I got this last night before the chaos began and I’m just getting a chance to listen to it this morning over a cup of OJ. I was expecting to hear some bangers on this tape but nothing like this.

Straight out the gate Chuck laces you with a track called Before We Leave and it’s something unexpected. It has a Caribbean feel to it and the synths used in the instrumental help to capture that mood. I like how the sample is subtle and is used sparingly.
Chuck Inglish – Before We Leave

In the track I was seeing stars the synths were carried over and the drums become harder. The drum pattern is classic but the other sounds are airy to provide that space age type of theme. That Gucci Mane sample just cracks me up. I like when the breakdown comes in at the end to make a good transition to the next beat which is called Tip Your Hat. The guitar playing on the beat is sick as hell. That Currensy sample over the drum pattern is simple but it’s just enough to keep your head bobbing. What I like about this beat is that it doesn’t stick with one melody and it continues to grow.

XXL has that classic The Cool Kids sound with some hard a#$ bass and a distorted synth sound. The hits are hard as a mofo and just help to make the beat sound just right for Chuck Inglish and Sir Michael Rocks to come in on #pause.
Chuck Inglish – XXL


The ending part of that beat provides a great segway for the next track. Sunny Wings just takes a small bit from XXL and everything in that bit is highlighted in this beat. At best I think someone could use this beat as an outro. The 808 used in the production is heavy. I’m surprised at this point because I am still moving my head.

The mood of the tape immediately switches when Run comes on. I’m not sure what to make of this track except that it sounds like something they would play at the end of a 80’s video game. The rhythm is a little corny IMO so I would probably skip this track if I were listening to the tape all the way through. What sucks about skipping this track would be missing the transition at the end of the beat for the next beat, luckily there’s not a transition here.

Stretch is another classic The Cool Kids sounding beat. This thing makes me want to buy a GMC Typhoon and cruise around town with a Detroit Lions snapback on with a girl named Amber in the passenger side. I never really heard Chuck Inglish use so many airy sounds before but I am diggin what he’s trying to accomplish by using them. The transition for Daytons was a bit messy and it kind of threw me off for a minute. The beat for this track is kind of old skool with the different cuts and the heavy bass. It’s also short as hell but I can dig it.

The intro to Cheesecake reminds me of some Roger Troutman type of ish. I like the rhythm of this track, it’s bouncy and that sound is used as a foundation for the beat.
Chuck Inglish – Cheesecake


So I kind of know why the name of the next beat is called Pills. It starts out at a fast tempo and then you come to this spot where it just slows down. So many elements of funky and soul are in this beat that I can’t begin to describe the overall mood of the beat. It’s got an 80’s westside feel to it if anything.

The title track Working is after Pills and it’s another Cool Kids type of beat. Then boom the tempo speeds up and wa-la you are in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by chaos. I love how the beat grows and it just doesn’t stay calm. Chuck used the right amount of sounds to blend into this production. Another transition is made into the next beat, Curly Hair. This beat is tailored for them GMC 4×4’s and pickups on the way to the skating rink. You can hear how Chuck has grown as a producer in this beat by listening to the transitions and the bridges, not complex but just enough. Together is a beat that sounds like an extension of Curly Hair but it’s a little too much for me. I feel that he probably could have left this beat off the tape. I’ll let you be the judge of that though.

My mood changed when California came on. Now this is my type of beat, the melody is easy on the ears and the drum pattern is groovy.
Chuck Inglish – California

Just the perfect amount of ingredients to create a freshly blended beat. This beat could be rapped on or sung over, either way I think if that were to go down I would be on board. This is one of those types of beat that you could just cruise to on the highway or wherever your hoopty takes you.

Another flawless transition is made for the next beat, Vacation Day. Vacation Day is truly a relaxed track and Chuck managed to capture the mood of R&R very well in this particular beat. It’s easy going and there are no surprises until the end where you get a scratched in sample. Now that the vacation is over a beat comes in called Action that takes you back to the funk. It sounds like an intermission more than a beat for an actual song.

Alto takes you back to those Computer Love days initially then as you listen to it you realize that you are not impressed by this beat at all. The tempo remains the same and the melody is just blah. The best part of this beat is the end where Chuck does his usual and provides you with a smooth cut. Sunset is a beat that will make you want to move your body.
Chuck Inglish – Sunset

Doesn’t it sound like the Funky Drummer is back at it again?

I like the intro to Rolling, my goodness it had my head moving so hard. The drum pattern and the scratching were bananas. Another beat that grows on its own and it did not disappoint me. If you are an MC this track will make you want to spit some bars over it. I’m surprised how he took the sample used in Jay-Z’s The Black Album and laced it into the end of the beat. Then this track labeled Rattle Snake comes in with a feel of it’s own. Reminds me of some Art of Noise type of ish but then I was surprised how it came to a blunt end. A short track indeed.

CONCLUSION
For this to be the first time that I am hearing a Chuck Inglish beat tape I would have to say that I am surprised by the quality of work he presented. I’m not too surprised though from hearing some of the stuff he did with DOM Kennedy and Sir Michael Rock this past year. After listening to this tape I wish that the beats used on this tape were the beats used on When Fish Ride Bicycles. I liked the transitions between the beats, which made the tape flow well. There were only a couple of moments while listening to the tape that I became bored and was eager to hear the next track. If I was to summarize Chuck Inglish’s new found sound in three words they would have to be bass-heavy, funky-drums, and futuristic-synths. I also enjoyed the subtle samples used in the beats. The beats weren’t overzealous and I feel that Chuck remained true to himself in this project. I would recommend a good download of Wrking and an immediate sync to your pod.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Top 3 Fav Beats: Before We Leave, Rolling, California