Comments on: Kanye West 808s & Heartbreak – Rescuing Pop from Mediocrity

By: jonder

jonder — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:11:36 +0000

When I first saw Kanye’s album title, I could hear the Beastie Boys: “Nothing sounds better than an 8-0-8!”

By: Pampelmoose New Music Hour on Portland's 94.7FM 12-9-08 | pampelmoose Dave Allen of Gang of Four's Music and Media Blog

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:23:49 +0000

[...] artists – Lily Allen and Kanye West. Even though I wrote a lengthy review of the new Kanye album808s & Heartbreak, I don’t feel confident posting major label songs on here so you’ll have to live [...]

By: jragel

jragel — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:26:32 +0000

Prince and Kanye should never be in the same sentence. Prince is one of the greatest pop singers ever. He is also a great guitarist, lyricist, and innovative producer.

I like Kanye, I think his debut album was smokin, but Pop stars just aint what they used to be…

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:07:40 +0000

@Dave – Well, technically, Prince used a Linn LM-1. The “Linn Drum” was the colloquial name for the LM-2, the machine that superseded the LM-1. See Roger Linn’s web site for more information. (http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/bragging/museum.shtml) The larger point is that Kanye West’s entire public image is manufactured to present the message he wants you to get. An even larger point is this: If you take any aspect of popular culture at face value, you are insane. (Realize that this discussion has nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not you like the music.)

By: Dave Allen

Dave Allen — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:12:39 +0000

@Mike, I’ll defer to you on the 808 vs 909 samples..you pointing that out reminds me of how Prince used the Linn Drum on his records but people thought it was an 808..but if someone’s gonna drop that much on an 808 without knowing what it sounds like then buyer beware!

By: josh k

josh k — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:40:52 +0000

there is genius in being able to look at yourself objectively. this move is unexpected and as original as you can get while still referencing something as iconic as the 808 or 909…..or its brilliant marketing. i had to pick this up.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:33:53 +0000

There’s almost no actual TR-808 used on the record. What few 808 sounds there are are samples that have been treated and processed. The posted clip “Paranoid” has a sample of an 808 rimshot, but the bulk of the drums — kick, snare and toms — are TR-909 samples. There are other drum and percussion samples from unknown sources too. We’re going to have a whole generation of wannabe producer kids who think the whole album was done with an 808. Won’t they be surprised when they drop $1200 for one on eBay, get it home and find out what one really sounds like. That makes me laff.

By: douglas martin

douglas martin — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:54:38 +0000

great review, dave. 808s is totally an artistic triumph that showcases kanye as one of mainstream pop music’s few creative geniuses, a man who cares more about chasing his muse to the ends of the earth than selling records and concert tickets. it’s amazing that, as focused on machismo and bravado as hip-hop culture is, that he would release a work so vulnerable.

@ bryan: i sort of disagree with you about the whole auto-tune thing. i think that, despite the sound that it slathers on the vocals, kanye pushes it to its limit, and sings with enough emotion to where it’s as raw and naked as (and possibly even moreso than) if he were to record it without auto-tune. i actually thought it was pretty brilliant to record such a cathartic album with a feature that’s intended to sound robotic and distant.