Reviews (page 5 of 7)
this is the most 3/5 album ive ever listened to.
I really like the rock music, and the lyrics are really well crafted. There's some quality difference in some songs. The beginning of the album was missing something for me, but the album gets better and better as it goes. Not great, but this is definitely good.
Definitely the second best NERD album. Pharell (and Chad) seem to go through cycles of unadulterated genius then relative mediocrity. This is in one of their lulls, unfortunately. Still good, nothing special though. In Search Of... is the one that should be here.
N.E.R.D. aim to be the early 21st Century equivalent of Beastie Boys by switching their genre allegiances with Fly or Die and, for the most part, they succeed. On its surface, it appears prepared to fall flat on its face but N.E.R.D. surprise by offering crafty and catchy hooks and unexpected aptitude for the subjects that occupy their songs. Fly or Die sounds as though it wouldn't be out of place in a early to mid 70s musical landscape, even if its lyricism keeps it firmly in early 2000s territory. Favorites: Jump, Backseat Love, She Wants to Move, Breakout, Wonderful Place/Waiting for You, Drill Sergeant/Preservation, Thrasher, Maybe.
First song was strong, then got just better than okay 3.3
Kinda unique, but not necessarily in a good way. I can see how it may have influenced other music, but don't hit very well.
Don't be misled by the album cover or the band's name. This thing slaps.
First impression: Prince wannabe. Too negative? Oh ... This is a young Pharrell? Ah. I appreciate the thought behind this - merge hip hop, rock, and 70s soul - but this doesn't do much for me personally. I don't think I'll remember any of these songs an hour from now. I look forward to reading other reviews to see why this is on the list. Is it supposed to be, like, the Sergeant Pepper of hip hop or something? ⭐⭐⭐ __________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 37 🎧 LPs left to review: 964 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 9 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 12 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 10
It surpassed my low expectations going in. Hell, they even made a song with the no talent ass clowns from Good Charlotte listenable. I found the second half pretty lacking though. 2.5 but gets a 3 because I expected so much less.
Energizing and nostalgic
I liked this more than it seems a lot of folks did. It's not quite In Search Of... but gets the job done. Solid 3.
"Middle-aged suburban dad doing Sunday morning chores" was probably not N.E.R.D.'s target demographic, and yet here we are.
Probably the weirdest thing I've had yet on this list; funky, alt-hip-hop rock which is so INCREDIBLY 2000s. I didn't love it, but i was definitely along for the ride.
Greddufönk. Ekki svo galið. 3,5.
I like NERD. This album is a little all over the place I fear.
Pharrell has to be discussed more in general music. Too bad rap isn’t taken seriously outside of the culture.
It's good if you're into hip-hop.
Rock, dance, funk, pop, male, hiphop, mid, nice tunes, catchy, blueprint for Pharrell style, solid music and songwriting, aged well, not my pair of shoes
not bad, groovy 2000s club music. a lot of the songs sounded the same 3/5
Fun. 3 stars
This is kind of a weird one because I want to give NERD a good rating because of their legacy and all of the hits that they make music for. On the other hand, this album is kinda boring. It's not bad, but for a group that was changing the sound of pop music during this period, their solo work tends to be a bit pedestrian 3/5
Smooth production you'd expect from the Neptunes. Enjoying the title track and its recurring synth riff. Jump and Breakout as well. Second half is weaker, but Chariot of Fire is a pretty good closer. Overall, this is as middle of the road as it gets.
This is quite the entertaining album with great musician ship all around. It seems and talented performers however, as fun as it was. I just don't see myself going back to it very often
Fun album led by Pharrell’s vocals.
This album was fun. The only thing I didn't like was every song was heavy on repetition.
Feel good music
pretty cool, not great, kind of repetitive but interesting at least. 3.2.
This album wasn't as bad as I was expecting when I first saw the rap/rock label. This was definitely more in the funk/R&B side of things which made it much more palatable. The music itself was fairly inoffensive and I was surprised to hear just how much N.E.R.D. incorporated early 2000s alternative style guitar into their music. Lenny Kravitz's touch can certainly be felt on the tracks he contributed to. This album feels much more experimental than Pharrell's more recent stuff; the incorporation of the various genres works well here and must have sounded exciting at the time.
Rocking album with ‘Pop’ pop sensibilities because Pharrell
Hmm sounds less like fusion and more like they don’t know what they want to sound like. It’s all okay I guess. I don’t really like Pharrell’s solo stuff but I prefer it to this.
One of the more bizarre records I’ve had on here for sure. I’ve heard some of N.E.R.D’s stuff before, but not too much of this record. It’s just so off the wall and strange and the lyrics get a bit weird in some parts too. I think the production is pretty sweet though. 6/10
chill record, bit too long and repetitive, production too clean fav: fly or die
un nerd wannabe imo
An interesting album! I know the talent behind it are really good which helps a lot since it takes a big swing and I don't think it hits a home run but a solid double.
First half was a five, second half was a two.
Ok, some good stuff, not sure why it's in this list
Never heard this band before. This wasn't bad. I like the vocals and overall production. I'd listen to them again, but probably wouldn't go out of my way.
This was fun. The songs started to feel a bit forced or formulaic as the album went on — less of an album and more a collection of songs, perhaps. So a 3-star is a bit soft, but it wasn't at a 4 for me.
Really dug this It’s a 3.8
It was good! I enjoyed it, especially Pharell's vocals.
Good beginning to their career
3.5
Favorite Songs: Backseat Love Wonderful Place Drill Sargeant Thrasher Interesting mix of rap and rock. After the first couple songs I was not that hooked but more and more enjoyed the listen.
Best Song: Jump. Never thought a Benji Madden collab would be this danceable, but here we are. Worst Song: Thrasher. This feels like Limp Bizkit cosplay. Overall: Knowing Pharell's penchant for production, I really expected more here. He definitely excels more in the pop, rap, and hip hop spheres than this half-rock stuff. Just alright.
Best song - Drill sergeant
Certainly a unique sound. Hits at some times (Jump, Breakout, Wonderful Place) but not at others. Wish the hidden tracks were actually separate hidden tracks at the end of the album instead of tacked onto existing songs.
Knew this project was a bit different but it still caught me by surprise. The off-kilter mix of Hip-Hop fundamentals with a heavy dose of pop lyricism/production and the occasional rock beat was enough to keep me genuinely interested for the full runtime. Some tracks did wear their concepts a bit thin, but newer, more boundary-pushing music is what I’ve been asking for with some of the more modern picks on the list.
