Search - Ming & Fs :: Subway Series

Pleasing for Ming+FS fans, innovative for everyone else

Mod | USA | 09/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ming+FS have always been a sort of homage for me to the olden days of hip-hop. They do not explicitly talk about how things used to be in the good old days, they actually make music that is LIKE the good old days. I loved Hell's Kitchen and the Human Condition, and this album only further proves their insane versatility. If you're put off by the initial feeling of complete chaos (as I was, I have to admit), give it a few more listens before it sinks in. Ming+FS aren't creating garbage tracks and then passing them off as "party music." This stuff is truly hardcore and bringing it back to the late '80s and early '90s. People who wear velour and fleece suits and talk in forced ebonics need not apply, this stuff is not like any J-Kwon joint. It's cerebral, strange, Amon Tobin-esque, and at times nerve-racking. However, the listener is very often rewarded with just a couple dozen of seconds of pure sonic bliss, the stuff Ming+FS pioneered in "Hell's Kitchen." You can hear the "old" Ming+FS in many tracks, and that's just to show they haven't lost their spark, that the sound is still there and they're only innovating while the rest of the "hip-hop" industry lays empty vocals over pathetic beats (hello, Mase).

The best tracks on the CD are "The Most Dangerous Drip" (and its reprise), "Misdirected", "World Wide", "Nevada", and "One For The Treble." The other tracks are passable, and it's obvious Ming+FS tried to appeal to the entire urban spectrum that they're accustomed to, not just a specific portion. For the headz, this is most definitely an album you should buy and keep, if you already have other Ming+FS albums. For everyone else, buy the new "Back to One", "Hell's Kitchen", and "Human Condition."

Don't discard this album just because you're not used to it, it will grow on you, guaranteed."

Not as good as Hell's Kitchen.....

J. Krumsick | Boston | 01/26/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I do not belive that this represents Ming & FS's true talents and have fallen away from their once beautiful equation. The best song is The Most Dangerous Drip, and it is a mediocre one at that. Unless you absolutly love Ming & FS, I wouldn't recommend buying this cd. If you are interested in this type of music, you should definalty get their older cd (which is MUCH better) Hell's Kitchen."

Junkyard, Junkyard, Junkyard

rubadubshepard | NYC | 09/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first time I listened to Subway Series, I lost my marbles, twice. This album is amazing! Subway Series returns to the Hip-Hop/Drum'N'Bass sound much like their first album Hell's Kitchen. Hell's Kitchen is still one of my favorite CD's,(Since 1999) but I think this one is better than Hell's Kitchen. Quit sleeping and get this album!"