Reviews (page 4 of 7)
I have come to the conclusion that this album is only on the this list because of the dipshittery NERD pulled around their debut album. They released the superb electronic version of In Search Of... in Europe, but then pulled it entirely and re-released it as a rock album. The original is basically unavailable through reasonably legal means, and no one should listen to the rock version. The problem is that no one really needs to listen to this album, either.
Loved the first and looked forward to the rest of the album, but it was all the same beats and music. I really dislike repetitive lyrics too. Sad.
I was walking, down the street Saw this girl, she smell so sweet ....Hey baby... She start running, so I could chase How they get them saffires, in yo face ....Hey baby... So we start walking, and holding hands But she don't know, that daddy got plans I'm gon' get her, in my car In the backseat, show her a rock star She said, "I been hugged, and I been kissed But ain't no other boy, make me feel like this." ....I know baby... So then she starts screaming, and reaching for the door "Daddy I ain't never felt this before!" Stay in the car, put the windows up No seatbelt, no need to buckle up Emergency brakes, no need for the clutch But wait... ah, don't get a ticket girl!
There were songs I absolutely loved and others that just didn’t get there. I listen to it a couple of times which helped me understand it better
This was like a weird mix of every artist that was popular in the early 2000's. I think that's a good thing?
не знаю почему у этом говне оценка по 5 бальной, я бы поставил 4.9 чисто для выебона на самом деле каждфй трек очкеь понравился, все музыкально, с вниманием к деталям, что и ожидалось от Фарелла
weird and eclectic and (unsurprisingly given the name) unashamedly dorky. probably not something I'll revisit on a regular basis but I'm happy to have heard it
This was kind of interesting but at the same time, a little off. There are glimpses of something but they're not quite there yet.
didnt know pharrel was in there
Ouais pas mal je m'attendais pas à ça, je m'attendais pas forcément à aimer mais j'ai tout de même passer un bon moment donc c'est positif
I prefer N.E.R.D. when they're more grr and less la-la-di-da 3.5
N.O.T F.O.R M.E
This feels like a 3.5 which I've rounded to 4 because it piqued my interest. Pharrell's voice verges on brilliance/frat boy trying to sound cool. There's a formula, but it sounded fresh (and it was definitely fresh at the time). Also shout out to Pharrell's production skills and solo album which are amazing.
I was surprised this was the album of choice. Some funny lyrics but only a 3.5 star rating from me
fun album!!! was shakin’ my ass the whole time!
Fly or Die by NERD shouldn’t have been on this list. This attempt at a second album is a major bomb. The two singles on this album are barely memorable. The faux-jazz vibes they’re trying to manufacture aren’t doing it. Pharrell is a genius producer for like 40 years, and during the last 25, I have come to really dislike his whole “wannabe Curtis Mayfield” vocal stylings (save for “Frontin’”, that song fucks.) Lyrically this album is like choppy middle school poetry.
It was fine. Should have picked their first one. Still, it was better than KISS’s 1998 18th studio cancer “Psycho Circus”.
Enjoyed this a fair amount, but doubt I'll ever put it on again.
Nice to hear.
It's enjoyable. Better than most albums that come out in a given year. But when I'm ranking for "1001 Albums", I expect more than just being above average. 3 stars.
The music sounds somewhat interesting. The singing sounds extremely half-assed, while the other half of the ass is the lyrics.
2,5
meh.
They lost me by that line about the spaceship ass and to be honest I don’t feel like they worked especially hard to get me back
New to me: surprisingly fun
Can’t stand this.
Amazing album and I’ve loved it since it landed in 2004.
This album blends the best genres of 2000s music, and is an early 21st Century masterpiece. Prior to this album, I was only loosely aware of N.E.R.D., and I'm happy to re-discover them(I also heard the song "She Wants To Move" for the first time in about ten years, and I had forgotten all about it! I love it when this happens. Favorite Track: "She Wants To Move".
Breakout and Don't Worry About It were my standout tracks but it wasn't a tall bar to clear to begin with since these are some plain, basic pop beats. Wonderful Place got corny at the end and then the whole album went even further downhill. It's pretty wack
Overall: 7/10 I never would have listened to this if I'd never decided to do this, mostly because I think of Pharrell as the "Happy" guy and I hate that song. As the first song came on though, I knew I wasn't getting that side of him with this album. Which makes sense, since he's not the only person involved in the making of this album. This is honestly more of a rock album than a hip hop album and I didn't expect that at all. There's also elements of r&b which I found interesting. Pharrell's biggest strength is easily his voice, he's an incredibly talented singer and I could never get tired of his voice (unless he's singing Happy, of course). While I didn't love it, I'm glad I got to listen to this album and I'll be checking out more of their stuff now. Fav Song: Maybe
Early Pharrell. He’s a master of the hooks and this album blends rap, rock, and R&B sensibilities seamlessly. It’s fun but he’s trying a bit too hard. It’s a 3, but could be a 4 on a second listen.
I don't think I ever actually listened to the whole album but was surprised at how many songs I know
Some decent bops from N.E.R.D here.
18th best album of 2004 huh? Yeah that sounds about right.
This is instantly forgettable. Why is it included in the book, I wonder.
This is the most 2004 album that's appeared on this list. Baby Pharrell doing the college rap rock thing when genre blending was still in its infancy is pretty fascinating to listen to, even if it's lost its luster in the modern age.
I believe Pharrell’s talents are best expressed (and enjoyed) away from the microphone, though I can’t deny the eloquence of a line like “Her ass is a spaceship I want to ride.”
2000s horny anti war black eyed peas Kanye graduation too much Lenny kravitz. Feels a little try hard but hits at times. Maybe need more context about neptunes etc.
A good album, I liked Fly Or Die, Drill Sargent and The Way She Dances the most.
I cannot believe how dull I ended up finding this, I high high expectations but I really struggled to get through it
Didn't really vibe with this N.E.R.D. album.
I don't get the classification of this. It's definitely not hip-hop. For a start I liked it! I can't hear obvious samples. They sing rather than read. Everything had meat. Plenty going on. Lyrics a bit crazy (the parts I listened to) but pretty good. Never heard of them. I assume they were short lived (with Pharrell going onto bigger things). But a solid 3½ bumped up because I think it's a grower
This was strange. Not sure how to classify it.
Somehow, despite this having released while I was in college, I did not recognize any of this. Probably because my roommate was immersing me in the world of indie rock and I wasn't listening to more mainstream stuff. I’d label this as interesting. I kind of enjoyed this I guess? But probably not enough for a 4, so it gets a 3/5.
I don't typically listen to this kind of music, but this was pretty decent.
Really enjoyed this one.
honestly wasnt bad 4
Disappointing
Ok
Progressive R&B, funk rock, neo-soul, art rock and rap rock with Lenny Kravitz and the geezers from Good Charlotte featuring on tracks? I don't think an impressionable 11 year old me would've found that even remotely appealing, let alone now. It's decidedly average at all of those styles at best, and insufferable at its worst. They clearly had no one in their ear telling them "no", and somehow even managed to swindle a contract with Virgin Records. It beggars belief.
Esto estuvo muy bien. Tardé en conectar, me estaba gustando una que otra, pero de pronto llegó trancazo tras trancazo y terminé pasándola increíble. Muy buen disco.
Pretty fun listen.
Pharell is great in a band formation, enjoyed the guitars and the pop melodies on this one. It's funny how it's sort of hip-hop like but more like pop/rock really.
Mejor de lo que pensaba, pero tampoco me volvió loca.
I thought the first half was really lame, and was prepared to give a two. Then I listened to the second half on another day, and thought it sounded pretty smooth. I don't really want to listen to the whole thing again, but it's nearly to a three.
A move away from the usual hip hop style to a rock/soul approach. Ambitious but inconsistent. I found the blended genres very taxing to listen too.
Fuses a lot of styles, funky bass lines, classic Pharrell guitar hooks, seen later in Daft Punks last album. It does remind me of how every song sounded in the early 2000s.
• 2/5 • Sophomoric R&B: musically simplistic and lyrically inane
Kan zijn omdat dit het 3e album van de dag was, of dat ik zeer geconcentreerd aan het werk ben, maar ik merk dat de muziek niet echt mijn aandacht trek. Het is chill op de achtergrond en ik erger mij allerminst. Echter springt het er voor mij niet uit. Ik schrok wel even toen ik zag dat het hiphop/rap was, maar daar heb ik eigenlijk weinig van gemerkt. Zitten zelfs best prima gitaarrifjes doorheen en sws het idee dat ddit meer instrumentale rap is. Als je dat zo kan noemen. Al met al 3 reten.
Early Pharrell, wonderful. A very solid album that I have unfortunately never heard before. He is easily one of the greatest producers of all time. And I just can't hate on him, except for some of his solo work, this unlike some of that solo work is a fantastic album. I also will always be grateful to him for introducing us all to Maggie Rogers!
Ferrell's first project....which I think I remembered at some point 20 years ago. Not my flavor of riprock. 1 star.
How does an act this bad get one album, let alone a second. 0 stars if I could.
6/10 meh lyrics but good vocals and interesting instrumentals Highlights: Fly or Die She Wants to Move Drill Sergeant Jump
I had never heard of NERD but this was pretty cool
Exceeded my expectations, didn't expect this style based on the cover either, could be a 3.5, maybe even a 4 if I give it some first impression generosity, but either way it started out strong and then lost me more and more as the album progressed
Some rap/rock from the turn of the millennium. It's better than Limp Bizkit, so there's that! The guitar playing is less interesting, but it doesn't have Fred Durst, so that's a plus. The band actually learned to play their instruments for this album, which would be an extraordinarily condescending thing to say except that it's true and *this is their second album*, which means they didn't finish for their first album. So: if you like this kind of music, I'd suggest checking out Incubus. There's much less rapping (especially as they go on), but it's got the beats, the DJ work, the angular guitar parts and the weird vocals, but every part is just better. It's fine, though. That 3/5 I gave Kid Rock is really haunting me; I can't give this less than that, so I guess it's a 3/5. Never forget, though: Kid Rock sucks.
A fun rap rock record with some socially conscious messaging is always appreciated, but it drags on for far too long overstaying it's welcome
N.E.R.D.s second album had them actually learning the instruments to play this stuff out live - it definitely forms the basis for a lot of Pharrell's pop era and was an eclectic art rock album that highlights the struggles of nerds everywhere.
I really enjoyed it. I prefer their first album but this is a really fun rock album
I fully understand this is an inherently wrong question to ask of art, but I can't help it here: why? What for? "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could [blend Prince and Red Hot Chili Peppers while reminiscing about that Aerosmith & Run-DMC song], they didn't stop to think if they should." ? There are some alright ideas and hooks here, in this, but for all the music that's so crammed full of 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧 and production tchotchkes these producer genie guys found in browsing their record and CD shelves, it's remarkable how hard and quickly the feeling of boredom hit me. As a bonus, an extra peeve: try reassembling the egg from the two shell pieces. Someone got paid for this, smh.
In the early 00s, I didn’t know enough about hip-hop to appreciate the importance of producers in crafting the sound. Around that time, someone who did, told me that “everything The Neptunes touch turns to gold” and this statement seemed cool and sophisticated enough that I faithfully parroted it for the next few years. So naturally I had to back this up by finding out what The Neptunes (two thirds of N.E.R.D) had actually produced and led me to buy their compilation ‘Clones’, followed by digging into the N.E.R.D albums. If this list allowed compilations then I’d fully understand and expect Clones to have made the cut over this record. I would soon discover that The Neptunes were at their best when channeling and featuring some of the best talent in hip-hop at the time and putting them at centre stage. What we get on Fly Or Die is essentially The Neptunes (and friend) cosplaying as a rock band, learning to play real instruments and putting themselves at the forefront. It’s not my place to tell anyone what kind of music they should make or gatekeep rock music at all. But music journalists are capable of hearing something like this and calling it what it is. The fact it’s included in the book of 1001 albums you MUST hear before you die is pretty embarrassing really. It’s decent in places. They do know their way around a hook and some tracks are memorable but it’s not an album I came back to for repeat listens and hearing it again after 20 years, I don’t feel tempted now. I’m sure there are less proficient artists in the 1001 who got away with faking it, but The Neptunes thankfully continued producing good records for other people while their side project has now disbanded. Do yourself a favour, pop this one back down and give Clones a listen instead.
Oh god oh god be obligated to hear this shit
Bouncy, poppy, neo-soulful r&b
Ehhh pretty boring. Had a fee decent songs though. Strong 5
I enjoyed the live band energy
Rock-Rap Kombi. Irgendwie lustig zu hören, die Kombi ist interessant. 3-4/5
Some ok songs, overall not for me and I don't get why its on the list.
Far from the hip-hop that I was expecting. Feels like a new experimental rock genre or something? s'ok
It's cool that they played their own instruments on this - but I don't care for pop-heavy hip hop. Some of the songs are alright.
ok
Perfectly listenable and more to my taste than I had expected.
This was enjoyable to listen once through, but I doubt I'll remember much of it. Don't see myself returning to this album unfortunately, though I appreciate how it blends genres.
Really not sure why this is here. Is it to add diversity for the sake of diversity? Now I'm not an anti-DEI person, but this release is about as generic, bland, uninteresting, and out-of-its time as anything I've run across. It sounds like some folk that don't really know what they're doing but do know they don't want to be put into a 'bucket', so they do nothing interesting, toss an overabundance of foul language in, mix it all together, and spit out a release that fails to interest in any respect. There's talent here, but it's absolutely NOT on display - this garbage is anti-adult-alt-rock put out there to trick some white basement dwelling, chickie nugs eating, incel, vote for fascists because he won't stop thinking women owe him sex, jackass into thinking they're not racists since they listen to 'one of the good ones' black rock.
A very meh album, with a lot of "oh she's hot" songs. I'm typically down for a fun time in music, but yeah it's not that fun. Sonically it's minimalist but efficient, and coherent without being the same. It's not terrible, just lyrically very very poor, and the music isn't experimental enough to salvage the whole thing. Some moments are shining, like Breakout, but over all it's quite forgettable. The hidden tracks are a throwback for sure, but 3 is one too many. In the end, if feels like a producer's album, with very little to actually say and no need to be heard.
