| Endtroducing... | 1996 |
| Preemptive Strike | 1998 |
| Camel Bobsled Race (live) | 1998 |
| The Private Press | 2002 |
(reviewed by Rollo)
HIGH POINTS: In/Flux, all parts of What Does Your Soul Look Like. LOW POINTS: None.
Though this collection of tracks was released in early 1998, it actually covers all the material from the pre-Endtroducing sessions. Though it doesn't quite reach the overall quality of that album, Strike's high points are certainly higher than Endtroducing's. The skits put in here (cleverly entitled "Strike 1", "Strike 2" and "Strike 3 (And I'm Out)") are hilarious at their best, with the first one displaying a drummer trying to duplicate Shadow's beats. Sadly, it isn't possible for anyone to do that; I mean, just check out "In/Flux". That track has four things that makes it my favourite DJ Shadow track: it clearly pictures that late-night feeling that I truly love, it sums up every corner of Endtroducing in 5 times less time, the sampling, beats and production function perfectly and the fact that this is Shadow's first step into serious musical business just bangs my head into the wall; how could he make such a masterful piece with the use of a few turntables?! Believe me, I was deeply underwhelmed by it at first, and it took some time to really appreciate, but once you get it, it gets you. No kidding.
Preceded by another skit, the four parts of "What Does Your Soul Look Like" possess yet the same late-night feeling as "In/Flux". There isn't really much to say about all four pieces, but each of them contains something that I just adore. The second part, for instance, has that glorious introduction with muted horns, flutes, random female voice and that old vinyl old-skool noise. It's damn fine, I tell you. Not to forget that the last and first part were later put on Endtroducing where they fit in perfectly with all the other material. Left are three tracks now. The first, "Hindsight" has a very neat groove, but there's almost nothing else: some strings or other monotonous sounds pop up often, but not often enough to draw my attention. The breaks in there still keep the intensity going, though. "High Noon" is better than the previously mentioned, with a complex construction and a very melancholic atmosphere; the fact that it even hit the charts back then is understandable, because there's so much good stuff pumped in there. "Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)" is very different from the version on Endtroducing: here it actually sounds finished in comparison to the other one, but at points, I feel like it actually bores me, even regarding the fact that it's one of the louder tracks on here. Funny, you ask? Well, I don't think so. And the rating? Well, I'll be saving my 10 for later. But be sure to find it soon.
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(reviewed by Rollo)
HIGH POINTS: Midnight in a Perfect World, Building Steam with a Grain of Salt, Changeling, What Does Your Soul Look Like (Parts 4 and 1), Stem/Long Stem, Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain. LOW POINTS: None.
Endtroducing is the perfect driving album. Why, you ask? Well, it just is. And I know that if I put this album by DJ Shadow into a car's CD-player, turn the ignition key and drive along into the city or country - it doesn't matter - the album will always be the background music for your vehicle actions. It's amazing, though I've never tried it, hehe. With my UK-edition, the so-called "Transmissions" have become seperate tracks, and I might as well review the skits, before I go totally serious. "Best Foot Forward" is the perfect opener for the album, very short, but very informative about this DJ's main actions: to sample, sample and sample. "Untitled" is just a breather before the nightmare that is "Stem/Long Stem". "Why Hip-Hop Sucks in '96" is a very very cool beat put along with some nice bass and keyboard and some jerk saying "Here's the money..." Funny thing is, that I don't want to exchange this thing for money; this album is gold. The "Transmissions" are quite obviously filler, but they also serve as some nice breathing space in between the better tracks. That's it!
From now on, I review the tracks in the order they're played. "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" is one of the closer things to a masterpiece here: the striking piano loop is the main ingredient here pumped up with lots of breaking beats, bass, piano, voice samples, guitar loops and...boy choirs. It seems to be the quintessential tracks off the album, as it clearly displays every function available to hear from Shadow's turntables. And it rawks. Next up is "The Number Song" that is certainly the most banging track here. Again, samples are what dominate the song the most, but here, I'd like to look at the way Shadow mixes everything: just notice the random arrival of every instrument possible to play! It's not even possible for a Dixieland big band to reproduce. But finally, we reach "Changeling": THE beat track. It starts off nice with some synth line that just is there for chilling out, but when the beat comes in, boy, am I satisfied. You may or may not like the way Shadow fiddles about with it, but I love it. And he starts over again several times, each time with new samples, until it culminates in Tangerine Dream's "Invisible Limits". Where did he get all this from?!
