Buck 65 Albums (8)
'Secret House Against the World'
Release Date 6/28/2005
Tracks 13
Label Buck 65
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Talkin' Honky Blues'
Release Date 1/1/2003
Tracks 18
Label WM Canada
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It's accepted practice to regard Buck 65 as a hip-hop artist, but there's very little in common between most modern hip-hop and Talkin' Honky Blues -- the album title itself is a dead giveaway. Instead of jazzy or funky backing tracks, most of the tracks here crib heavily from country, which is where the "honky" comes in: this is the sort of thing that Buck 65 grew up with and what influenced him. Lyrically, the material is very much of a sort -- old cars, old trash, old boats, and Buck's old man -- and in the end the whole thing is more reminiscent of Tom Waits for the hip-hop crowd, or at the very outside, a beat poetry album with hip hop beats. That's because there's a lot of time spent on the words; even when you're not quite sure about some of the specifics, Buck has a real knack for drawing a picture, sketching out sketchy characters, and filling out the dark corners of both houses and relationships. There was more time spent on this album than on the earlier releases -- nearly a year instead of the usual two weeks, according to the video found on the enhanced portion of the album -- and Buck actually had a band with him in the studio when these tracks were laid down (instead of relying solely on his turntables and production skills). That extra time and input have paid off. "Wicked and Weird" is told from the perspective of someone who's been on the road too long and plans to be there for a little longer; "Roses and Bluejays" looks at the similarities between father and son, including the good, the bad and the weird; most poignant is "Tired Out," where Buck reflects on the aftermath of cheating on a girlfriend. Buck 65's approach does get samey over the course of the album, though (and really, with seven of the album's 18 cuts revisiting the "Riverbed" theme, maybe variety isn't the intention), making the standouts more like the rest stops along the way. After all, even if you like going on road trips, sometimes you have to pull over to the side for a rest. ~ Sean Carruthers, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After the hype surrounding 1999's Vertex, expectations were high for the next album from one of the most distinct voices in California's Anticon crew, Richard Terfry, better known as Buck 65. Where many artists might have taken this moment of public curiosity to make their music more accessible, Man Overboard is more complex, arresting, and personal than any of his previous records. Recorded shortly after his mother died, this is an album built on heavy emotions, with Terfry's schizophrenic rhymes taking on many personalities to express the pain and regret that he feels. The concept can be both an attribute and a burden; the most personal tracks are thoughtful and touching views into a tortured psyche, while his sarcastic boasts and comedic asides are hard to grasp in the context of the record. This is emphasized by his enigmatic flow, which is purposefully disjointed in order to give his lyrics an uncomfortable heaviness, even when it isn't necessary. Luckily, producer Sixtoo prevents the record from collapsing under its own weight with a set of varied, ambitious beats. Utilizing everything from the intro to Metallica's "Battery" to samples of a philosophical discussion on old age, Sixtoo builds a musical journey that resembles an eclectic mixtape more than a hip-hop record. There are moments where the music seems more imaginative than effective, but overall Man Overboard is a gripping record. Terfry's brutally honest beat poetry is well-matched to Sixtoo's all-over-the-map productions, resulting in the most successful mix of ambition and execution to come from their collaborations. This shouldn't be anyone's first exposure to Buck 65, but it makes for an excellent follow-up to Vertex's minimalist jams. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In spite of sounding like it was recorded in some poorly lit cellar, Vertex is rife with bright flashes of Buck 65's subdued brilliance. Although the overall aesthetic of the record is of a decidedly D.I.Y. flavor (with 65 handling everything from the decks to production duties), it never feels anything less than wholly authentic. Chalk that up to 65's seemingly boundless spectrum of ideas; where other emcees might self-reflexively limit themselves (and their subject matter) to the confines of some predetermined blueprint, 65 gives listeners every neuron in his muddled brainwaves. One minute he's playing the part of a contemplative, well-endowed centaur ("I'm a man but I'm built like a horse from the waist down"), the next he's documenting his real-life baseball team's victory in the 1993 Nova Scotia Provincial Championships. Equally remarkable is Buck 65's adroit turntablism. Here he eschews letter-perfect technique in favor of his own hard-won, tricked-up minimalism; the result is an album that somehow sounds outside (but not ahead) of hip-hop. No doubt, then, Vertex is an inadvertent paean to the possibilities of imagination and innovation. ~ Mark Pytlik, All Music Guide
