Reviews (page 6 of 9)
Love love love The Seed The rest is interesting but not arresting
Catchy but all mature lyrics
The flow was definitely apparent but some tracks were just a bit too odd.
Wasn't in a hip hop rock frame of mind today.
Ho hum I'm not feeling the albums this week. Not my thing.
Well, we’ve established that I don’t like hip hop. So it isn’t surprising that I don’t like this. Between the scratches and pops and drum machine rhythms are quick cuts between sections and liberal use of the N-word, which is so offensive in most settings that I cannot even spell it out without risk of being cancelled. And it goes on and on, 70 minutes…. Including 2x songs over 7 minutes and another over 10 minutes. Yikes! And a pet peeve of mine, there are 37 names mentioned in the production credits, including 6x producers, 5x engineers and 17x assistants. Sorry, that’s just crazy. The whole package isn’t so much offensive as is it generally irritating. But it could be worse, there are some semi-melodic moments. I’ll go 2/5
I liked The Seed (2.0) and Break You Off (the tracks with singing) and there did seem to be a good level of variation across the entire album, but there’s just too much filler and the album is too long! Water is just noise for about 6 of its 10 minutes to give the most egregious of multiple examples of a song overstaying its welcome.
Quite a bit on this album that I liked, a potential 4 stars. But some other parts that were very boring and it dragged on, so loses a star.
This album felt unnecessarily lengthy, and there were moments that dragged on, making it a bit tedious to get through. This album felt overly long, with certain moments dragging on.
Started off absolutely hating this album, but it got better throughout the listen. Still not great but I didn’t hate it as much as at the beginning
Sounds dated but in a great way. Favorite track is easily The Seed
Pretty good, although I expected more. I won't come back to this, but I can see how this could be seen as objectively good.
3.5 A very well-made album that I just didn’t connect with deeply, it doesn’t feel cohesive as an album to me too, they’re just doing a lot of stuff on every track, even though they’re all well-made. A certain amount of corniness because they’re The Roots, but I’ll accept it
It's not exactly bad, but it's very bland and so bloody boring.
Hade hoppats på mer kreativ instrumentation men de e ändå bra :)
For some reason I didn't know they did other stuff outside of Jimmy Fallon. A lot of bops in this album. The second half of water was a little scary though also I don't rock with pussy galore or the ending of something in the way of things (in town). Favourites: rock you, sacrifice, rolling with heat, thought @ work, quills. 4/5
Insane album tbh. A lot of it came out of nowhere and some parts were a little overwhelming (Rock You, !!!!!!!, etc.) I think I wouldn't hate a song like !!!!!!! normally and it had pretty fire instrumentals, but its placement and suddenness just didn't really make sense to me. I liked its transition into Sacrifice (which I also enjoyed). Low 3/5, some strange interludes and songs that I couldn't tell if they were interludes or what. Still a solid album though. Favourites: Sacrifice, The Seed (2.0), Break You Off. LEAST favourite: Water
Interesting to hear some of their work outside of Jimmy Fallon. Was pretty enjoyable for the most part, pretty unique sounds and instrumentals. Some pretty great songs and then some songs and interludes I don't really care for, but it was a solid album overall. Favourites were Sacrifice, Rolling With The Heat, The Seed (2.0), Break You Off, and Complexity. Satisfying listening experience, so a respectable 4
The Roots are band that happens to play hip-hop, not just a hip-hop group. Black Thought and Questlove are elite. Phrenology has a lot going on, rooted in 90s hip hop. At times, pretty hardcore, at times melodic but not overly. A great album but again, it’s too damn long. Cut the last 2 songs. 8.4/10
There were some good parts (The Seed (2.0) stands out, but it went on a little too long for me.
Really fun, great production. The Seed is a banger.
Nice. I really like the live / raw feel to the production
Day110 - does this age well? sounds good but the lyrics lame
Surprisingly enjoyable despite the frequent use of the N word
It was alright. Some nice beats.
Some great tracks, just not enough for a 4
m parecen todas casi iguales, mismo tono vocal, no hay cambio de ritmo, de base, muy monotono. cuando le mete colaboraciones que rompen con el esquema se salva, le aporta algo diferente
An album that has a little something for everybody—smooth RnB, raucous party jams, contemplative spoken word. Really fun.
Nicht meine Musik
Amazing, super delayed discover for me.
This is a great album and there's definitely a 5⭐ album in here, but it over extends itself and quality drops from Water onwards (there's no need to fill up all the CD just because you can).
noisy crap. 1 ok song. skipped everything.
This album blew me away. I repeatedly thought "Damn, this sounds pretty sick, good beat and complex lyrics", just for the next song to do it again. Sacrifice, Thought @ Work, Break You Off, and Complexity are all amazing. Will definitely remember this one.
thought @ work drum sampleThe Incredible Bongo Band"Apache jahas liian selvä sample ja kommenttisektiossa muutama löytäny, tajunnu...noh...hyvää työtä kait... perkeleen hyväää... ylpeä... mutta meikän ei tarvinnut mitään private investiations...You get to meet all sorts... In this line of work.. mutta meikäläinen tajusin heti paikalla . Ei ponnahda, loikkaa, kumpua, kimpoa, hyppää, nouse, sätki itse rap osioista mitään. kuitenkin produktio menee mukavuusalueen ulkopuolelle siell' t''ll', ja onmistuu siinä... whacky ass songs siellä täällä... water
Nothing special,
Never heard the roots before besides listening to Jimmy Kimmel. Wow. I did not see this album coming. I loved it and will absolutely listen to it again.
It meanders a bit, sometimes feels a bit disjointed, there’s definitely peaks and troughs. Overall it’s good quality stuff. A firm 2.5 rounded … up. I think.
Listening to the first few tracks. Decent presentation but the guy was way too angry to keep listening to.
