Uh-huh, this one had to come down the pipe. Sometimes, when a label seeks to cash in on one of its artists -- or former artists -- they put something together that might be needed but is wholly unexpected. What's more, they get it right. That's the case with Cee-Lo Green's Closet Freak: The Best of Cee-Lo Green the Soul Machine. It's the exception rather than the rule of best-of compilations: the contents are so fine there's no quibbling about what is here, which makes what may be left off easier to bear. Those not familiar with Cee-Lo until they heard him fronting Gnarls Barkley on the smash single "Crazy," (Gnarls Barkley is a two-man project involving Cee-Lo and producer Danger Mouse -- Brian Burton) from their creative and wacky debut album St. Elsewhere (the pop album of 2006), will be delighted by the material here. There are a total of three cuts from his days with the Atlanta rap group Goodie Mob, and generous selections from his two solo albums Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections, and Ce-Lo Green...Is the Soul Machine. It's not the same by a long shot, but the root elements of that sound are all here. Cee-Lo is eternally funky: he can sing, rap, and produce; that is in full evidence on this generous set of 17 cuts. His unmistakable voice can be heard on Goodie Mob 's "Free," "Soul Food," and "Cell Therapy." But it's on the solo material, from "Gettin' Grown," the title track, "I'll Be Around" (with Timbaland), the completely insane "Childz Play," (with Ludacris) and the acid-drenched psychedelic funk of "Under the Influence" (with Follow Me), that are a few of the standouts on this weighty slab of the good stuff. Whether this is a further introduction, or you've been with the Bald tattoed one for a decade, this is the way a best-of gets done. Pure pleasure for freaky people. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Brian Frye (Mixing Assistant), Senator Jimmy D (Engineer), Cee-Lo Green (Vocals), Phil Tan (Mixing), Organized Noize (Producer), Organized Noize (Drum Programming), Me, Myself & Eye (Vocals (Background)), The Neptunes (Original Recording Producer), Joseph Patel (Liner Notes), DJ Premier (Original Recording Producer), Nealhpogue (Mixing), Shorty B. (Bass), DJ Premier (Producer), Eddie Wright (Guitar), Jonathan Mannion (Photography), Timbaland (Producer), Javier Valverde (Mixing Assistant), Charles Pettaway (Bass), John Frye (Mixing Assistant), Jason Rome (Engineer), Charles Pettaway (Guitar), The Neptunes (Producer), Thomas Callaway (Drum Programming), Thomas Callaway (Producer), Joey Huffman (Engineer), Gaelle Adisson (Producer), Chris Carmouche (Assistant Engineer), Nealhpogue (Engineer), Jeffrey Sledge (Compilation Producer), Jim Fiscus (Cover Photo), Jimmy Douglass (Mixing), Organized Noize (Original Recording Producer), Jazze Pha (Vocals (Background)), Andre Tarber (Assistant Engineer), Tim Harrigan (Engineer), Jimmy Young (Conga), Andrew Coleman (Engineer), Brian Remlick (Mixing), Dean Gant (Keyboards), Timbaland (Original Recording Producer), Warren Bletcher (Mixing Assistant), Sean Davis (Engineer), Joey Huffman (Piano), Brian Frye (Engineer), Timbaland (Vocals (Background)), Howard Fritzson (Art Direction), Mike Berry (Trumpet), Stephanie Pickett "Ditty" (Vocals (Background)), Gaelle Adisson (Programming), Steven Berkowitz (A&R), Dean Karr (Photography), John Horesco IV (Mixing Assistant), Rob Carter (Design), Jim Parham (Project Director), Alex Lowe (Mixing Assistant), Cee-Lo Green (Vocals (Background)), Russell Gunn (Horn), Kirkland Underwater (Vocals (Background)), Eric Stamile (Producer), James Cruz (Mastering), Zak Profera (A&R), Mike Hartnett (Guitar), Russell Gunn (Trumpet), Jazze Pha (Original Recording Producer), Gaelle Adisson (Mixing Assistant), Organized Noize (Music Program), Tori Alamaze (Vocals (Background)), Bob Brockman (Mixing), Sir Cognac the Conversation (Performer), Bernasky Wall (Engineer), Family Tree (Vocals (Background)), "Metal" Ed Russo (Mixing Assistant), Brandon Bennett (Vocals (Background)), Mike Barry (Trumpet), Timbaland (Programming), T Mo (Vocals), John Frye (Assistant Engineer), Timbaland (Instrumentation), Eric Stamile (Mixing), Sleepy Brown (Vocals (Background)), Preston Crump (Bass), John Frye (Mixing), Voice of Atlanta Choir (Vocals (Background)), Ken Ford (Strings), Thomas Callaway (Original Recording Producer), Jazze Pha (Producer), Timbaland (Mixing), Eric Stamile (Programming)
