Review: Eminem's 'Recovery'

[Mikey1990]

No one's ever accused Eminem of not being an open book, and he emotionally purges himself in a manner few other artists would feel comfortable doing on his latest album, "Recovery." Feel free to take that title very literally: This is Eminem explicitly working through his myriad issues, from his drug addiction, to the 2006 death of his best friend Proof, to his perceived flop of last year's "Relapse" album.

"Recovery" delves deeply and probingly into Eminem's psyche, but rather than giving into his demons the way he did on "Relapse," the focus here is on conquering them. On much of the album, most specifically the inspirational first single "Not Afraid," Eminem presents himself as someone who's been to hell and back, and is now reaching out to others to help them through their personal struggles. In the liner notes, Em says, "This album is dedicated 2 anyone who's in a dark place tryin' 2 get out. Keep your head up ... It does get better!" Forget Dr. Dre; "Recovery" feels like it was executive-produced by Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Em makes promises to listeners throughout the album that he won't let them down again, acknowledging he feels he did so with his last two studio albums, 2004's juvenilia-filled "Encore" and the haunting "Relapse," which was actually relatively well-received by critics and fans. Making amends to those you've done wrong is one of the 12 Steps, after all, but it's a surprising statement for an artist of Eminem's caliber to completely disavow two multi-platinum recordings.



"Recovery"

Shady Records/ Aftermath Entertainment/ Interscope Records

In stores Monday

GRADE: B

For what it's worth, though, "Recovery" indeed feels like a fresh, reinvigorated work, and is just as notable for what's not on it (songs about his mother, mentions of Christopher Reeve, scattershot drivebys on current pop-culture figureheads, the bizarre accents that had in recent years become Em's preferred method of lyrical delivery) as for what is.

Musically, it finds Em working with the most varied lineup of producers of his career, providing a range of new ideas for the 37-year-old rapper. (Em's partner-in-crime Dr. Dre produces only one track, the deliberately lurching "So Bad.")

Lyrically Em is still razor sharp, and his verses on the Lil Wayne-assisted "No Love" (which makes surprisingly efficient use of Haddaway's "What Is Love") and on the Proof tribute "You're Never Over" mark two of his most dizzying, driven flows ever. His storytelling skills aren't as crisp as they were on past works such as "Kim" and "Stan," and as such, the extended hip-hop-as-female metaphor "25 to Life" and the broken love song "Space Bound" suffer. However, with his urgent delivery and loop-de-loop rhymes, Em still manages to run circles around just about any other MC working today. He's in a league of his own.

As a byproduct of his reawakening, Eminem seems interested in making hit songs for the first time in a while, and his collaborations with pop singers Rihanna and Pink -- the midtempo burner "Love the Way You Lie" and the raucous, fiery "Won't Back Down," respectively -- will likely have more impact and staying power than any Eminem singles in a long time. Pop radio, guess who's back?

Overkill still remains his biggest problem, and even as much as he needs a rehabilitation sponsor, Eminem needs an editor. Even without skits, "Recovery" runs a burdensome 17 tracks and 77 minutes, clocking in at least one-third longer than it needs to be. (An extended iTunes version of the album adds another two tracks to the mix.)

Cuts wouldn't have been hard to make. "Going Through Changes" employs a particularly cringe-inducing Black Sabbath sample and is the most self-loathing of Em's verbal therapy sessions; "Seduction" is generic sub-R&B filler; and "Space Bound" loses its way and derails into a horrific murder/ suicide fantasy, proving Em's old demons can still prove tempting.

But elsewhere there are pleasant surprises: "Cinderella Man" revisits the relentless army stomp of "Til I Collapse"; "Almost Famous" is an insistently creepy parable about the allure of fame; and opener "Cold Wind Blows" bounces with head-nodding vitality.

Where "Relapse" painted Em into a corner and relied heavily on shock tactics, "Recovery" presents an unexpectedly clean slate for the rapper. It's at times ugly and difficult to wade through, but he comes out better on the other end.

"Recovery" isn't always pretty, but it's a cleansing path to rediscovery -- both for listeners and for Eminem himself.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100618/OPI ... z0rD165vKi

[Devil'sAdvocate]

not a bad review kinda fair but recovery is better seduction aint a filler and space bound is amazing critics just like to fuck with us.

[Mikey1990]

it got a B
but i think its a poor review

[HereHere]

It's funny that he goes back to making music as good as his past cds, and the critics go back to acting how they did to his past ones as well. This is a good review, but a lot that are out are bad, whilst the majority of fans love Recovery.

[Norway kills]

Saying that the album is too long is just... Weird.

[BigBangBazinga]

Saying that the album is too long is just... Weird.

[tjvatikaki]

This was a shit review, don't agree with anything!!

[Emadyville]

Saying that the album is too long is just... Weird.

I agree. And I thinkller was kind of stupid, since he didn't use skits to put more songs on

[Drucifer]

I'm waiting for some actual hip hop sites to review the record, newspapers and things like that dont really matter to me, they got the same people reviewing Eminems album that will be reviewing a Neil Diamond album or summin next week,lol..........Like Pitchfork Media dude giving Drakes album an 8 and Ems album a 2, even If you hate Ems record anybody giving that garbage drake album an 8 loses all his rights to discuss a hip hop album in my book

[slimsoxshady]

Seduction, Space Bound, and Going Through Changes are some of the best tracks on the album
not cut worthy at all

[MikeNUFC]

This is a very good review. I don't agree with it all, but that's not gunna happen. It's well thought out and rationalized. Every point is backed up.

You lot just can't stand negative opinion - and nor can I, if it's not backed up - but this was backed up and overall, is pretty positive. I agree about Space Bound.

[EminemBase]

Bad review.

They named some of the most compelling material as some of the dullest and misunderstood it.