Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine

really good, very funky prod is so good with melodic rap by ceelo in the back

vibes, geil, gute features

Damn, people really hate this, huh? 5/5

Great mixture of hip hop/R&B. Enjoyed.

Kung Fu Fighting brooooo, finally something that is not rock!!

9/10 great soul record and easy listen.

It's great being introduced to a new-to-me album that totally slaps. This hit the mark for me.

Ceelo Green may be a divisive artist these days, but in his heyday he released some amazing albums. "The Soul Machine" mixes R&B, Soul, and Hip Hop and takes it all to the next level. It's fun, laid-back, and has that sense of humor that only Ceelo could deliver.

The album starts with a hilarious intro, and then goes into a song that's rather....blegh. I was thinking this was going to be a long hour. Then I was continually proven wrong with each passing song, very strong delivery, production, lyrics, arrangement, etc. Just an absolute masterclass

I thought this was total rubbish, but then in the track 'Sometimes' he says 'Sometimes a rich man won't have a dollar/And all a poor man has is greed' and then pauses, and then says 'woah' at his own mind-blowing thought

Did not think I would like this as much as I did. Every song is a banger and the album flows exceptionally well. It may be slightly long, but I absolutely loved this album

Love this album. Fight me.

Ooh, ya des belles affaires qui ce passe quand le Soul rencontre le rap EDIT DU TURFU: C'EST PLUS QUE BEAU, C'EST MAGNIFIQUE, L'ÉTRANGE FRANÇAIS AVAIT RAISON

I like it! Hip Hop and funk. 5/5

I like Cee-Lo Green, pretty much any member of the Dungeon Family is pre-approved in my book. Something is telling me 4/5 instead of 5/5, but I am feeling positive I'll give it the 5!

Great album

Nice

buenisimo, so funky so moving. 9/10

9/10

Awesome album with lots of fun tracks and featured guests.

This is an amazing album that does so much awesome stuff. My favourite new album so far on this journey!

10/10 el negrito con temazos míticos.

Wow CeeLo is a crazy good lyricist. Enjoyed this one a lot

Excellent album, listened to it many times when it came out. He is an excellent singer.

Holy crap! “Soul Machine” just grabs you from the start. This album is just groove start to finish. I love the relaxed party vibe.

Nach holprigen Start unerwartet gut

Amazing Album

phenomenal... been liberally using my 5 star rating but i think this one truly deserves it

Excelent album, nothing bored, cee-lo its a great artist, this album inspired me to listen more rap/hip-hop

always knew ceelo was talented, but never listened to a lot of his albums. this album was surprisingly good. respect++;

meh

Ce gars-là m'a éclaté la gueule, désolé pour le langage.

This album is just wonderful. One of my favorite hip-hop records. 14 of the 16 music tracks are top-shelf, with a brief lull in tracks 15 and 16. That's mighty impressive. Lo is a true artist, and when he's not leading a banger about getting high, he's reciting raw and introspective poetry over an easy beat. If you're too invested in either mode, the other may put you off, especially since the album sets an upbeat expectation by being so front-loaded with party music. Still, Cee-Lo Green can do it all and this is his best record among an impressive catalog.

Nothing special, but good hip-hop album, there are some references to funckadelic and others, that's nice. Really easy to listen, I have liked several songs, so I guess it deserves 5 start by me

Amé

damn this was good asf

531/1089 - This was a lot better than I thought it was going to be based on "Crazy" and "Fuck/Forget You" which was all I knew prior. The instrumentals are especially nice, notably, I Am Selling Soul with it's cool IDM/glitch-hop beat and Evening News with it's reedy chromatic downtempo vibe.

I actually really loved this. Fresh sounding with lots of different pop and funk elements. The neptunes production of this era just never misses for me. Good vibes!

A bop

The beginning of the second project of Cee-Lo quickly brings in the 00s nostalgia being a good representation of the hip hop of the time. An overall lighthearted record, it is by any means enjoyable. Certainly, it does not avoid having fillers and worse tracks, which tend to feel like a background radio not bringing much attention but also never really being bad. As for the good stuff, the record did surprise me several times. For an hour-long runtime, it has outstanding instrumentals here and there and even incorporates normal singing a couple of times. "Scrap Metal" is by far the best record on this sophomore, and I would also highlight the early tracks "Soul Machine" and "The Art of Noise". Perhaps not the best of its kind, the record offers much fun and resonates either with great instrumentals, cerious rapping, or both. B−.

Good southern rap/soul from a legend.

Pretty good neo-soul… but give me Goodie Mob over this.

Groovin

El chabon ya de por sí tiene temones. Muy bueno

He really is the soul machine.

This was an incredible album. I had forgotten how expansive and collaborative this Cee-Lo sound was. Pharrell, Outkast, it had such beautiful sound and rhythm. I'm a big fan!

Just a fun album

3.5

This was not what I expected, but was a jam. 4.5 stars

Art over artist. I liked this one...

Honestly I fw this. It’s funky and fun and just pretty solid pop soul. Feels like a dude in the music industry too long was just like “fuck it ima do my own thing.” Little long but overall I felt every song brought something worth listening to.

7/10 Did not listen to the whole thing, but like at least 70% of it. It was very good, the dungeon family. duh. but Yeah cant say that I am going back to this one for fun.

Good sound.

Honestly wasn’t expecting to enjoy this so much as a Sunday morning party prep soundtrack. I’ll return to this at the right moments!

There are way worse albums that have been too long.

This album is great. The production is brilliant and Cee-Lo Green is such an engaging vocalist. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this anywhere near as much as I did.

Great album with amazing funk. Loved it. More of this please

Nice

Loved the beats on this, CeeLo's flow was really good, and it had good variety to make the long runtime worth it. Favorite Track: Evening News

Good album, but I don't see why it's on the list. It matters for CeeLo's career, but not for music as a whole. The backbeats sound much like all the other "Hot-Lanta" acts of the late '90's and early aughts. The only thing making this different is CeeLo's vocal delivery. My Rating: 4/5

I enjoyed this throwback to noughties rnb with the Timbaland beats, TI feature and overall feel. I feel like Cee-Lonis that guy who you invite to your party bc he’s just a nice guy, not interesting just nice.

