The Roots Come Alive

1	Live at the T-Connection 0:47
2	The Next Movement 3:49
3	Step into the Realm 3:26
4	Proceed 2:44
5	Mellow My Man 5:02
6	Love of My Life / Common 3:43
7	The Ultimate 3:57
8	Don't See Us 5:21
9	100% Dundee 4:30
10	Adrenaline! / Dice Raw 6:10
11	Essaywhuman?!!!??! 5:15
12	Silent Treatment 7:19
13	The Notice 4:28
14	You Got Me 17:14
15	Encore 0:06
16	[Untitled Hidden Track] 0:39
17	[Untitled Hidden Track] 4:01

Barnes & Noble

Although they hail from Philly and not Harlem, The Roots are nevertheless some rap-loving globetrotters, sure to be touring your neck of the 'hood, no matter where you reside, at least once. Thus, it makes sense that their fifth release is THE ROOTS COME ALIVE, a recorded-in-the-flesh-and-on-stage celebration displaying the crew's well-honed chops and witty, unpredictable talent. Like many live albums, this one is especially for the fans. The Illadelph hipsters show off with a tight, Energizer Bunny-like set full of Black Thought's improvisations, souped-up musical arrangements, and surprise guests like Common, who huffs through "Love of My Life." Newcomers to The Roots' sound (or those "jumping on the Roots bandwagon," as Black Thought kids in-between songs) luck out, since most of the material here is culled from the group's THINGS FALL APART album released earlier this year. Still, older hits like "Proceed," "Essaywhuman?!!" and "Silent Treatment" sizzle like a "Conk-o-lene perm burn." And when their breakthrough single, "You Got Me" (featuring Jill Scott, who penned the hook that Erykah Badu sings on the album version) brings down the house, it serves as an undeniable reminder that in the right hands, live hip-hop can be the best hip-hop. The Roots not only come alive, they come correct. Gabriel Alvarez

All Music Guide

Releasing an album recorded live in concert makes more sense for the Roots than any other hip-hop artist, considering they've always concentrated on live prowess over their skills on the mic or in the production booth. The standard guitar/drums/bass/keyboards lineup of most rock bands is a reality for this group, and after years of requests from rabid fans, the Roots acquiesced with a document of their live experience, titled The Roots Come Alive. Recorded at two venues in New York and one in Paris, the album distills exactly what the Roots bring to the hip-hop world -- a live experience built on call-and-response vocals that bring the show to the audience like few other artists. The sound is fantastic, especially on early keyboard-driven tracks like "Proceed," "Essaywhuman?!???!!!," and "Mellow My Man." Though the raps themselves often suffer from the live setting, the rhythms are crisper than in the studio, and the bass-driven grooves are much beefier. The Roots' resident turntablist, Scratch, takes a large role as well, as does human beatbox Rahzel the Godfather of Noyze (though the latter only appears on about half of the album). This is a live album that not only satisfies fans, but offers neophytes more entertainment than any of the Roots' studio efforts. It's difficult to make any live album a first pick, but Come Alive displays the group doing exactly what it does best. John Bush