I was surprised that I didn't hate this album. It was a fun listen with some good grooves.
Never heard of them before. Will definitely be finding some more of their music. Loved their vibe.
Very 2004, I don't think this aged well. It's attempting to be fun, but it ended up boring and shallow instead
N.E.R.D. Rock album. Imagine if they stayed together producing and making albums
To be honest, I was expecting something a little bit more nerdy from these. There aren’t really any songs about the finer points of being a train spotter or what warp numbers in Star Trek mean, but it’s still a fun piece of rap/rock featuring Pharrell Williams and Lenny Kravitz amongst others. Probably a solid three stars but not sure if I’d go out of my way to listen to anything else by them.
Let's say it's an interesting take on merging hip hop and rock, with jazzy bits and whatnot. But it lacks some edges, some grit, to make it really interesting. I was expecting more from it.
Maybe I bigger this one up too much in my head before listening, but I left feeling underwhelmed
Horny NERDs amirite? I had fun with the album. Alot of the songs have positive messages which is kinda refreshing. Has a nice blending of genres. Some of the songs kinda blend together. A bit too horny for my tastes at times. But solid fun album. 3.5
This was a good album. It didn't blow my mind or do anything revolutionary, but I liked almost all of the tracks and thought the production was interesting. It was a very Y2K attempt at genre blending, kinda like a better, more interesting version of that early 2000s, Maroon 5-esque rock. It definitely had a good groove to it, even if that groove did get a bit lost at times. This one definitely grew on me after a few listens. At first, I wasn't sold, but eventually I really started to enjoy it. I give it points for being a truly unique, even if largely evocative, album, and then extra points for also being a generally enjoyable, fun listen.
Fairly well executed rap-rock. Not really my thing but it’s alright
Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for this. She wants to move is great but didn't like the rest
1. Don't Worry About It - 5 It's okay. Lyrics are sometimes good, sometimes too generic. Instrumentally it's alright as well. Nothing phenomenal or terrible on this track. 2. Fly or Die - 3 Drums are really pleasant on the track but the lyrically writing is absolutely abysmal. Leave this track in 2004. 3. Jump (feat. Benji Madden & Joel Madden) - 1 This is as if the song should be on a Kids Bop album but the artist isn't a kid anymore and decided to be edgy by slipping a swear in or two. It's not very good. The outro in particular is horrible. 4. Backseat Love - 1 Way too repetitive and just not a great track in general. Lyrically it's incredibly bland. The background vocals are particularly very poor. 5. She Wants To Move - 3 Painful to get through the absolutely dreadful lyrics to enjoy the tempo beat and sound on the rest of the track. 6. Breakout - 3 The choruses before the constant monotonous repetition of "breakout" are very good but the verses are terrible and the bridge even more so. Instrumentally good, the track cannot recover from the awful lyrics on the rest of the song. 7. Wonderful Place (Contains Hidden Track/Waiting For You) - 5 Lyrically still very weak, the instrumentals are too loud and completely drown out some of the vocals throughout the higher parts of the song. Waiting for You is significantly better however and is quite enjoyable. 8. Drill Sergeant (Contains Hidden Track/Preservation) (feat. Lenny Kravitz) - 3 Significantly better song but still lyrically not the best thing on the album, or even that enjoyable. Preservation is however not a great sound no enjoyable in any sense. 9. Thrasher (feat. Lenny Kravitz) - 6 Guitars are great on this track as are the added strings. The constant "ohh" is rather annoying but other than that it's a pretty solid track. Verses and choruses are a lot strong on this track. 10. Maybe - 7 Hands down the best thing on the album. A complete track. I'm not cringing at some of the lyrics and the instrumentals burst with sound at just the right moments in order to supplement the lyrics so well. The busts of guitar riffs in and out is great. 11. The Way She Dances - 2 Lyrically this track is horrible. They ruin any enjoyment from the rest of the sound on the track which isn't bad but nothing to really exalt either. 12. Chariot Of Fire (Contains Hidden Track/Find My Way) - 0 Really unenjoyable. Find My Way isn't great but it's more in line with a She Wants to Move in terms of the quality. Chariot of Fire is the worst piece on the album. Really forgettable track on what's been a forgettable album. Average Rating: 3.25 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 1.63 Rounded Up: 2 Stars
It's fine. Whatever.
An example of an album that immediately gets under your skin and doesn't come out. 2
The titular song was great - breezy and boppy and fun. We really enjoyed this album, though perhaps the first half was stronger and more cohesive than the second.
pretty album xx
I'm a real nerd and this music isn't for me. While not great, the opener "Don't Worry About It" hinted at things settling on a two-star review. But the deeper we go with Fly or Die, the more insufferable it becomes. Truly abysmal. Including an album like this makes me question the validity of the whole "albums you must hear before you die" concept. Honestly, some sounds are best left buried.
It's so much of its time that it hurts but at least it's not yet another country album or a boring ass singer-songwriter.
For some reason this album didn't really click for me. Hard to put my finger on what was wrong with it as all the right ingredients are there. There were a few highlights and enjoyable moments but I found myself zoning out a lot. At points I relistened to songs to fairly assess them and then forgot and zoned out again. Some of the vocals are decent. Lyrics a bit meh. Its a reasonably fun and upbeat record but im not giving it any awards. Favourite song - Maybe. 6.5/10
Remember back in the early 2000s when everything sounded like The Neptunes or NERD or Pharrell? This is actually them, and it’s much better and more varied than anything they produced for others. Love the prog influence and nerd culture references (hence the name of the band?) 4⭐️
It was ok.
This didn't really strike a chord. 3*
Not sure what I listened to but I liked it! This is a quite unique sound. 4.1
OK don't hate me, but I had no idea this was Pharrell's first band. I wasn't too into the rap-rock scene in the early 2000s, but I really liked this!
First hip hop album that came up for me. Its fun! A cool mix of styles. The kind of album I could put on in the background of a party and it would go over well.
'In Search Of…' is the better N.E.R.D. album
Poppy. Not intrusive.
Meh
Not of what I would have thought a NERD album would sound like, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Reasonably pleasant. A bit too smooth (saccharine?) at times. I liked “Don’t Worry About It” far more than either of the singles; it just had some edge, and relatable(?) weirdness, that the rest of the album lacked. This probably wasn’t one of the best 75 albums of 2004; there’s simply no way it should be on this list. I’d give this 2.5 stars if I could.
I really liked the first track, but didn’t love much else beyond that.
can't possibly be one of the top 1001 records
I can appreciate the merging of several different styles of music, but the execution makes for a discombobulating experience. It's like pop-rock combined with smooth R&B, but with slightly bigger drums. It's like if you mixed two recipes: Beef Chili and Chicken Noodle Soup, and then topped it off with MSG-encrusted pork rinds.
Together Chad and Pharrell are one of a kind. The make tomorrow music that can also sound like yesterday. Sometimes that works amazingly well. Other times it’s a miss. This one feels like a miss.
Este álbum me sorprendió. Una energía rockera, pero con muchas atmósferas de pop, hip-hop y funk. Una gran calidad de producción y mucha variedad de propuestas. Tal vez esa variedad de propuestas es lo que también pesa negativamente en el álbum. Podría haber sido una mejor experiencia de escucha si hubiesen descartado algunos de los temas. Por momentos los estilos entre temas pasan a ser demasiado disímiles, además de que varios de estos son excesivamente largos. Aún así lo considero un muy buen álbum. No sabía de la existencia de la banda, ni tampoco sabía que Pharrell Williams había era parte de ella.
