Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Just forgettable. Also was surprised to learn they did NOT write the theme song for FRIENDS
Many great songs, but the album is just a bit too long. 3 overstayed welcomes out of 5
A bit long and derivative with occasional good moments. As a whole record though was a bit of a drag - had there been a bit of trimming it would have been better.
I only knew the F You song from this guy, I wasn’t expecting an actual soul machine. It was good - a high 3.
1) слишком много спокен уорда, 2) слишком много самодовольства, 3) аллегейшнз...
First half was funky and groovy. Second half was dull
A decent pop / R&B album with soul influences. Songs were fun and upbeat, but nothing really stands out. Overall- a solid album if not a bit long / unfocused.
Cee Lo has always been an artist I liked in passing, but I never sought out his music aside from a few radio singles. Turns out he’s a lot more than that one Gnarls Barkley song and “Fuck You”. Features from Pharrell, Timbaland, TI, Ludacris and many more add a lot of variation and fun to the album. The Guess Who song “These Eyes” being sample on “the Art of Noise” made my little Canadian heart very happy. “Scrap Metal” is a delightfully brutal diss track, admittedly I have absolutely no idea who it’s intended towards though. “Die Trying” is probably my favourite track on the album, showcasing Cee Lo’s underrated southern rap flow. A few verses are almost reminiscent of OutKast, in the best way possible. Admittedly, a few songs miss the mark, “Glockapella” is almost comedic in its attempt to be hard. I’ll be listening to a few tracks off this album again for sure, but as for an entire album, I don’t think it’ll get played again.
Cee-Lo Green manages to invoke the classic sounds and feelings of soul and r&b while still serving up something novel and very fun to listen to. The lyrics aren’t particularly moving to me and sometimes verge on megalomaniacal, but they aren’t bad either. Great features from Timbaland, Ludacris and T.I. emphasize the southern flavor throughout this album. Favorite tracks: “Living Again” and “My Kind of People”. 7/10
Some interesting melodies/rhythms in some tracks.
Fun and sexy but got a little too 2000s for me... Too long an album 2.9
That's not my taste in musik. But some pleasant songs
This was a fun listen for the most part. However, something is missing and I can't put my finger on it, because of that I highly doubt I ever come back to this album. 3 stars
Some fun funky beats here but not a lot for me. Not a huge fan of his singing style
The loops/rhythm section/beats are fantastic. His voice is not one I can listen to a lot of in a single sitting. Average for me. 2.5 stars. will round up to 3
'My kind of people' is the tune to 'Pass the duchy' reworked. Do Musical Youth know about this? 'Childz play' borrows heavily from Eminem's 'My name is', to say the least. Otherwise it's all just OK - the only memorable track is Die trying.
Dork thought it was good. Goof thought it was decidedly average.
Joyfully high highs on this one. "I'll Be Around" into "The One" into "My Kind of People" was so much fun, but probably my favorite song was "All Day Love Affair." That said, I wasn't really a big fan of most of the rest. I love CeeLo the soulful singer. Not as into him rapping. But the highs. They were so high!
Hyvää musiikkia ruoanlaittoon tai shoppailuun ym. Hyväntuulista taustamusaa. Tulee mieleen sinkkuelämää vaikka en oo edes kahtonu sitä, jotenki 2000s vibe
Cee-lo osaa räpätä (ja siis laulaakin), olisi pitänyt kuunnella heti tarkemmin, että mistä aiheista. Se taitaa olla levyn ydin heti onnistuneen rnb:n ohella. Mukavaa taustamusiikkia, mutta tuli olo, että tää ei sais jäädä pelkäksi taustaksi siis! Oli kaunista melodiaa ja iskevyyttä.
First half was good but it stretched on too long
Its okay.
Sometimes a bit too soul/r&b for my liking, but some pretty solid atl hip hop overall.
Really liked some of it, some was just meh.
weird, delightful album that runs a little long, and has me curious about cee lo green's other stuff. not really as good as some of his singles or other collabs i've heard though.
A nice soulful, pop, r&b album. A bit overproduced at times, but I enjoyed it.
Quite enjoyed this once I’d gotten into it. Got edgier second half. Not my thing and bit uncomfortable having the N word flying around in work but overall not as bad as I thought.
Don’t fully understand the vitriol for this album. Yes, it isn’t full of smash hits and it’s definitely debatable whether the album should have made this list. But it’s here and the songs aren’t terrible. Some of them are catchy and fun.
That was amazing.
Mint, so 2000s and loved the timberland feature 3.8
3.5 - really good album, this genre in the early 00s was so so polished and great, bring it back
A few good songs, albeit lame ones, and quite a few bad ones, which I never want to hear again. 'The One' and 'Childz Play' are actually two of the worst songs I have ever heard. It gets a bit better with 'All Day Love Affair' and 'When We Were Friends', but most of the other songs are incredibly bland. How this album got onto the list is beyond my imagination. It's mediocre Cee Lo Green with a mediocre album filled with mediocre songs. I will never get that 65 minutes of my life back. I literally had to listen to actual good music afterwards to forget what I had heard.
It was honestly pretty fire, I only got through half of it though. It just feels kind of embarrassing, no offense CeeLo 3.5
Au croisement du hip hop, du R&B et du souk, un artiste polyvalent qui se fait plaisir en naviguant entre les étiquettes
Solid mids.
This was so hit and miss. Lots of bad songs, but then some pretty decent ones I much prefer his other work. Used to listen to Gnarls Barkley as a kid, and I had The Lady Killer album as a teen. But this wasn't as good 3 ⭐️
I briefly considered giving this four stars. It's quite enjoyable. But I was dreading listening to it -- I thought it was going to be some overhyped neo-soul / rap, but it easily exceed my expectations. But it faded a little towards the end, and on a re-listen, with adjusted expectations, while this is good, I just can't see putting it in the same company as the typical 4 star album. Still, it's a fun listen.
Nice, just not my type of music
2.5 - I just struggle with hip hop, I just don't click with it honestly. Maybe I'll find the album that does
Cee-Lo's voice is so annoying at times, like on Childz Play. His persona just irks me a lot on this album - starting with having his son speaking on the intro, such a weird brag. Why are Hip Hop artists always so bad at curating their albums, this is way too long. Fave Tracks: Living Again, All Day Love Affair 2.7/5
Reading some of the reviews I thought this was going to be unlistenable; it's fine! Doesn't have many stand-out/wow moments maybe, but The One and Scrap Metal were highlights.