Good
upbeat and energetic. well produced. not necessarily my thing, but i didn’t hate it.
I couldn't really decide what I thought of this. I feel like the writer thought he was being far more clever than he actually was being. The music was catchy. I dunno.
This was a fun listen. I dug it.
N.E.R.D's "Fly or Die," released in 2004, is an eclectic journey blending rock, funk, and hip-hop. The album, led by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, showcases their musical versatility. Tracks like "She Wants to Move" and "Maybe" exude energy and experimentation. However, the stylistic diversity might lead to a lack of cohesion, and some tracks may feel like a departure from the expected N.E.R.D sound. While moments of brilliance shine through, the overall listening experience may be uneven for some. "Fly or Die" deserves a respectable 3/5 for its ambition and moments of musical brilliance despite its occasional inconsistency.
Good record
3/5. Not quite r&b, not quite pop, it's got some funk and groove. It's got this young energy of experimentation and cool. It's not necessarily my vibe but this does jam for sure. Maybe will go up later but right now, I enjoyed it and not much more. I respect it as well, expanding the sonic barrier of what pop can do.
Fun, good vibes music, with funky beats and fun lyrics.
Nonn no lo escuché, escuchar despues
The lyrics...., not for me
Feeling like a 6/10, it's just not that interesting in what it does. Due to being a more recent album this style is very well known to me on the radio while in the back of the car. It's comfort music for some, but not for me. Still a good album but could use some more diverse tracks.
Floats around between punky rock, pop, and hip hop. Fun mix
"her ass is a spaceship i wanna ride" surprisingly eclectic 2000's rock-rap, featuring Lenny Kravitz. I didn't love this album. Although it fits pretty well into my interests and my previous music taste, I really enjoy rock music, and especially hip-hop from around this era- MF DOOM, A Tribe Called Quest, but this record didn't itch either of those scratches, nor was it trying to. I found myself wishing that the current song playing would end, and then finding myself starting to enjoy it. This happened with T7- Wonderful place, which earned the spot on the playlist, mostly because of the included bonus track, which was vaguely reminiscent of Tyler the Creator, whom I enjoy. If someone played choice songs off this record at a smoke sesh, I wouldn't be mad at all. Not quite my vibe, but it was chill. 3/5
liked it, but nothing really stood out. 3/5. listened 2x
Niet hun spannendste plaat maar nog altijd heel prima feestje met die Pharrell.
Rock alternativo. Rap rock. Ni fu ni fa.
Pop elegante y bien construido, con buenas bases y voces masculinas. Agradable de escuchar en cualquier momento.
Average but entertaining. 3/5
Eh, this doesn't really land for me. It sure sounds like everyone involved really thinks they're on to something, but it's distinctly mid. Is it Pharrell Williams doing most of the singing? He, uh, doesn't have a great voice, eh? And not in a Neil Young kinda way where it's part of the charm. Fave track - "She Wants to Move" was pretty popular so I have some nostalgia towards it, I guess, cringe though it is....
3.5
Enjoyable: I wouldn't call it hiphop but neither any other genre. It just felt like a weird mashup of music made by highschoolers from the 00s which is shown perfectly in the album cover, odd. Although this may be so I found myself enjoying this album but not to the point i'm listening to many songs again.
3-
I appreciate the effort that NERD put into creating this album, including learning all of the instruments so they can play them live! Overall it was a good rap/rock album that really put the likes of Pharrell Williams on the map. Best: She Wants To Move Worst: Chariot of Fire
This was underwhelming. Aside from the hits, the album mostly went by uninspired. Not sold on it but not a hater.
Zijn het de beste muzikanten? Nee, dat niet. Maar wel respect dat ze voor dit album instrumenten hebben leren bespelen. Resultaat is een rampalbum met veel pop.
It's fine. Maybe a 3/5 at best.
Not as rockstar as I thought it would be. A window into the early naughties.
qualcosa di simpatico c'è, principalmente "She wants to move"
A fun listen, similar to the first album but no worse for it
I listened to this just after attempting Bitches Brew and it was just the pop antidote I needed: Neither to alternative not to facilitate to put me off. So saying it is enjoyable without being complex. A charming mash-up of genres.
Better than I thought it was gonna be.
It's not clearing to me what this really is, seems all over the place, but there are definitely some strong tunes.
This was a relatively unique album. It’s hard to say if I liked it but it was interesting. This is best described as an alternative hip hop album but it felt kind of childish. Pharrell is hit and miss with me. Some of his stuff is good some is just bad. He clearly likes music and doing new things but I had a hard time enjoying this one. It felt like hip hop but for teenagers. 5.8/10
Based on knowing nothing but seeing the album cover, I thought I was going to hate this. But I was wrong! Good stuff. 3 stars.
Good to see Pharrell’s earlier work, but far too many “hidden” tracks.
Never got into this album when I was younger, despite loving their preceding album (and even having a glow in the dark BRAIN hat). Thought I may have grown into, but it still just seems a bit disjointed to me, and just not fun to listen to.
Some good tracks ... surprisingly musical for a rap band. Good keyboards and pretty good singing.
MID
It was an interesting album. It was not hip hop, although it may have been better if it was. It was a longer album. A couple of songs sounded familiar. There is not much of a desire to listen to it again. I will round up but it is not really a three
Fairly interesting. Not the traditional rap record. Nothing special, though.
Very hit or miss album for me. Some of the songs were fun and funky while others were weird and lyrically creeped me out. Pharrell as an artist tends to be hit or miss for me anyways
Did not initially recall N.E.R.D. at all when this came up, but then reading about them and realizing is was Pharrell Williams jogged my memory a bit. Regardless, I never listened to them at all before. This album is okay, it feels a bit uneven and all over the place to me, especially given the level to which Pharrell has risen as a producer. Some fun songs, but a lot of the arrangements just don't really do it for me. Fun enough for sure.
Vraiment pas trippé, je sais pas quoi penser du mix rock et rnb. Je ne trouve pas que la voix de Pharrel et la musique s'accorde si bien ensemble. L'album était un peu long et je trouvais c'était très similaire tout le long. 5/10
I was expecting something really bad based on the cover, but it was actually listenable. Mostly. Funny how little you need when you're ready for the worst - just some actual instruments and a little bit of a melody.
