Forget the days when you would go out and buy an EP or a single, just to find that you only get two or three unreleased tracks. "Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives" includes 7 new tracks and covers the time length of your average full length punk rock album. As if the music wasn't worth it on it's own, Def Jux also added a beautiful 80-page book including the complete lyrics to all of Aesop Rock's three LPs and two EPs to date. I jumped out on a limb, and bought Aesop's "Labor Days" and this EP at the same time, as a first-time purchaser. I delved into "Labor Days" first, and have been hooked ever since. The other day I whipped out the book and started to read along with the lyrics as Aesop was spitting them out at an alarming rate. If you are the type that is easily intimidated by fast, complex and hard to understand metaphors, I would totally recommend this item to you as a learning tool.

I read that the music is closest to the production of "Bazooka Tooth". I don't have that one (yet), but I will make my comments about this one. The music is definitely funkier and more futuristic than "Labor Days". "Labor Days" had a very stylized minimalist feel to it, bombarded with an abundance of classical samples and string instruments. This EP's production, along with Bazooka Tooth seems even more complex, and leaves some listeners saying "It's too much for me." (Amazon reviews). I never let an album get the better of me. Complex or not, I will get to the roots of the music. When you finally get there, it turns out to be a very rewarding listen. Aesop's rhythm and patterns in his lyrics have evolved nicely since "Labor Days" (2001). Although I like all the tracks very well, my favorite would have to be the tongue twisting rhymes of "Zodiaccupuncture".

All in all, this package is well worth the purchase. Here's to another year of mind-blowing underground hip-hop. I know I'll be here for it!

Any long time fan of Aesop Rock will tell you this: It is by no means a simple task to decipher most of Aesop's lyrics. I think a large part of understanding Aesop is understanding where he comes from... his name that is. If you do a search for "bio of Aesop" on google you will be forwarded to a page with this paragraph:

"Aesop is famous for his fables: short tales which illustrated truths about life and human nature. Most of his fables feature familiar animals, including "The Grasshopper and the Ant" and "The Tortoise and the Hare." Little is known about the true life of Aesop himself, and some believe that no such person ever really existed. Those who believe Aesop existed generally agree that he lived during the 6th century B.C., lived for some time on the island of Samos, and was for at least part of his life a slave. It's also generally agreed that not all of Aesop's fables were actually created by him; has fame grew so great that many other fables were eventually put in his name."

The above pretty much sums up the intentions of Aesop Rock. It's also why he chose the name "Aesop". What is interesting is his response when he was asked about where his name originated; he says and I quote: "I had like a line in my friend's home video. The character's name was Aesop and it just stuck." To me this answer reflects exactly what Aesop wants from you. He wants you to think, and think you shall if you want any comprehension of his lyrics. I say this with confidence: They are by far the most complex lyrics you will ever hear. Every single line carries some sort of metaphore... and those metaphores require constant persistance to un-puzzle. He is in every since of the word a poet. And I believe that is what makes him unique. Confidence mixed with poems mixed with tight music loops. Welcome to Aesop Rock, a new and fresh drug. He wants something from his listenners other than your money, he wants you to gain new ideas and to expand your mind.

I have nothing against other rappers, in fact I enjoy a lot of them... even 50cent. But if I were to judge based on originality it would be like comparring a Van Gogh painting to your little sister's kindergarten drawing. I would also like to add that listenning and finally understanding some of his lyrics or even just a line or a word can be a very rewarding experience. This is a rare delicacy that you are hard pressed to find in other artists these days. In the words of Aesop: happy thinking!

This album represents progess to me.

First off, the production of this cd is top notch, beats by both Blockhead and Aesop, and number 5 by Rob Sonic (not familiar with him). Aesop has improved in just the production alone, I'm telling you its awesome. Ever since I heard the Greatest Pac Man Victory in History off of Bazooka Tooth I knew he had great potential on just production. This cd really showcases his talent. Not only do you get a great production effort from Aesop Rock, but Blockhead is back with more of a role than he had in Bazooka Tooth and it's a good thing. And Rob Sonic, dunno who he is, but he does a good job on the song he produces as well (winners take all). Let me just say, don't be expecting cookie cutter hip hop beats, these are nothing but ordinary. So to sum up the production, as I stated before, top notch.

