Outkast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below *Full Review*

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Psilo707

Complete O.G.
#1
Jun 25, 2002
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Gimcheon, South Korea
www.seoulhunter.com
#1
Listened to both disc's about 10-15 times through now this week, and finally finished the review. Been waiting for this one for a while and I think you'll be pleased with the outcome:



Big Boi's Disc:

01. Speakerboxxx Intro [N/A / 10]
The intro to the CD starts it off with a funky beat that will pave the way throughout both CD's. There are no lyrics, just some female vocals repeating "Speakerbox... Speakerbox...". Good short intro.

02. Ghettomusick [9.5 / 10]
Outkast instantly starts it off with a crazy, unique style. It's different than anything we've ever heard from anyone before - even from them. The first section of the song is an extremely quick beat with the chorus overlapping - "Find a way to get out or wit out or hit out ya dig in ya dig out ya get out, ghetto music... ghetto music". Right after this, the song switches up for the first time and has some junglish sound effects in the background as Big Boi speaks some words. This doesn't last long though, as the high-BPM beat kicks right back in with some funky shit. Through the song, there are points where the beat totally stops and an R&B style mood kicks in with some strange voices talking. Overall this song is exactly what I wanted to introduce me to the new style that Outkast is about to come with...

03. Unhappy [8.5 / 10]
The mood flips a little bit and a softer song kicks in. Lots of sound effects going on in the background and Big Boi hits it off with a smooth flow that matches the beat perfectly. This song talks about making the best in life and having fun while you can. Someday the "happiness" will be done and you won't have any more chances. A lot of good flows and lyrics in this song and I'm feeling it to the fullest.

04. Bowtie [9.0 / 10]
Wacky beat, wacky sounds, and sort of reminiscent of Aquemini in a way. A lot of horns and voices accompany the slow, smooth flow. This is music at its finest - an indefinable genre (Simply because there are so many styles in one song) of pure rhythm and funk. It's an overall laid back feeling, with the climax of sounds at the chorus. Another hit.

05. The Way You Move [8.0 / 10]
This song is a bit slower than the few before it. The beat is well produced, with a constant chop sound adding to the eerie background sound effects. Boi raps over it smoothly and in the standard Outkast method - possibly a little further away from the mic to keep him more in the background though. At the chorus, the song picks up some power and instruments kick it off in an R&B & Ska type sound. Good track.

06. The Rooster [9.0 / 10]
Only Outkast could make a song beginning with such a tone and keep it somewhat-serious. This is one of my favorite beats on the CD. It's mysterious yet humorous at the same time - and the horns are still here! They seem to have gone instrument crazy on both discs, and it is usually for the better. Positive effects. This song is nothing less than heat.

07. Bust [7.5 / 10]
Killer Mike gets a bit of exposure in this song, being Outkast's prodigy and all. He starts it off with some darker, deeper flows, but still matching the style perfectly. The production on this disc is genius - no less. The song is a bit more gangster than most of the material, as the lyrics are slightly less happy than what we have seen so far - definitely more serious. But that does not take away from the overall appeal of the track. Good cut.

08. War [7.5 / 10]
The first half of the song is a little bit of a slower tune with a more sinister beat. Boi raps for a minute then female vocals of "Tick... Tick Boom" etc., referring to the little time left we have before war consumes everything. The whole song switches gears after a minute or so, but it keeps the same depressing-feeling tempo. The flows are good, the lyrics are great, overall a good song.

09. Church [8.5 / 10]
One of the "semi-singles" from the CD. It has been on the radio for a little while, but doesn't have as much rotation as it should. The beat is an upbeat active one, which seems to ask the question of "Why" in itself, even without the lyrics supporting it. The whole song is asking why we are here and what the point is. The chorus sounds great, with a female vocalist singing over a choppy but smooth rhythm. One of the hits.

10. Bamboo [N/A / 10]
An alright skit with Big Boi's son talking into the mic. His father asks him what his name is and why is he is in the studio. Sort of long, and I don't see myself listening to it much... but at least a funky beat was added to the background while the whole thing is going on.

11. Tomb Of The Boom [8.5 / 10]
This song keeps the same beat as the previous interlude, but switches it up a little to support a real song more. Definitely feeling the hard hitting sound. The first rapper to come in is Konkrete - he has an alright verse but it could have been better. The chorus is average. Big Gipp comes in second and spits some mediocre lyrics, not feeling him too much. But next comes Ludacris and he tears it up. I hoped Luda would stick to his more classic style and he did just that - great verse. Boi's final verse is a good one too. Overall I had mixed feelings about this song but I think it deserves a good rating.

12. E-Mac [N/A / 10]
Short interlude. 30 second filler.

13. Knowing [9.0 / 10]
I like this song a lot. The beat is sort of junglish with a lot of stuff going on in the background. It's a Big Boi solo - both verses and chorus, which are both superb. Lots of talking about women and consequences. Nothing less than a quality Outkast song.

