Curtain Call 2＜Orange Vinyl＞

Curtain Call 2 is one of those titles like Final Destination 2: an absurd name for a sequel but the brand has already been established, so what are you gonna do? In Eminems case, he released Curtain Call: The Hits as part of his purported retirement in the mid-2000s. Inactivity didnt suit Em, so he returned in 2009 with Relapse, a record that kicked off a particularly prolific decade and a half. Curtain Call 2 chronicles the releases since Relapse, featuring most -- but not all -- of his charting singles, along with a handful of album tracks, non-LP cuts, and three new numbers: "From the D 2 the LBC," which features Snoop Dogg; "The King and I, " a contribution to Baz Luhrmanns Elvis soundtrack featuring CeeLo Green; and "Is This Love (09)," which showcases 50 Cent. At over two and a half hours, Curtain Call 2 is generous to a fault, playing like an endless streaming playlist instead of a curated compilation, yet it does feature many highlights from Eminems mid-career records, including "Crack a Bottle," "Not Afraid," "Love the Way You Lie," "Berzerk," "The Monster," "Lucky You," and "Godzilla." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine