Eminem
Encore

THE REVIEW

"Encore," as the album title itself suggests, is an encore, another show by Eminem, and indeed the resemblance of this cover with "The Eminem Show" is immediately noticeable. The structure is very similar, in fact, the same number of tracks, here also a song by D12, one with Nate Dogg in the chorus, and collaborations with the usual Obie Trice, Dr. Dre, and emerging artists of Shady Records, the record label of which Eminem is president. However, the style, sound (much more melodic here in Encore), and tones used by Eminem change, much more ironic and regretful for mistakes made in the past. In short, much less Slim Shady compared to previous albums and much more mature Mathers.

"Encore" is Eminem's fourth studio album. Released on November 12 2004 under the labels Shady Records / Aftermath Entertainment / Interscope Records, and with producers Dr. Dre, Eminem, Luis Resto, Mike Elizondo. The album, winner of 4 platinum discs, contains 20 tracks, 4 of which are interludes, while the other 16 are real songs. A total of 6 singles released, but the success, in terms of reviews and sales, was significantly less than his two previous albums. This can be explained by the fact that after being at the top for 5 years, the Eminem phenomenon had deflated a bit. Going more on a subjective level, only one song from "Encore" is in my list of the 20 Eminem songs I prefer, and it is Mockingbird, which I have put in second place.

A brief analysis of each song:

"Evil Deeds". Produced by Dr. Dre. Eminem immediately exhibits a new flow compared to previous albums. The first portion is really repetitive, then Eminem flows smoothly with a melodic chorus (something very frequent in this album) on a phenomenal base (as always), apologizing to the Lord and to his mother for all the nastiness said in the past. Excellent start. 8/10.

"Never Enough". Produced by Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo. A 2:39 track, unusually short by Eminem's standards. The latter and 50 Cent, in the first and second verses respectively, and Nate Dogg in the chorus, talk about how frequent it is in the rap business to show who wants to be the best, and how these rhyme battles are never enough. One of the best on the CD. 8.5/10.

"Yellow Brick Road". Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. One of the most discussed songs on the album, mainly because Eminem apologizes for using the word "nigger" on a tape from his youth, a tape that was found and published by Benzino's magazine The Source, one of Eminem's main enemies. To be honest, I don't really like this song. 6/10.

"Like Toy Soldiers". Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. One of the strong points of the album, Eminem goes against the clashes and victims caused by disagreements in the world of hip hop. He himself, coming out of a tough feud with Ray Benzino and Ja Rule, calls to end these rivalries and the consequences they can lead to. The base, with a military tone, and the chorus (sampled from the song by Martika "Toy Soldiers") are very fitting. 9/10.

"Mosh". Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. Eminem continues to demonstrate, even with this song, how he wants to dedicate himself to more mature topics and to show that he is not just a rapper for thirteen-year-olds and young girls. He openly stands against the Bush government, referencing the brainwashing that the mass media did to the American people by disseminating more cover reasons than actual ones regarding the invasion of Iraq. Considered by many to be the best song on the entire album. But this is my review, and I'm not crazy about this song. 5.5/10.

"Puke". Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. Here Eminem shows that he knows how to sing very well indeed, and to be a master even in songs that are not purely rap. A totally melodic song, in which the fairly sweet melody contrasts with words of hate and disdain, once again towards his wife Kim. He goes at it hard, wishing her to die and burn in hell and much more. The comparison with the song from The Marshall Mathers LP "Kim" immediately comes to mind, and "Puke" is not even remotely at that level, however, it is a pleasant song to listen to. 7/10.

"My 1st Single". Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. So, I would say that the thing to appreciate the most here is definitely the base, with a snare that breaks the eardrums. Eminem exaggerated by putting in 3 verses, which are really too many here, making the song a trial after about two and a half minutes. Here he talks about empty air, although the rhymes and wordplay are exceptional. The only flaw is precisely the length, too long. 7.5/10.

