Customer Reviews

Bazaar Ride to the Pharcyde

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was one of the last great hip-hop albums to come out before the coming of P-Diddy ... materialism culminated in that knuckle dragging ghetto footstomper `Back That Thang Up,'which pretty much turned me for all time from the scene. Oh man, what has HAPPENED to hip-hop? Remember `Check The Rhyme?' Remember `A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays?' Well, thankfully the guys in Pharcyde did, and this is their greatest product. Standouts on this one (`Passin' Me By' goes without mentioning - by all means, its a given that you MUST buy this CD simply for that track alone) include Return Of The B-Boy, which has that great Slick Rick salt shaker in the back, 4 Better Or 4 Worse, Otha Fish (a real heartbreaker), Ya Mama, and Pack The Pipe.

Lyrics are unrepetitive (though Its Jiggaboo Time is kinda), slick, and intelligent. The skits are a riot - not a waste of space like on most CD's (when somebody says `Ya mama is an extra on The Simpsons, well...hell man, that's just gold...), and those lovely, lovely, beats. These guys really made themselves the clown princes of hip-hop with this effort.

This was hip-hop's swan song. Historians will mark this album as the last great hurrah for this musical style, before guys like Puffy and Master P ushered in the age of mean-spirited, out-for-number1 money grubbing, crummy stereotypes, and lazy audio fluff.

If you like De La Soul, or A Tribe Called Quest, pick this up.

This album was the soundtrack to my high school senior life in '95. It was always playing when my friends and I would be chillin' or getting up to no good. I began to have this haunting yearning to have it again (I was stupid enough to never have bought it before) and I would hear ghostly melodies and hilarious lines swirling in my mind every now and then , and it would almost make me cry -- I wanted to find it, but no one, not even who I considered to be hard-core hip hop aficionados even knew who I was talking about when I'd say: Do you have The Pharcyde? The blank look on their faces would blow my mind! It's been calling to me ever since: Passing Me By is one of the most sad, yet beautiful, songs ever. And who couldn't relate to the excitement that QUENTIN'S ON HIS WAY AND IT'S OKAY?! If you love chilled- out, sometimes hyper, but always sincerely crazy music, check this out before it disappears off the face of the Earth. I'm gonna make my grandkids listen to this, because this is an amazing specimine of feel-good music (which is so much nicer when shared with your homies.) I'm so happy I finally found it here! I was beginning to think it was out of print. Yo, five stars and then some!

The Pharcyde's 1993 release, Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde, is the definition of the early 90's hip hop, mixing the Native Tongue sound with a distinct west Coast attitude. this cd doesn't get old, it's as good in 1999 as it was the day it was released. Even the skits are funny. Actually, even if the rest of the cd sucked, this release would be a classic based solely on the greatest, most humble, hip hop song ever, Passin' me by. If you can't relate to what the guys are saying, you either haven't lived or you're in denial. But the whole cd is dope, from beginning to end, each song a different manifestation of the Pharcyde's individual and collective unique personalities. You've never heard a cd like this before,but I guarentee if you love hip hop or at least have an open mind to other kinds of music like hip hop, you'll agree that this cd is a classic. So buy it now, and take the bizarre ride.

You can't go wrong with buying this classic hiphop album.

The album not only has great lyrics, but great jazzy-infused beats.
This album, in my opinion, is the first, greatest, and most consistant album by the group - the Pharcyde.

The group is also able to make their songs humerous, as well as entertaining like the track "Ya Mama", which is basically a track composed of your momma jokes. And the album has the hit "Passing Me By" on it, which had a real cool video.

Also, the album comes with a cool looking fold-out insert/poster.

If you listened to the Pharcyde recently and never heard of them before, you'd swear they were new. They were just filthy back then, but still their tracks and freestylin' go way beyond what the radio players put on. I don't know why hardly anybody's heard of them, but at the same time I'm glad because I didn't want the Pharcyde's music being played out by everyone. Every damn song on this CD is good. Most props go to 'On the DL', 'Soulflower', 'Officer', 'Passin Me By', 'Otha Fish', and 'Ya Mama'. SlimKid Tre is like the most unique rapper I've ever heard (listen to Otha Fish, and you'll know what I'm talking about.) If you don't have this album yet, GET IT! Cuz if all you're listening to is Puffy and Mase, you really are missing out on true hip-hop.

I'm a 22 year old hip-hop enthusiast, and Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde is by far the best hip-hop album I have ever heard in my life. Anyone who has ever given Bizarre Ride a chance has had nothing but positive things to say. In my opinion this album is the epitome of hip-hop. This album displays all the problems of everyday people, it transcends color. The beautiful thing about this album is the fact that anyone can relate to the message conveyed in this collection of classic songs. Passin Me By is one of the most underrated hip-hop songs, and so is the Pharcyde. I recommend that anyone who loves true hip-hop give this album a chance, you won't be disappointed. I do admit, I might've outgrown some of the more younger end tracks, but I still listen to them just because of the fat beats.

