Live At The Fillmore - Cypress Hill

...was recorded at the groups live show at the world famous venue The Fillmore, in San Francisco on August 16, 2000, as the final gig in a nationwide tour.

The group consists of lead rapper B-Real, rapper Sen Dogg, DJ Muggs, and Eric Bobo the percussionist. All members of the band have a Latin influence, indeed B-real also has Cuban bloods, which all of them are very proud to represent through their music. The other main point about the ...
...influence in this track, the live show works perfectly for tracks like this with the addition to the group of percussionist Erik Bobo, who sounds like he's having a lot of fun, both rappers sound a bit frantic on this one, which is no surprise as their running around the stage, still sound wicked.

Samples

"Duke of Earl" by Gene Chandler
"Shotgun" by Junior Walker & the All Stars

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'Live at the Fillmore' is the December 2000 release from rap heavyweights Cypress Hill, and would be the 8th EP/LP released by the group. The album was recorded at the groups live show at the world famous venue The Fillmore, in San Francisco on August 16, 2000, as the final gig in a nationwide tour.

The group consists of lead rapper B-Real, rapper Sen Dogg, DJ Muggs, and Eric Bobo the percussionist. All members of the band have a Latin influence, indeed B-real also has Cuban bloods, which all of them are very proud to represent through their music. The other main point about the band is their all massive stoners and rap about weed at almost any chance, although anyone who's ever heard the Hill will already know that. Cypress Hill truly established their own sound and are one of the most influential groups in music, not just rap.

The Album

(Sample information taken from Wikipediea)

1 - Hand on the Pump

From the second we hear Sen Dogs voice introducing Cypress to the stage you can almost hear the electricity in the crowd, the Hill kick things off with on of the most funky songs from their first album, a fitting way to start, I've always thought you can really hear the Hispanic influence in this track, the live show works perfectly for tracks like this with the addition to the group of percussionist Erik Bobo, who sounds like he's having a lot of fun, both rappers sound a bit frantic on this one, which is no surprise as their running around the stage, still sound wicked.

Samples

"Duke of Earl" by Gene Chandler
"Shotgun" by Junior Walker & the All Stars

8/10

2 - Real Estate

The Hill continue with the Hispanic funk from their first album with one another bouncy, sample heavy track, perfect for a live performance, the energy of this track is perfect for a live performance but is one of the tracks of which the studio version sounds better, still a fun track.

Samples

"Copy Cat" by the Bar-Kays
"Humpin'" by the Bar-Kays
"Underdog" by Sly & the Family Stone
"Sexy Coffee Pot" by Tony Avalon & the Belairs
"Cramp Your Style" by All the People featuring Robert Moore

7/10

3 - How I Could Just Kill a Man

One of the tracks that originally got Cypress Hill noticed, this one was a big hit on release, its still one of my favourite Cypress tracks, many producers have tried to copy this sound, but few have been able to replicate DJ Muggs. As anyone can guess by the title this is a typical gangster rap song about gang violence but to a higher level than most can achieve, love the intro with Erik Bobo's percussion solo, he also has a great solo at the end of the track, both rappers hit every rap on point, they must have performed this track thousands of times during their career, love the pumping base line.

Samples

"Tramp" by Lowell Fulsom
"Midnight Theme" by Manzel
"Come on In" by Music Machine
"Are You Experienced" by Jimi Hendrix
"Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies
"Escape-ism", "I Got Ants in My Pants", & "I Got to Move" by James Brown

10/10

4 - Insane in the Brain

The group flow effortlessly into the next track, mixing the tracks smoothly into each other, chances are if you have ever heard Cypress you've heard this song, the original from the groups second release, Black Sunday, is one of the few tracks in gangster rap that has reached beyond the music world and found a place in popular culture, being referenced in everything from films, sitcoms, comedies, and the group even featured in The Simpsons performing it in the 'Hoomerpalooza' episode. Again the track is perfect for a live performance but the energy also works sitting here listening in my headphones, love this song, I'm guessing after the track was released there has never been a Cypress Hill concert in which this song wasn't performed.

Samples

"I'm Black And I'm Proud" by James Brown
"Good Guys Only Win In The Movies" by Mel & Tim
"All Over The World" by The Youngbloods
"Life" by Sly & The Family Stone

9/10

5 - Pigs

If I remember correctly this track was the B-side to the 'How I Could Just Kill a Man' single, and helped the groups exposure as much as the main single. I love the music to this one, it sounds so raw, an example of using 2 or 3 samples to perfection, the track basically a song in which CH vent their hate for the police, you can hear the crowd getting hyped up during this, love B-Real's vocals on this one.

Samples

"Ali; Funky Thing" by Chuck Cornish

8/10

6 - Looking Through the Eye of a Pig

We're treated to an extended intro to this track down to the fact B-Real leaves the stage briefly to put on a cop uniform, when he's ready to return Sen Dog chants him back to the stage to a chorus of boos when the crowd see how he's dressed, after a short interaction with the crowd and B-Real kicks into his raps, the track's premise is from the view of a corrupt police officer, with B-Real rapping as if he's the cop, love the story telling in this track, one of Cypress Hill's more clever tracks, there's nothing I don't like about this track, the music is very dark to match the subject matter.

