Artist: Wu-Tang Clan
Album: 8 Diagrams
Release Date: December 11, 2007
Producers: RZA, George Drakoulias, Easy Mo Bee, Mathematics.
Review: 8 Diagrams is a really divisive album. Aside from being the first Wu album since Iron Flag five years before (and the first album since ODB's passing), a lot of fans didn't feel it. RZA's shift towards using live instruments more often than in the past was a gamble and a change from what fans had come to expect and love about Wu-Tang. On the other hand, there are some really awesome songs on it. Like most of the other full-band releases, we'll be looking at 8 Diagrams on a nearly track-by-track basis
"Campfire" has a chunky fat beat that really rocks and intros the album right with verses by Method Man, Ghostface and Cappadonna. After that, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck and U-God bring their first verses of the album on "Take It Back." Maybe the first speedbump on the album is the sleepy "Get Them Out Ya Way Pa," which relies on a basic drum loop and a slow bassline to get it through its four minutes - which is not to detract from any of the lyrics, which are as pop culture and street-oriented as ever. Says U-God, "Producers know him as The Kid with the Iron Palm / Righteous hammer, examine the firearm / Approach or get fired on, permanent chest scar / Empire Strikes Back, check out the Death Star."
The album bounces back with "Rushing Elephants," using live strings to highlight a fierce backing track for Raekwon, GZA, RZA and Masta Killa. GZA's lyrics are as brilliant as ever, utilizing nods to science and medicine throughout his verse. "We criticize producers 'til they joints are right / Then acupuncture tracks with pinpoints of light."
"Unpredictable" suffers from an awkward hook sung by Dexter Wiggles. With a pitch-dropped vocal track running simultaneously and its unfiltered counterpart over the otherwise high-energy blaxploitation funk, it's an odd fit. Luckily it's soon brushed aside by "The Heart Gently Weeps," an interpolation of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," that features an impressive roster of guests. Erykah Badu sings the hook (and, of course, she slays it), John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers plays lead guitar and George Harrison's son Dhani plays rhythm guitar. It's an experiment that pays off well, with smooth verses by Raekwon, Ghostface and Method Man. Strangely, this is the last track on which Ghostface appears for the whole record. The next eight songs proceed without him.
Like "Unpredictable," "Wolves" has some uptempo music with a strange hook. Handclaps, acoustic guitar and whistling get the track pumping, but the hook (sung by the legendary George Clinton) just feels a bit odd. "The fox he's kinda foxy / Mr. Wolf he's the guy who chased Red through the woods and ate Grandma / But a dog is a dog is a dog is a dog, unlike the wolf, who made a widower of Grandpa." Masta Killa brings some fascinating rhymes to the table here: "I write when the energy's right, to spark friction / DJ cuttin' it, spinning it back, mixin' / Great pop knock tickin', poetry description." But unlike "Unpredictable," whose hook tends to overpower the verses for me, "Wolves" is an easy track to get past the bizarre chorus and enjoy some sweet lyrics.
I'm also a big fan of "Gun Will Go," with its Nancy Sinatra-esque electric guitar and relaxed verses. As far as sung hooks go, it's also a big hit, Sunny Valentine seeming to take his role quite seriously. Again, Masta Killa brings some confident and ponderous words to the party: "You mean like Ewing at the front of the rim, finger roll a Dutch / Million dollar stages touched, techs, gauges bust / Trust no one, lone shogun, rugged Timb' boot stomper / Damaging lyrical mass destruction launcher."
"Sunlight" sees RZA at his most despondent, going off on a nearly stream-of-consciousness tangent about nature, poverty and Islam over a sad and down-tempo track. "The answer to all questions, the spark of all suggestions / Of righteousness, the pathway to the road of perfection." It's heady stuff, but something about it adds up together for an enjoyable listen. Gerald Alston provides an excellent hook on "Stick Me for My Riches," shouting with soul and bravado between Wu verses.
Sunny Valentine returns on "Starter," on which a simple horn loop and deep, bassy drum machine set the stage for Streetlife, GZA, Inspectah Deck and U-God to rap about their favorite girlfriends. The music sounds like it came from RZA's Afro Samurai sessions, aside from the bass which is performed by Shavo from System of a Down.
Just when it seems that RZA doesn't have any more tricks up his sleeve, "Windmill" brings a sample from Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" and live guitars by John Frusciante. GZA returns again (only his third track out of 12 so far) and brings his dynamic viewpoint back with him: "Math shed light on divine secrets, then science leaked it / For the lower level creatures that can't peep it / I observe emcees regardless / From a neighboring world that's 10 times the sharpness." Masta Killa, seeming more and more like a good partner for GZA with each track, responds: "Infinity, back to the source of which it came / Energy, see it change forms, atoms being born, never ending."
"Weak Spot" is a good foreshadowing for some of the A Better Tomorrow tracks, especially "Necklace," using a kung-fu sample for its hook along with serious-sounding music (here a two-chord string and horn combo), but it's not my favorite track on the album. After such a rollercoaster of tempos and moods and styles, "Weak Spot" is almost too much.
The album closes with a seven-minute tribute to Ol' Dirty Bastard, "Life Changes." Every emcee in the group (aside from a curiously missing Ghostface Killah) offers verses about Dirt's passing and their emotions surrounding his death. It's a somber track with descending piano chords and a hook that samples Freda Payne.
Legacy: Both Ghostface and Raekwon expressed their dissatisfaction with 8 Diagrams, leading to a serious rift between them and RZA that would last until Wu-Tang's next album, A Better Tomorrow, was mostly finished without Raekwon. In the summer of 2014, they made amends and managed to fit Raekwon on several tracks, but it's clear that many of his performances were shoehorned in at the last minute. It all stemmed from this album. Personally I think it's a musically diverse and lyrically excellent album, with only a few hiccups ("Unpredictable" and "Weak Spot" not sticking out nearly as much as other album highlights). Despite being all over the place, it still sounds more focused in the big picture and more listenable than Iron Flag. As the group's first outing since ODB passed, it also sounds more mature and somber than most of their work. Here's a look at who showed up and how often.
Method Man: Eight verses, one hook
Raekwon: Seven verses, one hook
GZA: Six verses
Masta Killah: Six verses
RZA: Five verses, one hook
U-God: Five verses, one hook
Inspectah Deck: Five verses
Ghostface Killah: Three verses, one hook
Recommended Tracks: The Heart Gently Weeps, Windmill, Gun Will Go.
No comments:
Post a Comment