Customer Reviews

Curtain Call: The Hits [Vinyl]

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

Let’s all hope that this isn’t really the final curtain call for the multi-talented rapper Marshall Bruce Mathers III. Launched by Dr. Dre, Eminem has stamped his distinctive style all over the rap genre, winning nine Grammies and an Oscar for his innovative beats and flow, and of course his controversial lyrics have kept him in the spotlight one way or the other.

This is his fifth album, the first Greatest Hits compilation, and includes three new songs as well as most of his hit singles from “The Slim Shady LP”, “The Marshall Mathers LP”, “The Eminem Show”, “Encore” and the “8 Mile” soundtrack. It also includes the live version of “Stan” performed at the 2001 Grammy’s by Eminem and Elton John. The one omission that comes to mind is “Superman”, and also maybe “Encore”, but there are enough hits to make most people very happy.

The new tracks are “FACK”, a funny track that more than earns a PA warning, the infectious “Shake That” (featuring Nate Dogg), and one of the best new songs around - “When I’m Gone”. Lyrics from “When I’m Gone” strongly hint that Eminem may be taking a break to spend more time with his daughter and niece, and he also may be working on expanding his production portfolio.

“What happens when you become the main source of her pain

"Daddy look what I made"

Dad's got to go catch a plane

"Daddy, where's Mommy, I can't find Mommy where is she?"

I don't know, go play, Hailey baby, your daddy's busy”

This album represents the very best of Eminem, plus a couple of excellent new tracks. Highly recommended.

Amanda Richards, December 6, 2005

I could not wait for this album to be released, mainly for the new songs which are some of his best. I knew that this album would blow up huge which it is currently. The songs on here that are Eminem's top hits are perfect to be combined into one album. I honestly could not find one song on this album which is not a great listen. I have bought all of Eminem's previous albums and none of them disappointed me in anyway. There was some controversy about 'Encore' being a bit 'off-touch' on Eminem's behalf. I thought Encore was equally as good as the others and he did a very good job with the album. I just don't think people are used to Eminem's new sort style he has. It's clear that there is a difference between that and his older songs and people probably didn't adapt to that change. It's sad that Eminem is not continuing on with any solo work but hopefully we continue to hear his music on other rapper's songs, etc.

I couldn't believe how good the bonus songs on this album were. 'When I'm Gone' is an excellent song that shows how his relationship with Hayley has been throughout her life, and a great video to go with it. 'Fack' was DEFINITELY up there with his best ever tracks. Although it is very crude and rude i could not care less as it is so catchy and the rapping on it is phenomenal. I didn't think much of 'Shake That' in the beginning, particularly because there wasn't much of Eminem on it but Nate Dogg really does do a good job as always and is also catchy. Another magnificent track. The live version of 'Stan' is unbeleivably well done. I thought it would only sound good with a female singing but Elton John also does a good job in this. After hearing this it made me consider getting some of Elton John's music. He sounds amazing in this song. I strongly suggest that this album be purchased as it is a good compilation of his best and put together well. If you are a fan of Eminem, indeed you will like this. I presume that anyone reading this who does like Eminem already has this album because otherwise you would be missing out.

1. Intro- I dont rate Intro's/Skits

2. Fack- When I first heard this I really didn't know what to think. It's no where near better than past songs but provides few laughs.

(2/5)

3. The Way I Am - Of course you know this song. In where Em tells the media to f**k off. I personally love this song.

(5/5)

4. My Name Is- One of his most annoying songs ever next to The Real Slim Shady and Just lose It. But it is was his first single and was in my music rotation to the point of I got sick of hearing it.

(4/5)

5. Stan - Guy obsessed with eminem. Writes him. Eminem doesnt write back. Guy gets mad and drives off of a bridge with his gf in the back seat. Eminem writes guy back. Eminem realizes the guy he saw on the news was Stan. Simple plot. Great Song.

(5,5)

6. Lose Yourself- Has a great message. To never give up on your dreams and to take an good thing when it comes to you. Also shows conflicts from the movie 8 mile interjecting with conflicts that Em was facing at that moment in his career.