NERD
Great little boogie album
Honestly I thought this was just ok. Not a huge fan of rap-rock as a genre but this was harmless and pretty typical of Pharrell's work, of which I'm not the biggest fan in the world to begin with, outside of some collabs he's done with other artists. 6/10.
Rock alternativo. Rap rock. Ni fu ni fa.
Mezcla de rap, Lenny Kravitz ...Pero no en su conjunto, sino que cada canción suena como de estilo distinto. ¡Ah vale! Que una canción la canta con Lenny Kravitz, jaja. Por eso me parecía ....
Interesting genre bending and sound, but it just failed to excite me. Felt lifeless even when energetic.
Personally, the mix of rap and funky rock just didn't prove anything, it feels like it would have worked with classic hip hop beats just as well. Only the last song was really anything that stood out from the rest
A rock/hip hop crossover, but a lot more emphasis on the rock than I had expected. Reminiscent of a more chilled out Death in Vegas in places. Power to the nerds. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: The Way She Dances Date listened: 16/06/23
Mixed feelings about this one. Its kinda genreless which is good.. its a rap-funk-rock crossover but not in a RHCP shite way.. The debut is stronger. But I'm not won over by the songs but I kinda admire it . Second half is weaker.
Solid
3+
Haven't listened to much NERD, but very familiar with the Neptunes, Pharrell and Chad Hugo. I've heard a lot of good things about them, and it's obvious they're creative and talented. I have a feeling this isn't their best album, but it's still pretty good. I'm glad that this is on the list, but scratching my head thinking of other Neptunes-produced stuff that's certainly not on here. Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse? Favorite tracks: Fly or Die, Breakout. Album art: Extremely 2004. The three of them standing hatched from a USA flag egg. I'm not reading much into the symbolism, but the banner style, shadows, everything is very of its era. Reminds me of the Black Eyed Peas. 3.5/5
This was fun. Sounds like something my dad would play in the car for us as kids.
Big singles, great production, curiously empty.
This was a really fun listen. Playful songs with a chill vibe, nimbly drawing on a variety of musical influences. Remember when this kind of creativity wasn't so rare in music? Fave Songs: Maybe, Breakout, Don't Worry About It, Jump, Thrasher
N.E.R.D moves without moving, a feat I'll reduce to Pharrell as it's his sound that provides the constant. The end of the record feels distinct from the start, the energy played out somewhat; Each song in the middle is less a point in the established space but a question mark. Genreless in a pop-fun mode, the record can inspire in terms of dance, perhaps craft.
C'est un bon melange de style bien prduit. Mais c'est pas exceptionnelle. Ils ont eu de l'influence c'est certain . 3.75
"Fly or die" . Ok let's get urban and possibly deeply ironic, yeah :-) . It ticks a genre box I suppose. I'm curious as to why it's on the list... I drop my bias for a moment... I looked for their most popular track.. "she wants to move".. and reluctantly, I can say , on the 2nd listen, does have a certain catchy and original style, on the 2nd listen. Sometimes you have to give new music some time... As the album cover advertises so well what it is, it's easy to see this as juvenile american boy music with attitude. Mostly not for me, and at first it really defies me to see what it defines, achieves or says. ... I actively disliked much if it. As the review mentions they worked hard to make something that others see... Party Rap rock. I started to hear influences of Nirvana harmonies and heavy 90s rock updated ....with modern bit band overtones - moments of Timberlake without the vocal gifts. So that's how I got to 3 stars instead of 1. Bruv slates, andLive long and prosper, fellas. (But I am not sure you broke the metaphorical shell of our understanding of brash American culture).
Production is very good, had no idea Pharrell made stuff like this
Maybe was my favorite track. Otherwise, the main thing I got out of this album is that Pharrell Williams is 50. 6/10
This one surprised me a lot! Looking at the cover art, it immediately gives me the impression that I was about to listen to some copy of a copy of the worst of Beast Boys or something like that. In the end, I was kind of right about it (😅), but at least they do a good copy, and they are almost bright with some novelty in their best songs. Never heard about them before, look like a cover band, sounds like a good cover band and it was a nice listening session. 3
More familiar with the Neptunes and Pharrell's solo work, of it's era.
Some good tracks. Not a fan of Pharrell's voice particularly
I didn't have much of a chance to listen to this because I'm busy watching the World Snooker Championships :) I'll say that I was happy it wasn't rap, the overall sound and especially the singing is fairly unpolished, especially when comparing this to R&B LPs over the last two decades; "She Wants to Move" and "Maybe" are good songs.
All new to me -- the group and its music -- and this is a fun one. Nice blend of hip-hop, rap, R&B, pop, and rock in here. I enjoyed it.
Pharrell. That guy knows how to make some pop music. This album though? Full of too much of what every rock/pop fusion record in the mid 2000's was full of - clunk. Electric guitars just clunking along. Drumming that gets a a failing grade. Pharrell is a great frontman though. Songs 2 & 3 have great little pictures painted. Lots of representing what it feels like to be a displaced kid growing up. "Drill Sergeant" is a particularly fascinating version of Pharrell speaking in his coming of age voice, just specifically about the war in Iraq. Fly Or Die is technically rock/pop/fusion, but it has a backpack rap spirit. The ideas are aplenty, but the execution is rarely there. Firm 2/5
How did this get onto the list? Very ordinary.
These guys walked so Andre 3000 could...ground into a double play.
(5.9)
I don’t know a huge amount about N.E.R.D, but based on the singles I would’ve thought “In Search Of…” would be the album here. “Fly Or Die” kind of left me underwhelmed.
I dunno about this one. A thing of it's time.
Not a fan of this
The album sounds quite dated.
Yeah really not impressive but thinks it is
Feels like a weird hodgepodge. Not a fan of the split tracks.
4/10 Pretty poor
Not My Jam.
It’s pretty good actually. Some solid and groovy songs. However, nothing really memorable to me.
I thought this was decent on release. Still good, but maybe don't like it as much as I did then. Maybe, the song, is fantastic. High 2s.
There's one good song on here, the rest just felt disconnected.
Better than guns n roses
Good at times but ultimately tiresome
Not for me.
well..it wasnt what I was expecting. It wasnt my cup of tea but I couldnt in all honesty say it was that bad. I fail to see why its on this list though.
