“Redemption” – Review Of Wu-Tang Chamber Music
ALBUM REVIEWS By Landon A. on July 16, 2009 at 10:34 am
After the unfortunate commercial failure of 8 Diagrams, many deemed the Wu collective as a lost cause and a distant memory as internal conflict and creative differences threatened to sink the Wu-Tang ship for good. Now, two years later RZA takes the backseat as an executive producer as his rhyme brethren make a valiant effort to cover the stench left by “8 Diaphrams” with a brand spankin’ new compilation Wu-Tang Chamber Music. With help from the likes of Kool G Rap, Masta Ace, AZ and M.O.P., the Wu manage to take steps toward clearing the mud off of their names and washing their hands clean of a project that should have never happened.
The first single, “Harbor Masters” which features Ghostface, AZ and Inspectah Deck comes strapped with a dusty drum break and an unforgettable Ghost verse to wet the listener’s palate. AZ and Deck also deliver fairly decent verses over this club banger disguised as a raw boom-bap cut. The Brooklyn Soul Band provides the live instrumentation on this track and many others to help re-capture the vintage Wu sound, and do so to great success as each track sounds like it’s hot and fresh out of The Abbot’s MPC.
“Radiant Jewels” with Sean P, Cormega and Raekwon is a cinematic joint laced with an infectious bass line, stabbing violins and enough gun shots to send Trick Trick running for the hills. Ruck doesn’t disappoint with an exceptionally grimy verse and neither do ‘Mega or Rae for that matter as we get a preview of what to expect from the inevitably postponed Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II. Last but not least, what would any Wu effort be without a patented Ghostface love ballad? “I Wish You Were Here” features Tre Williams crooning on top of a smoothed over beat as Ghostface confesses his love/lust for every woman in general and no one in particular.
Although not technically a Wu-Tang album, Chamber Music is everything that 8 Diagrams was supposed to be. Minus the constant intermissions disrupting the mood and both Method Man and GZA being completely AWOL, this is an unofficially-official return of the days of old. Maybe when they were recording the album the stars weren’t aligned that day or U-God wasn’t wearing his lucky socks, but whatever it was, it took two years and a completely different approach to even begin to cover it up. Wu-Tang may be forever but keeping them separate while working may be the best thing for them creatively.
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16 Comments
“Reefer lit, love hip hop..” -Raekwon on “Radiant Jewels”
“Although not technically a Wu-Tang album, Chamber Music is everything that 8 Diagrams was supposed to be.” ..’Nuff said.
Besides RZA’s tanget skits, I loved this album. Arguably the best of the first half of ‘09.
I agree with Dom C…. best of ‘09 so far (hands down).
????? both albums are garbage but diagram > chambers. Anything Wu without RZA controlling the production…..it’s just not REAL Wu.
i like that one song with rza on the chorus its kewllllllllll
http://rs686.rapidshare.com/files/251446722/Wu-Tang_-_Chamber_Music__2009_-Mexican-Taint.rar
At least it is the first Wu-Album cover that looks good from a design point of view
8 diagram was a rza’s exec prod ! and still a good album. people
still hate but it’s like all. the times change !!! don’t forget that !!
“Ill Figures” avec Raekwon,M.O.P and Kool G Rap and “Kill Too Hard” with Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Ace are Really terrible !!
Have you the list of the producers, plz ?
This album is in my top 3 for the year. Love this one..
sound the horns
classic deck verse
good album thoughh
Nice review. Can’t wait to check that out. PS – AZ is one of the most underrated. One.
Dizope.
the words “classic” and “deck verse” should never be used in the same sentence to describe one another. Deck is trash and should have stayed his corny ass in the “wu basement”.
^^^ Obviously this fool doesn’t listen to Deck enough. Do the knowledge young-un
Ya I dig this EP. Too bad it is an EP.
Super Dope. I actually like the skits, they lend to the mood. This album is raw!