14. Flip Flop Rock [9.5 / 10]
This one features Killer Mike and Jay-Z, and although I'm not much of a Jay-Z fan, he adds to the song a lot. He does his little Roc A Fella chant and Big Boi comes in quickly to tear the mic up. The chorus has a lot of high pitched sounds on a fast paced background beat. Boi doesn't stop - he absolutely rips the verses up. Killer Mike comes in next and spits a good verse too - feeling it. The last verse belongs to Jay Z and I have to give him props for this one. He goes well on this beat and finishes off the song with a bang. One of my favorite songs on this disc.

15. Interlude [N/A / 10]
Voice talking about Outkast. Just a brief skit with strange noises "flying" around in the background.

16. Reset [9.0 / 10]
Starts off very slow with hand claps in the background. And stays very slow throughout the song, with an R&B tone to it. Pianos and shell-sounds going off in the background. A very soothing song, even when Boi comes in with his smooth verses. They definitely did right by putting this song near the end of the CD. Also featured on this song are Khujo Goodie, and the always humorous Cee-Lo. I like both of their verses; they go with the song well.

17. D-Boi [N/A / 10]
Another interlude. Not interesting at all. Just talking.

18. Last Call [9.0 / 10]
It seems like every hip-hop/rap album coming out these days has to feature Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz. This one is no exception - the difference is that they sound tight on the Outkast beats. Slimm Calhoun and Mello are also featured. This song is sort of a party-type song, with Jon screaming his heart out in the chorus, and the beat with some uplifting effects. It's basically talking about alcohol - the last call - in a club or wherever. Great overall.

19. Bowtie Postlude [N/A / 10]
Some jazzy sounds going on in the background as the final interlude ends the Big Boi CD. The comedown to a 56 minute climax. The end of the trip.
 
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Psilo707

Complete O.G.
#2
Jun 25, 2002
7,421
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Gimcheon, South Korea
www.seoulhunter.com
#2
Andre 3000's Disc:
[Note: This CD was extremely hard to review because of its multi-genre and nearly non-existent hip hop/rap sound. I rated every song based on quality of listening, and how well put together the song was. Lyrics and flow are rarely considered, obviously.]



01. The Love Below Intro [N/A / 10]
Some piano starts out Andre's disc, with him sort of singing over the tunes. Very Frank Sinatra-esque.

02. Love Hater [7.5 / 10]
The first song of the album starts out with more piano and jazzy funk. Long time Outkast fans will instantly begin to ask what is going on - Andre is singing through the whole song. In no way, shape, or form, is this a hip-hop song. There are some drums going on through the chorus that add to the background, and overall it's not a bad listen. I just don't see myself listening to it a whole lot.

03. God [N/A / 10]
A long interlude with Andre talking to God about different things in life. Waste of time. No one needs to hear this. Skip.

04. Happy Valentine's Day [8.0 / 10]
The disc picks up a bit here with some harder hitting beats and a good Soul feeling. Most of the song is generally slow, with Andre talking/rhyming (Not rapping though) over the beat. During the choruses, instruments and female vocals kick in, and it adds to the mood of the song. This is better than the previous couple of tracks and I find it to be a pretty good musical listen.

05. Spread [8.5 / 10]
Organ's fill the background, creating a darker mood at the beginning - but the song instantly flips itself and horns and vocals create a funny atmosphere. The beat is fast and Andre finally begins to flow. This is the kind of stuff I was waiting for. The chorus is pretty good and the singing doesn't get annoying. Overall good.

06. She Lives In My Lap [7.5 / 10]
This song is filled with an eerie beat which remains throughout the singing of the entire thing. It's produced with a lot of different crazy sound effects in the background, and doesn't let down the current mood of the disc. Once again I don't see myself listening to this all that often, but for the time being, it is a pretty quality song.

07. Where Are My Panties? [N/A / 10]
An interlude of both the woman's thoughts and Andre's thoughts the morning after. Sort of humorous... but skip.

08. Prototype [5.5 / 10]
A full-length R&B love song. Andre puts down some singing about the woman "being the one", over a slow-lovey beat. This track is really hard to rate because it's even less hip-hop/rap than the rest of the songs on the CD, which are already extremely different already. I don't like it but some might. Average.

09. Hey Ya [9.5 / 10]
Ah... finally. A track fully worthy of the Outkast name, and the current single on the radio. I'm really feelin' this one. The beat is funny, a mix of something from the circus and something from Mars. Andre raps (in a way) over the funky sounds and the chorus is a definite climax. Don't skip this one - there's a reason this is the single. Everyone at a party will like this one and I can see it being played in clubs already.

10. Roses [9.0 / 10]
A pretty good follow-up to the previous song, and one of the better ones on the disc. Starts out with the standard piano playing, then kicks into a half-R&B, half-Jazzy beat. Andre flows smoothly and slowly over it until the chorus, which talks about women (or, a woman specifically) who think they are cleaner
and more desirable than they are. I enjoy this song.