Not for me
I don't like Pharrell.
2 out of 5. Catchier than expected. Also had no idea Pharrell Williams was part of this group.
I like one song, She Wants To Move, and everything else was just kind of there.
Wasn’t surprised to read that this album was used for promo for the iPod
As much as the Neptunes were such an important production team of the era, I could never get into N*E*R*D. And believe me, I’ve tried. Even no matter how much I thought their debut album had positives, this one is so flat and boring.
Somehow manages to be both quirky and eclectic, but boring and uninteresting at the same time. Nothing horrible, but nothing memorable either.
Feels forgettable and dated. Not a Pharrell fan, and this doesn't help. Rating: 4/10 Favorite Song: Breakout
This one is pretty grating not gonna lie. There is so much more in 'American Rap' as this album is classified. I get that it's probably included because it is innovative or has a distinct sound. Lyrics a mix of whiny/horny to me that was off-putting and kind of forced, and the sound somewhat forgettable to boot
The part on She Wants To Move where Pharrell says, “her ass is a spaceship I want to ride,” followed by a phaser blast made me laugh so much. So mfing goofy. Uhhhh, I don’t know, I think I respect this band and album more than I actually enjoy them. I think they paved a lot of path that would eventually lead to the alternative/poppier hip hop that I love most. I think I never really connect to most of these songs cause Pharrell’s pop sensibilities are a lil too good, they end up overpowering the other inspirations. Great example is the track w Good Charlotte, had to look up how they contributed to the track cause it sounded like they did absolutely nothing. 2.5/5 Shoutout to the K.K.Slider cameo on the start of Wonderful Place!
I think N.E.R.D definitely had some cool songs and some cool ideas but it didn’t really come together for me, often let down by Pharrell’s singing (I didn’t realise how uninspiring he could sound?). She Wants To Move is a banger but the rest I could take or leave
I’m just not really sure what this was
I've got a lot of respect for Pharrell, but none of this is memorable and some if it is outright bad.
feels like three guys said "lets make rock music!!! ahahhahahah"
Album #116: Fly or Die - N.E.R.D Genre (W): Art rock, progressive pop Singles: She Wants to Move, Maybe I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: As much as I could’ve loved this album, I felt apathetic towards it. I don’t know why, it just sounds boring to me. Only one song kept it from being a one, however, this whole album was pretty stale to me. Favorite songs: She Wants to Move
Sounds like every song is in Despicable Me
Very slick, feels like an hour long advertisement for deodarant.
The production is fine. Some of the synth tones they use are cool; they feel like an early Playstation or N64 video game sound chip. I don't think this is necessarily bad, but I don't connect with this at all.
Achei bem chatinho o álbum, bem repetitivo. Nada me impressionou, só o fato deles serem muito ouvidos.
Didn’t land with me
I think maybe I would have liked this in 2004, but it doesn’t do it for me in the present.
ick
I really want to like this album, but it just wasn’t for me
это такая задница я не знаю что они хотели сделать просто сколотили группу и что-то написали такой проходняк понравился один трек нет хитов не переслушаю 2
2-3
Fun
The album’s Wikipedia article reads, “The band actually learned the instruments needed to play the tunes, so they could perform live.” Yeah, I can tell. There is not much noteworthy material on this project. The instruments and beats sound amateur. The production is spotty. The cherry on top is I don’t care much for Pharrell’s vocals. I question why this album was included on the 1001 Albums list. There aren’t any memorable tracks. I don’t see any influences on later music stemming from this album. The positives that save this from a 1 star rating are the occasional (but seldom) clever beats from Pharrell and Lenny Kravitz’s guitar on Maybe. I was confused by the album cover, but it perfectly fits this confusing work from N.E.R.D. Overall, I think that people are heavily biased into thinking this album is much better than it is due to Pharrell’s name being slapped on it.
I guess the bottom line here is that it’s just not for me. Kinda funky, but I’m not connecting with the music.
They didn’t make this album for me. I was interested to hear it but it won’t be in my regular rotation. I quite enjoyed listening to it but can’t get my head around rapping gritty lyrics over a jolly backing track.
Very hard to remember or form an opinion on this album at all. What I took away was some really boring, basic beats and falsetto singing and fairly immature takes on relationships and stuff. It's so nothing despite (apparently) pushing genre boundaries.
Kinda tough to get through at times, very much an album of the 00s but Pharell has his moments to shine
Tellement underwhelming. Ça me parle pas ben ben le "rap rock". Le cover et la musique sont très black eyed peas adjacent.
I found this pretty boring...partly because I love their first album "In Search Of..." and this does not hold up to it. Sadly the aforementioned album is NOT on this list....but at least we have 11 Elvis Costello albums.
I am not even going to talk about his
Hard to tell from a limited selection
Hard to judge from what Spotify let me listen to but on the basis that it’s all a bit sweary and can’t get a full listing 2*
freaky ass muzyka
rap + rock = shit ! Never heard of it before, happy to never hear about them in the future.
sommige ok, sommige echt afgrijselijk
It sounds like what people in the 90s thought the music of the future would sound like. It wasn't for me.
uh i like the instruments those were nice.
Not bad. The music better than the lyrics.
No real standout track(s) for me. Even the one that has 75 mil Spotify listens doesn't excite. And seriously what is this hidden track rubbish? Just dead airtime leading up to nothing clever. One point for the Vulcan salute on the cover art. I want to deduct a half point as the "Fly" on the cover looks more like "Flu" thus the album is: "Flu and Die" - great name for an album if it was released during COVID. Pass.
A bit all over the place
I respect what they were trying to do but couldn’t get into it
Purely going off the album cover, this really feels like it was going to be a super cheesy and generic hip hop album. And while I'm somewhat relieved that it's not that, there is still so little that this album actually has to offer. It's still very much on the generic side, with pretty much none of it being particularly memorable. Plus one star for at least exceeding my expectations by not being cheesy, while I didn't find this to be all that interesting, I can still appreciate that at least it's not annoying, more like completely innocuous background music.
