Encore (Parental Advisory) [PA] - Eminem > Reviews > Hands up for the grand finale

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Yet another great realease from Eminem
Disadvantages:	If you haven't liked his previous albums there is nothing you will like here, if you don't know a lot about him some tracks may not make much sense

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

CURTAINS UP
*****************

The opening skit to the album.

EVIL DEEDS
***************

This song talks about Eminem growing up to be his mother's 'evil seed' due to him never knowing his dad. It's a good way to start the album.

"Woe is me, there goes poor Marshall again,
Whining about his millions and his mansion, and his sorrow he's always drownin' in"

NEVER ENOUGH
********************

This song is slightly faster. It features Nate Dogg and 50 Cent. It's talking about no matter how successful they become (i.e how many battles they've won etc) it's never enough.

"I'm thankful for the talent in which God gave me,
And I'm thankful for the environment that he placed me,
Believe it or not, I thank my mom for how she raised me,
In the neighborhood daily, they jumped and chased me,
It only made me what I am today, see."

YELLOW BRICK ROAD
**************************

This starts off with talking about dealing with 'these individuals' when they are still young enough. When Eminem was younger he made a track which was racist against black people and it is explaining the story behind it and apologising for ever saying it.

"But it backfired I was supposed to dump her but she dumped me for this black guy,
And thats the last I ever seen or heard or spoke to the oh foolish pride girl,
But I've heard people say they heard the tape and it ain't that bad,
But it was, I singled out a whole race and for that apologise,
I was wrong cos no matter what color a girl is she still a b**ch."

LIKE TOY SOILDERS
************************

This is a summary of the ongoing fued between Ja Rule and Murder Inc vs Eminem and 50 Cent etc. It is basically saying how he regrets that it has happened and tried to stop it happening before it did and he is willing to be the bigger man and end it now because he doesn't want anyone getting killed.

Ja Rule had his battles with 50 Cent and Eminem tried to stop it until Ja said the following line in one of his songs:

"Yo Em you claim your mama's a cr*ck head, Kim is a known sl*t,
So what's hailey gonna be when she grows up?"

Eminem then started a long fued with Ja Rule, writing many songs back about him. But now in this song he says, "I'm not gonna let someone elses coffin rest on my conscience" and decides to put an end to the fued.

The chorus is a sample from the song Toy Soldiers by Martika (one hit wonder 1989) which some of you may remember. It sounds great in this context.

This is a great song and shows how Eminem has matured.

"And even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it ,
I spent too much energy on it, honestly I'm exhausted,
And I'm so caught in it I almost feel I'm the one who caused it,
This ain't what I'm in hip-hop for, it's not why I got in it,
That was never my object for someone to get killed,
Why would I wanna destroy something I help build?"

MOSH
********

I don't like this song. It's very political and all about President Bush etc. I'm sorry but it really doesn't interest me and not only that but the song is deliberately got a simplified beat and music to make the words apparently seem more important but to me it just bores me a bit.

"Someone's trying to tell us something,
Maybe this is God just saying,
We're responsible for this monster,
This coward,
That we have empowered"

PUKE
*******

This song is about Kim and starts off with Eminem 'puking'. That aside it's a great song and quite tuneful and funny. Although he claims it's not cause he's bitter or mad, that's it's not because he loves her or wants her back I still think it's quite sweet how after all this time he obviously does still care or he wouldn't waste time and effort still ranting on about her all the time. I know that exes that I am truly over I never even spare a second thinking about because they're not important.

"I knew I shouldn't go and get another tattoo,
Of you on my arm, but what do I go and do,
I go and get another one, now I got two,
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh,
I'm sitting here with your name on my skin,
I can't believe I went and did this stupid s**t again,
My next girlfriend, now her name's gotta be Kim."

MY FIRST SINGLE
********************

This song has a catchy beat - some may find it annoying. It isn't really about anything and doesn't make much sense but hey, he's Eminem he can do whatever he likes. Not my favourite song but still listenable.

