3D

by

TLC

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Three albums later...we bring you 3D!! The long awaited and supposedly (but hopefully not) final album from TLC has to be their best work yet, and also one of the best albums of 2002! TLC returns once more on 3D with an old school meets new school twistage. This is another album that I can put in the player and listen to the entire album without skipping a song. That's one main reason why it deserves five stars in my book. It's rare these days to find an album in which ever song is playable. If you are a fan of TLC or just joining, don't second guess buying this album...you won't be disappointed. The songs are as follows:

3D Intro: Kind of reminds me of Fanmail's intro. It explains what 3D means and is a very upbeat song. "I can bring it to you in 3D".

Quickie: Left Eye is very involved in this song. It's another upbeat song, one of my favorites. It has a very catchy chorus and will most likely be a single since it was supposed to be the first single from the album.

Girl Talk: The first single from the album! It's another upbeat song that is also very catchy. Said to be the new anthem for women of the new millennium.

Turntable: This song is dedicated to TLC's fallen sister, Left Eye. Very catchy and uplifting, positive song but also sad at the same time. One of my favorites from the album. "Don't get discouraged, there's always a better day."

In Your Arms Tonight: "I just want to have a good time" which pretty much sums up this song. A laid back song made to groove to. The "Creep" song of the album.

Over Me: Starts out with a good beat. Another catchy, fast paced song. Has a good dance beat to get yourself moving. Good song overall.

Hands Up: First real ballad type song on the album. Not my favorite type of song but has a real message behind it. Basically about lying and cheating men. "It's almost like I didn't know you."

Damaged: Picking up the pace on the album again. This song is easy going and the chorus definately has that pop/rock feel to it. Another good song. T-Boz and Chili really shine here.

Dirty Dirty: Sounds like a song from Missy Elliot! Very catchy and upbeat. Has that heavy dance beat which make it very enjoyable. Another favorite of mine!!

So So Dumb: Calming things back down again...another song about the fails of men. Nothing to out of the ordinary here but a good song on its own. TLC has a feeling for a catchy chorus.

Good Love: Another upbeat track from 3D. T-Boz and Chili sing very well together and their voices blend well also. Keeps a steady groove throughout the song.

Hey Hey Hey Hey: Another Missy Elliot sounding track which means it's very good. It has a wierd smearing sound throughout which makes it very interesting. Another favorite of mine!

Give it to me While It's Hot: Unlike their previous album, they end 3D with an upbeat, well-paced song. A nice addition to the album. Seems to be over all to soon... I'm looking forward to the greatest hits album TLC!!!

Lastly, I want to thank TLC for bringing this album to all of the fans. I can't imagine how hard it was for them to finish the album without their sister, Left Eye, who will forever be missed in the music industry. Thanks again TLC for all of the music and memories over the past decade!!

T-Boz, Left-Eye, and Chili became instant legends in 1995 after their ridiculously successful sophomore album 'CrazySexyCool' left audiences in a daze with cuts like "Creep", "Waterfalls" and "Red Light Special". They even won MTV's "Viewer's Choice" award at the 1995 VMAs. TLC was (and still is) the biggest selling female trio of all time. This was *after* Left-Eye's arson incident, and the fact that more often than not, sophomore albums aren't nearly as successful as their predecessors. TLC defeated the odds back then, and by releasing '3D' after the tumultuos 'Fanmail' campaign and the untimely passing of Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes (R.I.P.) in 2002, TLC has defeated the odds once again.

The '3D' listening experience is a sad one; the only song that seems to address the profound emotion surrounding the circumstances involved with the making of this album is "Turntable", an amazingly sincere midtempo that may very well become the album's second single. But I'll try to quickly summarize the album in the following:

We begin with an intro that leads us into the ultra-happy, title track; it has techno, big-beat, and bounce influences (think: "B.O.B" by Outkast). Next up is "Quickie", a mischevious jaunt that is classic TLC. Then we're off into "Girl Talk" which is definitely not the best song on the album, but it sounds great blasting in your car, or at a nightclub.

"Turntable" is amazing; I love this song. "In Your Arms Tonight" is a *stunning* Neptunes joint (will they ever quit?) that brings out the steamy sexiness of T-Boz and Chili in much the same way that "Red Light Special" did. I really have to give it to the Neptunes and Pharrell Williams (whose vibe & vocals are oozing all over the song); "In Your Arms Tonight" is easily the best R&B song on this album, and should definitely be a single.

"Over Me" is a decent and playful uptempo, "Hands Up" is a slinky tale about a slimy guy, but "Damaged" is one of the most refreshingly heartfelt TLC songs ever. With a grunge-girl appeal (not unlike "Unpretty") "Damaged" will probably be the biggest single from this album, and deservedly so; bravo to TLC for breaking new ground in 'urban' music with this one!

"Dirty Dirty" is a Missy Elliot/Timbaland collaboration that is my pick for best fast song on the album; if you liked "Work It" or "Get Your Freak On", you should be able to get with "Dirty Dirty". "So So Dumb" is a depressing midtempo about a guy who makes all the wrong choices in love by cheating on his wife, etc. "Good Love" is the happiest song on the album; it has an optimistic, euro-pop vibe not unlike by S- Club-7 or Eternal...

"Hey Hey Hey Hey" is a generic Rodney Jerkins-beat fest (Brandy's 'Full Moon' album) that gets the job done, and is a grower -- but it simply can't compete with the stronger tracks like "In Your Arms Tonight" and "Damaged". We end the album with "Give It To Me While It's Hot" which is a lyrically intriguing, yet ultimately unceremonious end to the '3D' experience.

In summary, the '3D' album is spotty -- with "Damaged", "In Your Arms Tonight", "Turntable" and "Good Love" being the best songs. Sadly, none of the songs I mentioned contain the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. In my review of 'Fanmail' a few years back, I was certain it would be TLC's final album; while '3D' did prove me wrong, I still had a profound feeling back then that things would never be the same for the group after that album...and sadly, they aren't.