Pros: Funky beats. Creative lyrics. Horns and guitars, ahh yeah.
Cons: Album is short (51 minutes), tracks are short
The Bottom Line: More of the same, but in a good way, from the MC's. Percussion, piano, guitars, vocals, they've got it all.
Hope you're ready to get a groove on.
sadida's Full Review: Deep Down & Dirty by Stereo MC's
Jump in your time capsule and take a trip back to 1992. 1992, saw the release of the last Stereo MC's album, "Connected". The title track "Connected" put the Stereo MC's on the map. They'd released quite a bit of material prior to "Connected", but none of it saw any radio play. So what did the MC's do after building up this great fan base? They fell off the face of the Earth for 9 years!
That's a bit of an exaggeration. There were a few Stereo MC's badged remixes released (most of them as of late), and even a DJ Kicks compilation, but no new albums. As much as I hate to say it, it was worth the wait.
Some folks like to see their favorite bands go new directions with each album. That's good sometimes, but I also like to hear more of what made me like the group so much to begin with. "Deep Down & Dirty delivers on that. You could create a custom MC's CD with tracks off of all their albums and a new listener would be hard pressed to pick out the new stuff.
Deep Down & Dirty (D3) busts back on the scene with the title track in slot 1. It's a rockin number with that same slip-sliding MC flavor you're used to. Lots of guitars and bass in this one.
Track 4 - "Running" is a growling bobsled ride down a mountain of solidified adrenaline (how's that for imagery?). I can easily see this track fitting in to a foot chase scene in a movie. The whole thing just screams movement.
Like to get a little jazzy? Well, slide on your slickest suit and kick it with "Graffiti Part One. Percussion, horns, and lyrics blend into the smoothest audible martini you've ever had.
Track 7 - "Sofisticated" - Watch out for this one. It sneaks up on you. Given a chance, this could be a huge radio hit. This song tells a story of a man who thinks he ranks a loser compared to a woman who is so sophisticated. It's downright groovy, I just wish it were a little longer. I find myself thinking that about most of the tracks on this album. It's not like they couldn't stretch and develop them a little more, they just don't. We'll see if that works out positively in the long run. Sometimes the simple songs are the ones that live the longest.
There are a couple of slower/softer tracks towards the end. I don't like those as much, but they are still good.
Overall, this is a very cohesive album. The engineering is precise, but has a "muddy" sound that seems to fit with the title of the album. If you are a Stereo MC's fan and don't have this yet, you need to get your hind end on the next thing smokin' and go pick it up! If your new to the MC's or have liked a track or two in the past, you won't be disappointed in this. If you are looking for this album to be a more modern MC's, you're out of luck. Leave the "reinventing" to madonna, she's much better at it. Look to the MC's for what they do best...getting deep, down, & dirty.
If you liked this, check out these
* Stereo MC's - Supernatural
* Tricky - "Makes we wanna die" (The Weekend Mix) remixed by the Stereo MC's
* Madonna - Frozen (Stereo MC's Mix)
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