Lowkey what is this. I don’t think I like it. It’s just too grungy. But it sounds poser. I don’t know I just don’t like it ig. Yeah I just don’t really like this. Some bops but nothing super interesting or special tbh. Idk. It’s just there. Lenny Kravitz?? Oh it reminds me of Pharell. Favourite: She Wants To Move Least favourite: Fly Or Die
Variety: 2 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 2 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 2 = 2.2 rounded down to a 2 "It's almost over now/ Almost over now" I had to break my soft rule of no peaking and was amazed to find that their debut album, In Search Of, was not on here. It was one of the only albums from the genre I bought during this period, and remember it being a pretty big deal critically. That said, I have never heard this one ( not even sure I knew it existed - which does not bode well), and maybe it's way better. I'll try and keep those expectations out of mind while listening though. THE TRACKS "Don't Worry About It" - I wonder if this was offered to Prince? Certainly influenced by him, but a bit more aggressive musically. Maybe this is more Lenny Kravitz's speed? Terrence Trent D'Arby definitely too meek for it. "Fly or Die" - Bit lighter, and liking the synthy parts quite a bit, but the rock guitars and live drum sound is not gelling for me. "Jump" - This was much more of what I was hoping to hear. The rock stuff falls to the back and this one is a bit more funky and full of forward momentum. It leans towards the future Pharrell solo stuff in a way that I'm digging more so than the previous tracks. "Backseat Love" - Ugh... right away again with the Lenny Kravitz ( third rate Hendrix wannabe himself) guitar and some uninspired repetitive lyrics that Gene Simmons would blush at. "She Wants to Move" - One of the few ones I could find a music video for, so this tells me they hung a lot of this one as a probable single. It starts off great, with some catchy ass layered rhythm. This definitely shares some DNA with "Milkshake" by Kelis. It wanders away a bit too far in sections, but the strong points in this are plenty enough to overcome its deficits. "Breakout" - Big change of pace as we downshift into a depressive little number with some Chic-inspired funk lines that occasionally lighten it back up. Half of a really good idea here, but it flounders. "Wonderful Place" / "Waiting for You" - The first half of this is some unoffensive, twee, downtempo stuff that falls right into my wheelhouse, but never soars to memorable heights. The second half is much more successful. Right away it has a voice the first one lacked. The strings and little touches like the finger cymbals add a lot of flavor, and Pharrell's vocals are the best on the album, really diving into an emotional area that these guys seem to mostly avoid. "Drill Sergeant" / "Preservation" - Another seemingly pointless split with what was a hidden track on the cd release I guess? The first part is fine if a little generic in its melodies. There is little to fault these guys with musically, but when they zag instead of zig it sees to go sideways more often than not. Are they dropping musical allusions to the Beatles here? Hard to tell. The second half steers us back into that rock sound that's failing to hit for me. On that first album ( yes I will keep comparing them) the guitars were used in much more inventive ways, and felt more like accent or punctuation, where it's a primary part of the composition here. "Thrasher" - Kind of a throwback sound here. The beat on this would not be out of place on an old school Wu-Tang track. The light touch over top of it adds some good dynamic contrast. But it evens out fairly quickly and doesn't go anywhere beyond that first idea. "Maybe" - This is what I wanted. The jazzy piano, slots well into the guitar sound where it's used as an effect. The martial beat and the unencumbered vocals are the best part. But... it still can't escape that Frankenstein's monster feel the rest of the album suffers from. It's lumpy and angular just when it should be round and soft. "The Way She Dances" - Ooof... did Rob Thomas and Santana drop by the studio and lend some ideas leftover from their "Smooth" recordings? "Chariot of Fire" / "Find My Way" - Part one needed to stay in the oven another 20 minutes I think. It sounds like a half improvised Tiny Desk concert performance. In the worst possible way. Part two is somehow even worse. That opening guitar sequence sounds like the worst of the modern adult alt Starbucks compilation dreck of the era. Then we get super generic R&B verses in between that travelled forward in time from 1996 or the sole purpose of boring me to tears. HIGHLIGHTS - "Jump" - "She Wants to Move" - "Waiting for You" MIDLIGHTS - "Don't Worry About It" - "Fly or Die" - "Breakout" - "Wonderful Place" - "Drill Sergeant" - "Thrasher" - "Maybe" LOWLIGHTS - "Backseat Love" - "Preservation" - "The Way She Dances" - "Chariot of Fire" - "Find My Way" FINAL THOUGHTS This was not a million miles away from the sound on In Search Of, but they leaned WAY harder into the rock and live production sounds on this one and it just didn't work for me. As an example "Lapdance" or "Rockstar" from the first album both sound like so much more considered and fine tuned ideas than anything on here. at first album is also more varied, and danceable in parts than this. This was not a dumpster fire by any means, it just pales so much in comparison that I find myself questioning it's selection over the first one. And on top of that their well of hooks seems to have mostly dried up. Or maybe by this point they were farming out all their best ideas to hotter artists and collecting fat royalty checks. A big fat disappointment. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Ugh... not sure I'd even want to revisit the highlights anytime soon. Maybe "Waiting for You" will get some love. FURTHER LISTENING - In Search Of by N.E.R.D. - Stankonia by Outkast - Gorillaz by Gorillaz - Bastard by Tyler, The Creator
moderately fun on occasion but not much more
Musically this was interesting - I liked the variety of styles and mixing of genres. But I couldn’t figure out the lyrics or point of anything. The singers voice didn’t fit. And is he making constant jokes? Is this parody or just trite. And halfway through - is that Lenny Kravitz - and why is he involved. In the end I found it confusing, underwhelming, and easily forgettable. 2/5
Not great and I really wanted to like it
Not my style.
mehh
It was fine. Nothing special.
This album feels like its from a universe where Weird Al Yankovic invented rap
album #28 pros: i enjoyed the genre blending aspects, and i do think more albums need to be comfortable with not fitting into a specific 'labelled' genre. cons: a lot of the album gives off a teen incel vibe, especially backseat love. that and pharrell is a rotten zionist so fuck off! ꩜ average track rating: 2.4/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): jump, drill sergeant ꩜ least favourite track(s): backseat love, wonderful place ꩜ album rating: ★★☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,061 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 14 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 6 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 22
I had Outkast on Monday and honestly couldn't tell the difference
I give it two Pretzel Logics. The exact exchange rate of that assessment is nebulous - but it can't be good. Fun as it would be - I am not here to relitigate the artistic merits of the Dan. And I don't really want to spend any more time on this album - which similar to the Dan - has so many elements I find compelling but I just get the final output. Blah.
