N*E*R*D

N.E.R.D are on of my very favorite musical groups - band if you will. I think it is incredibly innovative the way the N.E.R.D. integrates the best aspects of alternative pop/rock and urban & hip-hop music. The concept should be genius, but alas N.E.R.D. do not have a large enough, consistent fan base to back-up what I consider to be genius. Sure, the Neptunes' spastic, manic production sometimes grows to be overwrought as opposed to just being ornate, but for the most part, the production is what truly helps to sell N.E.R.D.'s concept. The harmonic progressions are always 'out there' which is right up my alley. Pharrell's lead vocals are also always an anomaly in them self, though I think Pharrell's somewhat raspy tone and slightly-out-of-tune vocals is what endears him to the fan base. Face it, he's creative and SEEING SOUNDS receives similar treatment with a plethora of varied sounds making it in some ways more interesting than N.E.R.D.'s previous album, 2004's FLY OR DIE.

The album opens with a confessional intro within first track "Time For Some Action". It isn't a bad track, in fact it is pretty solid, though second track and killer single "Everyone Nose" is much more clever. The production is manic, though it is that maniacal nature that makes it so clever. The hook is sick, the jazz flavored bass is genius, and the old school hip hop sound effects make this track one of the best, though underrated hip-hop tracks of 2008. "Windows" is solid and enjoyable as well, though it doesn't quite possess the same sheer genius as its predecessor "Everyone Nose" did. In "Windows" defense, N.E.R.D. do an excellent job of contrasting the manic, hip-hop flavored "Everyone Nose" with a follow-up ("Windows") that leans more to rock & roll as opposed to hip-hop. Brilliant.

"Anti-Matter" is by far the best track of SEEING SOUNDS in my mind. Pharrell's rhymes are spot-on, the production is killer, and face it, this track is SICK. A number of lyrics stick out in the listener's mind whether it be the repetitive hook ("you so anti do not matter...")or the the funny, exhilarating concluding breakdown where Pharrell belts "motherf***er are you ADHD/ADHD...." while the hook loops through the background. I guess you'll have to listen to the track to get it, but believe me, "Anti-Matter" does not disappoint.

Similarly, "Spaz", constantly advertised on i-Tunes commercial is phenomenal as well with the catchy "I'm right here/ and I ain't goin' nowhere/ You can turn tables and you can throw chairs... Spaz if you want to, Spaz if you want to..." Again, the one-liners are among the most inspired I have heard Pharrell for some time, particular with some of his sometimes dry collaborations with other artists. He's still one of my favorites even when you think sometimes the Neptunes have "peaked".

"Yeah You" possesses a more urban, soulful quality than either "Anti-Matter" or "Spaz", which is a welcomed, clever departure. "Sooner Or Later" begins as a light, urban-poppy listen and turns out to be another winner for N.E.R.D. Intact with "hard drums", odd non-standard harmonic progression, and odd vocalizations by Pharrell, "Sooner Or Later" is an anomaly worth the listen. Its one detraction - it is a bit manic and lengthy. Sure, it always allure, but by the repetitive end, N.E.R.D. could have trimmed the track a bit. Again, minor quibble and I'm sure that fans will dig it. If anything, N.E.R.D. achieve some true angst particularly by the end of the song - in an urbanized way that is.

"Happy" has a rock & roll quality, yet again showcasing N.E.R.D.'s genre bending ways. Pharrell as always sounds strong, though the track pales slightly in comparison to the best and most innovative of SEEING SOUNDS. Again, it is 100% solid by all means. "Kill Joy" rekindles the momentum and the beautiful "Love Bomb" keeps up the pace. Closing tracks "You Know What" and "Laugh About It" are both solid, but don't possess the same gusto as the best of SEEING SOUNDS.

Overall, aside from a few drier spots, SEEING SOUNDS is a killer listen. It is ambitious (sometimes too much so) and creative. Aside from the explicit language, it is very much a cerebral, intellectual listen in certain aspects, which is always good. Not perfect, but extremely good and extremely underrated. 3 ½ Stars.

At first Listen this album can seem cluttered and invasive, however after a while you can see the focus... with this vision the tracks successfully blend and create a listening experience like no other. This is something you come to expect from Pharell and he doesn't disappoint. I definitely admit it may be hard to digest, but after a few listens the driving beats and melodic vocal riffs stand out with shay's rapping. a good listen for anyone who loves music in general.

Just like the previous two NERD albums, this one has its own identity...If you liked the previous two albums, give this one a few listens to grow on you and you will not be disapointed. Its not their best work but its still NERD!

