N.E.R.D.: Fly Or Die : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

You know that MTV show Pimp My Ride, where Xzibit shows up at your door to take your busted-up car and turn it into a shiny hip-hop love machine? That's basically the reverse concept of N.E.R.D. As the Neptunes, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are hip-hop's glitz princes, zinging their bling into the juiciest radio hits around. But when it comes to their rock side project, N.E.R.D., they sound like they sincerely believe the greatest thing that ever happened to rock & roll is Sammy Hagar's solo career. The results may not be masterful, but they sure are weird. It's fascinating to hear these rap geniuses go undercover as a bar band you might hear rocking Journey covers in a bowling alley.

When the Neptunes made their first N.E.R.D. record, In Search Of . . . , they got help from a live band, along with vocals from their old Virginia friend Shay. But this time they play the instruments themselves, which gives Hugo a chance to step on some snazzy guitar-effects pedals while Williams wails about "Backseat Love" and other rock-star fantasies. Since Hugo just started playing guitar last year, the riffs are endearingly clumsy, and the drumming just plain sucks, which is brilliant. "Don't Worry About It" is a hilarious Bad Company tribute, with the guys chanting, "She's bad-bad-badass!" "The Way She Dances" and "She Wants to Move" are slick groupie odes. All the ladies in the house, say, "Free Bird!"

ROB SHEFFIELD
(RS 946, April 15, 2004)