Ism and Blues

Track Listings

1. Joker's World

2. Babble On

3. Heels Without Souls

4. Shit We Do

5. Street Dwellers

6. Lil Sumthin

7. L.I. Groove

8. Time

9. Local Hero

10. Gaining Pounds

11. Parkyard Lingo

12. Bust Me Down

13. No Batter Swing

14. Ghetto Diamond

15. Joker's Wild [Next Mix][*]

16. L.I. Groove (Reprise) [*]

Ism and Blues,Hard 2 Obtain,Atlantic / Wea,Hip-Hop,R&B,Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues

Ism and Blues

Tracks:

Chic Mystique
Your Love
Jusagroove
Something You Can Feel
One and Only One
Doin' That Thing to Me
Chicism
In It to Win It
My Love's for Real
Take My Love
High
M.M.F.T.C.F.
Chic Mystique (Reprise)

Album Description

French edition of the influential funk/disco band's 1992 album for Warner Brothers. 13 tracks.

Customer Reviews:

One of the greatest bands of my generation.......2007-07-27

I'm a die-hard Chic fan but let's be honest: the wheels were starting to come off the machine by the time this 'reunion' album was released in 1992, a whole fifteen years after they first burst onto the scene with hits like "Everybody Dance" and "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)". Drummer and original member Tony Thompson isn't on this and neither are vocalists Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin. Keyboardists Robert Sabino and Andy Shwartz had also long since gone, taking with them some fundamental aspects of the Chic sound I'd grown to know and love. With new vocalists Sylver Logan Sharp and Jenn Thomas, and even a rapper(Princesa, who raps on "Something You Can Feel" and "Chicism") on board, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rogers did their damndest to keep up with the changing times but it was essentially a losing battle. At least it was as far as I was concerned.

There are still flashes of the old brilliance though. Tunes like "Your Love", "One And Only One" and "Doin' That Thing To Me" are modern and show progression while still maintaining the essentials of the Chic sound (including the wonderful Chic strings) and the opener, "Chic Mystique" is quite a nice little foot tapper, as is "Jusagroove". All the same though, unless you're either keenly interested in nostalgia or a die-hard Chic fan like me, I'd say give this one a miss. Or to put it another way: it's not that this is a bad album per se; in fact it's pretty good. It's just not essentially Chic and as such, is slightly dated. Unfortunately, while these cats were able to set trends in the late 70s and early 80s, by the early 90s, they simply seemed to be following them.

Their first four albums are simply unmissable in my opinion but after that it's like that old saying: you pays your money and you takes your chances. I had this album on vinyl for ages, still enjoy playing it and just had to get it on CD but like I said, I'm a die-hard Chic fan. Quite frankly, I think they were one of the greatest bands of my generation. Given my love for the band and their sound, and the moments of brilliance I referred to earlier, I have no problem giving this album four stars.

It's Groovilicious!.......2002-07-14

"Chic-ism" was released in 1992 before it ultimately went out of print in the United States. That's a doggone shame because we finally have, after all these years, the reunion of Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards (rest in peace, brother) in one of the most legendary dance acts ever! Next to other then-happening trends, "Chic-ism" may sound old school, but it's certainly not old fashioned. These guys can come up with a groove that's air-tight using REAL INSTRUMENTS and soulful vocals. "Chic Mystique" shines while we're treated to another uptempo number, the flawless "In It To Win It" replete with a slammin' bassline and Nile's trademark guitar. "Doin' that Thing to Me," is also another welcome throwback to the 1970s, and, in a good display of range, they offer the sensual ballad "One and Only Love." But my jam of choice is the infectious "MMFTCF" with its repetive chorus and, again, a good bassline and impressive guitar work. This is hip and happening stuff; it's so hip, P. Diddy is known to often sample Chic's work for his own jams. And it's easy to see why. While Bernard is no longer with us, the legacy of Chic lives on. Quite simply, they were one of the baddest groups around.