Standout tracks: Track 7 and 11

are coming from this CD by the guys in N.E.R.D. But for the most part each of the songs on the cd will have your bobbing your head to the beats that they create. But also sometimes the wordplay will get you a few songs, it has been awhile since their last effort. They don't show it on the cd as "Seeing Sounds" makes for a great listening experience for fans of NERD both old and new.

I liked this cd a lot.....it has the typical..Nerd feel to it...but it isn't what I expected...I was expecting much much more...it was good don't get me wrong but I wish it was more...

Yes this album is a little different from what brought N.E.R.D. crashing into the hip hop scene. But with talent and creativity of the Neptunes steering the wheel behind this project, you know you won't hear the same sound twice. This is a great album and creative reaproach their sound. Give it a chance and an open mind and you just might like it.

Great mix of pop, hiphop, and punk rap. If you liked the first album, be warned, this is more pop sounding...but its still done in N.E.R.D style.

This album, Fly or Die, was probably THE most underrated album in the last 10 years.

Not as good as In Search Of...but much improved flow and has a consistently good vibe.

First off, I'm not saying this album is bad, it's not. I was a big fan of their first album and was real excited when this came out. However, I was really dissapointed. They seem to have basically, gone soft. Musically, they've matured quite a bit, but that sense excitement and energy is gone. This is a much more mellow album, with no guest rappers. I'm not saying you need a rapper to make the songs good, in fact songs like Bobby James and Brain were some of my favorite songs off In Search Of... I find this is a good album, but only if I listen to it once every couple months. A lot of the songs sound very similar to each other and it gets old. Just don't expect the same stuff you heard on their last album.

tranks to check out:
Jump
Backseat Love
She Wants To Move

Not the usual - no matter what you think that means. One of the coolest (Tape You, Am I High) and hottest (Lapdance) hip hop projects ever done. Trust me - if you like both Coldplay and Kanye West, you'll love this album. Welcome to the 'New World.'

El tratado ritmico en la programación y loops es impresionante,definitivamente lo recomiendo es un gran album,la composición es muy buena...el album fluye muy facilmente de principio a fin.

Having become one of the most prolific producers/Remixers in the business...the production team known as "The Neptunes", (consisting of two members 'Chad Hugo' & 'Pharrell Williams') have lent their considerable skills constructing / Producing tracks for artists such as : "Justin Timberlake/Jay-Z/Old Dirty/Nelly/Britney Spears & LL Cool J". But it was "Zero 7's" astonishing remix of their Album track "Provider", that prompted me to Revisit their Debut album. And seeing as N.E.R.D are considered among the best (if not the best),in the Hip-Hop Producer/Composer stakes, this doesn't disappoint. And rather than just settle for their market leading blend of stuttering beats, and reverberating bass-lines, which would have ensured rave reviews across the board, they take the risky step of cross-breeding with the Rock genre to unparalleled success. From 'Lapdance's' funk/Hip-hop, to 'Provider's' slinky R&B /Hip-Hop beats, to the full on Rock/Hip-hop Hybrid that is "Rockstar" (a sneering look at so called 'Poser's'), and it's hard to find complaint with this album, because it stays close enough to its Hip-Hop Roots to pander to the Hip-Hop markets (especially those with a fancy, for Anthemic beats), and inventive enough to bring elements of 'Rock' to the table, without it sounding forced (and possibly enticing a few Rock fans, that have liked Hip-hop but never felt sure enough to buy a Hip-hop album), truly the best of both worlds then.

From the club banging hit `Lapdance' to the bump n' grind sex-tease `Truth or Dare' to the subtle hostility of `Rock Star' `In Search Of...' delivers the goods, from front to back, and serves up a replay worthy album for us all to enjoy. Right from the start, from the first bass line on `Lapdance' your instantly glued to this album. Vita just kills on this track ("who baby you want me?" uh-huh). Another standout is `Tape You', which is one of the freakiest tracks I've ever heard. The feel is great though, very islandish with the drum beats. Love `I Am' with Malice, but I must say that my favorite track is the Kelis blessed `Truth or Dare' which gets me moving every time it comes up. Kelis is great here and such a tease ("I am the one with the brightest hair, leather I don't care"), her voice is just so angelic yet devilishly naughty here. `Rock Star' is another brilliant track, although I much prefer the remix done by Jason Nevins which elevates the subtlety and creates a moshpit worthy track. This is definitely an album all can find something to enjoy within.

This is not the original recording of the album. This is infact the version recorded with Spymob doing live instrumentation. The original version of the album wasn't released in America, but in Europe. It featured more of the synth-heavy sound that the Neptunes were known for. That version of the album was set to come out in the states back in 2001, but was pushed back and re-recorded. That re-recorded version is what is available here. So to those of you ordering this, do not be fulled into thinking you're finding the original verion for a good price, cause it's not that. The original version is rare nowadays, there is a listing for it on amazon though. The two copies available go for no less than $56...unfortunately.

