California [Explicit Lyrics]

PC Munoz and the Amen Corner, P.C. Muñoz | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 25, 2004)
• Original Release Date: May 25, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Beevine Records
• ASIN: B00028CHJC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #832,511 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Songwriter pc muñoz began making a buzz in the Bay Area in the early 90s, with Giant Step, an electronics-driven rap project. In the mid-90s, pc veered away from rapping with his new project, Watercolor, and began using a unique, speak-sing style over his funk beats, causing critics to call him a "cross between Leonard Cohen and Prince." During this time, muñoz spent his days teaching elementary school in the Bayview-Hunter’s Point district of San Francisco, and his nights working as a drummer, playing R&B, jazz, calypso, string-based goth, and gospel, including an exciting position for gospel legend Dorothy Morrison (original singer of "Oh Happy Day").

In 1998, pc released his debut CD, "the trouble i’d bring you"(on Beevine Records), a dark, minimalist-art-funk collection which was praised by critics, garnered college radio airplay on both coasts, and caught the attention of plenty of folks in the avant-garde/new music scene, including composer John Zorn and former Swans member Jarboe. In 2000, pc assembled the amen corner, a tight, improvisational group, which can lock into a monstrous funk groove at one moment, and at the next moment break wide open for sonic experimentation. In 2001, as the group continued to pack San Francisco clubs with their unique, gospel-fueled live shows (characterized by shouts of "Amen!" by audience members and pc’s mid-song monologues, or "sermons"), Beevine released "two", a CD single featuring two of the group’s hottest live tracks.

In 2002, pc muñoz and the amen corner unleashed "a good deed in a weary world", a 10-cut song cycle (again on Beevine Records) which captured the deep funk of the group’s stage shows, as well as the electro-quirkiness of pc’s earlier experimental work on "the trouble i’d bring you". Thanks to critical praise from every corner of the media, and college radio support from across the US and Canada, "a good deed in a weary world" entered the CMJ hip-hop charts at #35, and the Earshot (Canada) hip-hop charts at #20 in 2003. The success of "a good deed in a weary world" set the stage for this extraordinary new CD, "california."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone needs a little California in their lives, July 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: California (Audio CD)

This is an awesome album! A rare combination of jams with lyrics to match! The professionalism of the musicians is heard by the expertise that they display on many different instruments, some of which are unique to listeners. The guest artists pack a punch and push the album to a new level.

I listened to the music and the lyrics the first time through the whole album. The second time I listened to the lyrics. The third time I listened to the individual musicians. Obviously, you will always be entertained by this album!

The songs vary from dance hits that reel you in to moving, emotional ballads that force you to look inward. This album is about much more than adolescent love, sex, money or any overly exposed theme. If you are looking for great music exploring complex themes through concise, emotionally-charged language, you have to have this.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT!, July 12, 2004

By 

W.D. Sniffen (Rego Park, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: California (Audio CD)

I don't buy much new music these days. It's hard to get into a lot of the current "popular" artists. PC Munoz and the Amen Corner are the remedy for the tiresome trash on the airwaves. I own all three of their releases, and the musicianship and style only gets better each time. PC Munoz is truly unique. Smart lyrics and cool licks. I liken this album and the group's direction to Outkast's more recent "Stankonia" and "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below". But the correlation here is not in style. While some artists try different stuff just for the sake of being different, PC Munoz -- like Outkast -- explore musical boundaries in order to grow as artists, and we're aurally the better for it. "California" is a great title track, as well as the underground funkiness of "Brunching Britney and the Homeboy". I LOVE their country-stylings on the hilarious "She Gave Me a Bit of Heaven" and the touching/haunting "The Passing of Time". Did I mention that luminaries like Jackson Browne and Dr. Fink have contributed the the album? Like me, they know a good thing when they hear it. You will, too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars inspiring, July 7, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: California (Audio CD)

Yeah, this album is packed with good tracks. The album opens strongly with "CALIFORNIA", it's a folk rock type of song which soars....for me "I didn't steal Anything" is another stand out track. The music is funky , yet has a rock hard edge to it, and the lyrics are very thought provoking. "Clean " ought to be played by radios across the country, HELLO RADIO PROGRAMMERS pull your heads out of the dark hole and listen to this album! finally a top 40 hit without prefab music. My favorite track is "Fight Me' This song is original both musically and stylistically it breaks new ground--the lyrics artculate that which many individuals don't have the awareness to express. This album ends BRILLIANTLY with "The passing of TIme" This track is a classic, and will be just as good 25 years from now, it's that timeless . A great album, it's nice to know that there is some real talent with great vision coming up !