Customer Reviews

All Balls Don't Bounce

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Acey is a truly amazing MC, a literate guy in general who's wordplay isn't just smart, it's practically poetic.

So, why would I review an album from 1995? Well, I just got it is excuse number one, and excuse number two is All Balls Don't Bounce was just reissued. An extra CD of videos and remixes is on it, and that's a nice accompaniment and no-cost add on to album. In general, the production is spacey. It's reminiscent of early DJ Shadow and present day 9th Wonder. That makes the fact that this is an underground hit even more surprising because of the fact that the sound and beats are pretty close to present day underground beats. The really resonating part of this album is Acey's flow. A.C. Alone floats, bounces, and riffs over the beats, at times almost as arhythmic as a beat poet, as jazzy as a bebop scatter, and as tight as an old-school speed rapper. While the sound of Aceyalone is recognizable almost instantly, the album stays fresh because he varies his flow and rhythm constantly, and the depth and intricate word play of his rhymes reinforces the diversity and eclecticism of the album.

Highlights are the comical, staggering "Analilia?", the trippy "Mr. Outsider," thumping anthem "All Balls," old-school "Mic Check", and hard sucker punch of "Arhythmaticulas." It's overall an album worth checking out and owning, especially with this extra CD of remixes and remastered production that comes with the 2004 reissue. Abstract Rude guest spots also enhance the experience, whether you're looking for trip-hop, old school, or tight underground work Acey's "All Balls Don't Bounce" pack it all, and with some wicked string basslines.

Universal soldier he is.

Aceyalone is fastly growing as my favorite MC(watch out Rakim)! I bought this a while ago and put the first cd into the stereo in my mother's car, and she forgot to tell me that the stereo was broken. It basically ate the disc. I listened to the bonus cd, and waited for her to get the stereo fixed, but I couldn't wait any longer...I went out and bought this album all over again! I have "Inner City Griots," "A Book...," and both Haiku D'Etat albums, but this was a different Aceyalone. I wasn't impressed by some of the songs during the first run-through, but then again, you have to listen to these songs many times just to GRASP what Aceyalone is spittin'.
This album gives you a glimpse of Aceyalone the MC, rather than Acey the poet as he has become since; both sides of him are exceptional. This album wasn't as polished as "A Book of Human Language," but then again, what is? Therefore, you peep some of the rawness that he accelerated with back in the early '90s. I think what makes Aceyalone such a great MC is that he has been outstanding in so many aspects as an MC through his career. His voice is familar, but easily accessible and he constantly changes inflection or flow from verse to verse. Ace definitely has skill at writing intricate rhyme schemes(internal, multi-syllabic). He's excellent for entertainment, substance, and he can play himself as anything ranging from the best thing since sliced bread to just a broke bum on the street or a nobody. He has some of the best battle quotes, but he can also get educational to the listener. Ace can go a little political, make some profound social comments, or go full-blown uplifting/empowering to spiritual. He can flow fast if he wants to, or just sit back and drop poetry.
One thing Ace has been revered for throughout his career has been his wordplay and vocabulary. I know he's been described as having a love of language, and using it at his full disposal. "All Balls Don't Bounce" displays his crafy wordplay and amazing vocab at his best. This album is abstract rapping at it's finest! Actually, once you listen to the album a few times through, every song is excellent in their own way. My favorites are "Mr. Outsider," "Arhythmaticulas," and "Headaches and Woes." "Keep It True" was great too, although having a chorus that I wouldn't expect from him, the song is relaxing and mind-bending as he and Abstract Rude hit you with tons of knowledge.
Acey scares away MC's on with jams like "Anywhere You Go," and "Mic Check"-two of my other favorite songs. "Deep and Wide" is a short track w/ Ab Rude that is smooth and enlightening. "Knownots" has Ab Rude and Mikah 9(a future Haiku D'Etat lineup) and I didn't like at first, with a repeated saying that sounds silly and immature for them, but eventually I embraced their stylings on this song, along with the throwback beat. You may just find yourself saying that phrase to others after hearing this song(Yeah..., you just not knowing)! The vocab is OVERFLOWING on "The Greatest Show on Earth," which I don't think I'll ever be able to fully comprehend. Ab Rude and Ace get witty on "B-Boy Kingdom," although P.E.A.C.E. drops a stale verse at the end. Ace shows he even had a comical side, which can be found on joints like "Annalillia" and "Makeba," both dedicated to two separate ladies. "Makeba" is a sultry, mature jam about a lost love, and "Annalillia" is comical and upbeat about trying to get a girl out of his league. The bonus cd is great as well. You get maybe even better mixes of "Headaches and Woes" and "Mic Check"- both with an extra or a different verse than the originals. Plus, other unreleased, outstanding songs like "Show Your Right," "Nobodys," and the empowering "Believe In Yourself"(which I believe he recorded at the beginning of 2004, just for this bonus cd).
Aceyalone has always been dropping his thoughts and philosophies, especially on "A Book...," and even the young Acey offered some up on this album, only in a more abstract way. "All Balls," "Mr. Outsider," and "The Greatest Show on Earth" epitomize abstract philosophies. You gotta love how Acey flexes his rapid-fire tongue-flipping flow on "Arythmaticulas," and overall, he is at his rawest and uninhibited self on this album. He's wasn't afraid to cuss here or there if it helped him express his thoughts and emotions. This is definitely an album I will be listening to constantly from now on, both of them actually. The production ranges from excellent("Headaches and Woes"- I love the lighter, bouncy feel) to minimal("Mr. Outsider," a few others). "All Balls Don't Bounce" may not quite have the classic status of his sophomore "A Book...," but this one stands right up there with it, and combined with the bonus cd, this is a must-buy! Just don't make me decide which album is better, I need them both in my life, and I will hurt anyone who trys to take either one away from me.

