Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age (Clean Version) Review

07/13/2005 6:46 AM, AMG


Public Enemy took a full three years between Apocalypse 91 and Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess-Age. During that time, numerous hip-hop styles had come and gone, making Public Enemy seem hopelessly outdated by the time they actually released their fifth record. With the exception of the Greatest Misses compilation, Muse Sick didn't fare as well on the charts as the group's three previous albums, nor was it well-received critically, receiving the poorest reviews of any of the group's efforts. And, again discounting Greatest Misses, Muse Sick is PE's weakest album. Conceptually, it's all over the place, as Chuck D strikes out at a number of his usual targets but without the focused, intelligent rage of Nation of Millions or Fear of a Black Planet. Similarly, the music careens out control, as they try to incorporate recent hip-hop innovations to their signature sound. Nothing on the record sounds forced, but the album does sound directionless, which tends to cancel out the number of solid tracks on the album. Public Enemy doesn't necessarily seem outdated or musically bankrupt on Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess-Age -- they just appear unsure of themselves. [Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age was also released in a "clean" edition, containing no profanities or vulgarities.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide