I'm only one pass through Ghostface Killah's 1996 solo debut, Ironman, but I think that it may be, upon first listen, my favorite Wu-Tang solo record so far. Then again, all I have to compare it to is Liquid Swords and the first ODB record, and I really enjoy both, but this may be the most immediately enjoyable after a single spin.Without a doubt, the most startling track was "Wildflower," a rant against a female that probably served as a much more R-rated predecessor of Eminem's more extreme "Kim." "Wildflower" is pure scorn, but Eminem took his to violent extremes, and the virtues of restraint versus full emotional expression could be endlessly debated.
So far, I don't find the album as cohesive or as interesting, beat-wise, as the RZA's other productions I'm familiar with, but oddly, I find it to be one of the most compelling. There's not an abundance of typical Wu-Tang samurai samples, but the delivery and lyricism of Ironman is just as good as anything I've heard from the collective so far. Maybe before long I'll be able to tell who's who on Enter the Wu-Tang, but for now I'm content to get more familiar with the guy who belted out the opening lines to "Bring Da Ruckus."
"Daytona 500"
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