Not a fan. Not quite hip hop, not quite r & b. Just pop with not a lot of pizazz
As with anything related to the Neptunes you know the production is gonna be slick and it is. However i’m not sure the songs quite match that high bar. The featured artists are an alluring prospect but in the end i’m not really sure they offer anything to live up to their potential. She wats to move, Maybe and The way she dances are the clear standout tracks. Overall enjoyable if you’re in the mood, but not a great album.
This album just didn’t do it for me, despite it being a Pharrell / The Neptunes record. “She Wants to Move” is incredible - still sounding as unique as it did 20yrs ago, but the rest is, despite some talented guest appearances, a bit of a let down. “The Way She Dances” is a funky joy with a great guitar hook. I suspect I would have much better enjoyed an album in the same vein as those two standout tracks. I also expected more from a producer of the talents of Pharrell Williams when it comes to track length - he, if anyone, should have the ability to craft and execute a tight pop song in less than 4mins. No need for any of this 8 and a half minute nonsense.
This was weird. Good weird, but weird nonetheless. I only knew She Wants To Move going into this listen - nobody in the history of music has said the word "sexy" with anywhere close to that level of drama - and I genuinely didn't know what to expect. I particularly liked Breakout and Thrasher, but I enjoyed pretty much all of it and would absolutely listen to it again. I am frustrated that Wikipedia did not explain why two members of Good Charlotte ended up on a track (Jump), but shout out to the Genius contributor who annotated the line "Now I'm in with the - negotiator" from Fly or Die with: "The negotiator is now helping the teen with his problems, who is now on the verge of ending it all. Let's hope the negotiator is skilled at his job, like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 1 (when he saves the guy from killing himself by jumping off a roof)." I surprised myself with how much I liked this. 4/5
I was forgetting this faster than I could listen to it. I'd already forgotten the last track before I'd even got to the second half of this astonishingly unremarkable album. I'm going with an unremarkable score of two stars.
2. It is quite average to me. The melodies aren't really my type whatsoever. I can tell that there is good thought put into the songs.
Don’t like this.
Relatively weak album from a super talented producer
Mid
Pretty cool rock/rap fusion. I’d heard of NERD but never listened. I’m not sure I’d go back though.
Hmm. I didn't remember this group but they have a hit on another record I do remember. This record was okay. Nothing amazing but I liked it alright.
this isn't my favorite nerd album and i hate how this site doesn't do half stars because this is like a 3.5 for me. good charlotte were a jumpscare, i did not remember them being on this
this made me nostalgic and it's still so vibey omg. i love a long song you know me...
Good but no tracks that stood out to me
Three of the worst genres of the early 2000s: pop-rock, pop-rap and Rock-rap. this album is all three, and was doomed to fade away as irrelevant as soon as the popraprock fad ended. Here is my list of grievances with this album. 1) the cover is egregious. I'm someone who enjoys a album art, but this is on another level 2) the songs are incredibly repetitive 3) there is no attempt to sequence the album, it's like a mix of bad standalone singles 4) while Pharrell's voice is pretty good, all of the other features are not well used 5) four hidden tracks do NOT make for an interesting album, it's just tedious 6) again, popraprock is an awful genre. 1/5
Didn't Worry About It 3.4 Fly or Die 3.6 Jump 3.5 Backseat Love 3.3 She Wants to Move 3 Breakout 3.2 Wonderful Place / Waiting for You 3.4 Drill Sergeant / Preservation 3.3 Thrasher 3.3 Maybe 3.5 The Way She Dances 3 Chariot of Fire / Find My Way 3.2 Score: 3.308333333
Funky, fluide, parfois intime et sensuel, souvent ironique.
Didn’t really get a hold on me
‘Thrasher’ just about sums up this album. And I don't mean the track name (I refuse to call it a song). 1
I vaguely imagine that I remotely remember hearing from this, decades before. Without wikipediating much I get that this was a broad collaboration and a free form uncategorialization addressing the issues of life as a human being of a certain cultural melange. Now that I've unpacked my dented thesaurus I'll just rate this as good fun and averley cleverage.
Super interesting rap pop vibe. It’s rap but not but disco & funky I like it. Never heard of this artist. Feels like the album splits multiple genres into one
*** It is kind of "rap-but-singing". Did not touch me. However, I can listen to it.
Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. It’s cool and was the start of the singers eventual command of the pop industry but.. meh. Won’t listen again most likely
Album 851 of 1089 N.E.R.D - Fly Or Die (2004) Rating : 2.5 / 5 Not my usual genre, but this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It didn’t lean into the aggressive, macho posturing that sometimes turns me off in this space. Instead, it offered up some fun, laid-back tracks that felt like they came from a group of good-time, good-hearted guys just enjoying the music. I’m not rushing to recommend it, but if you find yourself giving it a listen, don’t despair — you might just enjoy it more than expected.
Interesante. Desconocidos para mí. Buen sonido.
Certainly an album. Not really sure what it was trying to be at any given point.
They said this was hip-hop. Everywhere I looked said this was hip-hop. What the fuck are they talking about. There were elements of rock, jazz, R&B, and lots of other genres, but I don’t think a single part made me think hip-hop. Given the mixture of all those genres, though, it made for a very unique sounding album and I enjoyed it happily. It was just a delight. Kind of long, but really very fulfilling. 4/5
Head bopping for the first few tracks. Around halfway through, I lost interest. There's some good tracks on here, but the album as a whole has some lulls.
Fun album with a lot of variety, even if a lot of it is by the numbers. 3.5/5.0: Very Good
interesting mix of genres, certainly not what i expected when i saw pharrell. if all of his music was like this id probably like it more. some of the ideas feel a little half baked but overall pretty enjoyable
2.1 Better than expected?
This album feels messy, like a high school project band where each person made music separately, put it together without changes, and that's what they turned in.
fun!
I was blithely unaware of Pharrell Williams for a long time. This is a good, funk backed rap album but it’s not got enough stand out for me.
Pretty fun and dynamic rap/pop/rock album. Lyrics don't always hit home, but the latter half of the album has some incredible beats and instrumentation to make up for it.
Doesn't play on my apple music.
Not what expected, didn’t really look at the cover at first and so was expecting straight hip hop, ya know 3 guys, stars n stripes etc. Should have noticed the Vulcan live long…, it’s more its pop, rock n funk influences, can hear the Prince influence, and 70s funk in there. It doesn’t sit in one place And all the better for it, will definitely listen to again, pleasant surprise 4 Star.
It's Pharrell, of course it's fun! A little racy, a little funky, an all around good time.
Fav: Breakout Least Fav: Wonderful Place / Waiting For You Surprised I enjoyed this so much, I guess this and The ArchAndroid have shown me that albums that can successfully mix rock, jazz and hip hop together are my weakness
3.5 It’s not perfect for sure - the lyrics kinda stink and the album is overstuffed with a few not great songs, like almost all albums of the CD era were. But I also can’t deny that this is really fun, and the production style is especially nostalgic for me. Just feels like watching MTV and VH1 in 2004 to me, when I was 13-14.
