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My 100 Favourite Albums of 2010

#4 Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Yeah, it’s really good. Obviously. Honestly though, as good as it is, I don’t think I could reasonably classify it as my favourite of the year - at the very least, it simply has not been out long enough.

The thing that stands out about this album for me is the incredible production. Yes it’s bombastic, even by Kanye’s own standards, but it’s also forward-looking and innovative in a way few recent hip-hop albums have been (as great as Big Boi’s album is, it’s not exactly breaking new ground).

Unfortunately, the quality of the music makes the crude lyrics all the more grating for me. I have no particularly strong interest in Kanye’s exploration of his ego, and thus, his frequently shallow, always solipsistic lyrics hold very little resonance for me. I get what he’s doing, but it doesn’t quite jell for me.

assumerguide: Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (I of V) Twittering media mogul and fashion intern turned rapper Kanye West outdoes himself with this five-CD set, a hip-hopera with more rings (and more bling) than even O.G., Richard Wagner, could muster. For the first act, ‘Ye We’ goes for exposition: the king has been killed and there are now pundits in the kingdom watching the throne. Intrigue builds as a certain young prince from the ‘West’ returns. But is he only dreaming of turning his twisted his dark fantasies of “Power” into reality? Or a reality show? Megalomaniacal beats and studio sorcery abound. A- Andy Beta relaunched the Assumer Guide, in which he gives albums the Christgau treatment based on their covers! Yay!! This is brilliant! Click for high-res photo

assumerguide:

Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (I of V)

Twittering media mogul and fashion intern turned rapper Kanye West outdoes himself with this five-CD set, a hip-hopera with more rings (and more bling) than even O.G., Richard Wagner, could muster. For the first act, ‘Ye We’ goes for exposition: the king has been killed and there are now pundits in the kingdom watching the throne. Intrigue builds as a certain young prince from the ‘West’ returns. But is he only dreaming of turning his twisted his dark fantasies of “Power” into reality? Or a reality show? Megalomaniacal beats and studio sorcery abound. A-

Andy Beta relaunched the Assumer Guide, in which he gives albums the Christgau treatment based on their covers! Yay!!

This is brilliant!

(via maura)

1. Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy gets a 10.0 rating from Pitchfork. It now joins such noteworthy releases as 12 Rods’ Gay? and Robert Pollard’s Relaxation of the Asshole in receiving such a rare honour.

2. In all seriousness, it is a very good album.

1. Kanye’s ‘Power’ is one of the best singles of the year - absolutely brilliant. Somehow, he manages to musically match his hubris with powerful production. Clattering drums, driving bass, Greg Lake sample - I love it.

2. “Everybody we rollin’ / With some light skinned girls, and some Kelly Rowlands” is, however, a painfully shitty line.

3. ‘Hard in da Paint’ by Waka Flocka Flame is also great, even in spite of possibly the worst name hip-hop has ever seen.

Kanye West - ‘Power’

I wish I could rationally explain why this fascinates me so much, but it does. The completely incongruous King Crimson sample is the least of it; I mean, he once sampled Steely Dan for goodness’ sake. I can’t wait for the new album - apparently it’s going to have production from Q-Tip, RZA, DJ Premier, and Pete Rock. Seriously, that’s amazing - like Illmatic or something.