Aceyalone of the freestyle fellowship, this was his first solo release and it is still my favorite. I had to buy the revisited version, so I could get the bonus cd with it, which has 3 of my favorite songs of his on it that were not easily available otherwise. Acey has his own flow, if you're not familiar with it, there isn't anything I can tell you to describe it that would do justice. The guy always starts off slow in his verses and by the end you're rewinding his verses to hear him link his bars together like a bent chain, but its still soooo fluid. He's one of the elites and this is his debut, so if you think you're a head, and you don't have this cd yet, better buy it now quietly in the confines of your own home or lose your credibility in any real hip hop discussions.

I am an underground hip-hop head. Aceyalone has been a favorite of mine for a while. His Book of Human Language is, in my opinion, the best hip-hop album of all time. Unfortunatly, newer acey albums like Accepted Eclectic and Love and Hate sorely dissapointed me. Somehow, I never heard All Balls don't bounce, until now. This album is incredible. It has that early nineties feel but does not sound dated. It lacks the profound and arty feel of Book, but in its place is pure, west coast, flavorful, mond blowing hip-hop. The beats and production are a perfect compliment to the rymes. "Mic Check", "Deep and Wide", and "Aurithymaticulas" are killer tracks. I've heard Aceyalone a lot, on living legend songs, the A team, other albums, but never have I heard him rap like this. He does a lot of rapid fire, tongue twisted rymes that sound awesome. If only Aceyalone had kept up this level of quality with newer albums. Oh well I don't mind being stuck in the past if this is the soundtrack.

I feel pity for those of you who think that 50 Cent and Eminem are great hip-hop lyricists, they have nothin' on Aceyalone, he could easily outrap them for days, real hip-hop lives on the underground y'all, buy this if you love hip-hop and not pop rap!

Following Freestyle Fellowship's 1993 breakthrough Innercity Griots, the Los Angeles group's star broke out with his own solo debut "All Balls Don't Bounce" on Capitol in 1995. Aceyalone is a hip hop visionary and one of the most impressive MCs around. Where the Freestyle Fellowship records showed his abstract genius in the group setting, "All Balls Don't Bounce" allows him to stand alone in his full glory. From a lyrical standpoint, this album is astounding, and it'll probably take a while for you to realize it. But the way in which he perfects his syllables and flow to the beat, his quickly adjustable delivery, and his pure insight in every verse are incredible. I can't imagine the work that must have went into every one of these verses; their complexity is mind-boggling. Conceptually and poetically, Acey employs such deep linguistics and performs so meticulously that it's almost incomparable to the conventional rap album. From the performance standpoint, "All Balls Don't Bounce" is unmatched.

"All Balls Don't Bounce" is not a perfect album. The beats are spacey, and some are better than others. They carry a very underground feel, and while their sparseness does allow the MC to keep the spotlight, a few border on uninteresting. I've never felt that the album format completely does Aceyalone justice, because of the incredible performance aspect to his artistry, but "All Balls Don't Bounce" comes very close. Also, for such painstakingly written verses, a number of the hooks are weak and unimaginative. They do stress the "live" feel that Aceyalone values so much, but I wish some were a little better. Acey's songs are often unstructured and free-flowing, a style that lets him show his creativity. Guests are limited to the extended Freestyle Fellowship family.

