Buhloone Mindstate in Bloomington, MN

The last album of
De La Soul
's creative prime,
Buhloone Mindstate
was also their last with producer
Prince Paul
. After the claustrophobic
De La Soul Is Dead
,
Mindstate
is a partial return to the upbeat positivity of
3 Feet High and Rising
, though not its wildly colorful invention. Instead,
takes a calmer, more laid-back approach -- the music is often more introspective, and the between-song skits have been jettisoned in favor of a tighter focus. The surrealism of
's predecessors has largely evaporated, and the production, while still imaginative, doesn't quite dazzle the way it used to. Then again, it's admirable that the group is trying to mature and progress musically, and they would never experiment quite this ambitiously again. There's quite a bit more live instrumentation here, with extensive, jazzy guest work by
the JB Horns
. In fact, the guests threaten to overpower the first half of the album;
"Patti Dooke"
and
"I Be Blowin'"
are both extended showcases for the horns, and the latter is a full-fledged
instrumental
led by
Maceo Parker
. They're followed by a group of Japanese rappers on
"Long Island Wildin',"
and it isn't until the terrific single
"Ego Trippin', Pt. 2"
that
De La
really takes over. Many of the record's best
raps
follow: the reflective old-school tribute
"Breakadawn,"
the jazzy
"I Am I Be"
"In the Woods,"
and the
Biz Markie
collaboration
"Stone Age."
If
is a great deal more straightforward than
's earlier work, its high points are still excellent and well worth the time of any fan. In fact, many
diehards feel that this album is hugely underrated. ~ Steve Huey