So this is my opinion of the new double-disc Black Eyed Peas album The E.N.D. This is the first BEP album that I went out and bought, so you're probably wondering why this one? You'll also notice that I don't have ratings like my WO page - I'll leave that to you experts out there.
Okay, the philosophical voice-over is a bit deep. I hope they don't do this all throughout the CD like The Artist did with Gold.
Also, what is the deal with hardly anyone printing lyrics in their liner notes anymore? Are they like Seal, who says interpretations are personal and even he has been known to change them when he wants to? The Dutchess had them. Did other BEP albums have them?
Boom Boom Pow - Overall, I love "Boom Boom Pow". The high-pitched whine at the beginning isn't so great, but the techno break in the middle is the best thing I've heard in a long time. The Indian-style part at the end, too, is just insane. I'm glad this was the first track.
Rock that Body - Oh, seamless transitions, how you make ripping for your MP3 player an enjoyable annoyance. And an infamous 80's sample! Yay. EEK, is that Fergie being modulated??? Actually, it sounds like no one in particular. I do like it, though.
Meet Me Halfway is my absolute favorite song off this album. The desperation of the lyrics contradicted by the music really gets me. This is the song purists will use in their "Fergie smushed our Peas!" argument - but they will lose. Forget "My Humps" or "Shut Up", this is how you use Fergie in your hip-hop song. I can seriously see this song making a hip-hop hater into a BEP fan (I'm not talking about me, for me that was "Shut Up"). I will say, though, that the tweaked repeat of the first verse seemed unnecessary, especially since they didn't do it again for the second.
*People have been saying ModulatedFergie sounds like all sorts of people; Madonna, Nelly Furtado (might not want to repeat that one). To me, she sounds like she's about 12-13 again. Seriously, look up some KI season 4 or 5 on YouTube. Then again, remember that she's a good voice artist - perhaps she isn't being modulated at all!
Imma Be - I just know someone is going to make a mix of endless "Imma Bes"...
A very good Fergie verse right at the start (although I admit that I first mistook it for "Imma be on the next left", LOL) . I like how the song continually changes - WHAT! - and I know it was actually leaked instead of released, but it should be a single. After the Target commercial, I'm convinced BEP could make yellow and black look cool in a video if they wanted to.
(Edit to say: I'm surprised they didn't use yellow and black...but I do like the video we got.)
I Gotta Feeling - Did you pull the CD out and make sure you had the right one? I did, too. Like, OhMyGod!!! This song had to grow on me for a while before I finished this review. Now I've decided that it's a good party song.
Alive - It does have this late 70's/early 80's feel to it - until halfway through. I think it would make a good driving song, one with a steady rhythm that will keep you mellow when you're behind the wheel, you know the type...yeah, this is like a club mix of an 80's song. Oh, what's this? A techno break 4:26 in? Ooh!
Missing You - Wow, I might have to change my favorite song. Speaking of 80's revival, this one could be right off of Off The Wall. WTF, Fergie is now Michael Jackson?? Okay...here comes the techno-hop...we're back now. I like this. It's like...a video game with Fergie popping in every now and then with her moonwalking bit. All we're "missing" is that seizure-inducing lightshow thingy from "Rock With You" - remember that?
Seamless transition into Ring-A-Ling and some "Soulja Boy" style stuff for you guys. Did...he just call part of his anatomy a "ding-a-ling"? Or is it referring to sex? Okay, um, sure. Not for me. Next track.
Party All The Time - No Eddie Murphy jokes. Is there such a thing as Rock-Hop? Hip-Rock? This song is closest to "I Gotta Feeling" in rhythm, sound, and subject matter. If you like that, you'll like this. Oh, damnit, not tired old concert shoutouts! "Hands in the air...just don't care" and "Somebody say yeah!" are for live shows, not albums, guys.