The album opens with "All Balls," a jazzy number where Aceyalone delivers excellent rhymes from the second-person perspective. This song is upbeat, lyrically wonderful, and a highlight. He cleverly caters to a sucker MC on "Anywhere You Go," and guest Abstract Rude carries the nice "Deep and Wide." "Mr. Outsider" is sprawling and verbally head-spinning, but quite impressive. Acey kicks verses to an intriguing lady on "Annalillia?" and Abstract Rude returns with Freestyle Fellowship member Mikah 9 for "Knownots," a track of extra-literate battle raps. "Arhythmaticulas" has a weak hook, but the way Aceyalone weaves his complex, various-syllabled raps between the intricate beat is not short of amazing. On "The Greatest Show on Earth," he lets loose some deep and random thought. The first single was "Mic Check," which is quickly appealing both musically and lyrically. The bouncy xylophone-driven "Headaches & Woes" contains what might be my favorite performance on the disc; the verses are addictive. "Makeba" is a song to a woman in the same vein as "Annalillia?" but with a completely different tone. Abstract Rude, Mikah 9, and P.E.A.C.E. guest on the conceptual gem "B-Boy Kingdom," and the album closes with one of its best songs, "Keep It True" with Abstract Rude and Change of Rhythm.

"All Balls Don't Bounce" wasn't fully appreciated by its intended audience, and within a few years it was already out of print. In 2004, it was independently re-released with a bonus disc of rare and new material. Some cuts are remixes, and surprisingly, some unreleased cuts are just as good or even better than the material on the album. Following the "All Balls Intro" and "Universal Soldier" interlude, the "Headaches & Woes Intro" precedes the "Headaches & Woes (Remix)," which is refurbished with a new beat and a new verse. Two remixes of "The Greatest Show on Earth" follow, both distinctive and fully doing justice to the original. The second hardly resembles the original at all. "Mic Check" gets the remix treatment as well, with a new beat and verse. "Show Your Right" is laidback and thoughtful, and "The Nobodys" is blessed with the finest beat on either disc, a gorgeous, vibesy, sax-laced production. "They Don't Know" also exudes nice jazz vibes, and "Feet Up on the Table" is an enjoyable posse cut. Acey tells great stories on "TweakendZ" and "I Dream" and drops philosophy on "Believe in Your Self."

It's hard to review an album as unique and complex as "All Balls Don't Bounce." I find this to be a lyrical showcase and an impressive verbal work. It is not the perfect album, and those who value production values and musicality above all else in their rap should look elsewhere. But for those who have any appreciation of lyrical hip hop or creative artistry, I highly recommend "All Balls Don't Bounce." Aceyalone is a one-of-a-kind rapper, and he shows his genius here. The rereleased "All Balls Don't Bounce Revisited" is a great purchase, because not only does it put a rare album back on the market, but it includes a bonus disc of excellent material, as well as videos and enhanced content for the price of one album. You can't really go wrong with this package. It may take time, but those with a little background in alternative hip hop should really appreciate "All Balls Don't Bounce Revisited."

I can't write a review. Maybe if I had two days and 10,000 words. Suffice it to say that this is the strongest Aceyalone album and one of the strongest records of all time.

Ace 1 Brings us Another tight album filled with abstract rhymes and funky jazzy beats. The music has a very laid back feel to it and it is the perfect soundtrack to chill to on a hot summer day. The samples on the album are quite different from anything youve ever heard from ACE before they range from 70s funk and jazz to straight up Westcoast Hiphop. This is the main reason why Ace is such a great MC instead of just releasing the same album every two years he does something completely different on each release. Ace is also a pretty dope lyricist he mixes abstract lines with story telling poetry and even though it may sound like giberish at first I find that the more you listen to ACE the more his lyrics make sense. This album is not quite a classic but it is still a CD that no true Hiphop head should be without 4 MICS

One of Hip Hop's most under-appreciated emcees makes his presence felt with a great debut album. With a reputation as a gifted wordsmith, Ace plays with the English language without sacrificing subject continuity. Usually, an artist who displays verbal gymnastics will tend to go off topic and not stick with the script in the song. This is not the case with Aceyalone. He puts together some engaging narratives and has a broad vocabulary. I don't think he has been battle tested which doesn't surprise me because with tracks like "Arhythamaticulas", who really wants to test him in a game of wits. The album was released in the mid 1990's when the west coast g-funk scene was popping. If you weren't into whiny synthesizers and overly explicative lyrics (not that I see anything wrong with that) then Ace and the rest of the Freestyle Fellowship was the perfect alternative. If this album bounces in your court then fear not because the music is far from falling flat.

This was my first album that I purchased by Aceyalone. Previously, I've heard a few songs from Ace that had came out after this album. Personally, it wasn't that great. I always thought Abstract Rude was better than him by far, until I heard this album.

The song Knownots got me to buy this album. That's right. I bought the album for 1 song. To tell you the truth, Knownots is one of the lesser songs in this album. His presentation, flow, and style are what set him apart from the rest of Hip Hop.

His music is best described as the Hip Hop version of Scat music. It sounds as if someone should be hitting the bongos when Aceyalone starts up. I personally believe that no rapper can do it as well as Aceyalone did it, bringing in 2 different forms of music. The best part of the album is that there really is no filler songs, albeit the Remixes. Getting 22 tracks (29 including 3 non-songs and 4 remixes) that are good for 10 dollars is an amazing deal.

I'm seriously putting this in my top 5 greatest albums.