MARSHALL MATHERS TACKLES HIS MOST COMPLICATED SUBJECT... HIMSELF
Having spent much of the previous six albums indulging in musical mud-slinging against his family and famous contemporaries alike, Recovery finds Eminem fixing his critical gaze on the man in the mirror. He seems chastened by self-reflection and, like all sinners, knows he has to admit his sins before he can be forgiven.
'Talkin' 2 Myself' and the Dear Diary style of 'Going Through Changes', in particular, showcase this contemplative mindset.
Often, it feels as if we're eavesdropping on a psychoanalysis session. 'Not Afraid', for example, sounds like an exercise in self-affirmation. When not looking inwards, he's striking out. Wife, verbal punch-bag and “selfish bitch” Kim is on the receiving end, yet again, in '25 To Life', whilst Michael J. Fox and David Carradine are amongst the innocent bystanders cut down by his rhymes. Still, despite his best efforts on tracks like 'Cold Wind Blows', his propensity to shock has been diminished by familiarity. The misogyny and homophobia demonstrated here seems calculated, not casual.
At least the music has a captivating swagger. 'So Bad' exhibits a mean funk strut and the beat of 'Almost Famous' is intriguingly odd, whilst our man's rapid-fire delivery is as assured, spite-flecked and dextrous as ever. A limp duet with Rihanna on 'Love The Way You Lie' apart, the famous collaborators provide good value too, Lil Wayne upping the bad boy factor on the Haddaway-sampling 'No Love' and P!nk doing her impassioned rock chick thing on 'Won't Back Down'.
Judging by Recovery, Eminem feels that he's attained some measure of personal redemption. However, in terms of a full professional revival, he still has issues.
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The flow is assured yet Eminem’s obsession with himself starts to get old
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Featuring a blink and you'll miss it cameo from an O'Connell St brawl...
Read More Eminem announces the release of his new album on November 5 in a teaser on his website
Read More Slane is a venue that has hosted some of the finest names in the history of rock n'roll, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and U2 among them. On Saturday night, Eminem put on a performance that elevated him into the same league as the best of them.
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The rapper joins Alt-J and Deftones for the UK August events....
Read More The Tennent's Vital gig has taken on a real mini-festival vibe!
Read More Eminem has been confirmed as the first headlining turn at the Tennent’s Vital festival, which is back after a three-year break and taking place for the first time in Bangor’s Ward Park where Snow Patrol have previously played two 40,000-capacity homecoming shows.
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Read More Oxegen-bound Eminem has held onto the No.1 spot in the Irish album charts ahead of his appearance on the main stage on Sunday night.
Read More This time next week he'll be on his way to Oxegen!
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Eminem had his performance from the annual BET Hip-Hop Awards bleeped last night when the show was broadcast on BET because it included a reference to his dick in relation to rape.
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Read More After a hiatus of four years, Eminem’s album Relapse has gone straight into the iTunes chart at No.1.
Read More The Irish High Court has asked Eminem to testify about why he pulled his sold-out 80,000-capacity show in Slane Castle on September 2005.
Read More No, this isn’t a new Eminem album; rather it’s a slickly produced compilation of Shady Records artists masquerading as an underground/street mix-tape
Read More A record company spokesperson has elaborated on the “medical issues” that have lead to Eminem canceling the European leg of his Anger Management 3 world tour.
Read More There’s disappointment for Eminem fans with the rapper pulling the European leg of his Anger Management 3 world tour.
Read More The word from the States is that Eminem is planning to retire from live performance following his September 17 show at Slane Castle.
Read More Eminem and 50 Cent's double headliner at Slane castle has proven a massive draw card
Read More The Shady Records collective bring their Anger Management 3 tour to Slane Festival this September
Read More hotpress.com reveals exclusive news of Slane festival, plus forthcoming guests at Marlay Park
Read More hotpress.com has been informed by well-placed industry sources that this year's Slane festival will be headlined by Eminem.
Read More Could this, you wonder, actually be the record that sees Eminem the artist match Eminem the personality? The opening seconds of ‘Puke’ – the sound of, yes, someone puking – sadly answers the question.
Read More Just when you thought we’d lost Marshall Mathers to the dark side following his Oscar win (for ‘Lose Yourself’), he confounds all expectations by pulling a playful, wonderfully infantile track out of the air.
Read More ‘Just Lose It’ is the worst kind of Eminem record – a cartoon pastiche of hip hop that seeks to strike out at a number of targets but ultimately fires blanks.
Read More An hour and half hour set is peppered with some of his finest moments - ‘White America’, ‘The Way I Am’, ‘Without Me’ and ‘Lose Yourself
Read More In an effort to combat touts, MCD have put an extra 1,500 tickets on sale for each of Eminem's Punchestown Racecourse shows next week.
Read More D12, 50 Cent, Obie Trice, Cypress Hill & Xzibit will be warming up the masses at Punchestown
Read More Stop press: Eminem confirms second Punchestown show - and tickets are already on sale. Read on for details and relevant phone numbers. Quick!
Read More He may have ranked among the biggest-selling artists in the world in 2002 – but the ambition that has driven Eminem to pop’s dizziest heights shows no sign of abating with the release of his own biopic, 8 Mile. On track to becoming Hollywood’s latest darling, with all the attendant pressures and provocations that entails, will his art survive?
Read More ...but Eminem's finally playing Ireland, at Punchestown Racecourse in June. Read on for ticket details
Read More Dre's enchanted tinker-toybox is opened on only a handful of tracks, the rest are blunt axe-handle jams
Read More This album, the follow-up to the mega-selling The Slim Shady LP, is certainly one of this year's biggest rap releases.
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