#38: Eminem - Recovery

Cold Wind Blows (Mathers, Smith, Byrne, Marsh, Perry, Synge)
Talkin' 2 Myself (Mathers, Rahman, Injeti, Honeycutt)
On Fire (Mathers, Porter, C. Wilson, L. Wilson, R. Wilson)
Won't Back Down (Mathers, Rahman, Alcock, Rodrigues, Smith)
W.T.P. (Mathers, Resto, Chin-Quee, Gilbert)
Going Through Changes (Mathers, Heynie, Osbourne, Iommi, Ward, Butler)
Not Afraid (Mathers, Resto, Samuels, Evans, Burnett)
Seduction (Mathers, Samuels, Burnett, Jordan)
No Love (Mathers, Carter, Jr., Smith, Halligan, Torello)
Space Bound (Mathers, Scheffer, McEwan)
Cinderella Man (Mathers)
25 To Life (Mathers, Rahman, Rodrigues, Tannenbaum)
So Bad (Mathers, Young, Batson, Parker, Lawrence, Cruse, Brongers)
Almost Famous (Mathers, Rahman, Rodrigues, Alcock, Injeti, Tannenbaum)
Love The Way You Lie (Mathers, Grant, Haffermann)
You're Never Over (Mathers, Smith, Mainieri Jr., McMahon)

Erik Alcock - guitar
Mark Batson - keyboards
Matthew Burnett - strings
Sean Cruse - guitar
Jordan Evans - strings
Nikki Grier - vocals
Chin Injeti - bass
Jim Jonsin - keyboards, programming
Sly Jordan - saxophone, vocals
Danny Keyz - keyboards
Trevor Lawrence - keyboards
Nick Low-Beer - drum programming
Steve McEwan - guitar, vocals on 'Space Bound'
Danny Morris - keyboards
Dawaun Paker - keyboards
Dwayne Chin-Quee - drums
Rahki - keyboards
Khalil Abdul Rahman - keyboards, drum programming
Luis Resto - keyboards
Liz Rodrigues - Vocals
Matthew Samuels - drums
Daniel Seeff - guitar
Mike Strange - guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards
Kobe - guest on 'Talkin' 2 Myself'
Pink - guest on 'Won't Back Down'
Lil Wayne - guest on 'No Love'
Rihanna - guest on 'Love The Way You Lie'
Produced by Just Blaze, DJ Khalil, Denaun Porter, Supa Dups, JG, Eminem, Emile, Boi-1da, Matthew Burnett, Jim Jonsin, Script Shepherd, Dr. Dre, Nick Brongers, Alex da Kid and Makeba Riddick

Label: Shady/Aftermath/Interscope

2009's 'Relapse' was supposed to be Eminem's triumphant return after a five year self-imposed exile. Instead it had all of the same problems as its predecessor, 'Encore'. There were a few strong tracks on both albums, but it mostly ranged from bad to okay.

Just a year later, this album came out and was everything that 'Relapse' should have been. There is nothing especially groundbreaking about any of the tracks, but it features some of Eminem's best music. For the first time, this album doesn't feature a novelty comedy track to be released as first single. The album features more of the confessional type tracks that has proven to be when he is at his strongest ever since the classic track 'Cleanin' Out My Closet', as well as the harder-edged tracks that he made his name with.

Of the former, a highlight is the track 'Talkin' 2 Myself' in which he admits that his last two albums weren't up to scratch, and that his self-esteem was so low because he couldn't write tracks that he was proud of. It seems to have gotten to the point where he stopped himself from writing lyrics insulting Lil' Wayne and Kanye West because "I'd have got my ass handed to me, and I knew it". And the latter is hands down the best track Eminem has put his name to in at least 8 years... 'Love The Way You Lie' featuring Rihanna is the kind of track that even non-fans could appreciate.

The result is the finest album Marshall Mathers has ever released. Yes, even better than 'The Eminem Show' (I actually find 'The Slim Shady LP' and 'Marshall Mathers LP' quite over-rated, though both good themselves).

Listen Here: Eminem – Recovery