…and one negative, but very interesting to hear, as everyone’s entitled to their own views.

‘The Heart Gently Weeps,’ the album’s most discussed track, is a symphony of weird. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist John Frusciante drips acid - damaged licks over a dribbling keyboard approximating the melody of the Beatles’ ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’ And Badu sings the gauzy hook as if she’s just awakened from a nap.
(tuscaloosanews.com)

Yes, that was different…back to the regular ones.

The strangest track on this strange album is “The Heart Gently Weeps,” an interpretation of the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” featuring a vocal chorus by Erykah Badu and guitars by Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante and George Harrison’s son, Dhani. The song is built atop big drums and moody layers of guitar, haunting keyboards, and a wash of atmospheric sounds, like Phil Spector producing a Goth album. Over this psychedelic swirl, Raekwon, Ghostface, and Method Man spin a correspondingly nightmarish tale that begins with an argument-turned-gunfight at home (Raekwon), becomes a reminiscence of an attempted revenge killing at the grocery store (Ghostface), and concludes with Method Man calmly talking about getting back on top of the game. It is at once bizarre and bizarrely thrilling, Iceberg Slim by way of H.P. Lovecraft.
(NYsun.com)

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(Many thanks to Roberto Campos for the scanned newspaper cutting!)

In an interview for this week’s issue of Rolling Stone, RZA of Wu-Tang clan was talking about recording 8 Diagrams, and the different principles in the world of hip hop and rock. He praises John, as well as Dhani Harrisson, because they didn’t even ask for a honorar.

The full magazine cutting can be reached by clicking on the thumbnail.

Due to a problem which is, well, not of a technical kind; the playlists will be swapped on Tuesday and I apologise for that.

Until then, just one little bit of info: As people in Japan who already got Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s new album say, John is credited solely on track number six, Glosa Picaresca Wou Men and the song basically has an Ataxia-ish vibe to it, but the voice is very much distorted. Oh, and just to make it sure: he’s singing in English.

As the most of you already know (you were looking at the calendar, haven’t you), Wu-Tang Clan’s album 8 Diagrams has been out for 2 days now. It’s 100% sure that John is on two tracks, The Heart Gently Weeps and Windmill (many thanks to Anita for having looked at the album credits and cleared that up!).

You can get the clean version of the album here and the explicit version here. If that’s too much for you, you can buy those two songs only: The Heart Gently Weeps is here and Windmill is here.

Now for some reviews…the longest one first, the rest are behind the “more” link. Feel free to submit your own reviews of these songs in comments.

RZA turns in some exemplary work on “8 Diagrams,” only the fifth Wu Tang studio album, and first in six years. As usual, the producer embraces ’70s blaxploitation-era soul samples and martial-arts movie dialogue, but he also moves the agenda forward by incorporating lots of electric guitar, some of it by the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante.

The guitars don’t turn “8 Diagrams” into some horrid rap-rock fusion. Instead, they’re just another disorienting element for RZA to slice up and blend into his eerie soundscapes. On “Unpredictable,” an overdriven guitar swoops through a churning groove that evokes a police chase through graffiti-scarred alleyways.

Even more audaciously, “The Heart Gently Weeps” interpolates the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” with contributions from Frusciante and Dhani Harrison, son of the Beatles’ late George Harrison. Ghostface and Method Man really give the guitars something to cry about with a vivid street narrative.

(Chicago Tribune)

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Update on the Wu-Tang collaboration

The final version of The Heart Gently Weeps is available as a download; with both clean and explicit lyrics.

An instrumental version will be followed on the actual tangible single CD. I somehow manage to hear it and it sounds really good, one can tell who’s on the guitar. More info on the single as soon as it is actually available. Have a look at the cover, too.

You can also hear the CD and single versions of the song here.

And, slightly related to this: Tanya Vece of The Horse Cronicles postponed the release of the second part of John’s interview with Dhani Harrison for the next month’s issue, as both she and John are really busy with their work obligations (it is stated that, in John’s case, it’s working with Wu-Tang Clan); so look out for it in January, it will be even sweeter once is there after a longer wait. This also means that the December issue of THC is on their site, so have a look at it at the above link.

Update on the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez collaboration
The nice people from N20 records have put up three short clips of songs off the Calibration album on its official MySpace page, El Monte Tai, Is Pushing Luck and Calibration, but no vocals can be heard on those samples. So, go there for a quick listen and guess we’ll have to wait more to actually hear John.

Update on the Raekwon collaboration
According to some rumours, Raekwon’s new album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, on which John will be featured on the song The Brass will be out in summer 2008. Let’s hope it actually happens this time!

Collaboration with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
The nice people from N20 records will publish short clips of “El Monte Tai,” “Calibration,” and “….is Pushing Luck” on the album’s MySpace page on Monday. It is still unclear on which track(s) John sings, though. Also, the USA release date has been confirmed to be 09th February 2008.

Collaboration with Wu-Tang Clan
Here’s a nice, yet somewhat confusing review from All Hiphop (as Windmill doesn’t appear with such credits anywhere).

With guitars implemented in nearly half of the tracks, its’ use alternates between ominous (“Weak Spot”) and soaring (“Sunlight”). Don’t get it twisted though, RZA who produce most of the album, avoids any forced Rap/Rock collaborations and uses the instrument as an effective minimalist addition. John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers plays with restrained excellence which supplements, and doesn’t dominate, both “Heart Gently Weeps” and “Windmill.”

Pesting asking people in charge of relevant things often brings some clarificiations. OK, at least in this case.

Collaboration with Wu-Tang Clan
You Can’t Stop Me Now has been omitted from the rumoured tracklisting for 8 Diagrams, but The Heart Gently Weeps has been remastered and it’s definitely on the album. Sooo…look out for it.

Collaboration with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Nice people from N20 records have been very quick to respond to my question and they found out that John is also contributing lyrics to the song(s) he’ll be singiong on Omar Rodriguez-Lopez upcoming superalbum Calibration. They also want the word spreaded, so add them to your MySpace friends!

Also, the official tracklisting has arrived. It is still unknown to which songs John contributes his vocal and songwriting skills to, but this way it’s more fun!

1. Mexico
2. El Monte Tai
3. Una Ced Lacerante
4. Calibration…
5. Grey (Cancion Para El)
6. Glosa Picaresca Wou Men
7. Sidewalk Fins
8. Lick Tilting Poppies
9. Crtar El Cuello
10. …Is Pushing Luck
11. Las Lagrimas De Arakuine

Remember, the album is available in Japan on 15th December already and the release for the rest of the world is set to sometime early in 2008.