“Things Fall Apart” is one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. “Phrenology” is why I quit listening to the Roots.
The Roots ollut aina vähän tuuliviiri, välillä digailee ja sitten taas ei. Jos ei tässä haasteessa ole aikaisemmin ollut heidän musaa niin varmasti eka kerta kun kuuntelin levyllisen kerralla. Tänään toimi ihan hyvin ja boogie kantoi kohtuu pitkän levyn läpi. Ei mestariteos, mutta kivaa rotaatiota muuhun musaan.
Muutama helmi ja mikäs siinä ku räppiskenessä taustat pääosin aidon orkesterin soittamat.
All I hear is misogyny and violence, coupled with bad electronically generated music. Pure trash.
Still great. Been a while
If there is a venn diagram between "extremely talented band" and "extremely unmemorable music", the Roots live right smack dab in the center
Great musicians! I liked this way more than I thought I would.
This would not open for me.
Meh. There are some OK bits to this but too much of it is unremarkable.
This album seemed like it was all over the place, so good for the Roots and their range. Some of the songs I really liked(The Seed) some I couldn't wait to be over(PG). Seemed like they had juvenile lyrics lacking depth. I feel like they have great song writing ability, but some of the songs that's not coming through.
The beats are great, lyrically the ninjas are flying a little much for my liking. The Roots are culturally significant and I respect their work but this album didn’t do it for me. Break You Off was the only track I felt I could say I liked. The rest didn’t connect.
Итс файн. Неожиданный эмбиент пис в середине. Лучшая песня - Thought @ Work.
#173. Some good stuff on here, but there's definitely a few tracks that could have been removed to make it better. Some of them seem like placeholders to make the album longer or something? I don't know. 3/5: decent. Song added to playlist: The Seed I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Album would have been much better if one or two of the lesser tracks were taken off as it dragged on a bit.
A very mixed bag for me. I'll revisit some individual tracks but not the whole album.
Album was too long and hit or miss, but some real bangers on here for sure
The perfect blend of hip hop and soul over the tiny bit excessive length but it never seems to run dry.
Wow! Such an awesome variety in one album!
This is fine. I've listened a couple times and just can't seem to find much to really enjoy. I'm not saying there isn't something here, it's just not holding my interest enough to actively find.
Very dense. It definitely requires more than the single listen I gave it, but it was interesting and intriguing. "Rock You" is a force, "Thought @ Work" with funky horns, "The Seed (2.0)" very catchy, "Rhymes and Ammo" deft. The big pieces in the middle didn't hit home, but maybe next time.
Yeah, still not into rap. I didn't mind "Sacrifice" but that was about it.
I had the chance to discover this band love and was blown away A lot I liked on this album as it brought me back to that concert experience, but some. I didn’t like as much 3.5
Great listen, enjoyed a lot.
2024-03-19...
Thirsty
Not bad at all but simply not my kind of music.
Liked it better than I thought. Some songs were really good but it was a bit too long.
Thoughts before listening: I like the Roots and used to own this album, but I don't often see this listed on best of lists like this. While it'll be nice to re-visit these songs, this seems like something that made the list because it was released around the same time as the book. This typically isn't even considered the Roots' best album. Review: This is certainly an electric album, with lots of different sounds and styles over 16 tracks. There is a lot to like here with my favorites being "Thought @ Work", "The Seed 2.0", "Break You Off", and "Water". That being said, there's a lot of songs on here and not everything is a good as these. This is a 3-star album.
I’ve only previously heard The Roots’ “Things Fall Apart” which is sick. This record was the follow up. It would be hard to reach the same commercial success as “Things Fall Apart” but I applaud The Roots for staying experimental here. I mean, there’s a hardcore song on here! The album does seem all over the place at times but overall an enjoyable listen.
"Phrenology" von The Roots ist ein fesselndes Werk voller Energie und Innovation. Mit starken Beats und lyrischer Tiefe vereint es Hip-Hop mit Soul und Rock.
Fantastic listen. Brilliant musicality and lyrics that are hard hitting and relivant
The Roots were behind the production of the Soulquarians collective that included D'Angelo, Badu, and Collective. Inspired by 70s progressive soul, p-funk, and 90s alternative rap such as A Tribe Called West, the Soulquarians strayed away from mainstream hip hop themes and techniques in favor of: more personal and spiritual subject matter, basis around a fusion of neo-soul and alt rap, and heavy experimentation and range in style. They're among the most innovative and impressive albums of the period. Phrenology is one of the last albums of this collective before they disbanded in 2003. It's a huge shift from their previous style, this time favoring a harder style, incorporating rock, hardcore punk, DnB, funk, and avant-garde. It works really well! I don't think it's as strong as their other albums. The tracks are a bit less memorable and more gimmicky, based more on shock value. It also lacks a bit of consistency, which tracks varying a lot in mood, but at least the themes of rock and DnB are maintained. It's also really long at over an hour. \"Break You Off\" is an exciting highlight, but the first half went too long without much happening, and the ending dragged on without much payoff. \"Water\" is another cool highlight, but super messy and disjointed. I know that's the point, but I feel like they could make an incredible avant-garde track if they weren't just messing around all over the place. \"Quills\" had a cool beat but otherwise forgettable and could be cut. Finally, \"Something in the Way\" is another great track that just dragged on too long. For production style, innovation, and ferocity, this album reigns supreme. Plenty of incredible ideas you don't see much else. I wish they did make a stronger impact like in Things Fall Apart.
Loved the sound of this album, the tracks worked together really well. Really good jazz and rap mash up. One of the best rap albums I have ever heard. I feel the lyrics are very powerful. Favourite song: Rolling with heat or seed 2.0 Least favourite song: Some of the fillers between songs. Album artwork: Love it
Solid hippin' and a hoppin'
Yeah, groovy and all that - but also feels a bit too influenced by Prince without delivering on this magic
Some interesting moments but not enough
The first couple of songs were very challenging to get through, the angry rap isn't my thing at all and all the profanity and mysognistic lyrics were made it even worse. Then it got more diverse stylistically. Still, it was far away from something I'd enjoy and the album itself was also way too long, more than 70 minutes. Not my jam overall.
