I bought this over the weekend and I'm just listening to it now. It's not bad. What do you guys think about it?

[Edited 9/27/10 7:34am]

daPrettyman said:

I bought this over the weekend and I'm just listening to it now. It's not bad. What do you guys think about it?

Seems intresting. May listen to it. This is the first time I heard about this

Is it an album of remakes from old revolutionary songs?

If the lead single is any indication.........I'll pass.

missfee said:

Is it an album of remakes from old revolutionary songs?

For the most part. The only "new" song I see is "Shine."

Graycap23 said:

If the lead single is any indication.........I'll pass.

It's not horrible, but could have been better. I'm not a big fan of The Roots at all. I think they are talented, but I just can't seem to get into them like some others have.

daPrettyman said:

Graycap23 said:

If the lead single is any indication.........I'll pass.

It's not horrible, but could have been better. I'm not a big fan of The Roots at all. I think they are talented, but I just can't seem to get into them like some others have.

I like the Roots but after a while they kind of give me a headache. Their new album is hot, but right now I'm tired of it. Since now I know that this album is basically a remake, I may just pass on it. I like albums with original songs but remakes not so much.

missfee said:

daPrettyman said:

It's not horrible, but could have been better. I'm not a big fan of The Roots at all. I think they are talented, but I just can't seem to get into them like some others have.

I like the Roots but after a while they kind of give me a headache. Their new album is hot, but right now I'm tired of it. Since now I know that this album is basically a remake, I may just pass on it. I like albums with original songs but remakes not so much.

If it's any consolation, they didn't do a lot of remakes that are typical. I didn't expect for them to redo the songs on here. A couple of the songs I hadn't ever heard. Now I have to track the originals down.

It would've been better if they were creative with new songs than trying to make newer versions of older classics so I'll pass.

Considering the current state of music today...the album is refreshing! This is the most socially aware album in a while. Sure it would have been better if some original material had been written. But that can be said for all current artists out right now. The Roots are dynamic as always. I would've had other vocalists other than Legend. Benet, Ledisi, Me'shell, Anthony Hamilton etc. may have faired better on some tunes.

Timmy84 said:

It would've been better if they were creative with new songs than trying to make newer versions of older classics so I'll pass.

I concur! I mean I feel that John and The Roots crew could've definitely taken this album to new heights and just do original material. I really haven't been feeling their cover of Wake Up Everybody (I don't think anyone can match the brilliance of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes featuring Teddy when it comes to that song). Neither have I been interested in their cover of Hard Times by Baby Huey & The Babysitters and Curtis Mayfield. I'm not really interested in the project that much, but I don't even think that people who aren't really hardcore soul/funk listeners even know that a majority of these songs are simple covers that have been redone. With the exception of WUE, they will just take the album as brand new material...which John and the Fellas have went out in the press and made it out to be like that anyway. Naw, I'll pass and listen to the originals!

Another thing I noticed is that the cover art is reminiscent of the album art of War's 1972 classic, The World is a Ghetto.

Can anyone tell?

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

It would've been better if they were creative with new songs than trying to make newer versions of older classics so I'll pass.

I concur! I mean I feel that John and The Roots crew could've definitely taken this album to new heights and just do original material. I really haven't been feeling their cover of Wake Up Everybody (I don't think anyone can match the brilliance of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes featuring Teddy when it comes to that song). Neither have I been interested in their cover of Hard Times by Baby Huey & The Babysitters and Curtis Mayfield. I'm not really interested in the project that much, but I don't even think that people who aren't really hardcore soul/funk listeners even know that a majority of these songs are simple covers that have been redone. With the exception of WUE, they will just take the album as brand new material...which John and the Fellas have went out in the press and made it out to be like that anyway. Naw, I'll pass and listen to the originals!

Another thing I noticed is that the cover art is reminiscent of the album art of War's 1972 classic, The World is a Ghetto.

Can anyone tell?

It took me a few days to get used to it but I like the album a lot. I'm trying to find a record player to listen to the vinyl edition though...

ABeautifulOne said:

It took me a few days to get used to it but I like the album a lot. I'm trying to find a record player to listen to the vinyl edition though...

Even though I'm not interested in the covers they do on the album (the originals rule!), I do like the album cover and packaging of the vinyl.