Never heard this before. Only cee-lo I knew was fuck you. Obviously he did a ton of work with Outkast before this, and that sound definitely comes through. He is definitely a soul machine.

Great Opening and really positive message, a classic I can't believe I never heard about.

Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine is an album i really liked a lot. I only really knew Cee-Lo for his really popular singles and his pop culture appearances and the latter had a very R&B like sound. While this album still has that R&B sound, it still has a lot of hip-hop elements which are handled really well here. The production on offer is off the charts good with so many amazingly produced songs. It could just be the fact that two excellent producers (DJ Premier and The Neptunes) offered their help here and did an excellent job as did all the others. It may not be my favorite hip-hop album but it is still a really good one. Best Song: Living Again Worst Song: Die Trying

A big surprise

Good

I enjoyed the energy of the first few tracks and he lost me a bit in the middle when it became more rap (but that’s because of my preferences).

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I particularly liked that with the different guest artists that there is a lot of variety in terms of sounds, lyrics, musicality.

Wasn't sure at the start how much I was going to enjoy the album but I ended up REALLY liking it and hearing the influence it's had on modern artists. Standout songs included "The One" and "My Kind of People" where he interpolates "Pass the Dutchie".

Zzzz

Actually really enjoyable. Happy. Bright.

I actually think this album would do significantly better on the ratings if it wasn’t by Cee Lo Green. This is a really fun album with good beat production and lyrics. I know there’s usually a lot of hate for rap on this site but this one feels like it’s getting more than the standard dip.

Ok this is why I'm doing this exercise. Don't know squat about this guy, and thought that it was going to be shitty gangsta rap from the album cover. Wrongo! Super cool Atlanta (I'm guessing) vibes here with immaculate production. I can't even pigeonhole what genre of music this is... a cool blend of soul, hiphop, bit of funk, and some Caribbean stuff? Dunno, but I'd buy this in a heartbeat.

He has a great voice and this is a decent if pedestrian album. Unfortunately, it’s legacy is tarnished.

Pretty good fun

“Hey, what album is next” “It’s one by Cee lo Green!” “Oh! Is it a Gnarls Barkley album? Or one with Goodie Mob, or the one that has Fuck You on it?” “No. It’s the one where him and ludacris interpolate carol of the bells, he raps over an Aphex twin type beat, does slam poetry, and has a song called glockapella” “what”

It's a shame what the singer did after this

NGL this album was waaaay better than I thought it was going to be. I've always liked Cee-Lo Green because he's no 1 trick pony. He's a great singer but also can rap a little to keep it interesting. I wouldn't call myself a "fan" but I definitely have liked multiple projects he's been on... And this The Soul Machine delivers that early 2000s Atlanta sound, with an all star cast of contributors. Production from Pharrell, DJ Premier, Timbaland and more set the tone and features from Ludacris, T.I. and more take it over the top. Luda's verse was actually pretty great and Cee-Lo is just doing his thing from the jump to the finish. One thing I will say though, while there's a bunch of great material here it runs a little long. He could have cut 4 or 5 songs and it would have been just as effective if not stronger.

So much fun! Nostalgic throwback party vibes

It's funny that most of the poor reviews here aren't even about the album. They are about CeeLo's height, weight, personality, other projects, it completely other people. The album is great. It's super well produced. It's full of excellent guest performances. CeeLo is on his game.

Cee Lo is A-OK.

Never listened to Cee-Lo before (outside of his unavoidable hits) the whole thing was smooth asf! Nice to hear new-to-me Neptune production too Favorite Song: Childz Play, Lets Stay Together

I had a surprisingly good time with this album. A couple duds, but overall pretty fun! As a bonafide Cee-Lo disliker, I did not expect to enjoy this. Important note: I mostly enjoyed the beats - wasn't really listening lyrically Top: Living Again Not Top: Childz Play

Feels goofy, but you can tell the man's talented

I quite liked his singing, his attitude. And I listened to this over like a 2 week period. So, despite nothing memorable sticking out... I did enjoy it. 4 stars.

Gave me a huge new respect for Cee Lo Green this was lots of fun and I’ll be back. Also regained my hope for Pharrell because that N.E.R.D. album was a major disappointment

Not a huge fan of his vocals, but this was an irresistibly fun album to listen to.

I had no idea this album existed. What a pleasant surprise! I love the first Gnarls Barkley album and have always loved Ceelo Green. This album though…so much better than The Black Album. This one is going into heavy rotation.

Surprisingly easy to listen to

Too many bad reviews!!!lol I dont care. this album was fun as hell. A pop masterpiece

Not bad...

Interesting one... Not boring at all, quite diverse, but in the middle section it gets to monotonous... Still

It's definitely dumb, but I had fun!