Ok
I had never heard of this group or album before - so I had no preconceived notions, which is nice. But - yikes. After the first track, which is a pretty decent rocker, I haven't heard anything of quality. At all. There's a mix going on here of rock, hip hop, and Pharrell Williams's production style, and I have to say I hate it. This record sounds the way old Saturday morning cartoons look. Over stylized, fake, corny. I'm not digging this. I'm still listening to this but goddamn it will take a miracle to pull this away from TWO STARS
It's not like it was necessarily bad, but it was really boring.
I really enjoyed NERD's debut when it came out, but my god this follow up is boring.
I appreciate that this is different but all the songs just kinda suck.
I remember this being better
I don't know how I thought NERD was but it wasn't this. This would be good if it's your friends band from music school and they're doing a gig as a bit of fun. Otherwise, CBA
It was ok, not as good as their first
It's okay. Liked the first song. The others are just meh.
In the Czech Republic the beginning of [Fly Or Die] is used for a show called ,,Prostřeno", which is based on UK show [sic] called ,,Come Dine With Me". I think this YouTube comment captures something about this album, very much radio friendly pop music with the stylings of something supposedly 'edgier', which makes it prime fodder for TV. The electric guitar is very much of its time it just sounds cringe today. There are points such as 'Drill Sergeant' where it tries to say something 'political' but it's such a blunt tool it comes across as entirely one dimensional.
kinda funny, maar soms wel beetje ass
# Album Name: Fly or Die # Artist: NERD # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Didnt particularly enjoy this. Not their best work. That album with lapdance on is much better imo. Couple of decent tracks. Too long. I do lik ethe more rock focussed sound of the band tho. # Top Tunes: Maybe / she wants to move # Would I listen to it again? No
This was a hard listen. It reeked of early 2000s genre dysphoria. Pharrell trying to to alternative rock... kind of? I would have much rather had listened to a hip hop or r&b record.
"Fly or Die" opens with 'Don't Worry About It', it had echoes of Prince to it. Very good. The second track, the title track, was Ok but I had already began to tire of it before it finished. The third track, "Jump" I didn't really care for. If I wasn't reviewing this album I would have stopped there and said "This is not for me". The remainder of "Fly or Die" progresses pretty much along the lines of those first three tracks from my perspective - some tracks I didn't care for at all, others being OK. It's well produced and performed but on the whole it's not an album I will revisit. I found it a little bland and derivative. Two stars. 1 "Don't Worry About It" (2/5) 2 "Fly or Die" (3/5) 3 "Jump" (featuring Joel Madden and Benji Madden) (2/5) 4 "Backseat Love" (2/5) 5 "She Wants to Move" (3/5) 6 "Breakout" (2/5) 7 "Wonderful Place" / "Waiting for You" (2/5) 8 "Drill Sergeant" / "Preservation" (2/5) 9 "Thrasher" (3/5) 10 "Maybe" (2/5) 11 "The Way She Dances" (2/5) 12 "Chariot of Fire" / "Find My Way" (2/5) Total - 29 Average - 2.42 272/1001 147/272 albums reviewed were new to me
569/1001
Started out good. Kind of interesting, but really wasn’t into it.
A bit of a rollercoaster. Sometimes it finds its groove, but more often that not either the lyrics and vocals feel completely detached from the music. Then we get to lowpoints like the panting noises and lyrics like 'her ass is a spaceship I want to ride' on She Wants To Move, seriously? Fucking cringe.
In Search Of... has been on my to do list for quite some time due to a couple of recommendations, so I was surprised when a completely different N.E.R.D. album I've heard nothing about popped up today. I'm starting with this one, I guess. Honestly, nothing about this makes me want to go through the rest of their discography any time soon. I wouldn't say I strongly disliked it, but the songs feel haphazardly put together and the melodies feel like an afterthought. It's well-produced, but overall a bit plain, which is really weird because it obviously draws from a bunch of very different influences. I will still listen to In Search Of... someday, but I really hope it's better than this.
Got sick of Pharrell's voice very quickly. There were a few decent ones and good ideas here though. 2.4.
This just doesn’t work at all. It sounds BAD! There’s something about the instruments having mid 2000s pop production that sounds so awful. And the lyrics are embarrassing. I don’t get it
Decent
2.5 revisit
5.5 / 10
Well that was stupid
Yeah, sorry I tried to get into this, but just can’t do it
I wanted to enjoy this! It is very obvious to me that they understood and appreciated what Outkast was doing around this time, but they were not able to reproduce it themselves. Outkast has a fresh sense of humor and relentless pace that this doesn't have. This still would've gotten a 3 if it wasn't for some of the lyrics. Lowlights include "Her ass is a spaceship i want to ride" while someone squeaks "She's sexy!" In complete earnest, along with the disastrous verse later in the album about banging a mermaid.
Fly or Die was released 2004 and first edition of "1001 Albums..." 2005 so this is a prime example of recency bias. There's no way that this would make the cut now. "You" should listen to "In Search Of..." instead of this before you die
I appreciate that they were trying to do different and unique things. It just wasn't for me
Well I guess it's nice to see what Pharell gets up to when he's not working on Despicable Me...
Album #68 N.E.R.D: Fly or Die Another case where I am quite perplexed as to why an album is on the list. I had never heard of this band before, but after minimal research, I quickly discovered that it was fronted by Pharrell Williams, whose involvement in the project made it seem like a somewhat more justified choice. Pharrell, of course, is a legendary producer, yet it always seems like people only really appreciate him when he is collaborating with, or featuring on, another artist's music. His solo career is quite controversial, with songs like “Happy” being considered one of the most annoying songs of all time. Although after discussing with my friends who are much more into this type of music than I am, they assured me that N.E.R.D did have some good music, especially their album “In Search Of”; confusingly, however, they had never heard of this album. So I checked RateYourMusic, which obviously isn’t a great source, but I wanted a feel for how this album was perceived, and yet again, it seems like this is an entirely forgettable album. Oh well, I will still give it a fair chance, and maybe I will understand its inclusion… No, this thing is pretty unremarkable. I didn’t mind it as much as I thought I would, but there really isn’t anything here that appealed to me too much. There is interesting genre-blending and some cool instrumentals, but the lyrics often don’t resonate with me too much, not really big on the whole nerdcore hip-hop thing. I normally don’t spoil albums on the list for myself, but I was curious if “In Search Of’ also made the cut, and I am quite surprised it didn’t. So overall, just another baffling inclusion on this list, not terrible, but nothing special. Best Songs: Breakout, Find My Way, Drill Sergeant Worst Song: Backseat Love Score out of 10:4.5
That’s some fucking heavy filler
I couldn’t get into this album, I don’t know what it is. It just kinda felt dragged out, none of the songs really stood out to me. I didn’t hate the album but it wasn’t for me.
