For those that have no clue, the deal is: no rapping, all done in Auto-tune, most of the songs are love songs, no samples. My overall impression - WTF.

Ok, maybe not that WTF, but other than the first 5 songs, the album is incredibly lame and sounds like some b-sides to a Moby album. The lame lyrics really cement the fact that Kanye has let the acclaim get to his head .. but then again, it is also a very personal album too, as if he did it for himself and not for others. So, I don't think he tried too hard. Which is a damn shame cause I really love the first 5 songs, mostly because I listen to a lot of electronic music.

Easily his worst album but I still really love the first few songs. Overall it could have been a huge step forward, for hip hop in general if I may be so obnoxious... I will have an official review soon. EDIT: here it is
http://www.epinions.com/review/808_s_Heartbreak_11_25_b...content_452493217412

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cyrone,

I've only heard the singles. I hated Love Lockdown, but Heartless is okay. His lyrics are getting worse on every album.

Some of the lyrics are painful, especially in "Welcome to Heartbreak". I'm like "please don't rhyme lake with cake, or report card with sports car". Kinda cringe worthy. My least favourite song would be "Heartless" only because it never grabs my attention. The music for "Welcome to Heartbreak" is pretty awesome, and "RoboCop" is interesting. My favourite songs would be "Paranoid" and "Street Lights". I used to like "Love Lockdown", but it's SO overplayed, so I skip that song nearly every time.

Lol, I always skip Love Lockdown as well.

Let it be said...

This is the bar-none Number 1 album of the year! Masterpiece!!!

Moderators: Move this out of Rap/Hip Hop section now, SQUID BRAINS!!!! THIS IS EPIC FAM!!! NO LABELS!! KANYE IS ELVIS AND THE BEATLES ROLLED UP INTO ONE!!! EXPANSION AND ON A 'NOTHER LEVEL!!

I am not sure if you are joking. Either way, I fully feel this is a hip-hop album so I am leaving it here.

I truly love the album. I will come out and admit that my opinion may be slanted because I have loved all of Kanye West's music from the very beginning. Even if the only MCing on this album is by Lil' Wayne (who is having an amazing year), this is a bona fide, dynamic album.

His use of the auto-tune is exceptional. To think that someone could take a ridiculed and looked down on technique and fashion it into something compelling is extraordinary. Yes, the lyrics are personal and heartfelt; I mean, the guy lost his mother and long-time girlfriend in the span of a few months.

This is still a West album at its heart. Some of the best production out there, interesting samples (how great is the Tears for Fears sample on the proper closer?!) and honest, reflective lyrics—excellent.

^ I'm pretty sure it was a joke.

BTW my official review is out ~~ Let me know what you think because I don't do this often.

http://www.epinions.com/review/808_s_Heartbreak_11_25_b...content_452493217412

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:


Even if the only MCing on this album is by Lil' Wayne (who is having an amazing year),

What about Young Jeezy on track "Amazing"?


And I really like this album too. Great production. And somehow I don't even miss his rapping, though I have liked it always. This album will surely be on my top 20. Only tracks that I don't like that much (but are ok) are "Heartless" and "Bad News".

The moment I heard that Kanyeezy was set to drop an album in '08 I was juiced because honestly I think he's one of the more talented and creative emcees in the game. To hear news that he was doing the T-Pain thing for his little project I had question marks floating above my noggin. I can't speak on the album as a whole since I avoided the damn thing completely but I'll say that I'm not at all impressed with the singles he's released. I'm not against the Auto-tune technique at the very least, but in my opinion it should be used minimally in verses and by actual talented vocalists like Chris Brown, not by individuals who can't hold a note and use it as a primary tool like T-Pain and, well, Mr. West. He may have graduated but he needs to find a better job.

So maybe a pitchfork perfect 10.0? Based on first impressions floating round and other reviews I have read I'm going for 8.2

I was really looking forward to this album and its apparent "kid a" transformation, as I love all of his albums. I really hope it holds.

Well All Music gave it a 2 out of 5. I guess that means the album is a masterpiece because All Music are always so off on their ratings (they're no better than Rolling Stone in my opinion).

quote:

Originally posted by Cyrone:
BTW my official review is out ~~ Let me know what you think because I don't do this often.

http://www.epinions.com/review/808_s_Heartbreak_11_25_b...content_452493217412

Haha, I actually 95% disagree with your review. I like the second half more, and you rated two of my favourite songs the lowest.

quote:

Originally posted by BAfé:
Well All Music gave it a 2 out of 5. I guess that means the album is a masterpiece because All Music are always so off on their ratings (they're no better than Rolling Stone in my opinion).

Usually i don't agree with allmusic, but after hearing the album today i kind of agree with them. It's just kind of boring, and the lyrics really are awful.

i really like street lights

quote:

I was really looking forward to this album and its apparent "kid a" transformation, as I love all of his albums. I really hope it holds.

