Customer Reviews

...And The Summertime Pool Party

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

 

 

I first encountered Pigeon John when he opened up for Of Montreal in Jacksonville, Florida. In the middle of his set, I had to go to the merchandise table to pick up a couple of his albums. I was pleased to see that PJ's showmanship really carried through in this record.

This album has a lot of great energy. The hooks never get old or dull, and the lyrics successfully pull in even folks who aren't typically hip-hop fans.

Recommended for...

* Fans of fun hip-hop.
* Indie rock fans who are looking for something different.
* Someone looking for nice upbeat music to carry you through the day.

the good time party anthems, the slower introspective tracks and even some hardcore hip hop all make features here for what HAS to be Pigeon John's friggin' best album... I don't think anyone could be dissapointed in this release if they TRIED...

BUY IT!


peace,

This album is pretty simple to review, it is a LOT OF FUN! Great production with catchy songs. Buy this album and see for yourself. Also, if you every have the opportunity to see Pigeon John perform live, do yourself a favor and go see him!

I was just looking at the responses the people had say about Pigeon's newest album and I was entirely surprised to only see a few reviews. I was expecting more reviews for Pigeon John. The cd is aweosme. Just amazing. From beginning to end is non-stop great hip-hop.

The cd starts off with a nice intro "Welcome to the Show", getting you ready for the best cd you will hear. You have love songs, club/dance songs, fun songs, and even songs about John's love and confusion with God. The Summertime Pool Party ends with one of the greatest songs known to me, "Growin' Old". A wonderful song with Pigeon reminiscing about the great and innocent times of being young and chillin' with your friends.

I'm a pretty big fan of PJs but thats not to say if you have not ever herd of him you won't like him. Trust me, you don't need to have herd any other song he has done, just know by getting this album, you will have purchased one of the best albums ever. Pigeon's pool pary is the greatest. Trust me...

Its a classic, if you like nice rhymes, catchy chorus's and beautiful production, pick this up.

I've been a fan of Pigeon John for well over a decade. Back before he'd ever released material of his own, he was one of the more frequent guest MCs on albums by other west coast underground artsists. Listening to his cameos on works by artists such as Dynamic Twins, I.D.O.L. King, DJ Dove and LPG I grew to enjoy his quirky rap cadence and refreshingly optimistic outlook on life.

In 1998 he, along with partner bTwice, released the first (and thus far only) album from Brainwash Projects. Although it took some time, The Rise & Fall of Brainwash Projects became one of my favorite albums period. It follows in the vein of debuts from other west coast acts like the Pharcyde and Souls of Mischief in just being a slice of life from a couple of guys who love hip hop and girls but also take a moment every now and then to really make you think.

Pigeon John's solo work since then hasn't grabbed my attention quite as much. Pigeon John Is Clueless is less of a true album and more of a collection of solo tracks that he had recorded over a period of several years; thus it lacked true cohesion. Pigeon John Is Dating Your Sister is a much better effort but in my opinion it still does not stack up to TRAFOBP, mostly because it lacks the chemistry that can only be achieved by a couple of guys who'd been friends for 15 years.

That brings me to PIGEON JOHN AND THE SUMMERTIME POOL PARTY. At long last I have to say that PJ has achieved an accomplishment that is as good as what he did with his partner in rhyme. Pigeon John continues with his irreverent and off-beat (especially in hip hop) approach to creating music. While much of his creation has been all over the map, with PJIDYS we began to see more of the structure within the storm and that is even more true here. Or maybe Pigeon John has finally succeeded in making us all as crazy as he is. Either way, it can best be described as an organized chaos. His subject matter has not changed significantly over the years: his main topics still include chasing girls (even though he's married now) and questioning his place in the world as someone who does not neatly fit into any neatly prepackaged categories. He also continue his habit of taking the time to step away from the silliness and dedicate at least one track to his more contemplative side. On THE RISE AND FALL OF BRAINWASH PROJECTS it is "Continue (In Korean)" and on PIGEON JOHN IS DATING YOUR SISTER it is "Emily." Here, he appropriates the chorus from R.EM.'s most famous song on "As We Know It" and questions why God allows bad things to happen in the world.

When I first heard that Pigeon John was signing with Quannum I was excited. One of my favorite emcees was joining up with my favorite hip hop collective. But I also wondered how it would all fit. I wasn't sure if Pigeon John would sound at home rhyming over beats made by Chief Xcel, DJ Shadow or Lyrics Born. Well, the solution to that was simple: none of them did any production work on this piece. Chris James handles most of the beats, with one track each by DJ Rhettmatic and RJD2. He also makes room for his former LA Symphony crewmates J-Beits (production) and Sharlock Poems (intro on one track). There are only two guest emcees but they are inspired selections: J-Live and fellow "we're not quite sure where you belong" rapper Brother Ali.

This was my first PJ CD. I picked it up because I am a huge KJ-52 fan and heard PJ collaborating with him. I was excited about the CD because I love rap / Hip-hop with a strong Christian lyrical content.

Now I know you hard core PJ fans will not like my review, but I have to admit I was shocked that every review was 4 or 5 for this album. I ask that you hear out my review, and remember that this is only my opinion.

My excitement was short lived. The CD is filled with fun beat and catchy songs, I even found many of they lyrics to be interesting and clever, but not God centered. They are not uplifting and challenging in a positive way. After listening to the CD I went back and googled PJ to make sure he was classified as a "Christian" artist - I could not tell by this album!

Don't get me wrong, I am ok with fun and silly tracks, but the serious tracks need to be strong in their content.

I found the serious ones to be weird and confusing and lacking in substance.

I would NOT share this with unbelieving friends. Messages are confusing and I take issue with such a talented artist relying on questionable content (confusing messages, profanity disguised with sound effects, references to girls bottoms in their shorts, etc).

PJ puts out great beats. Clever lyrics. his songs are fun to listen to. But I want more. You can have great beats, clever lyrics and fun songs without compromising the message (or in some cases leaving it out entirely).

Anyway, I was seriously disappointed. If you are looking for songs that are God centered, relevant to the Christian faith/struggles/life in general or something that reaches out to those around you or something that celebrated the joy we have in God/others need for God or ANYTHING to do with God - look elsewhere.