Phrenology

I really enjoyed this album. The production and rapping are both stellar. (That’s really all I have to say.)

It was OK - nothing struck me

very good hiphop album, a lot of interesting beats added to playlist: 4 songs fav track(s) - pussy galore, thirsty 7/10

Meh

better than i was expecting cool beats

This is a bit outside of my wheelhouse. Often times it was just too dense. It's a challenging listen and too long - Made in the "CD era" when everyone wanted to fill the entire disc. That said, there were moments that I enjoyed, but I don't really see myself going back to listen to this again. Although, I am now curious to hear their other albums - Maybe an earlier one will have a couple of less layers of studio production piled on it (and be of a more listener-friendly length). I don't think this is supposed to be an entry point to the band and is probably considered classic by already existing fans.

Strong 7

I find it interesting that there are so many producers on the album. You would think that that would make the album feel a lot more scattered, that there was not a central theme. But really, you don't get that here. Throughout the album, the core... the Roots keeps whatever groove necessary to solidify that theme. The shorts lead right into songs, which is ok, I guess. A couple of songs went on a bit long: "Break You Off" could have been tightened up some, "Pussy Galore" I probably could have done without. But "Water," WOW! That was great. More of that, please. Definitely going to have to check out more of their stuff now...

This is a really good album. I feel a bit embarrassed for having never listened to the Roots before. Kind of reminds me of George Clinton-led bands Parliament and Funkadelic. Not the same sound, though it is funky, but the collaborative effort, the intricate layered sounds, the range and depth of what they do. So Parliament for the late Gen X'ers and early Gen Y'ers. The album descends into a bit of madness with Water (the latter half is spastic) until at least Something in the Way of Things (lyrics very poetic and deep, but weird) but the album is killer prior to that. Rock You and Rolling with Heat (hands down best beats on the album) are absolutely pumping. Thought at Work is no slouch either. Sacrifice, The Seed, and Break You Off have more soul and rhythm - great guest vocals too. The post-Water sequence still has some high points (from Quills to Complexity have some solid beats and rapping), and they go out with a bang on Rhymes and Ammo (just as pumping as the early tracks) and Thirsty (far better electronica than some true house bands). Definitely going to have to listen to more of their stuff more closely.

Decent hip hop album with some nice variety. I do tend to like the Arrested Development style of Hip Hop which mixes in more jazzy elements. 3.5 stars

Excellent

Solid album! I had never heard of them before, and added some of the songs to playlists. The seed (2.0) is a great song!

Great hip hop album and they are also talented musicians. The songs are awesome, Seed 2.0 is a classic and my fav but Quills is also dope

Philly Kinda-Phresh

Very good

Not sure what that word means. This album is great for picking up your sunglasses that you left behind last night. I dug it. I thought this album holds up well after being over 20 years old now. Love the instruments and beats behind the vocals, I think that’s what separates these guys from some other hip hop acts. Little bit of extra complexity, which I appreciated. And some of the flat out singing left me thirsting for water, damn. Some good vox from whoever that guy was. Not the best album I’ve listened to but glad I did listen, I’ll rock with it.

I fear I didn't give this one as fair of a shake as I should have, since I'm rushing a bit trying to catch up by doing two a day. I didn't really vibe with it as is common with hip hop albums for me. I'm trying! Just need to find one with interesting music in the background.

Enjoyed this album

Really well produced and creative album, loved it.

When it's good, it's really good. The only problem is it's not always good. Water in particular is not something that I ever want to hear again. I'm still giving it a 4 but 3.5 would probably be more accurate.

Un très bon album mixant plusieurs genre. J ai été surpris ! 4.

1 - Porquería

Sure I dig it.

Just not my genre at all. Nothing to see here for me.

Me gustaron algunas bases mas soul

Awesome experimental rap album with interludes I actually liked so that was cool. Enjoyed every song even the long ones. There's just a lot going on instrumentally and lyrically that I really enjoyed and I'm gladly adding it to the playlist. Also seeing a Nelly Furtado feature made me laugh. Score: 90 Art: 80

Good lyrics, experimental beats, and sick drumming. Pretty long, I think it will take more than one listen for me to rate higher, but really impressed. Really loved Break You Off and the 10 minute Water. Jimmy Fallon is terrible. 3.5

A classic from the Legendary Roots Crew

I’ll be honest: I had no idea The Roots was a real band outside of Jimmy Fallon’s shows.

One of the most creative hip hop albums I've had the pleasure of listening to. These guys didn't deserve the horrible fate of being known as "the Jimmy Fallon band". The last few songs drag on a bit, but the bangers outweigh the relatively boring tracks by a lot. Really enjoyed this. Strong 4/5.

Wack

Alright. Could be better with a bit more consistency

Amazing

I've been a fan of The Roots so this may be biased.

Disliked a lot but managed to get to the end.

Great listen. Bought The Seed on single back in the day.

Some real high points on here. Could’ve done with maybe losing 15 minutes or so but a good album all round

From which so much has grown.

Pretty cool album that’s well built, progresses nicely although it could’ve been trimmed a bit. Questlove is a master in his compositions! 8 out of 10

