A.W.O.L.
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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A.W.O.L.
- Artist: AZ
- Rating:
- Release Date: August 23, 2005
- Total Time: 54:32
- Type: Contains explicit content
- Genre: Rap
Review
Over a decade into a career that has never propelled AZ into the commercial position the uniformly high quality of his music has deserved, A.W.O.L. is yet another quietly excellent slice of powerful hip-hop that deserves greater acclaim. "Never Change" alone is a small masterpiece, an evocation of the strong bonds of friendship that's set to a track that effectively uses a wailing R&B diva voice (think, believe it or not, of "The Great Gig in the Sky" by Pink Floyd!) without turning it into a cheap, distracting hook. Although several producers contribute to A.W.O.L., AZ (born Anthony Cruz) is commanding enough a focal point that the album hangs together as a whole. Tough without being thuggish, and clear-eyed and un-glamorizing about the gritty topics of songs like "Still Alive" and "Envious," AZ is at least the equal of better-known contemporaries like Nas, and A.W.O.L. is further proof of his talents. ~ Stewart Mason, Rovi| A.W.O.L. (1987 Album by U.K. Subs) | |
| A.W.O.L. Live (1999 Album by Various Artists) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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A.W.O.L. (album)
| A.W.O.L. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Studio album by AZ | ||||
| Released | September 6, 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2005 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 54:33 | |||
| Label | Quiet Money | |||
| AZ chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Cokemachineglow | (70/100)[2] |
| HipHopDX | [3] |
| IGN | (8.0/10)[4] |
| PopMatters | favorable[5] |
| Rhapsody | favorable[6] |
| Stylus | B[7] |
A.W.O.L. is the fifth studio album by rapper AZ, released on September 6, 2005. It was recorded after Final Call, which AZ declined to release because his label had pushed its release back two months—according to him, they were also the source of its early leak to the press and the internet. Garnering critical praise with production from highly-regarded New York underground acts such as DJ Premier, Buckwild, and DipSet production duo the Heatmakerz, the rapper abandoned his previously money-oriented subject matter, stating that he "wanted it to be all street.[8] A.W.O.L. is the first AZ album which was released on his own Quiet Money Records imprint. In a couple of months after the release, A.W.O.L. 1.5, which included a bonus disc featuring a cappella and instrumental versions to the songs on A.W.O.L., was released.
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Contents
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Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Sincere (Intro)" | Heatmakerz | 1:57 |
| 2. | "Never Change" | Heatmakerz | 4:26 |
| 3. | "New York" (featuring Ghostface Killah & Raekwon) | Emile | 3:45 |
| 4. | "Can't Stop" | Frade | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Still Alive" | Vinny Idol | 4:04 |
| 6. | "AZ's Chillin'" | Fizzy Womack | 3:55 |
| 7. | "City of Gods" | Disco D | 4:14 |
| 8. | "Street Life" (featuring Half-A-Mil & Begetz) | J-Hen | 4:33 |
| 9. | "Bedtime Story" | Baby Paul, Jimi Kendrix | 2:12 |
| 10. | "The Come Up" | DJ Premier | 3:46 |
| 11. | "Envious" (featuring Bounty Killer) | Moss | 2:57 |
| 12. | "A.W.O.L." | Vinny Idol | 3:40 |
| 13. | "Live Wire*" | Buckwild | 10:49 |
| 14. | "Magic Hour*" (featuring CL Smooth) | Tone Mason | n/a |
| 15. | "The Truth*" | DJ Absolut | n/a |
note*:Track 13, 14 and 15 are the 3 tracks contained on track 13 which is 10:49 in length. It is one continuous track. All 3 tracks are available, separately, on his Final Call (The Lost Tapes) album.
Sample Credits
Bedtime Story
- "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" by Quincy Jones
The Come Up
- "Holdin' On" by Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
- "Creepin on ah Come Up" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
A.W.O.L.
- "Wildflower" by The New Birth
Magic Hour
- "He Keeps Something Groovy Goin' On" by Gwen McCrae
Album singles
| Single information |
|---|
"The Come Up"
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Chart history
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | Top Rap Albums | Top Independent Albums | ||
| 2005 | A.W.O.L. | 73 | 17 | 10 | 5 |
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Cokemachineglow review
- ^ HipHopDX review
- ^ IGN review
- ^ PopMatters review
- ^ Rhapsody review
- ^ Stylus review
- ^ Kayser, Brian (1 August 2005). "DJ Premier Interview". http://www.hiphopgame.com/index2.php3?page=az. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
External links
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums
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