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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"They say Hip-Hop is dead, I'm here to Resurrect me", September 13, 2004
Common has enjoyed a long and well praised career. Although it would be hard to say that his style hasn't changed (sometimes for better sometimes for worse), for the most part his concepts and views have not. With recent appearances it seems that Common is returning to where he began (check out Kanye's Get Em High, his spot on Chappelle's Show - Food, and Jada's remix to Why among others). But, Common's hunger and brilliance was first fully realized here.
One thing you cannot fail to mention when talking about Resurrection is NO I.D. who produces all but two tracks on the album. The tracks he made for this album are beautiful; it's always made me wonder what happened to him (although he's shown up again recently on Ghostface's Pretty Tony album). Even more mysterious is the albums other production credit goes to Ynot, who's disappearance is even more drastic (barring this album I've never herd him mentioned). Regardless the two provide a stellar backdrop for the album with their production. All the beats in general are very jazzy and sample heavy. Almost all tracks do NOT have your typical chorus (and absolutely NO R&B hooks), instead replaced by repeated relevant samples (DJ Premier style if you will).
The album opens up with the appropriately titled Resurrection accompanied by scratches proclaiming the same. Nice smooth production over a jazzy piano loop, as Common just seamlessly flows over the beat. Great opener, also a nice touch of bringing the beat back after the fade out. In general Common's ability to flow over the beats on these albums is incredible, especially when you consider he actually switches it up.
I Used to Love H.E.R. is probably the most well know song on the album. This was the first time the concept was used. After you hear the twist at the end, like a movie, you'll want to go back and see the real meaning of the song. Also started the Ice Cube beef when Cube took offense to the Boys N' the Hood reference. Makes you long for the days when songs were less one-dimensional. Has anybody ever realized that Hip-Hop has taken even more declines than at the end of the story?? Is that not scary?
Watermelon, is a laid back groove with Common just flowing ("Everybody that here me say I Jams like the NBA cause I'm on fire/Even if I was a Michelan I wouldn't tire"). Book of Life, goes for the more introspective Common as he relates to the struggles of urban life growing up. This is a great track that not should be overlooked on this album, as I often did at first. Great references and samples (Roy Ayers's "Everybody Loves the Sunshine").
The interlude into In My Own World is incredible, almost disappointing it wasn't used as a full track. Then the main beat comes in, and you tend to forget this. Jazzy xylophones accompany scratches and a nice baseline. NO I.D. raps here and actually holds his own along with Common. This is one of the album highlights, if only for the production.
Nuthin' To Do, infuses some nice sax samples including an Ol' Dirty Bastard sample. Communism has more of a vibes along as Common rips as many words with `com' in them for about a minuet.
Thisisme, follows this is one of my favorite songs on the album, mainly to the smooth groves and samples provided again by NO I.D. The chorus samples Naughty By Nature ("I love the way I am and can't nobody out here change me!") as Common proclaims himself just as he is.
Orange Pineapples, is more of a somber track has Common switching up his flow back and forth every other verse. Chapter 13 follows and is the first track on this album not produced by NO I.D. Instead it is handled by Ynot who also exchanges rhymes with Common. This is another incredible track on the album, with a good mix of meaningful lyrics and some clever punch lines, backed by excellent production.
NO I.D. returns with Maintaining, an up tempo piano looped track and subtle horns, along with a sample from `Scenario" (Tribe Called Quest). Common flows really well over the beat dropping some nice lyrics. Ynot follows this track with a slow paced low key piano loop. Another nice track and lyrics, Common makes a lot of references to other songs, people and even throws out a little jab at LL ("When I'm alone in my room sometimes I stare at the wall/ And in the back of my mind I hear.. a wack-ass rhyme!!").
Finally to close off the album is Pop's Rap (parts II & III to be followed on his next two albums). It's actually Common's father (at least I'm assuming) pulling a Gil Scott-Heron over a nice beat and some keyboards.
The final running time on the album is about 54 min, although it certainly doesn't seem this short, probably due to the fact that no time is wasted (excluding about 2 min of skit time). There's no song on here that's skippable, in fact it's the opposite. The smooth production is enough reason alone to just listen to Common's flow. Common's lyrics never stray away from intelligent wordplay or meaningful insights, making almost every moment of the album brilliant. The album also has a high reply value, it'll prolly find it's way back into your deck easily.