I really shouldn’t read reviews of albums before I listen to them. Did that with this and knew it would be rubbish to my ears. It didn’t disappoint - utter crap! Nothing at all in it of interest to me.
I love "The Seed (2.0)" - such a phenomenal track, and the rest of the album is superb.
Not for me.
Pretty much perfect. Incredible album 4.7 Fave Track: The Seed
There were parts that the music and the vocals played well together but the lyrics are a distraction for me
Except for „The Seed“ meh
idk it was fine but i was kinda bored
I was really excited when I saw it was the roots. I have never listened to an album of theirs before. I didn’t like it as much as I expected to.
One to admire rather than to love. Like everything else by The Roots
Had geen idee dat t de band van Jimmy Fallon is, episch
Lijkt me wel sad om zulke muziek te kunnen maken en vooral bekend te staan als de huisband van jimmy fallon
This album has some great moments, but overall felt disjointed and overstayed its welcome
Hadn't come across this one before, I only know Things Fall Apart. This is a bit of a mad album, so many different styles and experiments. I like about half of the songs after 2 listens, but I could see it growing on me over time.
Rap progresivo. Está bien. Venga, un 4.
Banger
Not for me. Not into angry rap
I still hate Rap and Hip Hop! It’s terrible. Total shit.
A highly ambitious 70 minutes of eclectic, genre bending hip hop. This album has twists and turns by the bucket load. A variety of styles, but always catchy and high energy. This is excellent. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: The Seed (2.0) Date listened: 11/02/24
Pretty cool. Not really my thing, but I’m learning.
3,5
Probably the 3rd best Roots album, surprised it’s on the list but really enjoyed revisiting it, I listened to it a ton when I got the CD when it came out but hardly at all since then. Thought is incredible and somehow is just as good (maybe better?) today. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me
I bought this in 2003 when I first heard The Seed; I remember being disappointed that it was the only track that has more R&B/Funk sound to it than Rap. The CD sat mostly unplayed. Listening again, the entire album is a masterpiece. Talented instrumentation, thoughtful collaborations, cross-genre appeal... it has everything.
2 - The only song I liked was the seed. The rest not for me
I loved this album as a teenager and still love it. rediscovered tracks I'd not listened to in ages and reminded me of iPod times when I had a few of these tracks playing on repeat.
Not as good as Things Fall Apart for me, which I assume has to also be on the list. The tracks with female vocal hooks seem to be my favourite. The instrumentals are all round pleasant, the rapping is a little bit vanilla. It feels generous but its a 3.5 round up to 4 for me. Fave Tracks: Sacrifice, Complexity 3.5/5
I only realised once it had finished playing that I hadn't actually listened to it, which I guess says something
Exactly the sort of thing I was hoping this website would help me with. Rap has always been an embarrassingly large gap in my music knowledge but I haven't known the best way in. This may have been it! I love the blend of rock and hip hop and I just found the whole thing incredibly listenable. I want to take a closer look at the lyrics some time soon, I'm sure it'd only make me appreciate the album more.
как обычно оценила только знакомый роллин уиз хит. остальное какое-то непонятное и незапоминающееся( надо продолжать
Best Song: Break You Off. Black Thought at his best here. Slick, sexy, but with enough lyrical intensity to be interesting as well. Worst Song: Something In The Way of Things (In Town). Too long and too experimental. Really grinds the flow of the rest of the album to a screeching halt. Overall: Black Thought is one of the best to ever do it, and the rest of The Roots always rises up to meet him. I love the contrast that you see on an album like this, between moments where Black Thought is ripping at top speed and there is this staccato intensity, but then it all fades (seamlessly) into laidback tracks full of jazz and R&B musicianship. Not my favourite album by them, but still great nonetheless.
Überhaupt nicht mein Geschmack... nur Rhytmus und sinnfreier Spechgesang ... laaaaaangweilig
I liked it, but probably is not something I would normally choose for myself.
An interesting mix of many genres with emphasis on beats, rhythm and hip-hop styling. Worth the listen and a lot of it is really good, but isn't something that will have me coming back for more.
A perfect album from start to finish. Deep and catchy. Rap with funk and neo soul influences. All great tracks but The Seed (2.0) is one of my favorite songs of all time. I just come back to it again and again over the years.
Not enough memorable tunes to quite make it a 5 star record for me, but these guys always show up and make a solid album, just not quite an all time classic for me.
I have not heard of this album before or artist though the album cover looks vaguely familiar. Could be reminded of another album though. I am not the biggest fan of rap music but it wasn’t bad to listen to. None of the songs stood out to me so I probably won’t listen again.
Why are hip hop albums so long
Love The Roots but this one wasn’t very good.
Amazing production, beats and lyrics! Not much else to compliment.
4.5
Roots are good, but the Seed 2.0 with Cody Chesnutt makes a good song greater.
Worth it for Cody Chesnutt
Really really liked this one. I'm actually really starting to warm up to hip hop as a genre, and this album has helped that happen even more. Lots of really great lyrics about important issues of racism, and great flow and vocals. It does drag on just a bit, I don't think the album needs to be over an hour, but at least it's good all the way through so at least I'm not stuck listening to over an hour of garbage.
I'm very familiar with "The Seed (2.0)," but I'm unfamiliar with the rest of this record. It's so much more than just hip-hop. It's a pretty transcendent work of art. I'm genuinely impressed by the depth of this record, and I find myself bobbing along with the infectious beats. Pure genius.
