Was 'Encore'... Changed?

[EminemBase]

Just thought of something. Most people like all the serious songs on Encore and find the silly ones annoying and out of place. Similarly most critics see the album as a failed 50/50 split. As I do myself. Although I like most tracks on the album and the theme / idea... Would of been better if he stuck to his guns.

Now, I know that "We As Americans", "Bully", "Love You More" and "Ricky Ticky Toc" were all supposed to be on the album. But they leaked early and Em replaced them. But I think it's obvious that he replaced them with the silly tracks. You can especially tell with "Big Weenie" and "Rain Man". He seems bored. Also, he may as well be rapping over the same beat with those two tracks. Dre's production is so bland and similar. Everything about them seems last minute and rushed.

And... If you count out "Just Lose It" as the 'zany' single that would be there anyway. There's four actual silly tracks - "My 1st Single", "Rain Man", "Big Weenie" and "Ass Like That". And they all seem half-assed and forced. Although they have some genuine innovation amongst them too.

So... Four leaked tracks that were all serious as a heart-attack. Then... Four half-assed silly tracks... Anyone else think those four replaced the other four. I mean I know that's probably common knowledge but just think... Encore would have an entirely different legacy if left in its original state.

With those original tracks, it wouldn't be far off another classic. It'd certainly be better remembered amongst his collection at the least. But does anyone think Interscope could of 'nudged' him to be more silly too. Like either because the tracks leaked and they then thought they'd mention it or because they wanted the album to appeal more.

Because without those four silly tracks, the entire album is all serious. And people were already moaning he'd become too serious after The Eminem Show. Too mature. Then he has a handful of fart-sound humour on the next one lol. Seems odd.

Also in a recent interview he said with the first two albums he just did what he wanted. And with the recent rumours of them trying to push him a certain way with R2. So implies he was 'pushed' with The Eminem Show and Encore too. Does anybody else see sense in these theories?

[Emadyville]

Well yeah aince songs leaked he had to do more songs, prolly supposed to go out at a certain time so it was rushed by him, meaning dumb fuckin songs. O well, I'm pretty sure this is common knowledge on the forum anyways, but go evaluation I guess

[dR3]

I agree that it would be an another masterpiece, but that's that, we can't do anything about it.

[dark456]

eminem purposely made encore worse then his first 3 albums in order to get out of the spot light... you people need to pay more attention lol

eminem sometimes makes me laugh when he doesn't even try and they think he fell off smh

you know he is going to murder relapse 2 for 1 reason. people forgot who he was and what he is capable of so u will see .

if u think about it relapse is better then sslp the reason relapse isn't as good is because of the accent and the content but lyrics multis flow are alll wayyyy better. hell he flows on relapse twice as good as on mmlp go listen to them both and u will see what i mean. the reason u like mmlp more is cause of the tone of voice he chose was the rugged / fuck you type style voice .

[macdaddy019967]

eminem purposely made encore worse then his first 3 albums in order to get out of the spot light... you people need to pay more attention lol

eminem sometimes makes me laugh when he doesn't even try and they think he fell off smh

you know he is going to murder relapse 2 for 1 reason. people forgot who he was and what he is capable of so u will see .

if u think about it relapse is better then sslp the reason relapse isn't as good is because of the accent and the content but lyrics multis flow are alll wayyyy better. hell he flows on relapse twice as good as on mmlp go listen to them both and u will see what i mean. the reason u like mmlp more is cause of the tone of voice he chose was the rugged / fuck you type style voice .

I agree the tone of voice really tuned me into the MMLP but not only that the subject matter as well

where he talks about getting bullied and shit that happened in his life and on Relapse he talks about

being a serial killer but Relapse is awesome imo and better than Encore

[EminemBase]

^ I wouldn't say it's a garbage album.

I think the overall tone was mixed and fucked up when he added the silly tracks and if he'd kept the originals it wouldn't of been far off another classic and another evolution.

So, whilst it's mixed, it still produced a lot of great tracks for me like:

"Evil Deeds", "Never Enough", "Yellow Brick Road", "Mosh", "Puke", "Crazy in Love".

Then a few average tracks and some genuinely fun lyrical innovation such as on "Rain Man"... "Shit, this is the same verse, I just did this". Which is rare to see when an artist becomes that commercial.

We also didn't see much of that from him on The Eminem Show. Good old fashioned rap-play.

So I wouldn't call it garbage. Just his worst.

[UofLCard]

I think the overall tone was mixed and fucked up when he added the silly tracks and if he'd kept the originals it wouldn't of been far off another classic and another evolution.

Em should've just said 'Fuck it' and kept the originals on Encore despite the leak.

[shadylujie@gmail.com]

encore!!!the album is good ,at least better than relapse in my view ha.i kind of do not like relapse except for some of the songs in this album like stay wide awake and for old times sake. maybe the music box is good cause i like the beat. the beat of music box is melody ha but the accent of other songs don't work for me and i don't buy the album;sorry as a fan

[Timekeeper]

Remember that Chris Reeve(s) track that was supposed to be on Encore? Then he died and the track just disappeared...I don't know all the facts but I'd say that it turned into Rainman. He talks about Chris in the verses...a lot...and the hook would just have had to be rewritten.