Det her var en positiv overraskelse. Jeg kendte selvfølgelig She Wants To Move, men resten var ukendte perler for mig. Hemmelig nummer finten var også et dejligt throwback.
Sjovt rap-rock. De rammer bare ikke samme højder som de bedste
Had a rough start but picked it up a bit Will I listen to again: 10%
I discovered N.E.R.D maybe a year ago fell in love pretty quick, but haven’t heard this album before. It’s categorized as hiphop/rap, but it has more consistent rock production elements to it than any other N.E.R.D record I’ve listened to… which I dig. I think Seeing Sounds is still MY top nerd album, but this should no less a testament to N.E.R.D‘s versatility and range (which, given all the talent in the project’s roster, is expected)
Cover 6 Interesting and different. In a good way. Didn't know Pharrell Williams was part of this group. Cool.
I just started listening and I thought this kind of sucked but Drill Sergeant isn't bad and got me to give it a shot. Wait, what? This is Pharrell? It's crazy that he was doing this before the Arby's hat. I'm kind of amazed how much I wasn't hearing by background listening to it. What is going on. Why is Lenny Kravitz in here. This does make sense to be on the list. It's interesting and for sure is trying to be unique in the approach. This album led to a rabbit hole and now I'm a huge fan of Pharrell as a person. The Nardwuar interview talking about Carl Sagan is better than this album.
Terrible album cover. Sounds like it's influenced by Bowie, Queen and Prince at times. Some interesting stuff, variety, but sonically gels. Pharrell has shown he and the people he works with understand how to craft a song for the main stream. I like that this feels a little more off the path.
Well, I can say that I listened to this and it was an album. With music. It played and people sang and played instruments. But it was definitely not “good”, whatever that means. Now excuse me while I find copies of this to throw in the garbage so it can’t hurt anyone any more with it’s mediocrity.
Disappointing. Take away the fact that it is Pharrell and it felt like a well-produced demo disc that you may listen to once and forget about.
A lot of cool musical ideas, unfortunately mixed with a lot of lackluster ones. Fantastic production, as to be expected from Pharrell, but the vocals, lyrics and most of the hooks leave a lot to be desired. The lyrics definitely being the worst offender, saying a whole lot of nothing but still trying to sound so artsy while doing so The whole album also has a strong smell of the mid 2000s, which is definitely nostalgic for some but in my opinion tarnishes it's ability to age very well There was definitely a lot of moments that I personally didn't like, but I can understand why someone would like them so they don't lose any points for those, but still overall a much weaker album than I was hoping for
This was actually very fun, idk if it's a 5 but might go back to it?
The “Hip-Hop” categorization feels like a micro-aggression, because this is just an indie rock record from the 2000s. It has a lot more funk influences than, say, Animal Collective, but there is a *heavy* focus on psychedelic/strange rock arrangement, and the instrumentation here is exactly in line with a style that was way too prevalent in 2006. Now, personally, as much as I adore The Neptunes, N.E.R.D. has never been my thing, because indie rock, especially indie psych rock, has never been my thing. That said, I do think there’s a lot of talent and vision to appreciate here. For the most part, while it’s strange, I can mostly vibe with Side A, which sticks to traditional song structure while also having some mid-2000s weirdness, but it always contains it, never allows it to become overpowering. I do get exhausted with it after a while, but I’m able to tolerate it nonetheless. Then “Wonderful Place” fades out, and we get “Waiting for You,” which…kills the vibe hard. From here, what once was a dash of psychedelia now engulfs the room, and it becomes inescapable, self-indulgent, and not very tolerable, especially 20 years later. There is a HUGE reprieve in “The Way She Dances”– a legitimately excellent song that I will put onto many a playlist after today– but it’s then followed by another indulgent, chaotic, ridiculous track, which is the closer, no less! Fly or Die is not the worst. A lot of my annoyance is due to my own personal issues with psychedelia, although I also think that N.E.R.D. are not the strongest indie rock psych band from this era, either. When it’s good, it’s pretty okay, though it only enters into greatness once for me, but when it’s bad, while it’s not the worst…it’s pretty difficult to tolerate. I think I respect the attempt more than I enjoy the execution. Talented indie rock band, but the songs rarely translate. Hopefully they go on to do bigger and better things outside of rock, which is the only genre I’d classify this as.
This will be one of two that I edit. I was a bit too high on my own supply with this rating, it’s a good not great album. I do like it, but it’s a 3.
NERD brought the original funk before Pharrell went full Hollywood.
Not much of a hip hop person
This sounds SO generic. Bored to tears with this one.
N.E.R.D was a gateway drug for me. Singing Pharrell always makes me chuckle. Not the best album in their catalog but still holds up and feels refreshing today. Favorite Track: The Way She Dances
“Maybe” is an incredible song
This wasn’t bad, but wasn’t spectacular either, some decent songs and some clunkers in there too. I’m not likely to revisit, but I would not leave the room if someone put this on, 2 stars.
Serious Tower Records bargain bin vibes with this one. Really terrible, I wasn't impressed with anything that I heard on this one. Hard pass, won't be back.
There was definitely some potential, but not realized.
Ok
Some fun bops, but nothing amazing
Textlich ziemlich seltsam, von dem, was ich rausgehört habe, musikalisch interessant, irgendwann wurde es aber zu viel.
Honestly, I enjoyed that far more than I expected to.
Including The Neptunes in a list like this is a must, but we could have done Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse instead. I can only hope that In Search Of… also is here because that one is significantly better. This is just kinda meh to me. Favorite songs were Don’t Worry About It and Maybe.
A refreshing change of pace. They successfully blended several musical styles and made the end result very enjoyable.
I found it really hard to enjoy this album. It's disjointed and seems to be trying way to hard to be avant-garde and interesting. Had I heard this prior to Pharrell's more recent successes I may have had a different opinion.
So Pharrell basically…
Band of the hour…not decade…not good enough for the list imo
Now you can get these three stars here for free. This was alright, very early 2000s-sounding. There are undoubtedly some talented musical figures involved but it feels a bit studio-crafted, calculated and lacking in heart.
Not really feeling this, though was interesting enough
Ah, Pharrell Williams, this is such a capsule to the time people cared about the likes of The Neptunes stepping out from the production desk to become artists in their own right. It's not quite rap, not quite rock, not quite r&b, it's not bad, but I wouldn't listen to it again.
