I first heard of Run DMC in 1998 when a remix of their song "It's Like That" stormed the UK charts - it was the one with the cool break-dancing video, remember?
Anyhoo, I kinda forgot about them until a few weeks ago, when I read a review of their Greatest Hits album in a Sunday paper. The ... Read review
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DVDSucker M.C.'s (Krush-Groove 1)Walk This WayYou Talk Too MuchKing Of RockRun's HouseIt's ... more
TrickyMary, MaryPauseRock BoxThe Ave.Beats To The RhymeIt's Like That (Jason Nevins)Down With The KingChristmas In HollisCD1. It's Like That feat. Jason Nevins2. Walk This Way feat. Aerosmith3. Sucker MC's4. My Adidas5. King Of Rock6. It's Tricky7. Can You Rock It Like This8. You Be Illin'9. Rock Box10. Run's House11. Peter Piper12. Bounce13. Beats To The Rhyme14. Jam Master Jay15. Hard Times16. Down With The King17. Mary Mary18. What's It All About19. It's Tricky 2003 feat. Jacknife Lee
Advantages: Widespread appeal. Kick-ass hip-hop songs. Disadvantages: Won't be making any more.
...read a review of their Greatest Hits album in a Sunday paper. The critic spoke very highly of them, but since I knew very little about the band (and hip-hop wasn't really my scene) I decided to do a little bit of background research before deciding whether to buy. Here's a little of what I found out.
RUN DMC FACTS
Band Members:
Run (Joseph Simmons)
DMC (Darryl McDaniels)
Jam Master Jay (Jason ... ...albums in total (not including greatest hits compilations).
They were the first rap act to have a platinum selling album, get on MTV (a rarity for black artists in any field at the time), appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and were the only ones asked to perform at Live Aid.
They have appeared in two films, Krush Groove (1985) and Tougher Than Leather (1988).
I first heard of Run DMC in 1998 when a remix of their song "It's Like That" stormed the UK charts - it was the one with the cool break-dancing video, remember?
Anyhoo, I kinda forgot about them until a few weeks ago, when I read a review of their Greatest Hits album in a Sunday paper. The critic spoke very highly of them, but since I knew very little about the band (and hip-hop wasn't really my scene) I decided to do a little bit of background research before deciding whether to buy. Here's a little of what I found out.
RUN DMC FACTS
Band Members: Run (Joseph Simmons) DMC (Darryl McDaniels) Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell)
Unlike the stereotypical rapper, these three did not hail from "the ghetto", but rather from the middle class neighbourhoods of Hollis, Queens, N.Y.
The trio released their first single, the aforementioned "It's Like That", in 1983.
Run DMC released seven albums in total (not including greatest hits compilations).
They were the first rap act to have a platinum selling album, get on MTV (a rarity for black artists in any field at the time), appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and were the only ones asked to perform at Live Aid.
They have appeared in two films, Krush Groove (1985) and Tougher Than Leather (1988).
They are considered by many to be the greatest hip-hop group ever, and certainly the first to cross the traditional class/race barriers and achieve widespread popularity.
Sadly, on Wednesday 10th October 2002, band member Jam Master Jay was gunned down and killed on the street. His murder provoked a sense of bewilderment, as Run DMC as a group had always steered clear of the "drugs and crime" mindset of other similarly-fated performers (Tupac, Notorious B.I.G etc.). To date, no-one has been charged with the crime.
THE ALBUM
The album itself is packed full of fantastic songs, incorporating Run DMC's signature, and at the time revolutionary, metal guitar and hard drum-beat stylings. The sometimes poetic lyrics and catchy tunes are a joy to behold, without a swear word, drug boast, or crime reference to offend - in fact, one of the first things I noticed about the album was the lack of "Parental Advisory" label on the cover. The songs appear to me to be more joyful and lighter in tone than any of the subsequent performers they inspired (Eminem?), which is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed the album so much.
