snik1's Full Review: Relapse [Clean] [PA] * by Eminem
I was in 2nd grade when The Marshall Mathers LP came out.
I haven’t heard either of Eminem’s first two albums in full. While I’ve heard the majority of them both (I have) and appreciate/like what I’ve heard, the psychosis of Em’s former personality is personally way too much for me. But I do remember classmates of mine singing “The Real Slim Shady” while walking through my elementary school – the exact impressionable kids people didn’t want to hear Eminem’s music. I also remember certain things like documentary TV shows chronicling the controversy his first two albums (especially his second) brought – and I’ve liked Eminem for years (since before he became whack) but knew that his old stuff would really creep me out. However, I’m just wondering these days why there are so many artists who have been around for a while who don’t understand how to artistically evolve. I’ll have to restate what other reviewers, on this site and well-known, professional sites, have said: what he’s saying nowadays when he’s acting similar to how he was on his earlier albums is not shocking. It’s also true that Em is focused on himself way too much and he can’t do the same stuff he was doing 10 years ago.
Since Eminem has been compared to Redman before, I’ll make one more comparison – the intro starts out with a doctor telling Em what to do much like Redman did in Whut? Thee Album and Dare Iz A Darkside. At first it seems like the doc is trying to guide Em into making sure he stays on a sober path in life as Eminem is notified he’s being released from rehab, however he surprises him by being far more lax and unworried and eventually force-feeds the pills to him after admitting that the 12 Steps to Sobriety aren’t important.
I’m hot-and-cold on “3 AM”: it isn’t bad, but hell, it’s not exactly like what he’s saying is scary. Wikipedia (which has listed some interesting information compiled via interviews on the album) says Em studied the lives of serial killers during the recording of this album, which likely inspired this song. Unfortunately, instead of doing something like telling a fictional story about a serial killer and the impact he had, he portrays himself as one – “My Mom” is tolerable: a few lines show Em’s lyrical prowess has improved in the last few years as he depicts his mother slipping prescription medication in his everyday meals (“The water I drank, the peas on my plate/She sprinkled just enough to season my steak/So every day I’d have at least three stomachaches”) and he uses the AutoTune for hilarious effect during the bridge (“My Val-Yummmmmmmmm!”) but damn, the hook is like nails on a chalkboard and the beat isn’t great either. Also, when he says “I’m sorry...I still love you though, Mom,” you’re really not sure if he’s being serious or not. “Insane” has definite likable qualities (the beat, the hook, the fact that Em does not use his accent) but the subject matter (incest) is revolting and it’s permeated throughout the whole song, so it’s not like I can just ignore it. However, on this song and a few of the immediate following songs, it does sound like he’s having fun - I originally thought “Bagpipes from Baghdad” was nothing to write home about, but it’s a grower, and in all honesty it’s most likely the best song from the first half of the album. Em’s unfocused throughout the song (how come he didn’t talk about the war here? The title of the song has absolutely no relevance to what he’s talking about, which is, for those interested, threatening Nick Cannon childishly and ranting about lesbians) but it has the same pros “Insane” does, and he ends the song with awesome AutoTune gibberish which sounds like something Jim Carrey would ad-lib (I don’t know where I came up with that comparison, maybe because of the many times I’ve seen ad-libs/deleted scenes from movies of his). Regardless, it’s pretty bad where the most memorable thing Em does during a song is make odd noises through a vocoder.
“Hello” isn’t as good as the “Insane” or “Bagpipes,” but those three songs make up the most consistent section of the first half of Relapse. “Same Song & Dance” quickly breaks the streak of above-average songs while Em tries to seduce old celebrities so he can attack them, and it’s one of my least favorite songs here. “We Made You”. How would I describe that? I’ll actually let a Big L quote do the job for me: “Ayo, I heard your single, better make a whole new song/If they said that sh*t is hot, then they told you wrong!” Enough said (and this is coming from someone who’s enjoyed Eminem’s first 3 first singles). By the way, could people stop treating Sarah Palin like a competent politician (recent minor David Letterman controversy notwithstanding)? “Medicine Ball” is okay, despite the fact I enjoy the third verse where Eminem jokingly references Christopher Reeves and how often he’s been insulted in Eminem’s music (despite the tastelessness of it) and raps in a robotic accent from his point of view. The thunderous, menacing beat features epic handclaps and a line from the third verse I couldn’t help but laugh at when I first heard it: “Now everyone’s pis<b></b>sed at me – like it’s my fault, his name rhymes with so many different words, geez!” (The following “Paul” interlude is hilarious, which sensibly takes offense with the Christopher Reeves bashing.) “Old Time’s Sake” was the fourth song leaked from the album, and although it was substantially better than the song I had heard before it (and it’s a decent song overall), something about it just seems very unspectacular and generic. “Must Be The Ganja” is also really irritating, even if the real topic is supposedly about how happy Em is to feel rejuvenated as an artist. Afterwards, a skit called “Mr. Mathers” features several doctors and nurses trying to reawake Eminem from a state of unconsciousness.