OK
It's a bit of a happy mess.
It's alright, a bit long and songs blend into each other. Pleasant but I didn't love it. 3.
Nice performance
This record is kind of all over the place. Its like skiing variable snow after a wind event. You have like 2 really good turns of wind buff pow and then like 3 turns of dial up internet. Speaking of dial up internet, my biggest qualm with this record and all r&b records from the late 90s / early 2000s are the freaking drum machines. WHAT WERE WE DOING BACK THEN!??! It seriously takes down a really full / holistic sounding song with cool bass lines and brass instruments and then adds shitty beats that sound like a CD skipping. What's fun to me with this record is the diversity in genre / sounds. Part of it is really good soul and r&B. But then he really leans into jazz as well, and then layers in rap where it makes sense. The rap track are kind of hit or miss, I'm not a huge fan of southern rap from the 2000s but that might be taste thing. I do like how flamboyant he is with his voice when he raps and sings. Its pretty unique. He even gets pretty weird near the end of the record with Scrap Metal and Sometimes. A lot of interesting mixes. There's no doubt that CeeLo is super talented and innovative. He's made some really awesome records, songs and collaborations. I love the soul sound mixed r&b. Those songs slap. I don't love his club songs, those ones kind of aren't great. Honestly, not my favorite r&b album. But I'm happy it exists and that I listened to it!
I liked it quite a lot
Soul Ma-sheen
Estranhamente a melhor parte do álbum é quando o Cee-lo não canta. Meu Deus como a voz do senhor é insuportável. Por não ser um álbum de Rap puro e ser mais melódico é muito mais fácil de ouvir, por vezes até agradável. A instrumentação do álbum esta muito acima do que contava e os convidados do senhor por vezes ofuscam o Cee-lo. No geral não é desagradável, mas é interminável, toda a emoção inicial perde-se neste álbum que parece infindável e todas as músicas que até são catchy perdem-se no meio de tanta coisa. A melhor música a meu ver foi o Sound of Noise com o Pharel Williams. Nota: 5/10 23/05/2024
Quite a fun record overall. Production is very of its era. Favourite tracks: The Art Of Noise, Livin' Again, Childz Play.
3.2 - Though I’m impressed by Cee-Lo's singing and rap skills, I didn't enjoy much about this record. For one, even for R&B/rap there's too much self-promotion. To me he sounds like Daffy Duck in a tacky suit trying to sell used cars. "Scrap Metal" is particularly rancid.
meh
Hip-hop (?) unito al soul. Molto piacevole, timbro ben riconoscibile, il godimento con i pezzi di Pharell è sempre lì. Avrei dato 4 stelle per l'orecchiabilità, ma non essendo forse propriamente mio do 3, anche se è stato un close 4.
Cee-Lo hasn't exactly um maintained the best legacy in recent years, so I've been putting off listening to this hour plus album from him for awhile. It's...fine. There are a couple pretty fire tracks in there, but for the most part it's pretty run of the mill mid-2000s contemporary R&B and not very exciting.
Several listens, there’s a a lot to hear in this.
Started so cheesy I couldn't handle it. Eventually started to go pretty hard. Gets 3 stars for a half good album.
The music's pretty cool. Fave track: I'll Be Around
I don't think anyone with a voice like an Aqua Teen Hunger Force character deserves a title like "Soul Machine". 😆 I dunno, maybe I'd warm to it with more exposure, but I found this album a bit of a slog because of his voice, and expectation this would be in any way soulful. Fave tracks - "Childz Play" and "Scrap Metal" - ie, the ones where he brings other people in to sing for big chunks of em...
I prefer his debut album. Lot's of guests.
On dirait c'est le genre d'album qui aurait tellement pu aller chercher plus. Les instrumentations et les compositions sont vraiment intéressantes, Cee Lo chante vraiment bien, mais le résultat est un peu décevant, on en veut plus. 6/10
Again, yet another album that is nowhere near as bad as the ratings on this site suggest. ‘…Soul Machine’ is solid mid noughts hip hop/rnb. While it’s nothing earth shattering, it’s still generally good while it’s on, even if doesn’t really linger in the memory once its finished. Cover of ‘Let’s Get Together’ is decent too.
This album is hilarious with the number of times Cee-Lo calls himself God. Its pretty pretentious throughout and doesn't feel very generous, contrary to the Lupe Fiasco album this list gave me. That said, there are some songs here I liked despite his constant self-glorification. Namely, Childz Play (thanks Luda), I Am Selling Soul, and Let's Stay Together.
I was a bit surprised to see Cee-Lo on here at all, and was especially surprised when this wasn't his one-hit wonder album (two if you count his Gnarls Barkley days). "Crazy" and "Fuck You" were inescapable in my childhood, but I hadn't heard anything on here before. This thing was a rollercoaster. First, I do not think I like Cee-Lo Green's voice. It has moments where it kind of works, but it's pretty grating on the whole. On the plus side, there are actually a handful of songs on here that are really good. His annoying voice aside, this has some really smooth R&B sounds, it's a bit funky at times, some of the rap verses are pretty solid (especially when it's not him, it was nice to remember that TI existed). I loved the saxophone or whatever it was on "All Day Love Affair". On the negative side, this thing was a bit all over the place. It would go from a song that had great vibes to like some awful nonsense. This didn't feel particularly cohesive to me, it's long, and the back half is really weak compared to the front half. I don't really know what to make of this. I think I had a negative bias toward Cee-Lo coming in and I didn't really like this all that much on the whole, but there was enough good to keep me interested. Cee-Lo seems like a bit of a piece of work but whatever, closer to a 2 than a 4, but it was fine enough I guess. Favorite song: All Day Love Affair Other: The Art of Noise, I'll Be Around, The One, My Kind Of People, Let's Stay Together 3/19/24
Its fine. Didn't know any of the songs
Whoa. I felt like I should have liked this more than I did.
It’s fine. Not great. I enjoyed it. 3/5
Actually not that bad
Not bad!
Yeh okay
ok
I liked this album. I’ll listen to it again. Starred 1 song. The whole album was really a vibe. Upbeat and bouncy. I’m a fan now.