11. Good Day, Good Sir [N/A / 10]
An interlude with a fiddler playing the violin and talking to Andre. Skip.

12. Behold A Lady [8.0 / 10]
A futuristic type beat kicks in and Andre says some strange things to begin. The unique rhythm continues through the song and Andre sings/raps through most of it. The bass line is good and the production was done right for such a song. Another one of the better ones on the CD.

13. Pink & Blue [6.5 / 10]
"Age Ain't nuttin' but a number", the quote rings out at the beginning of the song, which obviously sets the stage for what the song is about. After the intro, it turns into a junglish song with bongo drums going on in the background. But to counter the drums and make it totally wacky, a synthesized background noise comes in and stays, changing itself with the lyrics of Andre. This one has lots of slow singing and I wasn't feeling it too much.

14. Love In War [6.5 / 10]
Another loving, anti-war song. The beat is alright; a little faster paced than what we have mostly seen. Andre sings over it, with little variation in lyrics. Production is good, but overall package is
mediocre.

15. She's Alive [5.0 / 10]
Piano/Organ starts it off, followed by a depressing rainy beat. Sounds like sand is being poured onto the mic. This one is a slow song filled with more singing. At this point, I don't know how much more I could take while listening to the CD straight through. You really have to like older funk/soul/R&B to keep up with it until now. This song is not very good.

16. Dracula's Wedding [8.0 / 10]
Back on track, somewhat. The beat is a little more active and the chorus actually sounds reminiscent of Pink Floyd type climaxing. The guitar is great, and the lyrics sound pretty good as they are hiding in the background a bit. When the female vocalist begins her singing halfway through, some crazy sounds kick in that I would only expect to hear in a trance track. A good song.

17. My Favorite Things [5.0 / 10]
Piano, organ, drums. And tons more... lots of instruments going on at different times throughout this song. That coupled with an extremely fast paced beat in the background make this song unique. There are no vocals though, and things tend to get old after the first couple of minutes. Mediocre at best.

18. Take Off Your Cool [7.0 / 10]
The beginning of the come-down. Slow paced production mixed with female vocals and a lot of guitar. Andre comes in after about halfway through the song but doesn't add anything we haven't heard from the disc already. Average. I'm digging the guitar though.

19. Vibrate [7.0 / 10]
An inverted beat with some eerie sounds kicks in, followed by piano (again). They both stay throughout the song though and rarely get switched up. This 6.5 minute monster probably should have been shortened down, but it's not too bad of a song. Andre has some positive sounding vocals, but doesn't switch up the lyrics that much. Mixed feelings about this song, but it's an alright final track to the disc.


Final Review: We all knew that Outkast's new CD was going to be filled with never-before heard originality and uniqueness, even before it was announced. It's usually a given. They are always on a totally different level than every other artist(s) in the game - not necessarily a better level, just different. This double-disc album is no different, and even takes the level to an extreme that no one could have predicted. Not only do both individual Outkast member's have their own separate discs, but Andre3000 has ditched rap as a whole totally. Those looking to buy a double CD of pure rap enjoyment might be disappointed with half of it, which is purely funk/soul/R&B, etc. Not to say that this is degrading to the music of Outkast... it just requires a different type of listener to connect with it. It's not music that I generally listen to, but I found it to be somewhat entertaining for the duration that it played. Definitely well produced and thought out. On the rap side of things... the Big Boi side of things... we have a disc full of quick, smooth flows over hard, funky beats. While the lyrics themselves are not anything we haven't heard before from
Outkast and other artists, the style that they are presented in are yet again fully original. It's all so quality of music that it's hard to distinguish any songs that totally stick out from one another. They are mostly all top notch.

Final Thought: To those looking for good Hip Hop music on a different level (both technically and stylistically), then this is a definite purchase for you. Another classic release by Outkast.

Disc 1 Score: 95
Disc 2 Score: 85
(Not Averaged)
Average Score: 90
Package/Total Bonus: +3

OVERALL RATING: 93 . A
 
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SocialResponsibility

Sicc OG
#3
Apr 25, 2002
5,314
2,066
113
42
#3
i feel u

disc 2 is fuckin weird, maybe even a lil too wierd for me, and im a big outkast fan..........disc 1 is pretty tight.. its coo. i just think andre got a lil bit too weird, you feel me......i mean, andre nickatina got a lil crazy on some songs but were still tight.....andres disc is just weird
 
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Darkshowdown

Sicc OG
#5
Feb 8, 2003
22,839
1,850
0
#5
This shit is weird.
But for some reason I love this album its tight as fuck. I love originality. I'm feeling Disc 2 Andre 3000 a little more than disc one Big Boi maybe because Dre is singing on some funky ass Porno beats.

OutKast changed the game once again.
 
azryda420

azryda420

Sicc OG
#13
Jun 23, 2003
5,126
4
0
44
#13
This cd fucking sucks. Dont piss you money away on it. If you want some outkast go by southernplayalistik. If you already have that dont piss you hard earned cash on this one.
 
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