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 Is it really DJ Shadow? Dec 17, 2009
Well, after amazing "Endtroducing" and "The Private Press" I was expecting something more. DJ Shadow abandoned his uniqe style of his first records while making this album. And it's not much of a solo album anymore, almost every track is featured by different artists... It's no longer mainly 'intrumental' music, all tracks have vocals. This album isn't bad though, but if you were a fan of DJ Shadow first records, then "The Outsider" will make you a little bit dissapointed.
 this album is a steaming pile Nov 19, 2009
I loved "Endtroducing" and "Private Press" so buying this one seemed like a no-brainer. Learn from my mistake, avoid this one at all costs! If you enjoyed the other albums by DJ Shadow then this one will be a massive letdown. Most of the songs fall into the mold of "DJ Shadow featuring _____ with ____". If I was into that sort of crap I'd be listening to top 40 radio. Yes, it's true, I'm not a fan of David Banner or any other DB who loves to tell everyone how great they think they are. Do yourself a favor if you're thinking of getting this: buy anything by UNKLE (especially "War Stories") instead!
 good Aug 08, 2009
What is my beloved DJ Shadow DOING here? This does not mean stop doing it: It means, shead some light on this album.
The Outsider has some great rock, great soul, great ambient, and great experiments. These are in no longical order whatsoever--at least not a logic i can gleen after three years hearing this.
A collection of great ideas does not make an album. But Shadow makes an album a decade, two if we are lucky. I have a hard time picturing him slapping a disc together just to get it out. The man has one of the largest music caches (60,000 LPs) on the planet. He was probably stashing LPs in his playpen in 1974. He has made one, arguably two classics. Obviously, he knows how albums work.
Is Shadow so good he can offer a scrapbook of concepts? Is that the point of Outsider? Maybe he is saying the idea of an album as songs with a thread is gone in this world of downloads and I-pods.
I am not going to trash this record. First, it is not that bad. Second, I just have too much respect for Shadow.
But listening, I keep asking what Shadow's wife probably keeps asking when he is in the studio:
"What are you DOING in there?"
 Defying what he does best Jan 30, 2009
2 1/2
This album caused a collective "What the ??" upon release, but in retrospect seemed an obvious step from an already semi-turgid PP. It wasn't so much Shadow's insistence on attempting to emulate booty beats and other undercooked genre attempts then an insistence and seemingly almost bitter refusal to further progress familiar elements and energize this limp dish, instead proving severely his limitations under this superficial guise of artistic change, if slipping out a few genuinely elevated hip-hoppers and partially outstretched instrumentals.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Headphone Commute Review Apr 20, 2008
OK. Fine. I admit. I missed this one. I don't know how it happened. Either it didn't make a big splash, or I got stuck playing Endtroducing... I guess both are true. Meanwhile, Josh Davis, who slammed the above mentioned monumental debut back in 1996, returned a decade later with a third DJ Shadow album. The Outsider may surprise (and/or disappoint) any DJ Shadow fan. The album has only a few instrumental tracks, and it's pretty hip-hop heavy, featuring a long list of West Coast rappers, including Keak Da Sneak, Federation, and Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest. Davis is based out of Bay Area, so it would be almost impossible for him to ignore the hyphy movement. Speaking to The Skinny magazine, Davis said, "... it was really exciting when it came along and rather than do what I would probably have done in the past and go 'well gee, I'm a guy who mainly works with samples, so I guess this is just gonna pass me by,' I embraced it." Half way through the album we get a taste of blues, followed by an upbeat instrumental piece, and soon Davis drops a couple of indie tracks, featuring the vocals of Chris James from Stateless. Luckily for me, I dig the West Coast hip-hop sound. And I was equally impressed with the indie rock sound. But The Outsider may turn away the die hard fans. I guess the days of record digging may be over for the DJ Shadow that we know [and love], and as Davis matured, so did his desire for quality studio production. Favorite tracks: This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way), Backstage Girl, and Erase You.
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