Common - Universal Mind Control
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CD Details
Artist: CommonEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2008-12-09
Music Label: Geffen Records
Soundtracks:
- Universal Mind Control (Umc)
- Punch Drunk Love
- Make My Day
- Sex 4 Suga
- Announcement
- Gladiator
- Changes
- Inhale
- What a World
- Everywhere
Music reviews of Universal Mind Control
Music Review: Some High Points, Some Low Points; A Mixed Bag
Rating: 3 Stars
Lately, the collective of Kanye West, John Legend, and Common have been on the experimental side. All three have resulted in albums that have fallen short both critically and commercially. Sure, 808s & HEARTBREAK is clearly not a true Kanye West hip-hop album and it did debut at #1 with 450,000 copies, but 450K is a big break from the 957,000 or the 860,000 that had greeted Kanye West's last "hip-hop" albums. Common's UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL is certainly a bit stronger than 808s & HEARTBREAK, but then again, UMC is a true hip-hop album. However, Common has slipped from the time of 2005's masterpiece BE up until 2008's average UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL. The main problem is an identity crisis with this album. Other problems are that the production work is sometimes a bit too busy or ornate and the production hence pushes Common, a very credible MC, to conform to the gimmicks of the production-work. All in all UMC doesn't turn out to be a failure, but it certainly isn't the triumph of either BE or FINDING FOREVER, both two very strong Common albums, with BE being the best.
"Universal Mind Control", the title track produced by the Neptunes is brilliant, but is a shock to Common fans waiting to here more intellectual, cerebral rap. It is by far the most effective track of UMC. "Punch Drunk Love" isn't bad either, but it can only aspire to be as great as the title track. It is good to hear Kanye West honing in once again on his prodigious rap talents as opposed to the auto tune and other effects that pervade that talent on 808s & HEARTBREAK. The Cee-Lo featured "Make My Day" is OK, but not my cup of tea. Cee-Lo sounds fine here, but even he sounds flat on this cut. "Sex 4 Sugar" finds Common dumbing down his flow for more commercial sounding rap. This track is, like "Universal Mind Control" a standout, even though it is 100% out of the character of the veteran MC. The production is sick (thank the Neptunes) and while it does have Common conform a bit much to club-driven hip-hop, it is one of the standouts from UMC.
"Announcement" featuring none other than Pharrell Williams proves to be strong, preserving some sense of an intellectualized Common as opposed to a 'sex-driven' Common. "Gladiator", also featuring Williams, is even better and is vintage Common in the driver seat. "Change" (Feat. Muhsinah)is ultimately forgettable, but "Inhale" reinstates what little fire that Universal Mind Control set aflame. The final two cuts, "What A World" and "Everywhere" fall short in comparison to the best tracks. When there are only ten tracks and the final two are filler, that certainly hurts the scope of the album, which is the case of UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL.
Sure, UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL is a stretch for Common, but the true question that a Common fan must ask is "why"? BE went gold (almost 800,000 sold) and FINDING FOREVER gold as well. It is unlikely, no matter what commercial concessions that Common makes that UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL wont go platinum. Maybe Lonnie was just tired of being intellectual-rapper Common and he just wanted to get 'his groove on'. The effects are mixed, but perhaps there are some redeeming qualities in UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL that will only show the test of time, or the Billboard Album Chart. 3 stars.
Description of Universal Mind Control
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.Pop CDs
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