Why Chic Fell Off.......2002-04-14

this album illustrates what went wrong with chic. they just couldn't find any way to escape their groove, and they lost their quirk. i loved 'take it off', but this album just sounds old.

buy it if you must. it *is* chic after all. there's some decent stuff to sample if you're working some mixes, but other than that, you won't want to listen to it often.

Reunion.......2001-07-26

After a prolonged absense from the recording scene, Rodgers and Edwards reunited to produce this album. There were several disappointments, beginning with the use of different drummers than Tony Thompson, whose superb work was fundamental to the earlier incarnation of Chic. The use of different vocalists seemed prompted by a desire to attain Blackbox style, belted-out singing. Incorporation of rap breaks also seemed a nod to the prevailing trends. Many of the songs were penned in ways that shared much with the dance scene of the 90's. In all, this project seemed to respond to the trends rather than anticipate or make them.

There were, however, a number of strong tracks. "Your Love" and "My Love's For Real" showed Rodgers' and Edwards' pop sensibilities and ear for catchy melodies. "High" veered toward guitar rock while retaining a funk base, and "MMFTCF" was the strongest of the irritatingly self-referential songs ("Chic Mystique," "Chicism.") Best of all, the Chic elements of old came shining through on the sublime "Doin' That Thing To Me." This song utilized strings, was percussively infectious, and contained the best, breezy lyrics on the disc. Certainly not in league with their peak material, Chicism was a good effort compared to other albums of the time.

Ism and Blues
Average customer rating:

hittin harder than than scud missile, thun!

are you artifacts in disguise??

N.Y.C HIP HOP

A unknow pearl of reel hip-hop

Ism and Blues
Hard 2 Obtain
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music
General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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Lost in Brooklyn

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ASIN: B000008GD8
Release Date: 1994-07-05

Tracks:

Joker's World
Babble On
Heels Without Souls
Shit We Do
Street Dwellers
Lil Sumthing - Hard 2 Obtain,
L.I. Groove
Time
Local Hero
Gaining Pounds
Parkyard Lingo
Bust Me Down
No Batter Swing
Ghetto Diamond
Joker's World [Next Mix][*]
L.I. Groove (Reprise) [*]

Customer Reviews:

hittin harder than than scud missile, thun! .......2005-10-12

these LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK HIP - HOP LEGENDS VIA LAKEVIEW, NEW YORK SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN WAY MORE PROPS THAN THEY GOT AT THAT TIME. THE RHYMES AND BEATS ARE SO ON POINT, YOU COULD THREAD THE LYRICS LIKE A NEEDLE, AND MAKE IT YOUR CLUB OUTFIT AND GO TO ALL THE SPOTS WHERE THESE 3 YOUNG BROTHERS DON'T RHYME - THEY SPIT VERSES THAT VERBALIZE THE THOUGHTS OF THE EVERDAY HOOD. BIG UP TO MY MAN TASTE!!! ---- p-MURDER

are you artifacts in disguise??.......2005-01-19

This is an album that i admittedly slept on back in '94. Big mistake!!! With its horns, jazz loops, scratches+head nodding beats its EXACTLY what i love about hiphop+what i think its lacks so much nowadays. All the mc's are tighter than a chokehold, all the beats are bone crushing and all the tracks are infectious. Imagine if you will (and if you're familiar with) the artifacts with all beats done by the (sd50's) stimulated dummies production crew, who have worked with the likes of brand nubian, grand puba, 3rd bass, DEL, and most recently all of everlast's solo albums. The mc's styles and deliveries are brilliant and 1 mc actually sounds like+flows similar to tame one from the artifacts, who pop up nicely for a feature track, while another mc flows abit like grand puba. With anthemic tracks like "ghetto diamond", "time", "babble on", "jokers world" and "a lil'something" to name a few, it has tracks that everybody can feel. A hidden gem of an album that ive at last discovered. Go get it 'cuz if you dont feel the album you aint feeling real hiphop.

