The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. (Double Album) Review

When we saw that the Black Eyed Peas were going to have a new album coming out, we got pretty excited about it.  It had been a few years since their last album (Monkey Business), and with the return of Will-I-Am and Fergie to the group, it seemed like an exciting endeavor.  The E.N.D.is the title of the newest Black Eyed Peas album, and it stands for The Energy Never Dies.  Putting in the album for the first time, you can see exactly what it means, as it is packed with fast moving tracks that are obviously intended to be club songs that will get people up and dancing.  A few of them are very catchy as well, and can easily be expected to find success in both the Top 40 as well as in many different clubs.

The one thing that was a little bit of a detractor from the album, is that they didn't have enough of those songs that stand out to be #1 singles.  A number of the songs blend together, and while that definitely works for an album, it doesn't necessarily work when you are trying to pick out one or two songs to listen to while in the car.  One other small nit-pick is that the one of the best tracks (Boom Boom Pow) starts out with a full minute intro that is part of the track rather than being separate, forcing the listener to either fast-forward or re-listen to that intro.  It is annoying, but when the song starts up with the nice 808's and back beats, it is almost worth it every time.  It would have been nicer if the track was by itself though.

The version of The E.N.D. that we bought is the deluxe edition 2-disc set that Target is selling.  It includes 10 extra songs on a second CD as well as a bonus video to further enjoy the "Peas."  Some of the songs are re-mixes of old classics, and four of them are brand new to fans.  On the first CD, there are a couple of notable songs that include Boom Boom Pow, Rock That Body, and I Gotta Feeling, with several others that could join the hit list if they are re-mixed perfectly.

As an album, I think that the Black Eyed Peas have come away with another winner in the end.  It has a really nice flow to the entire album that keeps it fresh and interesting, and above anything else, it is simply fun.  Fans of their music will definitely enjoy it, but don't purchase it expecting Fergie to go back to songs like My Humps.  This album is a little "harder" than the normal Peas albums, and they are here to have fun rather than impress a message upon anyone.  The album is holding its place in my rotation quite strongly, and it seems like one that will surely have staying power on the Billboard charts very soon.

Track List for The E.N.D.:

Disc 1:

1. Boom Boom Pow
2. Rock That Body
3. Meet Me Halfway
4. Imma Be
5. I Gotta Feeling
6. Alive
7. Missing You
8. Ring-A-Ling
9. Party All The Time
10. Out Of My Head
11. Electric City
12. Showdown
13. Now Generation
14. One Tribe
15. Rockin To The Beat

Disc 2:

1. Where Ya Wanna Go
2. Simple Little Melody
3. Mare
4. Don't Bring me Down
5. Pump It Harder
6. Let's Get Re-Started
7. Shut The Phunk Up
8. That's The Joint
9. Another Weekend
10. Don't Phunk Around