[louder]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

new Ghostface dropped today but I didn't get a chance to pick it up.

i hope the rest of the album lives up to "The Rise of the Ghostface Killah" and "The Sure Shot". those tracks were really good.

[noisereductions]

Originally Posted by louder

i hope the rest of the album lives up to "The Rise of the Ghostface Killah" and "The Sure Shot". those tracks were really good.

I've read that the beats sample or are inspired by a lot of 70's Italian horror films. Dude. I'm feeling like this has potential to be my fav Ghost album ever. I mean I love every album. But Pretty Tony has held that spot since 2004 now.

[noisereductions]

dropped by Best Buy to pick up Twelve Reasons but they didn't have the deluxe edition. So instead I listened to Pretty Tony and Fishscale.

[E. Noisefield]

I bought myself a replacement copy of the two disc anniversary edition of Illmatic because my original is pretty beaten up. It was cheap, and I need to hear it every so often. Impulse buy at major chain. i didn't even take the plastic wrap off until several days later, when I was totally in the mood to blast it on my way to work- twenty second later I threw it into the back of my car.

It was the clean version!!! why do they even make those things!!!??


Course by then I had an insatiable urge to hear the album but only Nastradamus which is not my favorite.

[noisereductions]

I listen to Illmatic soooooo many times each year. It's gotta be in my Top 10 hip hop albums.

That anniversary edition didn't do much for me though. I felt the bonus disc should have been album length. Should've had "Live At The BBQ" and other ephemera from the early days. It just seemed too brief, too tossed off.

[louder]

if Daft Punk's new single won't become a huge hit i'll lose faith in humanity.

[louder]

Ghost is easily the most consistent member. Supreme Clientele and Fishscale are on par with Wu-Tang's best releases if you ask me. Pretty Tone is really great too. "Holla" might be my fav Ghost song ever.. beautiful album. and there's Ironman of course and also Bulletproof Wallets.

oh btw they are supposed to drop their final album as a group this summer. hope they go out with a bang.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

I listen to Illmatic soooooo many times each year. It's gotta be in my Top 10 hip hop albums.

That anniversary edition didn't do much for me though. I felt the bonus disc should have been album length. Should've had "Live At The BBQ" and other ephemera from the early days. It just seemed too brief, too tossed off.

Wouldn't it have been a nice opportunity to release some of the pirated I Am material? I'm not a big Nas historian, and have only heard four or five of his albums (I'm a jay-z guy I guess) but that may have added to its must have value.

And yes, Live at the BBQ for sure.

I'm a bad Nas fan. I hardly even keep up these days. Hip Hop is Dead was the last thing I invested any time into. Haven't heard Life is Good. I am disappointed with myself.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by louder

Ghost is easily the most consistent member. Supreme Clientele and Fishscale are on par with Wu-Tang's best releases if you ask me. Pretty Tone is really great too. "Holla" might be my fav Ghost song ever.. beautiful album. and there's Ironman of course and also Bulletproof Wallets.

oh btw they are supposed to drop their final album as a group this summer. hope they go out with a bang.

That's what they've been hinting at. And their Facebook PR has certainly been milking that cow.

I'm not slamming the idea . Of course a new (especially a FINAL) Wu album would shake the fucking earth.

But I am a little sick of "gimme a hell yeah if you want a new Wu album in 2013!" Just give me some goddamn updates and shit.

[batreleaser]

New ghostface rules, going to see him Wednesday at a Fightland opening.

Also really digging this bukkwheat bill fellow

[Severian]

I think this is the best Ghostface album I've ever heard.

Sweet fucking Christ. It's better than Fishscale!

[louder]

"best since OB4CL2" - agreed. dope album. even at 42 years old, Ghost can still rap his ass off.

i wouldn't say it's better than Fishscale though, that's my fav Ghost album. i prefer it to Supreme Clientele mainly due to the production; Fishscale had a diverse all-star lineup (Dilla, Just Blaze, Pete Rock, DOOM), while Supreme Clientele was mainly carried by RZA. but anyway i think they're about as equal and it's all down to personal preference. it's crazy to know that the sequel to Supreme Clientele, DOOMSTARKS and that final Wu-Tang album are all coming next.

[noisereductions]

yeah TWELVE REASONS is amazing.

[noisereductions]

right now 12 Reasons is right behind Long.Live.A$AP. for me. So incredible.

[noisereductions]

noise tells you his thoughts on every Ghostface album:

1996: Ironman - at first I didn't like it. I'm serious. Having heard the trilogy of Liquid Swords, Tical & Return, I felt like Ironman made no sense in the Wu cannon. But I had no idea how different Ghost was. These days, and really the last decade, I think of Ironman as the amazing classic debut solo LP that ranks up there with Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt. I'm serious. That record is untouchable.

