Customer Reviews

Liquid Swords

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been into hip hop for like 6 years now and I only just bought this album (along with Raekwons Cuban Linx). I kinda never got big into the whole Wu Tang thing, sure I got 36 Chambers and loved it but just left it there.

So I feel like a complete gimp for not buying these albums before. Liquid Sword is every bit as good as all the reviewers here are saying, I just can't fault it, GZA's flow, his sound and his lyrics are sublime and RZA's production is in my opinion better than that on 36 Chambers. If you love hip hop and you haven't got this album, get it, sit back and enjoy, over and over again. Its one of those albums that will send chills down your spine and make you remember why you love hip hop so much in the first place.

All the reviewers have given this 5 stars across the board and I can only concur.

The first thing to say is that that this is a serious piece of artwork, not just an incredible hip-hop album. It deserves to be disected in english language lessons, just as much as Bob Dylan's stuff is. The Rza and Gza are the artistic core of the group and this album demonstrates that. All the weight comes from them.

The characterisation of Staten Island NY. as 'Shaolin', and themselves as Hip-Hops 'Monks' (the abbot and the master in the case pf Gza and Rza) is an imagery and a mythology developed by those two.

This imagery and mythology becomes fully understood on this album, whereas on the other albums it really never rises above the threshold of interesting background.

An example is the way that the clip from the film 'Shogun Assassin', when Lone Wolf tells his baby son to choose the ball or the sword. A life of normal play or of abnormal seriousness and violence. A life that skips past childhood. This choice, the father explains, is a choice between death and life, because in the situation they are in, 'playing' is not an option. One has to be 'grown-up' from the 'get-go'.

This of course is the situation on th streets of New York. This is what GZA is telling us and this is why this is included. Pure Genius.

Hip-Hop has always been about the kind of culture that makes insects eating filth under a rock in the garden thrive. The world forgets them. The world creates systems, economic, educational, pseudo-religious, social (and always has done) that means that only certain types of people reach their promised 'destination' while everybody else falls through big cracks in the road. What are those people who fall supposed to do? How can they find self-worth when the world tells them that they are worthless? How can they aspire when the world tells them that this is not for them? This is the modern 'caste' system that is the shadow side of the American dream (and as I write this in London, we all of around around the world have bought into this dream. Often, the only ones who know the truth are those who have been systematically denied it. To build the pyramids in egypt, slaves were required. Slaves and other types of 'lesser human' are still required today. We are living in Huxley's Brave New world)

This essentially is what the album is about, and it is well illustrated in about 10 secs of lyrical dexterity that, to my mind, put in the shade the entire oeuvre of people like 50 cent and Jay-Z

'Veterans got the game spiced like ham, and from that sons are born and then guns are drawn, clips are fully loaded, and then blood floods the lawn'.

Governments, Presidents, societies, nations, the better off, have been loading the dice in their favour for centuries and have become veterens at the game, while the sons born on the streets of NY and other american cities (and now other places) are just learning the game. Just like Pacino's Scarface, who so many street kids identify with, they start from the bottm everytime. Scarface for them, represents revolution. This shows that these kids realise the situation they are in. It shows that they are intelligent and that they know this is their lot. That is the bleak outlook that provides the context and background for violence and crime on the streets of the worlds inner cities. It even explains 50 cent's 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' attitude.

Thats the intelligence which lies behind this album, which is the result of two of the most talented and intelligent insightful kids growing up and eventually chanelling thier disenfranchisement in a more positive way

Having said that, it's a dark piece of work. It's a whole life story. It's no wonder GZA hasn't been able to reach those heights again. Black music has always been about the social context which or course changed for GZA when he and his cohorts made it big.

As I write this, 13 yrs after it was released, this is the album that Hip-Hip promised for so long.

Put simply, this is the best Wu-Tang album, period. From the opening Shogun skit, to Killah Priests "B.I.B.L.E." There is not a bad moment on the whole album.

Gza is one of them MC's that doesnt need to rap fast, to show skills, like Guru from Gangstarr says "Its Mostly the Voice" and Gza's voice flows perfectly over Rza's dark moody production, every verse Gza drops is on point. All the guest appearences from other Clan members also match up to the high standard set by Gza, especially Ghost's verse on "4th Chamber" and Deck's verse on "Duel of the Iron Mic".

Great artwork too.

Buy it.

I've been in to hip hop for less than ten years (and yes that was through Eminem) And I've mainly stuck with more modern rap (The Roots, Later Nas Albums, Talib Kweli) I bought classics like Chronic and Illmatic and (strike me down) I just couldn't see what all the fuss was about.

More recently I've become interested in Wu Tang Clan and started investigating solo albums and again couldn't really get into a lot of it (Even albums such as Cuban Linx and Tical).

I think the problem is (and people who've grown up with this music perhaps won't understand) is that with someone like Eminem it's easy for your average white boy to understand what he's saying and the beats are very different to this stuff.

I had to tune in my ears. Albums like Linx, Illmatic are still growing on me - I keep coming back to them although I still don't understand half the lyrics in Linx.

This album was even tougher because I need to know the name of the song I'm listening to.

This albums got the songs in one order on the back, another order inside (neither correct) and I've just found out that iTunes labelled Gold and Swordsman the wrong way round as well as pluralising swordsman.

But this albums really clicked now, the beats the lyrics, it's like something suddenly clicked into place in my brain, not just this album (I bought Tical years ago and dismissed it - now I love it) but this one is my current favourite.

