The Roots - "Game Theory" is the new album coming out from the Roots.

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The album is released on August the 29th officially and is doing the download thing as we speak. It really feels like a step away from their older stuff; that is to say it's a lot more rocky, but not always 100% successful.

On first listen no track has grabbed me as it was with previous Roots albums. Hopefully it's a grower.

― Don Rowlando (Sam Rowlands), Monday, 17 July 2006 10:14 (nineteen years ago)

What do you mean by it's"doing the download thing"?

― Makkada B. (Makkada B.), Monday, 17 July 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)

It's available to download from various torrents and the like illegally. That's how i've heard it but I'll perchase the album when it's released I really like to support bands I enjoy.

― Don Rowlando (Sam Rowlands), Monday, 17 July 2006 11:53 (nineteen years ago)

Hopefully it's as good as their last album The Loud Family.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 17 July 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

I'm sure Scott Miller is a huge fan.

― Don Rowlando (Sam Rowlands), Monday, 17 July 2006 14:44 (nineteen years ago)

No one's twisting his arm...

― jeremiah (jeremiah), Monday, 17 July 2006 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

Man did they fall off after _Things Fall Apart_.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 00:40 (nineteen years ago)

fwiw, I've already spent more time with game theory than their last two records combined. Actually I think it might be better than things fall apart.

― Sydney124 (Sydney124), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 01:09 (nineteen years ago)

The Roots do rock music. somehow i think if TVOTR did hip hop they would do a lot better in comparison.

The Roots live ruined the Roots. Without ?uestlove and Hub, they would be = to Black Eyed Peas, IMO

― micarl (micarl), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 04:53 (nineteen years ago)

?uestlove is one dope drummer confirmed by Dave Chappelle's block party

― micarl (micarl), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 04:55 (nineteen years ago)

The Roots live ruined the Roots. Without ?uestlove and Hub, they would be = to Black Eyed Peas, IMO

DOES NOT COMPUTE

― the doaple gonger (nickalicious), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:01 (nineteen years ago)

I mean, are you saying they would be BETTER OFF if they WERE = BEP? Because...no.

― the doaple gonger (nickalicious), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

there's so much ignorance regarding the roots on this thread.

why you all got to be so ignorant regarding the roots?

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

Future Roots album titles:

Freakonomics
Guns, Germs and Steal
A Brief History of Time
Rich Dad, Poor Dad

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:50 (nineteen years ago)

(haha, awesome typo on my part)

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

hey that guy who was on the drugs is back! i always liked that guy.

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

Malik is back!? Hooray!

― the doaple gonger (nickalicious), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 14:30 (nineteen years ago)

I love Malik, but I'm getting to hate Black Thought and Roots-rock.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 14:36 (nineteen years ago)

I still love Black Thought. I think I like him better outside of The Roots though. Some Roots-rock songs are excellent ("Guns Are Drawn"). Some Roots-rock songs are PAINFUL.

― the doaple gonger (nickalicious), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 14:52 (nineteen years ago)

the seed is the bestest. cody chestnutt should join the band - they need to bee sexified.

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 15:39 (nineteen years ago)

Yes I love the Phrenology album out of everything the Roots have ever done, i think it's the most solid album they've produced, certainly it's the one i've enjoyed most out of all their work. On second listen, especially when played loud, I can feel the album growing on me slowly but surely, but there seem to be a lot of these painful tracks and less of the splendid ones.

― Don Rowlando (Sam Rowlands), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

If I think Phrenology is their worst, will I like this one?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 17:31 (nineteen years ago)

^I dunno you might do.. ha ha that was probabily the most vague answer I apologise.

― Don Rowlando (Sam Rowlands), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 22:02 (nineteen years ago)

Is okayplayer going to reissue "Lolita Nation"?

― 100% CHAMPS with a Yes! Attitude. (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 22:45 (nineteen years ago)

I prefer Game Theory as the name of the act rather than the name of the album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 22:48 (nineteen years ago)

I mean, are you saying they would be BETTER OFF if they WERE = BEP? Because...no.

No. I'm saying without ?usetlove and Hub they would be shit. Like BEP who haven't released something decent since BEP Empire and Weekend.

Early, Jazzy Roots and even the Tipping Point are great. But live, they try to pull off the rock band thing and it's simply horrible. If this album is in that direction, i don't even want to hear it.

― micarl (micarl), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 00:23 (nineteen years ago)

Then we are in agreeance! I sometimes...misread things.

