Outkast - Idlewild

Rating

single starsingle starsingle star

RIYL

Prince
Spacehog
Mr. Bungle
Blackalicious
Digital Underground

Tracklist

1. Intro
2. Mighty 'O'
3. Peaches
4. Idlewild Blue
5. Infatuation (Interlude)
6. N2U
7. Morris Brown
8. Chronomentrophobia
9. The Train
10. Life Is Like A Musical
11. No Bootleg DVDs
12. Hollywood Divorce
13. Zora (Interlude)
14. Call The Law
15. Bamboo & Cross (Interlude)
16. BuggFace
17. Makes No Sense At All
18. In Your Dreams
19. PJ & Rooster
20. Mutron Angel
21. Greatest Show On Earth
22. You're Beautiful
23. When I Look In Your Eyes
24. Dyin' To Live
25. A Bad Note

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For over a decade, the original ATLiens have been creating outstanding hip-hop record after outstanding hip-hop record, each one more complex and, ultimately, fulfilling than the last, finally culminating in 2003's ultra-successful double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Now the dynamic duo of funky beats, soulful melodies, and rapid-fire rhymes is back with a project that sees them for once biting off more than they can chew.

As the group has grown in talent and in their dreams for where their music can go, their egos have remained remarkably in check. With that in mind, perhaps it's best that they be told they may need to rethink some things, as they're finally beginning to regurgitate. Far too many vocal lines sound too familiar to the typical OutKast fan and Andre Benjamin has finally gone a bit overboard with the clap snare. Idlewild has a few truly great tracks, some of the group's best work to date in some cases, but is weighed down by a metric ton of filler. Where the skits from their last album were always worthwhile, Idlewild's skits are a complete waste of the listener's time.

Every time.

One can never discount an OutKast record, however, and it's still far beyond what most hip hop groups could ever dream of producing. For what it is, though, it's one of the group's weakest and most uneven performances to date. Of course, this is all being taken into account without admitting the music is backing a film of the same name and it could very well fit with the visuals or even be slightly bad on purpose, so as to indicate the struggles of a young songwriter who's still a bit rough around the edges (but loaded with talent, obviously) trying to make it in the rough world of entertainment. On its own, though, Idlewild falls flat time and again. And not in that slinky, sly, sexy way dancers do for effect. Fortunately, the band's history suggests that their triumphant return to album-based music should be a rousing success full of gigantic, elaborate dance numbers and an extreme amount of zany outfits and antics.

--Ben Rice

Author

sir mix-a-lot
Last updated: 09/29/2009 08:54PM

Comments

SketchesOfSpain
10/03/2006
08:59AM
Location
rhode island
This review is right on. While I did enjoy almost of the tracks up to number 14, the end of the album was weighted down and could have cut out 5 or 6 songs. Still, a good release even though I thought all the tracks were gonna be collaborations between big boi and dre...the few they did have together (only mighty o comes to mind right now) were excellent. I could be mistaken but I thought this music wasn't really a soundtrack to the movie but was influenced by the themes of the movie. I didn't hear anything about the movie when it came out..did anyone see it?
daganjatribe
10/03/2006
02:44PM
Location
Austin
i disagree soo much, this album kicks major ass

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