14 votes

~music Listening Club 3 - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Week three, everyone! Last week's obscure record pick went well, and here we are with another classic record discussion: Wu-Tang Clan's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)!

Here's the place to discuss your thoughts on the record, your history with it or the artist, and basically talk about whatever you want to that goes along with 36 Chambers. Remember that this is intended to be a slow moving thing, feel free to take your time and comment at any point in the week!

If you'd like to stream or buy the album, it can be found on most platforms here.

Don't forget to nominate and vote for next week's obscure record in response to this comment!

14 comments

  1. [2]
    TheJorro
    (edited )
    Link
    My oh my, this is the first hip hop album I can say I really enjoyed and could get into. And, embarrassingly, that was only a few years ago—I'm usually more of a rock person but my poetry studies...

    My oh my, this is the first hip hop album I can say I really enjoyed and could get into. And, embarrassingly, that was only a few years ago—I'm usually more of a rock person but my poetry studies had me craving heavy lyricism. Outside of a few Eminem songs that weren't of his usual shock oeuvre (like Lose Yourself, The Way I Am, Mosh), and Rage Against the Machine, I didn't know enough about rap or hip hop to find anything that scratched the itch.

    I remember the first time I decided to finally check out Wu-Tang, I loaded up Protect Ya Neck on YouTube and watched that over and over. Not because I was really into it, I just wanted to see if I could figure it out. Understanding what's being said in rap and hip hop is not that easy if you're not used to it! Not to mention that this song was made by nine different guys I don't know anything about yelling some crazy things too.

    But eventually you get accustomed to not only hearing the lyrics, but then picking out who is saying those. And with nine of them all active, you can suddenly get a direct comparison of all these different styles at once. It really is something to behold, as you start learning to pick out GZA's imagery, RZA's timbre and staccato delivery, Method Man's effortless and seemingly infinitely various flows, Ghostface's stories, and whatever the hell ODB does.

    Going through the album after that was one hell of a journey. It's such a wild blend of things that is just so much fun. Everything is just so cartoonish and high energy that you can't help but bump along to it, all the way through. Every single track has such unique and wonderful moments, from some cleverly bouncy line rhythms, to some wild and hilarious and imagery, to even a lot of very clever wordplay. The juxtaposition of NYC slums with various Chinese and Japanese (mostly kung fu) themes and settings is just so iconically unique and compelling too. Sometimes I wonder if the black/Asian subculture (like Lupe Fiasco is a proud member of, and that Huey from Boondocks was based on) all stemmed from these guys. I'm not old enough to know if it predated them but they certainly seem like the biggest proponents of it.

    I think everyone has seen this article on largest rap vocabularies at some point. Most of the Clan is near the top (with GZA in second place). This isn't really a measure of quality but it does speak to how much there really is to the Wu-Tang Clan's lyrics. These guys weren't just out there making mindless bangers, they had something to say for a while and had all sorts of skills to do it. Not to knock mindless bangers but remember, I was a rock guy looking for heavy lyricism—I didn't want rap just to groove to. There's plenty of that on the radio.

    And RZA's production at that time was just something else entirely. 90's rap has such a commonplace sound but Wu records always stand out to my ears with that lo-fi production that used some real far out samples.

    It's just a real shame that nothing they did as a full Clan ever matched this album. Even though they had great stuff spread out across their discography, none of their other albums came close to what 36 Chambers is. Solo efforts were more promising at least, with Liquid Swords being my personal favourite Wu family album.

    8 votes
    1. Whom
      Link Parent
      This comment put a huge smile on my face. I got into Wu Tang a little further into my journey when I originally got into hip hop, but I think you make a really good point about them being a great...

      This comment put a huge smile on my face. I got into Wu Tang a little further into my journey when I originally got into hip hop, but I think you make a really good point about them being a great entry point for training yourself to appreciate hip hop.

      I've found that they grow really well with you, as you learn and appreciate more, too. I think that's a big part of what the group dynamic having so many different facets really brings to the table. When I first got into them, it was all about Meth, Inspectah Deck, and GZA. I feel like as my taste has matured, though, RZA's production and Ghostface's stream of conscious (and on here, explosive) rapping stand out way more than anything else. It seems that anything you come to love in hip hop will be mirrored somewhere in the Clan, and you'll appreciate them in a new way.

