Recovery - Eminem
User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 541 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 479 out of 541
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 541
  3. Negative: 42 out of 541

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  1. DavidN
    Jun 23, 2010
    2
    An obvious attempt to get the pop fans back on side. The promotion behind this album is mecca. The content is typical: MM whining about everything then denying it, all to the sound of dreary, looping beats. I want to be impressed, not shocked.
  2. CalebR.
    Jun 23, 2010
    1
    His rapping sounds extremely forced. His flow is no longer 'fluid.' The choruses are incredibly cheesy/cliche/corny. He needs to stop singing. This is the public's perception of rap. This is far from authentic rap - this is more pop music then rap - but the masses will end up thinking this is rap because they are uninformed/don't really know much about music in general. This is a corporate product made to make 'mad bank' ect.… Expand
  3. BenD.
    Jun 22, 2010
    0
    If he was black, no one would listen.
  4. IvanB.
    Jun 22, 2010
    4
    Disappointing really... It seems he's so eager to prove he's a bad ass he just rages across the whole album. The thing about rage is that it gets old after a while. If you listen to his earlier albums he's got a good combination of comedy, light hearted songs, just plain silly songs, and then the serious raging songs... it's what makes them great, you get to experience different beats and dynamics... this album is all serious and rage with some below average love songs sprinkled in it. You get tired of listening to Eminem scream and growl his way through the album... after a while you just dont feel it... feels empty and almost like he's just gliding through the convoluted beats. Some of the tracks you have to listen really hard to understand what he's saying because the beat is overwhelming his voice, that is not EM's style... the em we all know and love thrives on simple beats, perfect enunciation, and clear rapping.… Expand
  5. JamesK
    Jun 23, 2010
    0
    Honestly, Eminem has once again succeeded in making me embarrassed to listen to hip-hop. His lyrics are filled with hate and shame that he has no reason to have. Seeing the user score for this album makes me disgusted as well. Has the real hip-hop really died?
  6. DanJ.
    Jun 22, 2010
    2
    Sloppy, self-indulgent, incoherent garbage; so far away from a return to form it makes me want to cry.
  7. RezJ
    Jun 28, 2010
    1
    What just happened to his music? there's only one track that you can listen and it's his collaboration with Rihanna. the one hi did with P!nk is the worst track ever but i really wanted more from Eminem. they kinda know him as "King of Rap" but "Recovery" can ruin his career.
  8. Csuh94
    Jun 10, 2011
    3
    The people who give this album a high rating do not know the true Eminem-The Real Slim Shady. The once controversial and trashy rapper who everyone loved to hate has turned into America's sweetheart. His flow is still there, the amount of syllables he can fit in a bar is still amazing, but his "maturity" is nothing more than an act to gain approval from the contemporaries. I understand as an artist one must grow, but it's past Eminem's prime. He's a man who has been down "that road", and he exclaims his redemption in this album. I praise Eminem for his growth as a human being, but I think it's time for him to put down the mic.… Expand
  9. EPIXMAN15
    Dec 25, 2011
    4
    I haven't been such a big fan of Eminem or Rap in general for a long time know but when I heard this, I honestly lost a lot of respect for him, jesus this is awful this is going to spawn a fan base that obviously isn't familiar with his earlier and much better work that was very much a fan of but all that is now lost in this latest album.
  10. Enabler
    Dec 13, 2011
    0
    This truly might be one of the worst albums I have ever heard. I understand that people used to like Eminem when he was considered edgy, but he has turned into nothing but awful. I have never heard anybody complain more in my life than this guy. I would be alright with it if some form of wordplay existed in his albums, but that is not even present. I guess I would not mind the lack of wordplay if he was able to hold a thought for more than two lines. At no point does he tell a story throughout the entire album. He simply raps for two lines about someone who wronged him in some stupid way, and then moves on to the next person who made him a "victim" in some way.… Expand
  11. marsb4
    Aug 31, 2010
    4
    This is Just not a good album really yes if he's not screaming he's cussing I've heard worse though his verses are good but it seems his beats are repetitive and he tries to hard to tell make himself seem as innocent we all want to hear your story but tell it raw but with less screaming and cussing and less pop and rap and more REAL
  12. frankbilders
    Mar 11, 2013
    3
    This album is but another disappointment, not one of the songs was enjoyable on this. His flow seems strange, he doesn't really rap its just like yelling the entire time with terrible rhymes. Though most would disagree I believe this album is worse than Relapse, I got the impression he wasn't even trying with his lyrics. If your a fan listen to it but you'll be disappointed.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 28
  3. Negative: 4 out of 28
  1. Expert Witness (MSN Music)
    Jan 7, 2011
    91
    No matter how cleverly he's rhyming, which varies, he could use subject matter beyond married-to-the-game and his traditional obsessions. But with Shady in the shadows, rarely are these themes lifted by Em's long-recessive sense of play.
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  2. Slant Magazine
    30
    Much of Recovery centers around such themes as romantic devotion and anxiety, but the resulting material rings unsurprisingly hollow.
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  3. The Guardian
    60
    Sadly, a piecemeal approach to production (Dr Dre has just one credit) leaves the album lacking an abiding mood and drowning in fashionable soft-rock samples.
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