Overall, though, Liquid Swords is possibly the most unsettling album in the Wu canon (even ahead of Ol' Dirty Bastard), and it ranks with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx as one of the group's undisputed classics. Creepily understated tracks like "Liquid Swords," "Cold World," "Investigative Reports," and "I Gotcha Back" are the album's bread and butter, but there's the occasional lighter moment ("Labels" incorporates the names of as many record companies as possible) and spiritual digression ("Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth"). Staccato keyboard and simple, dense beats allow GZA to do what he does best, spitting some of his sharpest lyrics with lines such as 'Cause niggas styles are old like Mark 5 sneakers. Mixing gritty story-songs and battle rhymes built on elaborate metaphors (martial arts and chess are two favorites), the Genius brings his lyrical prowess to the forefront of every track, leaving no doubt about how he earned his nickname. 'Liquid Swords' kicks the album off slowly with the previously mentioned samurai film excerpt, which fades into the song itself. All of his collaborators shape themselves to his quietly intimidating style, giving Liquid Swords a strongly consistent tone and making it an album that gradually slithers its way under your skin.
Not only is RZA in top form, but every Clan member makes at least one appearance on the album, making it all the more impressive that Liquid Swords clearly remains the Genius' showcase throughout. The Genius' eerie calm is a great match for RZA's atmospheric production, which is tremendously effective in this context the kung fu dialogue here is among the creepiest he's put on record, and he experiments quite a bit with stranger sounds and more layered tracks. He has appeared on his fellow Clan members solo projects, and has maintained a successful solo career starting with Liquid Swords (1995).
#Gza liquid swords full album plus#
Rich in allusions and images, his cerebral, easy-flowing rhymes are perhaps the subtlest and most nuanced of any Wu MC, as underscored by his smooth, low-key delivery. A founding member of the hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the groups 'spiritual head', being both the first member in the group to receive a record deal and being the oldest member. The original version of Liquid Swords is included as well as an instrumental versions luxuriously pressed over 4 LPs, plus a booklet with extended liner notes chronicling the story of the GZA and the creation, inspiration, and legacy of the album, and more. Often acclaimed as the best Wu-Tang solo project of all, Liquid Swords cemented the Genius/GZA's reputation as the best pure lyricist in the group - and one of the best of the '90s. Album: Liquid SwordsTrack: 01Artists: GZA, background vocals by RZAProducer: RZASample: 'Groovin' and 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy' by Willie Mitchell and Dialogu.
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