Here is an in-depth review of Cee-Lo Green's 2004 album *Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine*, focusing on lyrics, music, production, themes, influence, and a clear breakdown of its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## 🎤 **Lyrics** Cee-Lo is a masterful lyricist, and this album showcases his range—from battle-rap bravado to spiritual introspection. His writing is dense with metaphor, wordplay, and cultural references. Tracks like *“The Art of Noise”* and *“Sometimes”* reveal a poet’s mind, blending humor, philosophy, and social commentary. He moves effortlessly between rapping and singing, often within the same verse, giving his lyrics a musicality that few artists can match. **Highlights**: - *“I Am Selling Soul”* critiques the commodification of black artistry. - *“Sometimes”* is a spoken-word piece that dives into themes of authenticity and artistic integrity. - *“Glockapella”* uses satire to critique gun culture and the music industry’s role in promoting it. --- ## 🎶 **Music & Production** The album is a sonic collage that fuses Southern hip-hop, soul, gospel, funk, and even psychedelia. With producers like Timbaland, The Neptunes, DJ Premier, and Organized Noize, the album is rich in texture and variety. Each track feels distinct, yet the album maintains a cohesive energy. **Standout Tracks**: - *“The Art of Noise”* (Neptunes): Minimalist and hypnotic, with a sharp piano loop and booming drums. - *“I’ll Be Around”* (Timbaland): A funk-driven lead single with a catchy hook and Southern bounce. - *“Evening News”* (DJ Premier): A dark, cinematic track that deviates from Premier’s usual jazz-heavy style. --- ## 🧠 **Themes** Cee-Lo explores identity, spirituality, the South’s cultural legacy, and the tension between art and commerce. He positions himself as both a product and a critic of the music industry, often questioning what it means to “sell soul.” There’s a strong undercurrent of Afrocentrism and Southern pride, especially in tracks like *“Die Trying”* and *“My Kind of People.”* --- ## 🌱 **Influence** While not a massive commercial success, *Soul Machine* is a cult classic that influenced a generation of genre-blending artists. Cee-Lo’s refusal to be boxed into one style prefigured the rise of artists like Anderson .Paak, Childish Gambino, and even Kendrick Lamar in their more experimental phases. The album also helped solidify the Dungeon Family’s legacy as pioneers of Southern eclecticism. --- ## ✅ **Pros** - **Lyrical Depth**: Cee-Lo’s writing is witty, emotionally resonant, and intellectually rich. - **Production Diversity**: A-list producers bring varied but complementary sounds. - **Vocal Versatility**: Cee-Lo’s ability to rap, sing, and speak poetically is unmatched. - **Thematic Cohesion**: Despite its eclecticism, the album holds together through strong thematic undercurrents. - **Cultural Commentary**: Sharp critiques of the music industry, black identity, and Southern stereotypes. --- ## ❌ **Cons** - **Overstuffed**: At 18 tracks, the album feels bloated and could have benefited from tighter editing. - **Inconsistent Tone**: The constant shifting between styles can be jarring for listeners seeking a unified sound. - **Commercial Accessibility**: Despite high-profile producers, the album lacked major hits and underperformed commercially. - **Pacing Issues**: Some tracks, like *“I Am Selling Soul”*, drag on or feel overly abstract, disrupting the album’s momentum. --- ## 🏁 **Final Verdict** *Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine* is a bold, ambitious album that showcases one of hip-hop’s most unique voices. It’s not perfect—its length and stylistic sprawl can be overwhelming—but it’s a rewarding listen for those willing to dive deep. Cee-Lo doesn’t just blur the lines between genres; he erases them entirely, creating a work that’s as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. – A flawed but visionary album that deserves more recognition in the canon of 2000s hip-hop.

- Hat mir vom Vibe her gut gefallen - Den Anfang fand ich besser als das Ende - Krasse Features Topsong: Living Again

Endast hört Cee Lo i Gnarls och Goodie tidigare. Gillade den här skivan rakt igenom, framförallt för hur varierade och välproducerade alla beats är (bortsett från Timbaland som i vanlig ordning levererar ett Timbalandtypiskt skitbeat). Det gör att det flyter på hela tiden och aldrig blir tråkigt, trots längden. Många riktigt bra låtar. Solid fyra.

Sensational fusion of soul, r&b, & rap. Enjoyed this more with each listen. Great beats, lyrics. Love his voice. Beyond just being a positive vibe, Cee Lo drops some poetic wisdom.

I had low expectations going into this, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Dude can really rap, and the blend of soul and electronica scattered throughout was fun and inventive. Loved all the variety too, it's like a box of chocolates! Really hard not to groove along to, this music has moves.

Eh.

Great work Cee-Lo. He brings passion soul and a unique vocal. His harder energetic rap music is preferred. Great Listen - add to my list of favorites. 7.7

Ho vibato slay

lui mi fa pariare dai, però non è un 4 pieno

4/5

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one, good to know I was wrong. What I've learned from this list so far is that I have a soft spot for earlier rap music. It wasn't particularly deep or meaningful, but it was just a damn good time for an hour. Lots of personality and some really fun beats.

7/10… southern hip hop / r&b

Bastante volado para algo que crei iba a ser super genérico Nota: 3.6

anything pharrell touches is pure gold - p solid album everywhere else though!

Really enjoyed this album. Cee Lo Green has a great voice, brings together a diverse cast of features, and keeps the tracks interesting. Love the intro with his son too and love that I had queued an LCD Soundsystem song so at first it went into that

I think The Lady Killer was the only Cee Lo album I had heard before this, and while I love his cover of No One’s Gonna Love You and his iconic Fuck You, …Is The Soul Machine is a better album overall. It’s a great mix of rap and R&B with some really fun guest appearances. It’s a great sounding album too over 20 years later, and doesn’t really sound overly “early 2000’s” to me.

bro really wasn’t lying. he was the soul machine

killer

📱

Cee-Lo's new stuff is kinda pop slop but he used to be great

A joyful album of Southern hip-hop and soulful R&B. A lot of good tracks but “My Kind of People” stood out as particularly great. A little more hit or miss as the album went on, but still had plenty of highlights.

I enjoyed the cooperation of other artist on the album.

Not bad! Recognised the feat with Timbaland which I love. I can imagine Eminem rapping instead on that music lol

Was surprised how much I liked this. It stayed pretty engaging. I do think it's a bit overlong, but I still had a good time with it. 3.75/5

He is... the music. Honestly, really cool album both musically and lyrically. I love how the glasses look like they have diamond lenses from a distance.

This was surprisingly good. A very moody hip-hop and soul album. Totally different from what I expected. It was only after listening to the album that I discovered that this guy sang Kung Fu Fighting for the Panda movie. I listened to that version my entire childhood. I thought I had heard that voice somewhere before. Anyway, 4 stars.

I had a good time - a few really good winners.

Cee Lo Green is a good artist. I knew a few of the songs off this one, and as a whole this was catchy and fun to listen to. I'd listen through this again.

Überraschend guter Rap. Die Stimme erinnert an Gnarls Barkley ... wait ... das ist die gleiche Stimme (CeeLo Green). Nice!

I really dig all these songs and i love cee lo's voice. hes cool smooth and just cool man. Great music to have on at a party.

I enjoyed this way more than I expected. Great beats, flow and vocal harmonies. Lyrics that are refreshingly heartfelt.

There were some fun songs on there, the style varied throughout. Lots of pretentious reviews of this one Rating: 3.6

i love the voice and the album gives you such a good mood

A really nice album. An odd choice, given the smash hit Gnarls Barkley album, that came out only two years after. I listened on Friday and here I am reviewing it on Monday unable to remember any of the tracks, but I did enjoy it.

Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine is the second studio album from the soul singer and rapper. Thomas DeCarlo Calloway-Burton records as Cee-Lo Green, and he originally found fame in the Goodie Mob. Green makes hip-hop that is a version of modern funk, and he sings in a distinct, falsetto voice. Green added his soulful thread to the Atlanta based, "Dirty South" sound. Some of ego-heavy rants get a bit much, but the soulful sides make up for them.

Kind of laughed when this came up, and wasn't expecting much, but man this was great and was a lot of fun and really grooved. Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would.

back to back albums i kinda dont understand the inclusion of given the lists' own supposed methodology/goals, but that rly surprised me with how much i like them...this one way more so ! most of this is rly blissful, buttery, sunshiney southern hip hop with a big soul angle carried by cee-los rly memorable and powerful voice. the tracks that are just him doing his soul singer thing r extremely beautiful, and the production is p much all golden as far as im concerned (tho my sentiments lie v much w/ southern hip hop anyway). particularly interesting is a late-album set of "nighttime" tracks that are more dark and dangerous and dirty and prob some other words that start with D...a nice show of variety for an album that otherwise is all about smooth edges. the warm bop My Kind Of People, interestingly abstract braggadocio of I Am Selling Soul (with a killer beat switch), and staunch grittiness of Scrap Metal are particular highlights for me...not often i go out of my way to name individual tracks, whew! kind of an underappreciated classic tbh!! pure enjoyability!!!

Man! Découverte bien plaisante! Je vais essayer de me le procurer. On a affaire à un gros disque des années 2000 bien remplis, aux limites du médium cd. Mais c'est surtout l'fun, les arrangements captent notre attention de facon continuelle et c'est remplis de petits moments magiques.

Had no idea this existed! I knew cee Lo from ‘Crazy’ and that album but this is a bit rawer and funkier. Definitely going to revisit.

3.5

So much nostalgia here. Cee Lo’s first two albums (“And His Perfect Imperfections” and “Is The Soul Machine”), Sleepy Brown’s “Mr Brown”, Mystikal’s “Tarantula” along with many 60’s and 70’s soul albums were the inspiration for my 2007 self titled project Fishhawk. These artists were pushing so many boundaries in the early 2000’s and the Dungeon Family connection of Sleepy and Cee Lo was a huge part of that inspiration too. Cee Lo is a one of a kind artist whose voice and delivery is impossible to recreate. To be honest I prefer the previous album “And His Perfect Imperfections” to this one mainly because it’s a more raw album that feels like it was created on another planet during the 70’s and just discovered in 2002. “Is The Soul Machine” is a more polished and palpable album with many notable 2000’s artist/producer features though and I’d say it might be a better intro to Cee Lo’s solo work. I’m a long time Goodie Mob fan so I was pretty excited to hear Cee Lo was doing solo work and he truly delivered. Then to follow these albums up with the genius of Gnarls Barkley solidified him as an Atlanta icon. Cee Lo was fearless during this time and every creative risk he took resulted in gold. If you like this album and have already heard Gnarls Barkley’s two incredible albums then go back to “And His Perfect Imperfections”, you won’t be disappointed! I’d give this album a 4.5 only because the previous album is an easy 5.

Liked this so much more than I thought I would

Finally some good fucking food

I like how the album is a depiction of a day and night cycle, picking up slowly then running jt back down to a more mellow slow vibe for the night. Good sound, some catchy and remembers me tunes.

Yeah, I guess he is.

Fun listen! 4/5

I must say. I didn’t expect the guy from Gnarls Barkley to rap so much of his solo outing. But I think it’s his unique and colourful delivery, as well as the lush, brassy backdrops that elevate this beyond the self-aggrandizing lyrics. HL: “The Art of Noise”, “Let’s Stay Together”, “I’ll Be Around”, “The One”, “Childz Play”

Surprisingly great. Cee Lo, I could never forget you. (This is great if you want to be in a Time Machine back to 2004 club hits, when I was 9 years young) Highlights were: Die Trying My Kind of People I’ll be around

This lands a somewhere between a 3 and 4 for me. Rounded up because there’s a few songs that are certified bangers.

This album has shown me that I like my hip-hop funky and soulful

3.5

Surprised at how much I liked this.

I thought this was really good! There were some great songs here. Other than "Crazy" and "Fuck You," I really wasn't familiar with CeeLo Green. My husband informed me that if it were him rating this, he'd pick 5 stars. I'm not that generous but I would listen to this again.

Smooth as Cee-Lo’s bald head, with some misses

He is in fact a soul machine

I've heard Cee Lo's hits but listening to the whole album clarified his art for me. It gives 70's Soul Train vibes, Prince and the Minneapolis sound gravitas, but is mostly his own damn thing. Most tracks are really groovy and soulful but Evening News and Scrap Metal have a more definitive hip-hop feel with aggressive beats and grit.

Unexpectedly enjoyed this. Ceelo has soul elements but also a few 90s style rap tracks

This was cool but it was way too long for me. There were a lot of really great songs that I think would've stood out to me more in a different context because it was just a bit too hard to stay tuned in, but there was definitely a lot of variety of sound on here.

Fun and funny. A great party record.

4 stars

I may be alone in this but I thought it was a fun album. Good voice and catchy songs. Living Again was probably my favorite but there were really not any bad songs

Like it

Loved it!

i liked this album. Was a really good surprise

I didn't expect to like tgis album as mush as I do. It's a bit long though. Rounded up

I'm not sure why I love this guy, but I do. Goodie Mob, Cee-Lo, Gnarls Barkley - whatever he wants to call himself, he's a force. His shit is so well-produced. And it's fun.

CeeLo is an asshole, but this is a fun album. He’s got a good unique voice and there’s skilled rapping all over this. The album is a bit too long, though. It would be 5 stars if it didn’t overstay its welcome.

Overall I m enjoyed this album. I like how the album starts off with Soul Machine line “He’s been given the power to take you where you want to go so start him up and tell him where you want” then proceeds to have a large variety of different soul based songs throughout the album. Only a few songs from the track that I didn’t like where I felt like the vocals clashed hard with the music and sounded like nails on a chalk board. Otherwise very solid album. Not necessarily an album I have a strong desire to return to but glad I experience it once.