I was going to give this review a sort of intro as I expected to write a lot for this album but simply I’ll just say this record is incredible and honestly I expected nothing less from The Roots. This is quite a long album spanning 1 hour and 7 minutes over 16 tracks however this doesn’t take away from the quality that is imbedded all throughout this record. The first stand out track is ‘Rock You’ where Black Thought is spitting braggadocious lines over this hard hitting beat pattern that runs through the track, this is really prime Thought rapping. Phrenology really shows off Thought’s versatility too as the next stand out track ‘Sacrifice’ has him harmonising with pop singer Nelly Furtado over a smooth sounding track about the Sacrifices one has to make to succeed in life. Some other key moments on the record are the collaboration tracks with none other than Talib Kweli. The first track ‘Rolling With Heat’ is a funky smooth track where Roots member Dice Raw opens with the hook and Talib follows with a fantastic verse. The other track ‘Rhymes And Ammo’ is a bit more classic hip hop especially with the chorus with Thought and Talib going back and forth “Pump that, Shit up”, “Stand up, Get up” is such an infectious moment in the record. The true peak of this album is quite fittingly the middle of the album which is nice to see considering it’s more common to see albums these days put their best songs between the 2-5 song mark, well the singles anyways. This starts off with ‘Thought @ Work’ which is layered with instruments and some classic hip hop sounds that cumulates to such a groovy instrumental, in the background you can hear some small drums and more prominently later in the track some brass instruments that give this track some nice groove. This is followed by the highlight off the album ‘The Seed (2.0)’ which is a mix off some hip hop drums and this almost western guitar in the back giving the track a fairly cold tone, and of course the sample of Cody Chesnutt is fantastic, gives the track some extra soul. This is followed by an equally incredible track ‘Break You Off’ which is a story told by Thought about him trying to steal someone else’s girl. The hook, performed by Musiq Soulchild, gives the track a slightly R&B touch and with the piano fill in the background it makes for an incredibly smooth track. The last 2 minutes of instrumental in this track are equally beautiful where some strings are introduced to calmly close off the track. The final grand track that makes up the middle of this album is ‘Water’ where Black Thought displays his feelings about former member Malik B who had to leave the group due to drug problems, it’s a reminder to everyone of how they met and how talented Malik B is when it comes to rapping. The latter half of this track is an instrumental mix possibly an audio visual into drug affects on the body as we hear some heartbeat sounds and some disorganised instrumentals. Lastly I’d like to mention the closing track ‘Thirsty!’ which stands out because it’s not really a hip hop track, it’s more of an electro-dance track with some small verses from Black Thought. I’m not entirely sure if it’s relevance with the rest of the album but I guess it’s another display of the versatility shown already. Honestly, I could write a lot more about this album but it’s something that over time I want to digest even more. This has probably been my favourite first listen so far and I hope others would agree with me when I say this album is a work of art. 5/5

Tweede album van Amerikaanse hiphop groep The Roots. Afwisselend rap en R&B/soul, wat de tracklist wat diverser maakt. All in all een aardig hiphop album. leukste nummer: The Seed (2.0) Album titel en cover zijn referenties naar de pseudowetenschap frenologie, waarin werd gesteld dat mentale capaciteit te maken had met de vorm van de schedel.

Loved. Last track is a bit much for me, but that aside, it’s fire.

just can't get into it. I think I bought this album when it came out on the strength of great reviews...yesterday was the first time I ever got through the whole thing. 1.5/5

like seed 2.0 but rest of it i can leave

The best band in Hip Hop. I really like ?uestLove and the idea of a full, tight and talented hiphop band. Black thought is great too. Quality tone, flow and content. On paper this should be an easy 5, not sure what it is but it doesn’t quite hit for me. Maybe I need to listen to The Roots more.

Diggaan tosi paljon the Rootsista. Enemmän oon kuunnellut ekaa levyy, joka oli soitossa silloin kun edellisessä kämpässä oli vielä suihkussa stereot 4/5

Noni kyllähän Roots toimii. Miellyttävää räbää ja muutamia huikeita biittejä.

Kiinnostava levy! Kunnianhimo kuuluu. 4/5

Powow

I've got to say, I was pleasantly surprised by The Roots' album, Phrenology. I mean, I've mainly known these guys as Jimmy Fallon's house band, but let me tell you, they can really rock their own sound. This album goes hard, and it's clear that The Roots are true masters of their craft. From the funky grooves of "The Seed 2.0" to the introspective lyrics of "Water," Phrenology showcases the band's versatility and skill. I especially loved the track "Break You Off," which features some seriously smooth vocals from Musiq Soulchild. It's the perfect song for when you want to impress your crush with your taste in music (or just set the mood for a romantic evening). So, if you're like me and you've been sleeping on The Roots, do yourself a favor and give Phrenology a listen. You won't regret it, and who knows, maybe you'll even start seeing them as more than just Jimmy Fallon's backing band.

Objectivement bon, mais un peu trop tranquille et/ou ambiant/électro par bouts.

Overall a good listen, but a bit hit or miss. Hits were definitely bangers though.

Half an hour was as much of this mysogynistic tripe as I could stand.

Not a rap fan

A very diverse with surprising experimental progressions. Enjoyed it a lot.

strong start but lousy finish.

Had beter gekund als the Roots niet de hele tijd arty willen doen

Pas du mauvais hip hop, le mélange de sons et d'influences est vraiment intéressant et garde ça captivant, mais compositionnellement je ne suis pas plus impressionné que ça.

Pretty neoey

Some good songs, but to experimental tracks...

Actually fairly enjoyable. The album is long but it has a lot of variety, with more traditional hip hop tracks, some with a little rock influence, some with r&b, and a lot of experimentation as well. I think the middle is the best; the backend is not that strong and the first songs suffer from poor hooks and aren’t as interesting.

Dug it

I thought it was imaginative and creative all the way through. Liked it. Too much of it,though

New to me, but impressive

Joa, tu mir schwer sowas zu bewerten, ist halt rap mit guten beats, aber für mich nichts außergewöhnliches

I appreciate seeing the Roots in here, but there are better Roots albums, IMO

This album is proof The Roots can do anything, but it doesn't hit the same heights as their best work. 3/5

It was chill

At times this album is brilliant and at other times a challenging listen. Some of the songs are far longer than they need to be, but overall it’s a decent hip-hop album. Stand out tracks The Seed (2.0), Quills and Break You Off.

Track ratio: 2 killer, 16 filler (13%) Highlights: Rock You, Rolling with Heat

not for me, beats kinda boring

Rap

Too many ideas at once to make these tracks coalesce into a sold LP. I can appreciate some fun interludes and weird textures, but this album never establishes a core sound or identity before it starts throwing everything at the wall (with not much sticking).

Good stuff from modern funk masters.

This is a fantastic piece of hip-hop from top to bottom. Centered by two absolute bangers in the middle. It isn’t typical of the modern style but works nonetheless within the more lyrical stylings of the genre it’s in.

Very chill, vibin', rap

Straight up hip hop with easy to digest hints of rnb/soul.

honestly disappointed with this one not a single good song here

hip-hop innit

Another old skool rap album that loses its way in the back half. Some excellent rapping here though.

