The Roots.....

Cropduster84

Awesome hip hop band.....


Just chilling out to the Tipping Point right now, awesome album.....


Any fans on here...?

Firecloud

I was a big fan, till I saw em at the palladium in LA a few weeks ago. The live band thing they've got going on is cool in theory, but in a venue that doesn't have great acoustics the instruments completely drown out the flow. It sounds like a bunch of fucking noise and my girlfriend, whose birthday it was and who absolutely loves them, hated it.

So yeah. Enjoy those records. Just resist the urge to see em live.

Cropduster84

Firecloud wrote:

I was a big fan, till I saw em at the palladium in LA a few weeks ago. The live band thing they've got going on is cool in theory, but in a venue that doesn't have great acoustics the instruments completely drown out the flow. It sounds like a bunch of fucking noise and my girlfriend, whose birthday it was and who absolutely loves them, hated it.

So yeah. Enjoy those records. Just resist the urge to see em live.

Sounds like it was more a problem with the venue, no?

Then again I've yet to see them live so I can't judge.....

redmosquito10

love the roots, and couldn't disagree more with what firecloud said, no offense. I've seen them live 3 times and they put on an amazing show, some of the best concerts I've ever been to. if you get the chance, see them, the shows always pack some kind of surprise, the guys in the band are extremely talented musicians, and I've seen them cover everything from zeppelin to hendrix to guns n roses to the beatles.

Shawn Smith Collective

Yeah, I've seen them live a couple of times and the shows have been outstanding. Just pick up their live album, The Roots Come Alive, to catch a glimpse. Also, even though I'm not a Jay-Z fan, The Roots were his backing band for his live album and it sounds terrific!

Red Lukin

I'm not huge into Hip Hop anymore, but saw them in 07' at Lollapalooza - pretty good. ?uestlove is awesome - saw him in 07' as well with John Paul Jones and Ben Harper playing Zeppelin songs, and man did ?uestlove ever tear it up on the drum kit!

?uestlove is awesome!

dangeringravity

i love the roots! they're definitely "different" as far as the way they present themselves, especially in the hip hop world. phrenology would have to be my favorite.

Firecloud

redmosquito10 wrote:

love the roots, and couldn't disagree more with what firecloud said, no offense. I've seen them live 3 times and they put on an amazing show, some of the best concerts I've ever been to. if you get the chance, see them, the shows always pack some kind of surprise, the guys in the band are extremely talented musicians, and I've seen them cover everything from zeppelin to hendrix to guns n roses to the beatles.

Yeah, it was probably more an issue of the venue. So in other words, the new Palladium blows.

SVRDhand13

Firecloud wrote:

So yeah. Enjoy those records. Just resist the urge to see em live.

I also completely disagree. I've seen them 3 times and all three times they were amazing.

CM1847

Love them, my favorite hip-hop act out there.

The Tipping Point is my favorite of theirs, it is so loose, it sounds like it was recorded in a day. Most of their studio stuff, while very good, all seems a little too tight, they don't really expand the songs that much.

I'd rank their albums:

The Tipping Point, Things Fall Apart, Game Theory, Phrenology, Rising Dawn.

I don't have any of the pre-Things Fall Apart albums.

South of Seattle

Love the Roots seen them several times. They're a great live band. Although I do think they've slipped a little bit in recent years with the live show. It's a little too predictable now and they're missing key pieces of what I think made them such a great live band (i.e Hub, Scratch, and Rahzel.)

My fave Roots albums IMO

Things Fall Apart
Game Theory
Do You Want More?!?!
Illadelph Halflife
Tipping Point
Phrenology
Rising Down
Organix



Any newbies should check out the albums Homegrown: A beginners guide to the Roots. Lots of different stuff, live tracks, rarities, and remixes.

Shawn Smith Collective

South of Seattle wrote:

Any newbies should check out the albums Homegrown: A beginners guide to the Roots. Lots of different stuff, live tracks, rarities, and remixes.

Just for the record, the two "Homegrown" albums - while great - are for advanced listeners, not newbies. They're beginners guides to understanding The Roots, which is a considerably different than a beginners guide to the music (i.e. a best of compilation). Alternate versions, remixes, demos, etc aren't considered the best way to be introduced to a band.

South of Seattle

Shawn Smith Collective wrote:

Just for the record, the two "Homegrown" albums - while great - are for advanced listeners, not newbies. They're beginners guides to understanding The Roots, which is a considerably different than a beginners guide to the music (i.e. a best of compilation). Alternate versions, remixes, demos, etc aren't considered the best way to be introduced to a band.

It's still good and give someone a wide variety if they want to pick up one album. Although I guess the Roots Live album would be good for that as well.

Shawn Smith Collective

South of Seattle wrote:

It's still good and give someone a wide variety if they want to pick up one album. Although I guess the Roots Live album would be good for that as well.

Yeah no doubt...and I'll take back what I said...there's enough "best of" material between the two discs to appeal to new fans. I gess when I think of the discs, I think of the exclusive mixes, which are for more established fans, but you're right - the other music is there too! Good call.