      3 votes
  2. [6]
    tomf
    (edited )
    Link
    36 Chambers is in my top three favorite albums and one of the few albums I picked up on the day it was released. That time for the Wu, when it was under the dictatorship of the RZA, was basically...

    36 Chambers is in my top three favorite albums and one of the few albums I picked up on the day it was released.

    That time for the Wu, when it was under the dictatorship of the RZA, was basically perfect. Everything that came out around that time has proved to be iconic, and I listen to those albums on regular rotation. To date, no album has ever come close to showcasing several lyrical styles all at once. Radio-friendly tracks like Protect Yo Neck are basically a primer for hip hop of its day. Choose the verses you like and you can easily find a plethora of records to suit your taste.

    Its a shame that 36 Chambers hasn't been properly remastered. Overall, the album is fairly quiet compared to other albums. The best release is still the reissue vinyl. That being said, this project is in the works for the 25th Anniversary. this is wrong and sad.

    As a side note, its definitely worth watching Ninja Checkmate / The Mystery of Chessboxing / Shuang ma lian huan if you're into fun kung fu movies. The final scene is, in context, one of my favorites of all-time. I'm fuzzy on the details, but I believe this movie was played in a theatre non-stop on Staten Island and was consistently sold out each night.

    DOUBLE HORSE

    4 votes
    1. [5]
      Cleb
      Link Parent
      As much as I appreciate this album and love a lot of it, I have to agree with your statement about how quiet it is. I think this is something keeping me from appreciating it as much as I think I...

      As much as I appreciate this album and love a lot of it, I have to agree with your statement about how quiet it is. I think this is something keeping me from appreciating it as much as I think I could, I feel like just turning up my volume on it doesn't properly make up for how subdued a lot of it feels. Still really good, I just wish it would get a bit of a remaster as well.

      3 votes
      1. tomf
        Link Parent
        right! its sooooo quiet. Its sad because the Wu just doesn't seem to remaster their older albums, even though there is a huge market for it. I heard a while ago about a remastering, but it turns...

        right! its sooooo quiet. Its sad because the Wu just doesn't seem to remaster their older albums, even though there is a huge market for it.

        I heard a while ago about a remastering, but it turns out to be a remake with different MCs... as if anybody wants that.

        I'm not certain, but I think that Wu-Wear was the first major non-RZA decision.. and everything has been downhill since. Cuban Linx, Ironman, Tical, Liquid Swords, Return to the 36 Chambers, and even Six Feet Deep are all perfect records in their own right... and they'd all benefit from a remastering.

        2 votes
      2. treed
        Link Parent
        For me it's not even that it's quiet, but more that parts of it are weirdly indistinct and others aren't. The finger snapping on the first track is super distracting to me. I enjoy the rhymes and...

        For me it's not even that it's quiet, but more that parts of it are weirdly indistinct and others aren't. The finger snapping on the first track is super distracting to me.

        I enjoy the rhymes and delivery, but the production is rough enough that I have a hard time just enjoying the album.

        2 votes
      3. [2]
        tildez
        Link Parent
        Could this have something to do with the album actually having decent dynamic range? http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/75852 Compare that to nearly any modern pop music, Kanye's albums for...

        Could this have something to do with the album actually having decent dynamic range?

        http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/75852

        Compare that to nearly any modern pop music, Kanye's albums for example which are all brickwalled to death.

        http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=kanye&album=

        I'd bet that our ears are so used to every track screaming at us the entire time that when an album has some dynamics it feels subdued.

        1 vote
        1. Whom
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          I know the person you're replying to and I think they have a good idea of what's up with the loudness war shit, given how much she whines to me about Rick Rubin, lmao. Not to say that makes their...

          I know the person you're replying to and I think they have a good idea of what's up with the loudness war shit, given how much she whines to me about Rick Rubin, lmao. Not to say that makes their ears pure and untouched, but I don't think that's what they're getting at.

          I think what they're describing is also what makes it so grimy and shit to people who like it. Put simply, it's mixed weirdly and things stand out that you wouldn't expect to, while things that you think should be in the forefront are weirdly subdued. This definitely can come off as quiet if the part you're trying to focus on drops to being relatively quiet.

