RECOVERY

[fish7718]

lol, right. whack beat, sounds like every other Eminem song.

 

do people get that he's more of a gimmick than say, Afroman is, at this point in his career?

Nope

 

but we do get that you are more of a hater than say, Skip Bayless is, at this point in your forum postings.

[HipHopHead]

Nope

 

but we do get that you are more of a hater than say, Skip Bayless is, at this point in your forum postings.

read the sig, bro. :glasses:

[JYD]

read the sig, bro. :glasses:

lol. honestly this cd is pretty damn wack. em has fallen off so hard mayne. i remember back in the days of renegade with jay-z....now it's just painful to listen to this [expletive].

[reno]

/shrug I know eminem has fallen off a bit if you compare him to his marshal mathers/eminem show days, but this cd is still good imo. Leaps better than the relapse and encore, put a lot of heart into some of the songs.

[JYD]

/shrug I know eminem has fallen off a bit if you compare him to his marshal mathers/eminem show days, but this cd is still good imo. Leaps better than the relapse and encore, put a lot of heart into some of the songs.

i didn't listen to relapse much, if at all really. all i know is this is not something i'll be listening to often.

[Check my Stats]

'If you want buy my old [expletive] buy my old albums'.

[fish7718]

read the sig, bro. :glasses:

I ain't hurt

I'm iight

[expletive]a I'm doin good

I ain't to sell rhymes I got bricks in the hood

[JYD]

'If you want buy my old [expletive] buy my old albums'.

but jay can still rap. eminem showed on relapse and recovery that he can not.

[ManOnTheMoon]

^ Lol how he can he not rap?

[kadillak]

Em can still rap.

[JYD]

^ Lol how he can he not rap?

i'm talking about compared to his older [expletive].

 

Em can still rap.

well yea, i mean of course, i rather listen to em's new album then waka flocka, but if you put this up against an album like the BP3 both jay and em are getting older now but the BP3 was much better then this.

[Check my Stats]

but jay can still rap. eminem showed on relapse and recovery that he can not.

 

The point is still the same, if you want to listen to Em's old [expletive] put TES or MMLP on. This is a solid album.

[JYD]

The point is still the same, if you want to listen to Em's old [expletive] put TES or MMLP on. This is a solid album.

i don't want to listen to eminem's old [expletive]. i want to listen to eminem rapping at his best...so therefore i will not listen to recovery. end of story.

[Nitro]

but jay can still rap. eminem showed on relapse and recovery that he can not.

 

Relapse was trash. But lyrically Eminem is TIGHT on Recovery. What kind of kills the album for me is the production and guest appearances, and some also don't like the subject matter. But in terms of MC skills Em is still among the elite. I'd certainly put his rapping skills at this stage of his career above Jay's, but from an all-around musical standpoint Jay has his style on lock right now, Em does not. But if you listen to various freestyles and guest appearances on other songs, Em's skills are still sharp. It's his inability to mesh the tight lyrics from his verses with a great hook and beat that is the problem...IMO.

[JYD]

Relapse was trash. But lyrically Eminem is TIGHT on Recovery. What kind of kills the album for me is the production and guest appearances, and some also don't like the subject matter. But in terms of MC skills Em is still among the elite. I'd certainly put his rapping skills at this stage of his career above Jay's, but from an all-around musical standpoint Jay has his style on lock right now, Em does not. But if you listen to various freestyles and guest appearances on other songs, Em's skills are still sharp. It's his inability to mesh the tight lyrics from his verses with a great hook and beat that is the problem...IMO.

well i can tell you right now the hooks are the worse part of the album. i really have not even wasted my time listening to much of the album from a lyrical point of view. i scanned through it once or twice, and like you said the feat's are just ehh to me, and the hooks seemed wack (talkin 2 myself kobe did a nice job, not afraid ok hook, and 25 to life is a really good song from a lyrical POV IMO).

 

 

thats about it.

[Nitro]

well i can tell you right now the hooks are the worse part of the album. i really have not even wasted my time listening to much of the album from a lyrical point of view. i scanned through it once or twice, and like you said the feat's are just ehh to me, and the hooks seemed wack (talkin 2 myself kobe did a nice job, not afraid ok hook, and 25 to life is a really good song from a lyrical POV IMO).

