Seo Taiji and Boys IV
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Seo Taiji and Boys IV is the fourth and final studio album by Korean musical trio Seo Taiji and Boys.
Overview
"Come Back Home" was a foray into gangster rap. Seo Taiji wrote the song about his own experiences running away from home.[1]
The third track, "Pilseung" (필승, "Must Triumph"), was a hit with an alternative rock sound and shouting voice.
"Good Bye" on this album is instrumental. A version with vocals was later released on the 1996 Goodbye Best Album.
"Free Style" was written and composed by Seo and his former Sinawe band mate Kim Jong-seo. Kim provides vocals on the track, appears in its music video and included it on his own 1995 album, Thermal Island.
Lee Juno later stated that group leader Seo made the decision to disband Seo Taiji and Boys himself while recording their fourth album, much to the surprise of Yang Hyun-suk and himself.[2]
Controversies
"Come Back Home" has been criticized for being similar to Cypress Hill's 1993 hit "Insane in the Brain". However, Cypress Hill member B-Real later explained they were aware of the controversy but "we were cool about shit like that."[3]
"Sidae Yugam" (시대유감, "Shame of the Times") was rejected by the Public Performance Ethics Committee for having lyrics that criticized the government. Seo Taiji declined to alter the cited lyrics and instead, the album only includes an instrumental version of the song.[4][5] The specific lyrics they requested be removed/altered are given below in bold, after being translated into English.
Lips stained black. Gone is the era of honest people. [...] How far do you think you can fly with these broken wings of yours? I wish for a new world that will overturn everything. [...] I hope that I can avenge the grudge in my heart.
— [6]
The backlash from the fans was immense, and the system of 'pre-censorship' (사전심의제) was abolished in June 1996, partially as a result of this. An EP titled Sidae Yugam and including the original version of the song was released a month after the system was abolished.
Reception
In April 1996, Billboard reported that the album was nearing the 2 million copies sold mark.[7]
Kyunghyang Shinmun ranked the album number 36 on its 2007 list of the Top 100 Pop Albums.[8]
Chuck Eddy of Spin wrote that on their fourth album, Seo Taiji and Boys "were all over the map: horse-whinnying Cypress Hill–style nasal frat-hop, Rancid-like surf-guitared ska-punk, metal shrieking, blues-rock solos, flutes, Brazilian percussion, turntable-scratching of acid-rock riffs, smooth-jazz interludes with doo-woppish sha-la-las."[9]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Seo Taiji, except "Free Style" written and composed by Seo Taiji and Kim Jong-seo
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yo! Taiji" | 1:05 |
| 2. | "Sad Pain" (슬픈 아픔) | 5:35 |
| 3. | "Pilseung" (필승 (必勝)) | 3:45 |
| 4. | "Come Back Home" | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Sidae Yugam" (시대유감(時代遺感)) | 3:23 |
| 6. | "1996, When They Ruled the Earth" (1996, 그들이 지구를 지배했을 때) | 3:38 |
| 7. | "Taiji Boys" | 1:27 |
| 8. | "Good Bye" | 5:01 |
| 9. | "Free Style" | 3:53 |
| 10. | "Inabilisnabi" (이너비리스너비) | 1:11 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Sad Pain ('04 Zero Live)" (슬픈 아픔 ('04 Zero Live)) | 6:00 |
| 12. | "Pilseung ('04 Zero Live)" (필승 ('04 Zero Live)) | 3:55 |
| 13. | "'07 Come Back Home (Remix)" | 3:55 |
Personnel
- Seo Taiji − vocals, guitar on tracks 2, 3, 7 & 10, bass on track 9
- Yang Hyun-suk − vocals
- Lee Juno − vocals
- Kim Jong-seo − vocals on track 9
- Michael Landau − guitar on tracks 1 & 5
- Tim Pierce − guitar on tracks 2, 3 & 9
- Josh Freese − drums on tracks 1−3 & 5
- Neil Stubenhaus − bass on tracks 1−3 & 5
- DJ Ralph M − scratching on tracks 4 & 9
- Lee Jung Sik − saxophone on track 8
References
- ^ "Seo Taiji reveals why he wore a skirt during his early idol days + his inspiration for the song, 'Come Back Home'". allkpop.com. 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2016-07-02.
- ^ "Way Back Wednesday: Seo Taiji & Boys - "Nan Arayo"". allkpop.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2016-07-02.
- ^ "I'm B-Real, the Frontman of Cypress Hill and Co-Founder of BREAL.TV - Ask Me Anything (LIVE BROADCAST)". Reddit. 2014. Retrieved 2016-07-02.
- ^ Tri-Lingual Radio for Malaysia, Censorship Exemption in Korea; August 10, 1996. Billboard. p. 45.
- ^ Mitchell, Tony (January 1, 2002). Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop Outside the USA. Wesleyan University Press. p. 251.
- ^ The Korean Popular Culture Reader. Duke University Press. March 7, 2014. p. 302.
- ^ Seoul Music: Rockin' in Korea; April 20, 1996. Billboard. p. 18.
- ^ "[대중음악 100대 명반]36위 서태지와 아이들 '서태지와 아이들Ⅳ'". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 2007-12-27. Retrieved 2016-07-02.
- ^ "K-pop: The polyglot fizz of K-pop conquers Asia, and prepares to spray the West". Spin. 2011-11-01. Retrieved 2016-07-02.