Author Topic: How I Got Over: reviewed  (Read 147 times)

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How I Got Over: reviewed
« on: June 25, 2010, 10:59:17 PM »
Artist(s): The Roots
Album: How I Got Over
Release Date: June 22nd, 2010

Review:
9 out of 10
Relatively straight forward album.  It's an album about nurturing belief and faith in order to change.  Faith in music.  Faith in religion.  Faith in humanity.  Faith in tomorrow.  Faith in yourself.  Faith in other people.    It details going from a lonely place of confusion to an awakening of action to the awareness of self-power.  It's an album about growth.  About recognizing this is where I'm today, realizing what I can be, and pursuing it.

Random thoughts:
This album is not meant to WOW you.  Do you listen to music or do you just skim through it?  It's meant for the person who's ready to listen.  Do you understand?  

the theme of the album more or less ends on the fire, note the transition instrumental tunnel vision into web 20/20 which is a nice boasting track and hustla (similar themes of album, nice ending track though them message might be overlooked due to the usage of the term hustla). 

Track by track review:
1.  A Peace of Light: Harmonies backed by the core instruments used on the album, drum and piano

2. Walk Alone: the devil wants me as is but God wants me as more

3. This is where I am today.  It's not a happy place.  I am caught in a struggle.  Each emcee provides vivid descriptions of their struggles.  

4. Dear God 2.0: While questioning God they describe the world's ills society, life, people, religion.  

5. Radio Daze: continual descriptions of the struggle

6. Now or Never:  moment of change, recognizing "I'm ready, let's do the unthinkable"

7. How I Got Over:  a plea to us by telling us how to change

Quote
the first thing they teach you is not to give a fuck (how i got over)
that type of thinking can get you no where
(some body, some where) some one has to care

Essentially, we're taught not to care but have to care.  It's a choice.

One of my favorite bars comes from this track.  It manages to capture being stuck in a frame of mind,
Quote
in suspended animation we ain't trying to go nowhere

8. Dillatude: signifies the shift between a negative mind frame to a path of a positive one

9. The Day: content about waking up and taking charge.  Random bar about getting head but aye I guess that's what Black Thought likes.  

10. Right On:  crazy ass track.  love the vocal sample.
Quote
we should shine a light on, a light on.
 don't half ass life

11. Doin' It Again:  reaffirmation of the direction taken.  it's at once the typical braggadocio track expected from hip-hop emcee's while being about sticking through with you decisions and staying convicted

12. The Fire:  the power of I, the power inside all of us

13. Tunnel vision: another instrumental leading into the final two tracks, another transition

14. Web 20/20: boasting track, reflects their skills, dedication to hip-hop

15.  Hustla:  nice way to end the album, hustla preserves and creates revenues - doesn't wait and buy like a customer
Cool breeze; I'm hopping out of new Beams
My outfit ran me a few G's but none of that will matter if you leave
I used to be an Adam with two Eves and shawtys automatically do me
Excuse me, all that happened before you doesn't matter
I'm a vision of the future climbing the success ladder
Recline, in the mean time, twenty three shine, diamond bling blind as I rewind
- Banks
 

Triple OG Rapsodie

Re: How I Got Over: reviewed
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2010, 01:44:44 AM »
I'm picking this up regardless, but fuck telling us what you think every song means. How about giving an actual review? You barely said anything about the production. How good does this sound musically is what I want to know. The Roots are a band after all.
 

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Re: How I Got Over: reviewed
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2010, 08:21:50 AM »
Production is on point.  It's not in your face, it's subtle, quiet.  There's a lot of focus on the drum and the piano (two key elements of the Roots from the beginning).  It flows effortlessly between tracks.  There's similar notes and patterns.  The first half of the album the music is evocative of sullenness which reflects the content supplied by the emcees.  It's contemplative, quieter atmosphere for the first half that translates it into a livieler energy in the second half.

It's strong production.  It's not over produced or under produced.  They're not trying to expand their sound, rather focus it, which they successfully do.