Это было интересно, хотя я и не люблю особо хип-поп. Однозначным плюсом этого альбома были шикарные гитарные рифы, из-за которых он казался более роковым и гранжевым. Первые три композиции отлично дополнят мой плейлист, ибо в них замечательные припевы с не менее обалденным саундом. Оценка 6/10 из-за того, что я не очень люблю этот жанр
Ничего плохого, но и хорошего мало
this was better than i expected
Hip-hop-y but not too much, I enjoyed it
Didn’t know these until this album was selected. Pleasantly surprised by what I heard here. One I’ve added to my
Nah to poppy
Some highs, some lows
N.E.R.D FOR LIFE
Feels like a prank album at times. Flashy ideas, catchy touches, and then, wait! Three hidden tracks? Okay, buddy. There’s some clear talent behind it, but it all gets lost in the chaotic mix of adolescent energy and unfinished thoughts. I wanted more bite. It kind of flirts with what Gorillaz might do, just without the glue holding it together. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - She Wants To Move - Thrasher - Maybe
N.E.R.D does some decent work here. N.E.R.D is probably most well known as Pharrell's old band, and they are a neat combination of hip hop, rock and RnB. The more "Pharrell-y" songs on here show a lot of promise, and are generally pretty good. However, the production choices, and some of the songwriting in general sounds kind of dated, especially on the more rock leaning tracks. This did kind of slowly win me over during the course of its runtime, and by the end I was having fun, but I don't think I'll really revisit it, and even the best songs here are only fine by my taste. This is a hell of a lot better than the CeeLo Green album I had earlier with Pharrell on it, to the extent that this almost makes it make a little more sense. However, I'm still only so into this.
I hope that the earlier “In search of…” is also an album on this list. To me that was a much more satisfying and enjoyable album. I bought this when it came out on the strength of the previous one but did not buy anymore after being disappointed by this one. I feel the same this many years on.
Pharells voice is great its got a sick beat to most songs its well worked not really my genre but I was quite suprised in a good way.
Liked this band when they broke through in my college years. Expertly tapping into a whole host of genres. Lots of fun.
cross-genre goodness
Thank god Pharrell improved his production and writing skills
Have semi-heard of this group, but never really listened to their album before. I actually got into this one, and that prompted me to check out their debut album which is pretty amazing and I like that one more than this one. 3.5/5 stars = 4.
What a fucking weird album. I didn't give this a fair shot I'll admit. 2 stars.
Ihan hauska tunelma albumissa i guess
Not a very good album
Sounds like an unpolished Timberlake album, which isn't a surprise. Good energy, but execution isn't good.
More rock heavy than to my liking. The way she dances is the song that stood out. Not much replay ability for me. Production was pretty good. May need to re-listen at a later time.
Sorta sounds like the cover. I have a feeling this wasn't intended for 51-year-old retired dudes. Not terribly offensive but mildly annoying.
Everything that sucked about early 2000s music in one album.
A real surprise. I was expecting a rap album - more bad me. An excellent rock based album. I will listen to this again.
I don't have much familiarity with these guys but I appreciated the album. A decent mix of rock and hip-hop. I'd listen to more.
I loved this when it came out and was excited to have a follow up to their impressive debut. Sadly it has not aged so well for me. Whilst the production values are undeniable and the Neptunes were pushing boundaries in the 2000s - everything they touched turned in to a hit - lyrically this album has not aged well. Backseat Love and She Wants to move being particularly cringe worthy efforts, even the collaborations on this seem to have aged badly…The Madden brothers anyone?!? It was still fun to relisten to this album but I’m happy to leave it behind in 2004, somewhere it fits perfectly, safe in nostalgia for a different time in my life and when what they were doing felt so unique.
not great but dug a lot of this. 3.5 stars
3.5/5. Was hoping for more and tried to like it but it’s nothing really special. This is an early Pharrell project though so in a way, you’re listening to a musical genius in the making.
I expected more.... its ok she does want to move🔥
First song was good. Not a fan of the rest. 3/10
I was immediately put off by the hip hop genre. However, there was also supposed to be rock. The music sounded funky to me at first and was interesting. But then I wasn't really taken by it. 3/5
Agressivamente OK. Nada aqui se destaca, nem de forma positiva nem de forma negativa. Todos os elementos são decentes, a voz do Pharrell, a produção dos Neptunes, é tudo formidável. Mas é o tipo de música que entra por um ouvido e sai pelo outro. Esquecível. 2.5/5
funky stuff. 3.5 rounding up
I really see and understand Pharrell's talent, and it showed here. I wasn't completely obsessed with every part of it but I liked that I didn't know what to expect. It was different each song. A tad too long, but good.
This was pretty crazy - I'd never heard these guys before and just slightly familiar with Pharrell's bigger later works so no idea what to expect here which ... I'm still not sure how to categorize it - is it rock? it's not really rap-rock... some fusion? some jazz elements? Next generation P-Funk disciples? Who cares - the music was great - never predictable, organic instruments with a 21st century modern sound (which despite a few overly in-the-can type mixing moments that took me out of the flow a bit) worked perfectly. Negatives: I noticed the lyrics and while they're not terrible ... I noticed them. Seemed a throwaway on a lot of tunes, and maybe that's not fair -there's a uniqueness to the music that maybe didn't or wouldn't lend itself to anything deeply introspective or cosmic or or or. Idk, I'm not the lyrics guy, stop asking me. Seems hypocritical for me to criticize the lyrics and after a 2nd listen I realize they bug me *because* they distract me from how complex and interesting these musical arrangements are. I'm willing to ignore them for the most part. TL;DR: Definitely unique, felt a little long in the tooth after a while but very worthy of a listen. Wavering between 3 and 4, probably would listen again - after looking at some my other 3s I'm feeling like I should be more generous here... 7/10 4 stars.
8/10
8/10 so distinctly Pharrell-ian, it makes you wonder what the other two guys are doing here
Note : Release Date 2004 Don't Worry About It - *** (Good intro to mixing staple sounds for different genres, really sets up for the album) Fly Or Die - *.5 Jump - ** Backseat Love - *** She Wants To Move - ***.5 Breakout - *** Wonderful Place - **** (Most Cohesive and smooth for listening (doesn't require active listening) Waiting For You *Hidden Track* - ** Like poetry slam but with orchestral background idk Drill Sergeant - ** Preservation *Hidden Track*- * Thrasher - **** Easily the best track on the album Maybe - **** The Way She Dances - **.5 Chariot On Fire - ** Find My Way *Hidden Track* - **** (Another smooth easy listen compared to most on this album)
All songs are nearly great, but not quite. Production is good. I can understand why people like it. Favorite song: breakout.
This one started strong the first song had a Hendrix/Prince feel to it & had me excitedly wanting to move my butt to it at one, next couple songs HELLA HOT but then things slowed down and got too samey. I still liked the album, and I might even add it to my collection as prior to today I had never heard of this rock band not even in passing. Had every song been as strong as the first one this would be a 5-star album but by the end of it there was a lot of filler decent filler but filler non the less. Too bad! Almost gave it four stars but the drop in quality was way too strong from the first song to the last one, so it gets a strong solid 3 stars- fun 1001Generator discovery for me after way too many albums I had already heard.
I remember liking this a lot more in high school. Some songs have aged exceptionally well. Others….
