Customer Reviews

Third Hand

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I COULDN'T WAIT for this album to come out. I mean, I stake my musical reputation on "Deadringer" and "Since We Last Spoke." Customers saw me giggling like a little girl as I dashed out of the music store to my car, frantically tearing at the shrinkwrap on the album (which was surprisingly easy to get off, I might add). I slid the disc in and took off on some errands.

However, instead of ripping through traffic headbanging to jams like "Exotic Talk," I ended up ripping through traffic angrily bashing my radio with my fist, wondering why my disc changer decided to play one of my girlfriend's whiny-voice pop CDs instead of my beloved RJ.

Then it hit me. I recalled the transition: the sweet, sweet Deadringer to the kickass SWLS. But wait - I had forgotten the oft-skipped tracks on the latter, with the mediocre lyrics and toned-down instrumentals. I had also pushed out of my mind RJ's departure from Def Jux, suggesting a more mainstream, poppy musical path.

What was once progressive hip-hop's best has turned into poor man's Beck. It would be as if Buckethead suddenly fancied himself a lyricist, took off his mask, and started crooning on stage. Don't get me wrong, the music is OK, and flows pretty well, and I know some will argue that it demonstrates progression and maturity of an artist, but I was hoping to ride the dream for at least one more album. I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS!

Well, I feel bad about recommending this one to the kid at Best Buy who asked about it when I checked out.

Sitting at home, reading the ads on a Sunday afternoon, and saw a little blurb about this disc. Available now! Once I got over the "hey, rjd2 is getting some recognition from the big retailers!" thought, I realized I had to buy it immediately, and going strictly on what I knew and loved from his past work, didn't even bother to read any reviews or visit good old amazon.
If only I'd known what awaited.
Now, I'll start by saying that it isn't absolutely terrible. There are those moments on this disk that are decent, and point towards something good. The problem I have is this; it doesn't sound at all like anything I was hoping to hear. I'm basically running to my car, excited to blast down the road thumping and nodding my head through traffic on a surprisingly nice March day, and instead I've got some strange vocals, nothing hitting the foot-tapping region of my brain... I'm stumped.
I skip the track. Same thing. Skip again--and the same again. Take out the disk. Matches the case. Check the case; you can see where this was going.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I put Atmosphere back in and continue on my way, dissapointed with my purchase and one of my favorite artists.

Long story short, I should have learned from Shadow latest release; check the reviews, hear it once, and don't always assume that just because you love the artist that they won't let you down with the... direction, shall we say, they choose to take their music in. I can't recommend this disc to fans of the man's beats, and now I'm probably not going to make as much of a point to see his show when he comes to town this May since he's probably going to be supporting this disc and playing the songs off of it. A shame.

In lieu of reading some of these devastating reviews, I figured I should give my testimony to The Third Hand. I just bought The Colossus and have listened to Rj since Deadringer. Deadringer is one of my top favorite albums, no doubt. The Third Hand I received a little over a year ago and I listen to it constantly... its still in my car. How strange is that? I got it, was like "this is something else..." waited for an MC to appear and got nothing. It took me weeks to warm up to it, but now I can't go with out it. How I see it is, an artist can only go so far with samples. RjD2 is not a 2-bit producer. He is obviously an artist, and artists follow their inspiration. F-ing samples are for anyone who likes jigsaw puzzles. They're amazing, and I'm sure some artists are satisfied sticking with sampling their whole careers. Rj among many other artists is not a puppet to a GENRE, he fluctuates and changes- anything that doesn't isn't real. I'm gonna reference some artists that have done the same thing and lost fans of a genre by changing- Neurosis, Clutch, Amon Tobin, Miles Davis, Coltrane, Isis, Nine Inch Nails, Sage Francis, Tom Waits etc etc etc even Picasso and Pollock!! These people are timeless and commendable for their commitment to their heart and passion. Still, Coltrane didn't give up the Sax and start slapping the bass- and Rj is still rocking samples when he feels it(check The Colossus).

This music is good! If its not your style thats cool, no need to harp on an artist for doing what he does. This album gets a 3 star rating because Rj's fan base is mostly 1-dimensional, and he put out an album in another dimension- no disrespect to the fans, I'm just saying if fans of this type of music knew Rj maybe it would get a higher rating. All I can say is, I got the album, it wasn't what I expected, and it became something I listened to far beyond Deadringer. Give it a shot, especially if you dig this artist.

I didnt read one single review or hear anybody comment on this album before buying it. I simply saw the amazing video for Work it Out and went straight to the record store. What can I say? This album gets better and better after every listen. Simply put, its a remarkable achievement. I discovered RJD2 on dead ringer which I thought was a good album. I checked for Since We Last Spoke but wasnt feeling it at all. Tried many times but it fell flat for me. Its really nice to see an artist come back and put such a brilliant piece of work together. Im not quite sure why so many are having a hard time with this album. Its a pretty easy listen and I would think most people could find something in this. I guess the anticipation for something different must be preventing people for taking this for what it is, independantly of who it is by.

