N.E.R.D. - In Search of

The electro-powered grooves of the writing-production team the Neptunes have abetted fine-to-great tracks by everyone from Jay-Z and Ol' Dirty Bastard to Britney Spears. On their debut as performers, they display an irresistible knack for hooky tracks rooted in the eclectic listening habits they developed while growing up in the multiracial Virginia Beach, Virginia, neighborhoods they still call home. Fusing album rock and rap more forcefully and convincingly than Kid Rock or Durst-style aggro bands (the latter of whom they seem to lampoon on "Rock Star"), N.E.R.D. whip up a creamy yet slammin' mix. Main men Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo coax apropos guest shots from Kelis (the get-your-freak-on "Truth or Dare," the sexiest thing here aside from the ménage-a-wow plea "Tape You") and a handful of up-and-coming members. The live instrumentation that replaces the machine-tooled tracks of an earlier import version of In Search Of retains the tunes' syncopation while rendering it palatable for less eclectic rock fans. While not a commercial blockbuster on the order of many of their clients' discs, this venture is nonetheless one of 2002's standout releases. --Rickey Wright Amazon.com

N.E.R.D's debut album was never bettered by the group....

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. January 29, 2007

"It's almost over now"

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. November 4, 2006

While this album is absoloutely wonderful it is listed wrong.

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. July 19, 2006

NoOne Ever Really Dies

In Search Of...is a great hip hop record because it does everything your standard hip hop doesn't. And keep in mind, calling this record hip hop is not doing it justice. My label is too simplistic. It's also a little rock, but not rocky enough to be a rock album. There is classic Neptune sound but also live instruments.

N.E.R.D. have always had a juvenile streak when it came to their lyrics. The bravado is also off-putting. But it's easy to forgive them for these minor infractions because the music just sounds so good.

N.E.R.D. can definitely have a polarizing effect on you: you're jamming to the grooves while wondering why they have to curse so much. Lap Dance is your favorite song on the record, yet you have a problem with them insulting the work of strippers by comparing them to dirty politicians. Tape You is your second favorite song on the album, yet you roll your eyes at the notion that Pharrell seems to think every woman is a conversation and a cocktail away from wanting a threesome. You love Rock Star, but recognize with a chuckle that N.E.R.D. are the tough guy posers they're bashing.

Nevertheless, In Search Of is an album of great music that sounds different from the rest. It has "classic" written all over it.

Also, am I the only one who believes Baby Doll was an inspiration for Outkast's Hey Ya? June 12, 2006

IN SEARCH OF.........

YO I THINK NERD IS A VERY INVENTIVE DISC THAT ECLIPSES THE OTHERS WHOM TRIED TO CAPITOLIZE ON THE RAP/ROCK FUSION TREND IN THE LATE 1990'S. THAT'S WHAT SEPERATE NERD FROM THE KID ROCK'S AND FRED DURST'S OF THE WORLD. WITH CATCHY HOOKS AND GREAT BEAT LAID THEY'VE SHOWN THAT GOT SOMETHING TO PROVE TO THE WORLD AS ARTIST AND PRODUCERS. March 5, 2006

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