Either way, I just love the whole vibe and theme of the song and I could listen to this on repeat Supposedly Kanye almost didn't release the song because he thought everybody would just listen to Minaj's verse, which was definitely true in my case. The song starts with Bon Iver, followed by Rick Ross, Kanye himself, Jay-Z and finally Nicki Minaj. Like Gorgeous this song really contrasts with what came before it and marks kind of a shift towards a more dark tone for the rest of the album. I remember the music video for this coming out and that is just a wild ride on it's own (enough so that it got taken off of Youtube). Probably one of the more approachable songs on the album (and Kanye's career). Also the list of people doing backing vocals on this track is lowkey insane. Also 21st Century Schizoid Man is a banger in it's own right and just works in this weird superhero anthem-ish song.Īll Of The Lights - Not a super stand out song to me, nevertheless the whole drum & bass vibe with the horns (with Rihanna singing the song's hook) is always fun to listen to. It's over the top with great hooks and probably one of my favourite ones on the album. POWER - This song just screams Kanye to me. Also I am just a sucker for Wu Tang, so gotta love Raekwon's verse on here. Also on a more meta-scale, the contrast with the preceding and following track make this song stand out. Gorgeous - The riff is fantastic and the guitar tone is matched by the distorted vocals which I thought was a really cool choice. Great opening track that let's you know exactly what you are in for. Then it just goes back and forth this beautiful gospel arrangement into an old school hip hop vibe (I am gonna assume that's RZA's work) which sounds kinda nuts when you write it down, but it just works super well. Production and all that is obviously jawdroppingly amazing, so I am not gonna focus on that too much.ĭark Fantasy - Kicking off an album with Nicki Minaj reading an altered version of a Roald Dahl poem is one hell of a way to kick things off, and thematically is a fun wink to the whole dark fantasy thing. Ok hi I am back with many thoughts and feelings. In the end, I'm glad I gave it a shot, but I doubt I'd ever listen to it again. Overall, I'd love to hear an album where he produces and co-writes the music, but a good singer/rapper and lyricist writes the words. Granted, a 50+ year old suburban white dude is not the target audience here, but his boasts and subject matter are just SO CRINGE. His voice is annoying, his rhyming meter is unappealing to me, his "lyrics" make Ivan Moody (Five Finger Prostate Punch) seem like an elderly Rhodes scholar by comparison. There are so many beautiful things and wild sounds on here, that I GET IT.ĬONS: Kanye. PROS: Melodies, arrangements, orchestration, guest performances, production, soundstage. There was a lot to like, but I can't go song by song, because I listened in the car, so I'll just hit pros and cons: This one.Īnyway, London was right, I *do* like this a lot more than the other one I listened to. Okay, so I listened to this in the car today, which made me feel very much like Michael Bolton. So give em a listen and lemme know what you think. It might not be his best album ever but Ghost Town is my fav track he’s ever written and the dynamic throughout the entire record is like nothing I’ve ever witnessed. If you are inspired by this first record, please check out Ye. So I spent a lot of time in deliberation with London trying to decide between this one and his album Ye. Then we settle in with a classic R&B guitar theme with Gorgeous and we are off Dark Fantasy opens this brilliant body of work with a beautifully arranged pop gospel that has so much depth in tone and texture. Kanye delivers on all fronts with this heavy hitter. And to do it with master craftsmanship is the icing. Today, what compels me to write music and play the guitar, is when I hear someone make music sound like nothing I’ve ever heard before. I also use these techniques and tricks in solos and I feel that it gives me an edge so, win win. I’ve done this to help create the world’s greatest guitar school. Over the last decade I have made it my life’s work to go through the YouTube rabbit hole to source new techniques, equipment, and beyond. I have to be honest, hearing someone shred or play a rad riff on the guitar no longer inspires me to pick up mine. I don’t expect all of you to be thrilled about this rec but this album and this artist has elongated my bands career by inspiring us to create when it felt like we had no more to say. MBDTF by the eccentric Kanye West is a clinic on songwriting, arrangement, dynamic, the eclectic, performance, and mixing. :syngates:Yo Family! This months #AOTM is very special to me because I believe that you will learn so much from this album.