Anyone who likes the hip-hop sound with a little bit of mellow atmosphere to it, then this is the album for you. A CD that truly never goes out of style. A definite buy to add to any hip-hop fan's arsenal.

The Pharcyde's 1992 debut came out during the golden era of hip hop ('87 - '96), so a lot of the stuff coming out was classic or close to it. This crew of b-boys came out of Cali with a sound that wasn't gangsta. In fact, it was quite the opposite. These cats was funny, and they could rhyme with the best of them. All of the beats were supplied by J-Swift (except "Otha Fish") who supplied The Pharcyde with a sound that was as different as they were. They each had their own distinct rhyme style too, particularly Slim Kid Tre's standout harmonic yet laid back flow. But that's not to downplay Fat Lip's nerd-like admissions that also complimented Imani and Bootie Brown to perfection. If you're just getting into Pharcyde, you should go cop this if you haven't already. It's not quite a classic, but it comes pretty close to it. It's definitely essential listening for any hip hop head.

Personal Favorites: On The D.L., Soul Flower (Remix), Ya Mama, Passing Me By, Otha Fish, Return Of The B Boy (My Favorite), & Officer

You can't beat this album, durring a time when everyone acted like a gangsta. And being harder then the next man was the idea. It was so re-freshing to hear this album. It's permenitly on my top 10 album list. It was so cool how they didn't seem to care what anybody thought about them. Being able to be goofy like this on record was a nice change of scenery (at that time) Sure, Biz Markie did it, as did a few others. But, this was a group of fools! They never take themselves too seriously, there are a few moments, where they dip into a real topic, Passing Me By is a good example. A very mellow song about love, with one of the best samples ever (Quincy Jones) But, they flipped it at the very end and added a sample of somebody burping, throwing the entire song off.
"Officer" is my favorite song, I love the beat and the lyrics are so crazy. When Phat Lip starts it out (mis)quoting a famous Chuck D line "I got a letter from the DMV, the other day... I opened and read it, it said they was suckas!" Is so classic, 10 years after I first heard it, I still smile at that one. The song has the illest story, it's funny as hell. As emcees, they shine, being as silly as they are, you have to have real skills to hold anybodies intrest. And silliness aside, they were true B-Boys, who have much ability on the mic. The lighthearted, relaxed vibe this album has is perfect when you want to get away from "the world" Mostly every track is a standout. Even the skits are good. "Quinton's on his Way" is redlicious. I have heard it probably 500 times, but it still manages to amuse me. This is a MUST OWN album, regardless of if you're 30 and remember it when it dropped, or 20 and never heard of Pharcyde (shame on you!) I have bought 3 copies, as a lot of the other reviews on here have done. And we'll all agree, it's worth it. Hell, if my copy gets lost or broke, I'll buy another, and another.

This is truely one of the great Hip-Hop gems. Outstanding production, great lyrics, off the wall topics, and nutts concepts make it classic.

If I had to pick an album that can discribe the type of personality that I have, it would be this one here, "Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde". Funny that this album dropped back in 1992 and came from Los Angeles. A time and a place where gangsta rap was beginning to get in full spin, this group provided an excellent alternative in hip hop music. I remember when I saw the video "Passing Me By" a few years ago and thought it was an awesome song. Another excellent song would be the jammin' song "Soul Flower", a party track that packs a punch. Infact this whole CD here will be garunteed to provide something for anyone to like. From laughable songs like "Oh Sh.." and "Officer" to those love songs like "Otha Fish" to old school '88 type hip hop like "Return Of The B-Boy". This CD has it all.

No CD is perfect in anyway, but I find this to come very close to perfection. This masterpiece by The Pharcyde is one of the best CDs you can have if you love hip hop. It brings back memories of back when hip hop was fun and at the same time showed off your skills on the mic ("Housing MFs like a real estate agent" - "I'm The Type Of ***** In Charge). That is exactly what this album is all about, making fun music.

I always said that the west coast can come with come of the most creative music in hip hop. This album continues to validate my statement. I heard their follow up "Labcabincalifornia" was dope as well, and I will check that out also.

Lyrics: A+
Guest Appearances: N/A
Production: A+
Musical Vibes: A+
Overall: A+

My Favorite Tracks: Oh Sh.., I'm The Type Of ***** In Charge, Soul Flower (Remix) [personal favorite], On The Down Low, Officer, Ya Mama, Passing Me By, Pack The Pipe, Return Of The B-Boy

Peace Everyone!!!!