"What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4)" is one of the smoother tracks on here, with everything running nicely. Its arrangement of the samples' appearance is annoyingly precise, but once again, I'm deeply overwhelmed by Shadow's abilities. After that comes "Untitled". And then...the so-called nightmare. But do I hate this track? Well, no, because it's a nightmare in a good way. "Stem/Long Stem" is the most mysterious track here, with the first part having strings and orchestral atmosphere as "the leader". It builds quietly, until everything's breaking (yes, even the strings) and an AGGRESSIVE beat just slips in and out of your heart. That's a piece that hits you. It starts over again, but still, Shadow again pumps and pumps and lets the AGGRESSIVE beat take over...wow. Some strings let that part end. Now, we're up for "Long Stem" that has no beat, but takes every track of Shadow's and mixes them together into one small brew. Even the tracks off Preemptive Strike are covered here (with muted horns and all that). Okay, maybe not all tracks are displayed, but it feels like it, and that's the deal. "Mutual Slump" is a REAL nightmare, though, with abysmal, panoramic and trivial samples put together in a "The Number Song" way. "Organ Donor" is a nice breather with repetitious organ lines and beats that I never seem to tire of.
The real highlight and treat though, is "Midnight in a Perfect World". After an extravaganza of manipulated voices, we're welcomed by the main melody continuing throughout the track. Onto it, mr. Davis arranges everything in shape of beats, obscure samples, choirs, singing and whatever you're greeted with. It's impossible not to notice the wonderfully sampled piano playing fitting perfectly in there, and the tune becomes very ethereal in the bridge, where the keyboards go minor-key and become a little sadder. It has easily become my favourite track here because of its perfect display of a perfect world, just like the title says. Don't say that it isn't impossible to show. Just fall back in your favourite chair and switch to this track. Or car, whatever. "Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain" is a beat manifest, greeted with a whole lot of different samples of, again, every instrument (get used to when I say that). "What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1 - Blue)" is the perfect ending for the album, 'nuff said. Just dig it. And after all of this endless praising of the album, I don't see why it doesn't get a 10. From me, at least. It's one of the cases where you actually have to believe AMG.
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(reviewed by Rollo)
HIGH POINTS: None. LOW POINTS: None.
This is Shadow's attempt at a live record, letting DJ Q-bert scratch behind the desks. In 24 minutes, seven tracks ("Napalm Brain", "Midnight in a Perfect World", "Organ Donor", "Hardcore", "Bonus Beat", "In/Flux" and "The Number Song") is mixed together into one, and while the mix is certainly well made, it's not very intriguing. I'm glad that you can actually get it as a bonus disc on Preemptive Strike, but I'd suggest that you'd better get the studio albums before getting this one. I like the track selection and running order and all, but the idea and the music are very uninteresting; you will be better off listening to Endtroducing or Strike because it's practically just summa summarum of those two. Get it only, if you're a Shadow-fanatic, like I am.
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(reviewed by Rollo)
HIGH POINTS: Blood on the Motorway, Giving up the Ghost, Six Days, You Can't Go Home Again, Fixed Income, Mongrel...Meets His Maker, Right Thing/GDMFSOB. LOW POINTS: None.
It took six years for Shadow to deliver his next album, but he did it. But it shows that he's grown older, mature and a bit more unplayful which was the main describing adjective for Endtroducing. But hey! Who's perfect? Nobody, actually. Again, I'll start off by reviewing the skits...this time, though, there are only three. The two "Letters from Home" are just recordings of an old lady and an old man talking about something that I'm not interested in, and "Un Autre Introduction" is a Frenchman talking stupid on top of a lot of breaking stuff; it's incredibly satiric and it's put together well. So there it is: it’s as easy as that to explain.
