Search - Tlc :: 3d

Akasha A. (GirlieGirl) from GLEN ALLAN, MS
Reviewed on 3/8/2007...

The Debut album following a long anticapted wait and the death of the beloved Lisa "left eye" Lopes. Includes hits like girl talk, and emotional ones like turntable and Damaged. Great cd from an even greater group icon, T-boz, Chili, and Left eye.

Excellent As Always

firefairyangel | Canada | 06/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The loss of a group member is always a significant factor on the music of a group, especially when that loss comes in the form of death rather than simply parting ways. In the case of TLC, it particularly became a factor because Lisa Lopes died while this album was being recorded. Nonetheless, T-Boz and Chilli managed to continue on with their usual grace and finish the album. Many fans believe this album lacks some of the presence they formerly loved about the group because of the shortage of Lisa's witty raps. The group never tries to overcompensate for their loss, nor does it sound as though they attempted to replace her in any way. One of the things I've always loved most about TLC is that they never use guest stars, but instead rely on their own talents. While most people believe this album is lacking compared to their other offerings, it is unfair to say so because obviously there will be fewer of Lisa's raps if she died before she got to record them all.



The album starts out with the "3D Intro", which gives a list of things pertaining to the group that involve the number three, such as "Three trendsetters" or "three personalities". It then goes directly into a short couple of verses. "Quickie" is one of the few songs that has Lisa in it. With T-Boz singing lead, Chilli doing the chorus and Left Eye rapping, the song is one of the most simply entertaining offerings on the album. Lead single "Girl Talk" describes how girls will spread certain information about their men (ie. "Some of y'all been killin' me/thinking you got powers like Austin/But you're more like Mini-Me"). This song also contains one of Lisa's raps, adding another level of sass. The song itself is not that easy to describe, but it becomes clear once you hear it. "Turntable" is one of my favourites on the album. A tribute to Lisa, many have criticized its placement toward the beginning of the album, claiming that it taints the rest by reminding everyone of the element that's missing in most songs. Chilli and T-Boz both sound beautiful in this song, which encourages us to believe that there is always a brighter day no matter how dark things get. This is definitely a hightlight.



I've never particularly liked the Neptunes as producers, as many of the songs they've produced for different artists sound very similar. "In Your Arms Tonight" is one of such songs, where I like nearly everything but the production. The only part I really can't stand is the chorus, as it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the beat. The production in the rest of the song is average, but fits decently with the vocals, so it's manageable. Chilli and T-Boz sound great, and the song itself is nice but it is far from the best they've done. Produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, "Over Me" is a step up from the previous song. Chilli sounds great in the first verse, and it's nice to have her sing lead instead of T-Boz. This is probably one of the standout songs on the album because it showcases everything that we love about TLC: great vocals from both T-Boz and Chilli, sassy lyrics, and a great blend of the vocals and production. Lisa does have a rap in this song, however it sounds somewhat recycled and out of place. Overall, this is definitely one of the better uptempo songs. "Hands Up" describes the girls seeing their man cheating on them at a club, and the initial thoughts that go through their minds. ("I was thinkin' there's no way it could be you/not my baby/he ain't crazy..."). I don't know why, but the whole vibe of this song really appeals to me. Some call it boring, however I think the tone fits perfectly. I also love the way the girls alternate verses because the contrast in vocals keeps interest.



"Damaged" is easily one of my all-time favourite TLC songs. It's so easy to relate to, as it describes a person who is scared to get involved with someone new because they've been hurt in a previous relationship. This is a situation that many people go through, and thus many will find at least a segment of the lyrics that they can relate to. Written by T-Boz and Dallas Austin, it really shows off T-Boz's writing skills. This is definitely both an album and a career highlight. "Dirty Dirty" in contrast is one of the weaker songs. Missy Elliot has always been a hit-and-miss producer, and this song by far falls into the "miss" category. It's not so much that the song is awful, it's just that it really doesn't go anywhere. It seems to be an obligatory club song that has very little lyrical content. With that said, I do like the way the bridge is sung but it is not enough to salvage the song. "So So Dumb" brings them back into highlight territory with a song about telling a male friend he's dumb for cheating on his wife. The instrumentation is beautiful, and sets the tone perfectly. The girls tell him reasons why he shouldn't cheat ("See your wife is beautiful/ the kid is two years old"), and that they'll tell his wife what he's been doing ("I'ma call your wife boy/ And tell her where you've been"). The bridge in particular is beautiful, as they attempt to convey to him the consequences of what he's doing. Another definite highlight.



"Good Love" is not one of those songs that's instantly likeable, but it is the epitome of a grower. It has beautiful vocals, a sweet message, and nice lyrics all of which sound increasingly better with each listen. Many people see this as a fairly sudden switch from the male-bashing anthems TLC used to have (ie. "No Scrubs") however it is a nice change and shows their versatility. "Hey Hey Hey Hey" is the last of three songs to be produced by Darkchild ("Turntable" was also produced by him, although most do not realize it). It straddles the line between good and merely average, depending on the day. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but there is nothing all that great either. The girls sound good, and the lyrics are decent but there's nothing to scream "standout". "Give It To Me While It's Hot" is an excellent closer simply due to the performances. The lyrics look average on paper, but sound amazing the way they are sung. Lisa's rap here is one of her best on this album ("There's two different dreams/Her thoughts are so pure/His low as the floor"). The production on this one is excellent as well.



Overall Mark: 4/5



Despite losing one of the group members while the album was in progress, TLC provided another high quality album. Reading through other reviews, I noticed one reviewer mention that some of Lisa's raps here were rehashed from her solo album Supernova. This would explain why her raps in a couple of songs sounded out of place, however one in particular sounded amazing nonetheless (in the final track). Chilli and T-Boz sound amazing as always, and I hope this is not their final album as a group. As much as Lisa's presence will be missed, I would love for more albums to come from the remaining members since all of them have been excellent thus far.

"

Left Eye Is Truly Missed But T-Boz & Chilli Pulled It Off

Dezire | long island, ny | 03/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a true TLC fan and have all of their albums but I was a little scared of getting the album because if it was bad, I didn't want to hear it. But despite Left Eye's death, the album came out pretty good. The sad part is that all the best song are the one's without Lisa on them and the one's that she's one it sounds as though her rhymes are misplaced like on "Over Me" the rap could've been better. I'm glad that the remaining members just decided to let the group be as it is instead of keep going and ruin the TLC legacy. They will always be the biggest selling girl group of all time paving the way for others. The best tracks are "Damaged","So Dumb", "Turntable", and "Good Love".

p.s. Be on the look out for Chilli's solo debut CD on Akon's Konvict Music."