Well, while I can understand a comparison to Kid A, it's definitely not the first thing that springs to mind... he's not purposely doing it to withdraw from the rap community nor does the music sound more "intelligent".

quote:

Originally posted by BAfé:
Haha, I actually 95% disagree with your review. I like the second half more, and you rated two of my favourite songs the lowest.

Hey, I mentioned in the 1st paragraph that the "appeal" of these songs can vary greatly. Just because I give a song a "1" doesn't mean it's bad, I use a credit-based system, and there just wasn't much "to" the songs that got that amount of credit. If that makes sense.

"Street Lights" is one of the songs I was probably overly harsh on. I do "like" the song, but again, it just.... doesn't do much.

"On sound opinions patented "buy it, burn it trash it" scale I think this is a burn it" lol (anyone listen to the sound opinions podcast?).

An interesting listen if you are a fan as there are some good tracks. However while some works and some doesn't even the stuff that works feels unfinished and not full realised. There is not point where I don't hear missed potential.

I see song structure as the fundamental problem. As singing and heavy synth replace the hip hop rapping and big sampled horns or pitch adjusted choruses, it's like he is leaning to a more alt rock structure on the "ballads", but never gets there. Perhaps a good dose of Nigel Goodrich or Dave Sitek.

In the more traditional kanye songs, the lyrics or hook aren't enough to warrant being a chorus, see Amazing or See You in My Nightmares. I love the verses in Paranoid but the chorus irritates me. A large amount of songs reach a bridge or breakdown and I think "oh yeah now the track is going to explode" but the last third just sounds like the beginning of the track and leaves me cold.

For example in Heartless and Street Lights at 2.31 and 1.37 respectively, at the mall breakdown I'm thinking "ok here we go, this is where the track is really going to capitalise on the emotional set up". Instead it goes nowhere. Hence all the tracks that feel like they are building up to something never do.

By adding something, anything at this point in the track to give it a climax (leaving the sonics and maybe the lyrics as they are) it could have been a good album. I know the idea of a track climaxing and song structure might not be important for everyone and songs like Street Lights are still good listens.

Love Lockedown is my favourite track and could have been one of kanye's best, but instead again feels underdone. When I first heard the live version at the VMA's I thought "wow just needs a few more layers and this could be a great album." The 3rd verse dynamically, should have been somewhere in between the chorus and verse and set up an even more raucus last chorus (or a different melody). However it pretty much replicates the other choruses. This leaves me with an out of place 3rd verse and an anticlimactic final chorus.

Even though the final track Coldest winter does do something structurally, it finishes too early and like the album as a whole fails to leave any impression. Through multiple listens I could develop a relationship with an album like this. Really crystallising the core emotion would help forgive some of the non tracks or give them a place. But there is nothing here that warrants that kind of attention. To me is a rushed ambition rather than lack of talent. Also when all is said and done the autotune is the least of my problems.

Hmmm maybe I'm almost leaning to a trash it.

Oh and I don't think I can ever listen to Say You Will again. The last 3 minutes of the former is just the same beats, submarine bleeps and Halo (xbox) choirs.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PrairieFire,

I think this album is a masterpiece. I like Kanye, but have never been a major fan. In fact, I don't listen to that much hip-hop or R'n'B at all. But this album is blowing me away. Many of the posts here have made reference to the fact that the songs don't "do" all that much, and the layering isn't all too complex, but does anyone agree with me that this is exactly what makes the album so special? Minimalism. If this album were layered like his previous albums, to me most of the appeal would be lost.

Yeah, I mostly agree, but there is such a thing as too much negative space. I'm officially on the fence on this one.

I really dig the lyrics; some of them are just blisteringly honest and genuine. You can really feel that he went through many life changes throughout the past year. The limited edition is pretty great; it comes with a poster that on one side has West and his mom in a very affectionate shot, the reverse side is West in a suit with a cracked heart.

I especially love the lyrics for "Coldest Winter," my vote for the best song on the album. The Tears for Fears interpolation is genius and West sounds very depressed when he sings, "Goodbye my friend I will never love again...never again" at the end. The music to "Say You Will" is also truly brilliant. And towards the end, the gorgeous choral vocals and beats just wash over you—when the beats cut out and it's just the voices, that's a great musical moment.

Needless to say, I think highly of this album.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
I really dig the lyrics; some of them are just blisteringly honest and genuine. You can really feel that he went through many life changes throughout the past year. The limited edition is pretty great; it comes with a poster that on one side has West and his mom in a very affectionate shot, the reverse side is West in a suit with a cracked heart.

I especially love the lyrics for "Coldest Winter," my vote for the best song on the album. The Tears for Fears interpolation is genius and West sounds very depressed when he sings, "Goodbye my friend I will never love again...never again" at the end. The music to "Say You Will" is also truly brilliant. And towards the end, the gorgeous choral vocals and beats just wash over you—when the beats cut out and it's just the voices, that's a great musical moment.

Needless to say, I think highly of this album.

Cool. Really sounds like you've "heard" this album. I'm still completely open to the possibility of liking this a lot; I think for me it might actually be the commercial sound of the thing that holds me back the most.