2019 repress on red vinyl! This one hasn't been available for a while... Maybe not as enduring as In Search Of, Pharrell, Chad and Shay were REALLY going against the grain on Fly Or Die, and looking back, you gotta admire their adventurousness. Peep the original Lab review from Nick Catchdubs (writing about a band's lesser album is always hard):

Have the Neptunes caught a brick? Sophomore slump? Value judgments aside, Fly or Die will seriously polarize listeners. "Don't Worry About It," "Breakout," and "Thrasher" keep N.E.R.D.'s signature riffs alive, but memorable hooks are nowhere to be found. Instead, we have the piano stomp of the first single, "She Wants To Move," the acoustic balladry of "Wonderful Place," and Pharrell's juvenile teen-angst lyrics all over the place (not to mention a featured appearance by Good Charlotte on "Jump"– holler at your mall punk!). All in all, this N.E.R.D. album is a definite departure from the debut's expert blend of rock, soul, and Neptunes thump. It's too early to label Fly or Die a disappointment– remember, In Search Of… took a while to catch on. But, love it or hate it…there's still the new Clipse album to look forward to. GRINDING! 12 tracks total. (ed's note: for what it's worth, it seems like the teen generation is loving this, just ask Killmanjaro aka Lil Lloydski).

• red colored double vinyl pressing
• limited edition
• original release year: 2004
• music label: Star Trak 2019

reviewed by Nick Catchdubs 05/2004