I think this is an okay album, it shines in its production and flows and bars but some songs go on way too long, long enough for me to realise the beat has stayed the exact same for the last four minutes
I'd heard of The Roots before but hadn't actually listened to them. Very enjoyable and fun album, The Seed is especially great. Fav songs: The Seed, Sacrifice, Complexity
lyrics at times were very crude. The sound was pretty decent, but hard to rate very high in my view.
The Roots provided one of the last but best entries to the neo soul that came up since the mid 90s. Seldomly hip hop was that abstract in sound but got held together by tight lyrics. It's a masterpiece but maybe not the best album by this great band because it takes a while to find access to.
Never heard of the roots before, so wasn’t sure what to expect going into this. But this really is a great hip hop album that was pushing the boundaries of its time. Just a bit on the long side but apart from That a great album and deserves to be on the list.
This album varies between pretty average and incredibly good. The last track "Thirsty!" Is really a knockout, imo, and I don't think that any of the tracks on the album are really short of being 'good'. Overall a very good listening experience, and one that I'll probably come back to sooner rather than later.
Some nice beats. A little too experimental for my taste though.
Pretty good as far as rap goes.
The Roots are amazing. The Tonight Show has the best band ever.
Never heard of The Roots before and it was not at all what I was expecting! The album's core is hip hop and that's the theme throughout the album but it also explores RnB, rock, soul and the last song "Thirsty!" is some kind of awesome techno. There's so many bangers and a few duds that could be trimmed from the album. I've gotta listen to this again.
Had a great time listening to this. This is an album that came out the year I left for college and was extremely widely played, so it felt very familiar even if I had never listened to it from front to back. Really like the textures and tone shifts.
My room mate played this album a lot in college. It's very enjoyable.
I really enjoyed this! That one spoken-word piece lasted too long but other than that, I thought that the album felt short despite being over an hour long.
!!!!
the transitions in the first half of the album were really smooth, I barely noticed when the next song started. The waters was way too long, I wish it ended after four minutes all in all it was decent
Really fun, good beats and a chill vibe.
Fun, upbeat, creative, original. Didnt realize that I had become an old stick in the mud until I got to Pussy Galore and couldn't finish the song.
Liked most of it.
Epic
3.2
Zweite Hälfte richtig stark! Erste manchmal zu nichts sagend
Unbelievable range in the tracks - seemlessly shifting from boom bap to funk to jazz to hardcore to techno to soul and back again. Features were perfect and definitely suited the song they were on. Overall just a really enjoyable and quality record. Definitely want to review this one more fully.
Not a fan of the genre. Didn't like this.
The only song I liked was The Seed 2.0, and that was mostly because the music reminded me of the intro to Flight of the Conchords. Most of this was an unpleasant chore to listen to.
tapa jolla tuotos käyttäytyy korvassa on rauhoittavaa ja antaumuksellista. Rap liigassa on kuitenkin enemmän asioita mietittävänä kuin musiikin mielekkyys ja kuuntelijan halujen tyydyttäminen
Meh
Good solid music, have meant to listen to them more over the years so welcomed the oppportunity will have to revisit.
Bit too long but well worth persevering, liked this a lot
I have this on vinyl. It has a really good mix of different things on here (although the Pussy Galore track sounds distastefully sexist). The Roots are a really interesting band. There are no standout catchy tracks for me.
I enjoyed it, plenty of head bopping beats!!!!!!!
3.5
My first time hearing The Roots, and I enjoyed it. The start of the album comes out swinging and never really lets up. It has plenty to say, both lyrically and musically. Plenty of variety between tracks so it never gets boring.
overall an average rap album. there are some really groovy beats, others are a little more experimental and i like that! Black's rapping is also solid. its just that maybe i was expecting a little more experimentation and crazier lyrical themes from them, at least in this release, because it seemed interesting. im listening to their other works and they are definitely better imo, so its just this one!
The mainstream gateway to underground backpack rap, this album is feels like the conclusion of the arc of 'conscious hip hop' that kicked off with the Native Tongues scene in the late 1980s and is the representative of that tradition within the amazing cannon of 2002ish rap. There's fun production and some great (if not especially innovative) beats with a neo-soul psyche flavour - taken to it's furthest in 17minute combo off Break You Off > Water. This isn't a party album with big choruses, anthemic hooks or danceable repetition, instead the emphasis is on the verses' complex lyricism: all densely packed-with allusions, playful and incisive lines and rapid fire delivery.
This album introduced me to Questlove when it came out and turned me into an instant fan-great beats, clever lyrics, great flow-good all the way around!
A bit odd. I thought I would enjoy this a bit more than I did.
Normally love The Roots but this album was not to my taste
Some good songs, some too long, easily listening
3.4/5 Best Track: Sacrifice
Idk, this kinda was bland. I saw the Roots live in the late 90's. I had a good time. Looking back though, I don't remember shit about the music, just the fact that I was there. I felt that tonight listening to this album. As soon as it ends, it will be lost forever. I hear there is praise for the lyrics, but lyrics come later for me and this album didn't sell the pitch.
I think my only familiarity with The Roots is when Jimmy Fallon things go viral. I think they’re the band on that, but I’m not actually sure. Aside from that, even though a lot of hip hop wouldn’t be exactly to my taste, I do love that I’m hearing more and more through my daily reviews. It’s always nice to have a wider palette. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Sacrifice, The Seed (2.0) I found this album to be fine. It didn’t blow me away like occasional rap albums have, but it also didn’t leave me feeling bored. I couldn’t help but laugh at the song Pussy Galore, as it sounds like an Austin Powers character. I think it might actually be the name of someone in it. Anyway, I digress. I can definitely see the appeal with this, but I doubt I’ll be returning for a second listen.
I wasn't familiar with this group or the genre so I don't have knowledge for comparison but I really enjoyed this album.
