Wu-Tang - A Better Tomorrow (12/2/14) - Album Discussion Thread(Stream)

[thatdude]

I think 8 Diagrams deserves more credit than it gets. It's not a great album, but Meth killed every single verse he spit. And it had some excellent songs - Stick me for my Riches, Campfire, Heart Gently Weeps.

On a second listen, this album is ok, and I like some of the songs, but nothing really stands out that much at this point.

 

[We Major]

Nearly finishing my first listen of the album, first couple of listens are usually to get used to the sound of the album for me. I can't pick many faults out of the production so far, RZA did his thing. Maybe some parts will annoy me further on down the line but I can only so far.

 

[SoulController]

ok, I have a Big Horn update

apparently the thing wasn't programmed right, no one has one that plays the full track. its basically a 1 minute snippet then cuts out, not intentionally its a 3 minute plus track

the company that makes it is trying to release an mp3, but who knows

 

[deeznutz]

^^^ this is true. My girl bought me the speaker as an early xmas gift and the track fades out midway through cap's verse after u-gods. I emailed them like wtf and they are working on a "solution" I toldthem to just drop the track for DL. I'll hook y'all up if that even happens

 

[FlyRy]

will not be able to peep this until tomorrow

 

[nieman]

And I'm still being patient until Tuesday. HA!! I'm tryna get that old school tear of the plastic feeling

 

[ZEB WALTON]

been lookin at what people been thinking of this album. teh elitist nerds over at ughh.com aint feeling it so i wrote this review for them.

1) ruckus in b minor - great track. everyone gave this shyt props when it dropped. this is the best 9 man track theyve done since the jump off. ghost been offbeat on tracks before, do i need to name them? gzas part is ill as fukk. 4.5/5

2)felt - vintage wu style, 97 esque.good track. not my fav here but its enjoyable. good verses. 3.25/5

3) we will fight - at first it thru me off. but it sounds like some sampled kung fu shyt. def not my fav shyt by far... but meth fukking glides over this. rza and gza kill it.its a fun hook wit 2 ILL verses by meth and rza. reminds of kung fu shyt def. 2.5/5

4) mistraken identity - sick intro wit singing/background talkingi seen someone shyt on here saying its a repetitive hook? the beat changes on every single verse. solid verses from everyone. hook by streetlife. songs solid as fukk. if you like wu tang you should like it. not every song these guys drop is an automatic classic like its 36 chambers/lifes work but i like this song a lot. 3.5/5

5) hold the heater - rza starts it off sick. best use of bong bong yet ha. bring the ruckus esque hook. rza KILLS it. 3.75/5

6) crushed egos - vintage wu tang. the only track with only 2 people - rae kills it/rza finishes it off. im super impressedd with rzas rapping. hes stepped it upfor this albu. beat changes over raes verses ill. basically a rae solo til rza drops a good verse. hook is ill, best one so far. 4.5/5

7) keep watch - songs unfairly hated on. the beat is vintage math/wu. they flow over it perfectly. most old school sample/wu sounding track yet. FIRST NATHANIAL APPEARANCe. yea listen it aint what we used to, but i hear hooks like this on the radio all day. i know yall too cool for the radio but it sounds like every other modern day r n b hook. i aint mad at this song at all. soing bangs. meth/deck/capp/gza over an upbeat sped up soul banger? 4/5

8)Miracle - the most controversial track here. i see people say its garbage cause of the hook. but i say this, the hook is to give the vibe of an opera/play aka mafioso shyt hence Killas verse. the beat is the opposite of the hook and when deck drops you get that OLD WU FEELING. This is an all time classic wu track/ Noone else could make this song.killa basically confirms what i thought about thi song being basically a new age mafioso rap song. EVERY VERSE IS GREAT.

and ghost comes ina nd drops a "impossible"-level verse over some bugged out new school shyt. This is what I wish wu would sound like all the time in 2014 IMO. the hook works, this shyt is so wu tang. 5/5

9)preachers daughter.. same vibe as Old Man from killas album. Its not the type of wu i like but I think the beat is funky and theres some cool verses. ghosts shyt sounds good in particular. the return of tekitha... if od was on this wilding itd prolly come off better. This reminds me of dirty in a way. im mixed because i like the verses for what they are, but the vibe is nto what i wanna hear from the wu really. it fits in the album tho sound wise. i just like my wu over darker shyt. 2.5/5

10)pioneer the frontier - vintage rza beat. most old sounding wu track here. its a good song but its still growing on me. i like the hook. deck verse is my fav, but they all are top notch 3.75/5

