Disco de The Roots: “Phrenology [PA]”

Here's the deal... I lament for the good ol' days just as much as the next man. Some times I'll pass by some kids who'll be bumpin some of the recent [garbage] and it saddens me to think that they don't know what they've missed. But I also know that a good deal of the problem is actually me. We can't replace the times that were - be it the sights, sounds, tastes or loves and that's not only a fact but it's a good thing. Something living on in memory is part of human experience and you can't convince me that our lives wouldn't be a little diminished if what was was for all time (if you can follow that). There's no way I could enjoy this album as much as "Do You Want More?" and I'm glad for it. But the fact of the matter is, this is a high quality set. There isn't any unlistenable music here. Yes... the shout out track and the noise at the end of Water are worth little more than the light aerobic exercise you'll get moving for the 'skip forward' button. And yes... I too was put off a bit by the relentless r&b vibe of Break You Off (though I've come to enjoy the song on it's on merits). Yes, the...er, 'cat' word is said a few too many times on track 11 (though isn't that kind of the point). And yes, any child could come up with a better refrain than shouting "We will rock you!" Nonetheless, all that "The Roots have changed and I don't like it" jazz needs to stop. I too have noticed that there's been a great decrease in the number of MCs that appear but the argument (made a couple here) that Black Thought can not carry the lyrical side of things by himself is baseless and perplexing. I've long thought that the man was underrated but after giving this a couple of twirls I've come to the conclusion that he's just one of the greatest to ever hold a mic. It is his verbal dexterity that makes the... shall we say... more poppy numbers like Break You Off, Sacrafice, Complexity more than bearable for fans of the pure element. Despite my disdain for Nelly Furtado, Sacrafice is a very solid joint especially due to the lead in, though it's chorus has a tedious old negro spiritual thing going on. The album is pretty much listenable straight through from track 6 to the end despite the inevitable bypass of the end of Water (I've given it a couple of listens out of respect for the artist - trust me, it's not worth it). For me Water and Complexity are standouts (along with The Seed though it has too little rap, too much for my taste), the former being the best reminder of The Roots older stuff. Something in the The way of Things is definately the best poem reading to close out a roots lp (again - my opinion). The bonus tracks really aren't too bad either though, I've still barely listened to Something to See. If you love the past more than music, good for you... at least you've got something but this is definately a gem amongst recent albums of any genre.

The roots took it on a different level this time around which is something I like. Well when you look at the steps they made they always try to take it one step forward with every new project. This album brings it all tho....rock, a lil reggae, blues and R+B all on one live mix of tight beats and rythms that keep you listening all the way through. Songs I was feeling here:

*Break You off

*Something in the way of Love

They came on a very abstract vibe this time around while still using a famailr sound everyone knows. Anyone trying to hear hip-hop on a not so typical level with more deeper lyrics.....on a more alternative vibe should check this out.

Get it!

Just before the release of "Phrenology," the Roots seemed to be at the peak of a brilliant career; just 4 albums of their full-band hip hop had brought them moderate popularity and a Grammy for their collaboration with Erykah Badu, "You Got Me." A follow-up to this success seemed impossible, but the Roots pulled it off with their most consistent album to date.

The album's first song, "Rock You," is a heavy bass and percussion bash full of ego and, as the title promises, rock. The piece climaxes with "!!!!!!," a dash of punk sounding like an outtake from Minor Threat's "Anthology."

The Roots are the pepper and salt of hip hop; they can do so much and sound so good that it seems like this album is a compilation that definitely doesn't fit in the 2000s. It is a pure mixtape from 1970, taking sounds from every genre and reinventing hip hop. "Sacrifice" is a feel-good spiritual flowing like water from a faucet. With a light-techno bass and back-up singers straight from the Grand Theft Auto III soundtrack, this is one of the more immediately accessible songs on the album. So, probably not intentionally, is this song's follow-up, "Rolling With Heat." A simple low-brass riff and old-school drummin' on trash cans percussion provides a perfect backdrop for Talib Kweli and Black Thought's sharp lyrics.

While the radio-skit gig has been tired out in the music world by artists like Queens of the Stone Age ("Songs for the Deaf") and Redman ("Doc's Da Name"), the Roots do it with a flawless sense of class on "Rollcall" by name-dropping all their influences a little more subtly than Missy Elliott. This is followed by the explosive "Thought @ Work," a politically-minded word play backed by the Africaans-percussion section from Sugarhill Gang's "Apache" and jungle horns. Continuing the four-song stretch that highlights this album is "The Seed 2.0," the album's second single and biggest hit, sounding like college rock narrated by MC Oz from "Wizard of Oz" and sung by a suave Michael Stipe.

