CEE-LO GREEN - CEE-LO GREEN... IS THE SOUL MACHINE

Part One: For people who became fans of Outkast because of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, but typically aren’t into hip-hop:
You remember the first time you heard "Hey Ya!" You were watching TRL, or standing in Target. The song came on, and you were hooked. You ran to the record store, and looked for this new "band" called Outkast. Then the cashier guides you to the rap section of your record store, and you’re perplexed. But you buy it. And you listen to it. You really like Andre's The Love Below, because it’s just like Prince, only a little bit dirtier and grittier. And you don't mind Big Boi's Speakerboxxx. You’re not much into rapping, but damn, these are good songs. You can’t get them out of your head.
So, with new discovery in hand, you wonder, “What would happen if these two albums were mixed together? What would that sound like?”
Well, this: Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine. It’s all the singing of The Love Below (only less Prince, and more Al Green/Toots Hibbert), with the killer rhyming of Speakerboxxx. If you’re a new fan of Outkast, become a new fan of this.
Part Two: For people who knew Cee-Lo was a soul machine back when Goodie Mob's Soul Food came out:
No offense to the rest of the cats in Goodie Mob, but Cee-Lo is the one who always stood out for me. Rhyming and singing? And doing both well? Shit... you win. When they followed Soul Food with Still Standing, I was sold. Sign me up for the Goodie Mob fan club for life! I still can’t get "Inshallah" out of my head.
Then, Cee-Lo leaves. Damn. But wait-- he’s got a solo record out? Word! Cee-Lo Green And His Perfect Imperfections. Was it hip-hop? Yes. And soul? Yes. It was Cee-Lo. You couldn’t really categorize it. How’s he gonna follow this up?
With something even better, that’s how. Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine took his last record, and moved forward. This record sounds brighter, happier, and bouncier-- like the church scene in The Blues Brothers, or Fishbone at their sunniest (think The Reality Of My Surroundings). He still rhymes like a motherfucker, and sings his ass off. The first three tracks alone, clocking in at a combined time less than five minutes, made me want to buy this record for everyone. And with occasional production from The Neptunes, Organized Noise, Jazzy Pha, and the legendary Primo, you can only imagine how insane the music Cee-Lo’s singing over sounds.
I could seriously write for days about each song and why I like them. Save yourself the reading, and listen to it on your own.