Lyrically I haven't been able to soak it all in properly, but I have been reading the book (A VERY VERY VERY COOL BONUS TO BUYING THIS CD). I have always known Aesop as a rapper using his words as critique of social issues. This cd will find him giving more of the same. Some people think his lyrics seem more like jibberish but hey thats their opinion. If you dig Aesop from his previous albums, then this album will certainly please. I personally think that what he writes is as good as anything you are going to get from other emcees, even if you don't agree you have to admit his style is extremely unique in a good way. He spits out metaphors, personifications, and just clever word play. I really like Aesop's delivery, especially how it varies from song to song and within certain songs. Fans of Aesop will find nothing lacking, people looking to get into a unique new rapper who just sounds dope, here you go, but please don't just jump in without looking. Aesop's sound really isn't the most accessible sound in the business, but I suggest you give him a chance, give him some time, and hopefully he will grow on you like he did me.

Ok so now the part where I put what I don't like about the cd, cause honestly nothing is perfect. The cd clocks in at about 30 minutes. There you have it, the major flaw of Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives. People might not dig some of the songs also, like I said earlier and as many before have said, Aesop is not a super accessible rapper and some of the beats might not be what you were looking for. If you are looking for some hip hop that you can just pop in and please everyone, look elsewhere.

I say this album represents a forward step in Aesop's career, as his other cd's have done. His cd's never sound the same, love it or hate it, he keeps it fresh and this cd is the "next step".

A fraction of hip-hop heads actually listen to Aesop Rock and recognize his genius, while the majority ignore him completely and pass him off as another white backpack rapper. His voice has the nicotine induced grittiness, and his flow spastically bounces and crawls through drums, but it's his lyrics that make Aesop Rock one of the most original and unique figures in music. For this reason alone Ase Rock has packed a book of his lyrics alongside his seventh release, Fast Cars, Danger, Fire, and Knives.

Titled The Living Human Curiosity Sideshow, the 87-page booklet features every lyric from Float on, with classic Medieval graphics and fonts. It's hard to not hear his voice when reading his prose, but his sentence structure is far different from his delivery and reads more fluently than it might sound. Straight up, dude is a poet.

Reading his lyrics is one thing, but over a beat it's obvious the poet is a well-schooled MC. His turn towards a more electric and chaotic sound has given his already progressive style a futuristic feel. The seven-song album spans 30 minutes, but doesn't leave the listener feeling empty. With production from Blockhead and Ase himself and cameos by El-P and CamuTao, the album is focused but not repetitive. "Holy Smokes," his autobiographical account of losing religion, contrasts naturally along paranoid songs like "Winner Takes All." Like every other album bearing his name, this is another classic Bazooka Tooth project.

- Corey Bloom

Synthesis.net

Aesop Rock is the best lyricist around, IMHO. Hands down. Every release of his is solid and groundbreakingly original and the simple truth of it is that if you're an Aesop fan, you'll be pretty satisfied with this. With "Fast Cars..." he's evolving. His style is much more refined and beat-conscious that "Bazooka Tooth" and "Labor Days" and yet has some of the best lyrics around. Of course, any heavy Aesop fan would buy this release solely for the lyric book composed of lyrics to songs previously undecipherable and very dense.

1. "Fast Cars" - 9.5/10. This is a confident introduction of sorts to the rest of the cd. Great.

2. "Number Nine" - 10/10. I dunno why I like this one so much. The lyrics seem to be even more cryptic than most and the beat is kind of rudimentary. It's a hell of a song, though.

3. "Zodiaccupuncture" - 10/10. Wow. This one blew me away at first listen (I had sampled most of the others before purchasing the cd). The beat is one of the best I've ever heard on an Aesop song.

4. "Holy Smokes" - 10/10. Okay, this is my favorite song on the EP because of the lyrics and an arbitrary agreement to them.

5. "Winner Takes All" - 9.5/10. Once again, I love the lyrics and the meaning. A little like the obscure song "Numb," if you've heard that.

6. "Rickety Rackety" - 8.5/10. Great song. I like the way how each guy spits a short verse and then the next one does, etc. It's a cool song.

7. "Food, Clothes, Medicine" - 10/10. This one is very unique. Slow and gritty with some excellent lyrics and spot-on production.