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Posted by mahatma chani on 2007-10-05 13:20:56 +0000

Well let's hope the full length is better

I just gave "The Heart Gently Weeps" a few listens just now For those who don't know: it's the first single off the next Wu-Tang record "8 Diagrams." Raekwon, Ghost and Method workmanlike verses with Erykah Badu singing the hook while Dhani Harrison and John Fruscante play a bastardized low-tempo Roots-esque version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Like all Hollywood movies that are overloaded with stars, it doesn't work. It seriously lacks the pathos of the other "cover" they did. (The stunning "I Can't Go to Sleep" off "The W.") Here's hoping for bangers on the rest of the album. Streaming here (registration required)
Posted by MF DU on 2007-10-05 14:25:08 +0000
beat me to the punch. I agree with you here. I thought it was "serviceable" but nothing that instilled an urgent need to play again once the song had ended the first time. Better than some of the 'Puff Daddy doing Police' stuff, but far from an inspired Interpolation if you will. How many bullshit LOUD records / group promos am I going to get in my inbox now? I should have used bug me not. (Oh yeah, thats right- mysterious forces afoot in my cubicle block me from that site...)
Posted by MF DU on 2007-11-18 18:55:25 +0000
Loud co. dispersed this "mixtape". ehh. As mahatma pointed out in his prior post, Loud hassles you for a registration- what are you going to do? What's cooler than this mixtape was seeing the RZA as one of Russel Crowe's right-hand men in the new American Gangster pic. Also there is a small role featuring Common. Good R+B SNDTK a la Dead Presidents. I always like seeing Ruby Dee. Also Idris Elba from 'The Wire'. The film was probably too long by 25 minutes at least, but ambitious and detailed (when has Ridley Scott not provided detail? Certainly he is pretty famous for that in Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator etc.) and the Harlem ambience was cool. Hank Shocklee from Public Enemy was a musical interlude consultant. When The drug dealer Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) is released from prison in 1991, Shocklee's involvement becomes apparent with an accurate 1991 audio snippet. B+
Posted by mahatma chani on 2007-11-18 22:37:57 +0000
DL/ing the mixtape now.
Posted by mahatma chani on 2007-12-17 17:17:51 +0000
I gotta hand it to Wu-Tang. Despite unattainable expectations that always precede albums, they generally manage to put out quality product. "8 Diagrams" ain't that bad. A little too long, but it's generally pretty good. Who knew they'd have it in them? It's not the best record of the year (that'd be The Dirty Projectors) or even the best rap record (that'd be Durrty Goodz), but it's worth a listen or two. Maybe I should say the whole Clan (and not just Ghostface) are rap's Al Pacino. I guess in the '07 I liked records with the word "Dirty" in it. Maybe if ODB was still alive...
Posted by dyedon8 on 2007-12-17 17:29:48 +0000
I felt the same way when I realized all the books I really liked in 2008 were written by men named Richard.
Posted by MF DU on 2007-12-19 00:51:01 +0000
'8 Diagrams' definitely has a more mystical / earthy quality to it. This isn't your older brother's "sew your asshole closed and keep feeding you" Wu-Tang. Maybe its like the WU crossed with the daisy power of Prince Paul / De La Soul? I guess some of the recent static between Ghostface and RZA can be tied to conflicting vision of the WU's mission statement. (Has anyone heard 'The John Doe Rehab'? I keep meaning to seek that out, but have yet to do so). I know its been like 14 years or so since '36', but I still LOVE all the Kung Fu audio clips, which '8' also has in abundance. Like potty humor, it never seems to get old. - MF DÜTANG CLAN
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