Customer Reviews

Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine (Clean)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I dig Cee Lo and where his essence lies. Rap is maturing and its artists, its prophets can start building on the foundation that has been laid and take time out to say something, love something, and challenge people to listen to some genre bending talents. Cee-Lo is clearly inspired by soul music and gospel music and he aims to deliver a message. He's a little quirky as a singer; Terrence Trent D'arby with a fuller tone and a lisp who usually hits his note but occasionally misses it. On the whole I find the vocals really convincing. There are some beautiful soul tunes on this album; you can't be a soul machine without one, I suppose. I especially dig "All Day Love Affair" and "Die Trying" as illustrations of Cee Lo soulsinger. "Live Again" is a prophetic challenge with its "are you sure your really living" hook.

Cee-Lo's got a more party side to this album that could get him some more radio play this time out. One of the tracks, "My Kind of People" is based on Musical Youth's lone hit "Pass the Dutchie" and could get some club action.

Jazz heads will dig Russell Gunn's work on the album. Russell Gunn provides backup horns on some of the tracks. "Art of Noise" is a nice jam that benefits from Gunn's stuff. Like Roy Hargrove's production assistance on a lot of Dangelo/Roots/Soulquarians/Common/Badu stuff, Cee-Lo gets some added sophistication by having a jazz head helping out with production. Most of the charts are pretty tight and there are some solid beats on the album.

So why only four stars? I really want to Cee-Lo just lose the battle rap/go for street cred stuff. "Evening Comes" begins a two or three song cycle where Cee-Lo's battle rapping and challenging the haters. Some of its amusing, but its a little self contradictory. Cee Lo seems fond of orbs. There's a mellow green orb on the cover of his last album and it jives with his spiritually relevant raps. Turning up the heat to full wattage with star power and battle rapping momentarily blinds you from his essence. I can't take tracks like "Scrap Metal" seriously. Lose Big Rube and just shine with your big ole beautiful self Cee Lo! Most of the other guests don't fully get in the way but I don't think they add much for me. We don't often get Ludacris rapping in 12/8 time and he adds his typical craziness. Cee Lo sings circles around Pharell in their collaboration on the next to last full track of the album.

I will say for all you Outkast fans that this is a great next purchase if you dig Speakerboxx/Love Below. In some ways Cee Lo's disc may be more consistent than Andre's even if it's not going to get all the chart success.

This is good, this is strong, and this is one way in black music the artist/entertainer can find hope in the market. I encourage you to dig the album.

Just know that I think Cee Lo can dig even deeper when he combines the honesty and "screw what people want from me" attitude of his first album with the better songwriting, and tighter hooks of this album. I hope he finds some encouragement and strength to sustain an even riskier effort in the future.

The man's got talent and he deserves your suport.

4.5 stars

this album is F-ing nasty. it doesn't have as much of the raw dirty south edge as perfect imperfections but its got the slicker soulful sound happening. people said he would do less of his singing stuff on this album, but its still in there. honestly, its a ton of original unique music. probably ends up being something like a cross between the love below and speakerboxxx. the track with luda is sick, the primo track is excellent as well. i HIGHLY recommend this disc. don't expect the last one, but its still some of the most original music out there. im usually slow to warm up to an album but i've only had it for about 12 hours and i already can't take it off repeat.

Cee-lo is BY FAR one of raps greatest lyricists. Shawdy is a genuine artist. His singing is OK. His words are nuthin but poetry, very potent; provocative and profound, also appealing to the conscious. He's a grown man in a boy's game. Frida Kahlo caliber, feel? Intimately artsy, what a album is SUPPOSED to be. Even manages to creatively make radio transition without dillution. A definate musical artifact amoungst the force-fed garbage on the radio, evidence of the last days-they literally hypnotise us with it, this album is a definate option, Artistry at its best, with or without garbage to compare it to, I feel if musicians were artists again, this album would STILL stand alone. Soul piercing. Peace.

Damn. Cee-Lo Green really is the Soul Machine. I gotta say this album is one of the best I've bought in the last year. The single with Timbaland is hot, and Cee-Lo's flow stays on point the entire album, whether spittin fire in a fast rap or swingin low on some soulful tune. The Art Of Noise is a personal favorite of mine, with a 70's funk feel and some great vocals and production.

