Revolutions (The X-Ecutioners album)

Last updated
Revolutions
Revolutions.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 8, 2004
Recorded2003-04
Genre
Length51:37
Label Columbia
Producer
The X-Ecutioners chronology
Scratchology
(2003)
Revolutions
(2004)
General Patton vs. The X-Ecutioners
(2008)
Singles from Revolutions
  1. "Live from the PJs"
  2. "Like This"
  3. "Back to Black"

Revolutions is the third studio album by New York City DJ group The X-Ecutioners. It was released on June 8, 2004, through Columbia Records. Production was handled by members Rob Swift, DJ Total Eclipse and Roc Raida, as well as The Professionals, Matt Stein, Sean C, Dr. Butcher, The Ratt Pakk and Todd Perimutter. It features guest appearances from Aasim, Anikke, Black Thought, Blue Man Group, B-Real, dead prez, Fat Joe, Ghostface Killah, Josey Scott, Rob Zombie, Roc Marciano, Saigon, Scram Jones, Sly Boogie, Start Trouble and Trife Diesel. The album peaked at number 118 on the Billboard 200, number 50 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 24 on the Top Rap Albums in the United States.

Contents

Three singles were released "Live from the PJs", "Like This" and "Back to Back". This would mark Rob Swift's last studio album with the group before he left in 2005 to focus on his solo career. "Like This" was also featured in 2003 video game SSX 3 . "Let's Go", a collaboration with Good Charlotte, was recorded but was not featured on the album. However, the song appeared in 2004 video game NFL Street . [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 63/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly B [4]
IGN 7/10 [5]
RapReviews9/10 [6]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Spin B+ [8]
Tiny Mix Tapes TMT full.svgTMT half.svgTMT empty.svgTMT empty.svgTMT empty.svg [9]

Revolutions was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 63, based on twelve reviews. [2]

Alternative Press called it "solidly entertaining", Splendid — "pretty breathtaking", and Blender critic found that the album "stands on its own, with... an emphasis on beats rather than technical tricks". Neil Drumming in his review for Entertainment Weekly stated: "the X-ecutioners force the ire on their third album, Revolutions, with mixed results". [4] Soren Baker wrote: "these songs are accented by the X-ecutioners' deft scratching and energetic beats, resulting in a regularly exciting and inventive album". AllMusic's David Jeffries resumed: "the just fair pop tracks keep it from being classic, but this is the best the talented team has sounded on record yet". [3]

In mixed reviews, Q magazine reviewer wrote: "amidst all this, the trio's scratching feels peripheral, and when it does take centre stage, is underwhelming". Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone found it "too many forgettable concoctions make this just another so-so DJ mix". [7]

In negative reviews, Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club wrote: "all too often finds X-Ecutioners playing second fiddle to an outsized roster of uninspired guests". [10] Tiny Mix Tapes writer saw it "an extremely boring affair, never building any momentum from the start to finish". [9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Skit 1"  1:58
2."The Countdown, Pt. 2" (featuring Blue Man Group)
  • Robert Aguilar
  • Anthony Saffery
  • Todd Perimutter
  • Darryl Mason
  • James Whipper
  • Kevin Strong
  • Robin Strong
  • Rubin Garcia
  • Theodore Livingston
  • The Professionals
  • Todd Perimutter
1:45
3."Live from the PJs" (featuring Ghostface Killah, Trife and Black Thought) Roc Raida 2:53
4."Like This" (featuring Anikke)
  • Aguilar
  • Saffery
  • Mason
  • Whipper
  • K. Strong
  • R. Strong
  • Garcia
  • Livingston
The Professionals3:23
5."C'mon"
  • Keith Bailey
  • Matt Stein
2:51
6."Skit 2"  2:05
7."Back to Back" (featuring Saigon and Scram Jones)Roc Raida3:08
8."Let Me Rock" (featuring Start Trouble)
  • Luke Walker
  • Aguilar
  • Saffery
  • Andrew Venable
  • The Professionals
  • Dr. Butcher
3:26
9."The Regulators" (featuring Roc Marciano and Sly Boogy)
Roc Raida3:15
10."Space Invader"
  • Aguilar
  • Saffery
The Professionals3:36
11."Old School Throwdown"
Sean C 2:36
12."Get With It" (featuring B-Real)
The Professionals3:29
13."(Even) More Human than Human" (featuring Rob Zombie, Slug and Josey Scott)
  • DJ Total Eclipse
  • Matt Stein
3:58
14."Skit 3"  1:16
15."Sucka Think He Cud Wup Me" (featuring dead prez)
The Ratt Pakk3:40
16."The Truth" (featuring Fat Joe and Aasim)
Sean C3:40
17."Ill Bill"
  • Bailey
  • Stein
  • DJ Total Eclipse
  • Matt Stein
3:59
18."Skit 4"  0:39
Total length:51:37

Charts

Chart (2004)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [11] 118
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [12] 50
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard) [13] 24

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References

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  3. 1 2 Jeffries, David. "The X-ecutioners - Revolutions Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Drumming, Neil (June 7, 2004). "Revolutions". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  5. Durig, Jim (August 13, 2004). "IGN: Revolutions Review". IGN . Retrieved September 17, 2023 via Wayback Machine.
  6. Juon, Steve 'Flash' (June 8, 2004). "X-Ecutioners :: Revolutions – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Hoard, Christian (June 10, 2004). "The X-Ecutioners: Revolutions : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . Retrieved September 17, 2023 via Wayback Machine.
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  11. "X-Ecutioners Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  12. "X-Ecutioners Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  13. "X-Ecutioners Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2023.