Philly, representing

Var bombsäker på en etta. Hatar hip-hop. Men det var ingen katastrof. Fanns lyssningsbara låtar.

The percussion on this is worth 5 stars on its own.

A very solid rap album.

Not for me thanks.

Loved this. Can’t believe how wasted they are as Jimmy Gallon’s house band. Led me to their previous album which is also fantastic.

Amazing!!!

Some nice tracks here nothing fantastic but a nice listen, will save a few songs on a hip hop playlist but won't be back to listen to as a whole. Favourite tracks Sacrifice, The Seed

Sounds surprisingly modern for a 20 year old hip hop record. Enough variation to stay interesting for the most part, but it could have been a little shorter. I mean, 10:24 is very long for a song with basically 1 riff and some noise. Favorite song: In The Way Of Things.

The Roots are just kind of ubiquitous and everywhere, and I get that people really love them. I haven't given any of their stuff a real honest listen with any real earnest and found it kind of surprised how much from this record sounded familiar to me. This record is impressive, as The Roots are obviously a very talented and boundary pushing band musically. They seemed to the push the boundaries on a lot of different genres in a pretty focused output here. Really enjoyed it.

Like listening to an adult version of Black Eyed Peas - some catchy songs, others were just noise

A more enjoyable listen that I was expecting. 3.5 stars...

Amazing Album!

ну это короче англ надо знать или с открытым текстом сидеть, лень вслушиваться, а так минусочки прикольные, иногда под настроение может зайти, еще кусок семпла из северного сияния встретил

I still need an interpreter for most of the lyrics on this album but the music was very good.

not my thing

Sounds experimental.

Absolute professionals

This is a pretty solid hip hop album. I feel like it's got about a 50/50 hit rate for me. I don't think I'd ever find myself listening to this one straight through again but I'd definitely come back to specific tracks. I think I'd only ever heard "The Seed (2.0)" before this listen, still think it's my favorite track, except for maybe "Rock You" into "!!!!!!!". I like that there's a little mix of genres with tracks like "!!!!!!!" and "Thirsty!". Standout Tracks: Rock You, !!!!!!!, Sacrifice, The Seed (2.0), Quills, Thirsty!

I don't have too much to say about this album. Nice mix of tunes - nice mix of styles. Good for when you're feeling like an angsty teenager and just want to shout at people, but realise you have no friends, so you listen to this in your room whilst picking fights with your teddy bears.

Tight as hell, an impressive array of genres across the album, the seee being my favourite of the bunch. Reckon I’ll explore their back catalogue a bit further

Not my style but glad to know them. I like three songs.

Not really my cup of tea, but pleasant enough

I like both the complexity and simplicity of the album. Sacrifice is extremely catchy!

Solid album with some cool creative choices and strong instrumentation. Bass playing really stands out as excellent.

enjoyable, but sounded like generic background head nodding dormroom rap. maybe just a testament of how influential their sound was

Enjoyable, but not memorable. Also, sooo long. Not an album I’d say I needed to hear before I died. It’s not even the best Roots album. I feel bad giving it a 2 though because it is quality music, just not anywhere close to classic or essential.

I remember downloading this album in the early 2000s. I remember it being ok back then and it’s still ok today. Black Thought was and is a good rapper but as a whole this album was just too long and maybe too indulgent for me at times.

Not my jam but the seed is a great tune

Solid album. 3 stars

Great hip hop album, love the roots

Good hip hop album, brilliant name and cover.

4.0

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Sacrifice, Thought @ work, The seed, Break you off, Complexity

One of the best hip hop albums on this list so far. I liked the beats and flow on most of the songs and also couple tracks are really popular, even though I didn't know they were recorded by The Roots. First of all, we have "The Seed (2.0)", great beat, very fitting style of rapping, easy to follow, maybe best hip hop track on this list? Then we have other good to great songs, like "Sacrifice" or "Rock You". What's also a great feature of the album is the way the filler song sound. For example "!!!!!" Is actually a pretty metal bit, but it's still fitting the overall atmosphere of the record. Really nice album, will have a look again at it in the future!

Thought it had some interesting moments ("Quills", "Thirsty!") and I appreciated the smooth transitions (I looooove good transitions) but I was bored for the most part.

This one was not for me. My cat really seemed to enjoy it though.

amazing one of favorite bands implementing all kinds of music and still being able to gain a reputation, all the songs are good, have unique personalities, the drum beats are good, the vocals, when they implement a new genre into a song it’s like it’s still part of the album but it’s just another song the style switches are so clean, the album is great. the jazz, hip hop, RNB, and more genres coming together to make this the only in this album, but some of the songs don’t hit as hard but some don’t some do it just depends on feelings, the album should be very praised the amount of versatility they have is incredible 10/10 would recommend a listen

A lot of interesting songs, some duds. Good hip hop album ig

I'm not really a fan of most hip hop, and that's still the same here, but there are some good tracks. I like the more upbeat tracks like 'Thought @ Work' which has some old-skool funky beats in it, 'The Seed (2.0)' and 'Rhymes and Ammo'. There's some interesting variation across the board.

An album that is a mix I would never ask for but only because I wouldn't think it possible.

okay

The "Ruts"

The Roots kende ik vooral van hun legendarische Tiny Desk en een paar nummers van dit album. Had eigenlijk nooit dit album in zijn volledigheid geluisterd, maar wat een album. Klinkt net zo tijdloos als dit album hiervoor maar in een totaal ander genre. Twijfelde erg tussen een 4 en een 5, maar ga het een 4plus geven

Echt een heeel leuk album, sick hoe ze zo veel stijlen door elkaar heen gebruiken en voelt super tijdloos

Hip hop van rond de eeuwwisseling voelt voor mij altijd gauw outdated. Weinig albums van rond deze tijd die nou echt must listens zijn, maar The Roots zijn echter de uitzondering. Things Fall Apart en Phrenology zijn albums die vandaag de dag uitgebracht kunnen worden en niemand zou merken dat ze 20 jaar oud zijn. Ik geef dit album een 5, vanwege de diversiteit en creativiteit. Een nummer als ‘water’ laat zien dat ze niet bang waren om het anders te doen. Het gaat van boom bap naar jazzy hip hop en een soort punk interlude er tussen, en daardoor is het album geen moment saai. Een nummer als ‘break it off’ zou vandaag de dag - uitgebracht door de juiste artiest - makkelijk de charts toppen.

versátil

Very good album. Each beat is amazing and each feature delivers. The lyricism and word play is a strong highlight of the album. Every song is good

i dug it, so much going on here it’s almost schizo

Até achei que seria outro disco de hip hop que iria me incomodar. Só que me surpreendeu pela linha melódica.