I can't quite put my finger on why Fly or Die sounds so amateurish. I mean, this is the same team that made In Search Of... with two more years of experience under their belt. In spite of this, the album somehow sounds wishy-washy, but it works in a very weird way. The DIY-esque sound despite being produced and engineered by a team of very talented people is different if not kinda fun. Nothing feels too over-produced which is definitely a big criticism I have of a lot of mainstream music from this era. The eclecticism compliments the more stripped-back sound surprisingly well. That being said, on a song-by-song basis this album is extremely forgettable. There's almost no stand-out tracks and the melodies are very weak. Songs never really get into a groove in the way I'd want out of this kind of music, it's all kind of flat and unadventurous. Overall I really don't see who this album is for. There's no radio appeal, it's not soulful enough to appeal to the Neo-Soul crowd gaining traction at the time, and it's not funky enough for the groovers. Genuinely the only use-case I can find for Fly or Die is a Neptunes historian wanting to explore their production range. I won't say it's an awful record, it has it's moments; but really? This over In Search Of...?
Strange punk-pop hip hop? It is different, unique. Don’t know that it’s something I would voluntarily pick up and listen to. 2.5 if I could.
1.92
She wants to move is a great song. Not enough of them on this mish mash of an album. Nerd as a concept doesn't really work as its just pharrell with some others. Not his best work by a long stretch.
chato
Sometimes fun, sometimes annoying. Although I usually seam to have a sweet spot for rap-rock this time the vocals are not my favour. And in total way too blend.
It's like the most lukewarm version of early 2000's rap-rock I've ever heard. BORING
Some interesting songs, not sure if it works for me, but I wouldn't rule out another listen
I knew rockstar from them before and based on that, this album isn’t what I expected. The first track that is a Prince rip-off got me interested, but the rest of the album became such generic nothing pop. Struggled to finish it due to boredom. A generous 2.
Removed Album #25 (List: https://pastebin.com/cSThNiK9) Fuck yeah, another ex-album. My favourite of all the albums to review as I find their existence interesting, if somewhat tragic. I was pretty close to listening to this one of my own accord. I've been working my way through the remaining hip-hop albums on this list in chronological order, and I was ten albums out from giving this one a listen. I've never heard of N.E.R.D. before, though I'm guessing I'm in for something comedic. Like the gameshow skits on 3 Feet High and Rising, but if you spun an entire album out of that. Dead wrong, as usual. Apparently this is more of a rock/pop album than a hip-hop one, if the Internet is to be believed. I wanted to get into this one, but just couldn't. The vocals are an admirable deviation from the norm, but they push me away just as much as they reel me in. It's difficult to articulate why. They work on account of being attention-grabbing and shrill just as much as they don't. To coincide with the unorthodox vocals, the album adopts a prominent, ever-changing rock influence for the instrumentals. This is also a bit of a mixed bag. The guitars have a decent bit of kick to them and I appreciate the wide array of instruments which feature on this album. I particularly enjoyed the piano, organ and some of the electronic flourishes on these tracks. That being said, these instrumentals err on the side of being a little tacky. There isn't much depth or authenticity to these performances, even if they were performed with real instruments. Overall, this album has many ideas, but they never click together into something which is cohesive. I'm doubtful as to whether they could in the first place, truth be told. Book time. Added to the 2005 edition of the book. Removed from the 2008 revision. The book says this album is the product of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who were revolutionising hip-hop music at the time and spun off to produce this album. Apparently it's a big pivot from their previous work in hip-hop. Ahh, I knew Pharrell Williams was a familiar name. He did that song from Despicable Me 4, which is one of the few times I've been blindsided by a hip-hop song. It was making the rounds online at the time and I was fully prepared to point and laugh at the gimpy vocals only to be immediately struck by how solid the songwriting was. Good tune. Anyways, getting back on track. Wikipedia says this album had a successful single and sold well, but only garnered a moderate reaction from critics. I guess that last point is why this album was snubbed - these guys don't seem to be prominent enough. That being said, I can stick my neck out for this album. It's different enough from the norm, and Pharell Williams/Chad Hugo seem to be prolific enough within the music industry to where I think they earn their stripes. If not with this album, then I think they deserve to be immortalised in some other prominent way. I cosign this inclusion.
Didn’t enjoy it all that much. Surprisingly, I had never heard a single song from this. Most of it sounded the same.
This was pretty interesting, but it's something about Pharrell's voice that doesn't click with me. But it was fun enough, something else, nice fusion of rap with jazzy bits and a bit of rock.
felt like I was in a rave for nerds im pretty sure they started chanting nerd nerd nerd nerd during one of the songs 5/10
It’s a meh for me. Very dated to the time period. There are some flashes of brilliance, but it’s just monotonous to me.
Not in my edition of the book! 2004. 2 stars. Peculiar blend of styles - soul, rock, jazz - that doesn't really work, and there are no standout tracks. Once heard, immediately forgotten. Bonus point for the production.
This album is pretty lame, but not as lame as I thought it would be based on the cover. There are some pretty cringe lyrics every now and again too. A lot of the songs also feel like they are 20bpm too slow, and a lot of the riffs that get repeated are way too simple for them to be looped sooo long. I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of the album that got cut in future editions of the book. High 2.
I genuinely liked a lot of the ideas they were trotting out, I like other artists who came after them who perfected it a lot more. Honestly, these guys just sound fucking annoying.
More dross from the list! There are so many more albums I’d prefer to be listening to!
Not really my thing. Pharrel's voice kind of irks me, like he's trying to be sexy but comes across as creepy - just too breathy and whiney
I listened to this late. I enjoyed listening to it. But, it is kinda middle of the road, average. Their sound didn't make me want to listen to more of their stuff. I enjoyed listening to the album this one time but I think that's it. Doubt I'm gonna seek it out again.
