Reviews - Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't/The Amazing Assaf

Renaissance Man Review

Artist:   The Amazing Assaf
Album:    Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't
Date of
Release: 2002
Label:    Kaboom Records
Cat. No.:
ASIN:
Country:
Genre/s: Popular
Sub-
Genre/s: Hip Hop
Type:     Studio
Time:     53:24
Date of
Review:   2003/12/29
Web site: http://www.theamazingassaf.com

Purchasing Info!

Damned If You Miss This...

Released in 2002, The Amazing Assaf's second album, "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't", like its predecessor makes you forget any preconceptions about contemporary Hip Hop you might have had. Again, no loops, no sequencers, samples, drum machines or the like, but real instruments, all played by the Amazing Assaf himself. And again, real grooves too, strong, cool grooves and beats mixing Hip Hop with elements of funk, Latin, even Rai, Rapso and steel pan. No mere gimmicks and effects for their own sake here. Instead there's the Amazing Assaf blend of inventive creativity, ideas, adventurism and genuine, even outstanding, musicianship. As with "Explicit Lifestyles", the lyrics on "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't" can actually be clearly, distinctly and easily understood, and again are of the same high quality without solely depending on explicit profanities.
Having practically redefined the Hip Hop genre with his first album, The Amazing Assaf continues to amaze with "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't". It is again much, much more than merely a "thinking man's" Hip Hop. This is music that has something to say and does so articulately and eloquently, and that in the process remains accessible and eminently listenable-to. Jazz and classic rock influences are clearly discernable in the Amazing Assaf's cool, laid back percussion style, with Zappaesque influences particularly evident in the lyrics. The drumming and other percussion are as tight and inventive as ever, but you really wouldn't expect anything less from probably the greatest percussion phenomenon on the British scene.
"Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't" is again a thoroughly consistent album with no weak tracks, always fresh and refreshing with loads of wit and style. Original and always surprising with something new or unexpected, this fine album is at once if anything even a touch more experimental, as well as a somewhat more mature effort than its already excellent predecessor. As its title might suggest, the opener "Hip Hop Hoo Rai" is a subtle blend of Hip Hop and Rai with some fine guitar work and riffs. "A Waste Of Space" provides a strong contrast with its strongly progressive rock influenced groove and beat, not to mention lyrics and vocal arrangement. Yet more contrast follows in the form of the witty and even humorous "Funky Bella", and again in the slightly darker "Bad, bad World". "My Love" is almost a tender love song and wickedly witty both lyrically and musically. A rage-against-the-machine affair, "Politically Incorrecta MC" is no less wickedly witty. It's real wicked, in the street-lingo sense, but then, so's this whole amazing album by The Amazing Assaf. "Welcome To The XXX AA" cleverly - and without trying to be clever - focuses the attention wholly on the lyrics with its subtle and subdued groove. Heavy rock leanings again come to the fore with "Something Better", real cool guitar solo and great lyrics and vocals too. Rapso and steel pan touches define "Tickle Me And Giggle", with a superb and beautifully restrained, understated synth pan part that sounds remarkably realistic and percussion that could have come straight out of one of the best "engine rooms" (percussion section of a steel band). "Strictly Hop" is distinguished by its driven beat that leaves you breathless. A feverishly dreamy instrumental reprise of the groove of "My Love", "My Love (Chaos Theory Remix)", leads to the title track and closer, "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't". Its lyrical acoustic guitar groove contrasts strongly with the lyrics, among the most thought-provoking on this album.
It would be extremely difficult not to like this superb album by The Amazing Assaf. Each track on "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't" would make for a great single, too, and would give some real meaning to the charts other than "this sh*t sold x-number of copies to all the musically deaf and blind suckers out there" that is the only meaning left in them. If you thought Hip Hop was all loops and sequencers and boring and monotonous, grab this album and let it show you a whole new musical experience. If you are a Hip Hop fan already, grab The Amazing Assaf's "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't" and discover what real genius can do with this genre.
Currently putting the finishing touches to his third album, to be reviewed here as soon as it comes off the presses, The Amazing Assaf usually also maintains a busy gig schedule with his band consisting of Assaf himself on lead vocals, percussion and guitar, Theo Scipio on bass guitar and backing vocals, ace multi-instrumentalist Koby Israelite on drums, and Limmie Snell on beatbox, lead and backing vocals. They can usually be heard in all the top London Hip Hop clubs and other great venues mainly in and around the London area, so keep a look-out!

