Kottonmouth Kings - Stoners Reeking Havoc
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Artist: Kottonmouth KingsEdition: Music CD
Format: EP, Single
CD Release Date: 1998-02-24
Music Label: Capitol
Free Music Notes for Stoners Reeking Havoc
Free Music Review: First official Kottonmouth release. Great songs. Great EP.
Hit: 5 Stars
First off, let's try to dismiss the notion that you have to smoke herb to enjoy Kottonmouth's music. Personally, I don't smoke at all, and I still love their music. These guys lay down quality tracks that are enjoyable all around, even if you don't live the life they live or agree with everything they are saying. There's no doubt, they aren't the most mature group of fellows out there, and their subject matter doesn't stray from their personality in that regard, nor are they particularly good rappers for that matter, but they make truly fun music with great sounds that I, personally, almost never get tired of.
This is KMK's first official release. Don't confuse it with their DVD release of the same name. It is an EP, so you are only getting five songs, and all but one of these songs can be found on later releases that have more songs and are less expensive, so the only real reason to get this is for nostalgia or if you or a collector, or if you really want to own the Bump remix that badly, which is the one song that isn't available on any of their other official releases. It is a very good EP though, with some very enjoyable songs.
A lot of people aren't aware that when Kottonmouth began, there were four vocalists: Saint Dog, D-Loc, Johnny Richter, and Brad Daddy X (also known as Trick Daddy X or more commonly simply Daddy X). When they started it was all four of them together, and during this time they released a few unofficial demos that are very difficult if not impossible to find (the song Nightlife is the only song from these demos that I've been able to find, not from lack of trying, since it is available on Hidden Stash). Shortly after, Johnny Richter ended up leaving the group for personal reasons, leaving Saint Dog, D-Loc, and Daddy X on the mic. That's when they released this EP, their first official release. Later on, Saint Dog would leave the group to pursue a career with his brother, Big Hoss, who had just been released from prison, and Johnny Richter would re-join the band in Saint Dog's place. Saint Dog never re-joined the group, although he was later signed to the Suburban Noize record label (the label started by KMK member Daddy X) and has subsequently done some songs along side the Kings. So, you won't find Johnny Richter on this album, but it is one of the few releases where you get to hear Saint Dog as one of the Kings, which is a real gift.
As mentioned earlier, all but the last song on this album can be found on later releases. After their first full-length album, Royal Highness, which was released just after this EP, KMK released a compilation of B-sides/rarities called Hidden Stash, which contains the first four of the five songs on this album, as well as some other previously recorded songs that had not yet been released. Hidden Stash is much cheaper and still very easy to find. They also later released another EP called Stash Box (a little harder to find), that also contains the same four of the five songs on this album, plus a few others from Hidden Stash and one from Royal Highness (basically a slightly shorter version of Hidden Stash, missing a few tracks, and adding the song Dog's Life from Royal Highness). So, as mentioned, the only reason to buy this album is for the last song which can't be found on any other official KMK releases, or if you are a collector or just want it for nostalgia.
Regarding the quality of the music on this album, there is much to be said. First of all, regarding the vocals and the lyrics, neither are particularly impressive. D-Loc is quite a poor rapper, and Daddy X isn't much better, although he does contribute greatly to the choruses in KMK's songs, and is a much better vocalist there than he is as a rapper in the verses of their songs. Saint Dog, while not an incredibly talented vocalist either, is the only truly legitimate rapper on the album. Although he still falls short as a rapper from time to time, he has a great sound and a great auditory charisma, so to speak, and is clearly superior to the rest of the group when it comes to rapping. When it comes to the actual lyrical content of the album, there's not too much good to be said there either. Their passion for marijuana is respectable, in my opinion -- they truly love it, but the album falls short of any real subject matter beyond that.
Now, having discussed the cons of the album, let's move on to the pros, which are many. Besides the vocals and lyrics, the music, overall, is wonderful. It is tons of fun, and very enjoyable to listen to. I have trouble putting their earlier music in the hip-hop genre, since they really define their own sound, and I think that's a good thing. They're beats are very well put together and very catchy (particularly in Frontline, in my opinion), and their choruses are the same. The really come up with some great hooks, although the verses often fall short. The overall sound of the music is what really gets the gold star -- it's just fun to listen to, plain and simple.
The first track, Frontline, is one of my favorite all-time KMK songs -- it has an incredible beat and a great chorus. It can also be found on Hidden Stash and Stash Box. The next track, 1605 Life, was previously known as Suburban Life (1605 Remix), and is a remix of the song Suburban Life, which can be found on their first full-album, Royal Highness, as well as on the soundtrack to Scream 2. This remix is solid. It is not as good as the original, in my opinion, but is definitely enjoyable nonetheless. The song can be found, like Frontline, on Hidden Stash and Stash Box. The third track on the album is called Roll It Up, a very well put together song with a deep and somewhat psychedelic sound. This song is not as immediately catchy as some of their others, but it is a very quality song that seems to get better the more you listen to it (for me, that is). It, too, can be found on Hidden Stash and Stash Box. The fourth track on Stoners Reeking Havoc is called Three Horny Devils. This is not one of Kottonmouth's best songs, in my opinion, but is still a good song and worth the listen. Like the others, it can be found on Hidden Stash and Stash Box. Finally, the EP finished off with Homegrown Bump, which has been referred to as Bump (Bobby B Homegrown Remix), and is a remix of the song Bump, which can be found on the full-length album Royal Highness, as well as on the compilation album Out of the Darkness, Into the Light (this is not a KMK album -- it is a compilation album that contains songs by many bands, one of which is the Kings). This is a great remix, although still not quite as good as the original, in my opinion. It has a solid beat and is a good listen. Unlike the other songs on the album, this song can only be found on this album (as far as I know at least, but I'm pretty sure on that -- I know it's not on any of KMK's other official releases).
There is much good to be said for KMK's newer music, but it is my opinion that the best of Kottonmouth Kings lies with their older music, and this is the roots right here. Pick up a copy of this or, preferably, Hidden Stash if you are willing to sacrifice the last track (the Bump remix), and enjoy some fun, quality KMK music that reaches back over a decade.
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