Legend of the Liquid Sword (album)

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Legend of the Liquid Sword
Legend of the Liquid Sword cover
Studio album by GZA
Released December 10, 2002
Recorded ???
Genre Hip hop
Length 51:00
Label MCA
Professional reviews
GZA chronology
Beneath The Surface
(1999])		 Legend of the Liquid Sword
(2002)		 GrandMasters
(2005)

Legend of the Liquid Sword is the fourth solo album from American hip hop artist GZA, a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. It was released December 10, 2002.

The album is named after the kung fu film Legend of the Liquid Sword. Many fans will argue whether or not this album was a sincere effort on GZA's part due to the time of the release and the less commercial appeal. In the songs "Did Ya Say That", and "Knock Knock", GZA focuses on the politics of record labels and expresses his issues in dealing with record companies over artistic goals in music. The album has been praised for being GZA's consistent fan appreciated lyrics, yet accused of having "bland" production, which is often argued.[1].

[edit] Critical reception

The album was deemed amongst reviews a pleaser to most Wu-Tang Clan fans alike, yet many argue if it even compared to earlier or later releases.[2] Brett Berliner of Stylus magazine said: "The man simply is brilliant, and although these aren’t the lyrics that will appeal to most, they are certainly some of the best. It’s just like why simple books appeal to the masses – most people can’t comprehend this much depth."[3]

Jonah Weiner of Blender magazine stated: "This abstract skill put his 1995 masterpiece, Liquid Swords (name-checked here in the title and every other song), in the running for best Wu solo album, but dense, volatile production pushed it over the top — the prosaic soul loops here are solid enough, but fall short of the legend."[4]

The overall sound of the album conflicted much of the mainstream hip-hop at the time of its release. Samira Niazy of prefixmag.com rated the album 8.0 out of 10 and concluded: "One of the things you'll notice is that Gza's more unique [sic] and real style shines through because he focuses on lyricism rather than distracting the listener with loud instrumental background noise. It draws your attention to his best asset, his distinct style. Thankfully, Legend of the Liquid Sword sounds nothing like the hip-pop that's on heavy rotation on hip-hop stations right now."[5]

Though many opinions varied on whether the album was the classic "Wu-Tang sound", Ari Levenfeld of Pop Matters feels: "If Legend of the Liquid Sword is any indication of the Wu-Tang Clan's efforts to come, it doesn't seem like the group is all that interested in expanding their fan base or growing musically. Maybe they've done what they set out to do. The franchise is working... GZA isn't trying to be something or someone he's not. He's all about the original recipe."[6]

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Intro"
    • Performed by: Young Justice
  2. "AutoBio"
    • Producer: Gza
    • Samples: Saint Tropez - "Belle De Jour"
  3. "Did Ya Say That?"
    • Producer: Sport
  4. "Silent"
  5. "Knock, Knock"
    • Producer: Jefferson, Simmons, Gza
    • Samples: Spinners - "I Must Be Living For A Broken Heart"
  6. "Stay In Line"
  7. "Animal Planet"
    • Producers: Tyquan Walker, Blink! The Koala
    • Samples: Isaac Hayes - "Man's Temptation"
  8. "Fam (Members Only)"
  9. "Legend of the Liquid Sword"
    • Chorus: Anthony Allen
    • Producer: Jaz-O
    • Samples: Quincy Jones - Razzamatazz
  10. "Fame"
    • Producer: Arabian Knight
  11. "Highway Robbery"
    • Chorus: Governor Two's
    • Producer: Arabian Knight
  12. "Luminal"
  13. "Sparring Minds"
    • First & third verses: GZA
    • Second verse: Inspectah Deck
    • Producer: Arabian Knight
  14. "Rough Cut"
  15. "Uncut Material"
    • Producer: Gza

[edit] External links

Music video for "Knock, Knock"[7]

Album sampler at Amazon.com[8]