Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (March 1, 1995)

God, that is a long-ass name for an album.

When one discusses an artistic act such as the Wu-Tang Clan, said discussion will always highlight various appealing or distracting characteristics of said act. In the Wu's case, one of its main characteristics is their unmatched success as a group at nailing the "comic book factor". What I mean by that is the very nature of the modern comic book is built around various colorful characters that can be used to tell a story both collectively and individually. I mean, just look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Every major comic book publisher has been writing these impressive stories for at least three decades now. All of that refreshing material is built on the healthy diversity of characters in each comicverse and the limitless potential to sink one's teeth into the minute details of every character's story. Enough to fuel OCD obsessions for generations, really.

And that is what the Wu have been able to relay so successfully with their nine original members, their offshoots and the offshoots of their offshoots. For the sake of everyone's sanity, I'll just stop right there. And within all that, it is very hard to argue that there's a character in the whole Wu family tree that is more vivid than the late great Russell Jones bka Ol' Dirty Bastard.

From my point of view, no one believed more in the Wu brand than the three co-founders: Russell and his cousins Gary Grice and Robert Diggs, bka GZA & RZA respectively. And out of those three, ODB was undisputedly the most passionate in his belief. Just YouTube any Wu documentary from their rookie days and simply gaze in awe at how he takes your breath away with his confidence. Everyone else sounded green by comparison, even Mef, while GZA was very calm and calculated with his responses and RZA was babbling incoherently about details of what makes the Wu work. (He may very well be the first nerd in hardcore hip hop.) Not ODB, though. I especially can't forget his expression when he states 'Watch me now.' after describing the early hurdles when shopping their product to label execs.

So, after cultivating Mef to solo career superstardom (because duh), it made sense that the Wu would usher the Big Baby Jesus era next, right? Yeah, on paper. See, ODB's true love for the brand wouldn't be fully understood until you fully comprehend the following: the majority of Russell Jones' life was not spent in a drunken stupor and drug-fueled rampages against the police resulting in him getting fucking blasted on numerous occasions. (incidents he miraculously survived by the way) Confused? This will explain.

Prior to being ODB, Russell was Ason Unique: a very collected, righteous individual who was fiery in being so. Think early Jeru the Damaja x3. Then, Cousin RZA came with the Wu-Tang idea and introduced Ason's role in it: An entertaing madman who will stop at nothing to give the crowd what they want. The rest is well-documented history. Russell flew into this role without a moment's hesitation, even though it stood against everything he believed in prior. And here is where the seeds of his untimely demise were planted, in my worthless opinion. No disrespect to the dead, but there were a million and one ways one could've pulled it off without the destructive behavior. Furthermore, the Wu mythos already had one antagonist in Raekwon, with his lyrical tales of violence flowing out of him till this very day. It definitely did not need to show someone in real life succumbing to the evils of the ghetto to enforce the messages they were trying to relay through their music. 

Naturally, things started to go downhill from the very get-go, as ODB would give worthy contributions to only one Wu album, and the less said about his guest appearances on all the following Wu solos, the better. Hell, every single album of his released during his lifetime, including this very album I'm reviewing here, took miracles to finish. The reason? ODB was too addicted to various substances by this stage to properly function within the group. I must clarify at this time that in no way am I blaming Russell for any of this. Without sufficient help, people with addiction problems have virtually no willpower by themselves and will succumb to them EVERY. FUCKING. TIME. This rings especially true for myself because some of my loved ones have been directly affected by addiction, in one form or another. RIP, Russell Jones, man. RIP. (Side note: DMX, my thoughts are with you and your loved ones. Hope you successfully pull through.)