"Break You Off," the album's best piece, is a neo-soul masterpiece with a devastatingly playful organ accented by the perfectly-rhythmed spit dished by Black Thought, who throughout this album proves his worthiness as the best MC in the rap world. After this 7 and a half minute eclipse, "Water" opens with the funkiest bass line ever written by the Roots and eventually morphs into an audio tour of world evolution in the eyes of the Roots.

"Quills" is truly an adventurous experience. With a staccato piano line, it sounds like a getaway anthem for a hip-hop James Bond, with danger possibly lurking around every lyrical corner. The fear dies down, though, when the cool-voiced Tracey Moore steals the piano line and replaces it with a peaceful harp. "Pussy Galore" was the blueprint for Busta Rhyme's "I Know What You Want," and "Complexity" is a light acoustic soul piece just like the rest of Jill Scott's music, which is a great touch on this album.

"Phrenology" is a step forward; the Roots have stepped into the realm, now they're rollin' with heat through a second realm. This album has pop-hip-hop (Pussy Galore), ego (Rollin' With Heat), soul (Break you Off), funk (Water), rock (Rock You), progressive hip hop (Quills), old-school hip-hop (Thought @ Work), and even alternative rock (The Seed 2.0). Every "composition," as the Roots call them, is its own original thought, with lyrics and sounds to paint the mind of conscious Black American in society today. In the liner notes of "Break you Off," the Roots explain how a record exec felt that their artist needed the Roots less than the Roots needed him. Clearly, as this album shows, the world needs the Roots more than the Roots need the world.

No matter how promising an idea it sounded at one time, the live hip-hop experience has proved difficult territory for The Roots. Take one defiantly technological movement (even hip-hop's origins in the cutting and scratching of DJ performance was, at the time, a radical reappropriation of technology) and try to recreate its character with a kind of 'house band'. It could appear reductive in principle and The Roots have certainly been open to the criticism at times.

The journey to 'Phrenology' has been one of indulgent bass solos, occasionally dubious fusion and frequent greatness but never have The Roots managed to totally convince by delivering their 'Paid In Full', 'It Takes A Nation Of Millions...' or 'Step In The Arena'.

Bringing a completely live equation in almost removes the ensuing music so far from 'Hip-Hop' that it can't even be judged according to the music's usual criteria. The Roots' albums can frequently sound a little like one of the band's protracted live shows: loose, improvisational, overlong and hard to penetrate. 'Phrenology' is no exception offering 17 tracks that swerve from some of the tightest hip-hop they've ever made to strung-out instrumental jams set to spoken word.

What is different about the overall feel of this messy and ambitious album is that it marks The Roots' liberation from genre, the neo-soul meanderings of 'Things Fall Apart' only appear when they're wanted and never outstay their welcome. Instead, 'Phrenology' could be loosely termed 'psychedelic soul' or some such but genre tags don't do its diversity justice. There are ample neck-snappers that, whilst deeper than the average sample cut, stick to hip-hop's principles fairly rigidly with elastic basslines and irresistible hooks on repeat. The best of these is 'Water' - possibly the most concise musical statement that The Roots have ever recorded.

At times they still seem alarmingly unconcerned to eliminate 'bagginess' from the sound: the intro to 'Water', at best, evokes the spirit of Jimi Hendrix right there in Electric Lady Studios, at worst, sounds like an outtake from a lesser-known Santana album of the 1970s. And, compared with Talib Kweli's recent indie hip-hop tour de force 'Quality', this album needs to be lived in for a week before the jewels emerge shining. But there are jewels aplenty from the sweet soul of Jill Scott collaboration 'Complexity' to the 'Roots' era Curtis Mayfield fuzz of 'The Seed (2.0)'.

By once again sticking by their instincts and experimental impulse, The Roots may well have blown a chance to capitalise on the profile they gained backing Jay-Z on his 'Unplugged' session but they have done their legacy not one bit of harm. And the best thing about 'Phrenology' is that, like all its predecessors, it still sounds like the next record will be even better.

ive heard a lot of good things about the roots in the past but it wasnt until mtv actually played something good when i got to see them perform in concert. a day later i had this cd. these guys are so different from the bulls*** hip hop that is popular today. these guys dont sing about money and women the way all these big time rappers with no skills do. instead they talk about things that are important such as the media influence on music. also these guys have an actual band. the roots have been around for awhile and have got fans by a lot of hard work. black thought is one of the best lyricists in the rap game and drummer ?uestlove is the man. phrenology in a great album with great original songs. some of my favs were thought@work, the seed(2.0) and quills. put this cd on and let other people hear and know about true hip hop. buy this cd