© 2003, 2004 Renaissance Man/Rainlore. All rights reserved.

Track List:
1. Hip Hop Hoo Rai (The Amazing Assaf) - 6:23
2. A Waste Of Space (The Amazing Assaf) - 4:40
3. Funky Bella (The Amazing Assaf) - 3:20
4. Bad, bad World (The Amazing Assaf) - 5:09
5. My Love (The Amazing Assaf) - 3:04
6. Politically Incorrecta MC (The Amazing Assaf) - 4:09
7. Welcome To The XXX AA (The Amazing Assaf) - 4:30
8. Something Better (The Amazing Assaf) - 4:42
9. Tickle Me and Giggle (The Amazing Assaf) - 5:38
10. Strictly Hop (The Amazing Assaf) - 3:16
11. My Love (Chaos Theory Remix) (The Amazing Assaf) - 2:54
12. Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't (The Amazing Assaf)- 5:39

Credits:
The Amazing Assaf - all instruments and vocals

PURCHASING INFO:
Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't can be purchased:
Direct from the artist
Possibly also
From Jewish Music Distribution UK

All images used on review pages and artists pages kindly supplied by the artists and/or their record companies, unless otherwise stated. All such images are copyright their respective owners, and all such copyrights and/or other intellectual rights hereby acknowledged.

|    Home    |    Jewish Music Page    |    Steel Pan Page    |    Other World Music Page    |    Jazz Page    |    Classical Music Page    |    Other Music Page    |    Artists' Pages    |    The Guzikow Archives    |    Links    |    Contact    |
|    All CD Reviews    |    All Live Music Reviews    |    Other Music Reviews    |

