Saul Williams has recently jumped in popularity largely due to his song, List of Demands, providing the spot on background for the new Nike Sparq Training commercials {see youtube}. That song hails from a 2004 effort Saul did, entitled simply Saul Williams (iTunes), and I must say the rest of the album is far and away terrible. It never approaches the driving brilliance of this one wonderful shining moment.
mp3 : Saul Williams - List of Demands (Reparations)
However, all is not lost in the career of Mr. Williams. He recently released a free download album consisting of covers. You might still be able to download the album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust, and the from his website {here}. Below are my favorite two tracks from the album. He takes an interesting look at a NIN track as well as one of the most famous U2 songs of all time.
mp3 : Saul Williams - Gunshots by Computers (NIN Cover)
mp3 : Saul Williams - Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2 Cover)
When I first heard the NIN cover I had to quickly check my sources as I could’ve sworn this was a track from the old Rage Against the Machine days. The U2 cover is also well done. It’s obvious Saul has the musical talent to make great music, maybe he lacks the creativity and/or writing habits to make his own album full of winners.
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Saul Williams’s roots are in spoken word poetry and hip-hop, not necessarily musical composition or songwriting. As a long-time Saul fan, List of Demands is one of my LEAST favorite tracks on his eponymous album because it is too poppy and not in the vein of raw hip-hop/poetry work that he is so gifted and known for. Saul was crowned the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe Grand Slam Champion way back in 1996.
and it’s that exact quality about saul that makes me least like him as a standalone artist. his music lacks a sense of musicality and instead drifts too much toward spoken poetry.
Addressing your statement that “it’s obvious Saul has the musical talent to make great music”, unfortunately, Trent Reznor actually produced most of the Niggy Tardust album (his vocals can even be heard on Sunday Bloody Sunday), so the musical side is more collaborative than Saul’s sigular talent.
i agree almost completely with you, but you should not disagree with me when i say that “black stacey” is by far his best track other than “list of demands”. right?
Nothing to comment on this artist except I have no idea why you’re blogging about him.
oh yeah, and his website is freaking cool.
i blog cause i like the music. that is all.
Amethyst Rockstar was far superior to the eponymous album. I haven’t seen the Nike advert, but List of Demands (followed by Black Stacey) are definitely the two best songs on that album.
The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust isn’t a collection of covers… Sunday Bloody Sunday was the sole cover on the initial collection of 15 songs… The recent iTunes download and the upcoming CD release added the NIN remix Gunshots By Computer that Saul did for the NIN remixed CD…
The Inevitable Rise is consistently creative and certainly worth a solid listen.
Cheers!