Really engaging and warm hip-hop! The old-timey Kanye production is just the right backing for Common here, creating a very lively and dynamic record. I've never listened to Common before but he has a light and deft touch here that definitely makes me interested in more of his work. I give it four stars here only because this is the kind of album I respect technically more than I "love" it, strictly speaking. But that could change as I listen more!

I've known some of these songs since getting the "Blue" compilation album as a child, so it felt strange to hear the album as a whole knowing some of the songs so well and not having heard many others at all. So I was surprised at how well it all still works together! The songs I knew somehow seemed perfectly contextualized within the album. I try not to buy into the Beatles' "mythos" too much [though I think it's easy with music having this much care and craft in it!], but the general feeling of this record as a sort of "parting gift" from the tired, but grateful, greats is still hard to avoid, as it's deeply felt and earned.

Really engaging and warm hip-hop! The old-timey Kanye production is just the right backing for Common here, creating a very lively and dynamic record. I've never listened to Common before but he has a light and deft touch here that definitely makes me interested in more of his work. I give it four stars here only because this is the kind of album I respect technically more than I "love" it, strictly speaking. But that could change as I listen more!

I don't tend to get uncomfortable due to the subject matter of music much...lyrics have seldom been the "main event" of any song for me. So I was surprised by how much Eminem was really able to get under my skin with these songs [particularly on 'Stan' and 'Kim'] and actually make me feel shocked. It's frightening how vividly he's able to evoke the emotions backing up the horrible things he talks about; and he does it with a sardonic sense of humor that adds a grimly realistic personality on top of it all. On the more laid-back tracks, it's much easier to admire the technical backbone of his skills as a rapper, so I'm grateful it's not a horror show the whole time! Four stars here; not exactly an album I "love", per se, but I respect the craft SO much here.

This is a tough one for me to rate. I really like the craft and the production techniques here, and fundamentally I would say the songs are all "good". Honestly though, it feels far too long for me. All these songs hang their hats on a couple of cool-sounding ideas but never develop enough new ones to hold my interest. So for as energetic and lively a record as this is, it was ultimately kind of a slog for me to get through.

Really good one! Dark and hard-rocking, with the thin production retaining the 'punk' element of post-punk as the songwriting and goth attitude pushes the rest of the record toward the 'post'. "Into The Light" almost sounded like a Brian Eno number to me, with the contrasting moods of the two main riffs. Only downside is that the songs do kind of blend together for me, lending the record remarkable cohesion but also making the songs somewhat less memorable on an individual basis. Post-punk is one of my favorite types of rock music; it was really cool to hear one of its foundational works!

I've known some of these songs since getting the "Blue" compilation album as a child, so it felt strange to hear the album as a whole knowing some of the songs so well and not having heard many others at all. So I was surprised at how well it all still works together! The songs I knew somehow seemed perfectly contextualized within the album. I try not to buy into the Beatles' "mythos" too much [though I think it's easy with music having this much care and craft in it!], but the general feeling of this record as a sort of "parting gift" from the tired, but grateful, greats is still hard to avoid, as it's deeply felt and earned.

I arrived here already knowing "Time" and "Money" only, so I was listening to the rest of the record pretty fresh. Honestly, the most intriguing thing about it to me was: how the heck did this thoughtful, slow, avantgarde thing connect with so many people to become one of the best-selling albums of all time? I think it's good, even great, but I just don't understand how it got to be such a universally adored classic! Anyway, I think the music is good enough to warrant all the critical respect at least. For all its experimental leanings, the band did a great job contextualizing all the weird stuff within a surprisingly accessible package.