(5/5)

7. Shake That- Not really lyrical but a song to dance with your friends to.

(4/5)

8. Sing For The Moment- One of my favorites. I love this song! Talks about what he goes through with fans/media/Kim cheating. He really puts it in a way that everyone can understand.

(5/5)

9. Without Me - Even though It has the same formula as My Name Is, Without Me is far less anoying. I often find myself riding in my car with my little nieces going crazy, dancing to it.

(5/5)

10. Like Toy Soldiers- Trying to stop the beef with Ja/Benzino. Shows that he is just trying to be the bigger man by stepping away.

*Sadly In The video the person who got shot and died was Proof of D12, who if you don't know just passed away by getting shot at a night club. R.I.P*

(5/5)

11. The Real Slim Shady- The video is amazingly funny and still cracks me up to this day. The song eeh. Okay lyrics.

(5/5)

12. Mockingbird- A song to his daughter showing why him and Kim are not together. A really touching song, that made me wish I had a dad around when I was growing up. You can truly see that he loves his daughter.

(5/5)

13. Guilty Conscience - "Dr. Dre, Mr. NWA, Coming Straight Outta Compton Ya'll better make way" hehe. That line still cracks me up.

(5/5)

14. Cleanin' Out My Closet- A song to his mother which supposedly ended their relationship. In it Eminem suggests that his mom suffered from Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. A mental illness that makes parents (often mothers) make their child sick / makes their child undergo painful tests to get some attention for themselves.

(5/5)

15. Just Lose It- You all know it. "Grab your right nut make your left one jealous." Good song to go crazy to.

(4/5)

16. When I'm Gone - A song to show why he is stepping away from the mic. Because of the guilt from leaving his daughter and niece for the stage.

(5/5)

17. Stan- A live performance with Elton John.

(5/5)

Curtain Call is a greatest hits collection from Eminem that shows why he is one of the biggest selling artists of the last few years. Eminem's albums have always been stuffed with some goofy filler, but this album distills down his best moments and shows his artistic greatness. "Stan" is one of the most haunting songs in the past twenty years and stands as his crowning achievement. "Lose Yourself" has anthem like qualities with it beat that pulsates to the breaking point and it won an unlikely, but well-deserved Academy Award for best song. "My Name Is" shows off the class clown persona that would become his trademark. The album has three new songs the best of which is "When I'm Gone" which is an exercise in the psychodrama that is his other trademark. Eminem has suggested that he is leaving the music business for good ("When I'm Gone" suggests this as well) and if he does, the music he left will definitely leave its mark on the musical landscape.

This album is not bad at all. I was suprised to see people rate it 1 or 2 stars. But I guess it's understandable, since some of these people don't even know how to spell "controversy" (hint: press control + f and search for "contreversy"). THe only reason why I'm giving 4 stars is because not all the new songs are that great. But When I'm Gone is just so damn good. Eminem definately has some of his old sparks left in him. Well done.

A collection of his Greatest Hits, however I feel a few others could have made it on here like "Superman" and "Drug Ballad", but ah well.

Still a nice CD to have and the guy deserved to have one after his years of strong work. I would have to say though you'll never get the full effect he has without getting an actual album cuz to be honest, some of his hits can't hold a CANDLE to songs like "Who Knew" and "Still Don't Give a F***". Either way, nice to have except nowadays most people already have these songs and can put them on their iPod which defeats the purpose.

Oh and there are 3 new songs. "Shake That" feat Nate Dogg (who ironically is on it more than Eminem), "When I'm Gone", and "Fack". "Shake that" is bomb as hell Em and Nate do they thing, "When I'm Gone" is good, deep...but a bit depressing/emo to really bump a lot, and "Fack" is just....ridiculous, sounds like some bad Encore cut. Also interesting enough they feature a live version of "Stan" with Elton John, nice to have too but really makes no difference because the original is on there too.

Overall, nice if you don't have an iPod, if you do I'd still download "Shake That" on iTunes if you haven't already.