Should have been my thing. I like lyrically dense rap but somehow this just didn't hit for me. May listen again later

2.5

Oops all bangers. Some really good hip hop through and through.

Not my thing

Nup

Some absolutely monster beats on here. But unfortunately not free of filler, and lacking consistency. Not bad, but a perplexing choice from The Roots discography. Standouts: !!!!!!, Thought@Work, The Seed2.0 Liked the cerebral lyrics and the moments of experimentation. Three brains out of five 🧠🧠🧠

Nah, I can't get on board. !!!!!!! is definitely the right title for this track however.

Enjoyed

A puzzling inclusion, there's at least 3 Roots albums that would make more sense in the list than this. It's a fine album on its own, but I fail to see it as "1001 albums" material.

Some seriously fun and groove-y tracks - but when you plonk a 10 min semi psychedelic track mid way through the album it loses its steam. Plus the last few tracks feel like the last mile of a marathon - the whole record is a bit too long. Had it been shorter it would have been a great album.

According to Wikipedia, Phrenology was made in NYC during the early aughts (between 2001-2002). This album was a fun ride through 2000s hip hop, and I really enjoyed the diversity of sounds/influences they channeled here (especially the one or two short interludes between songs).

I need another listen but this was fun!

Definitely a big fan of the musicality of the Roots, this album was a bit samey for me though. Things fall apart should definitely be on this list Fav song: thought @ work, mainly for the drums

I live the Seed

I knew The Seed and I’ve heard of The Roots but never felt particularly desperate to seek out any more. They’re easy enough to listen to, but not enough to keep me hooked. I don’t know if it’s a weird subliminal message, but all I want to do now is go and listen to Finley Quaye.

Hiphop is not really my thing and, although this album has some cool elements, it remains that way. Quite hard to make it to the end

I'd never heard of The Roots, probably because I'm 59 and a whole swathe of pop music has passed me by in the tsunami that has flowed out in the last 25 years. That said, I am alert to enough to know some of the formulas at work in this post sampling digital age. Firstly they make sure an at least an element of the Funky Drummer sound is present, then overlay that with a low fi riff, in this case these guys go to the keyboard with monotonous regularity for said riff. Then a minor key verse (apparently Eb minor is a favourite) with a lyric that sets a theme, then a shift to a harder "hip hop" rap, a guest vocalist, return to the low fi riff and get that Funky Drummer thang happening again, repeat and fade. Now all pop music is working within formulas I know, but it is those that break free of form and make it something special, however packaged, is what makes it goooood...I don't dislike this record, as in it doesn't leave me cold nor give me the shits but, a little like Basement Jaxx, the musical architecture is just too obvious. We see too much of the lab work at work. That a track like The Seed (awful lyrics) has 114,0000 hits is simply astounding. I'm really missing what is so good about that song, it is completely blink and you miss it. After listening to this I went back to De La Soul to get my head back into what works within this genre, and what leapt out with De La, as opposed to this, is that the songs are songs, not sounds joined up on a pc. And the melodies man...I think that is what is missing here.

Not without redeeming features, but not my thing.

I really knew little of The Roots until Elvis Costello did an album with them in 2013. Around the same time I was able to enjoy seeing them nightly as the houseband on The Jimmy Fallon Show, when it was on free-ro-air. I have a copy of this cd & find a real diversity among the tracks. My favourites are Thought And Work & The Seed, both produced by ?uestlove, who is a wonderful musician. The music on this album is so interesting. And my copy came with a great 5-track DVD. A winner.

The Roots are like the house band of hip hip (or the alternative end of hip hop). Their work on the various Soulquarians records Mos Def, (D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Common, Jill Scott, Bilal, etc etc) is exemplary. They were terrific as the house band on Dave Chappelle’s Block Part (there is a DVD worth hunting down). They are far and away the best of the late night bands on their residency on Jimmy Fallon. This album is a pretty listenable for a hip hop album, but it just doesn’t have the songs. Questlove is a terrific drummer and band leader, but the Roots albums really just don’t have songs. They need to work with people bringing better material.

I'm not a fan of hip hop, but this wasn't too bad. Funny, the only thing I know about the Roots is from Jimmy Fallon's show, so I just assumed they were "hip hop lite" type music, but not the case. Still not something I would likely listen to again. 2 stars.

If there is a perfect contemporary music group out there, it is The Roots. Every member is a god damn genius, and mind-meltingly skilled. And the songs on this joint? Damn. A great listen from start to finish. Favorite Track: "Something In The Way of Things" which is straight up beat jazz complete with spoken word. Fantastic!

like a lot of hip hop, the roots touch on a lot of important topics in phrenology--including the choice of their album title. they weren't afraid to pull some punches in their lyrics. and something i absolutely loved was that "WAOK (ay) rollcall" provided the roots a way to honor and recognize the black musicians who came before them, many of which are on this 1001 albums list. however, including a song with the name of "pussy galore" was certainly a choice, and one that made me uncomfortable. but that's a recurring theme within a lot of music, so the roots aren't the only offender. all in all, i was left rather ambivalent. i admired some aspects of this album while being indifferent to the rest.

I wasn't familiar with The Roots' music, although I've always been impressed by their musicality on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon. I was eager to hear how they sounded in their own element. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I was surprised by how diverse the album was. The rapping on this album is also very diverse. It is not always rough around the edges; these guys have voices that can sound as smooth as butter when rapping, when they want to go for that sound. There are some excellent harmonies in here, too! Ultimately, I found myself respecting their music style, but it really just didn't strongly resonate with me. I'm really just not that into rap, and this project continues to reinforce that.

