College Dropout

Kanye West’s career has not gone by without some controversy. He has had some form of controversy during his career as a recording artist, whether the controversy was about the theme of “Jesus Walks” to jumping onstage during Taylor Swift’s award acceptance speech at the MTV Music Awards in 2009. Despite the negative press he has received during his career, he has never let that hinder his musical creativity. His releases have frequently sold very well and received critical acclaim for his songs’ themes.

The record for today’s review is his first solo release, College Dropout. While West had produced numerous records and tracks for artists ranging from Foxy Brown to Jay-Z, he had never released any of his own material. His producing career had hindered any progression of his rap career because record companies viewed him first and foremost as a producer. Eventually he had the chance when he helped contribute a verse on “The Bounce” from Jay-Z’s The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse. From here his rap career took off.

#54 – Kanye West, College Dropout (Metascore = 88)

Before delving further into the record, I need to tell you part of the inspiration of this record. Prior to beginning recording the album, he was in a car accident that resulted in a broken jaw. He used the accident and his time in the hospital as inspiration for writing some of the lyrics on the record. His first single, “Through the Wire”, was recorded while his mouth was wired shut during the healing process. From there the record takes off. I also found another part of his life very interesting; that is, West also dropped out of college when he was 20. His mother actually was a professor at Chicago State where he dropped out, and she did not approve of his giving up his education. However, with the queue of beats and raps he had built up, he felt he had no other choice.

A trademark of Kanye’s producing style has been the use of samples and beats while also incorporating live instruments to help supplement the sound. He also started modifying vocals at this point, though on a smaller scale than he used on 808s & Heartbreak. Most of the beats and samples he had started building up over years of trying to establish his rap career.

Kanye’s lyrics also shift him away from the gangster rap crowd of guns, drugs, and murder to a more socially-conscious, topically-diverse crowd of rappers that would include rappers like Common, Talib Kweli, and Mos Def. The lyrics in “We Don’t Care” reflect on a childhood (not necessarily his but of kids he knew) looking up to drug dealers and the blue-collared workers that did what they could to put food on the table and get their kids in school. “Jesus Walks” was and is one of Kanye’s biggest singles and also one of his most controversial, rapping about a subject (Jesus) that many see as taboo on the radio. The song also has the best beat on the record in my opinion. Many of the lyrics on this record reflect economic struggles, social struggles, and political commentaries that are as relevant today as they were then.

One other thing I haven’t mentioned but must is his rap style, meaning his vocal style. Kanye has a smooth delivery when he raps. His raps are very thought-provoking. I can’t really describe exactly what I mean, but lines like “I’m just trying to say the way school needs teachers/the way Kathie Lee needed Regis that’s the way I need Jesus”, where he references culture and TV and religion…those are the types of lines I am talking about. He also has a smooth delivery; it’s not choppy nor does it rely on gimmicks. He just delivers his lyrics the way that best fits the song, creating a great flow to the overall record.

College Dropout is the record I most remember from Kanye West and also one of the better records I’ve heard. I really enjoyed all of the songs, each unique not only in beat but also in the topics tackled. He also brings out a number of his friends, including Jay-Z, Common, and Ludacris. I definitely recommend this record, though I caution the younger set, for the lyrics can be dirty at times.

Twin Cinema

After a long, unintentional break away from writing, I am back to write about some more music. Today’s entry comes from the band the New Pornographers, a sort-of super group out of Vancouver, Canada. The New Pornographers are comprised of several fantastic singer-songwriters, including Dan Bejar (also the founder of Destroyer), Neko Case (who has had a strong solo career parallel to her work with the band), and A.C. Newman (himself a solo artist). Combined, they have put together some strong records and some not-so-strong records, but in every case their work together has meant strong harmonies along with witty lyrics and some interesting music.

Their record Twin Cinema was well received after its issuance in 2005. The record contains 15 songs and numerous supporting musicians along with the original members.

#171 – The New Pornographers, Twin Cinema (Metascore = 85)

Twin Cinema begins with the dynamic guitar riff of the title track. “Twin Cinema” is a cool pop rock song that demonstrates some of the vocal harmonies (between Newman and Case) and musicianship characteristic of this band. “The Bones of an Idol” continues the poppiness, mixing in jangling piano with slide guitar while also giving Case the opportunity to take lead vocals. She has a soft but strong voice that seems to bring more out of the song.

