Its probably more appropriate to talk about these guys in the pop forum now days, but Ive been a pretty big fan of Outkast since before Stankonia. Their old albums are really good and their new one is very interesting but after having it for a few months, Ive got to say that it doesnt do for me what their older albums did for me.

To me, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is daring, brilliant, fun, catchy, subversive, experimental, unstoppable, and severely, severely flawed. Some of the better single-disc recombinations of it show that it at least contains the best Outkast album in the group's career, but whether that means that it is the best one in and of itself is up for debate. I would say Aquemini and Stankonia are both stronger, though S/TLB is brilliant in its own way. If they make it to another album, I'd love to see what they come up with.

I'm not sure what track order would make it flow best but I'd use these songs from SB/LB

from the love below

Happy Valentines Day
Spread
Hey Ya
Roses
Dracula's Wedding
She Lives In My Lap
Prototype

from speakerboxxx

Ghettomusick
The Rooster
Bowtie

Well, I'm game for hijacking the thread for SB/TLB mixes. Though it was something of the national sport towards the end of last year, and is now sort of an outdated hobby.

Personally, I would amend some things in that list. "Happy Valentine's Day" and "Roses," IMO, are some of the weakest songs on TLB. I would replace them with "War" and "Unhappy."

I'll think about a tracklisting later.

Im really suprised at how awesome Speakerboxxx is. I really listened mostly to TLB because I thought it was the better of the two because Andre is the more experimental and creative one, but the other day I picked up SB and put it on. I was amazed. The first half of it is friggin fantastic.

SB is the less flashy, less audacious, and more consistent brother. It also seems to make the more lasting long-term impression on people, though TLB is the one that hits everybody first.

It kinda worked the other way for me. I started out preferring SB, but LB was the one I kept listening to. I wish Ghettomusick was on LB so I could throw the other disc away. The first half of SB is good, but the second half is ass. "Last Call" would have been good, with its squealing synth sound, but that incompetent and annoying nasal guy chanting over it ruins everything.

Outkast is by far the best rap group of the past ten years. Since 94 no group can claim the consistancy they have had or the sucess. 5 albums, 5 unique musical perspectives. Music is about reinventing yourself everytime and if u listen to each one you have a completely different direction. Andre is one of the greatest musical genius' of our time. did ya'll know he wrote everyone of bigs verses on the first album? He is on a completely other level and he will not be truly appreciated until he is gone. With that said, if you only have stankonia and SB/TLB pick up aquemini(their best album and a classic) ATliens, and their first Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.

I like Outkast's current move towards being a forward-looking pop group. Their pop instincts are what made them special. There have been, are, and will be better rappers than them. That's not to say that they shouldn't rap, because they are good rappers with personality, but they should consider themselves a forward-thinking pop group that raps.

Aquemini>>>>>>>Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Haven't heard Stankonia in full, but

Aquemini>>>Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik>>>ATLiens>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Speakerboxxx/The Below.


All are tres bon though.

quote:

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Originally posted by Buck "Sweetie" McGuck:
I wish Ghettomusick was on LB so I could throw the other disc away. The first half of SB is good, but the second half is ass. "Last Call" would have been good, with its squealing synth sound, but that incompetent and annoying nasal guy chanting over it ruins everything.

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Yes, the chanting on "Last Call" is pretty terrible. But what about "Knowing" and "Flip Flop Rock"? The former is quite good, and the latter would be amazing if it weren't for Jay-Z's terrible hook.

The rest of the second half is, yes, ass. The first half, IMO, smashes any stretch of The Love Below.

You guys have done a wonderful job of demonstrating the precise reasons Outkast made it a double album to begin with. And there's not a single song on either disc where they didn't accomplish exactly what their aims were, so in light of that and the fact that none of it sounds contrived (even though concept albums run the greatest risk of sounding contrived), I'd say that SB/TLB is...
Exactly as good as all the normal people say it is, which is pretty damn good.

Big Boi's album blows major ass. It's just your bog standard average hip-pop release. Andre 3000, on the other hand, shows a surprising about of creativity and originality. His will be the one that lasts.

Wow, I had no clue Outkast had so much hate on their new album. Get a grip, it's one of the greatest 2x disc albums ever, better than Tupac's. What exactly is so "bad" about SB? It's all awesome except for some slow spots on the LB. I agree that they are the greatest duo of all time, I have all 6 of their albums and believe me they are the most consistent. Just wait till their new album this year, they always blow me away and there's no doubt their reuniting will be good.

quote:

Originally posted by Cyrone:
it's one of the greatest 2x disc albums ever, better than Tupacs.

Wow that is a tough achievment.who cares if it is a double disc or not.The problem is that everybody who listens to mainstream rap and top 40 thought it was creative and everyone who actually listens to "music" knows that it really is not.The whole bog boi disc was standard rap-pop filler.3000's disc was cool but has just as many bad areas as good.