Niggy Tardust
Saul Williams’ new album, “The Inevitable Rise Of Niggy Tardust” was released yesterday online in a similar fashion to the last Radiohead album a few weeks back. I’d heard a bit about this and being a fan a Saul’s and it’s notorious producer Trent Reznor, well I was pretty much sold before even hearing it. I paid the five bucks knowing it was going to a deserving artist and that many middlemen were being cut out of this transaction. Yesterday the download link arrived in my inbox and I give it a spin. I am impressed, very impressed. I did cringe a little when I seen there was a cover version of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” on the tracklisting but it turned out to be a good track. The album has a great energy to it and even though I don’t like to compare music so much to others, sometimes it is the best way to describe it. So this album has a combination of the best elements of Jimi Hendrix, NIN, Ministry, Gill Scott Heron, NWA , Public Enemy, Faith No More to name just a few flavours I hear here. But all in all this is Saul. My top 3 on this are Break, WTF? and No One Ever Does. But that’s likely to change! I recommend this.
Also check out his open letter to Oprah on his myspace blog for a look into the inspired mind of Saul Williams. These are profound words from a great human being and it has received an influx of positive comments and well wishes. Read it and keep.
Big up to the man, the poet.
