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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unpredictable? Hardly., January 15, 2006
I'd like to say from the start that I've got nothing but love for brother Jamie. I've followed his career from the early days of "In Living Color" and "Booty Call" and genuinely admire the way he seems to have moved seamlessly from stand up comedian, to comedic actor, to serious actor (and Oscar winning glory). He's obviously a multi-talented dude and he obviously works very hard. Props to him.
I had no idea he had released an album prior to this one and was swayed into buying this (and the huge mistake of buying it without listening to the sample clips) by his recent work on the movie "Ray", his appearance on the Ray Charles TV tribute show and his recent contributions to songs by Ludacris and Kanye West. I was also suckered by the rumours I heard that he was taking it back to the 'old school days' and then, of course, there is the title of this CD.
Unpredictable? I don't think so. For me this is as predictable as tomorrow's sunrise. The theme is predictable, the choice of collaborations, is predictable, the inner sleeve notes that double as a poster fold-out are predictable and I could go on and on. The CD is basically full of the one track minded banality that men half Jamie Foxx's age (and with much less than half his talent) are putting out there.
That said, these guys are all selling multi-platinum, so what do I know?
Lyrically there is absolutely nothing here for me and musically, we're doing only slightly better. The title song is so so but Ludacris (whose stuff I'm crazy about) lights it up with a few verses. Mary J. Blige does her thing as only she knows how on "Love Changes". "Extravaganza" is equally interesting although I could've done without the Kanye West verses. "VIP" was the biggest surprise until I checked the inner sleeve notes and found, as I suspected, that it samples a Herbie Hancock song. Foxx makes a good job of balladeering on "Heaven", a song reportedly dedicated to his daughter, and the final song "Wish You Were Here" not only has sentimental value, it also sounds pretty good.
On the whole though, I found the CD dull, facile and without any real feeling whatsoever. But I guess that's R&B in the 21st century for you. Judging by the rave reviews he's received here though, (not to mention the fact that he's number one on the Billboard 200, Hot/Pop and R&B/Hip Hop charts this week) it would seem that my opinion is definitely in the small minority.
But it's still my opinion and I stand by it. I've given him 3 stars (and have decided not to take this straight down to the 2nd-hand CD store in town) because, as I said, I have love for the brother and who knows? Maybe in time, one or two of the songs on this CD might actually grow on me.
So. If you like your music current, with mass appeal and with a focus primarily on sex, this is a CD for your collection. If on the other hand you're looking for something a little deeper and with a flavour that's a little longer lasting, I sincerely doubt you'll find it here.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jamie Foxx truely is "Unpredictable", August 10, 2006
What can I say, Jamie is and always will be talented. I never have let the fact that Jamie, being a great actor/comedian forshadow that he can sing. A lot of people don't take his music seriously because he's an actor and/or comedian....Nah, that sounds more like an excuse to me.
Anyhow, "Unpredictable" is a very ballad heavy album, and that's not a bad thing either. This album has a lot of great songs. Unpredictable is definatly a must buy album!
My favorite tracks in order:
Track 10: VIP 10/10 Great beat, great lyrics/vocals...I just love songs with violins in them.
Track 7: Extravaganza 9/10 Catchy song, great lyrics/vocals with a nice rap peice by Mr. West!
Track 1: Unpredictable 9/10 Great first single. Love this song and Ludacriss rap verse adds.
Track 2: Warm Bed 9/10 Another great song, nice dance feel to it. Party jam.
Track 11: Do What It Do 9/10 Great slow jam, love this beat. great vibe and lyrics to match.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good but not great, December 24, 2005
I'm not sure of how many albums Jamie Foxx has produced over the last few years, but clearly this is the most highly publicized of them all. He was on just about every talk-show there was this week like a promotion-machine. I heard half the album on TRL and Oprah alone. Jamie, of course, performed "Unpredictable" live on both shows, which he spices up a little with a different bridge... unfortunately that isn't the one on the album.
Nevertheless, the album's title track "Unpredictable" is a good choice for the first single. It's one of the best songs on this album, with a sample-laced beat that is sure to get you to at least snap your fingers. The lyrics aren't all that great, but Jamie makes up for it with his vocals, and the arrangement here is also pretty well done.
However, each time I listen to "Unpredictable", I wish that the song was longer. First, because it's a fun song. Secondly, because it'll at least stall until the album's second track "Warm Bed" comes on which is anything but unpredictable (Sorry for the cliche). "Warm Bed", along with many other tracks on Foxx's album sound very familiar, which is disappointing because you expect so much after listening to "Unpredictable".
As I listened, while reading the liner notes, I began to wonder how it takes three or four people to pen mediocre songs like "Warm Bed" and "Three Letter Word", and then have Jamie, on his own, produce a jewel like "Heaven".
Maybe that is the problem here. Foxx's album seems so overproduced that it comes out very commonplace, and at times boring. Even the album's guests can't save some of these songs, "With You" featuring Snoop Dogg is one these. What is Snoop even doing in this song? It's evident again as you listen to Timberland-produced "Can I Take You Home". The beat is killer, but it sounds so much like a Jodeci song that I have to turn it off. Don't get me wrong, I loved Jodeci, but what I want here and now is Jamie Foxx.
Occasionally you get Jamie Foxx. His song "Heaven" is a smooth and beautiful ballad which he says was written for his daughter. The lyrics, written by Jamie himself (and only Jamie, Thank God), are absolutely mind-blowing. This is the kind of Jamie that you'd hoped for after hearing "Unpredictable".
A few other songs that work for Jamie are "VIP" which has mellow and soulful sound to it, and "Extravaganza" which features Kanye West. It's clear here that Kanye and Jamie really gel in the studio. The sounnds very original and Jamie is vocally at his best, in my opinion. The lyrics are also quite catchy, clever and comical to me... (I had one too many drinks/ and ended at the Embassy/ with this pretty lil thing). It sounds like the perfect storyline for a one-night stand.
Another song that works on Foxx's "Unpredicatable" is "Wish You Were Here", an ode to his grandmother. The song is so genuine that you might actually be moved to tears. Like "Heaven", it is a slow song with personal subject matter, and I think that is when Foxx is at his best.
I hope on his next album Jamie Foxx includes more of the piano and lyrics of his own. I'll take Jamie with a piano solo and a silky smooth ballad over a raunchy Jodeci-esqe song anyday.
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by Jamie Foxx 
