Disco de RJD2: “Since We Last Spoke”

That's right -- musical masterpiece. RJD2 comes with a album that transcends funk.

This album uses synths, organs, electric guitars, trumpets, the piano, etc. With soft elegant vocals (both male and female) throughout the album.

I bought the album already thinking that I might not like it due to others' escription of it, but I was wrong. It is a compelling smooth groove based album.

It is not a beats album made to be MC'ed over.

I got the album before it was Deluxe and this review (of one of my favorite albums, mind you) is simply to explain what makes this deluxe. I have not checked out the 2 new tracks yet and have only heard the original tracks, except for the Amazon previews.

The original album included and deluxe are the same on tracks 1-12.

Track 13 on the original was De l'Alouette and is replaced by The Move.

De L'Alouette is an instrumental with great sampling and a great groove.

The Move is a traditional rap song - very different.

Track 14 on the original was Holy Toledo and is replaced by The Girls From Art School.

Holy Toledo is a down tempo, depressed sounding song with an excellent break.

The Girls From Art School is a laid back jam not too far off from what it replaces.

I have no clue what caused the switch (if you know, please comment!) but I do love this album.

When I first read the title of RJ's latest album I was reminded of the Avalanches debut "Since I Left You". I had no idea that the music itself would be so similar.

There should be no duplicity in the fact that "Since We Last Spoke" is far from the sort of hip hop most have come to expect from RJD2 and Def Jux. That being said, I still cannot say this is a bad album. It is fantastic record to simply put on your headphones and get lost in, like a Massive Attack record for example. Far from being "elevator music", it is a liquid soundscape that proves hip-hop DJs can provide more than loop a simple "boom-bap" of a beat.

I would be a fool to say that RJ is the first to try and demonstrate the potential of a hip-hop DJ, however, RJ has succeeded in this endeavour where others (like Prefuse 73) have failed.

Dead Ringer was better (slightly) but definitely a four-star effort.

rjd2 absolutely blows any concept of a hip-hop instrumental effort out of this universe. in his interviews, he says he wasn't trying to make a Dead Ringer follow-up, he was out to make quality music, not necessarily a hip-hop cd. the end result: music that's so originally addictive, i actually feel guilty putting it back in my cd case! favorite tracks are '1976', 'Making Days Longer', and 'Through The Walls' (surprisingly, the 3 least hip-hop influenced tracks on the album!). i bought this album solely because of DR and at first, i genuinely thought i threw away $15.

i can't count how many reviews incorporate the phrase 'you have to repeatedly listen to this album' or 'it takes a while to realize what he's saying'. luckily, rj says barely anything, his beats speak for themselves: LOUDLY. pick this one up, you won't regret it. and if you don't like it, kick the guy at best buy in the balls.

This CD hasn't left my CD player since I bought it a week or so ago. It is so, so good. (what else can I say?) The variety and mixture of styles (i.e. funky bubbling basslines with introspective and soulful vocals, indie rock/hip hop stylings, etc.) is so compelling to me that I can't stop listening to it. I can't imagine another album will come out this year, or the next, that is as bangin' as this one. Every song is greatness - I can truely listen to this CD from start to finish, which is extremely rare for me. And it seems like the intire human emotional spectrum is spoken for on this CD - there's a song for every mood. While Dead Ringer took a while to grow on me, this CD grabbed me right from the very beginning nad hasn't let go. And to think that I held off buying this CD because of all the negative reviews!! Shame on me. Where do the nay-sayers come from?? Not here...RJD2 is my musical hero!