Ok, niet een album dat ik had verwacht! Ik ken Cee Lo natuurlijk van Fuck You en als onderdeel van de Goodie Mob. Daartussen zit dit album en dat hoor je. Waar Goodie Mob echt hiphop is en hij later meer naar soul/pop is gegaan heeft dit echt nog heel veel hiphop invloeden en rapt Cee Lo hier ook nog. Features van Luda, T.I. en Timbaland maken het echt een beetje een product van zn tijd(early 2000s). Fuck, wat is Ludacris eigenlijk underrated als rapper, zn gastverse is echt geweldig. Moet zeggen dat Cee-Lo als hoofdartiest me zeker niet altijd pakt. Zn verses zijn niet geweldig en zn zang is zich hier naar mijn mening nog echt aan het ontwikkelen. Toch vind ik door de sterke productie dit album niet een onvoldoende, het is gewoon prima. FAVO:The One, My kind of People, Childz Play, All day love affair, Die trying
I’ll Be Around is a great track, but I don’t think the rest of the album is that strong.
not the most mind blowing album i've ever heard, but at least it's fun. i like cee-lo's voice and the vibe he gives off on this one is definitely one of a partier. it's a fun enough romp, but it does not verge into the territory of an all-timer for me
First of all, y’all’s reviews are that of a bunch of whiney bitches, this is one of the best rap album I’ve ever heard and I’m inclined to give it 5 stars just as a big fuck you (see what I did there) to everyone giving it a 1 or a 2 Im too lazy to do that though it’s prolly a 3.6/5
OK - I'll be around was my favourite track
Standouts: I'll Be Around, Scrap Metal
Bots gor pipes
Not his best but enjoyable soul-pop.
His voice is the worst part but the music itself is pretty good.
Not quite for me - find his voice a bit whiny after a while.
This album occupies the space between Stevie Wonder and The Roots. Kind of like the Jay Z unplugged album when he was backed by the Roots, but a lot more soul/funk infused. This is good backyard party/BBQ music. Also love to see some N.E.R.D./Neptunes-era Pharrell on there. In the end, a good blend of styles but not exactly groundbreaking.
Interesting production and a nice variety of styles make this more entertaining than I thought it would be. Some of the more gangster material is a huge bringdown for after what seemed like it would be an entertaining and generally thoughtful album by an interesting vocal presence.
It’s no Gnarls Barkley, but it’s still more interesting than most anything Cee-Lo had made since. Still a bit too long though.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this
Surprisingly good.
great
Good while it’s on, but I won’t be back
It's a soul album where the weakest part is Cee-Lo Green's stature. While it doesn't have a bad performance, Cee Lo has some Westside Gunn stuff. The problem with the album ends up being how AGGRESSIVE Cee Lo is. Intro: 5.7 Soul Machine: 7.4 The Art Of Noise: 9.4 Living Again: 8.7 I’ll Be Around: 8.4 The One: 7.5 My Kind Of People: 6.6 Childz Play: 7.7 I Am Selling Soul: 6.3 All Day Love Affair: 9.5 Evenings News: 6.2 Scrap Metal: 6.9 Glockapella: 8.1 When We Were Friends: 8.2 Sometimes: 5.3 Let’s Stay Together: 7.9 Die Trying: 6.4 What Don’t You Do?(Outro): 5.6
Fun
Listened Before? N Semi-modern soul. It was good, just not really my style. Great musicianship and songwriting here. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: The One
This album was full of surprises. Going into this, I only recognized Cee Lo Green from Forget You. To be truthful, I thought he was a one-hit wonder. However, after listening to this album, I learned he wasn't. There were a surprising number of rap songs and a diss track? 3.4/5
Good
Started off thinking this was a 4 for me, I can excuse having a big ego in hip hop music but if you take it seriously enough to put out 16 tracks that all cover the same ground and lack the quality control to size it down then it's clearly got out of hand.
Straight up bad in some places
Pretty nice, better than I expected
Aight. Pretty decent. Although it's 20 years old at this point, I'm pretty sure I've never heard it before.
Polished, funky and soulful. There are lots of tracks that are high energy, fun and enjoyable. Though there's just a few too many that are a bit experimental or too much rapping/talking that pulls it back as the vibe is going (I Am Selling Soul, Evening News, Glockapella, Sometimes). Definitely pieces to really like, but uneven for me.
The songs were fun, but I think Cee-Lo’s voice is best at soul/funk songs and not so much during rapping. Nothing really stood out to me during this album and it’s not one I feel the need to revisit.
Would have been a star higher if Cee Lo wasn’t Cee Lo…
This album has been very underwhelming and while there were some decent parts, overall it was mediocre.
I am somewhat familiar with Ceelo Green although I do not think I was familiar with any of these songs. It was a pretty decent album but the issue is that it was way too long. I don't see myself revisiting the album.
Decent! Wasn't expecting that.
Pretty solid, the features had better bars than cee lo but some decent production
Average
It was pretty good but so of its time—and that's a time I don't listen to much of! It does feel like it encapsulates the era in some ways—adjacent vibes with Nelly, Saul Williams, Eminem. I enjoyed it but no songs that I'm screaming out for.
Fun album but a voice like Cee Lo’s can only be handled in small doses, not over an hour.
Joo no muutamia hyviä viisuja mutta vähän väsähtää kyllä kuunnellessa. Ei tää nyt pahimmasta päästä ollut! 3/5
Monta siistiä biisiä ja sit taas monta aika turhaa. Ehkä riittää juuri ja juuri kolmoseen. On kyllä taas aika outo valinta 00-luvulta.
Taitava räppäri ja alkupään biiseissä siistejä nopeita versejä. Sit kyl vähän lopahtaa kiinnostus loppua kohti. 3/5
helt ait
some of the songs eerily sound like Let it Grow from the Lorax
the ai this thing runs on must be smoking crack dropping that 2004 see low on us.
The beats are cool but CeeLo Green is a creep
Hier zat nog best iets aardigs tussen. En hij kan ook best een mopje zingen, die Cee-lo.
I didn't know anything about Cee-Lo-Green going in except I heard he has a popular song called F*** You, so going in I was expecting to hate this. I didn't. It was too fun and catchy to hate, at least the first half. He has a weird voice that I was tired of hearing by the end. Some of the guest vocals I didn't like. Album was too long. Didn't like hearing the N-word over and over in some songs.