 

 

thats about it.

 

Spend some time when you get the chance to really listen to and absorb the lyrics. Recovery certainly is not at the level of either of Em's first 4 albums lyrically (by that I mean from Infinite-TES), and he has more songs on Recovery that are duds as opposed to those classics. However, a good portion of Recovery is very solid lyrically, a huge upgrade from most of Encore and Relapse.

 

I agree with people when they say Em's songwriting skills have fallen off big, but his MC skills are still elite.

[ManOnTheMoon]

Spend some time when you get the chance to really listen to and absorb the lyrics. Recovery certainly is not at the level of either of Em's first 4 albums lyrically (by that I mean from Infinite-TES), and he has more songs on Recovery that are duds as opposed to those classics. However, a good portion of Recovery is very solid lyrically, a huge upgrade from most of Encore and Relapse.

 

I agree with people when they say Em's songwriting skills have fallen off big, but his MC skills are still elite.

 

This sums it up.

[JYD]

yeah i realy should listen to it more, it's just hard because i think the hooks on the album minus about 3 tracks are very bad, and the production for the most part is pretty poor.

[ManOnTheMoon]

yeah i realy should listen to it more, it's just hard because i think the hooks on the album minus about 3 tracks are very bad, and the production for the most part is pretty poor.

 

Forget the hooks and follow these songs with lyrics:

 

Cold Wind Blows

Talking 2 Myself

Going Through Changes

Seduction

No Love (Em's part)

Not Afraid

Spad Bound

Cinderella Man

25 To Life

So Bad

Almost Famous

You're Never Over

Untitled

[MainEv3nt]

talking to myself is very dope, hook an all.

[JYD]

talking to myself is very dope, hook an all.

i agree. i like this song and 25 to life. the rest i still just can't get into man...i tried.

[Nitro]

i agree. i like this song and 25 to life. the rest i still just can't get into man...i tried.

 

Try taking a closer listen to of Going Through Changes. The hook is annoying but lyrically and from a subject matter standpoint it's a great song.

[fish7718]

Untitled? lmao

 

BTW - after listening to the CD for a while I think the best track is Your Never Over

 

the bonus tracks were weak IMO

Edited June 25, 2010 by Fish7718

[kadillak]

well yea, i mean of course, i rather listen to em's new album then waka flocka, but if you put this up against an album like the BP3 both jay and em are getting older now but the BP3 was much better then this.

Not a chance, IMO. "A Star Is Born" is really the only song I like lyrically simply because it's cool to see a big name give props to other big names and give credit where credit is due. Also it was a good concept to get J. Cole a platform to show his skills and Cole did work. Sure, I enjoy going back and listening to "Already Home", "Empire State of Mind", and "Run This Town" from time to time, but those songs don't hold up to "Going Through Changes", "Space Bound", "Talkin' To Myself", "You're Never Over", or the genius behind the double meaning of "Seduction". That's just my opinion.

[ManOnTheMoon]

o say this album is an important benchmark in Eminem's career would be an understatement of gross measures. When Eminem first came to prominence, he charged out the gates with three classic albums in a row. Not only did he come out with three undeniable hip-hop classics but they all bettered each other, each building upon the last, each an evolution in his artistry. Then he came to a standstill, with Encore. It was by his own admission, not up to par. It was by far his weakest offering and very much a mixed bag. It seemed as if he was trying to please everybody but ended up pleasing nobody.

 

Four and a half years later, came Relapse. Now personally, I love Relapse. It's by no means his best album but my goodness; it's a wondrous display in meticulous lyricism and breathtaking delivery. With Relapse, Em strung a truckload of phonetically appealing words up inside a vocabulary yo-yo, inside a horrorcore casing, wound it up and flung it ferociously out of control, over haunting beats, with tongue-twisting delivery. But many felt the album failed in its style and subject matter. The now infamous accent experimentation(s) were in fact the only true issue for most. But irrespective of taste, it certainly was a strange choice of presentation for a comeback album and with all considerations taken into account, another small dent in Marshall’s otherwise impeccable portfolio.

