Disco de Snoop Dogg: “Death Row: The Lost Sessions, Vol. 1”

But what else would you expect from a Snoop album from back in the Death Row days? Tracks 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 are probably my favorite tracks (I like the re-played John Carpenter's Halloween theme on track 8). Snoops sounds raw on these songs like he did on the Chronic and Doggystyle back when he was still hungry, on a few of them you can actually hear some partial verses that were on the Doggystyle album and other classic, released songs; most of it is unreleased material though. Tracks 9 & 11 are tight too, the beats remind me of the sound found on the Dogg Pound's Dogg Food album. Track 12 is cool, has some familiar lyrics mixed in through out, still a nice track though. Tracks 16, 17, and 18 are also pretty good tracks (specially 16). I wish Snoop would have got down and rapped on tracks 10 & 15 (specially 15), both are well produced and the beats still sound good enough to bumb without Snoop flowing over them. Overall, most songs range from good to tight to classic, the features are for the most part on point. I think this is probably the best Snoop album I've bought since No Limit Top Dogg (The Last Meal was kind of a let down for me and every album after that seemed to get farther and farther from the raw, clever, hardcore Snoop we use to know and love. From B*tches Aint S#!t, It Aint No Fun, Wake Up, Stranded On Death Row type songs to Beautiful, Sexual Eruption, Drop It Like It's Hot, etc., etc, come on Snoop... Death Row - The Lost Sessions Vol. 1 wasn't perfect but it was close enough for me and it's a breath of fresh air after years of this commercial pop/rap that is being put out now a days. I'm sure Wideawake kept a few more Snoop Dogg classics tucked away for Vol. 2. How about G'z Up Hoes Down (it was on the original release of Doggystyle but was later taken off and hasn't been on newer prints of the album ever since so it would be cool to get it properly re-released) and the original Next Episode? I do think that the mixing (sound quality) on this album is a bit off at times but I guess if Wideawake was trying to release the music as it was left in the vaults, meaning unfinished, just rough mixed and not cd quality, then I guess that's what it is. Besides a few flaws I think it's great how Wideawake is releasing all this old/unreleased material; The Chronic Re-Lit was a nice add to my collection too. It's just good to hear Snoop (Doggy) Dogg back when he was hungry and the production was raw...

If you look at my previous reviews, you know that I usually don't write music reviews but since I am a fan of rap/hip hop & grew up on the "west coast" style of Death Row Records during their golden era of 90's, I'll make another exception. Now it's no big secret that Death Row Records is in the hands of new owners & with that is coming the release of so much "vaulted" material and after getting a few tracks on the re-release of The Chronic, this was the first album full of tracks from the vault in Volume One of Snoop Doggy Dogg's Lost Sessions.

Now this is one of those releases where the title itself tells you exactly what to expect here as these are lost sessions, not 100% brand new "never before officially released" material. You can look at the tracklist & see that the original solo version of "O.G." that was on Daz Dillinger's first album is on here but that isn't the only alternative/solo version of a song that has been released as two songs that were on his Death Row's Greatest Hits appear on here as well ("Put It In Ya Mouth" is another version of "Head Doctor" & "Keep It Real Dogg" is the solo version of "Keep It Real"). Also some of the lyrics in various songs like "Sleep On Death Row", "Eat A...", and " One Life To Live" you've heard in other songs like Nate Dogg's "Never Leave Me Alone" "Doggy Dogg World", and "Midnight Love"...and the beat for "Eat A..." was eventually used for "Serial Killa" for Doggystyle while you may remember the beat for "One Life To Live" from the famous horror movie "Halloween". Now at times, the sound quality isn't 100% on all the songs (but nothing is so bad that it ruins the song & you probably won't notice unless your really paying attention) but as what was later explained in interviews, these tracks were taken straight from the original mixes in the vault.

My personal favorites on here were "Doggystyle", "Eat A...", "Funk Wit Ya Brain" (eventhough it was just an interlude), "Caught Up" (I'm a fan of Snoop's work with Charlie Wilson), and the 2pac dedication "Life's Hard". There are some average tracks (I could have did without "Put It In Ya Mouth" since this version of "Head Doctor" wasn't better or close in quality to the one we've already had for years) & not every single track is a blowaway song (didn't care for the track with Dogg Pound or the bonus with Rappin 4-Tay), it did have enough material on here to make this album worth the purchase as I don't there there is honestly a horrible track to the point where you think "they should have left that in the vault". Another note to make is that I don't know if they did this on purpose but the flow of the album was nice & almost comes off as a timeline as well as it sounds like you start the album off in his early "Doggystyle" era and end it during his "Doggfather" days just by the production & quality of the songs.

Overall, it's no secret that there have been mixed reviews for the quality of the solo albums of brand new material Snoop Dogg has released since leaving Death Row (another subject for another time but the only ones I have are Top Dogg, Last Meal, Blue Carpet Treatment) but for those fans of Snoop's "west coast/gangsta rap" sound or just his days of Snoop DOGGY Dogg in general, this is one release to add to the collection.

Side Note: For those looking for the bonus tracks, they're on Best Buy version of this album with the songs being "Once Again", "Got To Do Wrong", and "Quite Obvious" with Rappin' 4-Tay.

Thanks to the seller cheapmusicrus i have it new as listed.5 star seller.Cd is good as far as the tunes.If you like Snoop then it's a must have.When you purchase it i suggest go through cheapmusicrus excellent shipping everything is as described.Thank you.

okay half of these songs are incomplete I see 2pac had a beter work ethnic than snoop had these songs are'nt that good now doggystyle is tight because it features george clinton and jewell on vocals this is the best reason to buy this album if you miss that old deathrow g funk plus one life to live has snoop reciting lyrics from another unreleased treack but the lady of rage delivers with her flow and it's one of her best rhymes the track funkin wit yo mind would be better if it was longer it features original parlet vocalist mallia franklin who was a member of george clinton's p funk army as well that was a dope track but still this album isn't worth spending too much money on I rather hear the 2pac unreleased tracks anyday rest in p mallia franklin.