My favorite hip-hop album that was released after 2k. Yeah... even better than Kendrick. Black Thought is criminally underrated as an MC. Unfortunately I feel they lost some respect being a late night backing band. The featureson this album were all welcomed additions... ESPECIALLY the inclusion of beat poet Amiri Baraka. Also known as LeRoi Jones. He passed about 10 years ago. RIP
I was liking this but got tired of it. I think I would like most of these songs a lot if they had more dynamic range. 70 minutes is too long for how much of this sounds the same. This list seems to be picking these albums, where the artist got ambitious in songwriting/production/scope & yet the end result sounds more generic than what they'd done before.
Odd to think of these guys as a late night house band, and I guess that is how they would be widely known at this point. This is a very cool record.
Solid and surprisingly varied Roots album. A relisten points out how influential it has been judging by the number of samples it forms the basis of
Ewig nicht gehört und inzwischen so ne weirde Abneigung dagegen zugelegt. Finds aber eigentlich direkt wieder ziemlich geil. Bis zu „The Seed 2.0“ ziemlich gut. „Break You Off“ ist dann leider so ein bisschen ein Downer, weil es so ein langweiliges, säuseliges souliges Lied ist. Danach dann etwas experimenteller („Water“), geht wieder klar! „Pussy Galore“ auch wieder so ein Tiefpunkt. Der Song danach auch („Complexity“). Das Album ist zu lang. Ich bin froh, wenn ich durch bin. Am Ende wirds dann noch mal stressig, mit Technobeats. Werds wohl so bald nicht mehr anhören, aber gutes Album.
Ecoute assez agréable, grande variété au niveau des rythmes, des styles, des samples, des influences... "Thought @ work" et son sample de l'Incredible Bongo Band, "Rhymes and ammo" est très efficace. "The seed (2.0)" est très soul. Quelques morceaux plombants et interminables ("Water" et "Something in the way of things " font déjà 17 minutes à elles deux), je ne sais toujours pas trop quoi penser de "Thirsty" qui part en boom boom techno party 90's de fête foraine.
2002 Hip hop, progressive rap, neo soul, rap rock Standouts: Rock You, Thought at Work, The Seed 2.0, Every song on the album sounds great. I don't know any of the songs, but it's good. 4/5
The seed (der tragödie zweiter teil) (feat. Cody Maroni) isch vielicht s einzig Lied woni schomol ghört han vo dem Album und schomol nice. Break You Off het de smootheschtigst Bass und d Workstation Strings sind au eifach hot. Water gfallt mir mega. Geile Beat + Flow, so geili Übergäng, es triebt eifach mega fürschi. Ok wird chli craycray geg de Schluss, aber Einstürzende Neubauten het mich stärker gmacht, ich bin unbeidruckt. Thirsty goht nomol härt (Gebet ihne Wasser). Ich los leider meistens nöd uf englischi Text bis zum dritte mol lose, aber mir gfallet d Beats. Es richtig guets Album zum durelose (has grad au zweimol gmacht), ich ghör kei schwachi Lieder. Ich han mir schomol überleit, wie ich amene Album chönt es 5i geh noch nur eim Tag lose, aber das chunt für mich nöch.
rock you. de shit isch geeeeil interlude funny sacrifice. ischmer chli preachy? und de beat findi nöd so geil. rolling with heat. ok geeeile beat, ghöri chli homophobie? aber nai geile song. thought @ work. mmmmh bongos und mega schöne hall. BARS goht huere los. wieder chli homophobie time.cocksucker und so. blöser und keys huuuere geil. the seed 2.0 was ischs. sample??? keis sample! has afoch schomol ghört. aber tönt sehr 70er. er singt cool bitz kravitz aber cool. break you off. sehr nice beat, gitarre swells sind niice. schluss huere schöni chords. water the first movement. boah bass und giti haut iiine. und dbreaks mit klatsche und alles uuuuh geil. hook findi etz nöd meega strong. oke jetz wirds sochli laitmalerei theremin wasserfallgrüsch time. aber immerno piano bitz hinedra. oke ich glaub das isch sochli lautmalerei vo drogeproblem wenni d text über s album richtig verstoh? aso kakophonie und so. aber isch organisierter als einstürzende neubauten. Quills. schnufige beat geeeil. sehr geile song. pussy galore. oke sozialkritik time, college mit strippe finanziere und so. beat triibt und macht harmonisch öpis instrumentierig änderet immer wieder. die gsunge bridge/outro au nice. complexity. holt mi etz nöd meega ab isch mega lowkey. something in the way. meega jazzy chords questlove macht de modal jazz shit no cool. spoken word stuff drüber. Rhymes and Ammo. beat huuere hard. geili hook am ahfang. thirsty goht jo loooos. oke seehr geili beats Questlove isch en geeeile siech. sehr schöni instrument sehr energetischi parts, sehr guet grappt.
Hans (nötig) es album gfunde, wo sehr guet flowt, hie und daa hets denn aber cooli sache geh, wo chli überrascht hend, !!!! zB mengisch recht neo-soulig d beats sehr nice, schön ruhigi keys und d snare findi crisp trotzdem hets für mich chli vor sich her gspielt und es ischmer schlussendlich wenig blibe p-word galore hani sehr geil gfunde oder sacrifice oder au complexity, jill scott huere schöni stimm ja, ich han adem album wenig uszsetze eig, ussert, dass es mich halt schlussendlich trotzdem nöd gross mitgrisse het, also au emotional hets mich jz nöd gross ahgsproche? für das müsstmer wahrschindlich au no meh lyrics ahluege die letschte paar lieder sind absolut geil aber ich muss jz nochli danko jones lose demit ich wenigstens es paar lieder wiedererkenne
Ging best lekker maar door water en wat erna kwam ging dit niet zo lekker meer in m'n hoofdje. Spijtig
Erg lekkere plaatjes + crazy space nummer gewoon goed
wtf was water
Phrentrow - 7/10 Rock You - 8.5/10 !!!!! - 7.5/10 Sacrifice- 8/10 Rolling with Heat - 8.5/10 Thought @ Work - 7/10 Thought @ Work - 8/10 The Seed(2.0) - 7.5/10 Break You Off - 8/10 Water - 7.5/10 Quills - 8.5/10 Pussy Galore - 8/10 Complexity - 7.5/10 Something in the Way of Things - 7/10 Rhymes and Ammo - 9/10 Thirsty! - 8.5/10 TOTAL - 126/160
Once again, a good album that is just too long. Over an hour long, 16 tracks. By the 13th doing I felt like it would never end.
