Jottings about Missy Elliott's New Album

I've listened to Missy Elliott's The Cookbook twice now, and I don't love it but I like it a fair amount. Certainly if she were a new artist I'd be pretty damn excited. If I were the kind of fellow who throws parties and if I were hosting such an event this Friday, I'd put the album on and feel confident that it would do the job. I expect to get a lot of mileage out of individual tracks. As you may know, Timbaland is pretty much absent from the project, though he does produce two cuts. M.I.A. is a guest on the last song, which is hot. Slick Rick, Grand Puba, Mary J. Blige, and Johnny Paycheck also turn up. Not Johnny Paycheck after all. Rich Harrison ("1 Thing," "Crazy in Love") produces one of the cuts, "Can't Stop," more or less a rock tune with Harrison's loud snare sound in full effect. The skits are both offensive and unfunny. "Party Time" features the line "Forget about it like the world forget Sisqo," but I haven't forgotten Sisqo. Did you know that the two greatest inventions of the 20th century--thermoses and thong underwear--both start with "Th"? So I guess my list of Missy Elliott albums is now ranked as follows:

1. Supa Dupa Fly
2. This Is Not a Test!
3. Miss E...So Addictive
4. Under Construction
5. The Cookbook
6. The Real World