Outkast - Idlewild
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Free Music Notes for Idlewild
Free Music Review: Idlewild 4.5 Stars
Hit: 4 Stars
Great album indeed. This ablum is a definate improvement from big boi's purple ribbon all stars, but still worthy of the pop sensation of Speakerboxx/Love below. Heres the albums run downs:
1. Intro - some guy talkin about how rappers should stay out of movies because they are taking jobs away from the trained actors.
2. Mighty O - This song is fire! Talking about How mighty Outkast is and they really are. 5/5
3. Peaches - If your familiar with Speakerboxx you know that in the song "Rooster" Big Boi's relationship with his wife has gone to shambles. Well this is just a continuation of the story of him and his wife and their realtionship (No its not whiny or sad) 5/5.
4. Idlewild blues - First single from Andre off the album. Fire. 5/5.
5. Infatuation interlude - Some guy totally into a girl sayin he do anything to get with her such as, Taking her mom's wig out the cleaners, (lol) wash her car mon-sun, buy her baby sister Mc donald fries. Funny.
6. N2U - Basically its a song about getting into a girl/guy for one night and one night only. It's not degrading. It has a nice flow and a nice beat to it while Sleepy Brown sings on the hook. Really nice! 4.5/5.
7. Morris Brown - Well this song is fire. The first single from Big Boi off the album. Crazy that all I can say. 5/5
8. Chronometrophobia - I know your wondering, what in the world does this word mean. lol Well its the fear of clocks the fear of time passing you by. If you watch the movie Andre's character has this fear of being out of place, stuck in time, and not having enough time to accomplish his goals. There is singing at the first part of the song, but Andre lays a killer verse in this. 4.5/5
9. Train - Hot beat! Hot flow, Sleep Brown is singing on the hook. Big boi is running down his life story in this. Just fire. 5/5
10. Life is a musical - Well this is a song talkin about how Andre and Big came up with idea of making a musical (the movie). Great beat and great singing by Andre. 5/5
11. No bootleg dvd's - lol this interlude is crazy! A guy talking about how he got the bootlegg idlewild Cd, idle girls gone wild lmbo! Crazy interlude.
12. Hollywood divorce - Crazy song. Really concious song about how hollywood steals the originality of the hood and makes it commerical. In the end hollywood kicks the people out that came up with the orginality in the first place. Ex. "bling bling." That started with Lil wayne and now everyones using it! Lil Wayne layin a killer verse! 5/5.
13. Zora interlude - If you watch the movie you will know that Zora is Big Boi's wife. Big Boi has been leaving her at home, cheating, and mistreating her. She's is pissed and sick of it.
14. Call the law - This is Zora's song (sang beautifully by Jenelle Monea) Big Boi gets a cap in his butt for what he's been doin to her lol a womans revenge. 4.5/5
15. Bamboo and Cross - An interlude about Big Boi's two sons. Cool.
16. Buggface - The only song that I'm not fond of I guess it has to grow on me. 3.5/5
17. Makes no sense at all - If you watch the movie Andre's character has these bouts within himself about the right way to go or not. I guess that with everone Lol! 4/5.
18. In your dreams - Beautiful song. Janelle is on the hook a kind of latin vibe to it. Fire. 4.5/5.
19. Pj and Rooster - This song is taken from the movie. I swear you just can't help but move your feet and dance. Sooo much energy. 6/5.
20. Mutron angel - This is sang by Joi. Kinda strange, but it has a nice message to it. 3.5/4/5
21. Greatest show on earth - If you watch the movie you know that Macy Grey's character was in the circus. Strange. 3.5/5.
22. Your beautiful - This is about Andre's love interest. Cool.
23. When I look into your eyes - A beautiful jazz song about love. Kinda reminds me of the Love Below's "Love Hater." Cool. 4/5.
24. Dyin to live - This is Andre's character monlouge. I don't want to tell you what its about because that might ruin the movie for you. So I'll just say it has a jazzy beat and cool 4/5.