But from here, everything's incredibly different from the last album's content. "Fixed Income" is the most old-sounding track on here, but that doesn't mean it sucks - at all. It's incredibly clever, musically awesome and is a very good introduction for an album like this one. But you need to be prepared, though: if you praised Endtroducing every second, you're bound to gasp for air as Private Press plays. After the abyss of "Un Autre Introduction", we reach "Walkie Talkie" that is a beat manifest in the style of "Napalm Brain", but so much shorter. "I'm a bad man, muthafucka DJ, this is why I walk and talk this way." It shows that Shadow hasn't gone totally unplayful, and while it shows as many styles as that man can take and mix together, it seems very monotonous. But nevertheless, it's a good track. "Giving up the Ghost", though, is much better. It's based on just one string loop, but it drives me crazy! In a good way, of course. Shadow lets it build and build and gives it that mystical atmosphere that elevate the track to masterpiece status. It makes you restless, I tell you: I get the feeling that I'm being followed by somebody whenever this track plays. "Six Days" is the most melancholic piece here, with some incredibly spooky arrangement and very very good mixing. I love this track to death, not because of that, though, but because of the middle section that just is perfect. Nothing more to say. Dig the synthesizer and string solos, though.
Next is "Mongrel...Meets His Maker" split into two tracks. The synth loop that it focuses on is downright paralysing with the very uncomfortable strings, keys and even beats that it possesses. It's better than "Walkie Talkie", for sure, but not just that: I dig it to death. Hehe, like much of the other stuff, here. It's a good thing that it's followed by "Right Thing/GDMFSOB". With "Right Thing" just having a small beat and a funny Englishmen talking on top of it, you can tell that you’re up for something that you may have heard before. It builds, though, and totally unexpected, "GDMFSOB" drops in. "God damn muthafuckin' son of a bitch," it says. It does exactly the same thing as "Right Thing", it builds and builds, until it just can't go any further. This is for your headbangin' pleasures, I tell you. "Monosylabik" is what everybody finds really irritating and offending, and I easily understand why. But how can't anybody just dig the groove put in there? It goes from slow to fast in seven minutes, yes, and it's very repetitive, but I really like it, so there's not much to do with your opinions, people. I actually find it amazing that Shadow has taken a sample that lasts for three seconds and has made it last this long. Now you see why I love his DJ'ing abilities? It's Shadow at his most playful. "Mashin' on the Motorway" is the first single off the album, and while it certainly kicks and bops very much to my liking, I must say that it's a bit fillerish. Nevertheless, and just like "Walkie Talkie", really good, though. Dig that scream at the end!
The best track, though, is, funny enough, very much like "Midnight in a Perfect World". "Blood on the Motorway" is meant to be a continuation of "Mashin'", but it sounds nothing like it and it's so much better, anyway. "And now, eternity." What I see it as, is Shadow's view of death, and it just slips inside me and lets tears fall from my eyes. It's touching, intriguing, immaculate and beautiful. It's adorable. And the part where everything switches from minor to major is easily one of the brightest moments of the 00's. The beats sounds like everything else and yet like nothing else. I can't say more than this. Just like it. Please do that and do me a favour. "You Can't Go Home Again" is "a story about being free" and it is the perfect ending of the album. Once again, the arrangements are some of the most striking and colourful of the album's overall, and when it slips into a trance fest, the track is still a thrill. The album really ends on the low-key "Letter From Home", just like it began. My edition has another version of "Giving Up the Ghost", still, so I can only be happy. I still don't see much of a difference from the real version, though.
And this is where I get really annoyed. Endtroducing had flaws, but they were easily overlooked. Here, though, the flaws are pretty easy to recognize. I really want to give this album a ten, but I can't: when I compare this to Preemptive Strike, I don't see much of an overall difference. You can count this as the highest 9.5 ever given out from me, though.
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