The easy-flowing Things Fall Apart made the Roots one of the most popular artists of alternative rap's second wave. Anticipated nearly as much as it was delayed, the proper studio follow-up, Phrenology, finally appeared in late 2002, after much perfectionist tinkering by the band -- so much that the liner notes include recording dates (covering a span of two years) and, sometimes, histories for the individual tracks. Coffeehouse music programmers beware: Phrenology is not Things Fall Apart redux; it's a challenging, ...
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The easy-flowing Things Fall Apart made the Roots one of the most popular artists of alternative rap's second wave. Anticipated nearly as much as it was delayed, the proper studio follow-up, Phrenology, finally appeared in late 2002, after much perfectionist tinkering by the band -- so much that the liner notes include recording dates (covering a span of two years) and, sometimes, histories for the individual tracks. Coffeehouse music programmers beware: Phrenology is not Things Fall Apart redux; it's a challenging, hugely ambitious opus that's by turns brilliant and bewildering, as it strains to push the very sound of hip-hop into the future. Despite a few gentler tracks (like the Nelly Furtado and Jill Scott guest spots), Phrenology is the hardest-hitting Roots album to date, partly because it's their most successful attempt to re-create their concert punch in the studio. ?uestlove's drums positively boom out of the speakers on the Talib Kweli duet "Rolling With Heat"; the fantastic, lean guitar groover "The Seed (2.0)" (with neo-soul auteur Cody ChesnuTT); and the opening section of "Water." The ten-minute "Water" is the album's centerpiece, a powerful look at former Roots MC Malik B.'s drug problems that morphs into a downright avant-garde sound collage. Similarly, lead single "Break You Off," a neo-soul duet with Musiq, winds up in a melange of drum'n'bass programming and live strings. If moves like those, or the speed-blur Bad Brains punk of "!!!!!!!," or the drum'n'bass backdrop of poet Amiri Baraka's "Something in the Way of Things (In Town)" can seem self-consciously eclectic, it's also true that Phrenology is one of those albums where the indulgences and far-out experiments make it that much more fascinating, whether they work or not. Plus, slamming grooves like "Rock You," "Thought @ Work," and the aforementioned "The Seed (2.0)" keep things exciting and vital. If this really is the future of hip-hop, then the sky is the limit. [The two hidden bonus tracks are "Rhymes and Ammo," the Talib Kweli collaboration that appeared on Soundbombing, Vol. 3, and "Something to See," another techno-inflected jam.] ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
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Add this copy of Phrenology to cart. $1.12, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by MCA.
Add this copy of Phrenology to cart. $3.39, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brooklyn Park, MN, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by MCA.
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Fair. Disc(s) have been resurfaced using a professional-grade machine. Case shows moderate wear and tear. All items include the original case and artwork. All items ship Mon-Fri.
Add this copy of Phrenology to cart. $5.55, like new condition, Sold by Recycle4 rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Danville, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by MCA.
Add this copy of Phrenology to cart. $7.90, very good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by MCA.
Add this copy of Phrenology to cart. $8.98, very good condition, Sold by GoPeachy rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from JACKSONVILLE, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Geffen.
Add this copy of Phrenology to cart. $9.49, good condition, Sold by McConnell Content Creation rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dayton, OH, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by MCA.
Add this copy of Phrenology to cart. $9.77, very good condition, Sold by Bedlam Books & Music rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Leominster, HEREFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM.
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Very good. Slight surface marking to disc, plays fine. Next day dispatch by Royal Mail in sturdy, recyclable packaging. 1000's of satisfied customers! Please contact us with any enquiries.