The element of this album and the band is the wide range of vocals working in harmony with each other. Regardless of the lead singer, the mixture of the voices gives each song a hint of campfire song to it, where anyone can join in. Most of the songs are sung either by Newman or Case, but each song always has someone else backing up the lead. Sometimes the lyrics are a little insane (see “Jackie, Dressed in Cobras”), but many times they reference love in some sort of way. Of all of the vocalists, Neko Case’s vocals are the best.

Musically, each song is different. They incorporate stops into their songs (particularly Bejar’s songs). There are catchy riffs that you will find yourself humming (“Twin Cinema”, “Jessica Numbers”). The musicians mix up the instruments between straight up guitars to adding jangling pianos and organs. The songwriters also effectively incorporate crescendos to sing-song choruses and balance the poppy numbers with quieter songs.

Overall, I really enjoyed this record. I liked a lot of the songs and really enjoyed the vocals. The songs themselves were well-crafted and easy to like. My personal favorites were “Twin Cinema”, “Use It”, “Broken Beads”, and “Three or Four”. In some ways I cannot understand why critics didn’t like it more, but that could be due to the lyrics or something else. Either way, this is a great record to hear.

Sweet, Sweet Music

Most of us know of Randy Newman as a film score composer. He has produced fabulous songs for many movies, most recently for his work with the Toy Story movies by Disney Pixar. He’s released 26 film scores during his career, mostly for comedies. However, Newman has been a recording artist since the early 1960’s, releasing ten studio albums and a live album. He has also written songs for other artists and had other artists cover his own releases.

Although he did not live there his entire childhood, you can hear the New Orleans style in Newman’s piano playing and vocal style. He has that drawl that is typical of music artists from there, including artists such as Dr. John and Louis Armstrong. His songs often are satirical and witty. I personally like the hidden meanings in a lot of his songs. Listen to the feature songs in one of the Toy Story movies or A Bug’s Life. There are hidden meanings in those (I think that’s how the movie studios attract adults to kids’ movies). The focus of this blog entry, though, is his studio album Harps & Angels.

#138 – Randy Newman, Harps & Angels (Metascore = 86)

Newman’s jazzy piano immediately drew me into listening to this record. While I have always enjoyed his songs, he captures your attention right away with the title track. His vocal style is also appealing and lends to the humor in his songs. I like “Harps and Angels” because of the story. Here the character has been in an accident and is having a spiritual moment, and he realizes the errors of his ways (after a strong talking to). “Losing You” is a beautiful ballad of loss. While he didn’t do the score for the Pixar movie Up, this song would be perfect for that movie.

“Laugh and Be Happy” will cheer you back up; there’s no need to be all downtrodden all the time. Just enjoy life. “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country” compares the United States’ leaders to those of historical tyranny, how the U.S. isn’t all that bad, but it isn’t all that good at times. “A Few Words” kicks off a few songs that attack the current policies of the United States in different ways, from the Supreme Court to health care (“A Piece of the Pie”) to education (“Korean Parents”). I am somewhat surprised by this, but I suppose I am not as familiar as I should be of his music. I do find it compelling, though, especially with the music that accompanies the lyrics. I enjoy the varied styles that each of the songs. At times the songs sound like film score songs, at other times they cross the spectrum to Oriental music.

I found this album to be a great snapshot of Randy Newman’s music. His storytelling style makes his songs very entertaining and intriguing. Each song from beginning to end has a unique story that has humor, sadness, anger and love.

A Smooth Operator

Soundtracks not often crack any critic’s top album lists. The content of the album typically contains background music for the movie and/or throwaway tracks from an artist’s dustbin. Occasionally an album will buck this trend and present a fresh way to look and listen to a movie. Such is the case with the movie soundtrack for Ocean’s Eleven.

This Ocean’s Eleven was released in 2001 and starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts, to name a few. The movie was a hip update to the original that was released in 1960 and featured the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. The soundtrack for the update was produced by Northern Irish DJ, musician, and composer David Holmes. His musical acumen was clearly in fine form for this record.