“Déjà vu” has a tortured, lonesome chorus (with Em singing well) and a vulnerable, solemn guitar beat from Dr. Dre. One of the most interesting things about it is how he rebukes himself from guilt-tripping himself – he mentions Proof’s death for the first time in the album and honestly says he “wouldn’t be takin’ this sh*t if DeShaun didn’t die”. He also condemns himself for the excuses he’s giving about how it’s helping him cope in the long run, and points out the consequences – such as lying to a confused, scared Hailie and endangering his physical and mental health (the third verse ends with him being taken to a hospital by an ambulance after passing out in his house.) If I hadn’t mentioned it before now, it’s one of the best songs here and a near-masterpiece. I have said that I think it’s best when he’s honest in his music on this album, but instead, as has been said by myriad critics – what’s unfortunate is his rehashing of old concepts to try and get listeners to think he’s the same rapper he was in 1999. “Beautiful” commences with a slow Queen sample which sounds wonderful and fits the song very well, and it has the same aura that the previous song did. He raps in a lower tone than usual here, but it’s not a detriment to the song, and at first he expresses that he feels his rap career may have run its course already, but delves into bigger problems in his personal life and memories of his childhood later in the song. A couple of things that I especially found interesting were the compare/contrast between the behaviors he had as a child vs. the ones he had as an adult – wanting to be left alone as a thirtysomething superstar in the second verse despite constant fans and suck-up security guards, and wanting to fit in with different groups and classmates when he was growing up in Detroit no matter what he did. His glum conclusion to the verse/song is great too.
Surprisingly, as soon as I heard it in the context of the album, “Crack A Bottle” grew on me. I realize some people may think it’s out of place (and it also sounds suspiciously similar to Del tha Funkee Homosapien/Aesop Rock’s “Preservations” – I assume they use the same sample) but the beat is more vibrant thanks to Dre, the chorus is kinda catchy, and the first two verses are decent. It’s a guilty pleasure. But Em calling him, Dre, and 50 Cent “the platinum trio” in early 2009 is less factual then it was in 2003-2006 (even though Dre hasn’t released an album in 10 years) – maybe they should kick Curtis out and bring in Lil’ Wayne. Give 50 a little taste of his own medicine. Following the hilarious “Steve Berman” skit (to make a random note, wouldn’t it be funny if something like this were to appear on Dre’s album? “Hey, Mr. Superproducer! Only took you ten years to put this sh*t on my desk! How many times did you promise the fans vague bullsh*t and say it was coming?!? And time and time again, you pulled the rug up from under their asses! You realize how much this sh*t would have sold if you woulda stopped smoking blunts in the studio for once and gotten it out by 2005?”) “Underground” comes on. The track has flaws – the hook is pretty wack, and despite a big improvement on the way he flows on the track, there are several lines that make zero sense which makes the song go downhill a little. “Hannah Montana, prepare to elope with a can opener and be cut open like cantaloupe”? “Gave Hannibal Lecter a nectarine, and sat him in the fruit and vegetable section and gave him a lecture”? This is just completely asinine. Still, I do think the last fourth of the album is pretty good at least.
I didn’t buy the deluxe edition (how in the hell does “Same Song & Dance” make the cut of the album but these don’t?!?) but I am also going to go over the bonus tracks like I did when I reviewed Ludacris’ latest. “My Darling” starts off a little unfocused, with Em incoherently rambling about white rappers besides him (it could have been interesting to hear him talk about contemporaries, but he didn’t execute it all that well here) and even making a few dumb noises a la Encore, but it doesn’t hinder the song all that much and soon transforms into a track where Em battles a demon which claims it is responsible for his success. The devil talks about personal problems and eventually mentions Marshall’s past secrets and thoughts in a really compelling ending, evilly asking him for his soul. “Careful What You Wish For” starts dramatically, Em rapping about his expectations of fame back in the ‘90s when he was underground after assorted radio/TV sound clips play regarding him/D12/the controversy around them both in 2005 and 2006. It also has a few very interesting topics that’s great to hear from him – the reception/criticism of his past albums (although he’s apparently under the delusion Encore just hasn’t had enough time with the public yet, and will be appreciated for what it is soon), and his beliefs in God (even though that’s mentioned very briefly)
In hindsight, this could have been Eminem’s best album (although it probably would give me more perspective to have listened to his first two in full, as well as Devil’s Night. But I think I’ll actually do that soon.) It’s funny, Nas, Kanye and this were all albums I was hoping would be good but assumed would be bad several months before their respective releases – it’s the reverse of third time’s the charm here, I guess. As of now, The Marshall Mathers LP is on my to-get-soon list, along with another comeback album I’m expecting much better things from (Mos Def’s The Ecstatic). It’s really great how, according to him, Eminem is more fulfilled doing music but he’s not doing it well enough.
Great Music to Play While: wondering if there are old gems from the "SSLP", "MMLP", and "TES" sessions
Anticipation for Relapse has been building since fall 2008, when Eminem first announced the album title and debuted the freestyle, I m Having a Relaps...More at Buy.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![Relapse [Clean] [PA] * by Eminem](http://img.shopping.com/cctool/PrdImg/images/pr/177X150/00/7a/12/aa/71/2048043633.JPG)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.