Decent. Some good moments. Some meh moments.
Hmmmm
Based on the description, I guess any album can make it on this list. While I'll take Cee-Lo over every single UK artist we recently have had on here for no reason, but I can't do the double standard. I'm not sure why this one is on here either. No indication that this album pushed the needle in any direction, especially during a time where there were many more popular hip hop albums out. Again, no huge complaints on this album. I had not heard it before, not a huge Cee-Lo guy, but it's one less day we have to listen to the same ol same.
It's alright. I know Cee Lo, we all know Cee Lo, he's an important figure in the sphere of R&B/hip hop crossover. Definitely a good, unique voice. This album didn't offer much that I would consider to be gamechanging, let alone "must hear before I die." But it's fine. A couple songs to keep and I'll move on. That's how a lot of this goes. I wonder if we'll get that infamous Gnarls Barkley album at some point. Favorite tracks: The Art of Noise, Childz Play, Glockapella. Album art: Honestly pretty bad, and very emblematic of early 2000's. It's Cee Lo in the clouds, or so it seems, and if you look closer, he's reflected in his own sunglasses. How does that even work? 3/5
It's added an extra album to my early 00s list. All that Pharell and Timbaland production marks it out as a good album. The features outweigh the artist a bit though. Cee Lo has a great voice, but you aren't getting great melodies here. He brings those an album later as Gnarls Barkley
Funky, surprising, refreshing. Track 2 and 3 are my favorite
Funky, pimpy, but not entirely my thing
Altijd irritant als artiesten ineens hun koters voor de microfoons gaan zetten, vooral als het is om zichzelf belangrijk te maken ('I am the son of the soul machine'). Maar verder is dit best leuke relaxte muziek.
My feelings about this album were all over the place listening to this today. "Oh yeah! I like this!" to "What the hell is this and how long is it going to last?" After what I thought was a strong beginning, the middle seemed to drag, and then it got better towards the end. I like this best when it's drawing on its soul roots, notably the collaborations with Pharrell Williams.
I have never had enough interest in Cee-Lo Green to have checked out any of his albums. He has some style and the music was fun for me today, but I didn't find it amazing. Maybe I am just not that into Cee-Lo.
This was fine. Just … fine.
I was a fan of CeeLo’s third album, The Ladykiller. Turns out that album is a bit different than his first two. This one wasn’t nearly as interesting to me. I didn’t hate it but I can’t say it engaged me for 65 minutes. It was ok….
It was pretty good!
Enjoyable hip-hop soul with some rapping. High 3
idk fine i guess. i’ll never think about this album again
Surprisingly delightful
I can't help but wonder how these songs would sound with someone with a lower voice. Cee-Lo's voice always sounds... cartoony to me. I do like the give and take he uses with the hip-hop verses throughout the album. Definitely has some skill, and he gets a lot of good guests to work off of in each of the songs. The instrumentation is great, particularly in songs like "I Am Selling Soul." Wow! It's just difficult for me to take him seriously with that higher-pitched voice, he sounds like he inhaled helium before he starts singing. Regardless, I did like most of the songs, but I would have liked to hear him harmonizing with some lower bass-y voices in some of the songs. That'd be pretty neat. I am also wondering what made this album so ground-breaking it had to be on the list. Wouldn't Gnarls Barkley's album with "Crazy" be more apt? That's really where most of the public got to hear Cee-Lo for the first time.
I don't know, I feel like I'm missing something. This album is good, at least average. Cee Lo Green can sing and he can rap, which includes spitting out good rhymes. This album must be on this list for its fusion of hip-hop and rap (and soul? I don't know); I see it as part of that 2000's Georgia hip hop sound (like Outkast). I enjoyed it but I wasn't dying for more. Soul Machine had a cool beat but was a bit bragadocious. Living Again and All Day Love Affair were the real soulful pieces. Glockapella, When We Were Friends, and Sometimes as a trio really show his lyrical depth. Good collaborations with Timbaland (I'll Be Around), Ludacris (Childz Play), Big Rube and G-Rock (Scrap Metal).
hm, never heard of him before. But chances are I've heard a song from here. Well it's not as rappy as I thought it'd be. In fact it reminds me a lot of Black Eyed Peas. It's not bad, tolerable. Creeping into earning 3 stars. 😁
A fast RNB rap album. Cee Lo's distintive voice is a little much across an entire album, though his singles have punch and his rapping is skillful. Childz Play is a standout track.
Dit gaat nergens over. Ik durf te wedden dat dit album niet eens top 100 lijstjes van het jaar 2004 haalt. Een notering in de top 1000 allertijden is dan ook waanzin. Ruil dit in voor Madvillainy bijvoorbeeld: Een 2004 album dat in vrijwel elke top 10 'beste hiphop albums ooit' genoemd wordt, maar niet in deze lijst voor komt. Maar ik zal dat even parkeren. Het album is te doen als je eenmaal een beetje gewend bent aan z'n stem. Hij klinkt een beetje als de zwarte Pepijn van Houwelingen, daar moeten we gewoon eerlijk over zijn. Muzikaal herken je heel erg dit specifieke tijdperk terug, met flink wat Timbaland/Outkast/Pharrel/Fat Joe/Snoop Dogg achtige invloeden. 2004 was wat dat betreft een rare tijd, want het klinkt inmiddels meer gedateerd en meer kitcherig dan veel nog oudere muziek. Na al deze rants ga ik toch gewoon 3 sterren geven. Ik kan het prima hebben. Met een speelduur van meer dan een uur neemt het wel iets meer ruimte in dan nodig. Een nummer als "Glockapella" had op de snijtafel achter mogen blijven en zo zijn er meer tracks waarover te onderhandelen is. Het voelt enorm verkeerd om toe te geven, maar ik heb liever dit dan Outkast.
Meh
Soul. Hip hop
Fave tracks:Living Again, I’ll be around, My kind of people, Evening News, Let’s Stay Together, Die Trying I liked the more melodic tracks, that’s a personal preference. Slightly too many tracks. 3/5
Nothing on this list turns me off faster than a majority of tracks talking about how special he is. but I can't help loving the soul, the voice, and the incredibly eclectic/creative rhymes. There's a really touching tribute to friends-grown-apart (When We Were Friends) that I really haven't noticed anyone do so sensitively... but it's so n-word heavy it'll never be for me. So I loved most of this, but ultimately I'm disappointed and won't return, pretty much at all.
