new rjd2 as described by xl
- Thread starter mallard
- Start date
I haven't heard the entire album yet (or at least the version that leaked), but I did get the press release that he would be doing something different from what he had done in the past. I like what I've heard, and I think what this new one will do is open him to an audience that may have avoided his music because it had "too much beats".
I dont really think its different from things he has done in the past. Infact, I think its actually closer to his beginnings as a musician. I agree most people know him as a Hip Hop dude but he was in a garage band when he was a teenager. He wrote a lot of the music for the group and played guitar... though Im not sure how much singing he did back then. I have the 7 inch, I can try to find some time to record a clip in the next few days if your interested.
his singing is really hard to listen to. i couldnt get past the vocals to really give the beats a try, lets hope theres an instrumental version. but seriously why the f*ck did he pick up the mic?Oink to the rescue!!
Yeah.. The beats are still RJ, just now he's singing on top of them. Kind of reminds me of...
- spidey
I'd be real curious to hear that, might give a better sense of what exactly he's attempting here.
I am really not a fan of this record. A lot of it might be the hokey hand XL is positioning/promoting it with, or the way he's talked about it himself. Maybe it's just the way his personality reads on paper, but in every recent interview describing the album, hes comes off like some arrogant rockist who now towers above all that was his former hip-hop self.
I think it's really impressive that he was able to play almost everything on here. It's an ambitious move for sure, but again, the way he describes it makes it seem like he thinks he's at or near the level of all the pop/prog/psych idols he's attempting to channel. Just seems like he's got a ways to go. The songs are not stale by any means, and I think alot of the harmonies and progressions are interesting--but its really evident that the dude is not a guitarist, or a flautist, or a drummer--(the song jacking the billy jean-like drums, and the song that re-uses the break from "iced lightning" come to mind) etc. I find the interplay between instruments incredibly stiff on most tracks and the majority of the record sounding like awkward, amateur prog-rock.
And don't get me started on the lyrics. I think he's just completely overreaching with the one-man show and depending on his true aims, might be alot better off as a song-writer/producer w/ some studio musicians and real vocalists. Maybe I need a few more listens though and hopefully I haven't wrongfully assumed the guys perception of himself.
i have listened to a couple of tracks and i found what i heard to be
Similar to his boring production that was used on aceyalones last album
That comment about his formerness is great. See, I havent really heard the album yet and stopped listening for the most part before that Acey Joint..but I went and checked the tracks on myspace as mentioned here.
Im just concluding that he is actually channeling his former self from 15 years ago and trying to revive talents and skills he once had. Revisiting the live performer musician punk rock guy he use to be. As I mentioned he did play guitar and wrote the music for the group.
What I think is even more strange is that he ended up Hip Hop and not indie rock in the first place. My guess is that he was little rusty and wanted to brush up on a new genre or an old trend. Theres nothing wrong with getting in touch with your roots...maybe that crowd will embrace it and he will have a whole new audience....the same audience he would have had had he stayed with that sort of thing a long time ago. I think its cool to go through the motions and see what your capable of or capable of remembering. If the hip hop dudes dont like it it doesnt matter because it probably wasnt made for them.
soundwise great for me and with a nice emofactor (no ayo), yeah this was my soundtrack in 2005...and that 1976 joint with the German schlager sample is still one of my favorites from him...but I can understand that alot of people hat on him and his aesthetiqs
why are people who hated him from the get-go even commenting? are you making some point or something? who cares
i gotta admit, i like whats on his myspace right now a lot better than 489% of the stuff on his last album, to me "1976" was the only really redeeming track on that whole release, the rest was so fucking cold sounding, i didnt really like it much, this new stuff seems more lively so im actually looking forward to it.
i gotta admit, i like whats on his myspace right now a lot better than 489% of the stuff on his last album, to me "1976" was the only really redeeming track on that whole release, the rest was so fucking cold sounding, i didnt really like it much, this new stuff seems more lively so im actually looking forward to it.
