[Lord]

Originally posted by Sigmar: Was anyone else slightly let down by Eminem's latest album? Compared to the incredible "Marshall Mathers LP" and "The Eminem Show" it was a bit, hit and miss. He has a lot of good songs in it, but some the ones that made the cut are plain, old turkeys. Doesn't flow well at all IMO. "Curtain's up"- Just a (boring) intro, I like the way the crowd chants "EM-A-NEM" "Evil Deeds"-Some of my friends found the way he keeps repeating words in this track to be annoying, and the chorus to be off-key (or whatver), but personally I like it, and it's a good opening track for this album. 3/5 "Never Enough"- Probably one of the better tracks of the album IMO (even though it's a bit short). Nate Dogg's chorus is great (as usual) and 50 Cent flow's suprisingly well here, Eminem's alright here. 4/5 "Yellow Brick Road"- The first time in the track where if feels like Eminem is actually being "real". Reminds me of his "8 Mile" soundtrack stuff which I really liked. Good stuff. 4/5 "Like Toy Soldiers"- Suitably dramatic and stuff, like most of the last half of "The Eminem Show". Shame there wasn't more tracks like this in the album. 3/5 "Mosh"-Oh boy. You'll listen to it once, hear his "anti-Bush" message, and avoid the boring lyrics and beat in the future whenever possible. The first Skip (avoid) track. 2/5 "Puke"- ? Eminem wrote this?!? The chorus and beat sucks, the rest of the song is a boring "I hate you Kim" song. The puking doesn't help either. Skip "My 1st Single"-I can see why this was going to be his first single, the beat is really good. He could have rapped about the Antique dealing with this beat, and it would still have been good. The lyrics in this song are alright, but again,it doesn't feel like he's trying. 3/5 "Paul"- I'm happy Michael Jackson is unhappy, just a skit though. "Rain Man"- If he sets out to show he can rap about essentially nothing and still create an alright track, he's done it with this track. Unlikely you'll hear it more than once though. 3/5 Skip "Big Weenie"-Oh good God. What have you done to Eminem, and where are you keeping his body? The weakest put-down track I've ever heard him release. He does flow alright in this song, he's an incredible rapper, but he's working with horrible lyrics. 2/5 Skip "Em calls Paul"-SKIP "Just lose it"-Yes, perhaps it is cheesy like every other previous cheesy song he's released (My name is, The Real Slim Shady, Without me), it has an annoying Pee-wee-Herman laugh every two seconds, but God help me I like it. Call it a guilty pleasure, I'm just waiting for a killer remix *dials Little John, DJ Green Lantern and Westwood simultaneously* 4/5 "Ass like that"-For some reason, Eminem rapping about Girl's "badunkadunks" is just....wrong...his middle eastern accent makes this bearable...the first time. Skip "Spend some time"- Very good, Obie Trice is incredible here, the chorus..."suitably dope" and Eminem sounds good here. Stat Quo sounds good too, reminds me of Bugz a lot. 50 Cent wraps up the nice package, good stuff. 4/5 "Mockingbird"-Another "real" song, like he actually tried here, I like his depressing, slow and emotion filled songs. So I like this one too, it just sounds right, like this is what he should have been delivering throughout. "Crazy in Love"- The chorus...incredible, the beat amazing....Eminem...bored. "What are you talking about? What the hell do you know?" My opinion here, but I feel he uses the same monotonous voice, and I can picture Dre in the background saying "One more time, WITH FEELING". 3/5 "One Shot 2 Shot"- "What, we've got a rubbish song leftover from the rubbish D-12 World album? Let's stick it in my new album." Skip 2/5 "Final thought"-Nice build up to the impressive outro. "Encore"-YYYYYEEEEEESSSSSSSSS This is what the album needed, more "Dre & Eminem" who work together almost as well as "Redman and Method Man". The chorus is nice enough, and 50 compliments Eminem and Dre vocals very nicely. Shame this track just reminds you how good these people can be. *Remix please* 4/5 ---------- Extra CD: "We as Americans"-Why this didn't make the cut unlike some of the turkneys that snuck in is a mystery. A very good track, Eminem flows well, yadda yadda yadda, good Eminem song. 4/5 "Love you more"-Again, better than "Puke" and other turkeys in every way. 4/5 "Ricky Ticky Tock"-Not the best song ever made, but hell, it's still better than a few other tracks on the Album. 3/5 --------------------- Verdict- Go back to the drawing room you lyrical genius, and throw out another incredible Album next time. "Encore" just tarnishes his personal record. What do you think?