Music from this era is feeling a bit passé. I’m sure the pendulum will swing back, but for now I’m not a huge fan of this style. It feels way more sterile than the Neo soul of a few years prior which I don’t love. It’s not bad, just not good.
Filthy, funny, and very very funky. From before Gnarls Barkley, but with certain similarities. I enjoyed it, and love his voice, but would have liked a bit more light and shade.
Fun grooves for the start of the work day.
not as cool as I hoped it would be ill be around is a standout
Second half started to grow on me
Not thrilled.
He is the machine!
I feel like I have reviewed a bunch of albums like this; perfectly produced, highly skilled, over long... it doesn't have the slight edge that captures my attention. Another Ok album I don't think I ever need to hear again. And did it really need to be 73 minutes long? Interestingly, once spotify had finished playing this album, it started on his first album, which grabbed my ears much more immediately
A speech intro almost had me thinking that this album was going to be almost without merit, but it launched into a really good hook. After a few more tracks I fell into a very deep and satisfying sleep. Which was great. I did listen again later on, and I'll say that I quite enjoyed his flow, though can't say I'm a fan of his actual voice. I couldn't help but feel, as I was listening to it, how awkward it must have been in the studio as all his backup singers and collaborators were being briefed... "Yes, you have to sing my name repeatedly, and tell me what an amazing man I am, and how you love me so much"
Neo soul, hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
Overall I enjoyed this album, though there was a lot I wouldn't revisit. But even the tracks I didn't care for had amazing production and writing. Such a varied album with a lot to offer. I especially loved the guitar work on "Childz Play" and the last song "Die Trying." Also one of the rare albums where I don't hate the skits completely.
Cee Lo has always been a little full off him self and it shows. This album has a great depth of production and interesting guests, but I'm not sure what put it on this list. A continuation of the exploration of Southern Style Hip Hop
It was okay, I've never been a big fan of southern rap or writing soul music where you spend the entire time gloating about yourself and how you got so much soul. That seams a little opposite of someone who is soulful, I get that its an attempt to be humorous but it just comes off as lame. The lyrical content was immature and very dorky. The production was very unique and way better than any of the southern hip hop/rap/funk music coming out around that time which is why I think it has notability and was referred to as "ambitious" by critics of the time. It was taking more of a soul/funk D'Angelo/Maxwell esque approach in the instrumentals rather than the styling of its southern peers such as T.I. or even Outkast, but that might be giving it too much credit honestly and Outkast has a ton more charisma and writing chops then Ceelo will ever have with his very small brain world views. All in all its fun you could put it on in the background of a family get together and everybody would feel comfortable but as an album. Soft meh....
Another album that is too long. This is a rarity though where the middle third is the strongest.
Haven’t heard one song off this album, very surprising that this isn’t talked about a little more, some very solid songs on this album packed with a ton of great features. Good album all the way through, not every song is 10/10 but it is still a good album to discover!
Reasonable hip hop
Personality , not great though
I went into this album thinking I like that one song "Crazy". It's a little sad how things have turned out for him but this is my album today so I shall check it out. Based on the title I figured I would probably like it pretty well, you know, except that he's cancelled. Anyway, yes, its pretty fun, though all in one go is too much. I got through it in about three tranches. So several stars for overall for enjoyment, minus stars for the tedium that comes and goes, plus stars for humor, minus stars for the above referenced messiness, plus and minus for the hubris. I figure we net out at about 3 stars.
Bouncy as hell and pretty unique. The One was good. I think this falls just shy of a 4 but a worthwhile listen.
Like the waterfall like backing on a couple of tracks.
this is pretty cool. not earth-shattering
Interesting, diverse vibe. Some of the songs leave me flat, but there's some good stuff on here, especially the two tracks with Pharrell. Runs a bit long. Fave Songs: I'll Be Around, Die Trying, Let's Stay Together, The Art of Noise, Sometimes
It was cool. Varied in sound way more than I thought it would, but I'm not sure what else I was expecting from CeeLo.
Nice and bright. Varied, maybe a bit too much, but I enjoyed it.
Wow, this went hard from track 1. Didn’t expect it, couldn’t handle it. A fun surprise, though not totally for me. Also, it was too long.
Everyone knows the iconic forget you, but I don’t think I’d ever heard another song by him, other than Let’s Stay Together. I think I would be a fan if I knew the songs well, they’re fun and vibey. I wouldn’t say anything spectacular but it was fun.
It's a decent/fun album - good balance between singing and rapping with good enough music - but it is *just* enjoyable and not enough for me to be all that memorable. Maybe it's too long. Albums are just so often more digestible in smaller doses unless there's a story or a tie or something to draw you in for the length. There's nothing bad here, but for some reason this one feels even longer than its 65 minute running time. Cut this down to maybe 8 or 9 tracks and maybe I could have latched onto something a bit more. 5/10 3 stars.
Apparently this is the edited version that I listened to, which can be distracting and overall limiting to the artist's intentions and listener's perception of this record. Because The Soul Machine, while a bit bloated at points, is (despite the meddling of songs) an imaginative record that outlines Cee-Lo Green's aspiring superstardom (which wouldn't be that far away) and his role in the cultivation and popularization of Southern hip-hop. Favorites: Soul Machine, Livin' Again, My Kind of People, I Am Selling Soul, All Day Affair, Evening News, Scrap Metal, Glockapella, Sometimes, Die Trying.
Not bad. Found myself bopping to this one.
Cee-lo brings it
According to Cee Lo Green, Ce Lo Green is the Music, is the Soul is Everything (but won’t be defined as just that). His crass self belief makes me smirk, very likeable. Good singer when he goes for it, I believe Pharrell when he says Cee Lo’s version of ‘Happy’ is way better.
Cee-Lo has a unique style that's pretty fun but it's hard to listen to so much at once. Still glad I listened to this. Had a good time. 3.5 stars
I love this guy's vibe. Big guy, squeaky little peashooter of a voice but bro, he lets his muthafuckin' freak flag fly.
