Phrenology [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

The Roots

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 26, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B00007B9DP
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,032 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Phrentrow

2. Rock You

3. Sacrifice (feat. Nelly Furtado)

4. Rolling With Heat (feat. Talib Kweli)

5. WAOK Roll Call

6. Thought At Work

7. The Seed 2.0 (feat. Cody Chestnutt)

8. Break You Off (feat. Musiq)

9. Water

10. Quills

11. Pussy Galore

12. Complexity (feat. Jill Scott)

13. Something In The Way Of Things [In Town] (feat. Amiri Baraka)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If you were wondering what the heck phrenology means, the Roots wouldn't have it any other way. Hip-hop's hardest-working live band continues where they left off with Things Fall Apart, forcing listeners to think outside of the Hot 97 FM box--or just plain think. On "Thought at Work," lead emcee Black Thought--the most criminally underrated wordsmith of his time--weaves captivating flows over a neck-snapping break beat, while on "Water" he boldly addresses the controversy surrounding his partner-in-rhyme Malik B's alleged substance abuse. While collaborations with Nelly Furtado ("Sacrifice") and Talib Kweli ("Rhymes and Ammo") read much better on paper than they sound, the catchy, up-tempo call-and-response routine utilized by the crew on the latter song will amp up Roots nonbelievers. As a bonus, Jill Scott's dreamy falsetto refrain hammers home some finer points about love on "Complexity." --Dalton Higgins

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1 of 2 5 star hip hop albums I own, February 28, 2004

By	roastbeefalo "roastbeefalo" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews

This is in my opinion the best Roots album I own, and I have all of them except the live cd (by the way, you got to see these guys live- seeing ?uestlove on the drums is amazing). Each of their other albums gets 4/5 stars from me. I love good hip hop (Roots, Blackalicious, Common, GangStarr, Mos Def, Jurassic 5 etc) but I am almost always disappointed with the albums. They are either repetitive, use intro/outro/midtros that ruin the flow of the album or are cool for one listen, or they are not solid throughout. This album has none of those traits, and that is why I give it 5 stars. They do use an intro and a midtro, but it flows with the album. They mix up the songs and the beats like on all their albums, and do not get repetitive (be warned: in order to not get repetitive they include some rock songs and even a head banging song). And every song is at least 4/5 in my book. I highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys hip hop, and to anyone who enjoys good music. These guys are really impressive; get all their albums to see what I am talking about.
If you like this try Common "Like Water For Chocolate" Mr. Lif "Emergency Rations" Mos Def/Talib Kweli "Black Star"& Blackalicious "Blazing Arrow" (which is the other 5 star album I own).

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once Again, May 22, 2003

By	M Darrow "therekloose" (everywhere at once) - See all my reviews

Here's the deal... I lament for the good ol' days just as much as the next man. Some times I'll pass by some kids who'll be bumpin some of the recent [garbage] and it saddens me to think that they don't know what they've missed. But I also know that a good deal of the problem is actually me. We can't replace the times that were - be it the sights, sounds, tastes or loves and that's not only a fact but it's a good thing. Something living on in memory is part of human experience and you can't convince me that our lives wouldn't be a little diminished if what was was for all time (if you can follow that). There's no way I could enjoy this album as much as "Do You Want More?" and I'm glad for it. But the fact of the matter is, this is a high quality set. There isn't any unlistenable music here. Yes... the shout out track and the noise at the end of Water are worth little more than the light aerobic exercise you'll get moving for the 'skip forward' button. And yes... I too was put off a bit by the relentless r&b vibe of Break You Off (though I've come to enjoy the song on it's on merits). Yes, the...er, 'cat' word is said a few too many times on track 11 (though isn't that kind of the point). And yes, any child could come up with a better refrain than shouting "We will rock you!" Nonetheless, all that "The Roots have changed and I don't like it" jazz needs to stop. I too have noticed that there's been a great decrease in the number of MCs that appear but the argument (made a couple here) that Black Thought can not carry the lyrical side of things by himself is baseless and perplexing. I've long thought that the man was underrated but after giving this a couple of twirls I've come to the conclusion that he's just one of the greatest to ever hold a mic. It is his verbal dexterity that makes the... shall we say... more poppy numbers like Break You Off, Sacrafice, Complexity more than bearable for fans of the pure element. Despite my disdain for Nelly Furtado, Sacrafice is a very solid joint especially due to the lead in, though it's chorus has a tedious old negro spiritual thing going on. The album is pretty much listenable straight through from track 6 to the end despite the inevitable bypass of the end of Water (I've given it a couple of listens out of respect for the artist - trust me, it's not worth it). For me Water and Complexity are standouts (along with The Seed though it has too little rap, too much for my taste), the former being the best reminder of The Roots older stuff. Something in the The way of Things is definately the best poem reading to close out a roots lp (again - my opinion). The bonus tracks really aren't too bad either though, I've still barely listened to Something to See. If you love the past more than music, good for you... at least you've got something but this is definately a gem amongst recent albums of any genre.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music For Your Ears, March 2, 2003

By	Flub Tinsdale (Queens NY) - See all my reviews

I've been a roots fan for 10 years now and everytime they come out woth a new project, they surprise the hell outta me!! It's amazing what hip hop can do (don't you agree?) Now they come with Phrenology. For those who don't know what "Phrenology" means, its the sturcture of a particular human beings brain and what its made of. The Roots brilliantly describe this very well with this album due to the various personalities they bring to this album. In order to grasp this comcept, you must first have an opened mind. There are moments in this album that are undescribable but understanding. Some of the music on this album can disturb you mentally, such as the teary-eyed ending of "Break U Off", the happy-go-lucky sound of "Sacrifice" (which was originally conceived by keyboardist Kamal's daughter), and the 3 part intoxicating journey of "Water". The Roots know how to get their point across when it come to making music. I just wish rest of hip hop can do the same!!!