I hate to turn up my nose at Eminem’s new album, Encore, but these 23 tracks reek of a potty mouth. The album begins with the sound of someone vomiting in a charming track entitled “Puke.” Other tracks incorporate farting, burping and pooping.

The album is truly an “encore” – an echo of Marshall Mathers’s earlier work. Songs reference his alter ego, “Slim Shady,” and the semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile. True to his provocative form, Eminem defames Michael Jackson, Jessica Simpson and, unfortunately, the late Christopher Reeve. And what would an Eminem album be without a generous dose of homophobia? Don’t worry, there’s plenty of that too.

The abundance of bathroom humor and predictable slander is a pity because underneath all this excrement are the makings of a terrific political album. “We As Americans” cries out for the protection of civil liberties. In “Mosh,” Eminem envisions himself leading a riot: Let us beg to differ, as we set aside our differences, and assemble our own army, to disarm this weapon of mass destruction that we call our president.” Sounds pretty serious for a guy who used to joke about beating up his girlfriend. Other strong moments are when Eminem gets personal, giving us the history behind his angry persona. “Mockingbird,” a haunting slow song, is Eminem’s prayer for his daughter, Haley. “Love You More” and “Crazy in Love” explore the artist’s dysfunctional love/hate relationships. “My First Single” and “Never Enough” tackle the pressures of the entertainment industry.

This album has got a lot of everything – the emotional, the political, the shocking, the lewd and the immature. And who can escape the funny dance hit, “Just Lose It,” that radio stations play every five minutes? All Slim needed to do was slim 23 tracks down to 12, which would have shaped this CD into a real gem.