If you missed out on this stuff first time round start here but give it a few listens.

To my mind, this album is the Wu's finest moment to date (end of 1999). There is absolutely no filler on this joint, and every track stands out. The usual Wu-Gambinos contribute : Inspectah Deck, Chef Raekwon, Ghost Face Killah, U-God and Method Man, and everyone of them represents as only the Clan can. Newer artists, such as Dreddy Kruger, Streetlife and Killah Priest also make an appearance and all shine, showing that the Wu can only become more influential in this rap game as they keep finding artists of the highest calibre. Undoubtedly the aspect that sets this apart from other Wu-releases however, is the stunning production by the Rza. Although it contains the usual elements of martial arts talk, film samples and spare beats, the Razor is absolutely on point, making this one of the most distinctive and essential hip-hop releases of the 90s.

The Genius is often in the back while his clan's in the front. With this album GZA finally steps into the lime light, and it is excellent.

Laying his lyrics over the RZA's once again excellent production, GZA has stories galore. From 'Liquid Swords' to the sublimely worded 'Labels' and the excellent 'Shadow Boxin' GZA's double meanings and hidden codes will evade everyone the first thousand times of listening.

Always a favourate and well worth the money and this album is definately a top 3 Wu-Tang effort and probabily a top 10 all time effort for hip-hop.

If you dont already own a copy, you should.

a bold statement but........this is the best hip hop album ever made, full of dark menacing beats with an unstoppable fury of (genius) lyrics, a must buy for any rap music fan.

rza and gza made another wu classic. the kung fu clips on this one are scary but very entertaining and form a very important part of the album. gza's flow is just so smooth, it all seems so easy for him. I never understood why gza was so highly rated within the clan until i heard this one, if you doubt what the fuss is about check it out. 4th chamber, liquid swords itself and cold world are among the best. BIBLE is an excellent outro, and adds a nice bit of variation.

Seeing as the Wu Tang seem to be doing all that they can to tarnish their reputation, it is worth looking back at some of the albums that helped them forge their near-mythical stature. 'Liquid Swords' is my favourite Wu Tang release - superceeding even, their debut 'The 36 Chambers'.

Genius is often overlooked in favour of more visible member of The Wu such as Method Man and Ol Dirty Bastard - but when it comes to word play there are few better MCs around than the Genius. The LP begins with the title track, and to this day, there are few better examples of an MC at the top of his game. The track hops along to the sound of Willie Mitchell's soul classic 'Groovin', while Gza's rapping is so laid back and cool that the listener almost fails to acknowledge Gza's braggadocio ("I don't waste ink, ni**er I think / I drop mega-ton bombs more faster than you blink.") It isn't the last time Gza is caught bragging; the album buzzes with bravado ("Check these non-visual ni**ers with tapes and a portrait / trying to orbit this corporate industry / but what them ni**ers can't see / must break through like the Wu unexpectedly." - 'Shadowboxin') but for once, this arrogance is not misplaced. On 'Liquid Swords' Gza is every bit as good as he thinks he is.

Another example of Gza's superior skill comes on the track 'Labels'. Gza incorporates the name of almost every record label into his rhyme with absolute success. He tried a similar trick later in his career with the track 'Fame' (from his most recent album 'Legend Of The Liquid Sword'), it works better here however. Rza should also be congratulated on this track in particular for some innovative production.

Gza also proves he's a master storyteller on 'Killah Hills 10304', positioning himself as a rap Johnny Cash. Once again the subject is nothing new (a tale of organised crime), but Gza's delivery is superb, he spits, "The sharpshooters hit the prosecutors / Judges are sent photographs of their wives taking baths / along with briefcase filled with 1.5 / that's the bribe, take it or commit suicide."

The album is interspersed with snippets from samurai b-movie classic 'Shogun Assassin'. Nowadays, the use of movie samples is nothing out of the ordinary - but it was revolutionary in 1995, and it helps to give the album a mythic quality. Credit should also go to Rza for his typically sparse production.

It truly is a landmark album, and as good a hip hop album as you will ever hear. It's real shame that the follow up 'Beneath The Surface' was so woefully subpar. His latest release 'Legend Of The Liquid Sword' is a step back in the right direction, but Gza will have to go someway to topping this.

this is one of the best rap albums ever made, and ranks up there with the likes of illmatic, ready to die, and reasonable doubt, all of this album is produced by RZA, and he does a fantastic job, the production is all dark, grimy, with lots of martial art movie samples thrown in, its suits the mood of the album, the lyrics are some of the best ever written, with gzas amazing metaphors, similes, and double meanings, gza has one of those voices that are unique, noone could imitate gzas voice, his delivery and timing are perfect, the albums subject matter is dark but very interesting, gza raps about the sadness and endless cycle of violence in his environment, he tells stories of shootings and stabbings and how he wishes it would stop and gives a vivid picture of the new york he grew up in, when he is not rapping about this he delivers devastating battle raps, using, as i said earlier in the review, unbelievable metaphors, similes, and punchlines, this is arguably the best wu-tang album, along with only built 4 cuban linx, and 36 chambers, and i urge you to get this if you are a hip hop fan, and if you are a wu tang fan, it is essential, if you are a fan of crap hip hop, like lil john, T.I., chingy, etc. you probably wouldnt like this, as it is not overcommercialized rubbish, with radio-friendly beats, this is definitely in my top 5 rap albums ever, and maybe the best, get it, because if you dont, you are missing out on a brilliant album