"And this was supposed to be my first single,
But I just f****d that up so,
F*** it, let's all have fun let's mingle,
Slap a b**ch and smack a h*,
This was supposed to be my catchy little jingle,
That you hear on your radio."

PAUL
******

On all Eminem's albums there is an answerphone message off Paul Rosenburg telling him people certain people aren't happy with the content of the album etc. This continues the tradition and is in relation to the Just Lose It video which features Eminem dressed up as Michael Jackson with his hair on fire, his nose falls off and he sits on a bed with kids bouncing on it.

"Micheal Jackson is extremely upset about the Just Lose It video,
and uhm,
I mean he's p****d so uh I don't know what he's gonna do."

RAIN MAN
************

Like My First Single, this song really isn't about anything and doesn't really make any particular sense though. I prefer this one and find it more funny though.

It clears up that he hasn't got anything against Christopher Reeves, despite the many jokes made in bad taste about him throughout his career.

Also talks about what is classed as being gay - "What if he pictured it as a female butt? Is that gay? I just need to clear things up."

The song finishes with Eminem admitting that this isn't even about anything and I guess it's almost a smug way of saying I can get paid to write songs about nothing because I can do no wrong now.

"And I don't even gotta make no god d*mn sense,
I just did a whole song and I didn't say s**t ."

BIG WEENIE
**************

This song is about someone who is jealous of Eminem. It doesn't have a great tune and the beat is fairly boring but to hear Eminem call anyone "a meanie" is hilarious.

"You walk around and say,
All kinds of really mean things,
About me cuz you're a meanie, a meanie."

EM CALLS PAUL
*******************

This is Eminem's phone call back to Paul regarding the Michael Jackson/Just Lose It video situation. This is one of the funniest thing I've ever heard, he talks in a funny voice and quotes as many Michael Jackson song titles as he can fit in. I love this, most skits I find rather boring after the first few listens but I love this one. It's only down point is the way he speaks on this track scares the hell out of my 4 month old daughter! The CD does have a parental advisory sticker though so my bad!

"Aye yo Paul, It's Em
I got your call about the Michael Jackson thing
And I know that he's not 'thrilled' about the video
What does he 'wanna be startin' somethin'?'
Well I'll show him who's really 'bad'
Paul, 'the way you make me feel' with these calls
You should really take a look at the 'man in the mirror'
And tell him to 'beat it' because I 'won't stop till I get enough'
Do you 'remember the time' we were watching the 'Billy Jean' video?
Well he'll always be that Michael to me
And it doesn't matter if he's 'black or white'
Because I 'can't stop loving him' and I hate plastic surgeons
And I hope they all f***ing diiiiiiieeeeeeeee!"

JUST LOSE IT
****************

This is the first single to be released off the album and most of you will be familiar with it. It starts the same as the Real Slim Shady. It also has elements of Lose Yourself in it. This was done deliberately as he knew people would make the connection between the two because of the titles so he made a play on it.

A lot of the song seems to relate directly to the video and make more sense when you are watching it. This is one of his more commercial tuneful songs. I like it so far but it will get overplayed and end up irritating me.

"What's your name girl?
What's your sign?
Dr Dre: Man, you must be out your mind,
Dre aah aah,
Beer goggles, blind,
I'm just trying to unwind."

(On the video it shows Eminem talking to Dr Dre in a bar but he's all blurred and Eminem doesn't realise it at first)

ASS LIKE THAT
******************

This one is done in a funny salsa voice which is apparently immitating Triumph the Insult Dog. He is focusing on all the young girls that are becoming attractive: the Olsen Twins, Jessica Simpson, Jojo etc. Apparently they make his 'pee-pee' go d-doing, doing, doing!