25. Bad note - Kinda strange beat and there is no lyrics until almost to the end of the song. Crazy. But the message is great. "A bad note is not that bad if its a good note." Basically as you look back at your life all the bad things you experienced in really wasn't that bad. Nice message just wish there was more lyrics. 3.5/4/5
Free Music Review: More Exprimental Hip-Hop
Hit: 4 Stars
First of all this is film-music to the movie that eventually Andre and Big Boi released recently, also title "Idlewild", I haven't seen the film yet but it's suppost to be about the depression era, (hence the old-skool sound of some of the songs) and some of the songs deal with characthers from the movie which may be hard to understand if you haven't seen it. Now, this project was something that the boys wanted to make for years but never was alloved to. Finally after the success of the commercial and exprimental "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" which expanded their audience and gave them several pop hits, the film company approved the film and it was finally made this year. Needless to say, this album follows the trend of the last album. For those that liked earlier albums liked "Aquemini" and "Stankonia" will get dissapointed with this commercial project. But it's a good album nonetheless, I peronally loved their last album "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" even if I also loved "Stankonia". It got 25 numbers, many are interludes but it's a bit too long nonetheless. It's exprimental with many songs that doesn't sound much like their previous take on Hip Hop at all, there is blues, jazz and straight R&B-Pop and as always friends like Sleepy Brown, Janelle Monaé and Scar appears on several songs. Some songs takes time to like, while others are first class.
"Mighty O" Is about how good Outkast are, well who could complain when they even made their own film? reminds me a little of older Outkast songs, it's a little old-skool with a funny hook. "Peaces" speaks about Big Boi's wife. It's one of the greatest songs of this album and feautures Scar and Sleepy singing the hook. The title track is bluesy, reminds me abit of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" riff, a decent song from Andre nonetheless. "N2U" Is about a one night stand, it's kinda funny with a soulish feeling all over it. "Morris Brown" is my favorite picks with a killer hook and feautures Scar and Sleepy again. " Chronometrophobia" is a short piano song that deals about "The Fear of Time". Wonderful lyrics. Big Bois "The Train" is also fantastic, "The Train" is a methafor for Big Bois life. It got a indian sound, Earth Wind and Fire horns and awesome beats. A potential hit. "Life Is A Musical" deals with the ideas of making the film. It's short too, 2 minutes.
"Hollywood Divorce" a bitter song about Hollywood that steals ideas from the hoods and make money out of it. Who does like Hollywood anyway?. "Call the Law" with Jenelle Monea is a jazzy cocktail song. "Buggface" is a midtempo R&B-pop song with some cool sound clips included, it a sequal to the previous interlude about Big Boi's sons. "Make No Sense At All" another jazzy song, but rather annoying this time. "In Your Dreams" is awesome and fast tempo. Good flow and guest lyrics from Janelle Monaé. "Pj and Rooster" and old skool bluesy song with jazzy piano playing. Exprimental but fun. "Mutron Angel" is a beautiful ballad featuring Whild Peach, upcoming single?. "Greatest Show On Earth" with Macy Gray! is a funky midtempo and also a pretty good song. "When I Lokk In Your Eyes" is a bluesy old skool song which suits the movie well. André sings well btw. "Dyin to live" another beautiful jazzy song in slow pace, also short. "Bad note" the last song is awesome. It feels like a take on Funkadekic with a funky Eddie Hazel kind of Guitar playing, voice loops like George Clinton used to do and great instruments used. Defenitely Funkadelic inspired.
Overall, It grows on you. Don't expect it to sound like "Stankonia" or something like that, It's an exprimental Hip Hop album with lots of old skool influents taken from the movie played in the depression era. It resembled "Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below" a little but it's perhaps less commercial with even more variation. It's very diffrent from older albums but a good albums nonetheless with a band ready to explore and take Hip Hop to new levels. It could perhaps have been a little shorter but then again it's film music and all songs are relevant to the movie soundtrack. If You like something diffrent then take a closer look at this one. It's defenitely not like the average Hip Hop album these days. 4/5 stars
Free Music Review: Not their best, but still deserving of praise; 3.5 stars
Hit: 4 Stars
Being a musician myself, it is incredibly difficult for me as a reviewer and an outside person to criticize the genius that is OutKast. Big Boi and 'Dre have done so much for the image of hip-hop by bringing the positive attributes of the style to the forefront of critics and skeptics eyes. Perhaps the biggest move was when critically lauded double album SPEAKERBOXXX/THE LOVE BELOW took home the Grammy for Best Album of the Year. That album was the first true/completely hip-hop album to win that award, if you consider R&B/Hip-Hop Chanteuse Lauryn Hill as more of an R&B than say rap. All accolades aside, IDLEWILD is certainly as ambitious as any other album by the duo with Andre 3000 going further into outer space while Big Boi retains earth normalcy. However, unlike some of their best material, this album is a bit disappointing. Is terrible? No way, it is definitely better than a number of 2006 releases and better specifically than a number of 2006's rap releases. What it isn't is that it is neither OutKast's best nor is it necessarily (though it is arguable) the best rap album of 2006. However, the strong points of IDLEWILD are incredibly brilliant.