#148 – Original Soundtrack to Ocean’s Eleven (Metascore = 86)

Most DJ’s listen to a plethora of music when preparing their music, trying to combine snippets or music tracks of songs together in a cohesive manner. With a soundtrack, a producer needs to be able to embrace the essence of the film while also reminding himself or herself that the music is secondary to what’s taking place on the screen. In some cases the music, dialogue and action of the movie mesh together effectively, which is really true about this soundtrack. Holmes to me has done an excellent job at embodying the essence not only of the movie but of Las Vegas.

When I started this soundtrack, I was immediately taken to the scene in the movie where Daniel Ocean (George Clooney) is at his parole hearing having to describe how and why he was sent to prison. The music sounds like he’s in an elevator, which feels appropriate given the nature of his character and the direction the plot goes once he leaves prison. From there, Holmes begins to meld elements of funk, jazz, rap, rock and blues together in a mix that just feels like Las Vegas. Throughout the record Holmes includes dialogue from the movie within the music, helping to further enhance the listening experience.

Also included on the soundtrack are current and classic tracks from a number of different artists. Each track appears to have been carefully chosen to embody not only Las Vegas but the feel of the movie. “Papa Loves Mambo”, performed here by Perry Como, which to me fits perfectly with the gambling scene (whether it be in Vegas, Atlantic City, or any other gambling haven). Not of place, though a little kitschy, is Elvis’ “A Little Less Conversation”. Quincy Jones’ “Blues in the Night” is my favorite artist track from this record. The song feels like it’s tastefully embellished with that Vegas glamour while slinky in its own way.

Based on the feel of this album from beginning to end, I do not have a hard time understanding why this album was critically hailed. The music fits the movie perfectly while also being a pleasurable piece to hear without the movie. The soundtrack could easily stand on its own.

Final Message from a Punk Icon

Joe Strummer is best known for his work with punk rock band the Clash. The Clash was known not only for its overt political slant in songwriting but also in its catchy punk riffs, making them one of the more popular punk bands of that era. Strummer wrote, sang, and played rhythm guitars on their records. Strummer also played solo as well as with other bands, including his most recent band, the Mescaleros.

Strummer died in December 2002 of an undiagnosed heart condition, but his legacy has continued on. The Clash were inducted into the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, and his tunes have been covered by many modern rock bands. At the time of his passing, he and the Mescaleros were putting together an album that was ultimately released under the name Streetcore.

# 175 – Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros, Streetcore (Metascore = 85)

The album opens with “Coma Girl”, a quiet rocker that to me seems like his excursion with this girl that’s a part of the acid pack at a festival. “Get Down Moses” has a cool reggae beat to it and brings in religious elements to the story. The odd thing here for me is the timing biblically. Moses’ time was before Elijah, yet the song is titled “Get Down Moses”. The title sure rolls off the tongue better. Nevertheless, the song seems to survey the scene of sinners on the streets.

“Long Shadow” was written specifically for Johnny Cash; unfortunately, Mr. Cash passed away before Strummer could pass this along to him. But Strummer’s take here is a wonderful take that has the spirit of Johnny Cash and would be worthy of Cash’s song catalog. “Arms Aloft” is a call to a friend to pick his head up, that we still have that fire in us to live even when things are a drag. “Ramshackle Day Parade” is supposedly about the events on 9/11/2001, but I didn’t really get that at all (nor did I like the song all that much). “Redemption Song” is a cover of the Bob Marley tune and is Strummer by himself.

“All in a Day” is a cool rocker that has some cool guitar effects and good lyrics. “Burnin’ Streets” sounds like a Coldplay song that to me talks about struggling to survive with economic woes, civil problems, and political battles waging. “Midnight Jam” is a jam with different spoken words from Strummer during the song. The song has a cool groove to it. The album ends with “Silver and Gold”, an acoustic ballad with the narrator yearning to make the most of his life before his end. Listening to the lyrics, I really think this is an appropriate sendoff to a great songwriter and is somewhat uncharacteristic (in my opinion) in that it sounds more like a country tune than anything.

Overall, I did like this album, but a small part of me wonders if the critical response received was by Strummer’s reputation rather than the actual lyrics. Maybe the fact it was released posthumously was another factor. While I found some of the songs were strong, I felt a few of them were lacking the polish needed to make this a dynamite album.