Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Music Review




John Reuben
So In Hindsight The Professional Rapper Isn't There Yet



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 11 tracks: 48 minutes and 04 seconds
Street Date: December, 2004


Last Summer, Gotee Records began a unique new series of projects released exclusively online and at artists' shows under a new devision called AudioGoat. These records are a series of remix projects featuring songs pulled from various albums by a single artist and refaced and rearranged onto a new CD. The first release was Grits' The Art of Transformation with the follow-up being the newly released So In Hindsight The Professional Rapper Isn't There Yet for John Reuben.

So In Hindsight... is a mixed bag of audio treats. Three different producers take three different songs from each of Reuben's three studio releases and remix them in their own way for this album. The album's first problem is that John Reuben had nothing at all to do with these remixes, and it shows.

The remixes, for the most part, lose Reuben's vision for his songs. Most notably, is when the melancholy and serious "I Haven't Been Myself" is given electronic claps and a sped-up almost-dance rhythm. Those who know Reuben's original know that just doesn't work. So In Hindsight... gets off to a rough start with a cliche-ridden remix of "Do Not" and added vocals from the Liquid Beats producers. Elected Official gives "Divine Inspiration" a techno boost while DJ Form gives "Gather In" a basic mix, but manages to drop a subtle melody from "Pataskala" in for good measure.

While Reuben's original versions for "Breathe" and "Doin'" were carried along strongly by thick and prominent beats, the Liquid Beats remixes lose this in translation, but still manage to turn in decent renditions. DJ Form gives "Move" a sort of bland gangsta mix while Elected Official takes a similar approach with "Life Is Short," but with a slightly more successful result. The project's three "bonus tracks" that close out the record start off with a creative "Smoothed Out" version of the usually raucous "Do Not." And while it's clear the vocals aren't exactly as "smooth" as the piano-driven musical backdrop is, it's one of the biggest overhauls of any of the songs on the record and possibly the most unique. Following a monotonous second take on "Gather In," the project closes with a subtle remix of "Life Is Short."

The biggest problem inherent in So In Hindsight The Professional Rapper Isn't There Yet is the overly unimpressive new mixes of Reuben's originals. While remixes don't always have to be improvements upon their originals, it helps to have an end product that can stand alone or at least rival its original, and not one remix here does that. Most of the songs are steps down from Reuben's fun and unique songwriting and lose what makes the original versions so good. Perhaps if Gotee would have commissioned talents like MuteMath, DJ Maj, Dan Muckula, Savage, or any more seasoned veterans to offer their own takes, perhaps the results would have been much more favorable.

If you're a fan of Reuben's work and can't possibly wait any longer for his new record scheduled for release this Summer, you may find something to like on So In Hindsight.... But if you're not satisfied with unexceptional remixes of some of your favorite Reuben songs, then let this project pass you by.

- Review date: 1/9/05, written by John DiBiase



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

 

CD

Buy This CD Online


. Artist Info: Discography
. Record Label: Audio Goat / Gotee
. Album length: 11 tracks, 48 minutes and 4 seconds
. Street Date: December, 2004
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Do Not (Liquid Beats Club Remix)
  2. Divine Inspiration (Elected Official Remix)
  3. Gather In (DJ Form Remix)
  4. Hindsight (Elected Official Remix)
  5. Breathe (Liquid Beats Remix)
  6. Doin' (Liquid Beats Remix)
  7. Move (DJ Form Remix)
  8. I Haven't Been Myself (DJ Form Remix)
  9. Life Is Short (Elected Official Remix)
    **Bonus Tracks:
  10. Do Not (Liquid Beats Smoothed Out Remix)
  11. Gather In (Elected Official Remix)
  12. Life is Short (DJ Form Remix)
spacer Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics

Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

Search JFH



This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Get all of JFH's indie compilation now totally free!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images