This CD took a few years for me to get into, hence the late review. I tried and tried but I finally get it. This CD is great. Its different then Fly or Die, which is a great CD in itself. Neptunes is great but NERD is just greater. Its rock done NERD style. Its a mix of r and b, soul, funk, punk, rap, etc. You can jam this through from track 1 to 12.

i love this cd. the new cd 'fly or die' flails in comparison. if you bought that one and didnt like it, buy in search of.... it's soooooooooo much better. this cd had something for everyone. or, itll make you like something you never thought you would before!

You guys this CD is seriously good. They just know what to do. Every song on this CD is so creative and different. Pick this up if you want to hear something that is different, I promise you won't be disappointed.
Lapdance - 5/5 - really awesome, was my favorite for a while i like the beat
Things Are Getting Better - 4/5 - cute
Brain - 5/5 - one of my favorites on this CD, love the lyrics and its something different
Provider - 3/5 - haven't listened to this one that much its alright
Truth or Dare - 4.5/5 - pretty good I like kelis's voice in this it sounds good
Tape You - 5/5 - One of my favorites, LOVE this beat! i love this song so much its so awesome and i LOOOVE the words!
Run To The Sun - 3.5/5 - haven't listened to it that much, its a little slower than the other songs but its still a nice beat
Baby Doll - 4/5 - Just started listening to this one recently, i love the lyrics
Am I High - 3/5 - haven't listened to this one that much either, but i still like it
Rock star - 5/5 - LOVE this song, really fast dancey beat, nice
Bobby James - 3/5 - Haven't listened to this one that much but yea good
Stay Together - 3.5/5 - i like this song
All in all i love this CD, one of the best CD's I have ever heard and I am NOT just saying that. Nerd is competely original and creative unlike anything I have ever heard.. pick up this album you won't regret it

On March 23th 2004...NERD's 2nd album "Fly or Die " hits stores...go to www.n-e-r-d.com to listen to their future hit "She Wants to Move"

If you enjoy an overwhelming ego ranting about how hot he is and how many girls he bangs and etc., then you'll enjoy this. You'll also appreciate it if you have no sense of quality music whatsoever. You 5-star reviewers must be smokin' something.

OH my GOD!!! As soon as I purchased this disc, it has been in HEAVY rotation. This CD has a song for every mood and everybody. And "Thrasher" will make anyone think of shaking their boss!!!

I didn't start liking The Neptunes until a couple of years ago. My friends would always talk about them. When their album dropped this year I knew I had to get it. At first I didn't like it then after a while I started liking it because the Neptunes are the greatest Beat-makers in the world!

N.E.R.D. (a.k.a. The Neptunes, who are known for producing hip-hop flavored rap and pop like Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez) are one of the most original groups in recent years. Their sound is like Gorillaz mixed with hard rock, funk and beat-laced hip-hop. Highlights: "Lapdance" and "Rock Star"!

This album really suprized me. I put it in to hear the hip-hop that the neptunes are known for and I wound up with artsie rock and sexual hip-hop. There are songs that range from present day rap superstars to classic '50s style surfer rock. This is truly a unique album and they diserve all the credit they can get.

Yes this album is a little different from what brought N.E.R.D. crashing into the hip hop scene. But with talent and creativity of the Neptunes steering the wheel behind this project, you know you won't hear the same sound twice. This is a great album and creative reaproach their sound. Give it a chance and an open mind and you just might like it.

Great mix of pop, hiphop, and punk rap. If you liked the first album, be warned, this is more pop sounding...but its still done in N.E.R.D style.

This album, Fly or Die, was probably THE most underrated album in the last 10 years.

Not as good as In Search Of...but much improved flow and has a consistently good vibe.

First off, I'm not saying this album is bad, it's not. I was a big fan of their first album and was real excited when this came out. However, I was really dissapointed. They seem to have basically, gone soft. Musically, they've matured quite a bit, but that sense excitement and energy is gone. This is a much more mellow album, with no guest rappers. I'm not saying you need a rapper to make the songs good, in fact songs like Bobby James and Brain were some of my favorite songs off In Search Of... I find this is a good album, but only if I listen to it once every couple months. A lot of the songs sound very similar to each other and it gets old. Just don't expect the same stuff you heard on their last album.

tranks to check out:
Jump
Backseat Love
She Wants To Move

very trippy, edgy, I like this song really neptunes shock me all the time alomst on p funk's level anyway I like how the song is about girls who go to the bathroom to do a little coke and think nobody's hip to it i know lots of girls who do coke so i can relate.