OL’ DIRTY BASTARD –
RETURN TO THE 36 CHAMBERS: THE DIRTY VERSION (ELEKTRA)
One of the greatest
moments on Larry
Sanders was the visit of the Wu-Tang
Clan to the show and Hank Kingsley approaching them asking “hey, where’s
Dirty Old Bitch” after having already commented to his assistant played by
Scott Thompson: “my god, they look like carjackers”. It made for a very strong argument against
white people listening to rap.
Russell Jones was the
wild man of the Wu-Tang Clan. And The
Dirty Version opens in appropriate fashion like a crazy fool fronting a slum
opera. Its all about the introduction,
about the perception and persona. This
man had a reputation to live up to and the pressure was on not to disappoint.
This is the second
solo album to come from a Wu-Tang member following Enter
The Wu-Tang and often like the man it is quite mess, ramshackle and
incoherent. It helps the record that RZA
was on board to produce and direct most of it but there is a definite/certain
haze attached to proceedings. The crazed
style of ODB was always going to be difficult to hardness.
The record hits hard
early on with “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and “Brooklyn Zoo” which are two very solid
hot hits with superior structure and exceptional arrangement. Certain sections could consider the former
somewhat misogynist but do these people expect from hip hop? He likes it raw and he is not embarrassed to
admit it. And maybe he should?
“Brooklyn Zoo” is an
altogether more swank proposition with a party vibe and emphatic bounce. This is the sound of riding a dragon but
being in control.
Delirium.
You sense at times
this record required a bit of hand holding.
Making appearances are six of his fellow Wu members in addition to a
whole host of female voices airing a full range of emotions from playful and
satisfied to utterly horrified and enraged (as on the aural war zone that
closes “Goin’ Down” which occurs surreally wrapped around “Over The Rainbow”
from the Wizard Of Oz).
Ol’ Dirty Bastard was
an original. You see and feel his influence
in crazed southern acts of this era who he in effect laid the tracks for,
albeit in a less disgusting manner.
Still here was a man not above critique holding lyrics that could just
as easily be described as “disgusting” as well as “street poetry” while at
other times he was just on a rant.
When dealing with
these songs you need to bear in mind that this was a man arrested for wearing a
bulletproof vest. This persona is not
strictly an act, more an exaggerated version of a very big personality.
Considered by many
most exciting when “drunk as hell” he held a stand out cadence that at times
was borderline scat and very much an instrument in itself. In the words of those around him he was just
“not himself when sober”. This after all
is a record with a track entitled “Drunk Game (Sweet Sugar Pie)”. Quite frankly what we had here just may have
been the hip-hop Shane MacGowan. If
there was one member of the group that was loved, it was Ol’ Dirty.
At this point in
proceedings the CD I was listening to has just died, skipped on track 13 which
is “Brooklyn Zoo II (Tiger Crane)”. It
all feels appropriate; the record has reached some kind of intoxicated haze as
my mind wandered to dirty climates and rotten times. The spirit of Ol’ Dirty Bastard just crashed
its way into this review seemingly with an instruction of “pay attention or
fuck off”.
And now with that the
disc just started back up as if haunted.
Bizarre.
Then it ends with some
slick interplay with RZA on “Cuttin Headz” and one of the most disciplined
workouts on the album. He could be
harnessed but only when necessary and good.
This is a scatological
record, by no means generic or cohesive.
Often experimental in execution with his wayward and slanted approach
there is almost accidental innovation here, a party approach that was not
necessarily present in the rest of the Wu universe. If nothing else he offered light relief.
At worst it wastes
your time but at best it blows your mind.
Thesaurus moment:
paradigm.
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