 

So you see... Recovery really had to be an undeniable presence. It had to seriously flaunt spectacular lyrical and musical gusto in your face at all costs to avoid yet another fumble, at a very crucial point. The good news is Recovery does all that and more. What's the bad news...? Why does there have to be any, don't be presumptuous. Metaphors, punch-lines, concepts, introspection, self-deprecation... This album has it all. It succeeds it its attempt to bundle every appealing and enjoyable aspect of Eminem into one powerhouse of an album in a very unique way. It may not have as much edgy irony as The Slim Shady LP, as much brain-crushing originality as The Marshall Mathers LP or quite as much focused sound as The Eminem Show. But don’t let that deter you into thinking it’s no match for these albums. Em being a victim of his own past brilliance, by means of comparison, certainly is tough to ignore. But Recovery manages to sprinkle elements of Eminem we’re already aware of throughout, as well as showcase new shades of Shady to stew on.

 

We hear Em passionately tear his way through seventeen tracks of glory until his throat is hoarse. He's relentless, aggressive, unapologetic, humble, apologetic, humbling, hilarious, graphic, horrible, poetic, self-aware, silly and almost every other adjective currently in circulation in the English dictionary, all at once. He’s a walking contradiction (like most people, myself included) but he’s fully aware of it and listening to him spin this with an impressive range of imagination, lyrical innovation and childlike petulance is a joy. He’s not just aware of it but he relishes in it, he ramps it up, he contradicts himself on purpose. This is a fact which goes over the head of many critics, with them perceiving it as a flaw or inconsistency in his writing as opposed to a credit to his art. Imagine a mesh of The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show but with his new slew of head-spinning flows and a few doses of newfound maturity. This man really can flaunt any style in your face to a degree quite unlike any reputable counterpart and he knows it.

 

With Encore and even Relapse (to some extent) he seemed to be stuck in a rut between silly and serious. Now, it seems he's able (once again) to blend these and many other elements in a consistent manner. You'll get the expected personal tracks from Em but there's something enticing about them. I had started to somewhat loathe Em's introspection as it had become rather repetitive, redundant and predictable. Though on Recovery, he’s able to do it with a more glistening honesty. Listen as he effortlessly lays bare his thoughts on tracks like “Talkin’ 2 Myself” and “Going Through Changes”. Making great use of a Black Sabbath sample on the latter. There's no easy to swallow nonsense for easy consumption, it’s clear and definitive. He admits all his faults in typical Oprah fashion. How many other rappers would declare their last album in the trash and admit they're a desperate loner? Not many that's how many. Eminem is a rarity and it makes for extremely satisfying and relatable listening.

 

Personal odes and self-praising aside, this album is also noteworthy for some conceptual gems. If you go through the track “25 to Life” for the first time thinking it’s about a relationship with a woman (perhaps Kim) you’d be forgiven, as this was his intent, only to reveal the true agenda in the closing lines. It’s somewhat of a striking moment when you hear it and means you have to re-listen to the track to appreciate it in its proper context. Then you have the show stopping brilliance of “Almost Famous”. Perhaps the album’s most powerful track, it’s mighty impressive. It’s also probably my favourite. I've been a little cautious not to reveal too much of the album's content or true stylistic as... Well, for one it would simply take too long, there's so much going on. Also, why have me spoil it for you. Where's the fun in a stranger unwrapping your presents. Even the tracks with more forgettable themes are executed so well that they can't seriously be considered filler.

 

For me, the only significant flaw of this album is (in parts) the production on some tracks. But it’s by no means bad enough, as some are making it out to be, to be a serious detraction from it as a whole. Em’s lyricism and content is sublime enough to eclipse any faltering on the boards.

 

In closing, let me just say this... With Recovery Eminem has crafted one of the best albums of his career. I don't want to be premature in ranking it as I'm still not sure but it's definitely up there. You'll listen once and get a shock to the system... Listen a second time; become intrigued. Then listen a third, fourth, fifth and sixth time, just to set you up for the seventh to fiftieth listens. This album is an onion of art and you really do peel away a new layer with each new listen. Not only that but it definitely grows on you. It’s not instant gratification on all accounts. It’s more “Did I really just hear that... Hang on, let me just... Oh, wow”. Leaving aside its place in Em’s discography at this point, it’s safe to say he more than delivered on his promise this time. If only everybody put this much work into their music.

 

Great review by EmBase.

Edited June 25, 2010 by Dazed