The production as always stands out like a sore thumb. There is some incredibly great production moments with the most notable being my personal favorite track of the album "Morris Brown" feat. Sleepy Brown and Scar. The use of marching band within this track is brilliant and this particular track should be a Grammy nominee. Another standout is from Big Boi's homeboy Andre 3000, who astounds with his "slightly out of tune" vocals on the 30's reminiscent "Idlewild Blues (Don'tchu Worry). Most unique about that number is the fact that while the sound is an update of what one would hear in 1930, it does evoke that old time feel with the introductory guitar line, which is consistent throughout the whole track.
"Mighty O" was pretty much neglected by radio (somewhat understandably), but it is a track that definitely grows on you. When I first heard the number myself, I was disappointed, but through constant listens, the track instantly becomes potent, though not to the degree of the overplayed "Hey Ya" or "I Love The Way Move". "N2U" is also a fun track with a bumping bass line that will definitely have you head-bobbing. "The Train" is arguably one of the best tracks on the album, instantly deserving attention. The rap performance by Big Boi is exceptional here. Also notable is "Hollywood Divorce" featuring rap favorite Lil' Wayne and nobody else but Big Snoop "Doggy" Dogg.
After the mega hits, there are lesser tracks that are fun if nothing else. No one can deny that "Life Is A Musical" doesn't quite stack up to say "Morris Brown" or looking at a bigger picture "Hey Ya", "Roses", or "Ms. Jackson", but it is fun. "Peaches" isn't a hit, but it does certainly entertain if it doesn't do anything else for the listener. Also, jazz-influenced "Call The Law" has trouble being technically "hip-hop", but the 30's influenced sound if fun if nothing else. And again, there are many tracks on this album. Unfortunately, there are TOO many tracks on this album, making IDLEWILD clock in at a slightly unbearable 78 minutes, unheard of for most modern albums these days.
Otherwise, some of the rest of the tracks grow a little "too out there" for the normal listener. For instance, "Chronomentrophobia" isn't a bad track, but it is definitely awkward. Out of the box--- yes, but you wonder if possibly 'Dre went too over the top. However, you also must argue what is wrong with stepping outside of hip-hop's so proclaimed boundaries. OutKast has never fit such boundaries, why start now?
If nothing else, IDLEWILD is the most interesting "soundtrack"/ new rap album. Again, it crosses a number of genres making for it to be a "cultured" album in the least. What I personally find disappointing is the rather tepid #2 debut (196,000) compared to the mega numbers for their last album (#1 in the 400,000+ region). But it IS a soundtrack, though it should definitely be looked at as more than that. 3.5 stars for IDLEWILD.
Free Music Review: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below Part II...But With A Common Theme
Hit: 4 Stars
Although this soundtrack is packaged as one disc, and promoted as an Outkast group album, it's really more like 2 different Idlewild soundtracks, one by Big Boi, and one by Andre 300, shoved onto one disc. They do a couple of tracks together (Mighty O, Hollywood Divorce, PJ & Rooster, and that's it), and the outcome is very good on those tracks, but it seems like Andre and Big Boi are on completely different planets throughout the whole album.
First of all, the production on this album is for the most part great. Production is mostly handled by Outkast (Big Boi produces one track, Andre produces 9) and Organized Noize, who have produced some of Outkast's best work in the past. The other producers that contributed are N8 "Rocket" Wonder, Slim Jim & Mr. DJ, Whild Peach, Kevin Kendrick & Johnny Vulture. The only one I've heard of is Mr. DJ, a member of Earthtone III (Outkast's former production group). The production especially shines on all of the Big Boi tracks. It's probably the fact that they're more hip hop than Andre's tracks, but these, as well as the "Outkast" tracks, have the best production on the album. On the Andre tracks, the production is much more musically creative, and much less hip hop. This can be a positive or a negative, depending on the listener. I found this as a negative, because I prefer the hip hop side of Andre (I think he's one of the greatest hip hop artists of all time, and when you're that good at something, sticking with it is a good idea). Idlewild Blue is really the only Andre solo song on the album that I was a big fan of.
The lyrical side of the album isn't much different than the production: Big Boi drops nice verses throughout the album, and Andre only drops ONE verse (Mighty O...good verse, too), while singing the rest of his songs. Now, I'd like to point out that I LIKED 'The Love Below. I didn't think it was great, and I liked 'Speakerboxxx' a lot better, but there were some songs that I thought were GREAT on 'The Love Below' (such as Roses, Behold A Lady, Happy Valentines Day, A Day In The Life Of Benjamin Andre...). But on 'Idlewild', Andre just comes up with duds throughout the album, besides ONE good song. It doesn't mean he has 'lost' his talent to be a great rap artist, he shows that on multiple 'Idlewild' tracks, he just seems confused.