Genius of the roots sometimes ends up being a bit too much (Water with 8min of noise)

Appreciate the dense lyrics and Blackthought’s sometimes impressive wordplay. Don’t appreciate the inconsistency and sometimes immaturity. Pretty cool but I don’t think there’s enough here to convince me to return.

The Roots are an extremely musically literate band combining elements of rock, R&B, rap, and funk to make music that lives across and between genres. Black Thought is a phenomenal lyricist and rapper featuring socially conscious lyrics and a really smooth and engaging flow. While this isn’t my favorite hip hop album, it’s still pretty great.

Stupendously funky and awesome.

Clearly inspirational

This was a pretty good time.

its alright i mean nothing special there are way better rap albums

Everything is nice individually bur probably would have worked better as 3 separate EPS

With lyrical themes of hip hop culture and its commodification, with musical elements of rock, jazz, techno, hardcore punk, and soul music, there is a track for almost everyone. At times however the trap of lengthy jazz/soul improvisation kicked in and dragged out the album a little too much for my liking. Best: Thirsty! Worst: Pussy Galore 2.5 Stars

Very good, lots of genre blending Album Cover: Thematically on point 4/5

I've had this album at home since it came out, I don't remember how I got it exactly (a gift from someone?). Somehow, I've always found it well-crafted, and yet the whole thing never gelled for me the way other ambitious hip hop records from my collection have. Before 2022, you'd have east coast hip hop that sounded "fresh" and spontaneous with A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul or Mos Def, and after that you have other rap albums that are actually far more eccentric and daring in their experimental impulses than *Phrenology* was--as daring and experimental as the latter is itself. Heck, the early naughts also saw Outkast reach their creative apex, and they were already breaking a lot of rules in the genre--much more than the Roots did, actually, in spite of their good intentions. Compared to all those other references, it's as if this album was a little too stuck in its "transitory" sound. As if it was a little *tame*, somehow, awkwardly moving from the past without exactly pointing the way towards the future either. And this relatively lackluster aspect of the album is especially clear towards its end, clearly failing to inject some significant momentum to the proceedings (you don't have that sort of problem with the masterpieces made by Mos Def, Nas, The Goats or Kendrick Lamar)... Some tracks are quite memorable, though. "Rock You", "Rolling With Heat", "Thought @ Work", " The Seed (2.0)" and "Break You Off" are all great. "Water" is, too, even though its experimental coda is some weird, weird shit (and this comes from a fan of krautrock/komische music here). Oh, and obviously, Black Thought is an amazing lyricist and vocalist. I've had the luck to see The Roots onstage at a festival once to hear him live, and it was a great rap show--especially with all the live instruments around him. Yet as talented as this band is, and as nice as this record is generally speaking, I can't bring myself to give it the highest grade or even *instantly* include it in a list of essential listens. The Roots' hearts and brains were in the right place, they had all the right intentions, and, on paper at least, it seems I should love this record. Yet I only *like* it. So I'll give them a 4/5 grade, and for once I'm gonna break my sacrosanct rule that all 4+/5 records should be included in my own list. I know some very important rap albums have not been included in Dimery's book and I want to give them a chance to be a part of my own selection of 1001 albums. Call my picky if you want. At least it's just awesome that this app brought me back to this record. I have too many of them at home, and it's always nice to have sudden incentives to revisit stuff from those shelves. Number of albums left to review: 755 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 122 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 60 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 64

It was good for an early 2000s rap album it was mix odd though hard to hear sometimes

Ok

YEEEEAAAAAH RAP ALBUM FINALLY THE ROOTS ARE AMAZING LOVE THEM Incredible variety in production, was not expecting “!!!!!!!!” So smooth, so good - think i slightly prefer the sound on Things Falk Apart over this Break You Off

It's fine, not much more to say the prods are okay and the flow is nice but nothing memorable

Peak hip-hop album right here... Was a bit reluctant to the length of the album but some songs are so easy to listen to for so long that it is not a problem in the end.... Some vocal parts are a bit stretched sometimes but they still a good atmosphere to it all. 4/5

A good example of a solid album of the genre, especially for the early 2000s. I don't think this work is a perfect, but it is pretty interesting.

Rap progresivo. Está bien. Venga, un 4.

hip hop.

Cool but like 3.5 stars

Holy NSFW. Great band but I can’t relate to this. I must have terrible taste in music

It's amazing how you can take a group of very talented individuals and produce an album that I can't stand to listen to. Good job.

I started this album thinking it was gonna get a 2 star for being just kind of a standard R&B 2000s album, but god damn did this album do whatever it wanted. I really love how experimental it was. We've got rap, R&B, drum and bass, experimental techno, whatever you wanna call "!!!!!!!", and just a really experimental album. Was it perfect? No, everything that was safe wasn't that interesting, but I really love whenever it would do something weird, made it fun. That upper review that said something about hating rap obviously didn't listen to the album, because it's far more than that.

I'm not quite cool enough for The Roots, but I do enjoy them. This album was a little odd with all of the "interludes" - I enjoyed two-thirds of the songs, the rest were just kinda weird. Still, solid album.

Pretty strange but quite unique

this album was really cool. in part because it was quite unique. very impressed.

Good music, okay for in the background.

Amusing!

I really liked "Thew Roots Come Alive" which was  my intro to The Roots and released just before Phrenology.  What I like about their style of hip hop is that they aren't afraid to play actual instruments. Crazy kids!   Phrenology doesn't welcome me in right away but by the time we get to  Thought@Work and The Seed they return to the style that hooked me to ..Comes Alive.  I give it +1 on the basis it's probably the only The Roots album that made it to the list. The album goes on a little too long to get an honest 4.

Low-key, listenable and rootsy (pardon the pun) hip-hop. I like the collaborations, especially with Jill Scott and Cody Chestnut. They stretch it out into some more adventurous free-jazz pieces near the end.

