Square (album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Square | ||
 |
||
| Studio album by Buck 65 | ||
| Released | 2002 | |
| Recorded | ? | |
| Genre | Hip hop | |
| Length | ? | |
| Label | Warner | |
| Producer(s) | ? | |
| Buck 65 chronology | ||
|---|---|---|
| Synesthesia {2002) |
Square (2002) |
Talkin' Honky Blues (2003) |
Square is an album by Buck 65. Though it consists of four tracks, each track consists of multiple songs.
This album was nominated for a 2003 Juno Award for Alternative Album Of The Year.
[edit] Track listing
- "Square One"
- "Square Two"
- "Square Three"
- "Square Four"
[edit] Buck 65's Personal Review
Ignore the first five and a half minutes of this record. It's a test of your mettle and unless you're a total nerd, there's nothing there for you. But - LAND-HO! - at the 5:30 mark things get interesting. It's clear here that it's a whole new ball game, lyrically and musically. The song that later became known as 'Phil' is pretty. It's an honest-to-goodness love song. It's also very unusual, but without being alienating. It's an odd mix of sounds and shuffles along to an uncommon time signature. It's experimental, but you're not hit up-side the head by it. I think the first thing anyone would notice about it is just that it's pretty. It offers a choice: think about it - analyze it - but only if you want to... It offers a light touch for once.
A few specific things come to your attention about this record right away. Compared to all the others before it, the sound quality is vastly improved. There's a greater level of musical sophistication including some human players (this is the first record that my current band members Graeme and Charles played on). Also, the vocal delivery is more assured and my voice finally sounds natural. The act has been dropped.
It doesn't sound like a record made by a bum anymore. I was a bum (still am), just cleaned up a little. I still had some shackles to shake off here. It still sounds like I'm trying to prove something without knowing what. I was still Siddhartha chasing the Buddha at this point. I was still constrained by hip hop (although markedly less so). I was still afraid to just be.
There's still a little too much noodling taking place on this record. It can be a bit of a trying listen at times. And the decision to construct the album in four extended suites was a romantic gesture, I suppose, but a bit silly. What's the point, really? Arrogance. I still can't believe that this is the record that got me signed to a major label! I think it's also fair to say that the record runs out of ideas after the third suite.
Cleaning up my act was a good and necessary step. 'Phil' and the song that later became known as 'Cries a Girl' are real good ones. But two songs don't make an album and there is still too much being held back. The artwork is great though...
Two out of five
