Customer Reviews

From the Corner to the Block (Dig)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you are a Galactic fan from days long gone and were hoping to find some of that same sound in this new recording, you may be disappointed. I was. I hear remnants of the old Galactic in there, but the vocals obscure what still sounds good to me. I give Galactic credit for branching out and growing. But from a old fan's perspective, if what you are looking for is something along the lines of Coolin' Off or Ruckus, you will not find it here.

This album takes more than one spin in your player in order to enjoy. Although hip hop isn't my favorite music style, I find the lyrics on this album to be mostly an annoyance - not because it is hip hop, but because it is drowning out the musicians. If you are looking for old Galactic, avoid this album. Actually, if you are looking for old Galactic, build a time machine. Galactic does not seem to be going back to their roots, but instead planting more creative seeds.

Last week in Boston I (somewhat unreasonably, don't tell my wife) splurged on a whole load of CDs when visiting Newbury Comics. One of these records is Galactic's latest album From the Corner to the Block. Having finally found the time to listen to it (don't you find it annoying that you can't load a CD on your iPod from a computer other than your primary? Guess I remember now why I'm not a big Steve "no-DRM" Jobs fan!), I wanted to share my first impressions with you.

I've talked about Galactic here in passing already, but I haven't reviewed any of their records (my favorite of which is and remains the awesome We Love 'em Tonight: Live at Tipitina's). In a way, From the Corner to the Block is both a result of the trend the band has been following lately and it's shift in audience, and a landmark release. Most of the songs feature singers from the hip-hop/urban scene, as opposed to the blues/soul vocals of resident vocalist Theryl 'Houseman' De Clouet. Since I don't know that scene, I can't tell you if these guys are famous or upstarts or considered good or bad. What I can tell you is that the combination of Galactic's legendary laid-back groove and hip hop vocals is a winner.

From the Corner to the Block rocks harder than previous Galactic releases I've heard, Stanton Moore's drumming is as sharp as ever, Ben Ellman's harmonica is a little more present than in previous releases (or maybe there's less of his sax playing) but overall, what makes this album is that marriage of groove and hip hop. One of the things I tend to dislike about most hip hop I've heard is the insistence on being backed by beatboxes and synths. Not only because I don't like them, but because they give the music a mechanical quality which is, to me, incompatible with groove.

Hip hop artists backed by musicians (as opposed to machines) like Saul Williams, Abd al-Malik here in France, Nya with Erik Truffaz or the harmonica-laden Ironie du Son from Switzerland make for a much groovier combination in my opinion. And this is what works for me here too. Boots Riley in particular has a delivery that works really well with Galactic's groove and when I saw them live in Paris he impressed me the most.

Check this out, whichever side of the fence you're from, it's well worth your while.

One of the reviewers below needs to open his mind quite a bit, it seems... for to dismiss Galactic's most recent effort as simply a "rap" album is to do the band a great disservice. This isn't "rap", but hip-hop in the most classic sense of the word. I've always felt that Galactic's dynamic grooves would be complimented by talented MCs, and the group has selected some of the finest in underground hip-hop to collaborate with. Lyrics Born, Ohmega Watts, and Lateef (among others) bring their A-game to the table, and the result is an explosive funk/rock/hip-hop fusion that hasn't been seen since the heyday of The Roots. My only (tiny) issue here is that the instrumentals are too short (some only amount to skits), and the album could have been rounded out nicely by their expansion, or perhaps by the inclusion of more of the ensemble's signature songs, like "Tuff Love". Five stars to Galactic for bringing some class back to hip-hop, and also for rising above their oft-perceived status as a mere jam band... they are clearly so much more than that.

Galatic is able to have new sounds, but keep the old groove. They still remain the masters of funk. This album will not disappoint, and for those of you who are new to Galatic...BUY IT!

It's been close to 5 years since Ruckus was released. That album was quite different than Galactic's previous album,We Love 'Em Tonight (Live at Tipitina's) and so it required some adjustment to one's conceptions of this fascinating group. Galactic is, if anything, always about moving forward. Whether forward is something a Galactic fan is happy about is another story. I'll start with why I gave this album a "4" instead of a "5". Two songs, "Hustle Up" and "Squarebiz", after 6 listenings still do not appeal to me. Replace these 2 with 2 pure instrumentals or two songs with Chali 2na (who raps on "Think Back"), and this album would be a "5", for sure.
As usual, the instrumentals, whether alone or on the selections Galcatic collaborated on with the 10 rappers, are superb. Stanton Moore, on drums, is energetic and is humorous in his usual manner. Jeff Raines, an underrated musician, makes his guitar quips stand out. Ben Ellman is thoroughly enjoying himself as he's blowing his brains out. For those not familiar with Galactic, I'd suggestCoolin' Off as the starting off place. For Galactic fans out there? You may have to give this a few listens and exercise an open mind. You will be rewarded handsomely. It's a particularly great CD to play in your car. Yes, this is still Galactic. They're simply expanding their galaxy.
Stand outs: "Think Back", "The Corner", "From the Corner to the Block", "Tuff Love"

With each subsequent release, Galatic gets there mastering guy to make the album louder and louder. Which means there is more dynamic compression, more clipping, more brickwalling, more distortion, less nuance, less power (because everything is the same volume there can be no loud, only one volume), and less enjoyment. They are trying to compete with bands like Metallica and the latest offering from Miley Cyrus in terms of how loud they want their disks to be. This is catastrophic for those who care about sound quality. I hope they get back to more sane mastering in their follow ups, as fans of their music care about sound quality.

PS if you don't know what I'm talking about, go to wikipedia and look up 'loudness war'

Good album with some good guest appearances, it`s nothing close to what you would get out of a band like The Roots though.

That New Orleans funk Galactic is known for is still there, they have merely added a hip hop spin to it. Nevertheless, the album is a great buy and anyone who is a true fan will appreciate their new-er sound. Any Atlanta natives be sure to check out them out on February 12 as they tear up Variety Playhouse!

Overall I think this is new innovative way for Galactic to come up with a different sound. They still have a track or two where they just jam but, as a fan of hip hop, it is definitely cool to see how they can intertwine the two genres to create a unique and funky sound. Each track gives the listener a different perspective. A fun and entertaining CD for sure.