The song then melts into Out of My Head with the infamous Fergie slur that is bound to be misinterpreted. Cool bass, though. This is another MJ-influenced song; Fergie's quite the smooth criminal. I was pleasantly surprised to find a totally Fergie song here. I've got a friend who is just going to die upon hearing this! In fact, he should teach BEP how to do that move that The Time always used to do...it would fit great in this song. LOL that was an unexpected bridge!
Electric City "I Want Candy"??
Ah, some FergAy, mon!
WHAT???? ON MY WHAT...???? AHHHH BAD IMAGE IN MY HEAD!!
FERGIE, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Okay...I'm okay....Kids, you must be 18 to visit Electric City!...I'll just be over here in the corner, in the fetal position, rocking back and forth...listening to my copy of "When I'm All Alone"...It hurts so bad... it makes you sad...
Just when I thought Wild Orchid's "On the Floor" was the worst thing I had to witness...well, there had to be at least one song on this CD that I didn't like.
Oh, God, I need something to rid me of that one...maybe Showdown. Yes, this is much better. More Hip-Rock. Good, too. A bit too current events though. In later years it might not have as much power. It's a bit like "We Didn't Start the Fire", only cooler. I like the countdown part.
Another Gold-inspired monologue to preface Now Generation. The song itself is good, mellow at first and then off to its John Cougar Mellencamp rant. If Mellencamp talked about nothing but the Internet, that is. Woodstock 2.0?
One Tribe is a sweet "Where is the Love?"-style song. I think this is better because it's not as depressed as it is inspired.
"...and our peace is sinking like Poseidon..." Nice.
Rocking to the Beat - Whoa!! Save the best for last, why don't you? Remember all that stuff about 80's and video games that I was talking about? This is an 80's arcade orgasm. (OH GOD BAD CHOICE OF WORDS AGAIN!! Ahem! No worries, I'll be fine this time, this song makes it worthwhile. )
Overall, that was a good CD and not what I had been expecting. This is going to get BEP tons more fans, because it definitely has wider appeal. Hell, I bought it, didn't I?
On to the bonus disc...
Where Ya Wanna Go - WOW! The teeny piano intro gives way to a eardrum-pounding first rap verse. Then Fergie rocks in with the chorus. Really good contrasts in this song. It just "wants to go" all over the place.
Simple Little Melody - Some simple little equations at
first. First Fergie teaches us how to spell, then BEP teaches us to add.
Edumacation!
No, seriously, this song is good. Anybody pissed about less rap on the main CD will
like this bonus one. Two minutes in, this song tries to kill you with some Kraftwerk-ish
techno - I love it.
BEP bitch!
Mare is a Caribbean march-type song. It's going to be one of those seriously requested songs at clubs. What does "mare" mean? Oh, it's Tagalog, I presume.
Don't Bring Me Down - Even more Hip-Rock. I like the message and the spooky "ahhhh..."
Pump It Harder - Picks up where "Pump It" left off, and starts out huge. Also more Latin. It's okay, but I like the original better.
The song quickly switches to Let's Get Re-started. As you can imagine, it's more techno now.
Shut the Phunk Up - now THIS song is more like 70's/80's R&B all of a sudden. Think Gap Band "You Dropped a Bomb on Me". ( are you getting annoyed with all my comparisons? Shut up!)
Now we have That's The Joint, which becomes jazz. Interesting.
Another meltaway into Another Weekend - it's one of those "storytelling" songs. I can't help but be reminded of (yeah, I know, it's almost over) Fergie and Nelly's "Where My Party People At?", as in people standing around rapping while Fergie swings in, in that outfit, with her 40's-blues-sort-of chorus.
Don't Phunk Around - This song was funny, anyway. Now it's got its own salsa band. Wow, it's full of samples!
The bonus video is LOOOOOONNNNG! It's the Peas talking about forming the group, Fergie joining, their favorite memories, videos, tours...just about everything.
Fergie's hair or dress keeps coming in contact with her mic, and so you get this shushing sound whenever she speaks.
Also, if you try to fast forward or rewind (you must hold the buttons down to do it), you get this hilarious chipmunk scramble! It's like what you see in movies or on TV when someone rewinds! I loved it.