I have mixed emotions on this album, but for those not wanting to read on, the album is excellent and I'd definitely recommend you purchase. Now, having pre-ordered Encore from Amazon.com I gave in to the temptation of download a leaked copy and can now only thank myself for doing so before writing this review. I, like many opinions I have come across, instantly felt disappointed and felt that this album somewhat lacked the complete feel of an Eminem album I was so used too.
It is clear there is a lot more effort for comedy tracks which stands out clearly when compared to the albums more serious tracks which don't go that deep. There is a decent balance and it is clear Eminem has a business mind as there are various tracks which you could easily hear young teenage girls signing along too, but on the other end of the spectrum there are tracks which those who consider themselves a 'true hip hop head' couldn't fault. A point I should note (and I'm sure many more feel similar), although being critical on this album, this is because we are after all, comparing this to arguably the best hip hop albums of all time (Marshall Mathers LP and The Slim Shady LP) and with that I shall state that this is 90% better then anything else being brought out of the hip hop world.
In terms of content, this carries on where the Eminem Show left off, no longer are we shocked by the quality of the rhymes, urged to rewind and listen in awe and Eminem spits another bar which surprises. The lyrical genius simply isn't on this album and it's almost a completely different artist to who we knew up till 2002. But, the same could be said for the Eminem Show, which became his biggest selling album. An obvious amount of attention has been paid to the flow, which is almost flawless and although some may argue otherwise, shows Eminem is on top of the game and no one will come close. The tracks 'My 1st Single', 'Evil Deeds' and 'Crazy in love' for example show this, and perhaps the skill only hits you when trying to rap along with the lyrics and it suddenly hits you how effortlessly Eminem is capable and the statement he once made 'Your not even impressed no more, your used to it'. We all know that Eminem's career was built on the foundation of controversy, which although gave his all the fame, now works again him as along with maturity, came responsibilities and no longer could he release an album offending everyone and expect to receive the same feedback. It's the new personal side to Eminem, the one which shares his most inner feelings and life happenings which has replaced the crazed Slim Shady and has caused the divide from Slim Shady LP era fans and the 'new generation' who became fans after the Eminem show. An album like Encore, is bound to appeal to many, so although he could never please everyone, with this I believe the majority are catered for.
So back to the album, the main topics rapped on are his family and history, whether it be the love/hate relationship with his wife Kim ( spoken of in tracks such as 'puke', 'crazy in love' and the amazing 'love you more' which appears on the bonus disk ), the love for his daughter ( check 'mockingbird' one of his most emotional tracks to date, a ballad to his daughter and niece trying to explain the situation surround his life and that of his wife ) or his growing up and recent events ( 'evil deeds', 'like toy soldiers' and 'yellow brick road' a track which addresses the racist tapes exposed by the Source). With in many tracks mentioned, Eminem does what he does best, spreading his feelings and thoughts through his music. What seems to be a desperate attempt to cause controversy fails on tracks such as 'my 1st single', which mention under age sex / R Kelly etc and tracks like 'Ass like that' and 'Rain man' can only make you wonder what Eminem was drinking while writing.
Have decided to leave track details out of this review, leaving it relatively fresh for those yet to listen but one thing I will say is, I very much agree with how the album does grow on you. Even after 2 listens I was growing to love the album and can now easily say it's one of the best in my collection. Wouldn't any album grow on you? Aren't I biased due to being an Eminem fan? I'll leave that decision to you, but those wanting more from Eminem from a fresh new perspective and those especially who are fans will love this album. It's a step away from 'true hip hop', but what is true hip hop and what are its limits? This is something Eminem has chosen not to stick close to and as mentioned before, he makes an album so he's happy with it, presuming we will be too... I am, and know I won't be the only one. From a listen and a view of the artwork, it does give the impression that Eminem is putting an end to all his lifes issues (looking back on his life as if it's come to and end, giving the best conclusion to his relationship and giving us another insight to his life) and with suicidal clear on the artwork ... what does this mean? Is this the end of Eminem's career, or is it announcing the end of a stage in his career and a totally new sound to come? We can only anticipate what's to come next, but for now this album shouldn't disappoint and bar a few tracks, is an amazing album. Just give it the chance it deserves, and I'm sure you'll soon agree. The curtains are now closed for a final time, and the show has ended with a bang.