― the doaple gonger (nickalicious), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 01:54 (nineteen years ago)

phew, what a relief

― micarl (micarl), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 03:21 (nineteen years ago)

Roots live was terrible. 5 minute electric bass solo anyone? Looking forwards to this tho.

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 08:04 (nineteen years ago)

It's no where near as Rocky as their live shows, but it's probabily the rockiest album i've heard from them.

― Don Rowlando (Sam Rowlands), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:16 (nineteen years ago)

The solution is obvious: whomever owns the Game Theory masters should compile a greatest hits album called The Roots. It even works thematically!

― mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:33 (nineteen years ago)

worst roots album by miles.

― rtccc (mwah), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

I used to really, really love them live, back when I hadn't seen them do the exact same set ONE JILLION TIMES.

― the doaple gonger (nickalicious), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 20:00 (nineteen years ago)

To be fair though, I will probably still enjoy their sets, because I am a hippie drunk.

― the doaple gonger (nickalicious), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 20:00 (nineteen years ago)

the idea that this is somehow a "rock" album makes me wonder if you are all fucking insane.

― david allen grier (dubplatestyle), Monday, 24 July 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

their live performances are more rock than hip hop. it only seems natural they would make an album they can play live and people will expect them to be shit

who ever said they would be as bad as bep if it weren't for ?uestlove and hub - nail - head. hub and ?uestlove look so bored when they play live with the roots

― parrot (micarl), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 00:11 (nineteen years ago)

Nah they're just pros.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 02:04 (nineteen years ago)

?uestlove IS The Roots. For the most part. I would assume that, whatever it is they're doing (live, studio, whatever), if they're doing it, it's because that's what Ahmir wants them to be doing.

― Vornado (Vornado), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 12:21 (nineteen years ago)

To be fair though, I will probably still enjoy their sets, because I am a hippie drunk.

i seen 'em twice, both in the hippiest, drunkest scenes imaginable.

1. College in the northeast: SUCK CITY. Oh man, they sucked.
2. Free show at the X-Games, in Aspen (shut up, I used to live there): pretty good, actually, presumably because it was a Big Event, televised (maybe?), and they couldn't really phone it in. Also, I was drunk and acting like a hippie.

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 12:33 (nineteen years ago)

Well it's Rocky for a rap album, if you get my drift.

― Don Rowlando (Sam Rowlands), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 13:23 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.onlinesports.com/images/ssg-urm-16a.jpg

if only.

― deej.. (deej..), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 15:37 (nineteen years ago)

x-post If you're going to fall apart after any album, it might as well be after "Things Fall Apart" (which = super classic, and remains one of the best *sounding* albums I've ever heard)

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 17:12 (nineteen years ago)

P.S. More future Roots albums:

"Invisible Man"
"The Ancestor's Tale"
"Fast Food Nation"
"The Known World"
"The Executioner's Song"
"A Confederacy of Dunces"
"Democracy in America"
"The Jungle"

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 17:22 (nineteen years ago)

one of the best *sounding* albums I've ever heard)

Agreed, it's kinda ridiculous how good it sounds.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

xpost you forgot "And Their Eyes Were Watching God"

― M@tt He1geson: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)

The Roots' Inferno

― the doaple gonger (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 18:16 (nineteen years ago)

mike a, that's one of the best ideas I've heard.

― matt riedl (veal), Wednesday, 26 July 2006 00:58 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Track 3 is pretty hot, it sounds like a Just Blaze beat. The rest is eh, but it's better than the last two records. It's basically "?uestlove's School of Studio Drumming"!

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 03:37 (nineteen years ago)

the review on www.spinemagazine.com was pretty on point i think

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 09:15 (nineteen years ago)

It's the first Roots album I've really liked!

― Andy_K (Andy_K), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 12:03 (nineteen years ago)

the review on www.spinemagazine.com was pretty on point i think

"It’s quite harmless, lightweight, effervescent and set to put smiles on kids' faces with its half-hearted stabs at a poppier aesthetic that they’ve never really been able to pull off."

err is he talking about the same muggy drudge i heard?

― rtccc (mwah), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 12:53 (nineteen years ago)

What I've heard so far seems like an improvement on The Tipping Point. I think the title track is pretty great actually. I still wish they had better rappers - the last time I really dug a roots track was Double Trouble with Mos Def on it.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 02:52 (nineteen years ago)

Whoa - I just realized that Scott Storch played keys on Do You Want More?