SONG LIST
1. KING OF ROCK (excellent opening tune, sets the scene) 2. IT'S TRICKY (fans of console game "SSX TRICKY" should recognise this one) 3. BEATS TO THE RHYME 4. CAN YOU ROCK IT LIKE THIS 5. WALK THIS WAY (remix of Aerosmith classic - single-handedly revived the ailing rock giants' career) 6. RUN'S HOUSE (the reason behind my title) 7. ROCK BOX 8. PETER PIPER (some excellent tongue-twisting nursery rhyme lyrics) 9. MARY, MARY 10. HARD TIMES (sounds a little too much like "IT'S LIKE THAT" for me) 11. YOU BE ILLIN'(not sure what illin' is exactly, good song though!) 12. IT'S LIKE THAT (probably my favourite) 13. MY ADIDAS (seriously boosted sales in Adidas trainers and chunky gold chains!) 14. SUCKER M.C.'S (KRUSH GROOVE 1) 15. YOU TALK TOO MUCH (In my opinion (and this is my opinion!) the relative low point of the album - I find it a bit repetitive) 16. JAM MASTER JAY 17. DOWN WITH THE KING 18. CHRISTMAS IN HOLLIS (the best Christmas song EVER!! Played in "Die Hard" movie)
PRESENTATION & PRICE
The CD is presented in a very well designed way, with the booklet showing some nice pictures of the band together. I paid £8.99 for the album from Play.com
SUMMARY
Even as a non rap-fan I found most of the songs on this album to be extremely catchy and memorable. I would recommend Run DMC - Greatest Hits to hip-hop fans plus anyone who, like me, has a diverse taste in music and isn't put off by genre or reputation. Still, as a geeky milk-bottle-white-guy, I do get some funny looks when I cruise down the street with this blaring out of my wee car stereo!
Advantages: All the hits in one place. Disadvantages: n/a
...deemed to be Run DMC's greatest work. Tracklist: 1 Sucker M.C.'s [Krush-Groove 1] 2 Walk This Way 3 Together Forever [Krush-Groove 4](Live At Hollis Park) 4 King of Rock 5 Run's House 6 It's Tricky 7 Pause 8 You Be Illin' 9 My Adidas 10 Here We Go (Live At The Fun House) 11 Rock Box 12 Ave. 13 Hard Times 14 Beats to the Rhyme 15 Jam-Master Jay 16 Peter Piper 17 It's Like That 18 Christmas in Hollis As greatest hits albums go, they don't really get ... ...work, I would have liked 'It's Not Funny' (from their King Of Rock album) to have been included on this but this is still more than great without it. This compliation showcases their innovative style and techniques and gives some indication of why Run DMC are so widely respected and admired over twenty five years after their first release. ...
dandadda 16.03.2009
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Product Information for "Greatest Hits - Run DMC" »
Product details
Title
Greatest Hits
Performer
Run DMC
Genre
R&B
Sub Genre
Rap
Release Date
17/11/2003
Recomended Retail Price
13.99 GBP
Label / Distributor
Arista / Sony Music/Arvato Services
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Format
Performer
EAN
743219806024
Catalogue Number
74321980602
Additional notes
Album Notes
Posthumous best-of album from hip-hop legends who split up following the murder of DJ Jam Master Jay in 2002. In on hip-hop almost from the very beginning, this collection shows the development of their pioneering style and includes all their hits including 'It's Like That', 'Sucker MCs', 'My Adidas', 'It's Tricky' and the seminal rap-rock track 'Walk This Way' which they recorded with Aerosmith.
Titles on disc 1
1.
It's Like That - Run DMC & Jason Nevins
2.
Walk This Way - Run DMC & Aerosmith
3.
Sucker MC's
4.
Bounce
5.
King Of Rock
6.
It's Tricky
7.
Can You Rock It Like This
8.
You Be Illin'
9.
Rock Box
10.
Run's House
11.
Peter Piper
12.
My Adidas
13.
Beats To The Rhyme
14.
Jam Master Jay
15.
Hard Times
16.
Down With The King
17.
Mary Mary
18.
What's It All About
19.
It's Tricky (2003) - Run DMC & Jacknife Lee
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Listed on Ciao since
16/04/2003
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