"Mr. Officer, I demand to see my attorney,
I will simply plead innocent, cop a plea and be free,
Free, yes, free, right back on the streets ,
What you mean my lawyer's with Michael, he's too busy?"

SPEND SOME TIME
**********************

This song features Obie Trice, Stat Quo and 50 Cent. This is an okay song but not one of the best ones on the album. The chorus is sung buy some girl with a high pitched voice and Eminem and sounds quite good.

"And who woulda even knew that,
Who woulda even thought possibly,
Cupid could shoot another one of them God d*mn darts at me,
It's true that I got shot in the heart,
But when someone seems too good to be true, they usually are,
But see, when you're in it it's too hard to see "

MOCKING BIRD
******************

This is a song to Halie and is really sweet. It also mentions Eminems neice Laney that he adopted. It shows his soft side and how much he loves his daughter and neice.

"I can see you're sad, even when you smile, Even when you laugh,
I can see it in your eyes, deep inside you want to cry ,
Cuz you're scared, I ain't there?
Daddy's with you in your prayers,
No more crying, wipe them tears,
Daddy's here, no more nightmares,
We gon' pull together through it, we gon' do it."

"Now hush little baby, don't you cry,
Everything's gonna be alright,
Stiffen that upperlip up little lady, I told ya,
Daddy's here to hold ya through the night."

It also tells of how things used to be when Eminem and Kim where together and trying to bring Halie up. Eminem was working but could only afford the things they needed like food so couldn't afford Christmas presents and how Kim saved up almost a thousand dollars for Halie to go to college and someone broke in and stole it.

"I remember back one year when daddy had no money ,
Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up,
And stuck 'em under the tree,
And said some of 'em were from me ,
Cos daddy couldn't buy 'em,
I'll never forget that Christmas I sat up the whole night crying."

CRAZY IN LOVE
******************

This song contains remnants of what he liked about Kim in it, but is really about who the perfect girl was to him at the time he wrote the song, the girl he hasnt met yet.

"You are the ink to my paper,
What my pen is to my my pad,
The moral, the very fiber,
The whole substance to my rap,
You are my reason for being,
The meaning of my existance."

"But I'm always gonna make you feel I don't need you as much as I really need you,
So you don't use it to your advantage,
But you're essential to me,
You're the air I breathe,
I believe if you ever leave me,
I'd probaly have no reason to be,
You are the Kim to my Marshall,
You're the Slim to my Shady,
The Dre to my Eminem,
The Alaina to my Hailie,
You are the word that I'm lookin for,
When I'm tryin to describe how I feel inside,
And the right one just won't come to my mind,
You're like the pillar that props me up,
The beam that supports me,
The b**ch who never took half,
The wife who never divorced me,
You're like the root to my evil,
You let my devil come out me."

ONE SHOT 2 SHOT
**********************

This song is D12 and one of the worst on the album after Mosh. I'm not keen on it and haven't really got much to say about it. It's about some sort of gunfight or something. It's just not very interesting.

ENOCRE/CURTAINS DOWN
********************************

This features Dr Dre and 50 Cent (thankfully only for four lines - I'm not a 50 Cent fan) and is perhaps a final goodbye from Eminem

"Cos I don't ever wanna leave the game without,
At least saying goodbye"

"Hands up for the grand finale"

*****************************************************

I love this album, I love all Eminem albums.

Sadly there is much specualtion that this could be the final one we will hear from Eminem.

The title Encore suggests that it is the final act and various lyrics suggest he is tired of the fame now and has enough to live the rest of his life comfortably.

Sad for us, but good luck to him and what a great way to leave us!

If you like Eminem, you will love this album.

He wasn't even bothered about it getting leaked to the net and people downloading it instead of buying it because he's already as rich as he ever needs to be so you have no excuse not to have a listen! Not that I am encouraging downloading instead of purchasing of course.........

Read/rates/comments highly appreciated. If you enjoyed this op you may want to check out my reivew on the Eminem concert! 

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