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 02:53 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, the title track is the only one I put on my iPod. The record doesn't really work for me, but ?uest is pretty inspiring throughout.

Whoa - I just realized that Scott Storch played keys on Do You Want More?

And Josh Abrams played bass, and from what I can tell he's kind of an avant garde/chamber jazz dude in Chicago now.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 03:53 (nineteen years ago)

Really? Yeah Josh Abrams is on the Sam Prekop solo stuff and Brokeback and shit like that.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 04:10 (nineteen years ago)

Josh Abrams is from Philly, IIRC.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:39 (nineteen years ago)

Josh Abrams was The Roots' original bassist, in fact I think he was an original Root in the bass/drums/Black Thought trio days, back when they were The Square Roots.

BTW the more I listen to it, the more I think this is probably my favorite Roots album. At the very least, they finally made an album with a good ending. A REALLY good ending.

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

I get the impression that the "Here I Come" drum track was recorded with one mic in a garage full of old newspapers with the preamp cranked just to clipping.

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:47 (nineteen years ago)

More thoughts:

- totally unexpected keyboard craziness
- the STRINGS
- Dice Raw and Malik B should be on all Roots songs
- the closing weirdo synth riff is a reprise of the J Dilla rhodes intro (I think), nice touch

But:

- Black Thought has now used the "[blank] on [blank] like Charlton Heston" rhyme in TWO songs, which is too many

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

This is good. Like, really good. Side A great for driving home at night after working light, Side B great for waking up early the next morning and driving back to work while the sun rises (these were the conditions under which I first heard the album, and probably have a lot to do with how much I enjoy it).

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

er, that should be "after working late", obv

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 15:35 (nineteen years ago)

I actually prefer this to "Things Fall Apart", maybe because 1999 isn't 2006. Agreed that they finally stick the landing, but I think I ranted about that in another thread. What's really so great is the momentum that builds through this album. The songs flow into each other and just when they wear out one idea, they jump right onto the next one. And it's filled with details, which are really appreciated after the first several listens. It's obvious they spent some time sculpting this thing.

― cosmo vitelli (cosmo vitelli), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 17:57 (nineteen years ago)

Black Thought has now used the "[blank] on [blank] like Charlton Heston" rhyme in TWO songs, which is too many

The whole "I do [blank] like [blank]" is overused in hip-hop in general.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:21 (nineteen years ago)

It's basically "?uestlove's School of Studio Drumming"!

Can't the world find a better use for that guy? He's fucking amazing! I mean does he do much outside of Roots and backing Jay-Z? Maybe there's stuff I don't know about.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:28 (nineteen years ago)

Not really. He does the odd producing gig (Nikka Costa, Common) and side project, but I don't think he does a whole lot of drumming for other people.

Oh wait! He had a couple tracks on Fiona Apple's record, and sounded pretty much like any other studio dude.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:43 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.thecrusade.net/gallery/images/gallery_133/PIC00067.jpg

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:46 (nineteen years ago)

?uest is every bit a good producer as he is a drummer. This is so lame of me, but I want to hear him produce a record for some sort of ROCK GUY.

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:49 (nineteen years ago)

Good ?uestlove side project = Philadelphia Experiment.

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:50 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think it's that good. :(

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

Me neither. I don't really like that pretentious jazz keyboard dude on that record in general. I forget his name. He's the one that did that jazz Mahler disc that I also didn't like.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:53 (nineteen years ago)

Uri Caine! No he's actually good...although i can't remember what it is i like him on. I think maybe Don Byron's "Bug Music" or a Dave Douglas album? He's sort of a go-to modern pianist guy in jazz.

― deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:55 (nineteen years ago)

But yeah Philly experiment's pretty boring, like Soulive.

― deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 20:55 (nineteen years ago)

Uri Caine's pretty good with Dave Douglas, yeah, but I don't love him or anything. Philadelphia Experiment is pretty jammy, and ?uestlove sounds kinda funny on the straight-ahead track with his ultra-dry sound.

Come to think of it, he's really loosened/livened up his drum sound since then. He sounds hot on his dn'b cover of 'Morning Bell'!!

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 21:02 (nineteen years ago)

?uest's has effin' CHOPS. Remember his funk on D'Angelo's _Voodoo?_ Absolutely head-exploding stuff.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 21:49 (nineteen years ago)

Whoa - I just realized that Scott Storch played keys on Do You Want More?

what... the... FUCK.