This is a must have for any Outkast fan, and if you were never an Outkast fan until 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below', you'll probably like this album, too. The album's just a bit long (25 tracks, 1 hour 18 minute play time), and there's too much filler here (courtesy of singing Andre). But all in all, it's a very good album, and well worth the money.
Top 5 Songs (In Order):
1. The Train - Easily the best song on the CD. Big Boi did an incredible job producing this track, and he tops it off with some of his best verses on the album.
2. Morris Brown - I honestly didn't like this song when I saw the video the first few times. But it REALLY grew on me, and now I can't get enough of it.
3. Mighty O - One of the only songs where Andre actually raps, and unsurprisingly, it's a great one.
4. Hollywood Divorce - GREAT guest spot by Lil' Wayne, and Andre drops another dope verse (along with a nice hook).
5. In Your Dreams (Featuring Killer Mike & Janelle Monae)/Idlewild Blue - Tied for the 5th best song...Just 2 great tracks.
Worst Track:
Greatest Show On Earth (Featuring Macy Gray) - Very annoying song, and pretty much a Macy Gray solo. Nothing at all to like here.
Lyrics/Substance/Subject Matter - 8/10
Flow/Delivery - 8.5/10
Production - 8.5/10
Overall Feel - 7/10
Guest Apperances - Sleepy Brown, Scar, Khujo, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Janelle Monae, Killer Mike & Macy Gray - 8.5/10 - All guests contribute very positively, besides Macy Gray
Overall Rating - 8/10 - Feels like 2 different albums pasted together, but Outkast has so much talent, and there are enough great songs to make this a very good album.
Free Music Review: One ingredient missing in an otherwise perfect stew
Hit: 4 Stars
Where do you go after Aquemini, an album that had it all. Witty Lyricism, Social commentary, rich music and an undeniable chemistry between two clearly different personalities. For most artist, nowhere, but these cats were able to take it one step further with Stankonia which added pop appeal to the mix while continuing to push further musically (B.O.B). Surely they couldn't take it further than Stankonia but with Speakerboxx/Love Below they did just that. This time they highlighting the multiple personalities that the group has. Allowing Andre 3000 to really do his thing.
This time they went the soundtrack route further solidifying their status as the most creative rap duo hip-hop has ever seen. However their latest chapter has not been without its ups and down. Rumours of a split, diverse interests (musically and otherwise) and scheduling problems (delays etc.) really put a damper on what promised to be another big F.U. to the doubters. As a result the Idlewild consists of music that was inspired by the movie as opposed to music from the movie. Moreover the movie itself had a lukewarm reception which did further damage to the hype surrounding the soundtrack.
With the Idlewild O.S.T. OutKast still deliver a solid album that will undoubtedly keep true fans happy but ultimately proves that OutKast are human. The one ingredient that is missing from their stew is a hit single and without this the fans that jumped on in the post aquemini era will not be checking for it. The fans that were hoping kast would return to the Pre Stankonia era will not be impressed either as the two appear on few tracks together. The critics however will go nuts over Idlewild because of its artistry.
OutKast have managed to put together an album that plays like an album even though the two personalities (Andre & Big Boi) are rarely together on it. The few times that they are together "The Mighty O" & "Hollywood Divorce," its pure fire and you are left in no doubt that the chemistry is still there. On the latter track they demonstrate their relevance by employing a beat that would be at home on any of the albums have released off late and they feature two MC's who are experiencing a ressurgence in their careers. This is a highlight of the ablum.
They have created an album that is a perfect soundtrack (musically & lyrically) to the 30s inspired movie (except that the music is missing in the movie). The horns on "Morris Brown" are real throwback and the blues harp on the title track is country as hell. Both tracks are hot and are as good as any track on their other albums.
They have created an album that steers clear of stereotypical rap album themes like Ice/Gats/22's/Ignant hoes etc. Although there is some gun touting on the funny Janelle Monae helmed "Call The Law." The majority of the album centres around relationships and the usual Andre 3000 songs that at times "Make No Sense At All". Even so the album is very accessible unlike Stankonia which was very leftfield at times.
They also stayed clear of the popular sounds like Snap/Hyphy/Lil' Jon/ Scott Storch/ Just Blaze/Kanye West etc. with production credits shared by Andre 3000 & Organized Noise who definately know how to tailor beats for the Kast. This short production list allows them to really keep to the Idlewild theme.
Overall this is a good release which is very easy to enjoy but it stops short of being great because at this stage it does not have a breakout (pop) hit or two. Perhaps this has more to do with marketing & promotion (and a so so movie) than the music. Either way this is a slight misstep but doesn't hurt OutKast in the long run.