by Lundberg - June 8, 2010 - - 3 Comments »
Eminem is unquestionably one of the greatest rappers of all time. He is on the short list. Yet, sometimes, I feel like he is still searching for his magnum opus. Some may say it’s The Marshall Mathers LP. That record hasn’t aged well enough and has too many missteps to be his Illmatic, Blueprint, Chronic or Enter the Wu. Personally, I believe The Eminem Show is his best work. It captures all that makes him great: honesty, zaniness, emotion and pure skill. His latest, Recovery certainly has the cohesive sound that it takes to make a classic and will be a nice addition to his already impressive catalogue, though it will ultimately fall short of achieving timeless status.
On Recovery, Slim reaches out to a bevy of producers for the first time in his career. The result is unique for an Eminem record but despite various craftsmen, the album has a unifying pop-rock sound; a sound that is probably the right fit for the current age and demo of his fanbase. While his last effort Relapse (which he trashes here…I liked it) had a playfully dark and maniacal tone, this one establishes a new direction right from the jump with the banging “Cold Wind Blows.” It is vintage Eminem. The second track, “Talkin’ to Myself” is a brutally honest self assessment that even depicts jealousy toward other rappers. The album hits a speed bump after that with the bland “On Fire”, the generic and forced “Won’t Back Down”, the sort of fun but ultimately unnecessary “W.T.P.” and the contrived Black Sabbath sampling “Going Through Changes”.
But while most albums blow their loads early nowadays, this one recovers (get it?) as it goes along. And the mid to latter portion is filled with standouts that rank amongst the best of his career. “Seduction” is a bouncy pleasure in the vein of “Superman” (notice his use of the Jay-Z “AW” ad lib…I’m still trying to figure out his intention here). The Just Blaze produced “No Love” somehow samples the Night at the Roxbury theme without being corny. Lil’ Wayne sounds right at home on the track, Em is Em and the whole ordeal makes me bob my head like a hooded out Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan. Eminem’s singing on the chorus is the only thing keeping it from being perfect. “Space Bound” is a love song and it is one of the best he has made. The hook is just about as infectious I’ve ever heard. I’m singing it right now. “25 to Life” is a metaphor track about his relationship with hip hop and it’s a goodie. The lone Dr. Dre contribution “So Bad” is hard as hell and Rihanna sounds absolutely glorious on the surefire hit record “Love the Way You Lie”.
Now on to the problems. There are two major ones. Marshall’s insistence on singing corny emo hooks (didn’t they clown Ja Rule for crooning?). I mentioned the one on “No Love” but the most egregious example is on the Proof tribute “You’re Never Over”. I wish Proof didn’t die so I didn’t have to hear this song. It sounds like a parody. The hooks bring several songs down a notch. The other major stumbling block is the constant use of his “angry flow”. Sometimes I want to say “why do you keep yelling at me!” while I’m listening. It hurts my brain. The overuse of this is comparable to the silly accents (which I enjoyed at times) on Relapse. The songs where he varies his delivery are some of my favorites. The remainder of the album I failed to mention ranges from pretty good (“Almost Famous”) to forgettable.
Overall, Eminem proves once again that he may be the greatest pure spitter of all time. And while his ability to craft a perfect record and consistently re-playable songs may still come under question, the standouts here are unquestionably great. Recovery is worthy of his legendary status, even if it is not legendary in and of itself.
Best tracks: “Cold Wind Blows”, “Seduction”, “Space Bound”, “No Love”, “25 to Life”, “So Bad”, “Love the Way You Lie”
good review. i agree with most of it although i think im feeling it a little more then you. i agree 100% about how awful the hook on the proof tribute is, but the actual verses are fire. my favorite tracks are so bad, talkin to myself, and cinderella man.
the main thing about em that makes people love him and hate him is the content (and that argument is an objective one) and i know its bold to say but when it comes to just pure spitting and lyrical genius i honestly think hes the best of all time (i feel like this album proves it, and when naming the best of all time at least admit that em is a more advanced lyrical rapper then the other candidates (jay z, nas, pac, big)
now lets listen to the album like 5 more times and say what we really think haha. that first listen is always tricky when giving a review
I almost always try to listen to an album at least three times through before I review it…
As far as pure rapping, the act of stringing together words that rhyme, it is tough to see anybody touching Em. Though, the guys you mention all do things that he can’t as well: Nas (imagery), Biggie (storytelling, presence) and Jay (wit, versatility).
In the end, it is the music industry, making good songs is the most important thing and no one is touching Hov’s catalogue.
Good review. Agree with MOST of what you say. Especially that The Eminem Show is his best. I’ve been saying it for years. Tracks like “Solider,” “Say Goodbye Hollywood,” “Sing for the Moment,” “‘Till I Collapse” … that’s Eminem at his best. He’s gone back to that a little on this album, thankfully. No more goofy shit. Also agree this album would be better if several tracks were just… removed.
This album will have lasting power I believe because he’s just insane lyrically here. Drake’s though… I’m already tired of that. Talk about “emo,” my god. Plus his rhymes are so terribly simplistic – he’s an even worse rapper than Kanye. That album will be playing in the clubs all summer, then we’ll all tire of it. That’s my prediction.
I also found the Jay-Z “D.O.A.” reference interesting. I thought Em was mocking him at first, but I don’t know why he would do that. Hmmm.