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Tarfumes.com - Things Fall Apart
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List Price: $13.98
Our Price: $10.97
Your Save: $ 3.01 ( 22% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Mca
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0008811194826
Format: Original recording reissued
Label: Mca
Manufacturer: Mca
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Mca
Release Date: 1999-02-23
Studio: Mca
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Editorial Reviews:
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They've long been hip-hop's best band, for whatever that's worth, and in their amazing live shows they've shown an ability to pay homage to the past and look to the future--all while living firmly in the now. But on Things Fall Apart, the Roots finally pull their promise and ability together, and the world's started to pay attention. --Randy Silver
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Daskat!
Comment: This CD is nothing less than pure amazing. Out of ALL of there albums i listen to this one the most. It has some of the coolest lyrics and has a theme where the cd is a mixture of all of there previous albums. basically this cd is the one you need to own but some of there other cds are better to start off on. Another one of there cds that is only second to this one is. Do You Want More!?!. i recommend this cd to anybody who listens to hip hop!
They are the greatest! and deserve credit for the best instrumental hip hop of all time!
5/5 all the way! buy this CD!!!!
Customer Rating: 
Summary: "HIP HOP is the LOVE of my LIFE" (4.5/5)
Comment: The Roots' 1999 effort "Things Fall Apart" was their commercial breakthrough, yet despite its huge success it sacrificed none of the group's genius and even today remains one of their finest records to date. The Roots emerged in the early 90s as hip hop's first recognizable band, a collective of live musicians and rappers. While they may have appeared little more than an especially talented novelty on their 1993 debut Organix, "Things Fall Apart" helped to establish them as one of the genre's most prolific and essential acts. "Things Fall Apart" arrived at a critical time, and along with concurrent albums by Mos Def and Common, helped usher in a new era of alternative rap, celebrating the live spirit of hip hop and utilizing conscious, literate lyricism while emphasizing complex, soulful music. The instrumentation is smooth, a bit spacey and impeccably arranged. The tight grooves flow so fluidly that one must really tune in to fully appreciate drummer ?uestlove's cleverly somber rhythms and the beautifully orchestrated keyboards, bass, guitar, and percussion elements. An extensive supporting cast including newcomers Beanie Sigel and Eve as well as musical contributors Jay Dee, D'Angelo, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and James Poyser really enhances the LP. The production is excellent as well.
Black Thought is, as always, the headliner: an MC so literate and technically superb that, if not for the ambiguous Roots moniker, would probably be considered one of the East Coast's strongest. He always seems right in step with the band, not just delivery-wise but also creatively, which given the musical complexity is never a small feat. Malik B and Dice Raw are often equally riveting--both are less refined but provide a nice contrast on the smoother arrangements.
The Roots' sound is endlessly moody and mysterious, and often the music itself is more moving than the lyrics, although the two always complement each other. The album opens with a menacing gloom, a few songs with tense and uneasy arrangement that lend a sense of foreboding until "Dynamite!," an upbeat and irresistibly exciting rendition. The next stretch is incredible, beginning with "Ain't Sayin' Nothin' New" and "Double Trouble," a remarkable duet showcasing Black Thought and Mos Def, hip hop's livest off-the-cuff MCs, in all their glory, and "Act Too...The Love of My Life" with Common, which feels like a more personal version of "I Used to Love H.E.R." My favorite is "100% Dundee," where Black Thought and Malik B trade off energetic verses over a musical gem. "Adrenaline!" is excellent, and the hit single "You Got Me" with Erykah Badu appeals to an R&B audience without sacrificing any of their moody creative soul. It is as genuinely eerie as any of their deep tracks.
Flaws are minimal. A few songs such as "Without a Doubt" are quite impressive, but I just don't find them quite as inspiring as the best on the tracklist. I could have done without the lengthy spoken word interlude on "The Return to Innocence Lost," although I acknowledge its artistic merit.