Have it. 3/5 but important.
i'm familiar with N.E.R.D by way of "In Search Of..." and "NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES." i've haven't heard their other albums yet, including this one Don't Worry About It - 3/5 Fly Or Die - 4/5 Jump - 4/5 Backseat Love - 3/5 She Wants To Move - 4/5 Breakout - 5/5 Wonderful Place - 5/5 Drill Sergeant - 4/5 Thrasher - 5/5 Maybe - 5/5 The Way She Dances - 5/5 Chariot Of Fire - 5/5 Average score: 4.3/5 (rounding down) this was a nice listen. not a nice enough listen to give a 5-star rating like i hoped i would, but still pretty good. i had higher hopes going of absolutely loving this one considering my being a fan of N.E.R.D and Pharrell's production in the past, but in the end i'm not totally disappointed it was refreshing to hear the blend of different genres, and this combination of sounds is fun to listen to... when it was executed well. after the rocky start with the first 5 tracks, the last 7 finally came in to bless my ears. Breakout was my favorite song here by far, followed by Wonderful Place and Maybe. in my opinion, the instrumentation in the last 2/3 of the album was far more complimentary to Pharell's voice as well compared to the abrasiveness early on personally, i think this album is a great one that just so happens to have a rough start. it lacks some cohesion, and it took some patience getting past the first few songs, but the album's well worth listening to after that. perhaps in time it'll grow on me more
Loved this album
Not for me, but it is so musically good, it has an idea, it has one hit, do great album
Wildly eclectic amazing musicality. Lyrics and off key vocal approach takes me out lf it sometimes though.
Such a fun and eclectic album! Only NERD I had listened to was their 2017 album which I love, and have been very aware of Pharrell as a big fan of a lot of the artists he influenced. This album was a very cool peak into that influence. I was not expecting it to be so rock forward, but the silliness of the rap rock was done excellently. Favorite tracks - a lot of them 8/10
Did not dislike this…
was really expecting this to be more of a struggle than it was.
it’s fine but i was fine not knowing about it, too
Interesting album. Reminds me of TVOTR somehow. I see various other connections too, like the starting track "Don't Worry About It" somehow reminds me of "Pass The Courvoisier". Thrasher is a pretty good track.
While this didn't grab me in the way that "In Search Of..." did, I still found it's looseness to be enjoyable and charismatic, even if it bordered on feeling phoned in at times. I still appreciate this fusing of rap and rock (and a fair amount of funk) to the Limp Bizkit style swill that populated the airwaves leading up to it.
Thought this might be dated and was only familiar with the one hit (She Wants to Move) - but added a few others (Breakdown, Drill Sergeant, Jump) to playlists and enjoyed this a lot overall. Have a feeling this'll go into regular rotation.
2,4/5
wasn't expecting something like this today! is it pop, rock, funk? i don't know for sure, but when you take the likes of chad hugo, shae hayley, and freakin' PHARRELL WILLIAMS?! you might just have an overlooked masterpiece. compared to their last album, they're playing the instruments themselves instead of producing beats electronically. this album has a heavy nostalgic energy to it; if you were the awkward kid just trying to get through the likes of high school, you might relate to the album's themes of social alienation, peer pressure and the earnest dreams of youth. definitely the sort of album you don't wanna miss out on.
This was nearly unlistenable to me. I hear the lyrics, I hear the point, I hear the instrumentals, the melodies etc etc - I hate it, all of it. I did not like this one bit. Every aspect of it was like taking an angle grinder to my brain and felt clunky and hollow. It felt like the musical equivalent of a melodramatic teen movie with superficial quandaries and problems communicated through bad and rigid acting. It wanted to make a point but instead of a spear we got a baseball bat. Fly Or Die and Drill Sergeant are the best examples of this. I happen to really dislike repetition in songs too, the same lyrics or word repeated an unreasonable amount, which this album apparently loves. Nearly every song felt the need to repeat its name incessantly, did they think we would forget? I recognised She Wants To Move, registered somewhere in my brain, and it was probably the only song that gave me any semblance of pleasure. I found nothing novel, original or even interesting in this album. Absolutely incomprehensible how to current top review for this says it's "eclectic and original" and "pushes the envelope", this sounds like one of the most cookie-cutter early-2000s hip hop/"rock" albums I've ever heard. Most / Least Favourite Track(s): She Wants To Move, with Thrasher the only other song I didn't beg to finish / Jump Rating: 1.5/5 but I always round down here. Just truly exhausting.
This - while too long of course breezes past pleasantly enough without demanding too much attention. Again, is really one of the 1001 best albums ever made?
Not my thing.
Oké, niet verwacht, maar dit is voor m'n horizon te verbreden. She Wants to Move is iconisch, maar de rest niet (en voor een reden denk ik). 1.5
I like the idea behind this album/sound more than I really like the results. Sort of a progressive pop rock that implores a variety of influences and instruments. The music is well made with interesting arrangements, deep layers, bouncy rhythms, and good sound. The songs flow and progress smoothly, pivot naturally, and parts come in and out of songs seamlessly. But the lyrical concepts and topics I don’t care for much. Overall I feel like this could be cool if tweaked in certain ways, but just doesn’t end up being as interesting as I think it could be.
This is a weird album. It’s at a crossing point of genres/influences and generally I found it ok but it’s weak. I assume it merited inclusion as it attempted to do something weird and eclectic but it fails to fully lean in - lazy experimental music makes it a bit of a miss.
Not really my thing
Wtf was that drill sergeant song?
fun
Sometimes a bit cringe but otherwise great
In my head, before listening, I was thinking, this has a chance of being a 5. It has Maybe and She Wants to Move, if the other tracks are even pretty good, it's got a chance of being a classic. I'm not sure there is much else on here . It's decent, just not to those levels I think the production sounds a little "unmastered" at times. Something like The Way She Dances, sounds a fantastic song is being hidden by poor production. Still a great song, but feels like the good parts are covered by poor sonic choices I think its the chorus on Breakout when i start to not like it as much. Good verses, nice tempo, nice groove, good pre chorus, then it goes into that fast bit that feels so out of place. Ruins a good song
Not what I was expecting. Some nice stuff
Sounds unfinished and lacks polish. There's a handful of catchy riffs along the way, but they don't really develop into anything. Often an annoying overdub clutters the listening space, not to mention the irritating vocals. I noticed that The Neptunes produced this. They missed an opportunity for some mentorship to get this material out of demo territory and refine the arrangements into something release-worthy. The mixing needs more work. Now that I know Pharrell was part of this project, I can hear the seeds of his later career. Maybe there was some reason in 2004 to put this on the list, but in 2025, it's yet another "strike this from the next edition."
Not bad. I didn't jive with all the songs, but I think they had some good instrumentals with some decent vocal work. 'Breakout' was my fave.
You'd think with some of the big names working on this (i.e. Pharrell, the Good Charlotte guys, Lenny Kravitz) that the result would be a whole lot better. It gives "background music you'd hear on a shitty MTV show" vibes. She Wants To Move was a pretty solid song and one I've heard somewhere before. I think that saves it from 1 status to get into the 2's.
I actually had a small N.E.R.D phase in college, but never spent any time with this album -- only In Search Of... and Seeing Sounds. 3 tracks in and I hate this. Jump is a special kind of terrible. I mean the instrumentals are OK, but the vocals are just obnoxious. Well for the first time in a while I was glad for this one to be done. Very little redeeming here for me. I'm going 1-2 range...
Not a huge fan of this. Feels like this style has legs, but it's lacking a lot of polish. The falsetto voices aren't doing it for me. A lot of the later songs sound like a precursor to Anderson Paak.