[Edited 9/27/10 11:00am]

I'll give it a listen. I was interested in the project.

silverchild said:

ABeautifulOne said:

It took me a few days to get used to it but I like the album a lot. I'm trying to find a record player to listen to the vinyl edition though...

Even though I'm not interested in the covers they do on the album (the originals rule!), I do like the album cover and packaging of the vinyl.

[Edited 9/27/10 11:00am]

Yeah the packaging is very nice but heavy as all hell! lol

I like it. I don't think the covers are straight-up covers, they try to add a bit of a unique spin on them with the rap verses and such. I really dig Legend's vocals in combinatino with Quest's drums and the solos on other tracks, like the sax solos and guitar solos.

The iTunes version includes a live studio version of Compared To What that's pretty awesome as well.

I give it a B-, I guess. Above average.

This is annoying and lazy, why not just work on some original songs ?

Superstition said:

I like it. I don't think the covers are straight-up covers, they try to add a bit of a unique spin on them with the rap verses and such. I really dig Legend's vocals in combinatino with Quest's drums and the solos on other tracks, like the sax solos and guitar solos.

The iTunes version includes a live studio version of Compared To What that's pretty awesome as well.

I give it a B-, I guess. Above average.

Therein lies the major problem I have with projects like this.

Yeah, but then if they were straight-up covers, you'd have other people (like me, lol) accusing them of not trying to make the song their own.

On another note, it seems the album's only original song, "Shine", is available for free on Amazon.com for U.S. users:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/...m_dp_trk12

[Edited 9/27/10 23:15pm]

I was one of the people who was ready to pre-emptively hate on them for doing covers instead of writing original material.

But the album is better than I expected. Not a classic, but better than a lot of stuff that is out now.

FunkyGraf said:

I was one of the people who was ready to pre-emptively hate on them for doing covers instead of writing original material.

But the album is better than I expected. Not a classic, but better than a lot of stuff that is out now.

I agree.

I like the fact that the covers they chose to do are not the same old ones you hear all of the time.

Copped this right when it dropped, but am just now getting around to listening to it: STANK-NASTY!!! Yeah, thick with funk, very groovy. And I really like John Legends' voice, I can't front.

Since I've been watching The Roots now nearly nightly on Jimmy Fallons' show, I've really learned to appreciate them much more than from when I purchased their first few CD's. This is good music.

YAWN. John Legend. YAWN. The Roots. YAWN. Remakes of old songs? Why? I'll just listen to the original song.

Got this yesterday and I'll give it a spin tomorrow.

jaybendy said:

YAWN. John Legend. YAWN. The Roots. YAWN. Remakes of old songs? Why? I'll just listen to the original song.

In fairness, even if you don't like the artists, you can't hate on remakes all the time, because random remake gems have cropped up in the past. And sometimes they give new life to the originals too.

I can't get into this one. I bought it off of the "oh shit" factor of them covering certain songs.

I love the originals, and.. John's voice seems to be lacking the feeling behind all of the lyrics, especially on "Hard Times".

daPrettyman said:

I bought this over the weekend and I'm just listening to it now. It's not bad. What do you guys think about it?

[Edited 9/27/10 7:34am]

I don't often go for remakes but I think this is actually pretty good, especially I Can't Write Left Handed and Wholly Holy.

PDogz said:

Copped this right when it dropped, but am just now getting around to listening to it: STANK-NASTY!!! Yeah, thick with funk, very groovy. And I really like John Legends' voice, I can't front.

Since I've been watching The Roots now nearly nightly on Jimmy Fallons' show, I've really learned to appreciate them much more than from when I purchased their first few CD's. This is good music.

I like John Legend's voice too...and whoever is on bass is killin' it!

Cinnie said:

I can't get into this one. I bought it off of the "oh shit" factor of them covering certain songs.

I love the originals, and.. John's voice seems to be lacking the feeling behind all of the lyrics, especially on "Hard Times".

That's why I won't buy it. I've previewed the album and it lacks soul. There's no sincerity in his voice. It could be called Tom Jones sings the 70s and have 1,000 times soul than this.

I am glad that some of those folks will have fatter royalty checks next year b/c they chose to cover the songs though.