OK, I got the album a few hours after it came out since I'm obsessed with Eminem's music. I'll admit that it's his 2nd worst album (Infinite was probably his worst), but here are my ratings:

2. Evil Deeds: awesome song. I find nothing wrong with the chorus, and Eminem even admitts that his lyrics about his horrible life are getting boring: 4/5

3. Never Enough: Yeah, Nate Dogg's chorus is awesome. The rest of the song was ok, but I wouldn't say it's one of the top songs on the album. It's one of the songs that I listen to the least: 3/5

4. Yellow Brick Road: Yes, yes, and yes. This is an amazing song. Despite the somewhat strange intro, it's a great song. The 2nd verse is my favorite. I like the part "He looked at me like I'm at my mind, shook his head like white boys ain't know how to rhyme, I spit out of line." 4/5

5. Like Toy Soldiers: What's this? Eminem is...sorry? What? Plus, it has a terrible chorus: 1.5/5, maybe a 2/5.

6. Mosh: I don't need to add a differnet comment

7. Puke: Boring song with the same stuff from the past. The puking is annoying, and I don't like how he puts on a 'sing song' voice. Worse than 'Like Toy Soldiers' though, although I rated them the same. This song needs better rhymes: 2/5

8. My 1st Single: Amazing lyrics. I see no reason why this couldn't have been his first single for Encore. The only thing that I absolutely hate in thi s song is the burps and farts in the chorus, or else this is one of the best songs on the album: 4/5 (I'd give it a 4.5 if it wasn't for the burps and farts).

9. Paul: skit=no rating.

10. Rain Man: I love the chorus. Funny song as well. I agree with your comment about how his song doesn't need to make sense, which he even says at the end of the 3rd verse. 3/5

11. Big Weenie: the chorus caught my ear for a few days. Some of the rhymes are good, but it isn't a great song. 2.5/5

12. Em Calls Paul: Once again, I hate the fart sounds in the background. They'll ruin his career [img]tongue.gif[/img] :skit=no rating.

13. Just Lose It: it reminds me of The Real Slim Shady and Without Me. Good lyrics along with a funny song. Good choice of a first single: 4/5.

14. Ass Like That: HILARIOUS song! The lyrics are funny and the accent still catches my ear and I like how he makes fun of Triumph the Insult Dog. The accent makes the whole song : 4/5

15. Spend Some Time: pretty good song. I like Obie and 50's verses. Stat Quo's short, yet great verse sticks out as well. Eminem needs to stop using a sing-song voice: 3/5

16. Mockingbird: He basically stuck in a quick summary of his past. He can do better, and he doesn't need to use some song from the past in this song. I won't say that it's a bad song though, since I think the lyrics are decently done: 3/5.

17. Crazy In Love: probably one of the best songs on the album. I really wish there was a 3rd verse. The 1st verse is better than the second, but simple chorus catches my ear. The beat is amazing. If he sang the words a little faster, then it would be even better: 4.5/5

18. One Shot 2 Shot: I agree on this one. Eminem's part is very well done, however: 2/5

19. Final Thought: skit=no rating.

20. Encore: YES! I agree. This is a great song. The whole album does need more Dre and 50 cent, but this song is amazing: 4.5/5!

21. We As Americans: honestly, I think this song is pretty bad. I think the intro to it is terrible as well as the chorus: 2/5

22. Love You More: wow, what a song! The chorus is perfect. Some of the rhymes stick out, but half of them are simple. It's still a great song with a great beat, and it gives life to his old 'I Hate You Kim' stuff: 4/5

23: Ricky Tick Toc: I feel like this is a freestyle instead of a song. I won't rate it, I don't even like it.

Overall, it's a CD that I can listen to over and over, but I'm still disappointed. It was better than Chingy's Powerballin' IMHO.
I'm looking forward to 50 Cent's album that comes out in February 2005. Also, I'm really looking forward to Dre's Detox, which I think comes out in 2006 according to one of the lines in the song 'Encore'

Edit: changed some ratings, plus I left out the bonus songs.

[ 11-29-2004, 12:32 AM: Message edited by: Lord ]