More solo stuff.  I'll go with this one from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx:



Huge.  

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And a spot of Jarmusch:

What a group. For their collective output I always thought it was a clear downward trend after 36 Chambers, most every track of which is a banger on some level. A bizarre but perfect blend of raging, ultra-violent posturing through to genuine, soulful introspection. It's a wild ride, but I love going back to it.

Can't really argue against Protect Ya Neck or Chessboxin' as obvious classics, and C.R.E.A.M is a very fair shout for what might be their best and most influential tune of all. 



However I've always been a big fan of 7th Chamber (once you get past the slightly inane skit at the beginning), Shame on a N***a, and Meth's grandstanding solo moment.








Need to go back on a deep dive through the solo material this afternoon, should be fun.

I'm sticking with Gravel Pit. Nothing else really grabbing me.

I nearly posted it, but Fred Durst is a cringe machine as good as Method is. SMDH at myself in the folly of my youth getting this CD and thinking I was cool.

Roujin wrote:

I nearly posted it, but Fred Durst is a cringe machine as good as Method is. SMDH at myself in the folly of my youth getting this CD and thinking I was cool.

See also, ODB's typically bonkers collaboration with Insane Clown Posse, his contribution to which they apparently received as a rambling, incoherent rant down the phone about bitches, which they then had to cut into some semblance of a track. It's... something.

I unreservedly love ODB, the mental bastard. Particularly enjoy his work with Busta Rhymes on the remix of Woo-Hah, which is several hundred times better than the original track. Extreme crackhead energy.



His verse on Big Daddy Kane's Show & Prove, following some young guy called Jay Z, is none to shabby neither.



Having listened back to the first set of solo albums as well I've got a new appreciation for the Dirty 36 Chambers. Lacks the brain-blowing quality of Liquid Swords but is so bafflingly mental that it's just amazing fun to listen to. The guy was so completely off his nut that no other hip-hop album sounds like it. I especially like Goin' Down, which he randomly starts to sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow in the middle of. 



It also yielded Brooklyn Zoo, which is definitely my favourite of the Wu solo tracks. Think Larry mentioned it further back, but it's just such an angry, foul flow of aggression that it feels like he recorded it in a single go after coming in from a fight. 



So yeah, C.R.E.A.M I think is a good shout for the best Wu Tang track, and I'll take Brooklyn Zoo for best solo track. Special shout out for Wu affiliate Shyheim, who proved that Wu Tang truly is for the children. 

I like the Wu Tang but know nothing about their output. This has been one of those occasions where the thread has been a genuine treat and I've learned about tracks I've never heard of.

I do like C.R.E.A.M but it's not my favourite. I love that first album and it was Method Man and Protect Ya Neck that really stood out for me on there. From the earlier solo stuff, there are so many incredible tracks from what might be the single greatest run of hip hop albums of all time. I'd go for:
'Bring the Pain' from Tical (Method Man)

'Duel of the Iron Mic' from Liquid Swords (Gza)

'Daytona 500' from Ironman (Ghostface Killah)

'Glaciers of Ice' from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (Raekwon)

'Brooklyn Zoo' from Dirty 36 (ODB)

'Defective Trip (Trippin') from 6 Feet Deep (Gravediggaz)


If I thought it was really applicable I'd go for that last one, because that is one of my all time favourite albums - it's utterly superb. But it's not really a solo album and it's not really a Wu group effort.

Special mention to a Rza solo joint that it took me ages to find on CD - 'Tragedy' - which I ended up buying an extremely average compilation to get.


It seems unfair to have to choose one, but if it had to it'd be Protect Ya Neck (group) and Daytona 500 (solo).

Cuban Links is still a banger of an album. Stands up really well. Hard to pick a single track, though.

Likewise, I listen to that Wugazi album more than any actual Wu-Tang these days.

We could just leave it on hold, Liv. We’re not running to a schedule here.

Yeah, I'd happily spend some mroe time with the Wu this week.

poprock wrote:

Likewise, I listen to that Wugazi album more than any actual Wu-Tang these days.

How can I get a hold of this?

poprock wrote:

Special treat for everyone here. Wugazi. Wu-Tang mashed up with Fugazi. Far, far better than that sounds. It’s an incredible album. Here’s Rolling Stone mag writing about it. Here’s a link to it in my Dropbox, because you can’t download it officially any more. Enjoy.

Didn’t know it was on Bandcamp, I thought it was unavailable through official channels these days. Do that instead.

Hi all. Gonna wrap this up tomorrow, let's say by 6pm.
Forgot I said we would do Eurovision which would have been this weekend.