Encara lluny del so més indie de Gnarls Barkley que havia de venir poc després, aquest segon treball en solitari de Cee Lo Green és una bona dosi de r&b i hip hop, amb lletres desfermades d'ego, moltes col.laboracions i un so brillant. És massa llarg i no conté cap pista que excel.leixi com aconseguiria anys més tard amb Danger Mouse i en solitari, però en l'any del debut de Kanye West, Cee Lo Green va demostrar que ell també tenia caràcter i carisma d'estrella
J’aime la variété de cet abum. Ça ne sonne tout de même pas comme un collage, ça se tient. J’aime bien quand ses pièces sont à cheval entre 2 styles. Ça leur donne un côté rafraichissant et innovant. La pochette est vraiment laide.
Je trouve intéressant ce mix de soul et de Hip-Hop. Ça a un peu la vibe d’Outkast. Il a une voix bien unique et il sait bien s’entourer avec Pharrell Williams et Timbaland. Par contre c’est beaucoup trop long pour moi comme album. Cet album m’aura quand même permis d’apprendre qu’il est la voix de Gnarls Barkley (je savais même pas que c’était un duo) qu’il a créé avec Danger Mouse (que j’adore). Je vais maintenant aller écouter ce projet.
B-/C+
Quite like
Neo soul, hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
6,5/10
nog wel leuk
Oh leuker dan ik had verwacht nadat ik hem voornamelijk ken door het nummer 'fuck you'
I don't care for the general theme of a few songs, but it's a solid album.
Really solid project throughout, I’ve loved Cee Lo since I was a kid but never listened to his older stuff. Not exactly innovative or pushing the boundaries but the swagger and soul in this thing make it worth adding to your playlists (some songs more than others)
This was a fun listen, I hadn't heard much Cee-Lo before. I felt like it was unique from other stuff in the genre but not necessarily my jam
This is good quality neo-soul. Well produced and strong songs were hallmarks of Cee-Lo's sophomore effort. My issue with neo-soul is that fo me it is no match for 70s soul. Listen to Cee-Lo's Let's Stay Together and compare it Let's Stay Together by Al Green (a different song) and the point is clear.
You know how on track 15 it starts with 'Ladies and Gentlemen... Cee-Lo'? That bugs me. You could maybe lead off the album with that. But when it happens just before the 15 track... it starts to feel like, you know what, maybe this album should be over already. I don't know - another album I'm torn on. I like Cee-Lo's voice a lot. I like the sense of humor generally. But the songs don't get under my skin. And this one feels overlong and out of focus. Tons of good material, but maybe it needed a little curating. I bet at 12 or 13 songs... even 10 songs... it plays a little better.
Fun rap album, iconic voice
Interessant
I didn't get much of a chance to listen to this. A nice mixture of soul and hip-hop.
Overall, I liked it. My mind wandered at times when things felt a bit repetitious, but I did enjoy the coordination of melody and rhythm. His voice is distinct and musical -- he seems to have a real knack for delivering his lyrics and raps in a solidly melodic fashion, and that's pretty darn cool. I sing but I've not tried rapping or hip-hop or any similar style, but I have a feeling it's really difficult to do what he's doing so well. (In case there's any question, I am most squarely NOT in the camp that claims rap, hip-hop, or any similar genre or style isn't music -- good gods, I really hate that ignorant view -- and I experience it all very much as real music in every sense of the word)
CeeLo Green has an interesting career. Many may know him from his 2010 pop soul hit Fuck You (perhaps better remembered for the radio-friendly version Forget You), or his 2006 neosoul hit Crazy under the name Gnarls Barkley, a project he had with DJ Danger Mouse. Either way, Green has established himself pretty well since this release. Soul Machine, however, I knew very little about. Green started out in Atlanta's southern hip hop scene as a member of Goodie Mob and the Dungeon Family. He could also be found on a few early Outkast songs, so needless to say he was on ground floor of an important hip hop scene. This naturally led to him going solo after the success of their album Soul Food, but Green would still stick to his southern hip hop sound for his first solo effort. This eventually brings us to his followup album, which is where we're at right now. Green's songs here are produced by Timbaland during his late 90's, 2000's reign of terror. He had finished Jay-Z's Black Album the year prior and would work with Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado on their big establishing albums. Timbaland also has a claim to the southern hip hop scene, having come up in Miami, but his credits can be found across the map from 2pac to Missy Elliot to Nas. Either way, he brings interesting beats and samples to this album that only sometimes land for me. It's a shame that there are no clear hits on this album, even with all the star-studded features from Ludacris, Pharrell Williams, and Timbaland. While Soul Machine is still distinctly southern hip hop with soul influences, it feels like it doesn't have much edge to it at all (Scrap Metal is exception to this). It's also too long for seemingly no reason. Did we need to pack 16 songs in this thing with an intro and outro to boot? The CD was a mistake.
Interesting to hear his less-poppy stuff. But had to go and listen to the pop album after that 😅
There’s some decent stuff here but I really just can’t get past how creepy cree lo is
I feel like I have reviewed a bunch of albums like this; perfectly produced, highly skilled, over long... it doesn't have the slight edge that captures my attention. Another Ok album I don't think I ever need to hear again. And did it really need to be 73 minutes long? Interestingly, once spotify had finished playing this album, it started on his first album, which grabbed my ears much more immediately
Listening to this, it's a fun and uptempo album with a range of good producers, like Timbaland to the Neptunes. And they leave their respective marks on the songs. But the album as a whole has way too much filler in between some really decent songs. Not a standout.
D'abord plutôt convaincu, Cee-Lo Green a fini par me casser les couilles avec son album interminable. Une belle comparaison a faire avec le générateur.
3.75
loooo
3/5 there were some interesting parts, but...
This is my first time hearing about this album, despite being really into anything the Neptunes touched in this era. Cee-Lo presents a real variety of styles, some more soulful straight-up singing, some raps, but not much endures as something I'd love to hear again. Soul Machine feels under developed, especially next to The Art of Noise, a classic Neptunes production. Childz Play is FUN. I'm missing the catchy vibe I associate with Cee-Lo.
Strong 3, i definitely pigeon holed cee-lo, he is great
Not what I expected from a “soul machine”- was alright though, maybe I’ll come back to it. I like the intro 5/10
Cee-Lo is like a turtle on a fencepost. No-one really knows how he got there. One of those dudes that seemed to come out of nowhere, was everywhere for a couple of years, then immediately went to the "Hey remember when Iw as famous" circuit. (Until he cropped up on Masked Singer). I can't see that this album would have been made or got the number of guest stars on there if his rise hadn't been so meteoric. It's pretty over-produced but I guess it suits that. It goes on about 20 min too long, but it's got some nice beats. It feels like something you'd hear on a Saturday morning radio show (heavily edited of course).
spotify has not been working
It was cool and I do love ATL rappers, but this didn't make me a CeeLo follower - it was average
It's good, but it's an odd choice over either Gnarls Barkley album.
