Wu-Tang Clan playing House of Blues

Awesome, uneven, awesomely uneven: Despite boasting more ticks than a time bomb, the Wu-Tang Clan still ranks high among the greatest hip-hop groups ever.

The troupe's hitting town soon, and when they do, expect plenty of solo material from the nine MCs in addition to the requisite Wu hits.

Here are a few must-hear releases from the Wu canon to get ready for the show:

Wu-Tang Clan, "36 Chambers": The album that started it all. Dense, dark and dangerous, "Chambers" was like a solar eclipse to the West Coast's sun-baked G-funk, which dominated the day before the Wu emerged.

Wu-Tang Clan, "Wu-Tang Forever": The Wu at their most ambitious and boundary pushing, this two-disc set is simultaneously bloated, diffuse and thrilling, with aspirations as outsize as its beats.

GZA, "Liquid Swords": The Wu's wise sage, GZA has long served as the Wu's intellectual core and this is his master's thesis in metaphor.

Ol' Dirty Bastard, "Return to the 36 Chambers": The Wu's sadly deceased Id, ODB was an inimitable presence on his equally funny and fierce debut.

Ghostface Killah, "Fishscale": The Wu's most consistently compelling MC, Ghostface is the group's MVP with a clutch of classic albums. "Fishscale" reasserted the brilliance of his inscrutable storytelling a decade after his solo debut.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.