West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: Action! on June 25, 2010, 10:59:17 PM
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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
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,
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. 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
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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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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?
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I did, and good review. On point.
Nice work at grasping the messages btw, like it.
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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
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,
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. 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
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Got this off Best Buy for $8. Can't wait for it to come in the mail 8)