2000: Supreme Clientele - everyone ranks as his best I think. I love it, but it's not my favorite. That said, it is a great intro to what makes Ghost amazing. It's fucking weird. I mean right down to the fucked up tracklisting. It's all crazy. Standout line to backup my thought process "watch out Starks! Sharks!"

2001: Bulletproof Wallets - My least fav Ghost album. Don't know what it is. I mean. I like it. It's still a 3 or 4 out of 5. But damn. I just can't love it. There's some great tracks like "Maxine" with great storytellilng but it feels so ... well I guess proof is in the fact that so much was cut (like "The Sun") that should have been on there. It just feels a little forced by record execs to be something it shouldn't have been.

2003: Shaolin's Finest - stupid Greatest Hits collection. Just bad selection. I mean sure the songs are good, but not the finest way to present his body of work.

2004: The Pretty Tony Album - one of my favorite hip hop LP's ever. This album is a fucked up mess. So amazing and I thnk most people miss that. Sure it suffers from sample-clearance issues as proof by the leftovers. But that said, it's so interesting and unique and the first to be a straight non-Wu Ghost solo album. So much soul and weirdness.

2004: 718 (w/ Theodore Unit) - so so so so so awesome. Probably the most slept on release in his discography. Basically Pretty Tony vol. 2. Amazing. "Gorilla Hood," "The Drummer," ETc. YOU all need this. You don't even know.

2005: Put It On The Line (w/ Trife) - This is hardcore man. This feels so bleak, underground, harsh and solid. This is just Ghost and Trife going hard. Not for radio. Def great. "Milk Em" is the shit. Another slept on release.

2006: Fishscale - another loved, but overrated album. Sorry. Listened again this week and still love it. But not his best. Probably my favorite thing about it is the MF DOOM produced tracks. And fucking "Shaky Dog." But I think it's a little unfocused for what it is.

2006: More Fish - super fun man. All the Fishcale leftovers are nuts. "Pokerface" is my shit. But I love how NY this shit feels. Ghost should be at that level of respect Nas gets.

2007: The Big Doe Rehab - another one I slept on upon release but has grown on me over the years. Fucking "Tony Sigel" is ridic. Still not my fav, but solid solid solid.

2007: Hidden Darts Special Editon - love it. One of the best GFK outtakes collection. If you're a Pretty Tony fan you need to own this. Mixtape in heart, but great quality. Outtakes, remixes, and just awesome.

2008: The Wallabee Champ - another outtakes collection but not as good quality. Interesting and fun but not solid all the way thru.

2008: Ghostdeini The Great - so weird and so major label. Half greatest hits. Half oddities. Just makes no real sense to even exist. Meh.

2009: Wizard of Poetry - gotta be my least fav. And everyone's least fav. But I respect it. It's better than most ppl give it credit for. The story-telling is legit. The beats are nice. Just too samey throughout.

2010: Apollo Kids - so slept on. Fucking great album that is basically just Ghostface & Friends. You might not own this one. You should. You'll be surprised.

2010: Wu-Massacre (w/ Meth & Rae) - love it. Thought it was weak at first but then realized it's all gold with no fat. Just like 30-40 mins of awesome.

2012: Wu-Block (w/ D-Block) - really nice and hardcore. Kinda like his album w/ Trife. This shit is not for radio. It's just hardcore NYC rhymes and beats. Def for the fans but worth every penny.

2013: Twelve Reasons To Die - OMG so good. I love Italian giallo films. My wife even collects scores by Les Baxter, Goblin, Moricone, etc. This shit is mind-blowing. Makes so much sense to the GFK mythology.

[Severian]

Just bought tickets to see GFK in a month or so.

Uh.. SUPER fucking excited.

[noisereductions]

so Twelve Reasons is actually the first GFK album that my wife likes! Haha.

[louder]

i'm happy to see all the Ghost/12 Reasons love here.

[noisereductions]

def my favorite GFK since Pretty Tony.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

def my favorite GFK since Pretty Tony.

Dudes, I think this is my favorite Ghostface solo (more or less) album since ever.

I was going to say Supreme Clientele, but of I'm being honest with myself, I currently feel as though this is the perfect mix of wu-imagery, group dynamic, brilliant production, artistry, east coast drug lord bravado, and the kind of lyrics that make Ghostface Killah the stand out Wu solo personality.

Am I just experiencing some serious fanboy recency effect here, or what? Like I said, though I've listened to and owned his albums pretty consistently, I have always felt like Ghostface Killah didn't quite fit with in with the rest of the clan, especially once the mask came off and he started to lose the mystery ritual murderer look and become more of a mainstream presence.

But this, I believe, is as good as any solo wu album since the '90s. And fucking excellent use of maybe the best Portishead sample ever used in a hip hop track.