With each of its first three albums,
A Tribe Called Quest
seemed to be on its way to bigger and better things, artistically and commercially.
Beats, Rhymes and Life
promptly ended that streak and still ranks as the group's most disappointing listen. Amplifying the bare beats-and-bliss of
The Low End Theory
but erasing the hooks of
Midnight Marauders
,
simply wasn't a compelling record. In fact,
sounded bored through most of it -- and, to put it bluntly, there wasn't much to get excited about either. Previously so invigorating and idea-driven,
Q-Tip
and
Phife
strutted through their verses, often sounding confused, hostile, and occasionally paranoid (check out the battle tracks,
"Phony Rappers"
"Mind Power"
). Meanwhile, the skeletal productions offered little incentive to decode the lyrics and messages, most of which were complex as expected. Though several other tracks had solid productions (like the spry, bass-driven backing to
),
saw
making its first (and only) significant misstep. (Constant touring off the success of
may have been a factor.) Yes, they were still much better than the vast majority of
alternative rappers
, but it seemed they'd lost their power to excite. One of the few successes was a surprising
R&B
crossover called
"1nce Again"
(featuring
Tammy Lucas
). ~ John Bush