West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: Twentytwofifty on May 23, 2005, 03:08:10 PM
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Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords (1995)
(http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf700/f744/f74464r9k0d.jpg) (http://s39.yousendit.com/e.aspx?id=0HAP1V1GBNGIM02TOOMB30NN7K)
Rza ruled in 1995, if he didn’t establish himself as elite producer with Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Tical he would certainly do that in ’95 with this album and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… and Return To The 36 Chambers (The Dirty Version). This album has top notch production to say the least and along with Gza’s razor sharp lyrics and some killer guest appearances, this album comes together very nicely.
“Duel Of The Iron Mic” sees GZA, Masta Killa and Inspectah Deck behind the mic, with Ol' Dirty Bastard screaming "Duel of the Iron Mic! It's that fifty-two fatal strikes!" as a chorus of sorts. At this point the album is only two tracks deep, but the shit keeps on getting better and better. "Living In The World Today" can be summed up by a few simple words from GZA himself: "Now who can ever say they heard of this? My motherfuckin style is mad murderous." The high strings built around a grinding horn loop on “4th Chamber” is perfect for GZA to be joined by Killah Priest, Ghostface Killah and a flow from RZA that even though sounds stifled and awkward contains some ill lyrics.
His vivid depiction of a scenario on “Gold” is excellent as he begins "Under the subway waiting for the train to make noise/ so I can blast a nigga and his boys/for what?/ he pushed up on the block and made the dope sales drop" and "Snake got smoked on the set like Brandon lee/ blown out the frame like Pan-am flight 103." On “Labels” GZA takes the names of the record labels out there, major and independent and makes them into one long blazing verse.
A staggered RZA beat on "Cold World" moves up and down a simple musical variation hiding complex depths: a strong bassline, an ominous storm howling in the background, crispy drums and hi-hats, and even occasional plucked guitars echoing eeriley into the background. The instrumental alone is a Wu-banger, but when hearing Inspectah Deck provide the guest verse following GZA's it not only solidifies the dopeness of the cut but damn near upstages GZA's reputation as the tightest lyricist in the Clan.
As if this wasn't enough, and as if this album wasn't every hardcore hip-hop motherfucker's wet dream come true already, the following track "Shadowboxin'" may be the icing on the proverbial cake - an all out assault on conventional rhyming with the incredible tag-team duo of Method Man and GZA trying to one-up each other with flows that bust up the snot-nosed. The simplicity of the track and the scratched in Kung-Fu sample hook strip the song down to it's bare essentials like a Rick Rubin reduction, and neither MC avoids the opportunity to shine brightly in the spotlight. The album oddly enough ends without Gza on the mic or Rza behind the boards but fortunately Killah Priest and 4th Disciple come through with a stellar track, “B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)”.
This album helped the Wu-Tang Clan establish themselves as a major force to be reckon with in hip-hop and arguably the most talented group of MCs ever. What makes it so great is not only the introspective rhymes from the Wu’s best lyricist but the dark almost apocalyptic production which the RZA. This is hip-hop at it's finest.
50. Dr. Dre – 2001 (1999) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=73625.0)
49. Outkast – Southernplayalisticaddicmuzik (1994) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=73777.0)
48. Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=74040.0)
47. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1990) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=74218.0)
46. Redman – Whut? Thee Album (1992) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=74531.0)
45. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (1991) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=74834.0)
44. Fugees – The Score (1996) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=75061.0)
43. The D.O.C. – No One Can Do It Better (1989) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=75381.0)
42. Common Sense - Resurrection (1994) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=75589.0)
41. Makaveli - The Don Kiluminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=75939.0)
40. Public Enemy – Fear Of A Black Planet (1990) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=76104.0)
39. Ice Cube – Death Certificate (1992) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=76728.0)
38. Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords (1995)
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Great album. Second best Wu solo album after Only Built 4 Cuban linx. 1995 was definetly the year of the Wu tang...
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dope...props
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Nice album, but still... I personally just never got to like Gza enough to completely enjoy the whole album front to back without getting a bit tired of his sound. Don't get me wrong, it sure is a damn nice album, but it seems to me like he's overrated. I would take any of the other early Wu releases over this album any day. Method Man's Tical, ODB's Return to the 36 chambers, Raekwon's Cuban Linx, Ghostface's Ironman and of course Enter the 36 chambers... All of those I enjoy a lot more than this Gza album. Lord knows why.
I might need to see a doctor about this.
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Nice album, but still... I personally just never got to like Gza enough to completely enjoy the whole album front to back without getting a bit tired of his sound. Don't get me wrong, it sure is a damn nice album, but it seems to me like he's overrated. I would take any of the other early Wu releases over this album any day. Method Man's Tical, ODB's Return to the 36 chambers, Raekwon's Cuban Linx, Ghostface's Ironman and of course Enter the 36 chambers... All of those I enjoy a lot more than this Gza album. Lord knows why.
I might need to see a doctor about this.
i agree with you, which only goes to show how strong the wu was. maybe all those albums are still coming in the list. i doubt it tho
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Nice album, but still... I personally just never got to like Gza enough to completely enjoy the whole album front to back without getting a bit tired of his sound. Don't get me wrong, it sure is a damn nice album, but it seems to me like he's overrated. I would take any of the other early Wu releases over this album any day. Method Man's Tical, ODB's Return to the 36 chambers, Raekwon's Cuban Linx, Ghostface's Ironman and of course Enter the 36 chambers... All of those I enjoy a lot more than this Gza album. Lord knows why.
I might need to see a doctor about this.
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It actually took me awhile to get into this album.
I looked at old threads here about which is the best Wu-Tang solo album and I found it odd that so many people here held Tical is such high regard. It's a good album no doubt but Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... and Liquid Swords usually get all the love and are pretty much considered the best solos.
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Great album. Second best Wu solo album after Only Built 4 Cuban linx. 1995 was definetly the year of the Wu tang...
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This album, was fuckin crazy its lyrics where outta control but only builts production is better and Raekwon started that whole mafia shit / aka / poppin crys , and tical was just the unleashing of the mc with how many incedible flows, but Gza paints pictures with his rhymes, u hear the shit then two songs later your like ahhh now i get it ... and after reading the wu-tang manual man it opens you up into like the whole world of the nicest group ever