Music that would be playing at an art museum
Bloody hell man. Better than I remember. That said, it'd be better still if it was 20 mins shorter. Those last couple of jawns are a waste
First album of the Roots I've listened to. Diverse musical palettes to create the background for the background. I seem to like the collabs with Nelly Furtado (Sacrifice), Cody Chestnutt (The Seed 2.0) and Jill Scott (Complexity) more than their own tunes. Something in the Water is interesting as it's more a spoken piece. Water's coda doesn't seem to enhance the song for me. May have to listen to this more to appreciate it better but it feels uneven.
Not as long as the hole in my backside points down would I listen to this crap. Hate this grunty genre that are obsessed with how many times they can say niggah in a track. Really pathetic, I hate it.
I'm aware of The Roots because of Jimmy Fallon. I hate Jimmy Fallon but The Roots have seemed pretty alright. So I guess that is my expectation. Alright. Let's check it out. So my issue with hip-hop is that it is super focused on the lyrics and the music is very much an afterthought. When you listen to the music its basically the same 4 bars repeated for the entirety of the song. That really irritates me. However, this is overall a pretty good album. The music and lyrics compliment it each other and its not the typical overdriven bass you get in most hip-hop. 3 out of 5.
Not bothered, need to read why it's up there
I thought I liked hip hop a lot. It appears I don’t. Even using Apache and name checking Flash didn’t save it for me. I thought it was dull. Lacking in purpose and emotion.
Minimal talent here.
What a surprise! Had to resist the urge to stop and move on fairly early into listening as hip hop generally isn't my thing, but so glad that I persisted. Such a wide range of influences and references kept me listening through to the end with anticipation. Really enjoyable and has left me wanting more
There's some good moments to this hip-hop record that incorporate complex lyrics and beats. The standout is the catchy "The Seed (2.0)". Fast paced beat of closer "Thirsty!" is great as well. "Water" is so weird/bad and out of place, was the biggest letdown in an otherwise solid album.
The Seed 2.0 is the only song I knew by the Roots before listening to Phrenology. I didn't listen very closely, but it seemed like this album had a narrative, so I'll likely give it another go sometime later on.
This album takes some interesting, experimental directions which are really cool, delving into genres like hardcore punk and electronica at moments. However a lot of their hip hop tracks came across a little bland for me.
I hate Philly, most of PA really. But The Roots? Best thing to come out of Philly. This album as most of their works is a modern day classic, don't sleep on Black Thought as a lyricist either he can flow with the best of em.
This is hip-hop virtuosity right here with little filler or misstep. I might give it 4 stars but I gots to love my 215 brethren. What can I say? I’m a Philly homeboy.
pass
Good stuff.
Pleasant enough I guess, but not really ground-breaking, which is what I was expecting. Very middle of the road R&B in places, with the odd bit of progressive hip-hop thrown in. Hovered between 2 and 4 stars throughout my listen through, so 3-stars seems fair.
Les instru sont sympas
J'ai trouvé ça correct mais la dernière musique est vraiment chouette !
Paar toffe stukjes
This was sonically pretty interesting at times, but something about the performative bravado in rap lyrics often leaves the impression of overcompensation.
I'm super picky about hip hop but I liked this. I can understand why it's on the list. Good variation between songs and interesting hints of other genres.
Consistency matters. Witht this record the Roots, in my opinion, become only the second rap artist to release three 4star+ albums in a row. Onlt A Tribe Called Quest beflre them, not Biggie, Nas, Jayz, wutang... MFDoom accomplished this after The Roots but in a different way, producing two of those albums in one year. Point is the Roots are fantastic and went 4s5s4s with Illadelph, TFApart and this Phrenology
music 2*
"y'all niggaz on the titty in your formative stages" I haven't listened to any of The Roots' records before this one, and I enjoyed it a lot. The flow on most of the songs was really sweet, and the lyricism was well done. My biggest gripe is the runtime of the album, in conjunction with a good few songs that are sub-par, or have a vocal section that took away from the album for me. A real stand-out track for me was T11- "Quills," it has a really nice backing bassline and the rap flows really nicely ontop of it, playlist track. Other tracks, such as T2- "Rock you" and T13- "Complexity" really hit the spot that they're shooting for, but most of the rest of the album could've been done better, or been cut out. 3/5
The Roots are a great band. I really like this album. It reminds you that it's hard to put them into a certain genre of music. Some of the songs are definitely going on to my daily playlist.
Hip Hop. 1/5
Decent, fikk ikke hørt gjennom alt men det virket ganske bra, kanskje ikke helt min stil
"Phrenology" by The Roots is a musical journey that ventures into uncharted territories, which offered me and others for sure a distinctive blend of hip-hop that pushes the boundaries of the genre. This album is an avant-garde masterpiece, with the lyrics both thought-provoking and challenging, exploring a wide range of topics, from identity and politics to personal introspection. Tracks like "Water" and "Thought @ Work" showcase the group's lyrical prowess, delivering sharp insights and commentary which makes its abstract nature adds an intriguing layer to the overall listening experience.
