Shock Value 2 (2009)
Album Scan
By Arik Cohen
I think the greatest compliment I can give this is that it's not nearly as bad as we were expecting. Nobody was expecting anything from this album, which might be the first time people had lowered their expectations for a Timbaland-produced LP.
But then again, people aren't used to this new Timbaland. Just like how the sketch-writers on SNL secretly want to be performers, it seems Timbaland secretly wanted to be a pop star. Being able to keep himself by the keyboard has worked wonders for Timbaland. As the Pharells and Diddys of the world crumbeled under their own comical self-worth, Timbaland was able to embrace his inherit goofiness without pretending he was anything more than he was. That's until 2006.
It was in 2006 Timbaland reignited his flame with two hit pop albums: Furtado's Loose and Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds. The latter of which is a new classic. Timbaland was all over those albums, just below the amount that would be too much. You have to give him credit for keeping that fire at bay until his own project, Shock Value, hit stores.
Shock Value 1 had enough hits to stay afloat, but at what cost? Timbaland is a body-builder muscle man now? He's a hardass? Since when? This didn't work for Busta long term and I don't think it'll work for Timbo. But then again, I never knock an artist for changing their sound so long as it's good, and Timbaland is able to do something almost voodoo by hitting the low so good.
It's like he had so much fun showing everybody that he can do it better, that he wanted to play at their level. "Sure you're doing great things, Timbaland! But can you do well in the world of LCD, lowest common denominator shit-pop??" Well he can. Shock Value 1 showed he had some mastery with LCD, but what we didn't know was that it was just a transitory album to this one. That one was pop diluted by his rap-roots. Shock Value 2 is his full thesis on concentrated LCD pop.
So you can't look at this thing as a rap album, or even rap-pop fusion. This is a $20 cover, females free before 11 dance floor hit factory. Timbaland finally embraced what it was he's trying to do, and you have to at least give him credit for that.
In fact, listening to it with that context, and it takes to track 8 to find a complete dud: The skitso single "Morning After Dark" with Furtado and SoShy (who?). Looking through the track you might think I forgot "We Belong to the Music." I didn't. That's right, His collabo with Miley Cyrus actually kinda works. The song might as well be called "Bacon with Wings."
Before the weak section of the album, we have a sequel to Justin Timberlake's hook on Shock Value 1's "Bounce" in "Carry Out" which works more than it should, and what might be the album's MVP: "Tomorrow In The Bottle" featuring Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger and Timbaland's brother, Sebastian.
Wait, that can't be right. The guy who flicked off the audience in that famous Nickelback-booing youtube video and Timbaland's little brother join a pop-drunk Timbaland on the album's MVP? Yes. I know, I can't understand it either. To bring back the previous joke, this song should be called "A Frosty Winter in Hell."
But this is what I'm saying: As cheap, dance-floor junk food, this album works pretty well, and manages to show range to some artists we previously haven't seen it from.
The second half has a few misteps. Besides "Morning After Dark" you have "Marching On" and "Undertow" showing you what the album could have been. Hell, go back to the leaked tracks that weren't leaked tracks at all, like "Rumors" that I previously reviewed here. Do you think -- ? No, do you really think Timbo released those to set us up? Maybe.
"Timothy Where Have You Been" comes out of left field to be a fun, introspective, ego-stroking time. It starts with some acoustic guitar from Jet that we would normally think of as a sample if it wasn't for his direct reference to Timbaland. It leads directly into a strange, inspirational pop balled hosted by Timbaland for Timbaland about Timbaland. He actually raps for maybe the only time on the album and recaps his career path, reminding me of his work on "People Like Myself" from his second album with Magoo, Indescent Proposal in 2002. And again, let's rename this one "Monkeys Flying Out Of Timbaland's Butt."
And "Ease Off The Liquor" is the perfect exemplary track for Shock Value 2. It starts out like late-90s dance, which you assume it is until Timbaland starts doing his chant-hyping. For the next six minutes Tim Mosley takes you on an epic quest of acid-laced dancing. In the six minutes he manages to get a few different hooks, Justice-style chops, references to Foxx and T-Pain's alcohol hook, and even Mariachi music. It feels like a Girl Talk mash-track, all brought together by Timbaland's chanting, starting with a simple Terminator-recalling "Timbo is back, babe!"
Sure he's back, but as what? He's more machine now than man.
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