I enjoy the songs that sound a little more like classic soul music, but overall not my thing. 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3.
Some songs hold this back. Mostly the “hard” rap songs. I’m sorry CeeLo but I just can’t see you as hard and gangsta no matter how strapped you say u are. But he can sing. And should stick mostly to that
I really like this man's voice, he can sing but also he's a little goofy which makes him stand out from other R&B artists. Liked the first half more but definitely has some stand out cuts on the second side. Definitely is the soul machine, I'm interested in listening to his other projects. 3.5/5
This is pretty good. I nearly gave it a fourth star. There should be ten stars, this is clearly a 3.5 star album.
6/10
Best ok iets te afgelikt
Not a fan of Glockapella. When We Were Friends is really lifting this album up. Good vibe Die Trying is good too
Hubo una que otra canción que sí me pareció muy agradable. En general, un álbum que fluye, mismo mood, con texturas (?), pero tampoco me parece nada sorprendente. Está bien y hasta ahí. 7.5/10
Strong 3 stars. Overall the music is fine.. his voice is a little annoying. I do like the variety of styles though on the album. Tempos all over the place and good beats
A good time, nothing more and nothing less.
Lots of interesting stuff here. Lots of different styles in play. As usual way too long so I can't say that it held my interest through to the end but enough interesting moments to make it a worthwhile listen 3.5 🌟
An interesting mix of soul/funk and rap, with some great highlights of each. A lot of versatility in terms of flow and structure.
I really liked a lot of the songs on here but it could do with a trim
This album clawed its way from a one star.
adamin sesinin cok irite edici olmasi disinda guzel
Begenmem sanmistim ama fena degil
Some interesting songs and a quirky take on hip hop. Would give this another spin.
Not my bag but some entertaining songs on it.
Eh
It’s good. I have a couple of his albums and this one seems good but not as good as some of his others. Nice listen though.
Good music, didn't like the lyrics
-"Soul machine" has a great fast verse -Liked the guest verse on "My Kind Of People" -Cool flow on "The Art of Noise" and "Childz Play" -generally good flow throughout, although I felt the beginning was much stronger than the end -one of the stronger 3's, I just don't particularly care to listen again
I'm not a huge fan of CeeLo's voice, there's something about his tone that just reminds me of a squeaky wheel. That said, this album has a hit-or-miss collection of songs. The ones that strive are the ones that really take up the instrumentation and lean into the soul and R&B side of his production. When he tries to rap or do spoken-word narratives, there's just a disconnect that interrupts the flow of the album. Overall, his aura and approach to making this album is just too cocky and self-important, especially for somebody who relies on a lot of featured guests to really add something to the songs. There are fun moments that solidify him beyond a one-hit wonder in his solo career, but beyond that I wouldn't say this is an "album-centered experience."
Lots of interesting stuff here. Lots of different styles in play. As usual way too long so I can't say that it held my interest through to the end but enough interesting moments to make it a worthwhile listen 3.5 🌟
I was really into the first few songs (especially The Art of Noise), but the rest were only ok for me. I do appreciate his eclectic mix of genres within his songs. I also had a bit of trouble separating his artistry from the various problematic things that occurred in his personal life in the later years of his fame.
No me gustó tanto, quizás no es mi estilo de música.
Early 2000s Atlanta was clearly such a fun place to make a record, but this guy really benefitted from Dangermouse. The music of the early 2000s shows us how advanced the present always seems, and looking back, how primitive the present is. I like that the album is good enough to get us to ignore the somewhat rudimentary production, but this is no Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
Funky, macht gute Laune
A pretty solid album all around.
Actually not bad, good beats, decent lyrics, 3/5
Weird to see Green on this list... I guess he was more popular than I thought lol. It was pretty good! A bit dated but still worthwhile
Zu gewollt cool aber Potential
Surprisingly enjoyable!
Hip hop y Soul. Vocalmente impecable.
Good
Buen ritmo, ñe la voz
3.4
Actually not too bad. Some interesting cameos and collaborations. But I bet Cee Lo Green would be an arsehole to hang around with. His songs are very ego centric. Just pipe down Cee Lo! Also I feel like when he really goes for it, it kind of sounds like his voice box is malfunctioning. I don’t even know if he can sing... he is just making noise.
It was fun.. not my genre, especially lyrically.
I hadn't heard any of these songs before - is it bad if all the worst songs were CeeLo by himself? This album was "fine"
Not my cup of tea, but found myself tapping my pen to the rhythm on a few songs on the back half of the album.
Was ok, not a Cee-Lo green fan, probably wouldnt listen again
Better than expected, better than gnarls Barkley
La música está muy bien, muy movido y bien rapeado pero hubo algo que no me atrapó. Creo que es demasiado, muchos sonidos, mucho rap, mucho por todos lados y termina aturdiendo. Creo que el disco es muy bueno pero algo no me dejó disfrutarlo.
I know CeeLo mainly from Gnarls Barkley, not familiar with much from him earlier than that. I was expecting to like this more than I did. I liked a few of the songs but most of them I just found uninteresting. It was fun to see all the guest artists he had on the album though.
twas fine
Very tight initially, but failed to hold together as well for me in the latter half.
I do find Cee-Lo Green's vocal styles kind of interesting, he has an interesting cadence and good range. There is some neat instrumentations/flows here but, not quite the potential it could be, weighed down by some of the themes. Not my jam, but not bad.
Me pasó algo interesante con este disco. En primer lugar, no conocía al amigo Cee-Lo, y este estilo de música como R&B no es mi favorito, por lo que la primera vez que lo escuché lo hice sin poner mucha atención y se me hizo equis... Luego, volví a escucharlo con audífonos y ohhh, qué diferencia! (la primera vez lo hice con las bocinas de mi computadora). Los arreglos de este disco son muy interesantes, la composición de los samples con efectos (ruido de ciudad, voces, etc.) le dan a varias canciones un ambiente muy rico y agradable. Desafortunadamente creo que el disco tiene demasiadas canciones, y algunas simplemente son aburridas, por lo que dejé su calificación en 3.
