Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Review:
Abstract Tribe Unique
P.A.I.N.T.
***
A definite improvement over their debut. The move to the Battle Axe did wonders for A.T.U.'s production values. Unfortunately, P.A.I.N.T. suffers from the same Cali laidbackism that bogged Mood Pieces down. When he's awake, Abby Rude has a not unpleasant pseudo-intellectual Cali underground flow. When he represses the urge to sing his lines, he actually sounds like a real rapper. The beats avoid the flutey smoked out Pseudo-Tang mush of their first record. It has a familiar Battle Axey funk. With his Project Blowed credentials, Abstract Rude is by no means skillless. All in all, P.A.I.N.T. confirms A.T.U's the potential and room for growth heard on Mood Pieces. The good news is this leads one to believe that A.T.U. is capable of producing a really dope record. The bad news is this one ain't it. The most impressive track is the gang-bang Heavyweights Round 4 freestyle clusterfuck.
Abstract Tribe Unique
P.A.I.N.T.
***
A definite improvement over their debut. The move to the Battle Axe did wonders for A.T.U.'s production values. Unfortunately, P.A.I.N.T. suffers from the same Cali laidbackism that bogged Mood Pieces down. When he's awake, Abby Rude has a not unpleasant pseudo-intellectual Cali underground flow. When he represses the urge to sing his lines, he actually sounds like a real rapper. The beats avoid the flutey smoked out Pseudo-Tang mush of their first record. It has a familiar Battle Axey funk. With his Project Blowed credentials, Abstract Rude is by no means skillless. All in all, P.A.I.N.T. confirms A.T.U's the potential and room for growth heard on Mood Pieces. The good news is this leads one to believe that A.T.U. is capable of producing a really dope record. The bad news is this one ain't it. The most impressive track is the gang-bang Heavyweights Round 4 freestyle clusterfuck.
Sunday, February 29, 2004
REVIEW:
Abstract Tribe Unique
Mood Pieces
*
Alright, let's get these over with. This is currently the first record in my record collection. Abstract Tribe Unique's debut Mood Pieces. I never listen to this record. I have three, or rather two and 1/2 Abstract Rude records. This is far and away the wackest. The beats are turgid and boring. The rhymes are too often poorly sung(ish) and otherwise unimpressive. There are absolutely no banging tracks on this record. Not one hidden gem or hot single. If I were planning a yard sale, this would be the first in the for sale crate and it would the last thing out of the free box. I've seen Abby Rude at least twice and he's always been okay live. Better than this record at least. I think he might of just been too stoned when he made this one. When the beats aren't terrible (Rollin' in My Car) Abby raps about stupid shit (driving with expired tags?). And then when he raps about "deep shit". Snore. I didn't like this record the moment I got it. And shit, it's a double record. I don't know if I can listen to this whole thing. But, no. That's too harsh. Let me tone it down a bit. It's got moments. I kind of like Left Hand Side. Fatjack for once doesn't let the low-key horns bum out the whole track like he usually does. But it's not a classic. And live, the songs can be really tight. I just can't imagine any time when I'd be like, I'm in the mood for Abstract Tribe Unique's Mood Pieces. Let me play that one song I really like from that first ATU album. Nope, never happens. I guess this record is just an example of the cons of underground hip-hop. Like avant garde jazz or indie rock or blogging, what you gain in multiplicity and variety, you can lose some in talent and maturation. ATU is a rare case of a group that does get better after their first record. But they never do get that great. They just get good at sucking less. I wish them well in that effort. There's much to be said for sucking less. If they ever open for a dope hip-hop act some day, I might consider seeing them, but I'll probably spend most of the set at the bar.
Well, at least this shows that just because my record collection is better than yours, I won't let it off the hook when it fucks up. But it gets better from here out. Coming up: AC/DC, Aceyalone, and Aesop Rock.