          I don't think it's a problem because once you're really familiar with the album, you can go with what it puts to the forefront rather than what you expect as an outsider. At least, a lot of people can.

          2 votes
  3. [3]
    Whom
    Link
    Please reply to this comment with all nominations for Week 4 of the listening club then vote on submissions you would like to see chosen. Votes and nominations will still count until minutes...

    Please reply to this comment with all nominations for Week 4 of the listening club then vote on submissions you would like to see chosen. Votes and nominations will still count until minutes before the fourth week's thread is posted.

    Feel free to "sell" your nominated record in your comment. By the nature of obscure nominations, there probably won't be many others who are familiar with what you mention. Tell us why you think we should hear it, if you'd like! If your record is picked, this will be included in the OP of the next listening club.

    Please make sure your record includes a freely available stream or download. Probably your best bet is asking yourself "is this on Spotify or YouTube?" Other platforms work too, but I doubt too many winning nominations would be DatPiff exclusives.

    Remember: Your record should not be certified Gold or higher by the RIAA. Here you can check the certification status of your nomination, if you're unsure.

    3 votes
    1. deciduous
      Link Parent
      I will again nominate Weather Systems by Anathema. Weather Systems is an interesting album to me because it is both immediately catchy, but also very dense. It was specifically created to be an...

      I will again nominate Weather Systems by Anathema.

      Weather Systems is an interesting album to me because it is both immediately catchy, but also very dense. It was specifically created to be an emotional experience that required engagement by the listener and bot does it deliver on that front. Each song flows well into the next and has a different a unique emotional resonance. "Lightning Song" is intense in a way few other songs are and "The Beginning and the End" is one of my favorite tracks ever for its fantastic piano riff that carries throughout the song. If you're at all into post or prog rock, this album is perfect for you.

      4 votes
    2. Cleb
      Link Parent
      I'm gonna go ahead and put up Cornelius - Fantasma It's not the most unknown thing in the world but it's a cornerstone shibuya-kei record. Feels exactly like walking through a marketplace and...

      I'm gonna go ahead and put up Cornelius - Fantasma

      It's not the most unknown thing in the world but it's a cornerstone shibuya-kei record. Feels exactly like walking through a marketplace and being taken on a really nostalgic trip to things from 10-20 years ago that you didn't even know you'd missed. Incredibly charming and fun.

      3 votes
  4. Cleb
    Link
    I first listened to this a long time ago when I was first getting into music in general and initially I just kind of liked it but didn't really think it was mind-blowing. Then it progressed to...

    I first listened to this a long time ago when I was first getting into music in general and initially I just kind of liked it but didn't really think it was mind-blowing. Then it progressed to where it was maybe my favorite hip-hop album, and now it's quietly settled in one of the records I really enjoy but I wouldn't call "special" to me.

    A lot of my enjoyment of this album comes from the... I guess the bizarre but comfy atmosphere that it builds? A lot of the samples like the "wu-tang sword style" and the fighting samples in general just make me crack a smile and it really pulls me into the mood that the rest of the record is also building and I love it. It also has my favorite skit in hip-hop, the one at the beginning of Method Man (if you count that as a skit that is).

    My main issue with this album is like I said to someone else in this thread, I think it's mixed a bit quiet and it doesn't feel like I'm getting a full sense of some of the aggression that comes out.

    Great album by a great group, one of my favorites for a long time.

    3 votes
  5. Gyrfalcon
    Link
    Even as someone who is generally not into rap and hip-hop, I enjoyed this album. It's really the first thing I've listened to and thought "Now THAT is hip-hop." I'll have to keep listening to it...

    Even as someone who is generally not into rap and hip-hop, I enjoyed this album. It's really the first thing I've listened to and thought "Now THAT is hip-hop." I'll have to keep listening to it over the rest of the week, and maybe listen to some more material from Wu-Tang Clan and see how I feel.

    3 votes
  6. 8thwaitress
    Link
    Billy Bragg's Talking With The Taxman About Poetry is my nomination.

    Billy Bragg's Talking With The Taxman About Poetry is my nomination.