Ok, so I'm an English major, and my Psych Prof disses Eminem, but I dig it. I thoroughly enjoy this CD, and it has not been removed from the car CD player for days. Personally, I think there is a lot more going on in Eminem's head than he gets credit for. As a student of Anthropology and Psychology, I also detect a lot of Social Commentary in his work. He seems to be sort-of a musical equivalent of Stephen King (another guy who received little credit for his genius for a long time).

Don't tell the Professors, but I recommend Eminem (aka "Slim Shady"); this CD is groovin' and addictive. He has a unique flow and rhyme scheme. I also recommend his other works and videos.

In my opinion this cd features some of eminem's greatest hits

However, it can be better.

I say take out fack and shake that because they suck

replace them with some better songs

such as white america,soldier,etc.

overall though I still like this cd

It is already known that Eminem is the most commercially successful rapper, who has brought a different twist to Hip-Hop even if it can be attributed to the fact that he is a White rapper or that he is a character rapper (Ludacris, Missy Elliott) or the fact that he raps about different topics that most rappers would not even think to explore. With his four studio CDs (Slim Shady LP 1999, The Marshall Mathers Album 2000, The Eminem Show 2001 & ) and 8 Mile, the soundtrack, Emimen has sold enough CDs to fill the state of Texas and netted a host of hit singles. This is a compilation of all of his top singles except for Superman. Now, most of these songs many have already heard, but it is a pleasure to have all of these hit songs, many of which are awesome musical pieces, assembled on one CD.

The new songs are Fack, which is produced by Eminem and has that trademark Eminem sound that is unique and eccentric; Shake That featuring Nate Dogg and produced by Eminem, it is another song that is trademark Eminem but it fulfills another side of his persona as it is more serious than the parody-laden Fack; and When I'm Gone as produced by Eminem, which fulfills another component of Eminem's multi-faceted persona as it talks about his daughter, Hallie's, missing him while he's performing and his vow to return to her and take a break from music. All of these songs are pretty good, and When I'm Gone made a little noise at the end of 2005 on radio charts.

Overall, Emimem is a rap phenomenon as can be evidenced by the fact that there are even college courses that are centered on Eminem. It is difficult for some to decipher which side of Eminem they are getting on a song. Is it Slim Shady? Is it Marshall Mathers? Is it Eminem? Or is it a combination of all three? Some of my favorite cuts are Superman, The Way I Am, the impressive & creative Stan featuring Dido, Lose yourself which is uplifting and motivating to young people to reach for the stars, Sing for the Moment which does the same thing, Like Toy Soldiers, Mockingbird. This is a nice add-on to anyone's collection to observe the artist that is Eminem. Even if all of these songs have been downloaded, it's still good to have them in one collection. I wonder if this is Eminem's curtain call or is it just the curtains closing only to soon open up to a new, more mature Eminem.

When I heard about Eminem releasing a greatest hits album, I was kinds skeptical about that. I mean, Eminem and a greatest hits album? It just doesn't sound right, since he is still making great music. But, due to the periods of exhaustion and rehab, it was time for him to actually take a break from the industry. What better way to start his break, but by releasing a greatest hits cd. When I bought it, I was pretty impressed by what was on the album. All of his songs that grace radio airwaves and music television are on the album. But, the most impressive songs that appeared on the album, were the three brand new songs. "Fack" is a tongue & cheek, slim-shady style of song, that may make you blush in either disgust or in embarrassment. "Shake That", which features Nate Dogg, or was it the other way around? Whatever the case, its a more of a party joint, something that is quite different from Eminem, but his production has grown and is becoming more respected. And finally, my favorite song, "When I'm Gone" is a somber song, probably discussing why he is probably taking a break from being a solo artist. These songs are what makes up "Curtain Call".

In addition, if you buy the limited edition album, it includes a "Stan's Mixtape". What is that you ask? It is an additional cd that includes 7 songs that are hardcore. Three songs are from the "Slim Shady LP", one from the "Marshall Mathers LP", and three songs from others albums that he was featured on, such as Notorious B.I.G.'s album "Born Again" and Jay-Z "The Blueprint". Overall, this greatest hits album is even better if you get the limited edition album. This is worth buying, if you are the die-hard Eminem fan or for those that just like the songs that have grace the airwaves.