ALBUM REVIEW: EMINEM - 'RECOVERY' - Celebrity Bug

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6/23/10

ALBUM REVIEW: EMINEM - 'RECOVERY'

Eminem

Since the release of his debut studio album ‘The Slim Shady LP’ in 99’, rap titan Eminem has risen as the game’s leading ‘Most Valuable Player’, but like most top-notch stars he has faced his share of dark days.

With ‘Recovery’, his seventh studio album, he seeks to prove that he has let go of some of the dark demons that plagued his past and more importantly, that he has come through the fire a changed man for the better.

SUMMARY ANALYSIS

Starting the set with his normal comical edge, he boasts that “some things just don’t change” on the opener “Cold Wind Blows”, where he analyzes his reasons for taking shots at other artists and admits that he’s a “loose canon”.

On the follow-up “Talkin’ 2 Myself”, which features Kobe, he honestly realizes that he’s been on a downfall as he raps, “Encore, I was on drugs, Relapse, I was flushing them out”, and admits that he was on the verge of dissing Lil’ Wayne and Kanye West, because they gained the most during his absence.

The set’s most engaging beat surfaces with “Cinderella Man”, while “25 to Life” highlights his discontent with the celebrity lifestyle (as does “Almost Famous”).

Other commendable highlights include the first single “Not Afraid”, “Going Through Changes”, on which he samples Black Sabbath’s “Changes”, the abnormal “Space Bound” and “No Love”, which features Lil’ Wayne.

Two unexpected features arise in the form of pop starlets Pink and Rihanna on “Won’t Back Down” and “Love the Way You Lie”, respectively.

The collaboration with Pink is good, but it never becomes what it should be, while Rihanna’s feature is undeniably a highlight, despite a questionable vocal performance from the young diva.

On “You’re Never Over”, he tributes his best friend Proof (of D12) by belting out the hook and vowing to celebrate his life as oppose to mourning his death.

The only production from his frequent contributor Dr. Dre appears with “So Sad”, which surprisingly comes across rather lazy and stands as one of the disc’s low points (“Seduction”, “W.T.P” and the closer “Untitled (Here We G0)”, are among the other weak moments).

FINAL VERDICT

It has been said that the first steps towards a successful recovery is to admit your problems to others, but more importantly, to yourself and with his seventh release aptly entitled ‘Recovery’, Eminem accomplishes that.

He doesn’t strive to conceal or paint a mirrored image of what he is or the struggles he has overcome, instead he delivers a vivid account of the fragments those drugs, insecurities and depression has left of his life.

That said, ‘Recovery’ is a great start, because it is resounding proof that he is returning as a whole by picking up the pieces one by one.

4 OUT OF 5

CELEBRITY BUG'S KEY TRACKS
“Talkin’ 2 Myself”, “Going Through Changes”, “Not Afraid”, “No Love”, “Space Bound”, “Love the Way You Lie” and “You’re Never Over”.

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