Album's random assortment proves mildly entertaining.
Timbaland's album "Shock Value" is mediocre but not for the reasons you would think.
It's not like Timbaland is some A-list, amazing musician who just happened to be recording on a bad day. No, Timbaland shouldn't even be thought of as a performer; his reputation has been entirely built on his production abilities.
As such, his CD is packed with guest artists and his trademark addictive beats, but there's zero substance and no reason to listen to any of these songs more than a few times.
Still, the effort Timbaland has put into this album makes sense. After helping turn so many other artists into superstars (Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado to name a few), it's understandable that he'd want his share of the limelight.
The problem is that all those other artists have a hook, a special charisma that fans latch on to. Timbaland doesn't, and that's probably the reason he has been behind the scenes for so long.
The album's first single, "Give It to Me," demonstrates this problem perfectly. When I heard this song on the radio, I immediately assumed it was "Say It Right."
Seriously, listen to one and then the other, and you'll hear almost exactly the same beat. Then add the fact that Furtado is featured in "Give It to Me" (she does nearly all the vocals), and Timbaland's name might as well not even be attached to the project.
Most songs on the CD fall into this odd role-reversal scenario. With such a variety of talent - Furtado, Timberlake, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Fall Out Boy, She Wants Revenge, Missy Elliott and even Elton John - you often forget who's running the show.
The one good song based on Timbaland's vocals, the unfortunately titled "Kill Yourself," doesn't even contain one of his signature strong beats, and the chorus is just plain awful and almost ruins the song.
But with so many tracks (17 in all) and such a range of artists, it's inevitable that there are a few decent songs. The aforementioned "Give It to Me" is clearly the best, with "Bounce" following it for the traditional hip-hop crowd.
"Throw It On Me," featuring The Hive, is very similar to "SexyBack," but it's different enough to validate its spot on a rock-pop playlist.
"Apologize," featuring One Republic, comes at the end of the album and is a slow song with drawn out, uplifting vocals. It's completely unexpected and sounds nothing like what you'd expect from Timbaland, but maybe that's why it's so enjoyable.
Even with these five decent tracks, it's hard to recommend "Shock Value" to true hip-hop fans because most of the good content doesn't sound anything like Timbaland's usual music.
Instead, the collection of seemingly random collaborations crosses so many genre borders that it's difficult to think of a demographic to which this CD could be intelligently marketed.
The best option for casual listeners with only a slight interest in Timbaland would be to skim the track selection on iTunes and pick the ones that go along with your own musical tastes. The diversity of sound insures you'll find a couple songs you enjoy, but it also makes a full purchase seem like overkill.