On to more lighthearted matters, ODB was truly the life of the party everywhere he went, especially when surrounded by his Wu brethren. Check any of their 90s live performances and see if anyone can rein in the tour-de-force that he was. A testament to his vibrant star power during their years on top. To capture all that energy into a 17-track album (Yes, I'm reviewing the CD version. Fuck off.), you need a sonic genius behind the boards. Fortunately enough back then, Cousin RZA was on hand all the time for such a task. And this being the 5-year plan n'all, RZA made sure ODB came out looking as best as he possibly can. So, of course, he decides to let another dude produce his own cousin's lead single. Way to demonstrate unity, RZA. I will admit that Brooklyn Zoo is a masterpiece of a song, though.

After Brooklyn Zoo took off, the world clamored for the drunken one's debut, which RZA decides to give the most unoriginal, needlessly long and overall frustrating name of all the Wu solos during the 5-year plan: Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. Friggin nobody thought that was a tad bit of a mouthful, huh? I will give the Wu props, though, for designing the cover around ODB's welfare card. That truly was a stroke of genius, Bobby.

Shall we dig in?

INTRO
God DAMN, I miss this guy! (Insert crying face here). Normally, I'm not a big fan of skits, but I'll gobble this dude's shit up any day of the week.

SHIMMY SHIMMY YA
RZA blends a sample from the standup king himself, Richard Pryor, with a thumping self-crafted piano loop and sets the stage for ODB to deliver his most quotable verse yet. You will not care that he repeats the verse on the album version because you'll be too busy singing along his lyrics. They're that catchy. Some versions contain extra adlibs that are very entertaining on his part. Love this track!

BABY, C'MON
The Richard Pryor sample ends the previous song and segways into this one seamlessly, where you're presented with a beat that surpasses its predecessor's winning form. It must be mentioned that RZA improves throughout this album upon the sonic accomplishments he achieved on Method Man's Tical in every conceivable way. For his part, ODB sounds as good as ever, with two verses that are as energetic as you can get. Love this track even more than the previous one!

BROOKLYN ZOO
ODB's debut single, Derek Harris bka True Master's debut production and my second-favorite ODB solo performance ever. I'll choose to reveal my favorite at a more opportune time. Note: True Master, along with 4th Disciple, DJ Mathematics and, surprise, full-time Wu general Inspectah Deck comprise the Wu-Elements: a group tutored exclusively by RZA to continue his sound after he concluded the 5-year plan. Y'know, people to pin the blame on just in case someone fucked up behind the boards. Some people might add Goldfinghaz to that group, but I don't dwell too much on it. Of all these guys, True Master might be my favorite. Maybe because his sound is the most melodic out of the bunch, Anyway, here he proves his worth by flipping a single Bobby Ellis note multiple times, rhe result being one of the more hardcore beats in the entire Wu catalog. Trust me, this is some shit Onyx would sound at home on. Pity those guys didn't get to work with ODB before he passed. Speaking of ODB, Many Wu members said on multiple occasions that ODB used GZA's rhymes on many occasions on this album. This song is, I'm very pleased to report, not one of those songs. For those same Wu members attest to the fact that this was the Russell Jones show all the way. And what a show it was! ODB flips out in a single verse extravaganza that ranks with some of the best work any Wu member has done. In short: This my shit right here!

HIPPA TO DA HOPPA
This beat is probably RZA's most complex production to date. Built around some unorthodox keys an a roaring Booker T guitar lick, this was one perfect opportunity for ODB to rip shit. And rip shit he indeed does. My dude went all the way the fuck in with his bars. The best part about this song is the fact that, instead of a hook or a scratch, RZA really fucks with you with his beatswitching. Really done to masterful effect. Again: There is a very valid reason why this album is considered RZA's entry into the elite class of production. I didn't think this before the review, but I'm currently convinced that this beat is RZA's best production on the album.

RAW HIDE (FEATURING METHOD MAN & RAEKWON)
At this point, the only way RZA will surprise you behind the boards is if he utilizes some traceable samples. It just a given now that he will go to ridiculous lengths to keep his sources as obscure as possible. And I wouldn't have it any other way. (Suck on that, Bobby Digital.) Fellow Wu bros Method Man and Raekwon drop by to give the obligatory-yet-refreshingly-organic Wu assist, while ODB miraculously keeps up in terms of consistently giving energetic performances, even though actually getting him in the studio was a fucking chore. Not bad at all. I loved how Mef and Rae sound genuinely excited to spit alongside their brother.