I was wondering who was singing on this... Had no idea that was RJD2. Knowing this doesnt make the music better but it does make the album such a better artistic accomplishment.

Well, I feel bad about recommending this one to the kid at Best Buy who asked about it when I checked out.

Sitting at home, reading the ads on a Sunday afternoon, and saw a little blurb about this disc. Available now! Once I got over the "hey, rjd2 is getting some recognition from the big retailers!" thought, I realized I had to buy it immediately, and going strictly on what I knew and loved from his past work, didn't even bother to read any reviews or visit good old amazon.
Oh, if only I'd known what awaited.
Now, I'll start by saying that it isn't absolutely terrible. There are those moments on this disk that are decent, and point towards something good. The problem I have is this; it doesn't sound at all like anything I was hoping to hear. Like another reviewer I'm running to my car, excited to blast down the road thumping and nodding my head through traffic on a surprisingly nice March day, and instead I've got some strange vocals, nothing hitting the foot-tapping region of my brain... I'm stumped.
I skip the track. Same thing. Skip again... and the same again. Take out the disk. Matches the case. Check the case; you can see where this was going.
Shake head in disbelief, put Atmosphere back in and continue on my way, dissapointed with my purchase and one of my favorite artists.

Long story short, I should have learned from Shadow; check the reviews, hear it once, and don't always assume that just because you love the artist that they won't let you down with the... direction, shall we say, they choose to take their music in. I can't recommend this disc to fans of the man's beats, and now I'm probably not going to make as much of a point to see his show when he comes to town this may since he's probably going to be supporting this disc and playing the songs off of it. A shame.

Like many others, I was a bit shocked and slightly disappointed by what I found on this disc. However, I can't say it's terribly surprising that Rjd2 would do something like this.

After spending some time with it, a handful of tracks really began to stand out - fully half of which are instrumentals. The vocal tracks among them are "Have Mercy", "Reality", and "Work It Out". After listening to this rotation, I'm left with the impression that this really isn't such a departure from the Rjd2 I'd come to know and enjoy.

While the lyrics on this album don't generally strike me as particularly inspired (okay, in some cases even rather vapid and banal) , some of the vocals do have a pleasantly infectious quality. Still, I can't help but think that it would have been a nice touch to include a second disc with instrumental versions and a couple remixes (I'm thinking of Rob Dougan's Furious Angles, here). And now that he's shown he CAN do a one-man pop-style album, I hope Rjd2 will realize that he SHOULD be complementing his real talents by collaborating with similarly adept vocalists and lyricists.

"F*ck hip hop". Blueprint might have spit that line on RJD2's debut album for Def Jux, but obviously Ronnie James Dio feels the same way. On "The Third Hand", RJD2 throws the strict rules of hip-hop out the window and just creates some amazing music. The lines between sample and live are so blurred that the method of creation becomes inconsequential-- it's almost as if RJ is trying to create the music he loves to sample-- 70's inspired soulful rock with a funky backbeat. (Maybe this is the stuff future DJs will be sampling?) Either way, I'm sure this album is not pleasing those with narrow perspectives and conservative views on artistic experimentation. For those that love genre bending and blending-- this is right in the sweet spot.

Why is it that RJD2 and DJ Shadow insist on straying away from the formula? Im all for creative outlets but build on that foundation and keep the party going in each of your individual ways. Im on my second listen of the "Third Hand" and im not feeling it, very sleepy and for christ sake RJ sounds like Sting.

Bring back Blue Print and find someone who can sing with your beats.

I was looking forward to this album, what a disappointment. The lyrics are terrible, the vocals are awful (yes he sings on nearly every song) and the instrumentals are just mediocre. If you liked the last two albums you'll hate this. I know artists should evolve but why change a winning formula completely. Listen at your peril.

The Third Hand is a must have for all RJD2 fans. Rj transcends all music genres with his electric guitar as the master tool. He composes every single pieces of the album. From the clever and startling rhymes, to the beautiful and epic melodies passing by the rhythmic and powerful drum patterns; RJD2 has it so damn good. If you are a true RJD2 fan, you will disregard the negative reviews from the ungrateful close minded hip hop slaves (I'm NOT dissing hip-hop, just those who disregard all other music types). This work is a definitive turn from Deadringer, but in the opinion of a true fan, it's the most perfect turn RJD2 could've taken. This is the best album RJ's produced, arguably the best album of the year and one of the best of all time. Get it.