Aone10 wrote:Blogs McGooch wrote:Aone10 wrote:I listened to Encore in it's entirety on a long drive today.
Didn't you used to say Encore was trash yet is still better than Recovery?
Nah, I've always rated it a strong 7. I was one of the first members on this forum to make an argument for Encore being better than Recovery.
The deluxe version is an 8/10 tbh.
I consider it one of Eminem's best produced albums (along with The Eminem Show and Relapse) and also appreciate it's gloomy tone and cohesion throughout. It's easy to shit on what is objectively wrong with the album and use it as a reason to dismiss it as garbage, but I find it artistically brilliant in it's own way. The album stays true to how Eminem was feeling at the time and his story wouldn't be complete without it.
By 2004, Eminem had already become one of the biggest names in the history of hip-hop and one of the best selling artists of all time. His personal life was going to shit, he was exhausted from beefing with countless artists, Shady records was the busiest it had ever been with 50's rise, and he was carrying the burden of living up to expectations set by his first three major releases (his music leaking around this time didn't help the cause), so he vented and collapsed.... and it's all on record for us to experience.
There were some painful and honest records on there that really gave us insight as to how he was feeling about certain situations in his life (Like Toy Soldiers, Mockingbird). There were some troll records on the album that I can argue are innovative in their own way, as Eminem made those records with the intention of them being terrible. Big Weenie is objectively one of Eminem's worst songs, but it's a joke being played on Benzino.... he's telling him he can make a song as stupid as Big Weenie and it'll still be better and sell more than anything Benzino puts out. Rain Man follows the same concept, only he's trolling his fan base for leaking his music. He can make a whole song "not saying shit" and we'll still buy it. Then My 1st Single is a troll on Interscope.
At face value, it's easy to bash on those songs... but there is definitely some satire and sarcasm that can be appreciated there. Eminem knew he was pilled out of his mind towards the end of Encore's process, but he pulled one last trick out of his hat, and it was all his mental capacity could allow at the time.
Encore is the climax in Eminem's story prior to his hiatus, with the falling action being everything after (curtain call, re-up), ultimately leading to his full blown addiction and hiatus.
He closed that chapter in his life and began a new one once he decided to sober up and get back into the spotlight.... but as we all know, Encore could've very well ended up being Eminem's final studio album had he not turned his life around.
That gives it a certain eerie mystique every time I listen to it.
I can actually really appreciate this justification, and from that perspective I could see why you enjoy the album as much as you do. However I still disagree with you.
Songs like 1 Shot 2 shot, Evil Deeds, Ass Like That among others still have lackluster verses. Even taking some of these songs as satire and trolling they're still sub par at least lyrically speaking regardless of the intention.
I feel that even though the production is worse overall, all of Recovery's verses despite the delivery and despite some corny lines, are all better crafted and better constructed than the majority of Encore. I also prefer the loudness of Recovery to the droning on Encore.
I know we'll disagree on this until the end of time, but we don't have to agree, and if you enjoy Encore more power to you, I wish I could. Not liking stuff especially something by one of your favorite artists isnt typically a good feeling.
On a side note, I get a kick out of Puke, a guilty pleasure for me, and I think Mosh is a genuinely good song as is Like Toy Soldiers. I also like Love You More and We As Americans.