Timbaland Presents Shock Value

Timbaland | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 3, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B000NA26ZE
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,035 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #94 in Music > R&B > Contemporary R&B

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When the most exciting producer in pop music himself puts out a CD, the thrill is in the discovery: The world may have already suspected that Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, and a small army of other singers owed 75% of their fame to the stockpile of skittering beats Timbaland built and then graciously set them upon, but here's a chance to prove it. Or it might have been in less welcoming hands. Shock Value is a far-reaching and ambitious disc; a masterpiece, even, in its own way. But it's not at all self-centered. If there's a point being put across here, it's that Timbaland came by your vote as behind-the-scenes musical man of the hour honestly: pair him with Fall Out Boy or the Strokes, and he will not only provide tracks that surprise you by maintaining their rock 'n' roll integrity, he will also convince you that shimmer's role in rock music has, to now, been tragically misguided and miniscule. Re-team him with Timberlake and Furtado (for the near-flawless track "Give It to Me") and he will again trade vocal bites, but they will still be nibbly, not voracious. In a CD full of experiments and puzzles (why is Elton John just piano-playing, not singing? And how did the L.A. band One Republic end up on this disc?) a single truth emerges: Timbaland's taste is impeccable, but his judgment is even better. Shock Value, by virtue of its swirly beats and mesmerizing rhythms, will bring him a smidge closer to the spotlight. But because it's a disc of collaborations, he'll retain the shadowy-genius reputation that precedes him, and that he so richly deserves. --Tammy La Gorce

Product Description

Timbaland is already acknowledged as one of music's most inventive and distinctive creators. Yet the artist/producer's forthcoming album, just his second solo album, promises to shock the world. Timbaland Presents Shock Value (Mosley Music Group/Blackground/Interscope) is set for release April 3, 2007. The first single, 'Give It To Me,' featuring Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. 'My mission is to blow up the boundaries and tear down the limits,' says Timbaland. I'm taking my music outside of the box. I'm not getting away from what I'm known for; I'm just going to a place where it's all about the music, not about the labels on the music. That's why I call it Shock Value--from the artists to the production, it will shock the system. Guests include Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtadio, Jay-Z, Fall Out Boy, Nicole Scherzinger (PCD), Snoop Dogg, Lil' Wayne, Twista, She Wants Revenge, The Hives, Keri Hilson, Elton John and more. This is the explict version. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile purchase, April 3, 2007

By 

Benjamin Norman "Trance Pants" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Timbaland Presents Shock Value (Audio CD)

I'm torn, in listening to Timbaland's new album Shock Value, between being genuinely impressed, and wondering if it was all meant to sound very similar. Part of what irks me so much about Timbaland's productions is that his stuff is so accessible and recognizable, there almost isn't room for the artist to be themself. (Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right", for example) On this album, the beats rule. They are Timbaland's voice, his palette, his paintbrush, his paint...the glue that holds the entire operation together. It is his greatest strength, and I also feel his biggest weakness. Beats are great, but I feel they can only get you so far.

Timbo has about 5 radio hits nestled in this album, and some collaborations that will prove interesting in the future. He's discovered a fantastic singer, Keri Hilson, and stuck her in the album three times, once with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, once with D.O.E. and once with Sebastian. Each song showcases her considerable talent, and I am eagerly anticipating her solo album (as long as it isn't positively littered with Timbaland's beats). "Give It To Me", obviously, is already a hit since it features the vocals of two artists he can claim credit for being "HRN" (hot right now). "Release" is a fast-paced song that just makes you want to move. "Bounce" is a dirty silly song that is almost guaranteed to get some attention, but not because it has any real merit for anything. "Scream", the collaboration between Keri Hilson, Nicole Scherzinger, and himself. "Fantasy" brings up the tail, having a ton of intensity and a cutesy r&b chanteuse named Money.

There are some collaborations here that are questionable, like Fall Out Boy, the Hives, or She Wants Revenge. But what seems awkward at first seems almost second nature by the end of the disc. I am glad that Timbo took these excursions into different genres, because it shows a true open mind and a willingness to try new things. I feel that these collaborations could open up interesting avenues, musically speaking, to styles we haven't properly considered in the past. Now we have a reference. "What would happen if we put some hot r&b/hip-hop beats to this pop-punk band? Ah! "One And Only" by Timbaland and Fall Out Boy is what would happen." It's not a bad claim.

Again, a large part of me feels like I'm listening to the same song over and over with different singers, so I think Timbaland needs to spend a little less time with the drum machine and more time trying to make the song stand well if those signature beats are taken away. That will show his true lasting power as his own solo artist, I believe.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a waste of money at all, June 1, 2007

By 

Philip Masiakowski "phije" (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Timbaland Presents Shock Value (Audio CD)

Of course, what you think of this album may be largely dependent on your feelings towards songs like "Say It Right" and "SexyBack," since the Timbaland sound you will hear on this album is very much like his previous collaborations. Timbaland does a fair bit of self-recognition, which he deserves every minute of. He keeps the fresh beats coming, and he appears to have discovered a great artist in Keri Hilson.

Track-by-track?

01-Oh Timbaland: B (Great beat, decent lyrics)
02-Give It To Me: B (Very good music, awesome performance from Furtado and Timberlake)
03-Release: B (Timbaland & Timberlake both shine)
04-The Way I Are: A (Hilson sounds great and compliments awesome music)
05-Bounce: D (Not bad, but nothing exceptional)
06-Come And Get Me: D (I have the edited version, and it seems like I don't hear that many lyrics. Wonder what that means?:))
07-Kill Yourself: C (Very intriguing song with good music)
08-Boardmeeting: B (Old school collaboration with Magoo just plain works)
09-Fantasy: C (Catchy and interesting)
10-Scream: D (This track gets annoying after a while--and it's 5:41 long)
11-Miscommunication: C (Great lyrics)
12-Bombay: D (Very catchy--but seems misplaced)
13-Throw It On Me: C (Catchy and unique)
14-Time: D (One of the weaker tracks)
15-One And Only: B (Great blend of rock & hip-hop)
16-Apologize: B (Great lyrics, great music)
17-2 Man Show: C (Not half the nightmare it could've been)

There are seven worthy tracks on here and more that do well. None of them stand out as being horrible.

Great buy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Album...Thats All There Is To It, April 16, 2007

By 

Dave Asky (philly.pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Timbaland Presents Shock Value (Audio CD)

Off The Bat Top Tracks:
4. The Way I Are - Amazin Sound Great Production
11. Miscommunication - Danja Does His Thing For This One
12. Bombay - Change Up In The Music Style
14. Time - She Wants Revenge Props Great Song
15. One & Only - Fall Out Boy Adds Their Edge
16. Apologize - One Republic Defined The Flavor
17. 2 Man Show - Its Elton On The Piano Great Blend Of Composition

^^These Are The Tracks That I Can Listen To Over And Over Again

10. Notable Mention: Scream - w/ Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger
^^ Keri Hilson someone to look out for and ofcoarse Nicole Scherzinger is always amazing when she graces the tracks and videos.

Basically my favorite songs from the album are mostly the last ones(saving best for last).

Very nice production from the timbaland & danja group & their associates.
The only track i wasnt really feeling was 6. Come & Get Me, the rest that i did not menton where all great production wise and good vocally.

Timbaland deserves a lot of props for his continual excellence in bringing quality to the music industry.