This album started off rocky, but as it progressed it slowly improved and these guys really show the breadth of their artistic talent. This is a very diverse album that showcases a huge range of styles, so it can be accused of lacking cohesion. I didn't like all of it, but what I liked was very good.

The Roots are always such a delight. They were one of my first forays into hip hop, back when I was still a classic-rock purist, so they will always be a little special to me. Not to mention ?uestlove might be one of the most important drummers of the last 30 years, if not the most important. Loved this.

Damn, I regret not sitting down with The Roots before. Of course the performances are perfect, but I honestly was shocked by how strong the album was over a longer duration than I typically prefer.

Rapping

Really quite good.

I liked The Seed

Is this "cerebral" hip hop? Or "Rock Hip-hop"? For me it's an album that people say they enjoy rather than actually enjoying. Not to say I disliked it; It just reminds me more of collaboration tunes at the end of an album with some flashes of greatness but overall not why you bought the album. Distinct lack of bangers.

The best rock rap I’ve ever heard

It's a vibe, but has some out of place songs like the last one. The Seed 2.0 is insanely good tho.

Bit over the place at times but great energy and original ideas. The flow of individual songs is good, flow of the album a bit off sometimes

For me back in the day was like "damn this guys are gonna make it!" and then I found they had 4 records before this one lol. a nice roller coaster of sounds, they're legends for a reason. good album

When I say Rise Up

The Roots while obviously good, are off my musical radar. I can't see myself wanting to hear The Roots out of nowhere.

Fun listen.

Truly unbelievably good album from the best musical act out of Philadelphia. Album starts out hot, stays hot through the middle, dips a little before the end, and ends on a high note. So many great tracks, but my favorite has to be Rolling with Heat

Despite loving jazz rap, this wasn't my favourite thing. There's some amazing tracks here, The Seed (2.0), Sacrifice, Thought at Work, but then there's just too much weird and mismatched other stuff. I admire the eccentricity in jumping all over the place, but not everything lands.

Feels a lot like classic hip hop albums but a bit newer. Decent just not always my vibe

no rap pls

Apart from their debut album and the John Legend collab, this is quintessential Roots

Should listen again cuz i didnt focus on the lyrics

Heavy use of AMAZING samples. Amazing features. Has a great blend of deeper, lyrically impressive tracks and songs that are more laid back and almost psych

Not my cup tea, but I respect the genre.r a I did hear about the Roots and that says something. Bottom line - mid of the scale rating out of ignorance about the genre.

Fucking hell... this one of the most far reaching albums I've ever heard. Insane experimental fusion of Hip Hop, RnB, Soul, Prog, Techno, Metal, Jazz, Funk... I want this on Vinyl

Behoorlijk vermakelijk plaatje eigenlijk.

Het begon best aardig, en de 'hit' blijft een lekker nummer. Maar naarmate dit album vorderde werd het vervelender en vervelender. Tot op het irritante aan toe.

Honestly think the Person L cover of Seed 2.0 on Punk Goes Crunk is better. Also saw them at Falls 2014 but don't remember much (not their fault)

Phrenology is decent, nice mix of influences, nice rap flow, gets a bit messy so only a 3/5 but surprisingly alright.

A mixed bag. And that's four in a row that have been over an hour. Amazing amount of variety and range in the type of music, but I don't think it all quite works? A couple of tracks really hit home (The Seed in particular), but most of it washed over me really, and the second half is quite a bit weaker than the first. 3/5.

This is the fifth album by American hip hop group The Roots. Although not as commercially successful as their previous album Things Fall Apart, Phrenology still sold well - being certified gold in the US the year after release - and received universal critical acclaim. This progressive rap hip hop album contains musical elements from rock, jazz, techno, punk, and soul genres. With all of these influences, The Roots were reinventing hip hop that sounds funkier and more soulful. This album was an instant classic at release and is one of The Roots best albums. I enjoyed this album's rapping and music, but I wouldn't say it was eye-opening or life changing.

I never managed to get into The Roots, which I will admit is on me – as anyone who (like me) knows them as "that band from Jimmy Fallon" is not late to the game, they missed the whole tournament. What stopped me from really being into them was never listening to this record.

VMP

Fantastic.

There is some good things in here, and there is some complete trash in here. You have to respect the range in music types in here, but overall it feels messy more than anything else Could also be that I'm biased against Rap too...

Funky fresh

Great grooves, beats, and poetry. Dig it.

Liked this one. Great musical variety with raw, soulful and energetic tracks

Not a rap fan, and this album did nothing to change that

Excellent album. Haven't heard much of The Roots before but really enjoyed it.

A decent hip hop album. Most of it faded into the background though while I was working. Some tunes jumped out (Sacrifice, Water, Something in the way of things). Some I found annoyingly reminiscent of 90s soul (Break You Off) which I guess in 2002 is perfectly fair but I don't have to like it. Overall, good.

There was cool stuff on here but I think they thought a lot of the hooks were a lot better than they actually were

Not the kind of music I usually listen to, but seemed pretty chill. Wouldn't be something I'd listen to the songs jndividually, but as an album I could definitely pop it on in the background.

I only know the Roots from the Tonight Show, but this is a raveup of hip hop with real instruments. Would be five stars if they edited it down from 70+ minutes.

It's kinda crazy to admit, but I've never listened to an album by The Roots. I do know a little bit about them, and the blend of musical elements — from the live players to the hip hop and R&B flavor and a general disinclination to stick to any one approach — did not disappoint. I listened to the album twice, once with more focus and later as background music as we worked on the kitchen (currently being renovated, I can literally hear the nail guns and saws as I write this). Maybe I'm a prude, because I found that the predilection for sexual references got stale and that ultimately prevented me from loving the album. I enjoyed the less focused spin more. Musically, everything was really inspired and enjoyable, and this would otherwise be a 4+ star review, but lyrically I was less enchanted, which brings this somewhere between a 3-4. I'm going with a 3. Maybe there's another Roots album I'll love more. I'm going to give them a listen and find out.

