Wu-Tang Forever

by

Wu-Tang Clan

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I just want to let you ALL know, Wu-tang clan has never " fallen off"? What you are calling " Falling" is simply the Wu-tang style metamorphasis. Let me break it down for all yall... If you have been a Wu fan for a while you will reconize what im talking about.. but heeeeeeeeeeeeere we gooooooo....

Their first style- probably the most trademark, The Kung-fu sampled, dark/ chamber style beats introduced by the infamous Rza. There are many examples of this - Enter the Wu, Cuban Linx, umm Liquid Swords, Pillage ( yuck).. anyway- this seems to be the most popular, and definetly was reconizable. The rugged beats with dark lyrics seemed to have faded away...

2nd style - THIS album - kind of their inbetween, its very weird, i can't really have a grasp on the sound they were going for on this album, we really caught them in the midst of experimentation - you can tell by such songs as, Older godz, Triumph ( kinda), MGM, Cash rules, Projectz especially, they were slightly leaning toward glamour and MGM type apollo sounds ; lyrics werent rugged, more of a ghetto pride, superior black supremist who obtains the glitter and glamour of money and respect --- SIDE NOTE: if you want to see the final result of this style, check out Ghostface killah - supreme clientele ( wow, great album- good job ghost)

3rd style ( cuz i only got 1,000 words)

now i like this the best, RZA did more experimenting with Soul, mo-town samples, with that classic Wu-sound mixed in... kind of hard to explain but you can see examples with " Hollow Bones" off " the W" and RZA - " Be a man" he kind of slowed down the beats, and made the lyrics more rugged like the first style, but it sounded tight mixed in with the samples.

Bottom line - What would you have rather seen Wu do, Experiment with their style, change it up a little, possibly break up into numerous solo projects and develope individual sounds....

OR simply sell out to the ice shattered, female degrading, mainstream pop that has now taken the name Rap??

This album was pretty good; it didn't seem to me that they were falling off at all. But I do know why this album was kinda considered as a sophomore-jinxed album. First, it's very hard to top 36 Chambers, as it was their breakthrough album. So once you broke through, what more is there to do? Either keep doing you or experiment with some different sounds, which is what RZA was doing with more soulful samples and singers like Tekitha (remember her?). Fans expected more of the kung-fu samples to dominate the album. Second, can someone say the word, "OVERKILL"? I don't care how much of a Wu fanatic you are, there are nine members in the group, plus CappaDonna and their other Wu extended family like Poppa Wu, all on over two hours of material. It's too much of a good thing, like having Burger King for seven days straight. Last, only Disc 2 is the most memorable with songs like "Triumph", "Heaterz" and "M.G.M.". Disc 1 is okay, not wack, but okay. To tell you the truth, I only played this album for much of 1997, but when newer albums came out, this one got lost in the shuffle.