All Balls Don't Bounce is the debut studio album by American rapper Aceyalone.[1] It was released in 1995 on Capitol Records.[2] In 2004, it was re-released on Project Blowed and Decon as All Balls Don't Bounce: Revisited with a bonus disc.[3] It was named by OC Weekly as one of the "Five Classic West Coast Rap Albums Turning 20 in 2015".[4]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| The Austin Chronicle | [5] |
| RapReviews | 10/10[6] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [7] |
| Spin | 9/10[2] |
Writing for The Austin Chronicle, Rashied Gabriel thought that the album's production and Aceylone's "various styles" worked to complementary effect.[5] He went on to label All Balls Don't Bounce "a sureshot record", and felt that it delivered "verbal calisthenics that astound with fresh insight as well as lyrical wizardry."[5] Robert Christgau gave it a "neither" rating, indicating that an album "may impress once or twice with consistent craft or an arresting track or two. Then it won't."[8][9]
In a retrospective review, Steve Huey of AllMusic gave the album 5 stars out of 5, describing Aceyalone as "one of the greatest lyricists the West Coast has ever produced, twisting his fluid rhymes around and off the beat with the improvisational assurance of Rakim."[1] He also commented that "[the production] is solid if unspectacular, usually spare and jazzy, with lots of piano/keyboard samples and some fitting nods to the abstract side of hard bop."[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All Balls" | The Nonce | 4:31 |
| 2. | "Anywhere You Go" | Punish | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Deep and Wide" (featuring Abstract Rude) | Vic Hop | 2:32 |
| 4. | "Mr. Outsider" | The Nonce | 5:53 |
| 5. | "Annalillia?" | The Nonce | 4:13 |
| 6. | "Knownots" (featuring Abstract Rude and Mikah 9) | Vic Hop | 5:00 |
| 7. | "Arhythamaticulas" | Chillin Villain Empire | 3:28 |
| 8. | "The Greatest Show on Earth" | Mumbles | 4:47 |
| 9. | "Mic Check" | Vic Hop | 4:23 |
| 10. | "Call It Cali" | Punish | 0:54 |
| 11. | "Headaches and Woes" | Punish | 3:57 |
| 12. | "I Think" | Aceyalone | 1:18 |
| 13. | "Makeba" | Mumbles | 5:20 |
| 14. | "B-Boy Kingdom" (featuring Abstract Rude, Mikah 9, and P.E.A.C.E.) | Fat Jack | 5:37 |
| 15. | "Keep It True" (featuring Abstract Rude and Change of Rhythm) | Fat Jack | 5:33 |
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All Balls Intro" | The Nonce | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Universal Soldier" | Riddlore, NGA Fish, C.V.E. | 1:02 |
| 3. | "Headaches and Woes Intro" | Aceyalone | 0:38 |
| 4. | "Headaches and Woes (Remix)" | Fat Jack | 5:56 |
| 5. | "The Greatest Show on Earth (Remix)" | Fat Jack | 4:35 |
| 6. | "The Greatest Show on Earth (Remix)" | Bar 9 | 4:02 |
| 7. | "Mic Check (Remix)" | Kemo | 4:46 |
| 8. | "Show Your Right" | Fat Jack | 3:59 |
| 9. | "The Nobodys" | Fat Jack | 3:42 |
| 10. | "They Don't Know" | Underground Railroad | 4:15 |
| 11. | "Feet Up on the Table" (featuring Riddlore, Vic Hop, Ellay Khule, NGA Fish, Mark the Murderah, and Abstract Rude) | DJ Homicide | 4:41 |
| 12. | "Tweakendz" | Vic Hop, Aceyalone | 4:27 |
| 13. | "I Dream" | O-Roc, Aceyalone | 5:37 |
| 14. | "Believe in Your Self" | Fat Jack | 4:02 |
References
- ^ a b c d Huey, Steve. "All Balls Don't Bounce – Aceyalone". AllMusic. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ a b Aaron, Charles (October 1995). "Aceyalone: All Balls Don't Bounce". Spin. Vol. 11 no. 7. p. 114. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ Hermes, Will (May 2004). "Reissues". Spin. Vol. 20 no. 5. p. 104. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ Kangas, Chaz (January 28, 2015). "Five Classic West Coast Rap Albums Turning 20 in 2015". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ a b c Gabriel, Rashied (November 17, 1995). "Aceyalone: All Balls Don't Bounce (Capitol)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ Juon, Steve "Flash" (August 3, 2004). "Aceyalone :: All Balls Don't Bounce – Revisited :: Project Blowed/Decon". RapReviews. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (2004). "Aceyalone". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 4. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Aceyalone: All Balls Don't Bounce". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Key to Icons". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
External links
- All Balls Don't Bounce at Discogs (list of releases)