For that matter, the whole album's production is amazing. Cee-lo's beats are great, but there are also 2 neptunes beats, and timbaland beat, and one DJ Premier beat. The song with primo is probably my favorite cut on the album, "Evening News"

If you're looking for soulful smooth hits, they're here. You also got your Hip Hop roots, a playful song with Ludacris, even a diss track ("Glockapella") Its all here, a very well-rounded album, go out and cop it today.

Cee-lo is someone I was completely unaware of until very recently. Goodie mob were not an act that stretched far beyond atlanta, let alone all the way to Ireland.
When I heard the first single of this album, I was absolutely blown away. I have never heard somebody move so seamlessly from a soulful voice to razor sharp rapping. timbalands production on this is one of his best in a long time, and the same can pretty much be said for the rest of the production on this album. It is polished, without taking away from cee-lo's rougher southern edges, and it is catchy as hell.
I cant say enough good things about this album. If Outkast are on top of the charts at the moment, then Cee-lo deserves to be right up there alongside them.

Cee-Lo returns after his soulful Imperfections CD to bring us one of the best albums of 2004. The single, "I'll Be Around," is funky. "Die Trying," my personal favorite and my recommendation for those interested to download, showcases Lo's ability to sing and rap. There are so many more delightful songs on his genre-breaking album. From the angry "Scrap Metal" to the reminiscent "When We Were Friends," you'll get a little bit of every emotion from Cee-Lo. In fact, that is why he is so good. That is why he is so soulful. It is because he pours everything into his songs, and the listener can always tell. Even songs like "Childz Play," which I feel are weaker than the rest (probably because Ludacris is on it), are listenable. Buy it!

If I could describe this album in a single word it would be "genius". That is what it is. Cee-Lo is one step above the rest of the game with this eccentric and clearly ecclectic and soulful album. With productions and cameos from many of the heavy-weights in hip-hop today, he as an artist has displayed his artistic views in an unconventional yet enjoyable way. I LOVE IT!!!!
My Favorite Tracks:
The Art Of Noise
Living Again
I'll Be Around
The One
Childz Play
Glockapella
Let's Stay Together

The only rule in the world of singer-rapper Cee-Lo is "there are no rules." The former Goodie Mob frontman explores every aspect of contemporary black music on the CD "Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine." Cee-Lo takes the listener on a musical journey though the worlds of R&B, rap and soul on tracks that transcend genre. Sometimes rapping, sometimes singing, Cee-Lo never fails to surprise and only occasionally fails to satisfy.

The general approach on "Soul Machine" is similar to fellow Atlanta musicians OutKast in its variety but Cee-Lo possesses an (sometimes outstanding) Al Green-like singing voice shown off on tracks like "My Kinda People" and "Let's Stay Together" (not the Al Green version). Unfortunately, Cee-Lo's rapping ability, though admirable, falls flat at the most inopportune moments, sometimes mid-verse. He really needs to stick to singing and spoken word. OutKast's storytelling prowess and ability to make cohesive radio-friendly compositions out of disparate elements are things that Cee-Lo should study, though he's getting closer than he did on his debut album "Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections" (2002) which was brilliant but unmarketable.

Bringing in the Neptunes and Timbaland on "The Art of Noise" and "I'll Be Around," respectively, was a stroke of genius. They offer Cee-Lo the kind of grounding that radio programmers desire and yet they allow him the freedom that he needs. Canned Cee-Lo is not an option. In less radio-friendly settings, Cee-Lo gets a little weird sometimes, but still makes good music. For example, the eerily beautiful "Evening News" show that tracks don't always have to make sense to be cool. "Glockapella" is also a little strange, but works well enough to merit a listen. These aren't even the best tracks on "Soul Machine" and they're more interesting than most contemporary rap singles.

There's no easy way to describe this album, but it is easy to recommend if you like R&B, rap, experimental music or need "something different." Buy it, listen to it a couple of times all the way through and allow it to sink in, and then decide what you think. Warts and all, it's easily the most interesting rap album of 2004.

WOW, Cee-Lo Green is one of a kind. He should make more albums often. One word to discribe his music and cds is PHENOMENAL. The cd has different types of music and sets different types of moods. I for one am greatful the music industry has a perfomer so versatile.

This album is a must-have for the people who representin' the dirty south and to everyone who is down for the down home southern soul. I recommend this album is better than his debut album. It will make you put his debut album in the back burner! The reason why I said this is because the beats are tighter and into a different level than the music released as of today. I am very impressed of how Cee-Lo snaps when he raps. Don't get me wrong, his singing ability is tight, too. My most favorite track of this album is "Living Again" because of the production of the track and the message behind it. I suggest you to cop this album!