Downtown everybody move to the beat Uptown everybody moving the heat Cross-town the party where both sides meet Eastside, westside, there's always beef Downtown everybody move to the beat Uptown everybody moving the heat Cross-town the party where both sides meet Eastside, westside, there's always beef Better than you might think if you read the wiki. 4/5
Favorite track was "Break You Off"
Some of it quiet tuneful not what I would usually expect with hip hop.
hip hop.
Pleasantly surprised with this one. It's not the kind of music I usually listen to, but very enjoyable nonetheless.
I thi k I'm probably one of those normies that needs a "Best of The Roots" collection. I enjoy their sound but find each track either really hits or does nothing for me. Overall liked it enough for a 4.
Interesting beats, orchestrations, and appearances by guest artists. My first time listening to The Roots, and it sparked by interest in other work by them.
3.7
Great mixed bag here showing a lot of different influences. Black Thought is a very underrated emcee or at least he was, I think people are coming around.
I know of the Roots via Jimmy Fallon.. hah. I guess they were a pretty well formed band based around hip hop. The first half of this album was pretty... I don't know aggressive?, but it seemed to mellow out in the back half. I don't have a lot to say on it, it was probably influential at the time - I enjoyed A Tribe Called Quest's Low End Theory a bit more than this one, I think I would revisit this album when I am in the right mood for exploring a foundational rap album. Best Track: The Seed (2.0)
Black Thought top 10 mcees. RIP Hub
I like the expanse of the album I wish some songs took as much musical risk as others. Love when the landscape varies unexpectedly. Almost a 5 for me will re listen to it soon.
Not my favorite album by them
Some tracks were good to great, some were forgettable, and some were just off putting--trying to be experimental but came out as noise.
Pretty decent.
All rap artists seemed to evolve in the early 2000s into something I do not enjoy. The roots in the 90s are a group I love, sad to see that they fell to the pop inspired rap that became the norm in that era.
Some things I liked, other things I didn't. Overall mixed feelings
Could not get into this to save my life
Monotonous.
I enjoyed it. I am familiar with The Roots but I have not listened to an entire album.of theirs before. There were a couple of songs that were just noise and not good. Also the album is about 70 minutes long.
Solid but not great
Tight, well put together hip-hop album.
Couldn't get into the flow. The Seed 2.0 put me off. Like the beats in a lot of the songs - those are getting stuck in my head.
amazing album - 4/5 on first listen through. listened 2x - very good album
This is a fantastic record, always inventive even if some parts don't quite work. Overall, very enjoyable with virtuosic music and vocals.
Fantastic album with complex raps, beats, and instrumental support, but a couple of experimental tracks detract from the whole. Maybe those “songs” are important, but they’re not the ones I keep on repeat. The political messages are well stated on the fun songs as well, and they reach a broader audience.
Classic
Didn't enjoy this but there was some weird bits that was unusual so I respect that
Considering the observation that the freak-outs are lopsided makes them snap into sudden appropriate place. The Roots lay down dense music, islands of noise. The rapping was more cohesive than I expected; The production less, at least beautifully. The kaleidoscope's jarring.
I've heard a few tracks of this album before, Thought at Work, The Seed, and Break You Off. All three of these songs sound like what I would expect from the Roots, great hip hop. The rest of the album goes into wildly different directions, from punk to electronic, definitely not what I expected, but it somehow all works.
A few catchy tracks and quite a pop vibe which I'm not sure has aged very well.
Weird, better than hoped
Not bad, pretty chill/groovy
Not my preferred genre but always respected the Roots musicianship and enjoyed Things Fall Apart. First time hearing Phrenology and it's a trip. Hip Hop, funk, soul, advant garde noisescapes, and even straight up punk. You gotta commend the Roots for the chances they take on this.
5/5. A solid collection of conscious and bopping rap and R&B. Smart music and real easy-going while also being present and direct. Instrumentation is top notch, so many little noises and drums that drive and differentiate this album. It's almost a 5 but it was good enough that it deserves it. Gonna play it back again.
4.6
Se démarque par ses rythmes joués live plutôt que par ses échantillons. Les textes me semblent particulièrement excellents.
It's not what I usually listen to it but I liked it. 3.5?
I like many things about this album, but I don't feel like I like it as a whole. I would still give it a listen every once in a while, but I've got to be in a specific mood.
Tight classic early 2000s hip hop. Great band dynamic with brilliant lyrics.
It’s alright.It’s kind of annoying actually and goes too long.Just alright rapping.
Some songs were listenable and some were not
First one I downloaded to my library to keep
Some brillant moments this album is so scattered and chaotic that it's hard to take it all at once. It will demand some more spins before I can truly apprectiate it.
It's alright, but clearly not their best work.
I wonder
Gillade övergångarna mellan vissa låtar och tycker allmänt att albumet hade ett coolt sound. Värt att nämna är att jag tyckte det blev lite repetitivt efter första halvan. Favorit låtar: Rock You och Thoughts @ Work
många riktiga BOPS 🤙🤙🤙 Pussy galore var fett bra, det var gaaalet beat beat. all in all, bra album, sista låten sämst😿🙀
Bästa låtar: Sacrifice, Thought @ work, The seed (2.0)
Bra! Men inte riktigt tillräckligt memorable typ. Favvisar kanske rolling with heat och quills
Hann bara lyssna på dom första två låtarna o det var icke bra
Typ bra, massa konstiga låtar och enformiga låtar men typ bra. Tänkte 3 men den sista låtarna var bajs Favorit låtar: Break you off, The Seed (2.0) Värst: WATER
Bra album, vissa låtar va väldigt bra och vissa va väldigt dåliga Bästa låt: Break you off
Never listened to The Roots before, but definitely enjoyed this.
One of those hip hop groups whose name I've known forever but never really bothered to look in to. I like them. Like a solid 3.5.
Yea.....more hip hop i like .... thoughtful intelligent beats and lyrics that bears repeated listens. Smooth.
