Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Return to the 36 Chambers)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Studio album by
Ol' Dirty Bastard
ReleasedMarch 28, 1995
Recorded1992–1995
StudioRZA's basement studio, New York City
GenreHardcore hip hop
Length59:04
Label
Producer
Ol' Dirty Bastard chronology
Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
(1995) 		Nigga Please
(1999)
Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology
Tical
(1994) 		Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
(1995) 		Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
(1995)
Singles from Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
  1. "Brooklyn Zoo"
    Released: January 21, 1995
  2. "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"
    Released: May 9, 1995

Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard, released March 28, 1995, by Elektra Records in the United States. Intent on creating a solo album away from Wu-Tang, he signed to Elektra in January 1993 and began a two-year recording process that started that same year.

Background

[edit | edit source]

It was the second solo album, after Method Man's Tical, to be released from the nine-member Wu-Tang Clan following the release of their debut album. Return to the 36 Chambers was primarily produced by RZA, with additional production from Ol' Dirty Bastard, and affiliates True Master and 4th Disciple. The album features guest appearances from Wu-Tang Clan members GZA, RZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and Masta Killa as well as Wu-Tang Killa Beez.

Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album sold 81,000 copies in its first week,[1] and was certified Platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 26, 2019.[2] Upon its release, the album received positive reviews from most music critics, with many complimenting Ol' Dirty Bastard's bizarre lyrical delivery and RZA's eerie production. The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1996 Grammy Awards.

Critical reception

[edit | edit source]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[3]
Chicago TribuneStarStarHalf starError creating thumbnail: [4]
Christgau's Consumer GuideA−[5]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[6]
Los Angeles TimesStarStarStarError creating thumbnail: [7]
Pitchfork9.3/10[8]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStarError creating thumbnail: [9]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStarStarError creating thumbnail: [10]
Select2/5[11]
The SourceStarStarStarStarError creating thumbnail: [12]

Upon its release, Return to the 36 Chambers received general acclaim, including award nominations and inclusions on year-end publications. In his review for Rolling Stone magazine, Touré commented: "With his raspy, lisp-punctuated voice and half-sung, half-rapped style, Ol' Dirty Bastard may well be the most original vocalist in hip-hop history."[9] Entertainment Weekly's Tiarra Mukherjee thought the album showed the "raw, innovative talent of their illest member ... The RZA's signature dissonant piano loops [sparkle] behind Dirty's delirious, reverberating delivery."[6] Michael Bonner of Melody Maker wrote, "... an hour of cruel hard and frighteningly funny hip hop; the perfect companion piece to Wu-Tang's 36 Chambers ... the songs are driven by a vicious, unstable urgency."[13]

By contrast, Select magazine's Matt Hall was more critical of the album. His review found the album inferior to Method Man's album Tical, stating that "From the extremely long and unfunny – intro skit, its obvious ideas are spread wafer thin across the 15 tracks."[11]

The Dirty Version was nominated for the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, but lost to Naughty by Nature's Poverty's Paradise.[14]

Retrospectively, the album has continually seen positive coverage.[15] Pitchfork's contributor Sheldon Pearce lauded the album in a classic review as "a work of orchestrated negligence and a makeshift classic."[16]

Track listing

[edit | edit source]

Track listing information is taken from the official liner notes and AllMusic.[17][18]

Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"Russell Jones
4:47
2."Shimmy Shimmy Ya"
RZA2:41
3."Baby C'mon"JonesRZA3:26
4."Brooklyn Zoo"Jones
3:37
5."Hippa to Da Hoppa"
  • Jones
  • Diggs
RZA3:01
6."Raw Hide" (featuring Method Man and Raekwon)
RZA4:02
7."Damage" (featuring GZA)
  • RZA
  • 4th Disciple (co.)
2:47
8."Don't U Know" (featuring Killah Priest)
RZA4:26
9."The Stomp"Jones
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard
  • RZA (co.)
2:22
10."Goin' Down"JonesRZA4:19
11."Drunk Game (Sweet Sugar Pie)"
  • Jones
  • Ethan Ryman
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard
  • Ethan Ryman
4:20
12."Snakes" (featuring Killah Priest, RZA, Masta Killa, Buddha Monk)
RZA5:26
13."Brooklyn Zoo II (Tiger Crane)" (featuring Ghostface Killah)
RZA7:20
14."Proteck Ya Neck II the Zoo" (featuring Buddha Monk, Prodigal Sunn, Zu Keeper, Murdoc, Killah Priest, 12 O'Clock, Shorty Shit Stain and 60 Second Assassin)
RZA4:00
15."Cuttin' Headz" (featuring RZA)
  • Jones
  • Diggs
RZA2:28
Total length:59:04
CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
16."Dirty Dancin'" (featuring Method Man)
  • Jones
  • Smith, Jr.
RZA2:42
17."Harlem World"
  • Jones
  • Johnie Spivey Jr.
Big Dore6:15
18."Ol' Dirty's Back" (featuring 12 O'Clock)
  • Jones
  • Turner
Popa Chief4:12
Total length:72:13
25th Anniversary Remaster
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
19."Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (Extended Version)
  • Jones
  • Diggs
RZA3:49
20."Don't U Know, Pt. II"
  • Jones
  • Diggs
RZA5:08
21."Give It To Ya Raw" (SD50 Remix)
  • Jones
  • Diggs
  • RZA
  • SD50
4:08
22."Brooklyn Zoo" (Stripped Version)Jones
  • Ol’ Dirty Bastard
  • True Master
3:09
23."Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (Stripped Version)
  • Jones
  • Diggs
RZA3:03
24."Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (Instrumental) RZA2:46
25."Baby C'mon" (Instrumental) RZA3:38
26."Brooklyn Zoo" (Instrumental) 
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard
  • True Master
3:51
27."Hippa To Da Hoppa" (Instrumental) RZA2:47
28."Raw Hide" (Instrumental) RZA4:10
29."Damage" (Instrumental) 
  • RZA
  • 4th Disciple (co.)
2:51
30."Don't U Know" (Instrumental) RZA4:39
31."The Stomp" (Instrumental) 
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard
  • RZA (co.)
3:48
32."Goin' Down" (Instrumental) RZA3:48
33."Drunk Game (Sweet Sugar Pie)" (Instrumental) 
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard
  • Ethan Ryman
4:10
34."Snakes" (Instrumental) RZA5:16
35."Brooklyn Zoo II (Tiger Crane)" (Instrumental) RZA4:58
36."Proteck Ya Neck II The Zoo" (Instrumental) RZA3:59
37."Dirty Dancin'" (Instrumental) RZA2:46
38."Harlem World" (Instrumental) Big Dore6:22
39."Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (Extended Version; Instrumental) RZA3:39
40."Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (Studio Ton Remix; Instrumental) RZA4:39
41."Brooklyn Zoo" (Lord Digga Remix; Instrumental) 
  • Lord Digga
  • The Witchdoc
4:00
42."Brooklyn Zoo" (Lord Digga Remix)Jones
  • Lord Digga
  • The Witchdoc
4:06
43."Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (Extended Mix; A Capella)
  • Jones
  • Diggs
 3:27
Total length:171:14

Personnel

[edit | edit source]

Musicians

[edit | edit source]

Additional

[edit | edit source]
  • Big Dore – producer
  • True Master – producer
  • Ethan Ryman – producer, engineer
  • John Wydrycs, Tim Latham – engineer, mixing
  • Jimmie Lee, Jack Hersca – engineer, assistant engineer
  • Deden Sumandani – mixing
  • Martin Czembor – assistant engineer, mixing
  • David Sealy, Jay Nicholas – assistant engineer
  • Alli – art direction
  • Danny Clinch – photography

Charts

[edit | edit source]

Certifications

[edit | edit source]
Certifications for Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Silver 60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[27] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

[edit | edit source]
  • (*) signifies unordered lists
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Blender United States 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die[28] 2003 *
Ego Trip Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–1998[29] 1999 4
Hip Hop Connection United Kingdom The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005[30] 2006 32
Les Inrockuptibles France Albums of the Year[citation needed] 1995 *
Muzik United Kingdom Albums of the Year[31] 1996 15
Ned Raggett United States The Top 136 Albums of the Nineties[32] 1999 87
Pop Sweden Albums of the Year[citation needed] 1995 14
The Source United States The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time[33] 1998 *
Spex Germany The 100 Albums of the Century[citation needed] 1999 67
Albums of the Year[citation needed] 1995 1
The Village Voice United States Pazz & Jop[34] 1996 39

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ^ Snow, Shauna. MORNING REPORT. Los Angeles Times. April 6, 1995.
  2. ^ RIAA search: Return to the 36 Chambers Archived May 24, 2012, at archive.today. RIAA. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  17. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  19. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9143". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  20. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  21. ^ "Ol' Dirty Bastard Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  22. ^ "Ol' Dirty Bastard Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  23. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2023. 17. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  24. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  25. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  26. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  27. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  28. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  29. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  30. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  31. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  32. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  33. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  34. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
[edit | edit source]

Lua error in Module:Authority_control at line 153: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Retrieved from "http://70.231.62.181/index.php?title=Return_to_the_36_Chambers:_The_Dirty_Version&oldid=3640076"