Ghostface Killah - Ironman

After his riveting role as Raekwon's trusty sidekick on the landmark Only Built for Cuban Linx, it was inevitable that Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah would fly solo on wax. True to early Wu Tang form, Ironman is a family affair. The fragmented flows of other Clansmen are present on RZA-spawned adrenaline rushes like "Winter Warz." What differentiates Ironman from the rest of the Wu is Ghostface's vulnerability, belying the superhero overtones of the album title. The genuinely touching dedication "All That I Got Is You," and the bitter remonstrative missive "Wildflower," reveal an emotional frankness behind Ghostface's infectious verve and densely woven wordplay. Wu-Tang sound scientist RZA takes note, imbuing his patented razor-sharp dissonance with explicitly soulful hues. --Del F. Cowie Amazon.com

My Personal favorite Ghost album

I remember first purchasing this album for the song Winter Warz, and being completely blown away . The whole album from start to finish is prime Wu material. RZA's production, Ghost's rhyme's, and all but two Wu members featured. In my opinion this is the real Cuban Linx 2 ... it picked up right where the first Cuban Linx left off, and it was made in the Cuban Linx era. Just like most of the best Hip Hop albums - this is slept on. If you don't own this ... Wake up! August 9, 2008

Last Classic Wu-Album

Honestly Ghostface is one of my least favorites, i don't know why but he just is. His debut album is a classic tho and there is no denying that. This is the last of the Wu-Solo albums where RZA handles all of the productions, and that is the reason why the future Wu-ALbums don't live up to the ealier ones because RZA is a musical genius and without his productions, the Wu-Tang Clan would not be the same. This album is a great one, Ghostface flows very well and the production value is top notch(tho it might seem dated now). The only complaint I have is that Ghostface should have had a couple more solo because Raekwon and the rest of the Wu-Tang are on this too much not letting Ghostface show his skills as much as he could. Other than that this is a must buy in my book and a lot better than mainstream rap music by a long long mile.

Top 5 Joints

1) Iron Maiden feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna
2) All That I Got is You feat. Mary J. Blige
3) Daytona 500 feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna
4) Wildflower
5) 260 feat. Raekwon June 26, 2008

Ghosts 2nd Best

I know that im one of the few that thought Supreme Clientele was a better album then Ironman, but Ironman is not far behind. Both albums are 5 star albums but the reason i like SC more is because of the skits. I hate how they are one Ironman you have to fast-forward through them skits here. This can make it hard to enjoy the album, But the music is amazing. This is some of RZA's finest work as we seen on all first round wu-solo albums. Its is very hard to pick a best track from this album but my favorite would be Assassination Day but 260, Iron Maiden, Motherless Child and Winter Warz are all amazing tracks. There are no tracks that need to be skipped which is always a plus when buying an album. I would recommend getting Supreme Clientele first but lots of people would tell you to get Ironman first. I just dont like that fact that this really doesnt feel like a Ghostface Killah cd because there are only 2 tracks in which Ghost is the only performer. May 17, 2008

The first album in a consistent catalog

In 1996, hip hop was a different place for many reasons, reasons that'll take me all day to explain, but I do know that Wu-Tang was still in their prime and a dominating force like no other. In regards to solo projects, the Wu was really hitting their stride with a string of successful and classic releases, beginning with Method Man's Tical in 1994, which resulted in a platinum plaque and a Grammy win for the popular MC. Ol Dirty Bastard's (RIP) debut album Return To The 36 Chambers was as raw and in your face as you can get, as this album would remain his most well regarded material. And how can anyone forget about Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Other than this being my second favorite album of all time and truly epic and classic in every sense of the word, what else can I say about this album that hasn't be said already? And last but not least, GZA/Genius' awesome Liquid Swords album, which is heavy on sharp lyricism and production. All of these acolades leads me to the one and only Ghostface Killah and his debut in 1996, Ironman.

To begin, in NO WAY should this album be compared to Cuban Linx, as it's pretty clear that they are not the same albums and Ghost and the crew were realistically not trying to top that album with Ironman or essentially make Ironman Cuban Linx 2, even if there is a slight hint on this album.

As I continue, I would like to incorporate my new rating system for my reviews, which is the following:

***** Awesome material, worthy of repeated listening
**** Pure excellence
*** Decent
** Ok, but nothing special
* Poor, no redeeming qualities

Ironman's rankings are as follows:

Iron Maiden ****
Wildflower ***
The Faster Blade ****
260 *****
Assassination Day *****
Poisonous Darts ****
Winter Warz *****
Box In Hand ****
Fish ****
Daytona 500 ****
Motherless Child ****
Black Jesus *****
After The Smoke Is Clear ***
All That I Got Is You *****
The Soul Controller ****
Marvel (Bonus Track) ***

Production wise, this album is excellent, as The Rza comes with the same fire behind the boards that he always came with around this time, and we also see of True Master's first tracks here (Fish). Nothing dull here. Overall, Ironman was a solid debut album from Ghostface, and his catalog would only extend from here. Initially, I rated this album four stars, but from a historical perspective, I have to bump the rating up to 5 stars, which gives this album classic status. December 26, 2007

Ironman

This probably the third best Wu tang solo cd. And by far the best ghostface album. Assasination day is the best song on here. 5 STARS! October 14, 2007

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