Cold Crush Brothers Albums (2)
'Cold Crush Brothers vs. Fantastic Romantic 5'
Release Date 1/1/1998
Tracks 10
Label Charlie Chase
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The second (official) live Cold Crush tape to surface, this one earns classic status not because it's the best that's ever been heard, but because it's the best-sounding -- and the only one coming straight from one of the sources: DJ Charlie Chase. He offered it as a way to beat the bootleggers (and finally earn some proceeds himself), also explaining in the intro, "I cleaned up the vocals and recut the beats." As dangerous as the word "recut" sounds, this battle tap really is a classic (and if parts were redone, they certainly don't reveal any artificial sources). Chase gives plenty of time to the Cold Crush (it's possible he didn't even have the Fantastic Five section on tape), who take up nearly all of the 45-minute disc. Though a few tracks are crammed front to back with line after line of dizzying, single-cadence old school rapping, it's clear that the Cold Crush were masters of keeping the beat going at their frequent club dates. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This live album is low quality by most sonic standards, but it is one of the only ways one can hear hip-hop as it was originally performed before DAT machines rendered the DJ a mere ornament who occasionally "scratched" over pre-recorded tapes during live performances. Further, it captures a moment in time when hip-hop was party music, before Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" opened up the possibilities for more reality-based raps. One can feel the energy in the interaction between the MCs and the audience who chanted to the looped beat created by the DJ spinning two of the same records, alternately returning each record to the beginning of the breakbeat in a seamless fashion. ~ Kembrew McLeod, All Music Guide