A lot better than expected. Soul but with a normal voice.

3.75

This grew on me. Fun beats, not too intimidating rap/funk

Never heard of that band before, really souly and relaxing

Tasty!

CeeLo Green Is the Soul Machine is a pleasantly surprising blend of hip-hop, soul, and funk. CeeLo’s powerful vocals shine throughout the album, showcasing his impressive range and emotive delivery. The production is rich and varied, offering a contemporary twist on classic sounds. One of the standout aspects is the clever nods to other artists, including tributes to Steely Dan, Musical Youth, and Oasis. These references add a layer of nostalgia and depth, enriching the listening experience. Tracks like I'll Be Around and Closet Freak demonstrate CeeLo's ability to blend modern beats with vintage soul influences. The album flows seamlessly from one track to the next, maintaining a cohesive yet diverse sound. Each song brings its own unique flavour while contributing to the overall vibe of the record. CeeLo’s lyrical prowess is evident, with witty wordplay and insightful commentary woven throughout. CeeLo Green Is the Soul Machine stands out as a creative and engaging project that successfully bridges the gap between old-school soul and modern hip-hop. The album's infectious energy and memorable hooks make it a standout in CeeLo’s discography. Overall, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable listen that honours musical heritage while forging its own path. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 6 STAND OUT TRACK - All Day Love Affair

Must... Seperate the art from the artist...

not usually a hip hop person but I liked this one.

I didn't know just how much I loved Cee Lo's voice. Singing. Rapping. Just speaking. I seemed to sing along with half the songs and I had never heard any of 'em. The guy makes great sounding music.

As someone who has enjoyed my fair share of Gnarls Barkley since they debuted (but hasn't had a lot of exposure to Goodie Mob), I was looking forward to listening to this album - the first full LP of Cee Lo's work I have digested. "The Art of Noise" and "I'll Be Around" are absolute bops - with the former enhanced by Neptunes production, which Cee Lo provides some fantastic vocal melodies across. Cee Lo brings the absolute rap GOODS on tracks like "Childz Play" featuring one of my favorite rappers and lyricists, Ludacris. As a complete body of work, "Soul Machine" feels overly long at more than an hour--and has a couple of moments where the experimental aspect distracts from the gems scattered throughout. Ultimately, though, this is a strong album that I really enjoyed. And it definitely shows the full range of how talented Cee Lo is. 4/5 stars: I am struck by this album. Interesting Factoids from Wikipedia: *N/A (no deets other than the track listing here and the fact the album was included on the 1001 Albums list) Standout Tracks: The Art of Noise (feat. Pharrell), Living Again, I'll Be Around (feat. Timbaland) - Club Mix, My Kind of People (feat. Jazze Pha & Menta Malone), Childz Play (feat. Ludacris), All Day Love Affair, Sometimes

Neo soul, me gusta. Dura una hora, la mayoría de pistas son buenas, tiene coros, percusiones, toques de hip hop, vientos, buena producción en general.

I'm definitely going back to this one in the future 4/5

This album is damn near a perfect blend. The mix of hip hop, soul, rhythm, and beats is perfect. Everything in this record is working together in perfect harmony. Each track flows together effortlessly. Nor does the use of modern technology overshadow any of the grooves. Sounds both old and new.

pretty good no cap, strong start at least prob a 4 tbh pleasant surprise

Liked it a lot

þetta er reyndar mjög skemmtilegt. kom á óvart. suðurríkja sálarskotið rapp.

Kind of blown away by some of the stuff on here. Very of its time, in a fresh way.

funky as hell. Definitely a super unique artist. After a full album, I'm ready to be done with Cee-Lo for a bit but I do love his style.

First half of the album straight five stars, then it drops

Seriously soulful and heavy. 8.5/10

Full of creativity and passion, untamed and vicious

It's pretty darn groovy Ceelo is not the rapper he claims to be but the soul machine does not stop regardless

Dude has an EGO! That being said alot of the music on this album slaps. I had fun listening to much of it, but at over an hour long, and with a couple of clunkers (Sometimes… you need to take a song out. Like Sometimes), this album could have used some editing for sure. Cee-Lo seems to think fitting in as many words as possible into a breath is a skill to be proud of. Again, editing would have helped. But there is enough funk on this album for me to enjoy it more than not. I know how to hit the skip button on the two-three tracks that drag it down.

Great voice good beats

Didn't listen to the full album. It was good. Not for me though.

Surprisingly solid rnb album

Clever lyrics, crisply and quickly delivered, great singing voice and melodies.

Surprisingly good. Only experience of Cee-Lo was his pop song “fuck you” but he’s got a lot of variation in the album, good beats

If you've always been quick to dismiss Green as the guy who did "Crazy" (a solid track for sure) and just moved on, this album will force you to pay more attention. I don't really pay attention to Twitter controversies, so all the early 2010's stuff Cee-Lo got involved in never really crossed my radar, and to be honest I don't really care. I won't let that affect how I feel about this record. This album on its own is pretty astonishing. You've got incredibly well produced beats with bars upon bars that blend so well with Cee-Lo's unique vocals. The features here are great, especially Ludacris on Childz Play. If anything, I'd say the runtime can be a detriment. Some tracks don't quite feel like they belong. Also that album cover. Big oof.

The Soul Machine showcases his vocal versatility and flow flexibility in this stellar sonic snapshot of early 00s hip hop.

This is good music.

magnifica la seleccion de beats un poco largo para mi gusto

This was a good album. Fun, and unique. It’s way, way different than his work in Gnarls Barkley. It was initially an easy 4 stars, but it’s LOOOONG, clocking in at over an hour, and the last third of the album wasn’t as compelling. I wish I could officially give it a 3.5.

Love Cee-Lo. Great voice and tunes.

Классный соул-рэп-альбом... Звучит современнее R'n'B, который был популярен в год выпуска альбома. Классная ритмика, вокал. Не весь альбом цепляет, но он добротный.