The Roots collective are masterful artists and musicians, and "Things Fall Apart" is a wonderfully executed piece. The songs are cohesive and focused, and I would recommend this to a wide range of listeners. It will appeal to those who can appreciate great performance as well as top musicianship and creativity. The Roots have one of the finest catalogs of any act of the last 15 years, and I highly recommend any of their efforts.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Their Exceptional And Their Most Popular Album (Rating: 9 out of 10- -4.5 stars)
Comment: Really can't add nothing new to what has already been said about this album. The Roots' 1999 album Things Fall Apart is a very exceptional album. Black Thought and Malik B (and if you want to add Dice Raw) shine lyrically, and ?uestlove and Scott Storch shines with the production. Many people who has a hate towards mainstream saw this a breath of fresh air from artists like Jay-Z, Cash Money, and Ruff Ryders. Like many people, this was when I got into this band when they came out with "You Got Me" with Erykah Badu and Eve (from what I heard there was a version with the lesser known Jill Scott before MCA made them record it again), and the headbanger "The Next Movement". The guest appearances don't fail either. Mos Def and Black Thought go back and fourth on the classic "Double Trouble". Common Sense does his thing on the origonal version of "Act Too (The Love Of My Life)". Hell, even Beanie Sigel sounds fresh on "Adreline". Not to mention Ursula Rucker doing her spoken word at the end of the album.
Things Fall Apart is a great LP. I personally don't think it's their best (I personally find Illadelph Halflife to be their best), but I find it to be their most popular album that they have released. Fans of hip hop should already own this, as it gets better over time. Enjoy. Peace.
Lyrics: A+
Production: A
Guest Appearances: A-
Musical Vibes: A+
Top 5 Tracks:
1. Double Trouble (featuring Mos Def)
2. Act Too (Love Of My Life) [Origonal] (featuring Common)
3. The Next Movement
4. Step Into The Realm
5. Adrenaline (featuring Beanie Sigel)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Something else...
Comment: So, after having been a fan for 2-3 years prior to this album's release...I end up buying this album as my first Roots album 9 years ago. Wow, did I miss out. But I am glad that I wised up and bought this album when I saw it at the Music Recyclery for only 7$. If you are like me and end up making this your first purchase, let me tell you that you will not be disappointed assuming that you appreciate true hip-hop where intelligent rhyming, cadence and great production are the centerpiece of the experience.
The album starts out in a way that will have you believing that you are about to experience some good ****, because they even tell you so: it is an excerpt from the intro of DYWM!?!!!?! which is a very apt way to kick off the album.
One of my favorites is the track "The Next Movement", which features a slightly eccentric beat which breaks at the end with 4 synth blasts of the same pitch and repeats throughout until coming to a point where it rolls with more synth and then back to the beginning. Nice.
"Act Too (Love of my life)" is probably what this album is all about. It can be considered "I used to love H.E.R. part 2" because the cameo appearance is by the man himself, Common, and the theme follows that of the song I mentioned: personification of hip-hop as a living breathing woman that has gone astray. On concept alone, this is worth a listen and then when you hear the beat, you're completely tuned in: it is a faint human haw-like voice in the background humming a 3 part tune which gives it such a perfectly hypnotic feel with a heavy bass and some precise rhythmic drums by ?uestlove. Simple and to the point but equally unforgettable (there's a reason that this song appears on the Beginners CD...)
The title track is on point, though I love the Jill Scott version even more (see The Roots Beginners vol 1). It is a soulful jazzy song with a very earthy feel to it. Nice and slow melody to groove to with your woman or man. You know how songs sometimes conjur up images? Well, I would picture myself walking with my wife down the block in autumn with the leaves turning different colors and falling all around us, a cool crisp bite in the air and her head on my shoulder as we walk slowly down the road. Ahem...getting off the sentimental tip, you have an idea of the smooth sound and easily listening that this track offers.
In all, just put the CD in and don't stop listening because it has a little something for everybody. This release is probably the most lyrically on point and mature of The Roots releases up until that point ('99-'00). Just do yourself a favor and cop it if you haven't already.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Best
Comment: Without a doubt, this is the Root's best album yet. All of the songs are on point, and Black Thought and Malik B have never sounded better. If you don't have this by now, put it in your cart immediately.
Favorite Track: Double Trouble
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