I want to like The Roots more than I do. I think they're interesting, I dig how they ambitious they are, and Black Thought is a great MC. I really liked the more experimental tracks on here like "Water" and "Something in the Way of Things," and I dug the groove on "The Seed 2.0." But ultimately, I feel like there's something missing. Their hooks don't grab me, maybe. I don't know. I feel like my 3-star rating doesn't do this album justice, but that's how i'm feeling. i will give this one another shot, though.

The Roots are a band for which I thought, "I should know more about these folks and I should know some of their songs." I only know that the guy from one of the late shows (don't even know which one) came from the Roots. I think there is a Philly connection and that also made me think I should really check out these guys and learn more. My ignorance about the Roots felt like a lot to overcome. I don't feel so bad now about not overcoming this lack of music knowledge. I'm going down the middle

Review #4 of 1001 Supremely talented group, pioneers of hip hop. This is not my favorite genre of music, but I can appreciate The Roots for the talent they possess and some of the experimentation they add in to this album. I enjoyed this. 4/5

9/10. This was really good, I'll have to listen to it again.

Solid album, seems like it’s an important step along the path of conscious hip hop pointing towards TPAB. 8/10

Such a variation of music on this. I liked it

don't like the style, but is a good album

solid, a few songs I didn't like otherwise would have been a 4

I was pretty familiar with this album. The Seed is soo good.

Really good cover art. Really loved the first half and kinda lost interest

The hip-hop albums I’ve encountered so far on this run have really pleasantly surprised me, so much so that I had very high expectations for this one. It doesn’t entirely deliver. For starters, the album length (over an hour long) made this quite a difficult listen. I know this isn’t uncommon for the genre, but nevertheless it doesn’t flow coherently throughout. The energetic opening few tracks are somewhat halted by quite a few long dirges (though the 10-minute “Water” is one of my favourites on the album). Much praise should also be given for The Roots’ experimentation with this record, fusing funk-rock elements with completely esoteric sounds in a very unique manner. I will have to return to this one for another listen, even if it takes an hour-long slog to listen through it in one sitting.

The Jimmy Fallon band? Raps were clean, but too much filler.

I can't believe I missed this album when it was released. Loved it, sits in the middle ground between NWA and De La Soul.

Not my favorite. Was interesting at parts, but didn’t enjoy it to much.

Well this is from 2002, so is doubtlessly awful. Except it isn't. This is hip hop that goes in unexpected and rewarding directions. Tracks that tickle your earballs delightfully. Tracks that make you feel slightly uneasy. Tracks that flow. Tracks that pop. I will be listening to this again. Given the year - unbelievable!

I mean, it’s The Roots….it’s great

Not my vibe was very entertaining listen.

I enjoyed this and it made me curious.

Lindo

Just really not my thing very nostalgic sound

I dig it

I appreciated the opportunity to hear a full album (and full tracks) from The Roots. There were tracks that I liked most of. There were longer tracks that allowed me to settle in to the music. I liked a lot of the backing music, but had a harder time with the lyrics. Even though I like Questlove as a person and the band in general, the fequent presence of the N-word will prevent me from liking many of the songs on this album. Rap is hard for me to get in to, but I'm not the intended audience. There was good music on the record, but the content is alienating. I could not sing along with this record in public or in private. I wouldn't avoid hearing more from The Roots, but I don't want to hear this album again.

Really cool hip hop album. I love the use of real instruments and the creative approach of blending genres. Definitely need to listen to these guys more. Favorite song: Something In The Way of Things

Not my favorite album but still enough to like here. Favorite: Break You Off

This was a great listen. I've been meaning to give The Roots a proper chance for a while. The rapping was excellent and I really loved how well they incorporated rock into their sound. The seed is a clear standout track, heard it in passing before but it really blew me away. Sadly the album drags a bit on the back end and loses focus, could definitely do with cutting a few tracks. Will definitely be digging further into their discography after this.

Like the other Roots album. Technically good but the rap music equivalent of eating a large pile of steamed broccoli.

Stand out tracks - rolling with heat - the seed (2.0) - break you off

Have to admit I only really knew them as the Fallon house band so was very pleasantly surprised. Musically very diverse, quite jazzy even. And I think another listen to catch the lyrics would be a good idea.

Listenable to, but not really anything I could latch onto as above the norm.

Long time Roots fan, but this was an album I never really revisited frequently. When it was released it was seen as a departure - and rightly so, it is radically different from Thing Fall Apart. Looking back at it now, it’s kind of a blueprint for where the Roots would go in the 21st Century. Though The Roots hit higher high’s on subsequent records (like Game Theory and Undun), Phrenology gets a lot right. It’s a bit like a classic rock double album gone hip-hop. Stylistically varied, with the first half of the record focusing on more traditional songs/structures and an experimental (yet accessible) second half. Glad to revisit this one, it’s given me a new appreciation for a record that I overlooked/under-appreciated.

Ein sehr guter Song auf dem Album (The Seed 2.0) Gutes Hip Hop Album

I'm eager to check out this Roots album, I've heard of them but am unfamiliar with their discography. The beats haven't been very catchy but the lyricism has been top notch. Rock You 3/5. Sacrifice 3.5/5. Rolling With Heat 3.5/5. Thought @ Work 3.5/5. The Seed (2.0) 3/5. Break You Off 4/5. Water 3/5. Quills 4/5. Pussy Galore 4/5. Complexity 3.5/5. Something in the Way 2/5. Rhymes and Ammo 3/5. Thirsty! 2/5.

Funky hip hop, liked a few songs

New band and new album to me. I liked most of the album. There's a good mix of old school hip-hop, experimental stuff for early 2000s, but also some just trash. "Pussy galore" was blegh. I particularly enjoyed; "Complexity", "The seed (2.0)", "Break You Off". "Thought @ work" (the second one listed in the album),was my fave.

What a weird album, very 2002. Some good songs some absolute trash

This has grown on me. Loved it by the end.