Yeah this guy is good, but his voice is hit or miss for me. The album is pretty great though. It’s got a great vibe to it, cool features, good instrumentation! Will check out more. 8 out of 10

I adored F*** You when that song was released (I believe that was the album that followed today’s). It frustrated me that the radio version, and therefore the one people seemed to know most, was Forget You. It doesn’t make sense! Anyway, let’s listen to today. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: I’ll Be Around, Scrap Metal For some reason, I completely forgot that Cee Lo rapped. I thought he was primarily a soul singer. Both his singing and rapping are so pleasant on this album, but I think the best for me is the instrumentation itself. It’s such a nice soulful sound, which goes so very well with the blend into hip hop. I will say that I preferred The Lady Killer (the one with F*** You), but this was still good fun.

Solid neosoul album. Very much sounds like the times that it was released

Приятный соул альбом, пару треков отправились в мой плейлист с классными битками, пару треков - в favorites Коллабы с хип хоп ребятами, приятный качающий вайб. Единственно странное - пространные мелодекламации в паре треков. Ну, это противоречиво.

BIen aimé, connais de nom et aussi Gnarls Barkley, mais cet album est très soulfull avec de bon passage rap. J'ai très apprécié l'écoute même si le gars semble être un peu désilussioné c'Est dernière année 4

Enjoyed this more than i thought i would

Well this one was quite the journey. It was definitely my ignorance but having never willingly chosen to listen to him, I really didn't expect Cee-Lo Green to be on this list. But after removing him from just the one hit wonder of Fuck You, I started to notice that this album featured Pharrell (twice!), Timbaland, Ludacris, TI, and is a hip hop album from 2004, which should be my dream find And in many respects, it was! I can't help but think that if I knew of it at the time, I would have loved it. Definitely not the strongest ever but enough to go toe to toe on some songs with the best. Also genuinely had range (although I'd be lying if I said I didn't lean towards preferring the songs where he let the phenomenal beats take the stage) His lyrics are very of their time (all front and self professed goat brags) but he definitely had some great wordplay at times. Flow was pretty good! Features I genuinely cannot believe the calibre of - phenomenal. Beats are up there with some of the best. However you just can't not compare this to dropping the same year as the college dropout, can you? Obviously most of my life I've been a Kanye stan but I think it's pretty fair to say that the bar was well and truly raised before Cee-Lo could go for the Grammy. Highlights - I ended up (begrudgingly at times) liking 15 out of the 18 songs, but some standouts were Soul Machine, I'll Be Around, Sometimes, and Die Trying Honestly I'd recommend checking this out!

How could I possibly, be inconspicuous When my flow is fuckin ridiculous? "That's quite an accent"—See, I'm from the South But some of the most beautiful things come out my mouth And I'm on stage just as soon as I come out the house So I might as well give them something to talk about I bust a rap to make a blind man believe in the boogie And if you came here to move with Cee, then boogie on 4/5

3.5

noteables Glockapella, ill be around, the one

Legal, som envolvente

Не ожидал, что скажу это, но это неплохой альбом на четверочку. Фоном послушать было самое то, хотя сначала я хотел поставить 1 балл (когда я прослушал единственную песню с альбома, у которой есть видео на ютубе). Но это слабая четверочка, почти три. Все же переслушать это не сильно хочется.

7/10 pretty tight great production and the songs were generally neat, but nothing crazy good

4++++++

Какое-то удивительное и свежее смешение рнб которое ебало всю индустрию вокруг в сочетании с прекрасной читкой и не забываемым гнусавым голосом заставляют тебя вслушиваться в альбом очень внимательно. Справедливости ради, отмечу что альбом длится слишком долго и из-за этого под конец слегка подустаешь

Я начал признаваться в любви к хип-хопу ещё на Jurassic 5 - моя любовь продолжает расти. Я не могу как-то по-особенному описать свои впечатления от альбома, но он просто банально мне нравится. Возможно, слегка не мой стиль музыкального оформления, потому субъективная 4. Но в целом - очень крепкий представитель

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would

I love Cee-lo Green's voice, and as a big fan of Gnarls Barkley, I was looking forward to this one. The music is good too, catchy and soulful in parts.

Overall fun album, although a little on the long side. That said, it's got plenty of fun grooves and his rapping style is pretty awesome (Childz Play stands out for some crazy rapping. Also I Am Selling Soul). Same problem I have with a lot of rap albums - too much n**** this and n**** that and a bit too much cursing - it's not made for me, that's for sure. But I can appreciate and enjoy it. Favorite songs were the first few (Soul Machine, The Art of Noise, and Living Again). Liked the grooves on The One, All Day Love Affair (nice singing), and When We Were Friends.

Best Song: The Art of Noise. The way all the layered vocals and instrumentals dance around one another is incredible. Busy and dancey. Worst Song: I'll Be Around. In an album full of honey-dipped, sugary production, Timbaland's brash and staccato production clashes. Plus the chorus tips itself so far into explicit sexuality that it loses its attempt at being sexy. Overall: Damnit, it's fun. I don't know if it's deep, and maybe it's a little bit bubblegum at times, but goddamnit it moves and it makes you want to move with it. Oddly, Cee Lo's vocals end up almost as an afterthought to the craziness of the production.

Cee-Lo Green is a hell of an entertainer.

Not a 5* album (way too long and too inconsistent) but songs like The One (with EW&F sample), I Am Selling Soul, Scrap Metal etc are very good, so definitely a 4* album.

A pleasant surprise, this one. Upbeat, funky, soulful, consistently enjoyable.

cee lo green is truly a master at his craft. he has flow for days and his songs are genuinely enjoyable to listen to (although the lyrics can be a bit misogynistic at times). all in all a fun album to listen to.

I expected kooky and eclectic, and I got that. I didn't expect this album to be quite as good as it was. Cee-Lo really shows off his versatility on this album. I'd give it a 4.5 if I could.

Good, but not spectacular. 3.5 stars rounding up to 4.

This is quite a fun album. The melodys and features are infectious.

Love Cee-Lo, but have to be in a specific mood to listen to him.

Loved it

So many awesome stand out songs. Enough filth mixed in to dock it a star, but definitely will be listening to All Day Love Affair and Childz Play again

Started off strongly, but fell away towards the end. Still, Cee-Lo got Soul.

