Oh, Marshall. I have been listening to The Eminem Show<\/i> which is, possibly, one of my favorite albums ever made. Second only to the Annie<\/i> soundtrack and Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road<\/i>. You’re in good company.<\/p>\n
I would even venture to say that The Eminem Show<\/i> is almost – ALMOST – a “perfect album”. This is a rare thing as we all know. And you came very very <\/i>close.<\/p>\n
It would <\/i>have been perfect. It would<\/i> have been …<\/p>\n
Except for Track 9.<\/p>\n
I yearn to listen to the album all the way through, because each song just adds on the one that came before. I never feel like skipping around from track to track (which is one of the marks of a perfect album … where each song flows naturally into the next) – but Eminem – I am a huge <\/i>fan of yours, so you should listen: I ALWAYS skip Track 9. The first day I got the album, I sat down in my room, popped it on … and listened to the entire thing. Exhilarated beyond belief. I was out of my mind. White America<\/i>?? Please!! And you OPEN the album with that song?? Dude. You’ve got some major balls, and I love that. Who else would ever <\/i>do that? And each song followed the one before with inevitability … never disappointing, full of surprises, humor … each one with a different beat, a different story to tell … but still … somehow all adding up.<\/p>\n
Until Track 9.<\/p>\n
I listened to it once. The first time. And I haven’t listened to it since. What’s the problem with Track 9? It just doesn’t “go”. Not only that, but it has no beat. At least not one that I feel like listening to. I also am not wacky about Obie Trice in general, although I know you love him. Don’t like his voice. He sounds slowwwwww as molasses compared to you. It’s not because of the content of the song – which actually I get what you’re going for there. It’s basically a “HAVE SAFE SEX” message. Excellent message. But who cares if there’s no beat, and Obie Trice is at the wheel? It just plain ol’ don’t add up.<\/p>\n
Bummer, man. You almost had it. You really did. Stupid Track 9.<\/p>\n
Track 9 is sort of like the grapefruit in a fruit salad. You know. It ruins the whole flavor. So I just skip it. I pretend it doesn’t exist. To my mind, the album goes from Say Goodbye to Hollywood<\/i> to Without Me<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Just a small word of love\/critique … from “your biggest fan, Stan”. No, just kidding, Em. You mind if I call you Em??<\/p>\n
Letter to Eminem Complete. Now comes for the audience participation moment<\/b><\/p>\n
I know in my mind what I think a perfect album is. You know. “Perfect”. All elements go together, nothing is missing, lacking – everything is equally good: vocals, songs, lyrics, music, production … song ORDER … all flow together. It’s not an album of disconnected songs – the album itself is a whole. It tells a story.<\/p>\n
The first “Perfect Album” that comes to my mind is Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors<\/i>. I kind of think you can’t get any more perfect than that album.<\/p>\n
I’m also considering Rubber Soul<\/i> to be pretty much perfect. It’s another album that I listen straight through, never skipping around.<\/p>\n
What say you all? Perfect albums??<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oh, Marshall. I have been listening to The Eminem Show which is, possibly, one of my favorite albums ever made. Second only to the Annie soundtrack and Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. You’re in good company. I would even … Continue reading