DAMAGE (FEATURING GZA)
OK. Let's get this shit straight out of the way: This is so obviously a GZA solo song. ODB has been unfortunately known to spit Cousin GZA's old freestyles that he burned into memory when drunk off his ass. I present Exhibit A. And yet I still enjoy listening to this song simply because of how much fun these two are having together. Truly heartwarming shit, o' poor soul who's reading this. RZA is also having the time of his life behind the boards as well, mixing up both MCs' voices to sound as if they were spitting the world's hypest rap duet ever. I must say that there are many similar instances on the album that clearly show just how much the Wu loved their wild-ass brother, including this one and Raw Hide

DON'T U KNOW (FEATURING KILLAH PRIEST)
One thing that was very common knowledge about Mr. Jones was that he loved women. I mean, he loved women. There were many instances during live shows where, in the middle of the performance, ODB would grab one of the females and basically grope the shit out of her. Funny thing was, those women went crazy for him every time he did such a thing! So, of course, there was going to be a raunchy sex rap in this guy's album. And, as if starting a trend here, it's not even his rhymes. GZA mentions in an interview that he wrote these lyrics in his teens. And they sure as hell do sound like teen rap lyrics. I shudder to imagine a teenage GZA fantasizing about his teacher. (Insert projectile vomiting here.) Top that with a perverse verse by Walter Reed bka Killah Priest and you've got yourself something to truly abhor. In closing: Yeah, not a fan at all.

THE STOMP
Ah, that's much more like it! And they're Russell's lyrics, too! RZA commemorates the return to gritty rap with a similarly-gritty instrumental for ODB to rock over, which he does in that way that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Furthermore, he bigs up Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg along the way. Gawrsh, that's mighty nice of him. This song will blow out your speakers in the best way possible.

GOIN' DOWN
RZA provides a beat so mean and evil that it would've felt right at home on Tical. Unfortunately, this song is one where ODB just gives up trying to record a proper song, just starting verses then cutting them off and doing basically whatever the fuck he wanted. Even though those lyrics were his, he spits a bar from the previous song, something that almost ruins the experience for me. Fuck it, I'm just happy that he's spitting from his own rap sheet again.

DRUNK GAME (SWEET SUGAR PIE)
The producer of this song is Ethan Ryman. Whoever he is, he deserves to get smacked for OKing this shit. It also lists our host as a co-producer, and while he normally can freak the boards if necessary, I have a hunch that he was too indisposed at the time of this song's making. Anyways, ODB is known for singing his sweet little heart out in the most off-key of performances during shows. While that is awesome in these venues, it sure as shit does NOT mean a song should be made out of such occasions in the studio. If there was one track that did not belong on any album even remotely associated with the Wu, it's this one. Scratch that, I think Black Shampoo has even worse credentials. Ugh.

SNAKES (FEATURING KILLAH PRIEST, RZA, MASTA KILLA & BUDDHA MONK)
You cannot fathom how soothing that kung-fu sample felt after the horse barf that was the previous song. A majestic RZA production follows, one with the chipmunk sound aped so shamelessly behind the boards in the mid-00s by dudes like Kanye West, even though they did come with very interesting results. Well, this is where all them cats got it from. Given that, this would be a surefire knockout right? Well, kind of. See, Killah Priest turns in one of his best performances ever, a harrowing tale of mourning. RZA follows with a trademark blistering Bobby Steels tale. But the song truly goes to Masta Killa's debut performance on a Wu solo. Keep in mind that this is the very first time people heard this guy since his lone scorcher on Da Mystery Of Chessboxin', so it's been at least a year since anyone caught a glimpse of what he can do on that mic. Given the circumstances, I loved the results, where he tells the best tale heard on the song so far. Unfortunately, all the lyrical praise ends here because that is the last tale you hear on the track. What follows is an ODB whose so out of his element that he can't finish his verse. By then, his cousin Buddha Monk (I don't really know if he's also RZA & GZA's cousin because they never mention him otside of an ODB-related discussion.) swoops in and screams some pretty lame adlibs before spitting some bars of his own to try and save the day. Too late, b. I swear, that final Buddha Monk performance is for damn sure a last minute addition. Shame that fiasco happened at the end because the rest of the song is one of the very best Wu posse cuts ever recorded.