Has anybody else listened to the album?
Cool breeze; I'm hopping out of new Beams
My outfit ran me a few G's but none of that will matter if you leave
I used to be an Adam with two Eves and shawtys automatically do me
Excuse me, all that happened before you doesn't matter
I'm a vision of the future climbing the success ladder
Recline, in the mean time, twenty three shine, diamond bling blind as I rewind
- Banks
 

The-Leak (aka) kingwell (bka) JULES

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Re: How I Got Over: reviewed
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2010, 09:34:16 AM »
I did, and good review.  On point. 

Nice work at grasping the messages btw, like it.

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Re: How I Got Over: reviewed
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2010, 06:46:14 PM »
Artist(s): The Roots
Album: How I Got Over
Release Date: June 22nd, 2010

Review:
9 out of 10
Relatively straight forward album.  It's an album about nurturing belief and faith in order to change.  Faith in music.  Faith in religion.  Faith in humanity.  Faith in tomorrow.  Faith in yourself.  Faith in other people.    It details going from a lonely place of confusion to an awakening of action to the awareness of self-power.  It's an album about growth.  About recognizing this is where I'm today, realizing what I can be, and pursuing it.

Random thoughts:
This album is not meant to WOW you.  Do you listen to music or do you just skim through it?  It's meant for the person who's ready to listen.  Do you understand?  

the theme of the album more or less ends on the fire, note the transition instrumental tunnel vision into web 20/20 which is a nice boasting track and hustla (similar themes of album, nice ending track though them message might be overlooked due to the usage of the term hustla). 

Track by track review:
1.  A Peace of Light: Harmonies backed by the core instruments used on the album, drum and piano

2. Walk Alone: the devil wants me as is but God wants me as more

3. This is where I am today.  It's not a happy place.  I am caught in a struggle.  Each emcee provides vivid descriptions of their struggles.  

4. Dear God 2.0: While questioning God they describe the world's ills society, life, people, religion.  

5. Radio Daze: continual descriptions of the struggle

6. Now or Never:  moment of change, recognizing "I'm ready, let's do the unthinkable"

7. How I Got Over:  a plea to us by telling us how to change

Quote
the first thing they teach you is not to give a fuck (how i got over)
that type of thinking can get you no where
(some body, some where) some one has to care

Essentially, we're taught not to care but have to care.  It's a choice.

One of my favorite bars comes from this track.  It manages to capture being stuck in a frame of mind,
Quote
in suspended animation we ain't trying to go nowhere

8. Dillatude: signifies the shift between a negative mind frame to a path of a positive one

9. The Day: content about waking up and taking charge.  Random bar about getting head but aye I guess that's what Black Thought likes.  

10. Right On:  crazy ass track.  love the vocal sample.
Quote
we should shine a light on, a light on.
 don't half ass life

11. Doin' It Again:  reaffirmation of the direction taken.  it's at once the typical braggadocio track expected from hip-hop emcee's while being about sticking through with you decisions and staying convicted

12. The Fire:  the power of I, the power inside all of us

13. Tunnel vision: another instrumental leading into the final two tracks, another transition

14. Web 20/20: boasting track, reflects their skills, dedication to hip-hop

15.  Hustla:  nice way to end the album, hustla preserves and creates revenues - doesn't wait and buy like a customer


good shit my equal like how you broke it down yell
got a good woman at home,& this broad i smashed be-foe
but in my dome i'm think'n will it be good as be-foe
ring finger says, to don't pursue it,the "k-9" in me says
"ain't-nothing-to-it, but-to-do-it"/
but if we bang and i get caught OH-BOY-YA!/
i pray to god the wife don't get kelis or elin's lawyer
www.myspace.com/panhandoelrcorp
 

operation stackola

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Re: How I Got Over: reviewed
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2010, 07:04:20 PM »
Got this off Best Buy for $8. Can't wait for it to come in the mail 8)