Saul Williams - Amethyst Rock Star

I've listened to Amethyst Rock Star about 40 times already, not really because I like it a lot, but because I want to like it more. I have to say that after interviewing Saul Williams, I'm a little biased and don't really want to say bad things about this album. However, as a human being with very, very strong opinions about music, I have to atleast comment on the obvious flaws. Now, before I get started, I have to tell you all that if this was a score based solely on lyrical content, this album would a get a very passionate 5.0 from me, no contest. Saul Williams just has a way with words that would make anyone feel enlightened by just listening to him speak. I could sit here and quote you lyrics from his album, but I might as well type the whole lyric sheet. Saul Williams is a poet, but this album contains lyrics and he's an amazing lyricist. Yes, there is a difference. My friends and I have discussed on occasion how a singer can really kill a band. Well, in this case, it's the opposite. Williams has no problem carrying out his duties as a vocalist, but it's the accompanying music that fall short. Songs like "La La La", "Penny For A Thought", and "Tao Of Now" cleverly blend hip-hop and drum 'n bass beats. However, those are among the first four tracks on the album. The rest of Amethyst Rock Star falters the deeper you get into it. Well, "1987" and the emotional closing track, "Wine", are exceptions. The rest of the tracks are either unmediated noise accompanied by "spoken word" vocal delivery or trite rock anthems that border on, dare I say it, rap-rock. Clearly Saul Williams is not naïve enough to believe that rap-rock is anything new, so it's just hard for me to swallow. Amethyst Rock Star is an enjoyable listen, but it does loose my interest at times, so I will give it 3.2 manstyle points. Basically, the beginning and end are strong, but the middle sags a bit. The fact that the album is nearly three years old, even though it was released last year, might account for some of the questionable material on the album. Nevertheless, there was amazing music made three years ago, so I can't reward music I think is simply just satisfactory. [www.saulwilliams.com]