Pretty interesting album to come up on this list. Never heard of NERD and it was funny to see that Pharrell was in this. Sounded like a pretty typical early 2000s rock/hip-hop almost reminded me of Shwayze a good bit. Was a nice fun album but nothing ground breaking
I've heard of Pharrell Williams side projects but never really listened to any of them. Halfway in and I'm pretty happy I hadn't before this. This is some bottom tier Rock/Hip-Hop when it comes to the genre. Just laughing at Drill Sergeant. Can definitely hear Lenny Kravitz all over this record, and while I liked aspect of his solo album we had this kinda falls flat. Going high 2 here because some of the instrumentals worked, but found myself pretty bored throughout.
Yeah I have no idea how this middle-of-the-road nonsense rap-pop ended up on this list. Skip this one please.
Had never heard of N.E.R.D., nor that Pharrell Williams was part of it. Here’s the verdict: I like it. It’s lyrically fun, it’s musical, it has a fresh energy that makes good repeat listening. Will I seek out more N.E.R.D.? This will not shock you: yes.
This album is a mix of rock, hip-hop, art-pop among others, and it's very well produced (by The Neptunes/Pharrell Williams) which is a plus. It has an unique sound yet I couldn't really get into it and none of the songs stood out. It was an OK listen, but nothing more.
I liked this. The dog bark at the beginning of “She Wants to Move” made my irl dog bark.
3.0/nothing really stood out to me
- Had no idea that Pharrell was in a rap/rock band? - Sound is not bad. Pharrell is obviously a good singer, though I actually enjoy the tracks the most when his bandmates take the lead or Pharrell does more rapping than singing. - Like "Jump" the most. - Why is Pharrell talking about sex sooooo much?
Ganz guter Rap. Kannte sie nicht und noch weniger war mir klar, dass Pharell Williams Teil davon war.
Real good fun, with likable buoyancy and fluidity keeping this out of many of the usual sins of rock-rap. Also the risk of Pharrell aiming be to too clever is largely avoided. "The Way She Dances" is great.
Much better than I expected. Bursting with early 2000s sounds while still coming off as original.
Funky and fun.
It was better than I thought. Not great or even good but there’s a choral section I really enjoyed in the first song. Other than that, not so much. For that chorus I give it a 3.
2/5
I liked the second song they did with Kravitz more than the first. The idea of putting the hidden track after some songs as opposed to the end is an interesting idea. Bit of a surprise there. Some of the sampling got a little repetitive. I’m glad they were playing their instruments on it, to give it some authenticity. I liked the rhyme scheme for “Jump”. I listened to it a second time, enjoyed it more the second time around. Some of the tracks sounded a little goofy like “Backseat Love”. But, other songs worked a little bit more. It was a mixed bag for me, but I didn’t HATE it. Top tracks: “Don’t Worry About It,” “Jump,” “Thrasher”
I remember She Wants to Move from back in the day - didn't know who these guys were but their sound was different. That is a solid song. Nice funky feel, a different rap rock style - rap funk rock - with some energetic vocals and fun but silly and not overly deep lyrics. That is how the album starts too, feels like a modern twist on old funk. And I liked it. Don't Worry About It and the title track were a nice way to kick things off. But the album is always teetering on the edge of worthy rap funk rock and juvenile pop punk. Insert Jump with the Madden brothers (Good Charlotte) here. Sort of fun but also sort of eye rolling - how many times can you say dad? Daddy issues, I get the point already. More eye rolls for the not subtle lyrics on Backseat Love. But a great beat. And so it goes - back and forth between some great funky, rock, and hip hop beats and some head scratching what is that? One or two songs for me, one or two songs for nobody. The latter half of the album wasn't nearly as good as the first half. Drill Sergeant / Preservation (more the latter) and Thrasher were solid. Maybe and The Way She Dances were up and down. Close to a 3.5 for me but needed more consistency to be a 4.
No longer in the 1001, rightly so. It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't all that special. On the plus side, we just had Justin Timberlake's awful album, which was mostly written by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo (2/3's of N.E.R.D.), and this was better than that, at least, particularly when it rocked out more. A lot of it is just a bit of dumb fun (the lyrics particularly add the "dumb" part). Favorite tracks: Don't Worry About It, Drill Sergeant/Preservation (a little cheesy and long, but kept catching my attention), Thrasher, Maybe.
Didn’t care for the first half, as it played on all of the cliches of that era’s Rock. The second half was solid. Not incredible, but it was really cool to see this kind of unique album.
Another album that was removed from the book. 2.5 / 5
It's been a long time since I listened to this album. I really liked it when it was released, although I admit a lot of the attraction was Alicia Dixon, who never looked so good, dancing on the video for "She Wants To Move", which is probably still the best track. The album stands up. I have a lot of respect for Pharrell's talent and N.E.R.D. is where the Neptunes production is brought to a more rock/pop genre. In this album I can hear influences from artists I love - Prince and Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, The Zombies, Isley Brothers. I liked listening to it again and should give the more recent reunion release a listen.
The second half of this is stronger than the first. I enjoyed it but perhaps for nostalgia reasons more than the musicality. There was a time when pharell was all over every song in the charts. Remember being at Rhythm and Vines music festival in new Zealand on new years eve 2010/11 and NERD were the headliner. It was class, so bonus point for that
Rating: 5.5/10 Great production but I do not like this vocally. I commend them for the versatility of genres on here.
Didn't connect with this album at all. Felt like I was waiting for the songs to hit a different gear to keep my interest, but everything felt flat and uninteresting. Especially disappointing after seeing Pharrell Williams was in this group
Pretty good
No idea what to expect having no knowledge of the band. A quirky kind of offering. Hard to get into but almost something of everything.
Nice
i was a bit surprised by this one. obviously i am aware of pharrell and his production and was kind of expecting more of a rap style album. this is what i would say is more of a funk-pop album? it's kind of fun and, obviously, the neptunes' production is pretty much always great. i felt like the songs on here were a little lacking, though. there was not a lot that really kept me hooked.
Less hip hop than I expected out of NERD? Maybe I was just stereotyping Pharrell. This was a fun time, but maybe a relic of its time. It tried to do a lot, but nothing stood out. 3*
As cool as you may imagine
Genuinely don't know how this is on the list
Terrible background canned rock. Each song just a repeat of what came before. I find the vocals are high pitched and managed to become irritating as more modern iterations achieve a more energetic catchy effect which is almost entirely missing here. No chance I would listen to this or similar again. Its got the polish of a hospital. I dont think I can find any redeeming feature of this as the lyrics are crap too.
Didn't connect with this album at all. I don't mind the eclecticism in principle but in practice I didn't think the hodgepodge of different styles really worked. Similarly with satire or cultural observation, good if it resonates with you but I didn't find any of this did. Being kind, I could see how this could hold some cultural relevance to a certain demographic in the US but it didn't feel that way for me.
“Her ass is a spaceship I want to ride” I had a good laugh with that one.
Not too sure what to make of this. It’s a bit different to what I was expecting - poppier, goofier, more playful and more all over the place. But is it any good? I think it is in places... There’s talent there, and some originality, which I rate, but the quality is patchy - it’s not exactly one of the standout albums of the noughties. That Pharrell chap might have a future, though. 2.5
I didnt like it as much as I though I would. Still dont like the 2000s. It was interesting, but I don't think I'll revisit. Didn't leave a big impression on me
Terrible, unimaginative slop. Pharrell had to start somewhere…