Re: The Roots - undun [2o11]
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:38 am
Hades Forum
The Roots - undun [2o11]
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Re: The Roots - undun [2o11]
Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 7:54 pm
Review: The Roots – undun
By the time print is done being tossed around about The Roots, the Philly band will have done one of the rare feats in music. They will have continually delivered upon solid, if not amazing projects for thirteen consecutive instances. Even when the idea of commercialism thrust them to the throngs of being even bigger media darlings (and Fishbone supporters in the snark fight against Michelle Bachmann) came and went, there was the band – still adding and tinkering with various sounds, samples and arrangements. You know, like a band capable of such things should.
At a clip that barely boils over the half-hour mark, undun accomplishes what a morbidly fascinating concept album should. It invites listeners to run through the entire film from beginning to end and then in reverse strictly to catch every storyline and easter egg. Common circles may remember The Roots in 2011 for “Lying Ass Bitch”, but for those who’ve been searching for more Philly adventure following Things Fall Apart, Redford Stephens is the catalyst to such a journey.
A flatline opens our story as the semi-fictional Redford Stephens lay stretched out, echoed by Black Thought’s pensive thoughts about being a short legacy: “From a man to a memory, damn wonder if my fam will remember me.” It stays just as murky throughout as the idealisms of excess by material success filter through Stephens’ head, all pointed towards the butt of a gun being clutched in his hands as his only tool. Not a paint brush, although by his own account (and that painted by Black Thought, Phonte, Dice Raw & others voicing his character), he paints death with that utensil better than anyone.
“Make My” may go down as one of 2011’s best songs period with Mississippi’s K.R.I.T. enriching the story with a smile behind Questo’s blustery supply of drums and Thought in search of Heaven despite the handicap of a stairway. The ante increases further as Phonte brings over the provoking commentary that made his own solo work this year a pleasant addition on “One Time” as Thought sounds raspy, exasperating any and all emotion he possibly can to stress that shit will never be right.
As rich as the album is musically, it’s easy to state why this is bigger than a hip-hop album from Jimmy Fallon’s band. It’s a pursuit of creative material, painting a dark and engaging story with rotund drumming from ?uestlove and small interjections from Just Blaze (“Stomp”) and pianist D.D. Jackson (“Redford”). “Tip The Scale” may mark the last time we hear of Redford, especially given Dice Raw’s thoughts on the prison complex as the lasting five minutes are broken instrumentation by the band signifying death. However, the sentiments are echoed from the onset. You knew the story of undun would be sad and maybe depressing.
But damn if it isn’t an all-encompassing body of work that is beautiful to sit through time and time again.
FINAL SCORE: 4.5
SURSA: http://dayandadream.com/2011/12/05/revi ... ots-undun/
By the time print is done being tossed around about The Roots, the Philly band will have done one of the rare feats in music. They will have continually delivered upon solid, if not amazing projects for thirteen consecutive instances. Even when the idea of commercialism thrust them to the throngs of being even bigger media darlings (and Fishbone supporters in the snark fight against Michelle Bachmann) came and went, there was the band – still adding and tinkering with various sounds, samples and arrangements. You know, like a band capable of such things should.
At a clip that barely boils over the half-hour mark, undun accomplishes what a morbidly fascinating concept album should. It invites listeners to run through the entire film from beginning to end and then in reverse strictly to catch every storyline and easter egg. Common circles may remember The Roots in 2011 for “Lying Ass Bitch”, but for those who’ve been searching for more Philly adventure following Things Fall Apart, Redford Stephens is the catalyst to such a journey.
A flatline opens our story as the semi-fictional Redford Stephens lay stretched out, echoed by Black Thought’s pensive thoughts about being a short legacy: “From a man to a memory, damn wonder if my fam will remember me.” It stays just as murky throughout as the idealisms of excess by material success filter through Stephens’ head, all pointed towards the butt of a gun being clutched in his hands as his only tool. Not a paint brush, although by his own account (and that painted by Black Thought, Phonte, Dice Raw & others voicing his character), he paints death with that utensil better than anyone.
“Make My” may go down as one of 2011’s best songs period with Mississippi’s K.R.I.T. enriching the story with a smile behind Questo’s blustery supply of drums and Thought in search of Heaven despite the handicap of a stairway. The ante increases further as Phonte brings over the provoking commentary that made his own solo work this year a pleasant addition on “One Time” as Thought sounds raspy, exasperating any and all emotion he possibly can to stress that shit will never be right.
As rich as the album is musically, it’s easy to state why this is bigger than a hip-hop album from Jimmy Fallon’s band. It’s a pursuit of creative material, painting a dark and engaging story with rotund drumming from ?uestlove and small interjections from Just Blaze (“Stomp”) and pianist D.D. Jackson (“Redford”). “Tip The Scale” may mark the last time we hear of Redford, especially given Dice Raw’s thoughts on the prison complex as the lasting five minutes are broken instrumentation by the band signifying death. However, the sentiments are echoed from the onset. You knew the story of undun would be sad and maybe depressing.
But damn if it isn’t an all-encompassing body of work that is beautiful to sit through time and time again.
FINAL SCORE: 4.5
SURSA: http://dayandadream.com/2011/12/05/revi ... ots-undun/
Re: The Roots - undun [2o11]
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 2:33 pm
The Roots
"Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around"
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/videos/id ... -me-around
"Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around"
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/videos/id ... -me-around