Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
You'd be forgiven for thinking Kanye West is a bit of a twattish douchebag. From crashing Taylor Swift's party with the now-infamous IMMA LET YOU FINISH routine (which has since become a meme of some repute) to his recent proclamations that being a live performer is akin to being shot at by people who want very much to kill you (good work there Kanye, way to piss off the entire military-industrial complex) the Westmeister's life has been one humourous controversy after another. Let's not even start on his decision to procreate with a Kardashian, nor his joint responsibility in naming a child North West. (I hope the poor kid never asks for directions.)
However, for all the batshit insanity, K Dub (probably not an actual nickname) has a knack for consistently producing quality hip-hop. Much of the credit for this has to go to the man's quest for perfection, for creating fresh and original sounds on each album and for his dedication to pushing the envelope (and his own abilities.)
2010 saw the release of the ambitious My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, an album built around samples of music that is 30 or 40 years old (plus Bon Iver) and featuring a glittering array of guest artists (including The RZA and Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan, Elton John and Rihanna). Its release was greeted with absolute critical acclaim.
It's the use of samples of old tracks that interests me most though. I was interested to see how West and his co-producers would incorporate these tunes into his work. So....I decided to find out.
The Album
Make no mistake; My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is one extraordinarily lush sounding album. The way that West and his array of co-producers have woven together vocals, samples and instrumentation is truly a joy to behold. So many tracks are grandiose in scale and sound, which was a conscious decision by West when making the album, and it's been achieved magnificently.
Then there's the frankly superb lyrical ability on display. West turns the guns on his detractors, his competitors, celebrity culture (ironically) and the United States with devastating effect. The album is loaded with clever wordplay, sneaky metaphors and direct attacks (plus, it must be said, a significant amount of ego). Finally, there's West himself. Say what you like about him, you cannot deny his rapping skills are top notch. Even on an album littered with skilled practitioners, West is never outshone at any stage.
There are cracking songs all over the place, but a few really caught my ear. Power samples King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man, and what wonders it wreaks with this prog progenitor! The song is lavishly produced with guitars, horns and prominent backing vocals, and West's lyric and vocal is amazing. West casts himself in the role of the Schizoid Man and uses the sample as the punctuation on the choruses. So Appalled contains two of my favourite disses on the whole album - firstly, there's West smashing MTV for no longer being a promoter of music, and then there's Jay-Z with a biting and hilarious pop at MC Hammer's financial management skills. The song also features co-producer The RZA who contributes a verse with his typical brash, intense delivery (or ruckus, if you will.)
All of the Lights is another highlight. Featuring eleven guest vocalists, it opens with a hauntingly beautiful piece of music played on piano (by Elton John, no less) and strings, before West trades verses with the guests. Despite Fergie's quite rubbish contribution (seriously, you're shit) the song is saved by Alicia Keys, La Roux and Elton John's closing tradeoffs (though Elton is almost unrecognisable). Rihanna also knocks her contribution out of the park.
They're the major major highlights. The other tracks are just highlights! Dark Fantasy impresses with its gospel backing vocals and snappy lyrics; The RZA produced this track, and it shows, with its bassy drums and sparse, booming sound. Runaway is almost flawless musically (though I thought it went a bit too long); it's a throwback to triphop visionaries Massive Attack with its rumbling drum and bass and morose, plinking piano notes; West's vocal alternates between rapping and singing, and the lyrics are deeply personal and reflective. Monster is the darkest, most brooding and foreboding track on the album, and features guest appearances by the fucking amazing Jay-Z and the normally a laughing stock but actually pretty bloody good here Nicki Minaj. Finally, album closer Lost in the World samples Bon Iver's track Woods to great effect early doors, before turning into a clubby party tune that manages to be both pumpingly danceable yet deliciously lush.
The only song I honestly didn't like too much was Hell of a Life. Despite the fact it samples Sabbath's Iron Man, the overly fuzzy synths and fairly uninspiring lyrical content made it less enjoyable for me. It's honestly the only lowlight.
The Verdict
Despite the critical wankfest, I was skeptical about My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I pretty much thought that because of West's utter wankbadgerness, I would struggle to take the work seriously.
However, listening with an open mind informed me that the wankfest was well placed. This is an extraordinarily musical album for a genre that people like me (uninformed rock worshippers) normally write off as distinctly non-musical. Thus far, my two exposures to hip hop in the Project have convinced me that I should not be so closed-minded.
Kanye West created a genuine modern work of art with this album. It seems harsh to classify it as mere hip hop, so diverse is the musical landscape it covers. It comes thoroughly recommended by me, but give yourself a lot of time, because it's quite a long album....but holy shit, it's worth every second.
You're still an utter wankbadger though, Kanye.
My rating: *****
Standout Tracks
All of the Lights
Power
Runaway
So Appalled
My next album is a request from a friend that he later tried to withdraw. Well I'm sorry, Dan Tabram, you're stuck with it, mate.
My next album is some Norwegian bubbledanceEuropop.
Eep.
Eep.
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