BROOKLYN ZOO II (TIGER CRANE) (FEATURING GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
Going into this review, I was extremely divided on what to make of this song. On one hand, you have a smacking RZA beat from the very top shelf and a Ghostface Killah who genuinely sounds like he might combust from waiting to spit alongside his Wu brother before unloading a crazy dope performance. Key word: crazy. And on the other hand, we got ODB jacking GZA's rhymes from Damage wholesale. Not only that, he was so drunk he didn't even finish the verse. RZA then adds insult to injury by playing various snippets from previous songs on the album as if displaying a highlight reel, making the song very unnecessarily bloated. I'll only recommend this track to diehard Ghost stans. Fans of ODB can sink their teeth into much more worthy songs on this album.

PROTECT YA NECK II THE ZOO (FEATURING BROOKLYN ZU & SUNZ OF MAN)
You thought the posse cuts were done? The naivete! RZA once again gives us a beat that'll cave out your chest from a single Willie Mitchell lick that doesn't even last the second. Thankfully, the ODB we get here is wide awake and ready to rumble, and rumble he does. His weed carrier group Brooklyn Zu, made up of his real-life brother 12 O'Clock (by far the most talented member of the group), Buddha Monk (a close second) Murdoc, Zu Keeper and Shorty Shitstain (these three are pretty fucking worthless, especially Shorty Shitstain, who sounds every bit as irritating as his putrid nickname suggests.), are split between impressive performances in 12 O'Clock and Buddha Monk's case, and horrid showings that deserved to be left on the cutting room floor in Murdoc and especially Shorty Shitstain's case. Zu Keeper didn't even make the final cut. Sharing the stage with ODB and his cohorts are fellow Brooklynites Sunz Of Man, in their second showing on a Wu-related project, after their impressive-yet-partial debut on Prince Paul's masterpiece. Killah Priest keeps up his usual excellent standard while Vergil Ruff bka Prodigal Sunn and Frederick Cuffie Jr. bka 60 Second Assassin (Sunz Of Man's ODB-type character) give convincing debuts. Yeah, this was mostly pretty fucking insane in the best way possible. Shorty Shitstain should've never picked up any type of mic. EVER.

CUTTIN' HEADZ (FEATURING RZA)
Unlike Damage, this rap duet between cousin and cousin is entirely organic. A testament to how close these two once were, they bounce off each other seamlessly. Surprisingly, ODB takes the lyrical shine away from his cousin, who feebly attempts to prevail simply by spitting more bars than his partner. This is simply due to the fact that Russell was in his Ason Unique days, and the transformation is jarring, trust me. Remember what Cousin GZA said, Robbie: Make it brief, son. Half short and twice strong. This impressive display is backed by a Thelonious Monk piano loop and Synthetic Substitution. RZA, you do know that there are many equally impressive drum loops out there, right? Oh, who am I kidding? I friggin love Synthetic Substitution. Bring it on, Bobby! This track was the original end of the album.