There's some goofy nonsense on here, but damn I had a good time with it on the whole

Soulful and kinda groovy. Surprisingly great. 4.5

This is fun and he has a nice voice.

I have gained more respect for Cee Lo

Funky, smooth, sweet

Entertaining album that is high pace and enjoyable throughout. I believe that it is a bit too long and dragged out. I also thought the more rap heavy songs were not as good as the singing ones

Surprisingly decent album! Cee-Lo with his style resembles a little combination of guys from Outkast - Andre3000 and Big Boi. It's an album combining southern rap, rnb and a specific type of 'soul', many times underlined by Cee Lo in his lyrics. The songs have really nice beat and flow, great use of different types of vocals by Green, nice choruses, in general really entertaining stuff! It's easy to follow through with the song and end up in kind of a trance. I didn't know that Cee Lo is also the singer in Gnarls Barkley project, but after listening to this album, all the points are connected. Very positive record, I will come back to it very soon.

I liked this one more than most of hip hip albums I’ve heard. Some really good funk bass and guitar here.

[14/09/2022] Noicee : D I guess I’ve become lazy with my reviews or too busy with life. But this was good. An easy 3.5 or 4 stars

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: The art of noise, Living again, I’ll be around, The one, My kind of people, All day love affair

Here's another artist that I have to separate my feeling about them personally from my feelings about them as an artist. I really like Cee-Lo as an artist. I've seen him live, and he was really good (in Sioux City, Iowa no less. It's no small feet to get those people dancing). One the other hand, his sexual battery accusation and statements about consent are fucking reprehensible. Setting all of that aside, this album is really cool. It's a lot of fun and featured more of Cee-Lo rapping than I was expecting. The music compliments perfectly. It's hard to call this a hidden gem, since Cee-Lo is so well known, but his work before Gnarls Barkley is well worth exploring 4/5

This is a weird one.. on one hand the music is pretty great and CeeLo’s lyrics are surprisingly fantastic as well. But on the other it’s always hard to take CeeLo seriously when he’s rapping just cause it’s CeeLo and he looks and sounds so silly. Overall pretty cool record though, definitely reminds me of some other early 2000s southern hip hop. 7/10

This album falls in my TLC rule. They combine soul and hip hop in a way that makes listening to this not being a chore. Hate to phrase a compliment in a negative way but it's late and my vocabulary is sleeping.

Interesting, varied, strong songs. Great lyrics. No songs fully hit me though

Surprisingly good

Too bad he’s a rapist

Pretty great hip hop, good music, good rhymes.

great first track. awesome voice. fun features - luda! southern production style is great and very creative dungeon family flows. easy listen overall, very enjoyable. good vibes, fun background music while cooking. THE NIGHTLIFE, THE DARK SIDE OF MY SOUL "sometimes" is creative af

Not as good as his later stuff, but still vibing

Why does such a bad dude gotta make such good tunes. At least sometimes he sounds like a muppet (a talented muppet, but still).

Funky, I liked it.

I know what I'm putting on at my next cook out.

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: The Art of Noise, Living Again, I'll Be Around, The One, All Day Love Affair, Scrap Metal, Glockapella, When We Were Friends, Sometimes, Let's Stay Together, Die Trying Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Did not expect this to be as good as it was, Cee-Lo is the He's an XBox and I'm more Atari guy to me. If this list has taught me one thing it's that I'm a soul lover, and this wasn't the best example of it but it's great fun and almost snuck into 5 territory. 4.5 rounded down cus it didn't have 5 vibes but oooooooh I got close.

Listened as background music but was very unfocused on it. It was fine.

Wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did, it’s very long but it’s versatility makes it easy to hear. The second half is harder but good nevertheless

I'm not into this music, but I enjoyed this one

There is a perfect, 5-star album within this. One wants to vaunt the ambition, talent and bravery of such a vast work, but it is just too vast. The effect is one of eating a whole box of chocolates: every morsel is delicious, but you are left exhausted and a little nauseated. That criticism feels a little harsh: every song on the album is fine, and taken individually they'd be a treat. However, taken together they clamour for attention, drowning out each other. Prolificacy can be a virtue, but it easily degenrates into self-indulgence, and one should always remember that precision is just as virtuous.

September 16, 2021 Surprisingly fun! It's longer than I normally like and a different genre, but I danced a little.

Wtf I love it much more than I thought I would. He really do be Cee Lo Green. It's not a 5 but damn it's close. 4.5/5

Surprisingly listenable if sweary

Great beats. Great soulful voice. Smooth

I don’t really like his voice, but there’s no denying that the production value is high and the songs are fun to vibe/bounce/verbs to. Stunned I went above two stars for this.

really catchy!

I had never heard this one before actually, but I really enjoyed it bc it sounded so much like the rest of the hip hop/r&b that I listened to in high school

Cee-lo is so underrated. Wild, creative jamz. An amazing roster of producers. I think I might like his debut better, but this is still great.

-1 point cos it wasn’t fuck you album

I can dig this. Has a range of tempos and overall moods.

The soul machine indeed

Very good album, and his voice is incredible.

Didn’t have issues up until the the second half. I got bored and wondered when the album would end. 6/10 at best

5/10 Not as bad as I feared, but this was pretty poor. Some half decent songs, but who is still listening to this? The sparsest Wiki page of any album I've seen.

i've heard a few ceelo green tracks (hasn't everyone?) but i'd never actually just sat down and listened to one of his albums before. now i have and, i guess i don't really feel like i was missing out.... this album is very hit and miss. "soul machine" is a straight up concerning pick for second track, it sounds so bad it almost feels like a joke and i was getting worried i was in for 73 minutes of clown shit. thankfully it turns out there's a bunch of good tracks in here, like "the art of noise", "my kind of people", "i am selling soul", "all day love affair" and "sometimes", but overall, although i like his voice, it can't save this album from being plagued by some absolute dog ass beats. there's a couple that suck in a way that kind of wraps back round to being good again, like the tom & jerry ass production on "childz play", and..... whatever the hell "glockapella" is doing?? which commits so hard to sounding absolutely fucked that it might actually be my favourite track???? but for the most part it's just a lot of "soundtrack of a mid-2000s shovelware racing game" type shit. the fuck are we doing here, man.... i think this would've been much stronger if it had been cut in half. there's enough audio here for 2 albums but only half of it is any good. this list is starting to make me think that maybe double albums were a mistake. ....i gotta admit the album art whips tho. damn.

