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The Roots
Phrenology
(MCA)
First Appeared at The Music Box, February 2003, Volume 10, #2
Written by T.J. Simon
The story of America’s most widely acclaimed hip-hop band
began when drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson and rapper Tariq "Black Thought"
Trotter met as students at Philadelphia’s High School of Creative and Performing
Arts in the 1980s. Together they formed the creative core of the most unique
ensemble in hip-hop (The Roots), blending live instruments with rap vocals and
DJ turntable acrobatics. The band’s sixth release Phrenology is a wild
ride with several moments of absolute greatness surrounded by dull filler and
hit-or-miss hip-hop experimentation.
Phrenology starts out on the
right foot with Rock You, a kickin’ and thumpy rap song that will make
your granny shadowbox the same way she did when she first heard Mama Said
Knock You Out. Vocalist Black Thought promises "We will rock you," and the
band delivers with unceasing energy. Thought at Work is another fantastic
track featuring live percussion in the style of 1980s Go-Go music, an R&B
sub-genre originating from Washington D.C. that never became a national
phenomenon. The disc also showcases the best hip-hop number released in recent
memory — The Seed (2.0) — featuring Cody ChestnuTT. The original version
of the song appears on ChestnuTT’s critically acclaimed 2002 release
Headphone Masterpiece, and The Roots’ collaboration is perhaps the most
effective use of a live band, a DJ, rapped vocals, and soul singing ever to be
recorded.
There are other enjoyable — but far from brilliant —
moments on Phrenology that generally add to the amiability of the album. Sacrifice begins with promise then falls into a
clichéd R&B female chorus by Nelly Furtado. Rolling the Heat is another
decent tune featuring the vocals of Tab Kweli and raw lyrics straight from the
’hood (so you may not want to bust this disc out on a first date). The Roots
allegedly spent $300,000 to record the song Break You Off, a decent R&B
number climaxing with a flurry of cellos. Unfortunately, at nearly 7 ½ minutes,
the track is way too long, and it’s followed by the insufferably indulgent
Water, which clocks in at over 10 minutes.
Culling out the great rap music among all the discs
released in a given year is like trying to find good meal in a foreign city: it
may be out there, but good luck finding it on your own. Even considering the
disc’s excesses, The Roots have produced an artistic and fully realized rap
album brimming with urban edginess and fine musicianship. Here’s the final
scorecard: Phrenology has five great tracks, five good tracks, three
painful tracks, and five inconsequential filler tracks. All in all, it adds up
to an album definitely worth owning.  ½
Phrenology is available
from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2003
The Music Box
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