[Spyder]

all makes sense

but i honestly dont belive it would be that great even with those songs

hell of a lot better

but nowhere near TES or MMLP

R1 and SSLP.... MAYBE but idk

[EminemBase]

Well I agree it wouldn't of been near MMLP or TES. But it would of been a great album. Just not a classic.

Imagine it...

1. Curtains Up
2. Evil Deeds
3. Never Enough
4. Yellow Brick Road
5. Like Toy Soldiers
6. Mosh
7. Puke
8. Ricky Ticky Tock
9. Paul (skit)
10. We As Americans
11. Bully
12. Em Calls Paul (skit)
13. Just Lose It
14. Love You More
15. Spend Some Time
16. Mockingbird
17. Crazy In Love
18. One Shot 2 Shot
19. Final Thought (skit)
20. Encore

I think in that state, it suddenly becomes a great album and I think it would of gone down as a great album. Just not a classic. But although you say it's nowhere near... Okay in some sense, lyrically / concept-wise maybe not.

But then Encore also had some his most mature lyricism. Showed a new dimenson... Or quite a few, especially the poetry in "Crazy In Love". It sounded different too. Which on his fourth album... Quite an achievement.

Also think of the fantastic structure / lyricism of "Bully". He definitely evolved with the material... I don't even think he lost much lyricism, I do think he got a bit lazy but also... I think he was just trying to sound different, focusing so much on flattening his vocals and making it fresh.

But yeah, in the original state, the legacy would of been much improved I think.

[Brandon S]

He shouldn't of made the album so long. If he shortened it by like 4 tracks, it would've been wayy more highly thought of. i will never understand y he would ever put 'big weenie' on the album..

[Spyder]

1. Curtains Up
2. Evil Deeds/ i hate this song
3. Never Enough
4. Yellow Brick Road/ never really felt it
5. Like Toy Soldiers/ to bland for me actually
6. Mosh/ got boring after first time
7. Puke/ very bad structurally, though its ight to listen to
8. Ricky Ticky Tock
9. Paul (skit)
10. We As Americans
11. Bully
12. Em Calls Paul (skit)
13. Just Lose It/ goofy single yes.. but worse than WMY or MNI or TRSS
14. Love You More
15. Spend Some Time
16. Mockingbird
17. Crazy In Love/ didnt like
18. One Shot 2 Shot/ worst D12 collab
19. Final Thought (skit)
20. Encore

not arguing, just i think those 4 songs being on there wouldnt make that much of a difference when Em wasnt concentrating on multies and serious content...

[EminemBase]

1. Curtains Up
2. Evil Deeds/ i hate this song
3. Never Enough
4. Yellow Brick Road/ never really felt it
5. Like Toy Soldiers/ to bland for me actually
6. Mosh/ got boring after first time
7. Puke/ very bad structurally, though its ight to listen to
8. Ricky Ticky Tock
9. Paul (skit)
10. We As Americans
11. Bully
12. Em Calls Paul (skit)
13. Just Lose It/ goofy single yes.. but worse than WMY or MNI or TRSS
14. Love You More
15. Spend Some Time
16. Mockingbird
17. Crazy In Love/ didnt like
18. One Shot 2 Shot/ worst D12 collab
19. Final Thought (skit)
20. Encore

not arguing, just i think those 4 songs being on there wouldnt make that much of a difference when Em wasnt concentrating on multies and serious content...

Well I don't agree about multis, that's not the most important thing. His music became more and more content driven each album and less about rhyming. But he still always kept it tight and experimented / pushed the word-boundries in some way.

I dunno how you can say it's not serious content though. "Yellow Brick Road" touches on the 'racist' tape and explained the whole background scenario and another section of his childhood. In a great, sober tale. "Like Toy Soldiers" is as serious as a heat attack. I don't particularly like it but you couldn't make a more serious song lol.

"Mosh" is a direct attack at the president, the way on Iraq and a stomping political thumper. You got "Never Enough" too which touches on his position / legacy as a rapper. You got "Crazy in Love" where as apposed to killing Kim he's saying how he can't live without her, poetically and maturely.

It's some of his most serious and mature content period. Like I said, take away those four joke songs that very likely replaced "Ricky Ticky Toc" - "We As Americans" - "Love You More" and "Bully" and you've got an even more serious album. Those four being very serious in subject matter and execution too.

I think if he stuck with the concept more, lost the silly shit, tightened it up a bit. Would of been close to another straight classic.

[Spyder]

tru at those songs being what u said
but Mosh doesnt touch White America
and Crazy in Love was goofy and wasnt lyrically great
Relapse has fantastic rhymes and multies but is mostly silly, and is better than Encore for that reason