808s and Heartbreak

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Time for a Kanye thread! I'm not utterly convinced by about 75% of the autotune vox but I am enjoying the rest! I've also been listening to Graduation quite a lot recently and the difference in mood is massive. The usual clever wordplay is still there but seems to take a back seat to Kanye being a big old emo (which of I imagine is the whole point).

Any poptimist thoughts? Fave tracks?

(Also I have just listened to 'Robocop' and I want an excuse to post this:)

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I really like it. The more autotune the better as far as I'm concerned.

Favourite tracks: "Love Lockdown", "Say You Will", "Coldest Winter", "Robocop", "Heartless"

Least favourite: generally any of the uptempo ones. "Amazing" is annoying. I have never listened to their 8 minute 'bonus freestyle' at the end and I am planning on pretending it doesn't exist.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

'Heartless' is where the autotune really starts to grate on me - there's an awesome panpipe thing going in the background but the vweee-vwooor on the chorus is too distracting. Perhaps he should have got Cher to do backing vocals instead?

I really like 'Say You Will' - massive long epic right at the start! Also I like the fact that there's hardly any snare drum ANYWHERE = scientifically more emo.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

(And where snare drum replaced by tribal drum = EVEN MORE emo)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"Say You Will" is BRILLIANT for trudging home from work at night when it's freezing.

[cis.livejournal.com]

I really love the use of autotune in 'see you in my nightmares' (GOTH JAMZ): the way the voice veers into that burbling soar punctuated by certain words grated out so hard that the autotune doesn't even work.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Oh yes that's a good one! There's a whole verse on one of the other ones where the autotune is being overloaded w/ Kanye's misery. It is great!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'See You In My Nightmares' is definitely a standout - the rawness when their voices crack! 'Welcome To Heartbreak' is another highlight for me, just cuz that synth melody is GORGEOUS.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

(have to say that 'Nightmares' is VERY NEARLY scuppered by Weezy going "you think your shit don't stink but you are Mrs PU" oh god just SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

The endless live thing at the end is...just terrible in every way.

I love 'Amazing' because it's like an inverted version of Young Jeezy's 'Put On' - Kanye's guest verse there (which is ushered in by this sort of awkward episodic pause and gently abstract piano) is the first time I heard him really going hard with the Autotune, and it all comes full circle on 'Amazing' with Jeezy's "proper" rapping ushered in by the awkward episodic pause and distant howling wolves. Um, all that said I think 'Put On' >>>>>>>>>>> anything on 808s (and Kanye's verse there >>>>>> any of Kanye's verses on 808s). But that's more because 'Put On' is Single of the Year material, and 808s is just an excellent curio.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I love Kanye's bit in "Put On" but the rest of it is a grind - I think it's Jeezy's voice, it's too thick and croaky for me. (I liked it on "My President" cos he sounded like he'd been up all night yelling).

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Is "Amazing" the same song as "Amazin'" on The Recession? (I've not heard 808s yet but the Jeezy track is excellent.)