Idlewild

1	Intro 2:12
2	Mighty O 4:16
3	Peaches / Scar 3:10
4	Idlewild Blue (Don't Chu Worry 'Bout Me) 3:24
5	Infatuation (Interlude) 0:48
6	N2U / Khujo Goodie 3:40
7	Morris Brown / Sleepy Brown 4:24
8	Chronomentrophobia 2:12
9	The Train / Scar 4:09
10	Life Is Like a Musical 2:14
11	No Bootleg Dvds (Interlude) 0:50
12	Hollywood Divorce / Baby & Lil' Wayne 5:23
13	Zora (Interlude) 0:16
14	Call the Law / Janelle Monáe 4:51
15	Bamboo & Cross (Interlude) 0:54
16	Buggface 2:45
17	Makes No Sense at All 2:53
18	In Your Dreams / Janelle Monáe 3:34
19	PJ & Rooster 4:27
20	Mutron Angel / Whild Peach 4:18
21	Greatest Show on Earth / Macy Gray 3:06
22	You're Beautiful (Interlude) 0:29
23	When I Look in Your Eyes 2:43
24	Dyin' to Live 2:07
25	A Bad Note 8:47

Barnes & Noble

It's hard to believe that OutKast has been around for more than 12 years -- a virtual eternity in hip-hop circles. But the Atlanta duo remain relevant through constant revolution and reinvention. In 2003, their galvanizing double disc, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, marked what seemed an insurmountable creative apex for Big Boi and Andre 3000, yet the pair continue to stretch the boundaries of hip-hop with their follow-up, Idlewild. Despite being billed as an official album, the project primarily serves as an admirable musical counterpart to Kast's theatrical release of the same name, set in the jazzy 1930s. Keeping in line with the film's era, Dre kicks his vaudeville-singing act in high gear. Mr. 3000's vocal twang and charismatic flair swing best on the juke jointin' "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry About Me)" and the Prince-reminiscent "PJ & Rooster." Big, on the other hand, raps with exquisite detail and confidence throughout, and the delectable "Peaches" and the autobiographical "The Train" are lyrical standouts. Although the partners in rhyme spend more mic time apart than not -- continuing to fuel breakup rumors -- whenever they converge on the same track, the results are magical, as on "Hollywood Divorce" and "Mighty 'O'." Idlewild might have resonated even more strongly with more such collaborative moments, but truly, separate but equal never sounded so good. Anslem Samuel

All Music Guide

A lot happened to OutKast between the moment they began to think about making a movie and the release of Idlewild. In 1998, no studio would back the movie they were plotting. Fast-forward eight years, past a fourth successive classic album, a double-disc blockbuster, and countless breakup rumors, as well as moonlighting gigs involving supporting actor roles and a successful dog kennel. Along the way, OutKast's first movie took on an entirely different shape, from Aquemini to Idlewild, and the duo attained enough star power to gain the support of HBO and Universal. After a series of delays with its soundtrack, Idlewild reached theaters in August 2006. Set in the prohibition era, Big Boi plays a speakeasy owner, while Dré is the relatively introverted piano-playing son of a mortician. These roles are no stretch, and they cross paths in only a handful of scenes; this all befits the together-but-separate presentation the duo has maintained for a few years. That presentation holds true throughout Idlewild's soundtrack, which doubles as the sixth OutKast album. Big Boi and André 1936 share little space on a disc that's not so much a series of misfires as it's filled with shots that reach their targets, albeit softly and with little trace of impact. Rich with color and energy, mischievous asides, and biting observations, the album presents fresh ideas every couple of minutes. However, at the same time, it just keeps on going, and even its highlights fall short of OutKast's past and fail to transcend its assortment of inspirations. Little of it sticks. The music of the '30s seeps through a handful of tracks, the best of which is led by Big Boi protégé Janelle Monaé, a young vocalist who stomps and sways through her time in the spotlight. Despite Dré's likely position as the driving creative force behind the whole project -- and its further strides away from what his detractors think he should be doing -- he's far more effective as an MC than a singer. When it comes to rapping, he's "bored" with "no dragon to battle," yet the verse containing that proclamation outstrips just about all the lines he croons. "Hollywood Divorce" is an exception, where he does triple duty (producer, MC, vocalist) and guides Big Boi, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg through a modern-day version of "Burn Hollywood Burn." Big Boi is the album's saving grace, still every bit the undervalued force with scythe-like rhymes and gazelle-like moves. Idlewild is certainly a spectacle, and an occasionally entertaining and enlightening one at that, but it translates into an elaborate diversion when compared to what this duo has done in the past. Andy Kellman

Rolling Stone

...Idlewild mixes up swing, blues, hip-hop and R&B without losing a step. "Morris Brown" is a typical highlight, with Earth, Wind & Fire-style vocals over the marching-band funk -- it's so suave on the surface, it takes a few spins to absorb how radical it is. Rob Sheffield