Chapter One: Testing the Waters [EP]

Pharcyde | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 23, 2007)
• Original Release Date: March 14, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: EP
• Label: Sickbay
• ASIN: B00004L8HX
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #268,164 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #88 in Music > Indie Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > West Coast

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nicely EP, but the Pharcyde are capable of better..., March 17, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chapter One: Testing the Waters (Audio CD)

1. PAIN- The track begins with a clip from some movie or tv show I'm unfamilar with, which leads into the song. The extremely vibey, laid back beat on this track is meshes excellent with the liquidy scratching used for the hook. Lyrically, the Cyde expound on the many forms of pain one faces, and altogether sets off the EP nicely. A-

2. REINVENTED- This track has more of a boom-bap feel to it (but darker in tone than their earlier material), with little violins effects cut into it. While it's not bad, it's basically just an average song, with average lyrics to back. C+

3. MY AGENDA- This is an extra-slow "love song" of sorts, but the Pharcyde knows how to pull it off without becoming monotonous. It deals with a relationship in which the two people have different priorities. The production is extra slow on this, which might turn some people off (especially those who like Bizzare Ride's upbeat stuff the best) but I feel the track's lazy sound, which fits in with the tone of this EP. B+

4. FOR FEELING- Another vibey beat, which makes up for the fact that the lyrics are just average. Still, the beat is dope, and the Pharcyde have the skill to be charming enough on the mic that you don't care that there not saying anything new. B+

5. INTERLUDE- An interlude on an EP this short? Completely uneeded...

6. FREAKY- Once again, they do a love song of sorts (more of a sex song actually), but even with the unoriginal subject matter, this track gets over by the excellent production. The acoustic guitar creates a such a relaxed track, accompanied by the vibey sounds. The track switches up and ends with a sort clip of Runnin' over Digital Underground's "Food Fight" beat, which would've made a dope track had they included the whole thing. A

The vibey production here sounds a lot like works of The Grouch, and is laid back for the most part. Many of the beats are laced with soft guitars, laid back drum kicks and bass, with breezy sounds intertwinded. Lyrically, some might fault the Cyde for not coming that original in the subject matter category, but their vocals and flows mesh with laid back beats well enough for me to not hold that against them too strongly. It's not the kind of music which you really sit down and focus on the emcee, rather it's the type you put on just for the relaxed atmosphere it sets. People who like Labcabincalifornia will probably like this EP, while those who thought that the Pharcyde lost their humor, and energy after Bizzarre Ride will probably feel even more so after listening to these songs. The only fault I can find here is that's it's just too short. I know it's an EP, but only 5 songs?

Overall grade: B+

Sub-Categories:

Production: A-

Lyrics: B

Originality: C+

P.S.- This is the real track titles, Amazon's weren't correct.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Without FatLip They're Nohing, April 28, 2000

By 

Cas One (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chapter One: Testing the Waters (Audio CD)

This was truly a disappointment. The production on this album is lame at best and and the rhymes have no life to them. I was excited when I ordered this cd, hoping for something in the same vein as labcabin... but it wasn't. Not worth the dough. The only semi decent track is the first one , which is convenient for that one day out of the year I consider listening to it I can play it and take it out without skipping thru tracks. its tempting to to buy cuz you think maybe it's good and this guy doesn't know what he's talking about , but trust me . It's not.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pharcyde Minus One, September 20, 2000

By 

"damianferguson" (The Bay Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chapter One: Testing the Waters (Audio CD)

That should be the real title of this album. Though the three remaining members hold their own lyrically, and the in house prodution is decent, one can only wonder just how tight a full L.P. WITH fatlip would be. The first song "pain" tells the story of sucess and failure, which pharcyde knows well with label problems and in group quarrels. But the song is truly a stamp of perseverance in their struggle. We can only hope this quartet can join back together and show the hip-hop game what hip-hop is. Until then, we're stuck with an incomplete e.p. and a fatlip album with little promise.