Enter the Wu‐Tang (36 Chambers)

I fucking love this again, it never gets old. I could listen again and again and again

𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘶-𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘨 (𝟥𝟨 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴) is raw, chaotic and full of personality. The production has a gritty, unpolished feel that gives the album a tough underground atmosphere, and the group’s rotating lineup keeps the verses constantly shifting in tone and energy. There’s an unpredictable spark to the record — you never quite know what voice or mood will come in next.

At the same time, that same looseness can make the album feel uneven. The rough edges are part of the aesthetic, but they can also make it harder to stay consistently immersed. Some tracks hit hard immediately, while others blur together without leaving as strong an impression.

There’s clearly a lot of creativity here, but not every moment lands with the same impact.

Didn't understand a single word but was bumping my head the whole time. Sounds like some guys having some fun with a microfone.

Better than Coldplay

The good: I like the beats. I like some of their rhythms. I like the skits to a point. I like the humor as well.

The bad: Overall, I'm not impressed. I see why they are considered one of the best of that era, and I find them more tolerable than others in this genre, but it's just not for me. The lyrics are not for me.

One of the greatest albums of all time. It's aged well, it was well produced, and it's culturally relevant. It demonstrates exactly what make WTC so special. Their collaboration makes them a super group.

Now this is some top shelf hip-hop right here. Now, I bet I'd appreciate it more if I was into hip-hop, but even so, this is some good shit.

De inspiratie voor het album kwam van de films Enter the Dragon en The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, wat we vooral merken aan de veelvoorkomende zwaard-geluiden. Beide films staan in de 1001 movies. Ik dacht nog even eerst die films eens te pakken, want het album is mij al wel bekend en wellicht doen die films iets aan de beleving. Ik vond echter zo snel geen legale versie van de films in een taal die ik versta. Dat haal ik dan later maar in.

Dus hop, naar het album. Hier twijfel ik nogal over het aantal sterren. Er zijn elementen die ik verschrikkelijk vind en er zijn elementen die ik waardeer. Het laat zich natuurlijk wel raden wat ik dan verschrikkelijk vind. Het meest exemplarisch zijn puberale tips over onder andere een praktische manier om noten te kraken.

Als we intro's en de samples uit de films weglaten blijft een vrij kale begeleiding van de raps over. Toch komt het veelal vrij creatief over. Dat geldt ook voor de verschillende eigenzinnige rap-stijlen. Eigenlijk is de stijl van een Ol' Dirty Bastard vaak niet om aan te horen. Maar de afwisseling die zoiets brengt doet wonderen. Als eigenzinnige rapper komt Method Man het sterkst naar voren. Ik zou zelf zeggen dat hij op dit album meer tot zijn recht komt, dan op zijn eigen album Tical. Dat laatste album heeft weinig in deze lijst te zoeken, evenals de albums van solo-leden Ghostface Killah en Raekwon. Door deze albums wel op te nemen komt het album van vandaag minder tot zijn recht.

Inmiddels ben ik bij het einde beland en stuit ik op de conclusie. Ik pik hem er even uit, omdat de dubstep-achtige beat wel heel fijn en modern klinkt. Het steekt wat af tegen de rest van het album, en tegelijk is het weldegelijk een soort samenvatting van het album, met én de verschillende rapstijlen én de verbinding in woord van de andere titels.

Al met al heeft Wu-Tang op een toegankelijke manier een geheel eigen geluid weten te brengen. Iets wat altijd mijn extra waardering krijgt.

Back in the day, me and Tahgs used to go to the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet in the Bristol Center Mall.
This album is like that buffet - ridiculous quantities of intense, powerful nuggets that are all really delicious even if they basically taste the same. Everything is hardened and crispy, and covered with spicy sauce that will kill you if you have too much in one sitting. You feel amazing when you’re in there, even though you know you shouldn’t really be here … you don’t belong here - you’re far too delicate and don’t really have the fortitude for what is being done to your body. You’re way too soft to exist in this world for more than a short time.
As you get deeper and deeper into the album … err… buffet, it all starts to taste the same and you know you’ve had enough, but you’ve paid the entrance fee and you can’t quit now, so you stick with it. Thank God that you do, because dessert is the best part … the last few tracks bring it all together, like that delicious soft serve machine at the make-your-own sundae bar in the back corner.
The Buffet in the Bristol Center Mall is long gone, but Wu-Tang is forever. Protect Ya Neck and check you cholesterol.

Proper classic hip-hop this, never gets old.

I think the album starts and end phenomenally, but a couple of songs in the middle don't live up to the rest. A high, maybe harsh, 4.

3.75

Not the worst but not the best.

Old skool classic

I really like hiphop beats - the music has a great groove and the skill of putting samples together in a way that creates a whole new sound but simultaneously sounds like it never could have been anything different, is so impressive to me - but I find it so hard to connect with the lyrics, especially in this era.

For me, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Method Man are just miles ahead of the rest in terms of being fun to listen to, even it they aren't technically the best rappers.

I can't be arsed with skits. It's like every rapper in the late 80s/early 90s was a frustrated action movie actor and this was their only outlet.

This would be a 3.5 if I had half marks, but as it is, it's getting a 3.

3/5

This is probably my favorite hip hop album, easily my favorite from this era. The fact that a whole ass group of people collaborated on this is amazing. The lyricism, the beats, the samples. Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothing to fuck with.

I'm usually always impressed by old school hip hop, but this was not doing it for me. There was nothing clever about the lyrics, every song sounded the same, and the production was very poor. I'm surprised they have as many fans as they do. I can't even name one song that I liked the best because they were all so mediocre.

Some albums are so good they change your taste in music.

Some albums are so good you remember where you were when you first heard them. (The good old days the good old days)

Some albums are so good that, the world around you disappears and it feels like you’re in a movie.

Some reviews are so cringeworthy and full of hyperbole that you wonder why they’re not giving 5 stars

I'm disappointed by this. I thought it would be more dynamic, but outside of a few tracks or interesting pieces of production, and a few good rhymes, it's kind of flat. The whole album is weirdly murky.

I'm being generous here. 2.5 rounded up.

Non fa per me

ahhh as much as I enjoy the Wu-Tang concept and personas, 36 Chambers wasn't the all-time classic I was expecting. The Low End Theory dropped two years earlier, and to this day feels like a way more cohesive and timeless NY album.

My enjoyment here comes mainly from RZA's production, plus the charmingly lofi recording quality typical of early 90s east coast rap albums. That raw sound, plus the group's energy, make for ideal workout music -- so I guess it DOES have a place in my rotation. In the broad hiphop landscape though, it's far from my fav pick.

Standout: CREAM