Looking for The Roots/The Seed Remix?

March 15, 2005 5:27 AM

I heard a track on the local radio that has the lyrics from The Seed 2.0 by The Roots. It's a track on Phrenology, but the sample on Amazon sounds nothing like what I remember.

I remember an insistent, short, catchy guitar phrase played again and again over vocals that were more soft rock than rap. Does the track change? Have I heard a remix (if so, where can I find it)? And is this otherwise a decent album? Thanks.

posted by andrew cooke to media & arts (11 comments total)

The other songs on the album are not entirely/remotely like The Seed 2.0. I like the album, but was surprised by how different some of the songs were. If you can download i-tunes, you can listen to snippets of other tracks on the album - if I remember correctly, there are more tracks than what are listed on the Amazon site... I haven't heard a remix of the song, so I can't answer that portion.
posted by blackkar at 5:53 AM on March 15, 2005

You may want to seek out Cody Chesnutt's solo album The Headphone Masterpiece, as that sounds like his original solo version without the rap. However try to just find that one track, as the rest of the album leaves much to be desired: (review - written by me)
posted by evadery at 6:23 AM on March 15, 2005

I have heard several versions of this song, and I saw the Roots do it live at a Dem fundraiser -- much 'softer' than on Phrenology. It's hard to sort it out without my teenagers nearby ... but Limewire's got some that are PG-ized. Maybe that's what you heard? Anyway, I like Phrenology but that's its hottest tune.
posted by thinkpiece at 6:30 AM on March 15, 2005

Phrenology is not a bad disc. The Seed 2.0 is definitely one of the big highlights, and there are a couple of other tracks worth seeking out, but I wouldn't call it an essential album. Haven't heard this remix you mention, I will have to seek it out this evening. I could see how the lyrics to the remix might be toned down for radio, and I suppose there is a reason why the album one is version 2.0. Can't be of more help than that, sorry.
posted by Succa at 6:48 AM on March 15, 2005

just to clarify. i don't think the lyrics have been toned down. it's just not straight rap. much more lyrical, pop/rock sound. i suspect evadery may be right, but haven't found a sample from that album yet (though i've not tried very hard, now being at work...).

i scanned the lyrics and, while they're pretty explicit, they didn't seem to have particular "bad words", so didn't think it worth a "nsfw", but, as thinkpiece points out, it could be considered "parental advisory" material.
posted by andrew cooke at 6:53 AM on March 15, 2005

You can find a sample from 'The Seed' from his solo album here. The Roots version is called 'The Seed 2.0' because, in fact, it's the 2nd version of the song, which basically just adds more prolific instrumentals and rap over the original music by Chesnutt. Lyrics are probably not safe for work.
posted by evadery at 7:46 AM on March 15, 2005

we have a winner, folks. :o)

thanks everyone!
posted by andrew cooke at 7:53 AM on March 15, 2005

I'd just like to second evadery's comment that The Headphone Masterpiece was really anything but.

It's one of those albums that somehow manages to critically review very well, but it doesn't really hold up to much listening. It sounds exactly like what it is, a guy recording some tracks in his bedroom.
posted by icey at 11:04 AM on March 15, 2005

ah. a late challenge from a lurker.

if there appeared to be some dissonance here (ie it seemed to everyone else like i was talking rubbish) it's because, as the wonderful jeff prout points out, the amazon samples don't match the song names. so the sample i was listening to didn't sound like the same track because, well, it wasn't.

in fact, the correct sample sounds exactly like what i remember. so it is on phrenology.

well, it makes sense to me. thanks jeff!
posted by andrew cooke at 2:49 PM on March 15, 2005

hmm. link to sample failed to work. it's labelled as track 8, break you off.
posted by andrew cooke at 3:10 PM on March 15, 2005

Just to add a dissenting voice rather late in the game and rather off-topic: I really dig The Headphone Masterpiece. Not a masterpiece, for sure, but very very cool, in a lo-fi, genre-spanning way. I think it shows immense promise, and I strongly recommend it.

I was just listening to it today, in fact!
posted by Dr. Wu at 6:34 PM on March 15, 2005