I'm realizing that there isn't one song on Like Water for Chocolate that I'm ever dying to hear on its own, unlike at least three songs from Be, but I'd really prefer to listen to LWFC all the way through before I listen to Be all the way through.
1. "I have no desire to really listen to Be at all" In response to Reply # 0
but I get what you're saying. Even XXL retracted the classic rating they gave it.
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31. "they did it on the review for Finding Forever" In response to Reply # 10
they stated that they jumped the gun on Be by giving it that rating.
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37. "I thought it came off flat sounding but I still liked it" In response to Reply # 32
as a collection of songs it's a pretty good album, I just don't think Kanye should've done the whole thing.
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39. "Be was a better Late Registration" In response to Reply # 32
NO! LIST Tom Petty M J Zeppelin Springsteen Neil Young Eagles Ray Charles Madonna Chuck Berry South Park TV Songs Justin Timberlake "Food Glorious Food" "Twilight Zone" theme "A Boy Named Sue" "Night Moves" "The Situation" "Superbowl Shuffle"
41. "Whoa - elaborate on this ?" In response to Reply # 39
I also like Be better ... because Common is the far, far superior lyricist (and one of my two all-time favorite MCs). And I also always prefer a more succinct, trimmed down album.
But I always thought I was in the minority with that opinion (Be over LR, that is). I feel like most people think LR is Kanye's magnum opus. So I'm definitely surprised to see you say this.
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4. "^^^^^^^" In response to Reply # 2 Sun Jan-14-18 09:22 AM by beatnik
LWFC is woven together, I feel like the theme is more cohesive and the skits/interludes make the album play well in one whole listen
Be always kind of felt like an EP to me and there are tracks I'll skip at times, I still like "Go" though lol. But theres a couple tracks that seem like bumps in the road, not even bad songs, just a lil out of place.
It was either Ye or Com telling how when John came to the studio for his part he surprised everybody with his skill because after he sung his part for 'Go" they thought it felt more like a sample than something that had just been recorded live.
**edit** after refreshing myself on the tracklist i'm seeing "Go" is the song that seems out of place with the rest lol and having the live version of "The Food" but that fits more than "Go"
you don't make a triumphant return to boom bap and have wack ass drums with no life to them, but that's pretty much what Kanye did.
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63. "Word. And just a tidbit, that's Derrick Hodge on bass on that intro n/m" In response to Reply # 16
#NP: Janelle Monae-DC, Pusha T-Daytona, Royce-Book of Ryan, Blue Note All-Stars-OPOV, Chris Dave/Drumhedz-Glow, Conway-GOAT, Black Milk-Fever, KRIT-4eva Is a Mighty.., Phonte-NNIGN, August Greene, Jericho Jackson @LargesseMorlu
11. "That's interesting. I listen to a ton of LWFC songs on their own." In response to Reply # 0
Dooinit, Cold Blooded, Funky for You, 6th Sense, Nag Champa, Thelonius, the Geto Heaven TSOI Remix ... I've isolated those and more a number of times. But I do see what you're saying.
I also agree with you and most that LWFC is far more cohesive and consistent in sound, whereas Be comes off more like just a collection of dope songs. I think that was kind of the point though ? Like Be had a theme but that "theme" was a return to boom bap, and that being the case the whole point was to just string together a bunch of dope songs one after the other. LWFC was predicated on the musical landscape and soulfulness.
On a semi-related note, I recently decided that "Real People" is one of my favorite Common songs of all time. That sample is beautiful.
14. "RE: So here's something weird. Be vs. LWFC. " In response to Reply # 0
I can listen to LWFC any time and I do find myself wanting to hear certain songs all the time. Be definitely has some great songs too, but as others mentioned it's nowhere near as cohesive as LWFC and the live version of The Food was a bone headed decision to put on the album imo.
17. "It was a weird decision but the studio version is fucking lifeless." In response to Reply # 14 Mon Jan-15-18 08:16 PM by Brew
So IMO it was either put the live version on, or nix the song altogether. Which would've been a shame cause when performed live it proved that it had potential to be an absolutely great song. Kanye just needed to add some layers to the beat, and Comm needed to bring some liveliness to his studio performance.
24. "I love the voice effects on it too, and the intro." In response to Reply # 23
Just paints such a beautiful picture to open up the album, and present the journey it's about to take you on. Exceptionally well done by The Soulquarians.
I swear LWFC is like one of those albums that will never be made by anyone ever again, type shit, even if J-Dilla came back on some Jesus steeze they wouldn't be able to recreate that mood, and "Resurrection" & "Electric Circus" was amazing too but LWFC is just fits in it's own world where everytime I put it on (starting at any track or on random, any order) I get in the mood, "Heat" is my shit though, it's like you want this full blast of dopeness to your temple?