11)necklace - idk how anyone could hate this. kung fu hook , greta verses from everyone and a liquid swords sounding gza verse . he just sounds great on this. one of the best songs on album. 4.5/5

12) ron o neal - i like this song mroe now than i liked the single. the beat works via the album. it sounds way better than it did. the weak point is the hook. meth drops a top tier verse and the beat is great. reminds me of some bulletproof wallets era rza. 3.5/5

13)a better tomorrow (2) - my fav song off the album. this is classic wu tang. sampeld hook like can it be so simple. classic verses like teh original a better tomorrow. meth killa capp and rae drop awesome verses. knowledge dropping track. def wu forever esque. this is the music they need to be making in 2015 5/5

14)Never let go - starts with a classic eerie kung fu intro - wish theyw oulda made a beat outta that but the never let go song itself is ill. actually one of my fav beats on the album - i dont like they used the "repeat song title" in verses thing twice with felt and this. This oen if better than felt. 4/5

15) family reunion - i fukk with this song. again has taht same light hearted vibe as preachers daughter. feel good track. killa meth and ghost are awesome on this. wu tang is for the children song 4.5/5

 

[ZEB WALTON]

and my final ranking for wu albums is this

1) wu tang forever 5/5
2) 36 chambers 5/5
3) the w 4.5/5
4) a better tomorrow 4/5
5) 8 diagrams 3.5/5
6) iron flag 3/5

 

[ZEB WALTON]

@SoulController , you by chance have mp3s of the recent wu tracks thats dropped. shyt like execution in autumn, 6 directions of boxing, and unorthodox?

 

[nieman]

So Street is only on a hook? DIZZAMN

 

[nieman]

I actually think that 8 Diagrams doesn't have a wack song on it. it just has very few standout tracks, if any. Iron Flag is a compilation. Leftover tracks from every which way just thrown together; there's no cohesiveness.The W is a great album until Conditioner just takes me out of it. It would've been classic if not for the guest appearances.

 

[Diunx]

Allah let me lay in your arms
Hold me like a newborn, sing to me the most sweetest song
The exalted, the most benevolent
The knower of all, keep me safe 'till I return back to your residence
This Earth, my place of birth
As time went through the ages it got worse
Sicknesses, beheadings in Syria
Ebola's killin' my people, it's gettin' scarier
Most foods ain't even real, the chip is here
Deadly fluids bein' released, contracted through air
Dear God, it's been a minute since I cried out
Since mama died, I never wild out
We need help like the phone's 'bout to die out
Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?
We need a miracle
Destroy the FDA for holdin' back cures so they can get paid

This verse is fukking beautiful brothers, Ghost fukked around and dropped another Impossible

 

[ZEB WALTON]

Can anyone get me CDQ of these songs UNorthodox, 6 Directions of Boxing, Execution in Autumn? are there any other semi new wu tang songs out there not on this album. This is what i ripped off youtube but people need to hear this.

Wu-Tang - Unorthodox Produced by RZA (I cut out JD Era). Someoen get me the CDQ and ill redo this better
http://www8.zippyshare.com/v/31768020/file.html

 

[ZEB WALTON]

And I can say this, this album lacks those stand out WU CLASSIC tracks that they are known for. Most of the album is good but the real wu classics are

A Better Tomorrow: "Miracle", "A Better Tomorrow", "Necklace", "Ruckus in B-Minor".

8 Diagrams: "Campfire", "Gun Will Go", "Stick Me 4 My Riches", "Heart Gently Weeps"

Iron Flag: "Yall Been Warned", "Babies", "Iron Flag", "UZI"

The W: "Careful", "The Jump Off", "I Cant Goto Sleep", "Chamber Music", "One Blood Under W"

Wu-Tang Forever: "Triumph", "its Yours", "Impossible", "A Better Tomorrow", "Heaterz", "Reunited", "Bells of War", etc depending on who you ask

36 Chambers: "Can It Be So Simple", "CREAM", "Protect Ya Neck", "Tearz", "Da Mystery of Chess Boxin" "Wu Tang Aint Nuttin to fukk Wit", "METHOD MAN", "BRING DA RUCKUS" "Shame on a nikka" AKA WHOLE ALBUM

The 93-97 run was like 75% CLASSIC material. Nowadays you get tracks that are cool but not CLAAAAASSSIC. Im always happy to get new wu classics or new wu songs all together, Im just happy A better tomorrow has a buncha good songs inbetween those classics. Iron flag had trash pretty much (sans a few others) between the classics.

 

[Oztradamus]

Album isn't that bad... Way better than I expected.. I still have to give it a few more spins..

So far it sounds way better that 8 Diagrams, not better than Iron Flag though.