2.5|La mitad del disco está bueno bueno, lo malo es cuando comienza a meter demasiado hippity hoppity o a rapear de formas extrañas, mientras se enfoque en el neo soul y R&B de balada bonita todo fluye muy bien. Su timbre no ayuda mucho para esas canciones raras y el rapeo termina siendo incomodo y rebuscado.
expectations very low. very pleasantly surprised.
false
Not for me, i did like the ludacris song
Not bad but just average, lack of big hits and memorable songs
6/10 FT: The Soul Machine
I really wanted to hate this album, but I didn't. There's a handful of good songs, but I have no idea what this album is doing on this list.
Not really something I liked
Cee-Lo is definitely capable of making a better album than this. Disappointing listen to say the least
🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 (begrudgingly rounded down because of the mood it left me with). This album is truly a 2.5, and rating it any higher or lower feels like a lie to me. Every song has different character, but it all sort of sounds like the precursor to a very annoying kind of pop-rap that dominated the last decade. I'd be like, "boy, this sounds like Pharrell Williams, and not in a good way." What do you know, he's featured! Cee Lo is a great singer and a less than great rapper. It's earnest (the kid was so sweet) and also it's performative (selling soul was so... not sweet). It's corny (good, like that Parliament bit) and corny (bad, like... the entire overall album). I was having fun but I was also groaning internally. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing
Oh Cee-Lo... your little elfin voice just does not sound tuff, and I'd much rather hear you belting a ballad on a dramatic stage than doing whatever this was. Like, someone get this man a role in a Shakespeare production or something. Really low 2, almost a 1, so painful to listen to and almost a DNF.
Has anyone seen Cee-Lo Green and D-Lo Brown in the same place? 2.5, would have been a 3 possibly is 20 mins shorter.
i don’t think i like his rapping voice very mucb
Ok
His ginormous ego is off putting. Not even his mother thinks he is that good.
Я люблю нарлс барклі, але цей альбом як на мене сильно програє їм. Особливо друга половина максимально нудна. 2.5
ok soul gospel. - not list worthy but.. hey, neither are about 50% of these
I generally like Cee-lo’s vocals but over a full album the high pitched whine element can be a bit much. Given this the best tracks for me are where there’s a feature. The production is great and the first half/ 3/4s of the album is generally fun/easy to listen, but just feels like there’s something lacking and the whole thing just goes on far to long, reducing the enjoyment levels massively
This was boring, albeit inoffensive. I have no idea why it was deemed worthy of inclusion, but alas.
As someone who entirely knew Cee-Lo through two massive singles (Crazy and Fuck/Forget You), I have to say I wasn't entirely looking forward to this. While I do enjoy his flow, I am not a massive fan of the timbre of his voice. In reading stuff about this album, I found a Guardian article that described it as "a shrill, slightly nasal voice that recalls the Bee Gees' Barry Gibb". Yes... very much that. But I think was ok with basically everything else. Especially the brass and occasional gospel tinged parts. Even the skits were mercifully brief, and for the first one at least, very cute. However this is also far longer than I tend to have patience for. Were it 45 minutes long it might be getting a higher score but it was a long time to be subjected to that voice. This is probably a 4 for the music and a 1 for Cee Lo's screeching. After much consideration, and with a lack of half marks: 2
Мех
Cee Lo is one of those artists who works better as a collaborative artist with an occasional single every couple years. Likes: I’ll Be Around; The One; All Day Love Affair
I was bored with this by the third song and didn't finish a single song after. Definitely not my thing.
This album did nothing for me. It took a couple of days to get through. It's not bad, but I didn't find any enjoyment in it.
Ugh, begint een soort van boeiend, maar daarna gaat het veels te lang door met z'n verschrikkelijk irritante stemgeluid. -0.5 voor de lelijke albumcover
Dit hoef ik niet nog een keer te horen in mijn leven
Bloated, wisselvallig in kwaliteit, wisselvallig in productie, gedateerd... Kortom: vermoeiend. Het is dat er af een toe een redelijke Pharrell productie in zit, anders helde dit naar 1 ster. Bizar hoe veel beter deze man is op de Gnarls Barkley platen.
This album is far too long and not very inspiring.
Didn’t this guy have another (chances are, better) album in about 2010?
I have heard of him but never really listened to any of his work. Not terrible but just not my thing. I noticed that one song had a ton of listeners on Spotify and the others were way lower. Didn't recognize the sone with all the listeners. His voice is a little bit annoying to me, just personal, I'm sure others don't mind it. It's kind of high pitched and reminds me of Dave Chappell doing an impersonation.
ehhhhhhhh he's got a killer voice I'll give him that. and the production/performances are killer but the songs are just not super memorable to me.
Not my type of rap album
Alrighty, time for over an hour of Ceelo Green. To be honest, I’ve never really listened to him outside of Fuck You. I could hear the gospel influences on Soul Machine which were quite interesting. The art of Noise was an interesting sounding, but it wasn’t something I overly enjoyed. Living again was actually quite fun! I quite enjoyed I’ll be around. My Kind of people: I found it quite boring if I’m being honest. Childz Play was not great. Am I selling soul had a better beat to it. All Day Love affair was alright. The flow was there in Evening News and Scrap Metal. Glockapella was weird, but eh. I actually didn’t mind the spoken word style of Sometimes. I thought the flute in the back was very interesting. Let’s stay together and Die trying were more what I expected out of this album. I definitely didn’t love it, but it wasn’t awful. 2.5/5 ⭐️ 142/1089
If one was judging an album by its cover then this would score low. Judging it by its music also scores it low. Nothing memorable other than his abnormally high pitched voice, which jars after a short time.
Not the best, not the worst
Whatever. I guess it's not that bad but it's also not very good
Way better rappers and hip hop albums that arent on this list Standout songs: Childz Play Evening News
Much too bland for much too long. This became a chore to listen to. Feels like it's lacking something to make it anything but mid.
Not terrible for a hip-hop album but it’s still hip-hop. Talk to me when the album has Forget You
Highlights: Living Again, I’ll Be Around and Let’s Stay Together. 2.9
Favorite Song: None
This is extremely mid. I don’t love Cee Lo Green’s vocals, and the lyrics and music are uninteresting.
Completely unremarkable