If we can ascertain anything from Timbaland’s debut solo album, it’s that he’s got a hell of an address book. Given that his talents lie as a producer rather than a musician or rapper (although he does have a stab at the latter), Shock Value is stuffed full of famous names – Furtado, Timberlake, Elliot, Dre, 50 Cent, er, Elton John – all dying to give something back to the talent behind their thrones. If you’ve heard any of their records (apart from Elton maybe), you’ll know what to expect.
This isn’t the place for Timbaland to try any new tricks and what starts off as something quite thrilling rapidly loses its impact over the course of the album’s 19 long tracks. He does have a couple of goes at rock, roping in Fall Out Boy and, get this, The Hives – but the result is unconscionably messy. The only bright moment comes at the very end, with a bonus track featuring M.I.A., who proves that she has more wit, invention and spark than the rest of the stars put together and shows up the rest of the record for the uninspired effort it really is. Oh Timbaland, the opening tracks ask, where you going to run to? Try the bank and look for the bloke in a suit laughing.