Abstract Tribe Unique
Mood Pieces
*
Alright, let's get these over with. This is currently the first record in my record collection. Abstract Tribe Unique's debut Mood Pieces. I never listen to this record. I have three, or rather two and 1/2 Abstract Rude records. This is far and away the wackest. The beats are turgid and boring. The rhymes are too often poorly sung(ish) and otherwise unimpressive. There are absolutely no banging tracks on this record. Not one hidden gem or hot single. If I were planning a yard sale, this would be the first in the for sale crate and it would the last thing out of the free box. I've seen Abby Rude at least twice and he's always been okay live. Better than this record at least. I think he might of just been too stoned when he made this one. When the beats aren't terrible (Rollin' in My Car) Abby raps about stupid shit (driving with expired tags?). And then when he raps about "deep shit". Snore. I didn't like this record the moment I got it. And shit, it's a double record. I don't know if I can listen to this whole thing. But, no. That's too harsh. Let me tone it down a bit. It's got moments. I kind of like Left Hand Side. Fatjack for once doesn't let the low-key horns bum out the whole track like he usually does. But it's not a classic. And live, the songs can be really tight. I just can't imagine any time when I'd be like, I'm in the mood for Abstract Tribe Unique's Mood Pieces. Let me play that one song I really like from that first ATU album. Nope, never happens. I guess this record is just an example of the cons of underground hip-hop. Like avant garde jazz or indie rock or blogging, what you gain in multiplicity and variety, you can lose some in talent and maturation. ATU is a rare case of a group that does get better after their first record. But they never do get that great. They just get good at sucking less. I wish them well in that effort. There's much to be said for sucking less. If they ever open for a dope hip-hop act some day, I might consider seeing them, but I'll probably spend most of the set at the bar.
Well, at least this shows that just because my record collection is better than yours, I won't let it off the hook when it fucks up. But it gets better from here out. Coming up: AC/DC, Aceyalone, and Aesop Rock.
Friday, February 27, 2004
I've been archiving and documenting all my records in an AppleWorks database for a few days now (I should get back there, I bet I could knock out the D's in an hour or two...) and it's surprisingly helpful. The ob/comp blogger that I am, I spend more time tweaking the layout than entering data. What're ya gonna do?
Right now I'm at 191 records filed and that's just A-C! It's already helped me figure out records I'm missing. Unfortunately, as a result I've learned that my first record to review on this site is really wack. I mean, I guess it's not that wack, it's just not very exciting for me personally. It's tough with the early A's. There's not alot going on in that region that's not ABBA. But I'll suck it up and produce a rock 'em - sock 'em first review tomorrow. Yeah, that's the ticket: I'll go home, enter in the D's, throw on tomorrow's record, refresh the memory and write a review. See ya.
Right now I'm at 191 records filed and that's just A-C! It's already helped me figure out records I'm missing. Unfortunately, as a result I've learned that my first record to review on this site is really wack. I mean, I guess it's not that wack, it's just not very exciting for me personally. It's tough with the early A's. There's not alot going on in that region that's not ABBA. But I'll suck it up and produce a rock 'em - sock 'em first review tomorrow. Yeah, that's the ticket: I'll go home, enter in the D's, throw on tomorrow's record, refresh the memory and write a review. See ya.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Besides reviewing my vast stores of vinyl recordings, I want this site to open me up to the cultural side of blogging. So far my blogging has been political: Kos, Atrios, Dean, etc. As I began my first day poking about the musical blogosphere, I came across Popular a site that is attempting to review all 950+ number one hits on the UK pop charts from 1952 to the present. We commend these crazy Brits for their obsessive and absurd endeavor. But just so you know: there are more than 950 records in my record collection.
My record collection is better than yours. I've been working on it for some time now. It's very large and very good. There are some bad records, but most of them are not. Most of them are better than your records. You probably don't have any records. You probably don't even have a record player. I'll bet you have a case of CD's in no order with no sleeves. You do, don't you? And I'll bet you have burned CD's of MP3s you downloaded illegally off the internet. I'll bet you've got Legend by Bob Marley and that one album that everybody has by Sublime. Here on this blog, I intend to let it be known once and for all that my record collection is superior to the pathetic pile of plastic pop you call "my music". I will review each and every piece of my own personal private stock of prime, high-grade vinyl analog recordings. I will not post links to mp3 samples of my records. If you want to hear the beautiful sounds I describe to you in all their glory, e-mail me and I will send you a tape: jumboelliot@comcast.net
