Universal Mind Control

Common | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 9, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B001DNQSNG
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,702 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Explicit Version. Grammy Award winning artist Common returns with his unique brand of cutting edge Hip Hop on his 8th album Universal Mind Control. The 2008 album on the G.O.O.D. Music /Geffen label is executive produced by multi-platinum producers The Neptunes & Kanye West and features the Neptunes on the bulk of the production. The lead single, 'Universal Mind Control' is a club hit and a radio add for Urban & Rhythmic Crossover. Common has been an actor on the big screen for the last two years in critically acclaimned films, Wanted, American Gangster & Smoking Aces, plus a co-starring role in the 2009 blockbuster Terminator 4.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sell Out, December 10, 2008

By 

Bum Phillips "Mike" (Philly, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Universal Mind Control (Audio CD)

This album is wack. Common is a poet, a great lyrists. One of my favorite MCs of all time and last I'd expect to sell out. This album goes against everything he is good at. He tries to make club hits on this album. His single entitled "Universal Mind Control" feat Pharell is annoying..he says he "stays fresh like hes wrapped in plastic" and continues by saying how hes "fresh and gettin paid". only song I can enjoy is "Make My Day" feat Cee-Lo. This song is 1 of 3 not produced by the Neptunes. On the "Annoucement" feat Pharell he calls hip hop his bitch. What ever happened to "I Used to Love H.E.R"? Sorry Common, but after this album I kinda wish you just stuck to acting. For true hip-hop heads go cop "The Pre-face" by Elzhi or "Tronic" by Black Milk.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I Have It But Trust Me I Did Not Spend My Money, December 21, 2008

By 

Keith A. Jones "Sonic Jones... I'm Kind Of A ... (Philadelphia PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Universal Mind Control (Audio CD)

Those are definitely words I thought I would never say about Common Sense who is one of the greatest to ever do it. But man oh man, I guess when you've been around this long that you'll have one or two of these misses. This is not the first time he's done the short track list deal but "BE" was not like this. Universal Mind Control has some heavy songs on here and a couple of my favs being "Punch Drunk Love" and "Make My Day". Now here's where the problems come in and I'm sure plenty of others have said this. Half this album is as weak as the Detroit Lions season this year and the other half is on a much much higher level.

The production with the corny tracks start you off in a bad mood and you don't even want to listen to the song after that. "Changes" doesn't even really sound like a Common track, honestly a few of em don't. Then of course you got the hot "Universal Mind Control" which was a nice first release and "What A World" is pretty good also. Lyrically the album is not one of his strongest. Common almost seems to be loosing himself a bit over the past year or two.

Really I got this album for "Universal Mind Control" and "Punch Drunk Love", there were more mediocre and bad tracks on here than I've ever heard from the man that was thought to have more sense than any rapper in the game. So get it if you want the few songs but my advice is find a way to get it without paying full price.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There is some heat but then there is some....... (3.5 stars), December 9, 2008

By 

Kurupt "God-Body Reviewer" (chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Universal Mind Control (Audio CD)

WACK ISH on this album. Common comes with a fairly short album of ten tracks. Stand out tracks that i immediately go to are PUNCH DRUNK LOVE, ANNOUNCEMENT, and GLADIATOR. The songs I absolutely hate are MAKE MY DAY, EVERYWHERE, SEX 4 SUGAR, and CHANGES. Common got a little too experimental again on this one similar to how he got on Electric circus. So with me the album is 50/50. Half dope, half experimental/WACK. Half the beats/songs are dope, the other half are weird and WACK. Its really gonna come down to how experimental you are in your taste of music if you will accept the weird half of this album. if you are looking for the effort of the last two Common albums in this album, you will be disappointed.