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Artist : Fire Ball
Album Title : 999 Musical Express
Styles : Dancehall Reggae
Label : Toshiba EMI / Mighty Crown Entertainment
Reference Code :
TOCT25685
Released : 2005/06/06
Running Time : 56:14
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REVIEW >>> What made Fist and Fire dissapointing was it's lack of direction and fresh ideas and most likely the lack of studio time that would have helped to polish the tracks. 999 Musical Express improves over their last album by introducing fans to better singles this time around with "Kit Hit Karman" being the best single from the group since their alltime classic album Book Of Life in 2003. Fire Ball is best known for their unbelievable chemistry in the studio with each member complimenting each other's voices, if they are given enough time to work on their new material. Upon signing to Toshiba EMI along with the whole Mighty Crown family in the end of 2003, Fire Ball has been forced to release 1 album per year by the so called "industry standards" that is one of the biggest reasons for low quality releases from so many talented artists today. If you think the situation is bad in America with a new single from the likes of 50 cent every few months then you've seen nothing yet. In Japan it is possible for commercial acts now to go through a process which makes them release around 1 single, remix or mini album per month plus the occasional 5 dvd's in few months to accompany them. Fortunately this is still something that only happens with the most commercialised acts that excludes the likes of Fire Ball but what is a Culture Universal review without some political insight of the music world today. Back to the subject and 999 Musical Express. As mentioned Fist And Fire came across as a very uninspirational release last year but with 999 Musical Express, Fire Ball bring some of their finer qualities back with more thought and well what else than better music all the way. While not on the level of their first two albums, 999 still meets some expectations of the fans and comes across a standard quality follow up to their classic album. Let it be said that albums like Book Of Life are only released every 5 years on a global scale which speaks for the albums quality but nevertheless the most of 999 Musical Express is quality and overall the tracks are much better than on the previous album. However the album is not exactly filled with anything memorable either but at least the album gets better the further you listen which is a fine quality in any album with today's standards. To the fans of more roots reggae influenced material it should be said that the new release contains mostly dancehall tracks with maybe 1 or 2 exceptions but the album is still well balanced and you won't get bored listening to it from the beginning to the end no matter which style of reggae you prefer. Production on the album is nothing extra-ordinary but it gets the job done without making you sleep during the album and it also keeps you away from the fast forward button most of the time but now always. The album overall could have gained from more studio time no matter what, which is something that labels should start realizing in the coming years unless they want to bring back the 1 hit wonders from the 80's and hire me as one of them (i'll bring my own wig, free of charge). I could use the money, obviously. When the album works like it's supposed to it's a pleasure for the ears but there are moments when it's obvious that some of the songs had to be rushed to make the deadlines which usually shows in some of the songs that rely on the catchy hooks alone and leave the verses sounding really thoughtless. Filler tracks do not necessarily ruin an album that runs 75 minutes long because there is much to enjoy but when it happens with an album which is fairly short as 999 Musical Express (55 minutes) then it hurts the overall listening experience because the album falls very short if you get the need to fast forward all of the sudden. It all comes down to the bottom line which is if you still for some weird reasons haven't bought Book Of Life by Fire Ball then do yourself a favor and buy it first but if you already own it then i can definetely recommend this album as a fine addition to your reggae collection. Rating : Words By : Jesse Viinikainen |
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02. 999Rulaz 