. The Clan were instrumental in stoking up the furore surrounding the music and making it confontational again.
And so to the Wu-Tang Sword section of the album. Generally it's more of the same with tracks like CREAM and TEARZ once again showing off their poppier side, but again with the nature of the lyrics and the subject matter, they were never going to appear on CD:UK.
DA MYSTERY OF CHESSBOXIN' is a harsh beat allied to clipped hi hats and percussion with Raekwon stealing the show and using boxing metaphors to describe the reality of street life. WU-TANG AIN'T NOTHIN' TO FUCK WITH revisits the earlier ferocity of Bring Da Ruckus and remains the confrontational high point of this album.
Tracklisting: 1. Bring Da Ruckus 2. Shame On A Nigga 3. Clan In Da Front 4. Wu Tang: 7th Chamber 5. Can It Be All So Simple 6. Da Mystery Of Chessboxin' 7. Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothin' To Fuck With 8. Cream 9. Method Man 10. Protect Ya Neck 11. Tearz 12.Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber Part 2
Overall, I find Ciao rather hostile to hip hop which is a shame because the same aggression and attitude that you would in artists such as Guns N Roses and Linkin Park and The Used are all too apparent within this album. If you're willing to dip into hip hop away from the current crop of millionaires who brag about their dicks and bank balances and fancy learning some harsh life lessons from a motley ragbag of rap mercenaries, I would recommend this album wholeheartedly.
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one of the best reviews on this product but :) i would have given it 5 stars for definate
elephants69food_0 02.08.2005 17:14
well from looking at all the other comments not too many members are hot on their hip hop. i find this an excellent review of an excellent album. check out my review on the new wu concert dvd - a total must have! em x
solamarie 08.03.2005 21:45
I am not familiar with this either so will ask my oldest grandson who just might be, interesting review, you make it sound worth listening to, Sue
This debut revolutionized hip-hop (and launched half a dozen solo careers), as much for ... more
The RZA's raw barrage of off-kilter, off-key loops and sound effects as for its elliptically violent lyrics. Martial arts--at least as they appear in kung fu movies...
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Bring Da Ruckus Shame on a nigga Clan in da front Wu Tang : 7th Chamber Can it be so ... more
simple Da mystery of chessboxin' Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit C.R.E.A.M. Method Man Protect ya neck Tearz Wu Tang : 7th Chamber - Part II Method Man (Skunk mix...
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Advantages: Incredible Lyrics, Rza Production usually intact, Nas and Redman Appearances Disadvantages: ODB is still MIA, Busta Rhymes, Too Much Cappadonna, Some Below Average or Horrible Tracks
bigdiship-hop 17.08.2004 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of W, The - Wu-TangClan
Advantages: Nice guest rappers like Ghostface and Raekwon turn up at AFTERPARTY and THE TURN respectively. Disadvantages: The lyrics from Method man are disgusting and the musical production is revolting! SAY WHAT?
Mar 2nd, 2005
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