The path not taken - In the early 1990s, groups like Arrested Development, DeLa Soul, Digable Plants, Tribe Called Quest, and the sadly forgotten Gumbo could have revolutionized rap music. Their tunes were filled with jazzy instrumentation, melodic hooks and harmonic raps, and uplifting and intelligent lyrics. Sadly, rappers chose to go down the low road of ignorance, violence, and misogyny which is where it remains today.But AD and it s leader Speech put out some good stuff in its time. People Everyday (the superior remix, not the plodding album version) is included with it s funky tale of violence only being used as a last resort. Mr. Wendal, a timely tale of sympathy for the homeless, Tennessee (need I say more? I listened to this repeatedly during the night of the Rodney King riots in 1992), the little known Like Marvin Said What s Going on which is one of the few rap songs I know of with an organ solo, and Ease My Mid (with a Pigmeat Markham sample-imagine that?).It is sad that one of rap s most creative and wonderful groups did not last, but at least you have this CD. Get it and enjoy to see the path rap unfortuantely did not take.
wheat from the chaff - This collection really separates the wheat from the chaff to produce a CD with no fillers!! Tennessee though it stands alone as a musical and lyrical wonder, will always remind me of Wallace Steven s poem A Jar Stands in Tennessee. Trust me, read that poem and you ll swear the diction and rhythm inspired Arrested Development!!I feel AD was always underrated, like my other favorite band of this era, Galliano, whose In Pursuit of the 13th Note is a great hip-hop-rap-melodic-pop companion to AFD s Greatist Hits.
They Need To Make A Comeback - This hip hop is waaaay better than garbage like Eminem.
good set - this Disc combines AD s first two Album s&Speech s Solo Album.there first Album unto itself was a Greatest Hits Package.alot of Cool Songs that fit really well on that Album.but sadly they never recovered on any follow up&neither did Speech as a Solo Artist but I heard they are getting back together time will tell if they can even half-way Recapture there early Magic?
Arrested at it s best - It s the best Arrested Development cd I ever heard!!! My favourit is Mr. Wendal because it s Rock in the car like nobody else. But there are many other good songs at this LP. But, here for yourself !!!