bellanoche said:

don't sweat it. 2 years from now there'll be a new "new Prince" and people will be saying "hey whatever happened to that old 'new Prince'?" ... (that is, if they break up and Andre goes solo.

if they can get it back together for another album and the rest of their careers, he might have a shot.

despite the sublime perfection of Hey Ya, i don't think either of them is worth half a damn as an act on their own. together, i enjoy them very much.

After having heard the entire cd, I must say I really dig the cd. I will be buying this cd 4 sho.

I got to listen to the CD and I must say it is not as good as it might have been, considering Outkast's previous output. It is not even half as good as "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below". "Idlewild" lacks inventive songwriting and space. The concept of the piece (the 1930s, prohibition, blues etc.) wears out really quickly and becomes tiresome halfway through the album. The production values are not spectacular either. The music is repetitive and unimaginative. I really dug their previous album but not for the pop of "Hey Ya", rather for some adventurous forrays into jazz or successful mixing of genres. There is not much of it here, save for the final cut which eventually becomes unbearable due to the pitch shifting in vocals and dull melodic structure. "A Bad Note" is not even close to NPG's "Hallucination Rain" after which it takes a significant bit.

After a three-year gap they should have come up with something more compelling than "Idlewild".
[Edited 8/16/06 5:23am]

I love , love the album , it's the shit !!!

This should be No. 1

Glad they put it on myspace. Now I can save my $$$. I really like 3 songs on the entire album:

Morris Brown
In Your Dreams
Mutron Angel

the "Greatest Show On Earth" featuring Macy Gray is ok
and
"A Bad Note" would have been good sans the damn static effect


The segues must go, 'Dre trying to sing must go, N-bomb every other sentenace must go,



I'll get the songs I like from iTunes if they offer it there.

Over all: 3 for effort

2 for execution
[Edited 8/16/06 17:15pm]

good review 6
i'll give it 3/5
andre's singing is.....
big boi's fast paced rap style is.....

here's something i dont get about 'kast and their fans. perhaps someone can help me out. why do these boys get a pass on bs? let's take van hunt 4 instance. this man is definitely talented and wears his influences well unlike mr.3000 who sounds like someone who appreciates music, took a few music lessons, has a lot of $$, and owns a few instruments. van gets criticized for trying 2 be an "artist" and mr. 3000 gets praise 4 his 3-2 funk. why is that?

revolution75 said:

GREAT question. I'll like 2 know that as well.

Graycap23 said:

Go back to SouthernPlayalistic.... and all of the albums up through Speakerboxx/The Love Below. That's why.

Andre will likely never be a respected musician or songwriter-- that's not where his head is at. However, he was a great rapper and producer with a very creative mind. The industry always shows love for an artist that moves albums and continues to evolve (and move albums) He's also creative with his image which we all know is 2/3 (at least) of the battle these days.

You couldn't really compare Outkast to Van Hunt because their paths are completely different. In Van's case it (fame/appreciation) just might not be in the cards.

I heard most of the songs right now and I'm very enthusiastic! I really don't mind Andre's singing and I love his falsetto. And Big Boi's The Train is the shit.
I don't believe I'm saying this but some parts indeed have that Parade feeling(my alltime fav album!). I have a better feeling about this than Speakerboxx/TLB, wich I wasn't deeply in love with like most of the orgers.
But ofcourse, I have to listen to this a couple more times for a good review.

FruitToAttractBears said:

Just last week they had a free online"listening session" of the Idlewild album. I think it was like 25 songs, continuous play on their site, and they were adding tons of people a day to their myspace page. I thought that was good to have an actual online "listening session" for fans to listen to it before it came out. It's no longer available. I know Andre and Big Boi is suppose to be in NYC on Tuesday, 8/22 at Virgin Megastore in Manhattan. I believe the first 500 to showup by 9am will be guaranteed an autograph, for the 6:00 pm signing that day. The info is in the Prince non-music forum, that was posted there last Thursday I believe.
[Edited 8/20/06 20:40pm]
[Edited 8/20/06 20:42pm]

I can't believe Allmusic.com gave it 2 1/2 stars! I heard some of songs from the album and it is incredible, just from what I've heard. The Train is just off the hook and Andre's voice is fine with me (I'm not sure why some people aren't used to it). Morris Brown is one of my favorite songs this year, by far with Big Boi's amazing rap skills and the wild production going on! I'm definitely buying this sometime this week.
[Edited 8/20/06 21:30pm]