This album cover is dumb as hell, but the music kinda slaps. Well, the first track did anyway. It fell off a cliff into utter boredome for me right after. Cool to see these guys in such a random band though. Also really cool that they learned the instruments to be able to play all of it. That said, the music, while catchy at times, is pretty simplistic and unassuming. But you're probably here for the grooves and not so much a crazy musical awakening. The standout on this listen was "Don't Worry About It" and that's kinda it. I was pretty bored with the rest of it. It just wasn't anything. Took me forever to get through. 2/5
Sometimes this list baffles me. Nothing about this album feels noteworthy. Is it influential? Idk, maybe; it does sound like a precursor to a lot of vapid, soulless pop that has come out in the past two decades.
Strangely annoying music
This album is relatively recent and was only in one edition of the 1001, near as I can tell. These are hallmarks of bad albums, and this one is no exception. It's not terrible, but it's not good, and I have no idea why it's on the 1001.
Peppy, preppy, lightweight, twinkly nonsense, packaged as hip hop but couldn't be much further from it. Something uncannily dry and synthetic about the production as well. Sets my teeth on edge.
When this started I thought I would live, I was annoyed and ready to turn it off by track 3. I pushed through and though I can say it had some nice grooves, I can’t say I liked much else about it. 2/5
I had never heard of NERD. At first I was like oh this is cool. But it got old fast
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🖖🐣🇺🇸 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎨🫦🙄 Rating: 🤓🤓(🤓)/5
I cannot listen to this bro, it's pissing me off more and more as I continue to go through it, the lyrics and vocals are unbearable, the only reason this isn't a one star is because the instrumental is OK *I guess*
stfu
Cool if you are a teen in the early 00's. Considering Pharrell was not a teen when this was made is weird. 2/5
2.0 Too much going on to create anything cohesive. I think there is some good songwriting hidden in there somewhere. Minus .4 of a point for those, including those Good Charlotte wankers
Not vibing with this one. I appreciate the mix between hip hop and rock, but this just isn't that appealing to me. I wasn't a fan of the lyrics and the instruments aren't helping much.
This is ok to listen to once but I don’t need to do that again. Early 00s rap is not my thing.
An interesting listen. Not my favorite Pharrell work. But for sure a different sound for the time
Sorry, but no album with the guys from Good Charlotte needs to be listened to.
Didn’t find it that interesting
(40/100)
Post-"Happy", it's easy to forget now that The Neptunes were one of the most exciting, boundary-pushing producers in music for about a decade, creating many of the best moments from Clipse, Mystikal, Jay-Z, and many others. When NERD's debut, "In Search Of…" came along in 2001, it didn't cleanly fit into the alternative or rap landscape. It became something of an indie fixation for forward-thinking "Kid A"-embracing webzines that were already moving well past genre limitations. By 2004, "Fly Or Die" was one of my most anticipated records of the year. Alas, it was a letdown. There was enough good songwriting to sustain interest for an hour, and occasionally songs like "Maybe" and "She Wants to Move" brought some genuine Neptunes magic. But most everything else sounded rehashed and generic, and it hasn't fared any better with age. Of course, "In Search Of…" still holds up, which naturally means it is nowhere to be found on this list.
I was ready to fall in love with this and it did almost nothing for me.
Maybe
This was the first album in the list to not be on streaming services , so I had to listen via YouTube and my experience was marred with adverts. This was good. Didn’t really blow my mind, but it is well executed and produced. I expected it to be something different, though I’m not sure what. I think what is on offer here can be found better elsewhere, but that may be unfair as I had to deal with an advert between each song. Maybe I’ll revisit it one day.
An almost unclassifiable mix of rock, pop, funk, and R&B. Unlike a lot of modern acts that blur those lines though, this isn't just a bunch of hazy ballads. It's constantly hitting you with new sounds and is always upbeat. Because of this though, it very rarely gets into a groove. The rock influence mostly comes in the form of short guitar riffs, which make the album bouncy but not really danceable. "Maybe" is one of the few songs that feels like it's going to have a memorable chorus, but then like on most of the tracks it ends up clashing with the rest of the song. There are good elements here - the guitar on "Thrasher," the funk on "She Wants to Move," the unpredictable vocals on the title track - that don't quite come together into great songs. I can't help but feel this would be more successful if each song used one or two of these influences rather than every song using all of them.
To be fair I only listened to like two or three songs but I just didn’t like it. Sue me
Ahh you know what, I didn’t get anything out of this. Simpsons: Yes
It wasn't bad but no reason to ever listen to this again.
I choose die
Meeeeeeeeeh. I liked a song or two, but it wore on me. I didn’t like it.
Hmm mix of hip hop, jazz, prog, and rock. eclectic - yes but original not really Not what i was expecting ( waiting for a Pharrell Will.i.am pop rap ) but this mix was interesting just not funn. Does not bring anything new to the table . It’s pretty much just meh most of the way through
Decent upbeat pop - seems forgettable
This album got worse with every song. Boring and repetitive after song 3/4. I don't know why I needed to listen to this before I die. Meh.
Not horrible.
December 1
I knew Pharrell had had a career before becoming inescapable with "Happy", but I hadn't had a clue what it sounded like. It sounds alright, but there's nothing here that's got me interested in coming back to it. RateYourMusic tells me that there's a different N.E.R.D. album that's considered *a lot* better than this one, maybe I'll have to check that out to see this group at their best?
Nothing new, nothing memorable. 2/5
Not my thing
I did not care for this.
I kind of hated this, especially since it's Pharrell's band. Good for him branching out into new genres, but it's so generic sounding
Solo me han probocado indifierencia
porra fiquei triste nesse acho o primeiro album que o n.e.r.d lançou (o in search of...) genuinamente bom, em 2002 os caras tavam explorando sonoridades que só iam estourar depois de 2015, completamente a frente do tempo dito isso, achei o fly or die bem chatinho, até meio frustrante...
I actually did know one of the songs from this going in, that someone shared with me years ago. That said, it's still not my thing.
Gimme a frigging break, who has ever even heard of this band? It’s just not that good, certainly not good enough to be something you have to “hear before you die”. Mid at best.
Fine I guess, but they got the wrong NERD album. No track on here is nearly as cool as anything on “In Search Of”
Awkward writing, but I think that's what they were going for?
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.
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.
N.O.T F.O.R M.E
Nice to hear.
The music sounds somewhat interesting. The singing sounds extremely half-assed, while the other half of the ass is the lyrics.
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
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
This is instantly forgettable. Why is it included in the book, I wonder.
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.