Posted on: Friday, June 4, 2004
CD REVIEWS
Okayplayer mixes old school, progressive
Knight Ridder News Service
"OkayPlayer: True Notes Vol. 1" by various artists; OkayPlayer/Decon Okayplayer.com — founded by the Roots' drummer, Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson — is a repository for progressive hip-hop culture. So is Okay's first CD, a compilation of widely known West Coast preachers (Dilated Peoples, Blackalicious), underground neighbors (the avant-hop of Aceyalone & Madlib), veteran hard-liners (NYC's Jean Grae, whose dramatic tunes are the disc's best), and new old-school devotees (Virginia's Skillz, North Carolina's Little Brother).
Along with Philadelphian RJD2's brusque "Act 2," occasional Roots rapper Dice Raw's crusty, rock-hop-era "I Do What I Like" proves that there's a thin line between raw and jiggy in Philly-hop. And that's Okay.
— A.D. Amorosi
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"California" by Wilson Phillips; Columbia
Who better than Wilson Phillips — the '80s hit-makers whose parentage includes Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas — to celebrate the rich trove of music made in or inspired by the state of California?
Just about anyone.
Oh, sure, the power trio of Carnie and Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips, ending the extended hiatus since the previous 1993 album, can still harmonize decently. But they're not equipped to shed new light on songs most pop fans know by heart — Neil Young's "Old Man" (who sounds more beaten-down than ever here), the Eagles' "Already Gone," the Byrds' "Turn, Turn, Turn," Jackson Browne's "Doctor My Eyes," and, most tragically, the Beach Boys' "In My Room," which features the writer, Brian Wilson, on piano and vocals.
Most arrangements hew closely to the originals, and that's a two-edged sword: At times this lavish set is nothing more than California karaoke, and at other times, it's a platform for the kind of zipless, desperate-to-please phrasing practiced by children's choirs.
One test for a covers collection like this is whether it enhances our appreciation of the material. By that measure, this is an expensive catastrophe that tramples the memory of some great hit songs. Shame on everyone at Columbia Records who said yes to it.
— Tom Moon
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"White Trash Beautiful" by Everlast; Island Def Jam
It's been a few years since we've heard from bad-boy strum 'n' bass troubadour Everlast. Judging by the handful of surprisingly soft and vulnerable love songs on his third solo album, he's been in the throes of serious lovesickness. Either that, or he's pilfering lyrics from Hallmark cards.
Devoting a third of this record to such trite tunes proves problematic for the former House of Pain hooligan. And his gritty street-life vignettes — mostly sung, occasionally rapped in his signature husky voice — remain chained to the minor-key acoustic guitar-with-hip-hop-beat template established on his first two discs.
Airtight slices of streetwise funk such as "God Wanna" (key line: "Superman's just another pimp in a cape") and "Ticking Away," which samples Syl Johnson's "It Ain't Easy," give "White Trash Beautiful" a little kick, but not much.
— Patrick Berkery
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"Tical 0: The Prequel" by Method Man; Def Jam
A moment of silence, please, for another once-adept MC who has descended into mediocrity. After making us wait six years for a new album, Method Man drops "Tical 0: The Prequel," which makes no effort to break from the hip-hop status quo.
He teases us with RZA in "Intro," but fails to follow through with Wu-Tang Clan-style edginess. The leader stuffs the disc with mostly disappointing cameos. "We Some Dogs," featuring Redman and Snoop Dogg, is misogynistic fluff, as is "Rodeo," with Ludacris.
The baritone demonstrates few MC acrobatics on this, his third album. But he includes the hooks, beats and guest spots that make it fodder for the nightclubs and airwaves.
— Lloylita Prout