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

Haha, that was seriously where I first heard his name, and then I was surprised when it started popping up on huge productions.

Remember his funk on D'Angelo's _Voodoo?_ Absolutely head-exploding stuff.

OTM.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 21:56 (nineteen years ago)

what... the... FUCK.

From AMG:

Biography by Jason Birchmeier

Scott Storch's knack for laying down dazzling keyboard lines led to a burgeoning career as a musically blessed producer by the early 2000s after aligning himself with production duties for high-profile rappers such as Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes. Long before Storch was crafting entire tracks for superstar rappers, he was a humble keyboardist. He contributed to mostly forgotten Philadelphia-area efforts such as Schoolly D's Welcome to America (1994) and G. Love & Special Sauce's self-titled debut (1994), yet his humble contributions to a then low-profile, indie-label debut album by another Philadelpha act ended up being his path to success. This particular album happened to be the Roots' Organix (1993), an album that led to a major label deal for the Roots, solidifying Storch's role as keyboardist for the group. Yet as the years passed and his reputation grew as the talented keyboardist in America's premier live hip-hop "band," Storch began extending his reach, taking on production opportunities. His big break came when his keyboard riff laced the mammoth lead single to Dr. Dre's comeback album, "Still D.R.E." Working alongside Dre obviously had its pluses, and soon Storch found himself co-producing the lead single to Xzibit's Restless album, "X," and getting the opportunity to produce three tracks for Snoop Dogg's Tha Last Meal. In subsequent years he became one of the rap industry's most reliable hitmakers, up there with the Neptunes, Kanye West, and Lil Jon among the industry's most in-demand hired hands. Some of his best-known productions include Terror Squad's "Lean Back," Mario's "Let Me Love You," 50 Cent's "Candy Shop," and Beyoncé's "Naughty Girl."

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 22:21 (nineteen years ago)

I thought like every bio published circa "Lean Back" mentioned this!

― deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 22:44 (nineteen years ago)

I never read any of them though. To be honest, I've never been blown away by a Storch production, so I never bothered to learn much about him. I mean he makes good tracks, but not great ones, IMHO.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 22:56 (nineteen years ago)

?uest drummed on a Joan Osborne record I assisted on. M'Shell Ndegeocello (sp?) played bass. The two of them warming up before the session was fire. Both also really cool, funny people. The resulting JO track not so hot, especially because it was mixed to sound like any ol' rhythm section was involved.

?uest brought his own kit, tuned it just so and it sounded PERFECT.

― Jay Vee's Return (Manon_69), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 23:07 (nineteen years ago)

when i first took notice of scott storch the producer, i thought "what?! the guy from the roots??"

i was under the impression the Questlove gets around, moreso live than in the studio.
from wikipedia:

Besides being the drummer for The Roots, ?uestlove has also lent his talents to other artists, projects, and productions.

He was the drummer for The Philadelphia Experiment, a collaborative instrumental jazz album featuring musicians from Philadelpia, released on Rope-a-Dope Records in 2001 and the DJ of the compilation ?uestlove Presents: Babies Making Babies, released on Urban Theory Records in 2002. He also served as executive producer for D'Angelo's 2000 album Voodoo, Slum Village's album Fantastic, Vol. 2 and Common's albums Like Water for Chocolate and Electric Circus. Besides the aforementioned albums, he has also contributed as a drummer or producer to Erykah Badu's Baduizm and Mama's Gun, Dilated Peoples Expansion Team, Blackalicious' Blazing Arrow, Bilal's 1st Born Second, N.E.R.D.'s Fly Or Die, Joshua Redman's Momentum, and Zap Mama's Ancestry In Progress, among others.

that misses the DJ Krush collabo, and probably some others.

xpost

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 23:16 (nineteen years ago)

'long time' 1 of the tracks of the year

― and what (ooo), Monday, 25 September 2006 02:56 (nineteen years ago)

"Game Theory" one of the albums of the year.

― always crashing in other people's cars (kenan), Monday, 25 September 2006 23:36 (nineteen years ago)

"Long Time" is the track I was talking about with the "waking up in the morning, driving to work while the sun rises" comment. Just such a great, great song. "Positive" hip-hop that doesn't come across as cheesy or preachy.

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Monday, 25 September 2006 23:57 (nineteen years ago)

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