Published on Mar 13, 2003
It’s hard to believe that having live musicians could be a
detriment, but in the world of hip-hop, The Roots have had to
constantly battle to keep their music at the forefront. Even so,
many critics refuse to write about anything other than drummer
?uestlove’s abilities.
Not that ?uestloves accomplishments DON’T warrant press: he’s
one of the best drummers in popular music. But far too often, The
Roots’ great albums get overshadowed by people obsessing over the
fact that they actually have musicians playing instruments.
Hopefully,
Phrenology will finally turn people’s ears onto their actual
output.
Like the title of the album (and its cover),
Phrenology is incredibly cerebral. At times, the album
breaks into jazzy improvisations, minimalistic hip-hop and finally,
punk. The album is The Roots’ hardest album yet. Its title track is
supported by a pulverizing bass line and backed up with Black
Thought’s boasting of his lyrical (and physical) toughness. It’s a
great song, but it brings back memories of when A Tribe Called
Quest tried to carefully walk the gangsta walk, even though their
best albums were far removed from typical gangsta rap
clichés.
Phrenology‘s greatest strength is its musical ambition: the
band incorporates so many elements into the album, yet is somehow
are able to keep all their balls in the air. In one glorious moment
— “The Seed (2.0)” — The Roots come into their own and produce a
soon-to-be hip-hop classic. Cody Chestnutt drops into the studio
and the band glides around Cody’s presence so soulfully that you
would swear that honey was leaking from your speakers.
Phrenology does get tangled up in its ambitions, however. In
the epic 11-or-so minute song “Water,” The Roots go full-on
avant-garde jazz. Once again, I’ll take over-ambition over
timidness any day, but in this case, it smacks of self-indulgence,
like Sonic Youth’s most pretentious works. It also doesn’t have the
uniformity of
Things Fall Apart, their last masterstroke (which, by no
coincidence, contained two or three songs that instantly grabbed
you by the lapels).
“Water” comes midway through
Phrenology, violently breaking up its continuity. However,
it isn’t a fatal blow. “Pussy Galore” is a provocative examination
of relationships, but as usual, the band doesn’t forget their
groove. And Jill Scott proves once again why she’s the ultimate
guest vocalist for The Roots on the song “Complexity.”
The Roots are all about blurring musical lines of perception.
You can’t categorize
Phrenology as a hip-hop, rap, rock or R&B album. All you
are left to do is listen to it as an entire product and come to
your own conclusions. For those who are tired of hearing airwaves
full of songs featuring guest vocals by Ja Rule, this album is
worth wading through a few mistakes. In fact, it’s the mess-ups
that make
Phrenology enduring.