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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definitly NOT a let down, 10 Sep 2008
The roots have never put out a bad album. The 2 singles "Get Busy" and "75 Bars" are 2 of the best tracks of the year. Black Thought is on fire! Good production, top guests and the usual unique Roots sound.
Definitly worth having, along with all their other albums!
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
a little bit of a let down, 30 April 2008
Got this on pre-order.. it arrived same day release.
I love the roots - was really excited when i saw a new album for them.
Got to admit that their last couple have taken time to grow on me, the tipping point and game theory - they both did grow on me.
I listened to this new album once - didnt click with it.. I listened to it a 2nd time some hours later - still wasnt feeling it.. I then listened to it a 3rd time after a smoke - it still didnt sound right.
It is the roots but not quite right - it almost feels a little 'rocky' to me and a little overly heavy on the beats - thought i was listening to a rock/rap album at several points.
I know this isnt helpful but anyone who loved Cypress Hills albums until they started throwing in guitars all over the shop will know what i mean with this.
At work at the miinute so dont have time to write much.
this is a 3 out of 5 album which hopefully will sound better after more listens.
get their old albums before this tho if u not really heard much of the roots.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
When you've got some extraordinary music, you've got to share it, 2 May 2008
Aaaah.
The Roots.
Seems odd now, to me, that a mere 15 years on since their debut, this amazing band seems to still have to justify its artistic originality and be judged by other hip hop acts' standards, as they are more and more unique and without fearing serious contenders in their category. Category ? Well, that could even sound weird or irrelevant in the case of The Roots, who've been through proto-Acid Jazz meanderings ("Do You Want More ?"), hip-hop live fusion of the highest order ("Illadelph Life", "Things Fall Apart"), experimentations whose limit could only be the sky ("Phrenology"), classic club cuts redefining dancefloor ("The Tipping Point") and wry, darker, commentary on the sour moods of our times in the shape of their last record, 2006's "Game Theory".
That last album, oddly enough once again, was their Def Jam debut, and A&R man Jay Z seemed to have allowed them maximum freedom, as they both never sounded so relaxed AND unafraid to push further the boundaries of their extraordinary musicianship and inventiveness. Now comes "Rising Down", their 8th studio release proper, and the title itself sums perfectly the whole spirit of that follow-up; after having sampled Radiohead and took a much darker direction both lyrically and sonically, The Roots have at last found a niche where they are both at home and rewardingly creative like they've never been before.
Its starts off with an explosive intro consisting in a one-minute angry argument over a phone conference followed by 2 of their harder grooves to date; the desolated title track, featuring the great underrated Mos Def, and "Get Busy", all saturated drums and pulsating bass. One could have thought that signing to Def Jam would have The Roots slightly more preoccupied by chart success, but for the second time, they're challenging the trust put upon them by squeezing all cliches expected from a hip hop act in their situation. Hell, "Criminal" even sounds like the artful american trio Blonde Redhead (albeit with a funky spice...).
Guest featurings have always been the cherries on their cake, and this time around there are plenty of them, and stars at that (aforementioned Mos Def, but also Talib Kweli or Common). But, as on "Game Theory", its the new generation that takes the mic to devastating effect; when Porn delivers the line "My mother's had an abortion with the wrong child" on the martial "I Can't Help It", you can feel the anger roaring out of your speakers (although I strongly advise anyone to hear this CD on headphones, to fully appreciate its abrasive sonic scape).
Main men Black Thought and drummer Ahmir ?love Thomson are in high gear, too; the first grabbing the mike like he's been deprived from it for years, and the latter pushes even further his incredible talent in rhythm and style over drumbeats that could fulfill some of The Roots' peers for entire careers.
Anyhow, "Rising Down", at least in the music, ends on a lighter note in its last two tracks; the aptly-titled "Rising Up", featuring the promising Chrisette Michele sounds like a twisted "You Got Me" (still their biggest hit to date) and the pop slab "Birthday Girl", featuring a great chorus courtesy of Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, could well be provide the chart success they so largely deserve without even faintly attempting.
Such a creative bunch of people should at least get the credit for appearing so unaware of the ambivalent state their playground genre's creativity's been through for the last decade (even Vampire Queen Madonna's worked with confirmed hip hop craftmen on her last effort. No offense, but that just showcases where the genre's at, at the forefront of the mainstream). On "Rising Down", they both recall us what hip hop was all about in the first place, while painting once again a fascinating musical puzzle to illustrate their own personnality.
The late and great Jacques Yves Cousteau once said "When you've got an extraordinary life, you've got to share it". The same can be said to describe how this band's legacy should be appreciated by the buying public.
'Nuff said, now enjoy.
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