Not their jazziest but one of their most consistent
Jammer, good vibes
I was considering giving this a 5, but it got a bit uneven towards the end (right around the time "Water" turns into a noisy mess). Nevertheless, it's the Roots, which means time spent listening is time well spent.
Not as good as I hoped it to be
handful of really good songs, including the longer tracks (break you off & water), but also plenty of somewhat dull songs. i could've went my whole life without hearing "pussy galore" but unfortunately that's how the cookie crumbled today.
not bad
It was better than some of the other hip-hop albums I've heard on here. That's about it. Still long and could have cut 10 minutes but at least it flowed so much better than other similar albums.
Excellent. Never listened through before and I should have. That's what this list is about. So much talent.
I was first acquainted with The Roots when they became the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. I was way behind the game, as this group has been putting out albums since the late 90s. I was aware of their plans to disband following mediocre album success. Phrenology is a masterpiece, IMO. "The Seed 2.0" is one of the catchiest songs of all time, a perfectly blended smoothie of soul, hip-hop and rock-and-roll. A steady, slapping beat, Black Thought's thoughts, and Cody Chesnutt wailing come together nicely. Some other notable songs: Rock You (Black Though is mad), Sacrifice (Black Thought is smooth) and Break You Off (Black Thought is in love). This group has gone on to do big things. Questlove just won an Academy Award for best documentary. Five stars for Phrenology.
A curiosity. A handful of good songs, an incredible sound and band but overall a bit boring. I don't love it but don't hate it, so it's bang in the middle I'm afraid.
Meh, it’s not for me.
This would be a 5 star album but now I'm fighting myself from giving it 3 because I'm tired of bands making albums with 10 minute long random noise tracks. You're not edgy or doing anything new and you're definitely not saying anything by making these. They are not creative, enjoyable, thought provoking and they're definitely not music.
Very cool
Feels generic, but has some standout tracks, making it an above average album for me
I might be overrating because I had this right after A Tribe Called Quest, who really bored me. By contrast, The Roots give every track a distinctive and engaging tune which makes the album as a whole a pleasure to listen to even if rap isn't your preferred vocal style.
Ágætis plata. Fíla vel fönkið sem leynist þarna inn á milli.
Me ha gustado el tipo de estilo. Aun siendo hip-hop/rap tenía buenos ritmos. Puede llegar a ser pegadizo.
Bad!!!
I love this album; it's a perfect mix of every genre of social justice, from funk to punk. Creative, hooky, chock full of not only talent, but also pop sensibility. Listen actively or play it in the background, it's The Roots at their best.
Not for me
Liked it a lot more than I thought I would
Jeg digger tanken om the roots, men blir skuffet hver gang jeg hører på dem
I wouldn't say it's bad: there were moments on this album that enjoyed the sampling, the rapping wasn't my favourite but to a good standard. Coming from a group I have never heard of it was enjoyable, wouldn't say I would listen again but wasn't that bad tbh.
Volkomen kudt
Soft Hip-Hop? Boring.
I feel like The Roots are one of the groups that have never really received the credit that they deserved. Playing live music for hip-hop is an amazing idea, and they've always executed it incredibly. Especially in this era, they kept pushing the envelope of what they could do musically to keep up with the work of producers like Dilla who were creating music that was difficult to emulate with live instruments. The incredible talent of Black Thought is on full display here. Again, he's one of the greatest rappers of all time, but never get sufficient credit. I think that The Roots are one of those groups that a lot of people find challenging, despite the fact that their music sounds great and isn't hard on the ears at all. They've always done their own thing and sought to push the boundaries of that genre, and Phrenology is another milestone in that journey. The fusion of hip-hop and neo-soul reaches what might be its apex here 4/5
First rate hip hop from a band I need to explore more
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, it was really stylish and versatile for its time Favourite song: Track 4 - Sacrifice
Whoa, this is crazy good. My knowledge of hip-hop is limited -- I like Kendrick, I like Tribe, and that's about where it stops. But albums like this make me think I should rethink my stance and explore. The instrumentals here are thick and funky, fun and creative, sometimes even a little unconventional or odd. The lyrics are thoughtful and often brilliant. I could see this becoming a 5-star after further listens.
Top tier hip-hop - like the Radiohead of rap. Crossed with pretty much all other styles of music too, making for a really varied and interesting album. Wonderful
What a freaking ride this album was? I had no idea that it was gonna be so interesting when it started. Parts of it just hip hop. Parts of it experimental, anxiety inducing, some edm thrown in the mix? Some really interesting samples too. Wild ride. And I don’t really like rapping but proper enjoyed some of the slower songs on this Saved tracks: !!!!!!!, Sacrifice, Rolling With Heat, The Seed (2.0), Break You Off, Pussy Galore, Thirsty!
A good, cool album, too cool maybe. Experimental in places, absent mindedly groovy in others. Very fine.
Solid album by the Roots. Still my second favorite next to Things Fall Apart, but I enjoyed listening again.
Interesting, thoughtful, and varied hip-hop. I didn't love it all, but I really liked much of it.
Some top-notch hip-hop here. I have neglected to check out The Roots previous to this. I have been missing out! Such a variety of styles. I dig it!
Great mix of styles and voices. Enjoyed it mucho.
I have heard the Roots perform often with Jimmy Fallon and their talent was obvious. But this album really surprised me how incredibly good they are! These songs move and groove and have an interesting range of styles. The time flew by listening to this and when it ended I immediately started it over to listen again. One of the best hip hop albums I’ve had the pleasure to listen to. Phrenomenol!
Very very good
Just not for me.
God this one was tiresome. Too boring and repetitive. “Rock You” was just the same 1-second beat repeated for 3 minutes. A couple songs had good hooks, but they got old before the song was over. Sometimes I can tolerate hip hop but man was this one a chore for me 1.5