Loved the intro, that brought a big smile to this Dad's face. Overall the album was varied in musical style and composition, but didn't feel like a cohesive album. I left it mainly thinking I need to go change my Doggy Style rating, cause aside from language that was a much better album

Another over-long and only marginally interesting hip-hop album.

Fun!

I liked the first part of the album and then it really started to fall off in the middle.

That was pretty good but would have been better if it was half as long. Too much fluff.

The Soul Machine, huh? Sure, buddy... Yeah, I wasn't huge on this. I'm obviously aware of CeeLo Green and some of his music. He's had big hits. "Fuck You" is pretty good, and "Crazy" with Danger Mouse as Gnarls Barkley is probably one of the best hits of 2006. None of those songs are on this album. The most popular song here is "I'll Be Around" with Timbaland, and I don't care for it. CeeLo is definitely better as a singer than as a rapper, so the fact that this album tries to balance the singing and rapping instead of leaning into the singing means that much of the album doesn't speak to me. The production is solid for much of the album, I'll give it that. You've got some of the most acclaimed producers of the 2000s showing up here, like the aforementioned Timbland along with a few songs done by the Neptunes, so obviously there are good productions on here. But, I still wasn't engaged with the album for the whole 73 minutes. That's probably the biggest issue that I have with the album. It just goes on for too long without much keeping me hooked in. This album isn't horrible or anything, but I don't have much of a passion for any part of it in any way. It's fine. Light 3/5.

Not bad. Quite funky in places.

A very fun album, a lot of cool music and lines I had fun listening to it. I’ve still got his song with timbaland going round my head

Some good tunes here. However, when he tries to go gangsta (tracks 12/13 especially) it falls kind of flat, as I think his voice is much more suited for sweeter sounds. Also overstays its welcome, clocking in at like 65 minutes. The only one who probably needs a full hour of CeeLo Green is Mrs. CeeLo Green.

I found this quite listenable

This was funny.

First half isn't all too terrible but it really fell off for me in the back half.

This guy rapping about common sense but used to tweet insane things about rape. 4 star music, 1 star attitude

Honestly, I didn't hate it but the features and Timbaland are kind of the real stars here

Hip hop. Can’t remember much. A bit too long. Not nothing went terribly wrong

honestly, not bad. for an artist that was so big while we were in high school, its cool to go back to his earlier stuff. having an awesome Ludacris feature on there, we get some of of Cee-Lo's singing features, and hear some of his actual rapping ability as well. all in all, a solid album - not bad for someone who (i would assume) is often regarded as a one-hit wonder

I think this rating is higher simply because I listened to this album directly after listening to Captain Beefheart. Contains zero of CeeLo’s big hits, but does have enough rhythm and flow to keep me invested the entire time, and production from Pharrell never hurt anything. A couple I’d go back to but it’s easy to see why this is an album to check out.

I dig both the early Goodie Mob stuff and CeeLo's work with Danger Mouse in Gnarls Barkley, so I was already inclined to have high expectations - and maybe that's the problem. CeeLo, his rapid-fire flow, and his star-studded lineup of collaborators (Neptunes, Timbaland, Organized Noize, DJ Premier, T.I., Ludacris) position him as the heir to both neo-soul and his erstwhile collaborators Outkast's futuristic visions as heard on *Stankonia*. And yeah, with the level of assembled talent here it's basically a foregone conclusion that the results will be at least competent and sometimes better ("The Art of Noise"). But Green doesn't do anything here to suggest that he's capable of really signifying; "take me where the darkness is still beautiful," he warbles on "Evening News," aiming for Black Sky Masterson but landing more in the range of Black Nicely Nicely Johnson. He's unconvincing as a tough guy but he knows that ("Scrap Metal"); he's not all that more convincing as a Southern-fried shaman, and I wonder whether he realizes that ("Sometimes"). Perhaps he spits as many words as he can because, deep down, he's anxious that he may not have that much to say - and if so, maybe he's right about that. Only the finale "Die Trying," a gospel-inflected number that sees Green calling out his own bullshit, really rises above the waterline here.

cee lo. vocals. all over.

Without. Not. Charms. Etc.

It’s interesting. He’s got sthg for sure. I see the “neo-“ label applied to this cat fairly reg. At this stage I’m just not about it. Seems like in this case it mostly means “cut w straight hip hop.” And there’s some good in there. But for the most part, ‘s’aight. 3 stars

This is a soul and hip hop album that was honestly really enjoyable albeit not a genre I commonly listen to 3/5

Ok, not bad

Surprising that this Cee Lo album made it, while Gnarls will probably be his legacy. Dungeon Family does always rule.

A low 3 for me

52/100. Ego has a strange way of exhausting art, the louder a person insists on their identity, the harder it becomes to feel the humanity underneath it. Despite the title, this never really felt like a true “soul machine” to me. Cee-Lo Green throws a huge range of styles into the mix here, from southern soul and funk to gospel influenced hip hop, but the result often feels more manufactured than genuine. The problem is that a lot of the material feels overly polished and emotionally artificial. The album constantly circles themes of ego, desire, and identity, but the execution rarely feels convincing or deeply engaging.

Almost certainly need something by Cee Lo on a list of 1001 albums. Might as well be this one, I guess.

A couple of interesting songs but mostly generic 2000s rap. The guy has a weird voice too

The Art of Noise is the most 2003-ass music I've ever heard, and it's probably one of the strongest tracks here. It's...fine. But Cee-Lo is a much better singer than rapper, and his work on Gnarls Barkley was better.

Hiphop levy käytännössä. Hauska levy, ei ota itteään liian vakavasti. Hyviä kappaleita ja biittejä silti. Vahva alku 2000-luvun soundi. Parhaay: Childz Play, The One, I'll Be Around

This album is only justified to sound the way it does because it was released at the time it was... Also, if you look at a small version of the album cover and squint your eyes, it looks as if he's staring deeply into your soul