	`Artist: The Amazing Assaf` `Album: Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't` `Date of` `Release: 2002` `Label: Kaboom Records` `Cat. No.:` `ASIN:` `Country:` `Genre/s: Popular` `Sub-` `Genre/s: Hip Hop` `Type: Studio` `Time: 53:24` `Date of` `Review: 2003/12/29` `Web site: http://www.theamazingassaf.com` `Purchasing Info!`
	Damned If You Miss This... Released in 2002, The Amazing Assaf's second album, "*Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't", like its predecessor makes you forget any preconceptions about contemporary Hip Hop you might have had. Again, no loops, no sequencers, samples, drum machines or the like, but real instruments, all played by the Amazing Assaf himself. And again, real grooves too, strong, cool grooves and beats mixing Hip Hop with elements of funk, Latin, even Rai, Rapso and steel pan. No mere gimmicks and effects for their own sake here. Instead there's the Amazing Assaf blend of inventive creativity, ideas, adventurism and genuine, even outstanding, musicianship. As with "Explicit Lifestyles", the lyrics on "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't" can actually be clearly, distinctly and easily understood, and again are of the same high quality without solely depending on explicit profanities. Having practically redefined the Hip Hop genre with his first album, The Amazing Assaf continues to amaze with "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't". It is again much, much more than merely a "thinking man's" Hip Hop. This is music that has something to say and does so articulately and eloquently, and that in the process remains accessible and eminently listenable-to. Jazz and classic rock influences are clearly discernable in the Amazing Assaf's cool, laid back percussion style, with Zappaesque influences particularly evident in the lyrics. The drumming and other percussion are as tight and inventive as ever, but you really wouldn't expect anything less from probably the greatest percussion phenomenon on the British scene. "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't" is again a thoroughly consistent album with no weak tracks, always fresh and refreshing with loads of wit and style. Original and always surprising with something new or unexpected, this fine album is at once if anything even a touch more experimental, as well as a somewhat more mature effort than its already excellent predecessor. As its title might suggest, the opener "Hip Hop Hoo Rai" is a subtle blend of Hip Hop and Rai with some fine guitar work and riffs. "A Waste Of Space" provides a strong contrast with its strongly progressive rock influenced groove and beat, not to mention lyrics and vocal arrangement. Yet more contrast follows in the form of the witty and even humorous "Funky Bella", and again in the slightly darker "Bad, bad World". "My Love" is almost a tender love song and wickedly witty both lyrically and musically. A rage-against-the-machine affair, "Politically Incorrecta MC" is no less wickedly witty. It's real wicked, in the street-lingo sense, but then, so's this whole amazing album by The Amazing Assaf. "Welcome To The XXX AA" cleverly - and without trying to be clever - focuses the attention wholly on the lyrics with its subtle and subdued groove. Heavy rock leanings again come to the fore with "Something Better", real cool guitar solo and great lyrics and vocals too. Rapso and steel pan touches define "Tickle Me And Giggle", with a superb and beautifully restrained, understated synth pan part that sounds remarkably realistic and percussion that could have come straight out of one of the best "engine rooms" (percussion section of a steel band). "Strictly Hop" is distinguished by its driven beat that leaves you breathless. A feverishly dreamy instrumental reprise of the groove of "My Love", "My Love (Chaos Theory Remix)", leads to the title track and closer, "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't". Its lyrical acoustic guitar groove contrasts strongly with the lyrics, among the most thought-provoking on this album. It would be extremely difficult not to like this superb album by The Amazing Assaf. Each track on "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't" would make for a great single, too, and would give some real meaning to the charts other than "this sht sold x-number of copies to all the musically deaf and blind suckers out there" that is the only meaning left in them. If you thought Hip Hop was all loops and sequencers and boring and monotonous, grab this album and let it show you a whole new musical experience. If you are a Hip Hop fan already, grab The Amazing Assaf's "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't" and discover what real genius can do with this genre. Currently putting the finishing touches to his third album, to be reviewed here as soon as it comes off the presses, The Amazing Assaf usually also maintains a busy gig schedule with his band consisting of Assaf himself on lead vocals, percussion and guitar, Theo Scipio on bass guitar and backing vocals, ace multi-instrumentalist Koby Israelite on drums, and Limmie Snell on beatbox, lead and backing vocals. They can usually be heard in all the top London Hip Hop clubs and other great venues mainly in and around the London area, so keep a look-out! © 2003, 2004 Renaissance Man/Rainlore. All rights reserved.
	Track List: `1. Hip Hop Hoo Rai (The Amazing Assaf) - 6:23` `2. A Waste Of Space (The Amazing Assaf) - 4:40` `3. Funky Bella (The Amazing Assaf) - 3:20` `4. Bad, bad World (The Amazing Assaf) - 5:09` `5. My Love (The Amazing Assaf) - 3:04` `6. Politically Incorrecta MC (The Amazing Assaf) - 4:09` `7. Welcome To The XXX AA (The Amazing Assaf) - 4:30` `8. Something Better (The Amazing Assaf) - 4:42` `9. Tickle Me and Giggle (The Amazing Assaf) - 5:38` `10. Strictly Hop (The Amazing Assaf) - 3:16` `11. My Love (Chaos Theory Remix) (The Amazing Assaf) - 2:54` `12. Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't (The Amazing Assaf)- 5:39`
	Credits: `The Amazing Assaf - all instruments and vocals`
	PURCHASING INFO: Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't can be purchased: Direct from the artist Possibly also From Jewish Music Distribution UK
	All images used on review pages and artists pages kindly supplied by the artists and/or their record companies, unless otherwise stated. All such images are copyright their respective owners, and all such copyrights and/or other intellectual rights hereby acknowledged.