Bottom line: amazing production, superior lyrics that don't get old, and almost no time wasted. I seriously cannot think of any flaws that this album has, and if I'm just overlooking any there are defiantly none that would cause great problems. It's a must for classic Hip-Hop fans, you won't be disappointed by how good this album is, or how easy it is to listen to. (9/10)
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bittersweet, August 7, 2004
This album is full of memories for me, and is bittersweet; it's both one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever and one of the last. Everything in rap music, including Common's (he'll always be Common Sense to me) own efforts, have disappointed since then. In fact, as hard as I've looked, as long as I've waited, I'm pretty sure hip-hop doesn't exist anymore.
I like calling this the Greatest Hip-Hop Album Ever. It's probably not true but it doesn't matter to me; I've heard a lot of rap music but never anything so in line with true musicianship (there's something else that doesn't exist anymore...)
Anyway this fits somewhere in league with "Midnight Marauders" for musical sensibility and "Enter The Wu-Tang" for innovation and brash nonconformity. In many ways it surpasses them both.
So pick this up if you've never heard it. It's so intensely musical (thanks to No ID's once-in-a-lifetime production) it doesn't require you to like rap music at all. Common's lyrics are clever and occasionally brilliant, and his delivery top-notch. If you are a rap fan and haven't heard this, you've missed out. If you are a fan and think of this album as confusing, soft and uninspired, shame on you; this was the peak the music will never again reach.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Of The Best Hip Hop Albums Of All Time, December 3, 2003
Sometimes there are artist who virtually come from no where and releases an LP that are considered one of the best albums of a generation. In Hip Hop, Common Sense's Resurrection is that album. Common's first album, Can I Borrow A Dollar? was a solid debut showing a very charismatic MC who was still developing his style and trying to find his niche in the Hip Hop world. On Resurrection, Common reemerge as an promiment MC with lyrics that are leaps ahead of his debut.Make no mistake this is arguably the best display of lyricism in Hip Hop. All throughout the album Common uses multi-layered lyrics including evasive puns, punchlines and other literary techniques of writing that almost no Hip Hop album has been able to match thus far. Listening to this album for the past three years I am still picking up on puns that I did not catch listening the first hundred times. The prime example would be "Orangle Pineapple Juice" which probably has more wordplay than any other song I have heard. Other examples would be the title track, "Watermelon", "Communism" (where he plays with words beginning with "com") and "Sum S... I Wrote". For those thinking that this album is only filled with braggadocio rhymes, think again. Common covers a wide variety of subject matter speaking on his life, being an MC in the rap world and expresing his love for Hip Hop. Over a hard drum and bass, Common tells of the problems of moving from adolesence to becoming a young adult on "The Book Of Life". Common executes this perfectly with quotables such as "I went to school for fourteen years and my best teacher was experience". This song is one of the highlights of the album and reaches all people as they move from adolescence to adulthood. On "This Is Me", Common rhymes over a drum, bass and piano beat provide by No I.D. he track is filled with puns where Common declares that he refuses to sacrifice his integrity to sell records, defines what hardcore is and declares himself a "gangster of love" expressing a love for himself and everyone. With the spectacular lyrics and beat combined with the honesty that Common brings to the track, I think this is the best song on the album. These songs are a testament to his life at the time and reaches out to those who are experiencing the same situations. "I Used To Love H.E.R." is the most poignant song on the
album where the young MC personifies Hip Hop as a girl he
grew up with. He reminisces on his earliest memories of Hip
Hop, showing it's evolution from rappers rhyming simply because of their genuine love of the artform to the gangster rap that flooded the mainstream (no pun intended) during the early 90s for no other goal than for financial gain. He laments on lack of creativity and criticizes rappers using a gimmicks to sell records all while expressing his love for Hip Hop which he sees as an artform that is slowly dying. One of the greatest Hip Hop songs ever. No I.D.does the majority of the production on this album (Y-Not produces "Chapter 13" and "Sum S I Wrote") and although Common's lyrical prowess receives the most attention on reviews on this album, No. I.D. and Y-Not create beautiful soundscapes for Common to shine over. Using jazz based production No I.D. and Y-Not create magnificent beats such as the title track, "Nuttin' To Do" "Communism" "This Is Me" and "Chapter 13". The beats on this album are amazing in their own right. As a Hip Hop fan who lived the early part of his life in the
South Side of Chicago and now in my late teenage years growing into a young adult I have a strong connection to this album. This album has songs that reflect what my life is like right now, that express my love for Hip Hop, myself and for others. This album has creative songs concepts which includes the use of alliteration, personification and anecdotes while displaying an unprecendented style of rhyming filled with puns and punchlines. Not only Common's stellar lyrics capture you but he is extremely charismatic with sincerity that is definitely missing from Hip Hop. With Common's sophomore release he establishes himself as one of Hip Hop's greatest lyricist. I strongly recommend this album to any music listener.
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