10/10

7 - Cock the Hammer

This tracks being completely rocked up for the live show, now featuring some pretty heavy guitar, although I'm a big fan of the original the live version is just as good if not better, this is an example of Cypress Hill doing rap metal better than any other band ever except maybe Rage Against The Machine, both rappers flow aggressively, almost shouting but never falling into the mistake of losing rhythm, a very impressive live song.

8/10

8 - Checkmate

One of the early rap metal songs Cypress made, from the IV album, this one loses some of its effect live um my opinion, the lyrics on the original are performed at almost double time, so combining the speed of the raps with the almost over powering live band then this track becomes one of the weakest on the LP. I'm sure it was amazing if you were there live but not so good in my headphones.

5/10

9 - Can't Get the Best of Me

One of the tracks from the rock side of the Skull and Bones album, B-Real announces as the track begins it's one of his favourite songs, its pretty heavy, I can just see the mosh pit as this ones on, although considering the crowd is probably a mix of stoner hip-hop fans then maybe it's a touch calmer than I'm thinking, the music in the chorus is a touch over powering to the lyrics, but the verses are unaffected, it's a decent track but not one I listen to much.

6/10

10 - Lick a Shot

Again a rocked up version of the fairly chilled out if not dark original, the music is almost unrecognisable, this one works well but I prefer the more hip-hop sound of the original, another track with a lot of energy and intensity to it but a step up from the previous couple of songs, one of the better rock versions on here.

8/10

11 - A to the K

Yet another rock version of a very hip-hop sounding song, love both versions of this, the guitar on this one from the minute it kicks in is heavy and menacing, and I love it, the lyrics to this one work well with the rock backdrop, Sen Dog really lets loose during this song, B-Real manages to mix his laid back style into the song with ease, flipping between total aggression and his stoned laidback demeanour effortlessly.

8/10

12 - I Ain't Going Out Like That

Continuing the rock theme of this part of the show Cypress take one of their classics from Black Sunday, the rock version to this one is slightly easier to compare to the original than the other modified tracks, again I prefer the original, but still not a bad track.

Samples

"Wicked World" by Black Sabbath
"The Wizard" by Black Sabbath

7/10

13 - I Wanna Get High

No Cypress Hill show is complete without them paying a homage to their favourite plant and pastime, we get a fairly long intro involving B-Real encouraging anyone who has any weed in the crowd to light up and sing along with him, he did the same when I saw them, One of the most laid back songs in any music, I love everything about this one from the lyrics, the subject matter, to the music, B-Real raps this one with ease.

Samples

"Get Out Of My Life, Woman" by The New Apocalypse
"Taxman" by Junior Parker
"One Draw" by Rita Marley

10/10

14 - Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk

The weed theme continues as the Hill merge the tracks together again, this ones a decent track and sounds much like the original, its chosen more for the theme than its effectiveness live, still I do like it, and no Cypress show is complete without a few of this type of song.

Sample

"Down Here on the Ground" by Grant Green

7/10

15 - Hits From The Bong

One of my top 3 Cypress Hill songs, the music borrows heavily from the classic 'Son of a Preacher Man', this is the perfect and definitive stoner track for me, during this track the Hill have a huge bong onstage (it was a joint the size of a beer can when I saw them) which B-Real takes a hit from at the end of the lines -

Don't get me stirred up,
The smoke through the bubbling water,
Making it pure so I gotta,
Take my hit then I hold it,
Just like Chong I get the bowl and I re-load it,
Get that 4 footer then I bring it on,
Think I try hit that bong.

Samples

"Son Of A Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield
"Get Out Of My Life, Woman" by Lee Dorsey
"Don't Cha Hear Me Calling To Ya" by Junior Mance

10/10

16 - Riot Starter

After the few stoner songs we get right back into the rock show, Riot Starter was another one of the earlier rap metal tracks they made, from the IV album, this one suffers slightly in the same way as Checkmate did but to a lesser degree, the chorus works very well but some of the raps are lost a bit in the music.

7/10

17 - (Rock) Superstar

One of my favourite rap metal songs they've made, the original also has a rap version, both come from the Skull and Bones album, there's a pretty long intro to the track as B-Real talks to the crowd, once the track kicks in its plain to hear this one has lost something in the recording, some of the more intricate sounds in the song are over powered by the base and guitars, as is the rapping, a disappointing version that probably sounded fine if you were there but not in my headphones.

5/10

Overall a 8/10 score from me, although there are some weak tracks on here, overall this is one of the better live albums I've heard, Cypress Hill have a real passion for their music and have gone through many different stages in their career, the recording of this one being when they were in their rock phase which is very apparent when you hear so many hip-hop tracks rocked up for the live version. It's always interesting to hear musicians try something like this in a live performance and shows great confidence in their ability to switch things up and still captivate their audience, which was built on their rap sound.

Further Reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypress_Hill #
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_the_Fillmore_(Cypress_Hill_album)
http://www.cypresshill.com/ 

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