DIRTY DANCIN' (FEATURING METHOD MAN)
The first of two bonus track on the CD version, this ruined what was supposed to be a perfect ending to this album. In very jarring contrast to the rest of his work on the album, RZA sounds like he wasn't even trying here. I don't care if the beat was minimalist, it has to be good. Fuck that, by Bobby's fucking standards, it has to be goddamn masterful. Instead, we get an instrumental that sounds like one of his demo sessions for the Words Of The Genius bonus tracks he produced. To top it off, ODB was drunk as fuck on this shit, so that leaves Mef as the only one who seems invested in delivering a presentable product to you. Shame, his lyrics were pretty good. As for our host: do I even need to elaborate on whether he was comprehensible or not? I do? Fine. He was too drunk or high or fucking both to finish a thought. Happy?

HARLEM WORLD
The third song on the album not handled by RZA, Big Dore presents us with a beat that you'll forget halfway into this song, which is a shame since ODB finally decides to wake up and spit some venomous lyrics. Hold on. Are you absolutely sure he's awake? Because some of those lyris sound like... God DAMN it, Russell. You used GZA's lyrics again! No, really: In the first verse, he spits the first bars of a very well-known GZA chorus. It doesn't matter that ODB used the lyrics prior to his cousin. Matter of fact, that makes what happened here even worse. See how disappointing that revelation can be?

FINAL THOUGHTS
Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (God, I do not regret using that name merely twice in this review whatsoever.) is, without doubt, the most uneven of the Wu solos during the 5-year plan. And I counted at least five songs that had absolutely no place on the album. I can only imagine how difficult this album was to complete, and therein I give props to RZA for making it sound as seamless as one can possibly get with such material.

Speaking of RZA, I said it in the review and I'll say it again: This album is his production magnum opus. Most of the beats on display here are the most complex, most dense and most unorthodox he's ever done. With the exception of Dirty Dancin'. I said most, didn't I? The rest of the Wu brethren were pretty goddamn stellar here, as their very real appreciation of our host shone through every time they shared mic time with him.

So, how did ODB himself fare, you ask? This, obviously is his best album, bar none. That being said, he varies greatly here between the entertainment legend we know him to be and a guy too hooked on substances to realize what's going on around him. And yes, that has gotten in the way of his artistry many times on this album. Where this guy really shines is on group efforts and live shows, And that is where his legacy is most cemented.

Now, indulge me in the following, if you please: What did ODB's solo debut really accomplish that couldn't be accomplished elsewhere? Entertainment? That can be found in his very-documented live performances. RZA's production savvy? That can be demonstrated on any other Wu album. Establishing ODB as a lyrical wizard? Ason Unique had a much better shot at accomplishing that feat, as you clearly saw in Cuttin' Headz. And I ask: Why, in God's name, wasn't the solo nod given to Inspectah Deck first?

I am not against an ODB album, not in any way, shape or form. But there weren't many Clansmen who were readier than the Rebel, who positively bodied  anyone he shared a track with during that period. Maybe that's why he's missing from this album here. Hell, Masta Killa started dropping incendiary guest verses on Snakes and only got better on the rest of his guest verses during the 5-year plan, so he might've been ready, as well. Although fans might be justified in arguing against him but surely INS had the potential to come up with a masterpiece when directed by a guy who was on fire like RZA was behind the boards then, right?

I thought so.

WORTH IT? I know I came off quite strong in that last part, but this album deserves to be in your collection. It's rare to see a guy like ODB contained in one artistic statement, so when it happens, you should know better to appreciate that shit. Even more so now that he's tragically no longer with us. Once again RIP Russell Jones.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
GIVE IT TO YA RAW
Now this song's omission from the album baffles me to no end. First, we have an instrumental by RZA that is positively majestic in its left-field approach. Second, we have a fully alert ODB who delivers not one, but TWO long-ass verses of demented wonder. You would figure that RZA had the brains to include this instead of his shitty Dirty Dancin' beat. And he could've added Mef here, who could've combined all three of his interrupted verses into one long. impressive showing. We could've had a proper Sub Crazy sequel, dammit! But, y'know, life, right? And we're done

Delve deeper into the vaults of Wu here, and the remainder of ODB's works can be found here.