ts: wu members solo vs wu together

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from the stuff i've heard, i prefer the solo albums to the wu-tang-clan stuff. i find 36 chambers a bit frustrating - i don't enjoy playing it from start to finish, but there are tracks i like when played on their own (particularly "bring da ruckus" and "..ain't nuthin' ta fuck with")

i think i prefer hip-hop albums that are dominated by one personality. i like the ghostface, raekwon and gza stuff i've heard, but "tical" is The One. it was pretty much everything i expected from 36 chambers - the dark ambience, the twisted humour, that off-beat delivery.

there have been wu s/d's on ilx before, but there hasn't been a thread fleshing out this particular taking of sides. so, wu: better together or apart?

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I think looking back 36 Chambers is the only one I can sit through from start to finish. Perhaps Liquid Swords too. There are too many solo Wu albums I don't like to take the solo side. I never listen to The W or Iron Flag anymore either though.

Back in the day, the solo albums were still Wu albums, you know?? When I hear the newest Raekwon or Inspectah Deck I don't get that feeling.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I vote:
36 Chambers(pure classic) &
1st Solo album of each artist

then it gets bad or spotty

― jj, Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Spotty indeed. I actually prefer them solo now. I mean, the Raekwon album sounded pretty good from what I heard. It just didn't sound like Wu-Tang. I really liked Birth Of A Prince.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"supreme clientele" bucks the only-the first-solo-albums-are-great trend.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Supreme Clientele and Bulletproof Wallets are both great. Both definitely better than Ironman.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 12 February 2004 15:58 (twenty-two years ago)

ALL IN TOGETHER NOW!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 12 February 2004 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

At this point though it seems like even if the Wu was all together again, they still wouldn't be together exactly, you know?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 12 February 2004 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

No way, Wu-Tang's about choppin' heads boy.

I mean, when was the last time you heard something like that from Method Man or Raekwon??

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 12 February 2004 16:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx rules, toy

― angel duster, Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

"Black Out" is underrated.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 12 February 2004 23:31 (twenty-two years ago)

10 posts and still no voltron joke??

― vahid (vahid), Thursday, 12 February 2004 23:34 (twenty-two years ago)

This is a really strange question. Most of the Wu-solo records feature tons of Wu Tang guest spots and most of the Wu group records feature solo spots (or near solo spots) so it's kind of strange trying to separate the two. I mean the four Wu group records are clearly some of the best stuff they've done (even if Forever is wildly uneven) and obv. they've got so many Wu-related/"solo"/affiliated records that there are bound to be some duds (and I haven't even come close to hearing half of them.) Anyway I guess for consistency I'd say those four records are better, but I'm sure there are way more than four great "solo", but not really "solo" records so make of it what you will. And there are plenty of fine Wu-solo albums after the first.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)

God, this thread reminds me of how much I fuckin love 36 Chambers...BRING THA MUTHAFUCKIN RUCKUS!

(sorry, that album always brings out the latent suburban wannabe gangsta in me).

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:27 (twenty-two years ago)

have we ever done a thread where we assembled an album out of wu-tang solo project tracks? i wonder if there's a killer album in there or if the difference in style would drag it down (obv the former, right?)

― vahid (vahid), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"36 Chambers" is my favourite all time album. It is the whole that excites me, these geniuses (genii?) bouncing off each other. The way they take turns on "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'" and step up to the mike one by one is just exhilarating, and Ghost's verse is jaw-dropping.

I like all 3 Ghost album, "Cuban Linx", "Tical" and "Return..." (don't have "Liquid Swords") but they seem kind of overlong and padded out compared to "36 Chambers".

― Nick H (Nick H), Friday, 13 February 2004 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I suppose this is a strange question - in that most wu solo albums aren't a massively different proposition sound-wise to the group records. the thing that clinches it for me is just that i find the distribution of vocal duties more pleasing over the course of a record on the solo stuff.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 13 February 2004 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

You just have to check out the primer on the wu in the wire issue 212 (www.thewire.co.uk/). I think it's by sasha frere jones, but anyway it's fantastic - made me rush out and buy loads of the solo albums (mostly from bargain bins!). Isn't the main distinction these days that the Rza isn't behind the desk on the solo albums. For the record, The W and the Ghost Dog soundtrack are my favourites. As someone said upthread, the best bits on the wu albums are often just one or two MCs, anyway. 'Hollow Bones', for example. Mind you, when all 9 take a verse each in turn (both 'Protect Ya Neck's, 'Triumph')it is awesome.

― Jamie, Friday, 13 February 2004 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Raekwon's "Only Built For Cuban Linx" and Ghostface's "Supreme Clientele" are both consistently better than any Wu record. Possibly ODB's "Return To The 36 Chambers" too.

― Russ, Friday, 13 February 2004 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I love Cuban Linx but I don't have as much fun listening to it as I do 36 Chambers or some of the others. I think Supreme Clientele would have been perfect if they'd taken a few little things off of it. But every single song thats actually a real song is perfect.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Friday, 13 February 2004 18:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Bulletproof Wallets begins with the greatest rap skit ever. Supreme Clientele is better overall mind you.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 13 February 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

But Ghost himself is in top form on Bulletproof Wallets. I think he was one of the weakest members back in the early days but he's one of the best rappers in the world now.

Speaking of solo Wu, I was listening to this tape I made a few years ago with only solo Wu tunes on it and I forgot how great U-God's "Dat's Gangsta" and "Bizarre" were. That Golden Arms Redemption album had some great ones on it.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Saturday, 14 February 2004 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I wouldn't say he's the weakest in the early days...I mean, Cuban Linx!

― djdee2005, Saturday, 14 February 2004 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

ONE of the weakest. And I really meant more like 36 Chambers. I never liked that first verse on "Bring Da Ruckus". He just wasn't even hinting at where he was going. I mean "Maxine" scares me.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Saturday, 14 February 2004 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll agree w/ that. Lets say he didn't stand out as much as say Method Man on that first LP.

― djdee2005, Saturday, 14 February 2004 20:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Most of the Wu members agree that the Wu records were a clusterfuck of disparate ideas. They were more projects than attempts at making albums, which is why Method Man will doesn't want to record with the group again. It's hard for me to even compare the two (solo vs. whole group).

― playa Hata, Saturday, 14 February 2004 20:17 (twenty-two years ago)

B-but Ghost tears the shit out of "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'"!

― Nick H (Nick H), Sunday, 15 February 2004 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

hip-hop albums as "clusterfuck of disparate ideas" -- great!

― ryan kuo (ryan kuo), Sunday, 15 February 2004 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

return to the 36 chambers is far and away the best wu album every. never heard supreme clientelle

― asfdzxc (asfdzxc), Monday, 16 February 2004 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

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