Published on Sep 19, 2000
Pras, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef: Will they ever get back together?
Well, the second track on Wyclef Jean’s new album,
The Ecleftic – 2 Sides II A Book, makes sure to get the
point across that he is definitely interested doing another
album.
But Wyclef isn’t about to burrow down in the studio and take on
the producer. He has his own hell to raise. And on
The Ecleftic Wyclef raises hell by bringing in some of the
oddest guest vocals ever to appear on a pop record.
Some guests work. “Runaway,” which features Earth, Wind and
Fire, melds their smooth 70s era soul style to Wyclef’s more gritty
delivery. And “Diallo” is a scathing indictment of the New York
Police Department. The choice of Youssou N’Dour as a guest vocalist
is perfect. Wyclef has always incorporated world music into his
recordings, and Youssou N’Dour is one of the most recognizable
world vocalists.
WWF wrestler The Rock’s appearance in “It Doesn’t Matter” is as
much of a stunt as the wrestler’s appearance at the Republican
National Convention. And Kenny Rogers singing, using the word
“turntable” in replace of “table” in a revisit to his “Gambler”
theme is a huge misfire. Naming a song “Kenny Rogers-Pharoahe Monch
Dub Plate” should have given Wyclef a warning that putting Rogers
on his album would be more of a novelty and less of a musical
inspiration.
In case the title of the album didn’t give away Wyclef’s
intentions, he tries to make
The Ecleftic his most varied mix yet. And he definitely
succeeds. “Low Income” and “Pullin’ Me In” are great head-bobbing
tracks and “911” is a great song about the pitfalls of a
relationship.
However, for all its musical accomplishments, many tracks on
The Ecleftic lack a certain warmth and focus that made
Wyclef’s last album
The Carnival a great album on par with his bandmate’s
The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill CD in terms of overall
quality.
A big problem is length. At 70 minutes-plus,
The Ecleftic overstays its welcome. “Diallo” would have been
a great emotional closer of the album, but instead, it makes the
last three songs seem like the last five miles of a marathon.
Wyclef certainly is one of the most gifted musicians in rap,
R&B, rock, anything out there right now. But, heyah, Rush is
one of the most gifted musical groups in rock. And like Rush,
Wyclef has a problem translating musical gifts to incorporate
feelings as well. Listeners can marvel at incorporating WWF and
country superstars on an album and say, “Wow, look what he can do.”
Ultimately though, Wyclef should have aimed his focus on answering
the question that may be on other listeners minds: “Why should we
care?”