Kanye West's New Album: Pain Not Flash

"808s & Heartbreak" sounds like none of his other albums, nor any rap album of note -- "minimal but functional" is how he has described it to MTV. At best, it is a rough sketch for a great album, with ideas he would have typically rendered with complexity, here distilled to a few words, a few synthesizer notes, a lean drumbeat. At worst, it's clumsy and underfed, a reminder that all of that ornamentation served a purpose. After all, what is Kanye West without scale?

Mr. West would have been forgiven for taking a break after releasing "Graduation," his third album, last year. His mother, Donda West, died last November following complications from plastic surgery. In April Mr. West split from his fiancée, Alexis Phifer. By any measure, these are seismic changes, yet he persisted with recording.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[woodcut]

Let's remember that Bob Dylan did 2 Christian albums. I appreciate when they experiment. To me, Beyonce has two songs which she alters a bit, but zzzzzzzzz.

[ApolloniaCreed]

*shrugs* I love the album...

[ObamaRamaVA]

His new album is nothing compared to Graduation...Graduation was fire, he had a lot of hype in that one. Now his new one is trash. Most of the songs seem depressed and down. He really should have taken his time with it after the passing of his mother and the splitting of his fiancee. I do have to say though, Heartless is the best up there.

[Wilsonfisk89]

This album is straight garbage. Every single track is simply Kanye crying through autotune. I was a big fan, his first two records are great, last one was half great. This records is truly bad. Every single track sounds the same. I can't stress it enough, its really bad, no rapping, horrific sounding vocals. Try the newest Bobby Digital (RZA) for an example of fun, genre bending hip-hop instead.

[ZimboChick]

If you do not realise that it is his way of grieving then you were never a true fan...just a fair weather fan. I am scared for Kanye. He is emotionally depleted but seems to be scared to let go. Fall back haterz

[Wilsonfisk89]

I am truly sorry for Kanye's loss. My best wishes go out to his emotional recovery. However, his record is still garbage. I dont know if I am a 'true fan' or not, I greatly enjoyed his past work, but am I to gather that you expect me to enjoy this record simply because it exists? Listen, artists slip, artists even fall off. Jay-Z's Blueprint 2, pretty whack. But he followed it with The Black Album, easily one of his top 3 greatest records. So, has Kanye slipped, or fallen off? Artists like him and the infinitely talented Lil Wayne are remiss to have embraced auto tune so completely. Kanye West is a great rapper, and a great beatmaker. A singer of bleak, electronically dulled lamentations on life and fame? Not so much. The best, and really only decent part of the whole record is the appearance of Young Jeezy on 'Amazing,' mostly because it is refreshing to hear a passionate, human voice on such a dull, dull record.I never really cared much about the egotistical stuff he says in the media, but his recent statement that he is the voice of this generation has me thinkin. If that is true, shouldnt he be held to a higher standard? If he is the voice of my generation, what does this record really mean then? Not much. Like you said, its a deeply personal album, ok. Respect. But I have to feel it just because he's sad? Nah.

[robXdion]

Like Billy told Prince in "Purple Rain" - "Hey Kid, the stage is not the place for your personal sh**!!"

That's why there's psychologists. Mary J. Blige started this "whining on wax" as a way to cope with life. She only thrived because her fans were just as miserable. Kanye doesn't have that benefit.

[my2cents1972]

i like the to songs released so i'm sure he'll will be more successful than the sourpuss who wrote this article

[JADE2002]

I think kanye is very talented, too bad he talk too much :(

Album is FIre, though

[Seacliff]

Minor talent.........................M A J O R A*S*S*H*O*L*E ! ! !

[ZimboChick]

yeah thank you for tellig us about yourself but this artice is about Kanye

[Seacliff]

spell check?????