Eminem - Recovery
Record Label: Aftermath/Interscope/Shady Records
Release Date: June 22nd, 2010
Marshall Mathers is finally back, but is it worth the wait? The last two albums Encore and Relapse disappointed fans. This time around, Shady recognizes his past two efforts were not as good as he would have hoped them to be. He raps about his dark period, dealing with his drug addiction, dealing with the loss of his dear friend Proof, and being back to his old self.
The album kicks off with "Cold Wind Blows". This time around, Em didn’t spend a whole track on a PSA or introduction. Instead he dedicates the first few seconds of this first track for that, and it’s done perfectly. The verses have some sick rhymes, the hook is strong, although not perfect. One of my favorites on the album, although not quite ‘it’.
The track is followed by "Talkin' To Myself". Kobe does a perfect job with the chorus, and the beat for this song is great. Em’s lyrics are sharp and his flow is nice. He declares his bitterness and his past jealousy of Lil’ Wayne and Kanye. (Almost made a song dissin’ Lil’ Wayne/It’s like i was jealous of him because the attention he was getting). He also apologizes for the last two albums that did not satisfy fans as much as The Eminem Show or The Marshall Mathers LP. (Them last two albums didn’t count / Encore i was on drugs, Relapse i was flushing ‘em out.)
The next two tracks slow down the flow of the album a bit. "On Fire" adds nothing interesting to the album, instead it tires the listener with a painful to hear hook and not that great verses. "Won't Back Down" doesn't help the album at all, and Pink's vocals are weak and unnecessary.
Starting on track 5, "W.T.P", the album starts getting better. Eminem’s flow works magically for this track. This is a less serious track, but his lyrics are genius. "Going Through Changes" returns the album to a more serious tone, something about hearing Black Sabbath's "Changes" gave me a feeling that this would be a great track. And I was right. This track is another track about going through the loss of Proof, and recovering from the drug overdoses. This track shows how Eminem feels better than most tracks on the album, perhaps only with the exception of "You’re Never Over". The first single "Not Afraid" keeps the album moving, and although it's not the best track on the album, it worked perfectly as a first single; it shows what the album is about without giving away the details or the best of it.
Track 8, "Seduction", is another track that does not deserve more than a few plays. It adds nothing new to the album and just interrupts the flow.
The two hyped tracks in the album, "Love The Way You Lie (Ft. Rihanna)" and "No Love (Ft. Lil' Wayne)" do not disappoint. Eminem creates a solid track with Wayne, even better than Wayne's "Drop The World" that featured Eminem. Eminem once again shows his superior verse, and although Wayne provided a strong verse, Eminem's shout out to Kanye and flow prove to once again overshadow Wayne's effort. "Love The Way You Lie" blended Rihanna's twisted lullaby about love and abuse and Eminem's distorted rhymes perfectly, creating what could be perhaps the best track on the album. Both collaborations are executed nicely, better than the collaboration with Pink for example.
The second half of the album provides nice songs with great hooks like "Space Bound" and "25 To Life" that add a more serious tone to the record once again, but the second half is also filled with average tracks like "Cinderella Man", "So Bad", and "Almost Famous". None of these tracks are as bad as "Won't Back Down" or "On Fire", but they are not great tracks either, they are simply average.
The album closes with "You're Never Over". This is by far the best track on the album. Yes, better than Lil’ Wayne or Rihanna. This song shows Eminem’s feelings like no other. The hook is ridiculously good, and the sampling towards the end adds perfection. The last verse shows Eminem at his most vulnerable. This track shows Eminem’s pain in losing Proof better than any other track on the album. It is indeed a perfect way to close the album.
In conclusion, the album is full of strong tracks, and although it faces some minor bumps, there is nothing unbearable. This album is a must buy, and it is definitely a classic like The Eminem Show and the Marshall Mathers LP. The beats are not overproduced and none of the rhymes are forced, and Eminem finally got rid of the ridiculous accent that for some ruined Encore and Relapse. If you are hesitating, go purchase the album. It may not be the best album of all time, but it is surely worth the money if you are a fan of Hip Hop, or just Eminem. I'm personally a fan of other genres of music, but this is an album that can appeal to fans of any type of music.
idk why people didn't like Encore. It was very different from everything before it, but in an awesome way. Like Recovery, I prefer an Eminem that isn't writing raps about killing people (namely his ex-wife) or mommy issues...
I, somewhat, disagree with your review. The rating is perfect %, if not higher, but you don't like "Won't Back Down" or "Seduction" ? Those two tracks are so sick! The people that I know that own the album mention how they are part of their favorite tracks; I highly disagree with your review of those tracks as they are part of the high points of this album. Both are a lot better than "No Love", easily...and thats only because Lil Wayne actually makes the song bad.
I love Won't Back Down.
"I gave Bruce Wayne a valium and said settle your fucking ass down, I'm ready for combat, man. Get it? Calm bat man?"
So good.
I do agree Lil Wayne is not the best part of No Love. Seems kind of unnecessary. Also he's not the most talented lyricist and to put him next to Eminem seems cruel, haha.
"you're never over" best song on the album?? that's the one song i skip. i agree with most of the rest of the review. except "almost famous" is more than just average. it's a pretty awesome album.
"you're never over" best song on the album?? that's the one song i skip. i agree with most of the rest of the review. except "almost famous" is more than just average. it's a pretty awesome album.
Almost Famous is one of my faves. I skip W.T.P. and So Bad almost always. considering its a 78 minute album its amazing in my book.
I love Won't Back Down.
"I gave Bruce Wayne a valium and said settle your fucking ass down, I'm ready for combat, man. Get it? Calm bat man?"
So good.
I do agree Lil Wayne is not the best part of No Love. Seems kind of unnecessary. Also he's not the most talented lyricist and to put him next to Eminem seems cruel, haha.
this review is horrible for so many reasons, if not for your "play-by-play" and your RIYL alone. it's extremely obvious that you don't listen to a lick of hip-hop and shouldn't review something you have no experience in unless you do some proper research.
I love Won't Back Down.
"I gave Bruce Wayne a valium and said settle your fucking ass down, I'm ready for combat, man. Get it? Calm bat man?"
So good.
I do agree Lil Wayne is not the best part of No Love. Seems kind of unnecessary. Also he's not the most talented lyricist and to put him next to Eminem seems cruel, haha.
I like Eminem's verse in no love, and the chorus, not weezy's part.
I hold my opinion that Wayne is highly overrated.
And won't back down, i think pink's hook is weak, but the verses are solid.
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