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Eric B. & Rakim|Gold

Gold

Eric B. & Rakim

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Before Gold was released in 2005, only two Eric B. & Rakim compilations were readily available. 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection contained 11 tracks, shortchanging anyone who wanted more than the most-known classics. And then there was Classic, a European set so numbskulled that it depicted Eric B. and Chuck D on the back of its sleeve. (The bonus disc that came with early copies of Rakim's The 18th Letter, which did a better job than either release, doesn't really count, since it was rather limited and not a separate entity.) Gold, a double-disc package, bills itself as being definitive, but it's far from it. Alternate and extended mixes, along with a stray radio edit and a couple inexplicable clean versions, when added up, are more numerous than original mixes -- so that means hardcore fans will benefit most, right? Well, not if they gobbled up all of the alternates through the various editions of Paid in Full and Follow the Leader. The most regrettable track that suffers the ill fate (not ill meaning good but ill meaning bad) is "Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em": the "Clean UPSO Mix" is no match for the devastating original, an under-recognized touchstone for the RZA's early production work, with suffocating breakbeat pressure, funk guitar licks worthy of Public Enemy, and pulse-raising keyboard trills. While the definitive versions of "I Ain't No Joke," "Follow the Leader," "Microphone Fiend," "Lyrics of Fury," and "Don't Sweat the Technique" are provided, the truly definitive Eric B. & Rakim compilation has yet to be made.

© Andy Kellman /TiVo

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Gold

Eric B. & Rakim

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1
Eric B. Is President (Album Version)
00:06:17

Marley Marl, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 1986 The Island Def Jam Music Group

2
I Know You Got Soul (Album Version)
00:04:43

C. Simon, ComposerLyricist - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - JAMES BROWN, ComposerLyricist - Bobby Byrd, ComposerLyricist - Clarence Haskins, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Charles Fred A. Bobbit, ComposerLyricist - Rakim, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Grady thomas, ComposerLyricist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Dewayne Williams, ComposerLyricist - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.

3
I Ain't No Joke (Album Version)
00:03:52

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.

4
Paid In Full (Seven Minutes Of Madness - The Coldcut Remix)
00:07:08

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Raine Shine, Mixer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.

5
My Melody (Original Mix) Explicit
00:05:56

Marley Marl, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - M.C. Shan, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Patrick Peter Adams, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - P.J. "Dyna-mix" Smith, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.

6
Follow The Leader (Album Version)
00:05:34

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - BOB JAMES, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - "Lazer" Mike Rhodes, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Stevie Blass Griffin, Unknown, Other - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 1988 UMG Recordings, Inc.

7
Microphone Fiend (Album Version)
00:05:13

Alan Gorrie, ComposerLyricist - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Owen McIntyre, ComposerLyricist - Roger Ball, ComposerLyricist - Steve Ferrone, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - "Lazer" Mike Rhodes, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Stevie Blass Griffin, Unknown, Other - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 1988 UMG Recordings, Inc.

8
Lyrics Of Fury (Album Version)
00:04:10

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - "Lazer" Mike Rhodes, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Stevie Blass Griffin, Unknown, Other - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 1988 UMG Recordings, Inc.

9
Put Your Hands Together (Fon Force Mix)
00:05:27

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - "Lazer" Mike Rhodes, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Stevie Blass Griffin, Unknown, Other - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Fon Force, Remixer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 1988 UMG Recordings, Inc.

10
The R (Remix Edit)
00:03:24

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., Producer - Dave Dorrell, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - C.J. MacKintosh, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Rakim, Producer

℗ 1988 Geffen Records

DISC 2

1
Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em (Upso Mix) Explicit
00:06:11

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., Producer - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - Rakim, Producer

℗ 1990 UMG Recordings, Inc.

2
No Omega (Extended Remix Version)
00:05:21

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - Rakim, Producer - Bret Lover, Remixer, StudioPersonnel

℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.

3
In The Ghetto (Extended Mix)
00:06:13

Mark Morales, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., Producer - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - Mark Rooney, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Rakim, Producer

℗ 1990 UMG Recordings, Inc.

4
Run For Cover
00:04:49

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., Producer - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - Rakim, Producer

℗ 1990 UMG Recordings, Inc.

5
Mahogany
00:04:37

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., Producer - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - Rakim, Producer

℗ 1990 UMG Recordings, Inc.

6
What's On Your Mind (House Party II Rap Theme) (Extended Vocal Version)
00:05:21

Eric B., ComposerLyricist - Bobby Lovelace, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - Rakim, ComposerLyricist - Boaz Mc Wade Watson, ComposerLyricist - Melvin Arthur Gentry, ComposerLyricist

℗ 1991 Geffen Records

7
Rest Assured
00:03:35

Eric B., Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - Rakim, Producer, ComposerLyricist

℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.

8
What's Going On
00:03:51

Eric B., Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - Rakim, Producer, ComposerLyricist

℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.

9
Juice (Know The Ledge) (Main Mix) Explicit
00:04:00

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist

℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.

10
Casualties Of War (Radical Radio Edit)
00:04:08

William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., Producer - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Rakim, Producer

℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.

11
Don't Sweat The Technique (Album Version)
00:04:21

Eric B., Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, MainArtist - Rakim, Producer, ComposerLyricist

℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.

Album review

Before Gold was released in 2005, only two Eric B. & Rakim compilations were readily available. 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection contained 11 tracks, shortchanging anyone who wanted more than the most-known classics. And then there was Classic, a European set so numbskulled that it depicted Eric B. and Chuck D on the back of its sleeve. (The bonus disc that came with early copies of Rakim's The 18th Letter, which did a better job than either release, doesn't really count, since it was rather limited and not a separate entity.) Gold, a double-disc package, bills itself as being definitive, but it's far from it. Alternate and extended mixes, along with a stray radio edit and a couple inexplicable clean versions, when added up, are more numerous than original mixes -- so that means hardcore fans will benefit most, right? Well, not if they gobbled up all of the alternates through the various editions of Paid in Full and Follow the Leader. The most regrettable track that suffers the ill fate (not ill meaning good but ill meaning bad) is "Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em": the "Clean UPSO Mix" is no match for the devastating original, an under-recognized touchstone for the RZA's early production work, with suffocating breakbeat pressure, funk guitar licks worthy of Public Enemy, and pulse-raising keyboard trills. While the definitive versions of "I Ain't No Joke," "Follow the Leader," "Microphone Fiend," "Lyrics of Fury," and "Don't Sweat the Technique" are provided, the truly definitive Eric B. & Rakim compilation has yet to be made.

© Andy Kellman /TiVo

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