"Rain Man". Produced by Dr. Dre. Here's the thing that sometimes there are really too many songs in an album. This one and Big Weenie I would have done away with, if I were Eminem. Not bad, but not memorable either. Here he mainly mocks homophobia, one of Slim Shady's characteristics, his dark side. So here too, a sort of atonement for past sins returns. 6/10.

"Big Weenie". Produced by Dr. Dre. The base is pleasant, but as mentioned before, this song would have been better in another album, maybe a bonus track for a compilation or something else. 5.5/10.

"Just Lose It". Produced by Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo. The first single released from the album, a great chart success, a very "dance" track where Michael Jackson is mocked with great use of irony and his notorious "attachment" to children. Honestly, it seems like a gratuitous attack on Jackson that Eminem could have spared, but the song is quite nice. 7.5/10.

"Ass Like That". Produced by Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo. And here you wonder how a song like this could come out as a single. Okay, it's fine to listen to while doing something else, but here Eminem is really too sing-songy, 3 verses with a pseudo-Arabic voice. Even the base evokes Eastern atmospheres, and maybe Eminem purposely wanted to give this song a hypnotic tone, and if that's the case, he succeeded. However, it didn't deserve to be released as a single. 7/10.

"Spend Some Time". Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. Here, this song as a single would not have been bad; maybe "Crazy In Love" deserved it more. Accompanied by Obie Trice, whom I personally adore and makes no exception here, Stat Quo, and 50 Cent, each talk in their own way about love experiences with the usual misogynistic references, very frequent in modern rap. A chorus that reminds of Blue and similar bands. The base is not very elaborate. 8/10.

"Mockingbird". Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. Here it is, undoubtedly the best of the album and one of Eminem's best ever. Fantastic base, fantastic chorus, incredible lyrics, but above all, the interpretation is the best thing about this song. I've always thought that Eminem is one of the best ever in music in general in interpreting songs, he always manages to convey what he wants. The chorus is sampled from the lullaby "Mockingbird". It talks about his emotional relationship with his daughter Hailie, and he speaks directly to her. I believe anyone who knows good music, even if not a fan of Eminem or rap music, would appreciate this song. One word: phenomenal. 10/10.

"Crazy In Love". Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. Yet another totally melodic song with a sampled chorus, which is not bad since all the sampled choruses Eminem has used in his career have always been spot on. Here he addresses a mysterious girl, who I definitely don't think is Kim (who is mentioned in the text as a fundamental person for Marshall). Romantic phrases alternate with more explicit sexual content. Beautiful. 8/10.

"One Shot 2 Shot". Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. Accompanied by D12 (the band Eminem leads), Eminem and his companions talk about a kind of shooting that broke out in a club where D12 was supposed to perform, and each tells it from their own perspective. An unexpectedly absent Proof, and it's a pity because in D12 songs he was always one of the strong points. Also here, the dragging chorus adds something more to the song. However, here too it must be said that the two songs with D12 in TMMLP and TES, "Under The Influence" and "When The Music Stops", are much, much better. 8/10.

"Encore/Curtains Down". Produced by Dr. Dre and Mark Batson. An excellent closure for Encore with this piece, in which Dr. Dre, always phenomenal, and 50 Cent, who, however, sings only four phrases, also perform. Here Eminem is in great shape. 8.5/10.

In short, all the reviews of "Encore" I have read spoke ill of it, labeling it as garbage and as a product vastly inferior to Eminem's previous albums. However, I don't feel like saying that. It is certainly a completely different product compared to previous works, but not for that reason inferior. There are certainly songs that will enter rap history less than songs like "Stan", which are, in their own way, pages of rap history. However, apart from a few tracks here and there (as in everything there are always the weak links in a chain), the CD is excellent and is a successful work. Perhaps there was too much criticism for wanting to record a very melodic album, yet find me a boring melody if you can (apart from, of course, those 2-3 songs that have already been mentioned as being a bit weak). I give "Encore" an 8, including one point less for some sing-songy songs, and one point more for the fact that Eminem managed to renew himself and change sound, and by necessity, an artist must explore a bit in the musical field.