I am very disappointed in this album. The Eminem Show is such a strong album, I wish that this one was at least a strong followup.

Here's my theory - he's not angry anymore. Whereas the anger on TES was real, this is manufacturered. I do remember an intereview with Em about 18 months ago where he said that he didn't know how much longer he could do this. One of the main reasons he gave was that he just wasn't that angry anymore, and he was actually pretty happy.

he's grown up.. life is pretty good for him now.. he has his kid, he has money, he's done with Kim

After a couple listens, I really like the albums.

It's definitely not as good as The Eminem Show, but it's still very good.

I like 6 tracks. Most albums, I like 1 or 2 tracks, so for me this is an excellent album. That's why I LOVE streaming services. For $10 a month I get to listen to all the new releases I want and then it's $0.80 a song. It's awesome.

What is funny on his last cd he said he was the new Ice Cube. He was still angry last cd this cd he does seem to be more happy. Oh well they were both great when they were angry.

I'm not impressed with the disc as well. As DVD Josh said, he's lost the venom and anger that made the other albums big sellers. I don't wanna hear Eminem be happy, I like the angry white guy who was pissed at everyone.

He did that with Em Show/8 mile and countless underground albums the last 3 years,im glad he went back to the Slim Shady LP type tracks,it's refreshing to here him and laugh threw every song like SS LP was,now it's not as good as Em Show but your asking him to do the impossible by repeating with another flawless album,I like the new album though now bring me 50 cents and Obie's new one's and im set for the year.

It is selling well.

Although it was legitimately available for just three days during the sales reporting week, Eminem's "Encore" moved enough copies to easily bow at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. Released on Friday in an effort to combat widespread piracy, the rapper's latest Shady/Aftermath/Interscope set sold 711,000 copies in the United States through Sunday, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Street date violations, when a retailer sells a disc prior to its official release date, also contributed to the album's sales.

Albums typically hit stores on Tuesdays, allowing six days of sales for new releases. It has become common in recent years for labels to move up release dates or to issue major albums on off-cycle days to thwart pirated copies.

The two-week story of "Encore" will likely rival that of 2002's "The Eminem Show." That set also managed a No. 1 debut on the strength of 285,000 copies sold in an off-cycle release week, then followed with 1.3 million in its first full week of sales, the fifth-biggest sales week in the SoundScan era. The set has sold 9.3 million to date.

Terrible CD, glad I didn't buy it, Eminem comes out as a "Big Weenie" on this one

Did anybody read that ridiculous 4 star review by Rolling Stone? I'm telling you, Eminem could fart on a record for half an hour and Rolling Stone would give him a great review for being "groundbreaking" or "edgy". As much as I sound elitist here, I'm really not one of those guys who, if one disagrees with my musical preferences, I will look down on them or whatever, but you really have to wonder if Interscope is to Rolling Stone as Benzino is to the Source.

My favorite tracks:

Yellow Brick Road
Like Toy Soldiers
Mockingbird
Crazy In Love
Curtains Down

I haven't read that review, but that rating seems pretty high relative to much of the others of this disc that I've read. I'm still working my way through the record, but so far I hardly think it deserves the 0 (out of 10) rating that Stylus gave it (there's a lengthy comment section following the review where the merits of a "0" album are discussed).

Rolling Stone's a joke, anyway. They can't do a Top 100 (or whatever number) list without throwing Nirvana in there. I swear, they could do a Top 100 Influential Old School Hip-Hop Songs of the 80s list and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" would be in the top ten. (The same goes for Spin magazine, too - but I'll cut them some slack since they have Chuck Klosterman as a writer)

Yeah, by no means does it deserve a 0 out of 10. I guess after a few listens, I would give it a 5 or 6 out of 10. Not horrible, but definitely not classic material.

Thats just it the more and more I listen to it the more and more I like it,I hated it my first listen,and when your talking about classic albums sometimes it take's a long time to really feel it,now im not saying this album is a classic by no mean's but baseing your reveiw after just a few listens is garbage reveiws no matter who is reveiwing it period.

I like the Marshall Mathers LP better than the Eminem Show and this doesn't reach the level of either, but it's still good.

I'll have to give Encore a couple of more listens, but every album of his so far there are 7 or 8 songs I really like. Looks to be about the same here...

Love My 1st Single and Ass Like That.

Mockingbird isn't as good as his other 'I Love Hallie' songs, but I love the line near the end about breaking the bird's neck if he didn't sing. Wasn't expecting that, and made me crack up and start coughing...

JP

Yeah i agree, the MM LP is his best, theres some classic stuff on that album! Heres how ill rate them:

1. The Marshall Mathers LP
2. The Eminem Show
3. The Slim Shady LP tied with Encore

Em isn't worthy enough to hold Cobain's jockstrap even when dead.

I agree with you to an extent that a true "classic" comes with how an album ages and gets better with multiple listens, but on the flip side, it's pretty easy to immediately tell when something is definitely not a classic. All the listening time in the world won't convince me that the annoying "flows" that Em has taken to using for the majority of this album aren't irritatingly horrible. The album has 2 or 3 very good tracks and about 4 or 5 tracks that are worth listening to for the stellar production only. Just my thoughts at the time.

considering Cobain is six feet under,you might be right.

Here's what's really disappointing for me. I think that We As Americans and Love You More are INCREDIBLY strong tracks. It makes me think that, like DMB's Busted Stuff, the album they scrapped was better than the one they released. I'd still very much like to hear what else they did scrap from that session. I bet it's very good stuff.

When Eminem's had the kind of success he's had, he falls into Michael Jackson/Thriller territory - how can you top yourself? You can't. But as long as he stays true to himself (and stays away from plastic surgery ) he will survive.

DVD Josh has a great point,We As A americans is my favorite track and it wasnt even on the final cut,same with Bully which was suppose to be on Return of Slim Shady that later got scraped because of bootlegers,now I dont have a problem with that but at least release the songs because there to good to pass up,ive heard about 5 songs that where suppose to be on his album that later got scrapped that blew me away,now im hopeing Detroit Underground Vol.7 will take care of this but I want those songs.

Anybody have a link to a site that lists the various Eminem songs that aren't on the major releases? I have a few of the 'rarities' but I'd like a list.

Thanks.

JP

Last week, coming back from Best Buy, was the first time I listened to it. It started off, I didn't like the first song. Thought the second was okay... and I found myself skipping through a lot of the cd. I was pretty disappointed. But I left it in my player because I"m too lazy to take it out, and after a few spins, I'm loving it. Many solid tracks on here that got a lot better with multiple listens. I like these tracks a lot:

Ass Like That
Encore
Toy Soldiers
Mockingbird
Never Enough
Puke

The rest are still good to listen to. ALthough I'm really not that fond of "My First Single," I think it's the clicking that goes on constantly, I don't dig it. I'm also getting pretty sick of the skits he keeps throwing in, I think they've lossed their charm.

Overall, I agree with it not being up to MM LP & Eminem Show, but I think it's a solid follow-up. (8/10)