Format CD single, 2 x Vinyl | ||
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Genre Downtempo, Alternative hip hop, ambient Producer(s) | ||
All Things To All Men is a song featured on the album Every Day by British nu-jazz group The Cinematic Orchestra. The song features vocals by London-born rap artist Roots Manuva and an instrumental composition from Welsh musician Rhodri Davies. It was released under the British-based independent record label Ninja Tune.
Contents
Track Description
The track begins with a sampling from legendary composer John Barry's soundtrack from the 1968 motion picture Petulia. After different instrumental variations and the addition of a bass rhythm, the track introduces rapper Roots Manuva with a 4 minute long segment over the original sampling. The track then tones down in intensity to a piano riff, and eventually finishing with a Harp solo by Welsh musician Rhodri Davies.
At just over 11 minutes long at extended length, it is the longest track on the album "Every Day".
Track Credits
Reception
John Bush of the online music guide service AllMusic describes the track as a "magisterial , spoken-word quasi-autobiography."
Paul Cooper of Pitchfork Media said the song is "contemplative, doubting, restless. For the performance of his career, Roots Manuva drops his Stockwell rudie schtick for a philosophical self-examination that never descends into navel-gazing or therapy-babble."
In a review for the entire album for BBC Music, Peter Marsh describes the track as "a cooly minimalist atmospheric funk workout complete with typically off beat rhymes from Roots Manuva and a lovely, kora-like Rhodri Davies harp solo."