Rating:
Genre:
R&B
Release Date: 10/03/2006
The story goes that the very happening
Pharrell Williams asked music mogul and
Interscope president
Jimmy Iovine about his plans for
Robin Thicke and then quickly snatched the artist up for his
Star Trak imprint.
Pharrell's enthusiasm for
Thicke -- suave son of squeaky-clean celebrities
Alan Thicke and
Gloria Loring -- suggests he's one of the few who purchased his
Interscope debut, 2002's
Cherry Blue Skies, which was relaunched a year later as
Beautiful World before fading into obscurity. While
Thicke returned to his successful career as a songwriter and producer --
Christina Aguilera and
Usher are just two of his many clients -- a cult formed around his debut. In 2005, there was both the
Star Trak announcement and
Lil Wayne's reinterpretation of
Beautiful World's
"Oh Shooter" for his 2005 release
Tha Carter, Vol. 2, but the promised
Thicke album that would reap the benefits was delayed, then delayed some more, and the cult got worried. Finally landing almost a year after originally promised,
The Evolution of Robin Thicke is flawed with too much softness upfront, a lazy flow that takes some getting used to, and a downright awful track called
"Cocaine," where style trumps substance, something that nearly happens the whole album through. Still, none of this means
Thicke's sophomore effort shouldn't be embraced by those who appreciate his slightly eccentric take on slick blue-eyed
neo-soul, because he's still mostly
Timberlake for the skeptical set, or
Prince for those who pine for the Purple One's over-stylized side project,
the Family. Like old-school
Prince,
Thicke replaces every "you" with a "U," every "for" with a "4," and peppers his dreamy, sensual seduction numbers with brash and horny stingers. The
bossa nova noir
"Teach U a Lesson" feels comfortable and safe before
Thicke's professor character explains how his student can "earn some extra credit," while
"All Night Long" with
Lil Wayne escalates from "All night long I wait 4 your lovin' babe" to "All night long I wait 2 tear U 2 pieces." Hardcore Southern baller
Lil Wayne's two appearances -- the other being the return of his great
"Shooter" -- are just one of the oddball genre-jumps the mostly
neo-soul album makes, with
Latin congas spicing up
"Everything I Can't Have" while fingersnaps and jazzy arrangements play a big role in the sophisticated
"Complicated." Over-indulgence and whims are all over the album, but perfectly polished
pop tracks like
"Wanna Love U Girl" and the surprisingly straightforward, empowerment-minded
ballad "Can U Believe" succeed without any quirks. There isn't anything as instantly gripping as his debut single,
"When I Get You Alone," and this fascinating effort just isn't tight enough to be called a classic, but with a little editing, rearranging, and forgiveness, his rabid following can sure love it like one.
~David Jeffries, All Music Guide
Average Review:
Number of reviews: 2
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A reviewer
from Baltimore MD
Are you kidding me...This rocks!!!!
Let me first say I have very ecclectic musical taste (R B, Jazz, Alternative, soft Rock)...This CD is so satisfying musically and lyrically that I feel like I should smoke a cigarette after a listen (I don't smoke) or at least cuddle with my CD player..His voice is angelic and sensual at the same time. My favorite song is Angels because of its beauty, but I also love Teach you a lesson because of it's pure naughtiness. He's given me something to digest with Ask Myself and Can U believe and they are both inspirational. I can't seem to go for long without hearing his voice which is both sick and scary..The CD is just that good!!!!
Ryan L (Miami)
from Miami, FL
The Long Overdue Epic of Robin Thicke
First of all, I have to say that this album is one of the best albums I have ever heard. Also, let me note that I am a hardcore RAP/HIP-HOP Head. I usually do not listen to music like this. As soon as you press play, you are thrown into a loop with Robin Thicke and Faith Evans singing perfectly on "Got 2 Be Down." It shows you how versatile Robin is as an artist. It is basically the best collaboration of the whole album because of the harmonious flow Robin and Faith Evans share. I'm not going to continue by going into great detail of each and every song on the album because everyone else has done that. Instead, I will focus on Robin Thicke. Throughout the whole album Robin stays consistent with his falsetto flow. It is almost impossible for anyone to find a flaw in his singing abilities. He departs from the rest of the other R B singers in that he isn't afraid to experiment a little bit. On the songs "Everything I Can't Have" and "Cocaine" Robin truly shows that he is willing to try something more different with an Up-tempo beat. Honestly I don't know what else to say about Robin Thicke because his voice and whole style basically speaks for itself. Ever since I heard Robin on "Wanna Love You Girl" with Pharrell, I knew that a new star would appear.
All I can really say is that you need to buy "The Evolution of Robin Thicke" as soon as possible if you have not already. On this ALBUM, Robin goes above and beyond the boundaries that many of his peers are not willing to go.
Also, the unreleased songs that didn't make the album: "U Center Me"," Superman", "Thank You", "I'm Not Loving You" and "Spend The Night With Me" should have been added as bonus songs for the album. These songs are some real gems that should have been released.
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