Eminem - Recovery Review by Josh Grattan

Eminem's highly anticipated new album Recovery hit stores last Monday, June 21. When critics and fans think there is nothing else he can say to shock and surprise, think again.


For over a decade now Eminem has never stopped coming out with new original material with every album. Eminem aka Marshall Bruce Mathers III aka Slim Shady has run the rap game for years, when his albums hit the stores the fans go crazy and when he goes on hiatus they cant stop begging for his return.


In the past few years Eminem has been through a very dramatic part of his life, from the death of his best friend and fellow rapper Proof in April 2006, to another marriage and divorce to Kim Scott Mathers in 2006, and more drug abuse resulting in an overdose and rehab. Back in August 2005 I personally saw Eminem live in Massachusetts and even then I could tell that he was looking strange and kind of sickly. Despite that he still put on the most amazing performance I have ever witnessed, and shortly after that show he took a long hiatus from the world of rap leaving the fans and media to wonder if he was retiring or if it was merely a break. Once he announced his return the fans lined up for him once again... but what he delivered was nothing like what the public expected.


Mr. Mather's first studio album after his time away was Relapse. A very different album full of lyrical punchlines and ludicrous accents to blend new words into incredible rhymes. Many did not understand what Eminem was going for and thought that he had lost his touch. But when you sit down and really listen to the lyrics to each song you will find that he never missed a beat, just switched it up a bit. The best example was in his song Insane where he reaches a new level of offensive lyrics and disturbing concepts but when looking closely to each line you can see the genious behind the madness.


Less than a year later Eminem released Recovery which truly showed that his talent never left. Each song is a lyrical masterpiece, throughout the whole album he raps much faster than in the past and with more intensity and passion than we've seen from him since Lose Yourself. In his past albums, each song was different and went from serious to playful, from dark to light, fast to slow, and from harsh to passionate. In just one album he would call women some of the most foul names possible but in another song deeply express his love for his daughter, profess his true love for Kim, and show a sweet side that he usually hides.


A very shocking change that I, a long time fan, found in this album was which other artists he chose to feature on his tracks. In the past he frequently collaborated with 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, D12, Obie Trice, and other rappers in the "Shady/Aftermath family". But in Recovery none of these artists were featured, instead he worked with Rihanna, Lil Wayne, and P!nk. A very suprising decision that Eminem kind of explains in his song Going Through Changes where he says, "My friends just can't understand this new me, that's understandable man".


In Recovery none of these patterns held true. Eminem released material unlike anything he's released in the past. Each song had the same intensity, the same fast paced beats with quick words so hard to follow you need to focus to catch the lyrical genius behind each bar. One thing that remains the same is Eminem's joy for the shock value, it's undeniable that Mr. Mathers has an uncanny ability to say things to grab his fans attention and say, "What the $%&#?"

The Recovery Tracklist follows:

1. Cold Wind Blows

2. Talkin' 2 Myself

3. On Fire

4. Won't Back Down

5. W.T.P.

6. Going Through Changes

7. Not Afraid

8. Seduction

9. No Love

10. Space Bound

11. Cinderella Man

12. 25 to Life

13. So Bad

14. Almost Famous

15. Love the Way You Lie

16. You're Never Over

(Photos courtesy of Google Images)