N.Y.C HIP HOP.......2004-05-27

Ism & Blues by Hard To Obtain is a well rounded album,Horns,snares e.t.c typical N.Y.C hip hop & ghetto diamond is the best hip hop/jazz song ever made.

A unknow pearl of reel hip-hop.......2003-04-04

If you want to discover an album really great to hear, go for this one. Coming from the best years of the hip-hop, this album is the perfect exemple of the east coast style. Mix of beats, jazz and soul music, sometimes we are wishing that they gonna use the sample for more than what they did. They create their style and I love it

Average customer rating:

Ism & Blues
Hard 2 Obtain
Manufacturer: Traffic Entertainment
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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Rooftop Soundcheck
Suburban Etiquette
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Street Nigga

ASIN: B000IHXZRU
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Tracks:

Jokers World
Babble On
Heels Without Souls
Shit We Do
Street Dwellers
Lil Sumthin
L.I. Groove
Time
Local Hero
Gaining Pounds
Parkyard Lingo
Bust Me Down
No Batter Swing
Ghetto Diamond
Jokers Wild (Next Mix)
L.I. Groove (Reprise)

Product Description

In early 1994, Hard 2 Obtain caught fire with its smash underground single LI Groove, a tune that affirmed through a Rakim sample that the trio represented New York, from Long Island. On the strength of H20s newfound respect among Hip Hops cypher legions, H2O dropped Ism and Blues to explore three true loves: weed, women, and Hip Hop. The album reflects this triple love affair, combining hazy funk and jazz echoes with a rappers delight format. MCs Taste and DL are B-Boys in the traditional sense, playing off each other nicely with call and response rhymes. LI Groove may be H20s only real claim-to-fame track but Ism and Blues does contain a few other hidden highlights. The horn-heavy Ghetto Diamond is a fortified ode to beautiful women of a Hip Hop persuasion and Heels Without Souls fuses Hip Hop and the R&B-styled vocals of Vinia Mojica (Tribe Called Quest) with some flair. This largely slept-on album also features a guest appearance from New Jersey underground stalwarts the Artifacts and boasts production from the Stimulated Dummies aka SD50s (beatmakers for K.M.D, Brand Nubian, Grand Puba) and Roc Raida (X-Men, X-Ecutioners). The album rooted in jazz, R&B, and an old school Hip Hop aesthetic caught a ripple of popularity with the non-mainstream Hip Hop audience but, rather unfortunately, the threesome were never heard from again, that is until now.

Album Description

In early 1994, Hard 2 Obtain caught fire with its smash underground single 'LI Groove', a tune that affirmed through a Rakim sample that the trio represented ''New York, from Long Island.'' On the strength of H20's newfound respect among Hip Hop's cypher legions, H2O dropped Ism and Blues to explore three true loves: weed, women, and Hip Hop. The album reflects this triple love affair, combining hazy funk and jazz echoes with a rapper's delight format. MCs Taste and DL are B-Boys in the traditional sense, playing off each other nicely with call and response rhymes. LI Groove may be H20's only real claim-to-fame track but Ism and Blues does contain a few other hidden highlights. The horn-heavy 'Ghetto Diamond' is a fortified ode to beautiful women of a Hip Hop persuasion and 'Heels Without Souls' fuses Hip Hop and the R&B-styled vocals of Vinia Mojica (Tribe Called Quest) with some flair. This largely slept-on album also features a guest appearance from New Jersey underground stalwarts the Artifacts and boats production from the Stimulated Dummies aka SD50s (beatmakers for K.M.D, Brand Nubian, Grand Puba) and Roc Raida (X-Men, X-Ecutioners). The album rooted in jazz, R&B, and an old school Hip Hop aesthetic caught a ripple of popularity with the non-mainstream Hip Hop audience but, rather unfortunately, the threesome were never heard from again, that is until now.