Search - Buck 65 :: Secret House Against the World

The Contradiction

Georgia | Toronto, Canada | 11/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
What North American culture lacks right now is celebration of the individual. We live in a world of conformity.



Buck 65 challenges this convention.



I have never heard anything like this before. There is nothing more contradictory than a guy who sounds like a white farmer with the vocabulary of a well-educated intellectual, the language of a poet and the rhythm of a rapper. His music is impressionistic, absurdist and fearless.



I have two confessions:

1. When I first heard Buck 65, I hated him.

2. I am now addicted to Buck 65. I get irritable and go into withdrawal.



Also I have a personal vendetta against conformity. And Buck 65 is an inspiration.



"

Some artists truly leave their mark whether noticed or un-no

eternal now | mankato | 07/24/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Secret House against the World is my first forray into Buck 65, and I have to say that this is one of the most intriguing and artistic albums I have ever heard. And the fact that it is coming from an emcee makes it even more amazing. The musicianship on this album isn't that particularly complex, and it doesn't have to be, its stunningly simplistic and beautiful. Obviously a throw back to the artists influences, I believe this is Buck's chance to show the world that he is not just a "rapper", but rather an artists in general. His creative force is supreme on this album and I would highly recommend this to everyone. There is a huge country influence on this album, more of the classic country(think highwaymen), and creates a sort of melencholy sound which is beautiful. Of course there are hip hop influences such as turntables and tight beats and the occasional flow, and folk influences and indie rock. Buck also displays his Canadian heritage through the French language, and being a Canadian myself, I really feel this. A must own in my books, but one that may fall on deaf ears, especially those who only have tastes for mainstream and pop hip hop and pop rap."

The most inventive yet

alexliamw | Oxford | 11/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Buck 65 just keeps reinventing himself with every new album, and 'Secret House Against The World' is perhaps the ultimate reinvention, with not a single track really describable as hip-hop (though it remains an influence). Buck's vocal style evolves a lot, continuing its pattern of becoming less and less like rap and more like beat poetry, with his voice getting deeper compared with his early work, and even with some singing this time. Almost every track takes a totally different direction, and a couple of nowhere near anything else he's done before. The lyrics continue to be superb. Because they're all so different, it's worth taking each track seperately:



Rough House Blues: A surprisingly effective blend of Cash-like black country (all cancered vocals, blues piano and insistent percussion) and hip-hop scratching.



Devil's Eyes: Angular chamber-pop, complete with vocodered sung vocals, jerky guitars and punchy strings.



Le 65isme: Insane - sounds like Gang of Four colliding with futuristic French electro.



The Suffering Machine: Dark folk, with a haunting, female-sung chorus.



Surrender To Strangeness: An inventive blend of a slightly more hip-hop-like beat, violin-and-piano landscapes, and a folky element.



Kennedy Killed The Hat: Totally unlike anything he's done - dizzying bass-heavy electro. Would go down a storm in an alternative club.



The Floor: Haunting piano with a beat-poet like delivery, pitch-black lyrics. Suddenly morphs towards the end into a beat that could have come off 'Square', with banjos and strings on top.



Blood Of A Young Wolf: An aching, heartbreaking track complete with lonely banjos and spaced-out guitar strums, featuring some of Buck's best lyrics.



Drunk Without Drinking: Sounds very similar to the Talkin' Honky style, but with a sung chorus that evokes everything from classic blues to Beck.



Blanc-Bec: A tribute to 80s metal (!), but needless to say its turned into something much trendier, with an electro influence.



Corrugated Tin Facade: The closest to a hip-hop track: could probably have fit onto 'Square'.



Drawing Curtains: A diversion into trip-hop! The heavily sexual interaction of whispered male and female vocals against a dark, rhythmic background and strings recalls Tricky very strongly.



Devil's Eyes (Piano): A French version against spiky piano. Sounds exactly like Tom Waits in this form."