cletta1201's Full Review: In Search of... [PA] by N.E.R.D.
This review contains some sensitive material that some people might not want to read
I haven’t been this angry about buying an album since Janet Jackson’s All For You or Destiny’s Child’s Survivor. We’re well into 2002 and I’d say music is in a pretty stagnant state. There aren’t enough really good albums coming out, which allows mediocre scum to rise to the top of the pond while innocent consumers like me pick it up on accident.
I like the Neptunes, I really do. I think they’re clever producers who have managed to infiltrate every aspect of the music business, I’m just waiting for them to remix a Dixie Chicks song and then their total musical domination will be complete. The Neptunes can’t really be classified as any one type of music and I think that was the angle they were going for. Unfortunately – the fact that they aren’t consistent (coupled with the fact that this album sucks) is a major losing point. When one thinks of The Neptunes, I think the first genre of music that would come to mind would be hip-hop. Well, they fooled the hell out of me, because this album is so far from hip-hop. It’s like progressive poser rock and roll with an iota of hip-hop thrown in to draw in suckers like me. To be honest, I can’t think of a hip-hop or straight R&B album that came out in 2001 that the Neptunes didn’t touch, so I was thinking if they were so good on everyone else’s album – they’d probably be good on their own. WRONG!
The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) going by the name of N.E.R.D (an acronym that stands for No one Ever Really Dies..yeah…sure) got together along with their friend Lee Harvey and scrapped the first version of their album In Search Of in order to go back to the studio and use only live instruments. Somehow they’ve become disillusioned into believing they could be viable artists – and well they got my $8.99 this time, but I won’t be misled again.
There are 12 tracks on this album. 11 of them are garbage. Since I don’t feel the need to expound on each and every one of the tracks, I’ll pick the most blatant offenders and the one good track. Since the good is so hard to find – let’s start with that. Lapdance was the first song off the album to be a single and was released in the summer of last year. The video was so racy that it was only shown in the middle of the night on shows like Bet Uncut (stay up to 3 am and be amazed). Allegedly this song is supposed to be about the parallels between politicians and strippers. How both of them do anything for money, “getting into bed” with their cohorts. I’ll be honest - I liked the original version of this song, but the live instruments and “rock out” factor of this version is kind of fresh too. I could have got this on audiogalaxy although I do NOT condone mp3 pilfering.
Now. The heinous line-up. Okay, those of you who are familiar with slang might not know this but Brain is slang for fellatio – female to male. ”Do I really even love you/ Or do I love your brain”. If you listen real closely – you’ll catch on. This song hurts me – I mean I could laugh at a song about oral sex, but this one is so terrible. There’s basically one guitar riff that’s used throughout the whole song and it’s so annoying starting at about, oh the beginning of the song.
Truth or Dare is really questionable. Featuring Kelis and Pusha(who sounds JUST LIKE Jermaine Dupri), this one features the same thing as Brain a really repetitive guitar riff, only broken up by Kelis’ vocals. I really like Kelis, so I’m kind of sad that she would be on this song. I wish I could tell you what this song is about, but I can’t really focus when it’s playing.
Since I’m on a roll, let’s talk about Run To The Sun. I really don’t know who told Pharrell that he could sing, but he can’t – and he shouldn’t. Okay, another confession. I don’t mind him on hooks – but on a full-fledged song – it hurts me, and hurts me bad. A psuedo “love song” - if my man dedicated this to me, I’d smack him.
Baby Doll sounds like it’s played by 6th graders who want to be like Blink-182 when they grow up. Similar to if they got together in their parent’s garage and tried to “rock out”. Not convinced? Here’s a sample of the lyrics; ”girl you don’t know what you are/ you are my baby doll/ you are my compass star/ you drive me up the wall/ girl you don’t know what you mean/ you are my everything/ you are my alien/ from s-p-a-c-e”. Say what?
On another track, the Neptunes ask a question - Am I High?. The answer is you must be to have made this album. I can only surmise that this is some kind of evil joke put together by Virgin Records to recoup some of the money they lost in the whole Mariah Carey and David Bowie thing. What a sick bunch of people they have to be to release this to the masses. I’ve only kept this album long enough to review it, I’m selling it back to my music store as soon as I can and even though I’m only going to get $4 for it, it’s better than nothing which is what I have now.
Tracklisting
1. Lapdance featuring Lee Harvey and Vita
2. Things Are Getting Better
3. Brain
4. Provider
5. Truth Or Dare featuring Kelis and Pusha
6. Tape You
7. Run To The Sun
8. Baby Doll
9. Am I High featuring Malice
10. Rock Star
11. Bobby James
12. Stay Together
Great Music To Play While - It Isn't Don't Play It
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