--------- "We in here talking about later career Prince records & your fool ass is cruising around in a time machine trying to collect props for a couple of sociopathic degenerates" - s.blak
26. "These are two of my favorite albums from Com" In response to Reply # 0
I started College the same year as when Resurrection came out. I didn't jump on it then. In fact, it wasn't until One Day came out, that nearly changed my view of rap. But theeeeen when LWFC came out...I was in musical bliss. It just felt good. Then we had the whole EC ordeal, to which I actually liked (not Loved, though), but Be, in conjunction with Dilla and Backpacker Ye production...that was a fine album. I can see how some would say "EP" status, but man, that was some soul...maybe not quite as cohesive as LWFC, but man it was spot on....for what I needed.
After that...the wheels came off..LOL
It takes all kinds to make up a world, son. -My pops
35. "Better than Be yes but on the same level as LWFC, IMO." In response to Reply # 34
His top 3 (Resurrection, One Day, LWFC) I can't really put in any particular order. Each one has been my favorite Common album at one point or another. And each one has different aspects that would or could qualify it as his best:
High Society Member since Oct 13th 2003 7375 posts
Sat Jan-27-18 04:05 PM
43. "I think around that time through songs and features up until LW4C" In response to Reply # 34
you could argue that was peak Common Sense / Common. But not sure it's his best album.
the lyricism on display through One Day, songs and features like 1999, Respiration, Tekzilla, UNIverse at War, Sun God - though released after LW4C yet still in that loosie not on his album vein... Any Given Sunday joint, The Hurricane joint... Bitch in Yoo
all made Com, to me, on his way to becoming top 5... was my number 1 through EC - which was a return to form lyrically after LW4Cs more slum village-ish style though still sharp.
48. "Yep - I've always said this." In response to Reply # 43
He was definitely at his lyrical peak at that time. He was working with new flows, and had found the perfect marriage between his early career punchline-oriented lyrics, and the more socially conscious content he would focus on more as his career progressed.
There was no better display of that than the song "Hungry" but all the songs you mentioned below fit in that category, too.
>you could argue that was peak Common Sense / Common. >But not sure it's his best album. > >the lyricism on display through One Day, >songs and features like 1999, Respiration, Tekzilla, >UNIverse at War, Sun God - though released after LW4C yet >still in that >loosie not on his album vein... >Any Given Sunday joint, The Hurricane joint... Bitch in Yoo > > >all made Com, to me, on his way to becoming top 5... >was my number 1 through EC - which was a return to form >lyrically >after LW4Cs more slum village-ish style though still sharp.
36. "this is not weird at all but i'll take Be." In response to Reply # 0 Tue Jan-23-18 01:20 PM by organix
both albums were highly anticipated events for me and both delivered. i probably had more fun and made more memories to LWFC (college freshman) but Be has no weak moments for me. i appreciate the grand vision of LWFC but the simplicity works on Be, com killed it from start to finish and i think the shorter running time helps a lot. both are classic.
46. "Nah, Dooinit might be the GOAT Common track" In response to Reply # 0
not considering the "circle of faggots" line.
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53. "im going to have to revisit them but not sure im with this" In response to Reply # 0
i love the random LWFC song coming on be it dooinit, the 6th sense, the light, thelonius*, uhm pretty much any song on it
definitely love plenty of Be songs too
i think listening to a song from LWFC might be more likely to make me want to listen to the whole album while the Be songs i guess just dont have a strong connection to each other.
56. "Haha no one would say that." In response to Reply # 55
>always feel weird when a song is in more than one album > >the asterisk was just anticipating someone saying, but thats a >sv song not common
But to your first point, I always hated that practice, too. Seemed popular for a while in the late 90s/early 00s. I remember Dre and Kurupt did it with "Ho's a Housewife" too and that annoyed the shit outta me. There are way more examples, too. Always struck me as lazy in addition to annoying and weird.
57. "I'm surprised with the amount of 'be' love" In response to Reply # 0
it's hard for me to pick an album that's almost top to bottom kanye beats over peak soulquarians production. plus for an album that's only 10 songs, there's a lot of songs from 'be' that i wouldn't mind never hearing again (faithful, go, testify). so, it's defintely 'like water for chocolate' for me, easily.
1. resurrection 2. like water for chocolate 3. one day it'll all make sense 4. can i borrow a dollar 5. be 6. the dreamer the believer 7. electric circus 8. nobody's smiling 9. black america again
58. "Can I Borrow a Dollar 4th ?! BAA LAST ?!?!?!" In response to Reply # 57
>it's hard for me to pick an album that's almost top to bottom >kanye beats over peak soulquarians production. plus for an >album that's only 10 songs, there's a lot of songs from 'be' >that i wouldn't mind never hearing again (faithful, go, >testify). so, it's defintely 'like water for chocolate' for >me, easily. > >1. resurrection >2. like water for chocolate >3. one day it'll all make sense >4. can i borrow a dollar >5. be >6. the dreamer the believer >7. electric circus >8. nobody's smiling >9. black america again
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