Sometimes you?ve just gotta go home to get the beats you need.

Common has hooked up with old friend and fellow Chicago native Kanye West for a poignant album that?s as tight and soulful as his last CD was unfocused and disappointing. Seeming rejuvenated by West?s creativity, he packs more thought and emotional punch into each verse here than many hip-hoppers spread across their entire albums.

A master storyteller with an exacting eye for detail, Com crafts characters in these 11 songs that won?t simply ?Be.? They grow, make choices, learn. With all their flaws and glory, they form the city and the black community that he loves and wants to celebrate before the world.

Every track contains a revelation. The intentions of a woman in court to ?Testify? at her husband?s trial come gradually into focus through the course of just 2 minutes. A lust-filled relationship unfolds subtly and surprisingly in the soft-yet-slammin? ?Go!?

With West behind the boards on those and seven other tunes, the soundscapes layered over boom-bip snare drums are lush and jazzy: A perfect fit for Common?s blend of big, hopeful themes and eye-on-the-street reporting.

The ultimate example is the first single ?The Corner,? where Common raps at one point: ?It?s hard to breathe, nights/Days are thief like /The beast roam the streets, the police is Greek-like.?

West is at his producing peak on the song and the inspiring intro ?Be,? but falters when he relies too much on his trademark sped-up vocal sample style in ?Faithful.? His raps, however, add a clever and light touch to the sometimes over-serious Common, like on ?The Dave Chappelle Show?s? live cut ?The Food? and the John Legend-featuring ?They Say?.

Common?s last CD was a letdown, with no clear themes or musical direction. He was desperately in need of a big comeback, and the Chi-town pairing with West has produced just that: a near-classic.

Ryan Pearson, AP Writer