This is such a great album with probably the broadest range of influences displayed by a The Roots record. As conscious as ever and with some classic hip-hop beats but also the hard-core punk of '!!!!!!!', the chill soul of Complexity, the almost indie-rock sound of 'The Seed 2.0', and the beat-switching funk of 'Break You Off' Some of it doesn't quite work for me (the soundscape that makes up the second half of Water is quite indulgent for example), and I'm very surprised this is the Roots album that was chosen over Things Fall Apart or Game Theory, but it's a really impressive dive into a lot of different sounds

I liked this, but it was definitely overlong. I think I would have given this a 4 if it were shorter, but as it is, I'll give it a 3.5. 3.5/5

Never really checked out more from The Roots than the obvious hits but this is some good hip hop with a few curveballs thrown here and there. Definitely too long for my taste in this genre but very enjoyable.

I wouldn’t call this the best album by The Roots, but it does have the one song people know by them, so I know why it’s here. But it’s still quite good. Questlove knows how to write a spicy tune. B+

I like the diversity of the songs.

I bought this album in the mid-2000s on the strength of The Seed which is a cracking tune. There are some fresh beats on this album and it's somewhat more cultured hip-hop than most.

The Seed 2.0 is a great track. The vibe is very rap/rock and I'm into it. Giving a three because I don't see myself listening to the album again.

Easily one of the best live bands I've seen - saw the day ODB died and they did a medley of his stuff which I still think about 20 odd years later. Then in NYC on holiday with all kinds of special guests. Anyway, 1st half is borderline perfect, 2nd drags a bit.

All the rock

Fallon may be a goober but he has good taste 4

I find this more interesting than great. They decided to stretch out a bit. There are jazzier elements than on the prior releases. Seed (2.0) is built on a riff that could be 70s era Stones. I am a big ?uestlove's fan and his playing here is superb. If anything it shows that hip-hop can co-exist with rap, funk, soul and rock - sometimes in the same song.

Not really my cup of tea. Mixes too many genres. The one song that I really did like is "The Seed 2.0".

If you cut this down to it’s 45 best minutes this would be 5. Great rapping, good hooks, and lush instrumentation. Unfortunately there was also a decent amount of filler sounds, interludes, and spoken word that I did not enjoy. Talib Kweli was a nice surprise on both of the tracks he featured on. Again it says a lot about this list that none of the most important rap albums from 2011 are on here (take care, watch the throne) but this middle aged safe group is.

Mostly Masterful. Interspersed with some daft filler

It didn’t get under my skin.

Not my favorite, took several days to get all the way through.

It's fine, but I feel like its attempts at a profound message got a bit muddled.

Good elements but not really my thing.

Am I frustrated? Yes. Does Water have to be 10+ minutes? There's so much promise that devolves into nothingness. I'm not frustrated. I'm mad.

Rock You and The Seed 2.0 are fantastic... unfortunately i don't think there is much for me beyond that. They are definitely creative, i like the sampling in Quills and Thirsty is a major style shift, but it doesn't work for me. Props in that the album seems solid lyrically, with the key exception that Pussy Galore doesn't work like i think they want it to work.

Good stuff, and great energy.

Interesting album. Well done fusion of multiple sources. Love the song The Seed.

It's funny I was just listening to this album the other day digging through albums that had sampled The Incredible Bongo Band. And they did sample "Apache" in the song "Thought@Work." This is The Roots' fifth studio album and has a lot of contributors including Ursula Rucker, Nelly Furtado, Talib Kweli, Cody Chesnutt, Musiq, Jill Scott and poet Amiri Baraka. The album is named after the discredited pseudoscience of Phrenology which was the study of head shapes to determine intelligence and character and rationalized racism in the 19th century. Wow! Learn something new everyday, some which make you shake your head or worse. Anyway, subject matter-wise, I did not hear a songs about racism per se, but on a variety of other subjects: anti-ganster, certain aspects of the inner city and hip hop culture, relationships and band member issues. Yeah, covering a lot, as does the music described as hip hop incorporating elements of rock, jazz, techno, hardcore punk and soul. This is a big album trying to do a lot and it accomplishes it with everything I heard. It is not really sprawling but has a focus to it as you listen. Lots of good songs on this album. As previously mentioned, " Thought@Work" samples "Apache" and has a great groove. Talk about a great groove, "The Seed (2.0)" featuring Cody ChesnuTT and remixing his song sounds like vintage 1973 Isley Brothers with a very soulful feel. The song is based on Muddy Waters' "The Blues Had a Baby and Named it Rock and Roll" using that forvhip hop to neo-soul in a very innovative way. The first single off the album "Break You Off" is another great soul-based song about trying to steal someone's girlfriend. A great majestic orchestra ending. This album is 77 minutes but does not seem nearly that long and is well- worth the listen.

This album was great. Some experimental stuff and good lyrics. The first half with songs like rock you were way better than the second half though

Suger att säga det, men det var fan ingen höjdare

The Seed slaps, other than that...

nope

cool album, with many influences and a more developed musical background than many other rap groups

I certainly started to warm to this more on the second listen but not quite enough for a 4. The Seed (2.0) is certainly a standout with Pussy Galore, Complexity, Something In The Way Of Things (In Town), and Thirsty! being other highlights.

Banger of an album. So many dense, DENSE flows from Black Thought on this thing makes me excited to go back and listen to try and get all of it. It has a really nice mix of heavy hitters and soul inspired cuts, as well as a lot of rock influence. As an avid RTJ listener I can 100% see the inspiration from The Roots. 8/10

Brilliant hip hop album

Longer than it needs to be.

Amazing. Best hip hop album I’ve heard in years. Maybe ever.

I could lower my house on this album. Great energy most all the way through.

Often when I listen to The Roots I’m surprised that I don’t like them more. They’ve been important and influential and transcended their genre with their role as late night show house band, but they’re not my favorite alternative hip hop group. I’d rank Tribe, Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, and De La Soul all above them, and fitting with that ranking “Phrenology” didn’t quite work for me. There was some of what I was hoping for in the middle, but it took a while to get there and the beginning and end of the album were misses. I’ve also always disliked “The Seed (2.0),” so that also upset the flow of that decent middle section. I think The Roots’ “Things Fall Apart” is a much stronger album, and would suggest that for the list instead of “Phrenology.”

It’s too bad there aren’t more tracks like The Seed (2.0) and too much cacophony like !!!!!!! and the back end of Water.

3, not bad