Kanye West - ye & Kids See Ghosts (June 1 & 8 2018) Album • Page 153

I like the record, but will agree that it does seem a bit rushed and isn't up to par with his previous records. That being said, I think there are some interesting beats/samples/hooks and just overall enjoyable music throughout. It could be more fleshed out for sure, but I kind of appreciate that he did something that was sporadic and of the moment. If I had to rank this against his other albums, it would be at the bottom, but that's not a slight on this record at all. It's a different thing than his other albums. This isn't a project he'd been tinkering with for years and perfecting. This is something that he admittedly threw together in a few days, and it definitely shows. This isn't Kanye's "Sistine Chapel", it's more of him just doodling and seeing what comes out. I understand why people are disappointed with that, and say it's his weakest work, but personally I'm not comparing these things as if they were the same.

The lyrics are surely the worst aspect. Some of them just corny, others downright offensive and off-base. I can't really say many positive things about the lyrics overall, tbh.

 

that closing paragraph of the review is very good.

 

Also, I feel like people that are hating on this album are at least partially looking at it through Trump colored glasses.

If Kanye hadn't said problematic things leading up to this album, and then again within the lyrics themselves, I don't think people would be as harsh on it as they are.

It's objectively his weakest output, but it's not objectively "bad" like a lot of people are claiming.

 

Yes, people would be less harsh if it were better, stands to reason

 

Didn't say they'd be less harsh if it was better, just less harsh if they were judging it solely based on the music and not the political context surrounding it.

 

The part I was referring to was “again with the lyrics themselves” - I mean, yeah, naturally the album would be less criticized if its lyrical content were different than it is

 

Fair enough. The lyrics, particularly the MeToo line and the majority of "Violent Crimes" are bad. But to say the entire album as a whole is bad, is ignoring a lot.

If Kanye had never worn a MAGA hat or said "slavery was a choice" and had instead just said, "I'm starting from scratch. I'm gonna write a brand new album, record it and release it within one week" and then put out this record minus the Russell Simmons line and the last track, people would have said, "Wow, he did that in week!"

 

Aside from that being unprovable, it seems quite unlikely. I have insanely high expectations for Kanye’s music considering his output throughout his career - that in spite of every problematic thing he’s ever said - and I fully expected to like this album despite how much of a fucking idiot he’s been lately. It just doesn’t stack up to literally any album he’s put out prior. I don’t even think it’s Trash other than the lyrics, but IMO it’s his first disposable album and his behavior has only made it easier to discount.

 

Pablo felt thrown together but I still think it has merit. Yeezus was also finished in haste and that’s one of his best

 

Nah, even taking the lyrics aside (which is quite ridiculous to not consider the lyrics at all but alright) it just plain doesn't sound good to me.

 

Im interested in hearing what people consider the parts of the record that are “sonically interesting,” because i feel like slapping that description without providing any examples or explaining what makes it sonically interesting is a total cop-out. We all heard the same record and know how good kanye can be, and for the first time as a fan of him, i was only struck by how lifeless and boring these compositions are

 

Once again, you're comparing it to his other albums. Yeezus and TLOP might have been "thrown together" but he spent A LOT more time on both of those records than he did on this one. This isn't a great album. I'm not trying to defend it like it is, but the hatred it's getting seems a little unwarranted to me. (outside of the lyrics/TMZ/Twitter)

 

e.g. Ghost Town @ 2:31 when the sick guitar kicks in and 070 Shake comes in - love the delivery and the panned vocals

and then that delayed beat comes in and then those laser sounds on top of the sparse beat

I like the skeletal feel in general

 

I mean since music is subjective and hits my ears differently than it hits yours I don’t feel like that can be a cop out. I find the record to be colorful in its own way, the blues of the mountains and neon scrawl on the artwork pair well with what I see when I hear these songs. I love every hook here and though he’s pulling from the same bag of tricks.....it’s still the bag that produced some of my favorite albums and those sounds appeal to me. So I guess I’m predisposed to liking this record.

That said I get why people don’t care for it. I’m not trying to convince anyone to like it.

 

Wild to see people demanding explanations as to why others like this. Why are people concerning themselves so much with something they dislike/hate/don’t have an interest in. Maybe it’s time to step away.

 

I'd prefer to listen to an economical hardcore full length or a fully realised EP lasting 21 minutes. It's clear that West made no effort so I'd rather devote that time to something made by people who actually fucking care about what they create. Nothing about this album - the rollout, the palling around with fascists, the fucking insufferable person West has become - suggests I'd find even a shred of merit in it, so yeah, I really don't give a shit what you think about me deciding to avoid this.

 

It’s less that I don’t have an interest in it and more that it’s an objectively bad album

 

"Objectively bad" is just as much of a cop out. People react to different art in different ways. What may be an imperfection to some is endearing to others.

 

it is kind of weird

also people patting each other’s backs for NOT liking it and being aggressive towards people enjoying it

I’ve never seen a thread with participants bonding over not liking an album and just continuing to post about it...

yo I listened again and hated it even more

dude I’m not even going to listen to it cause I know it sucks

*high five

yeah still haven’t listened to it because I’m sure it continues to suck

how can someone like this? I keep listening and it’s like the worst fucking album ever

etc

it’s weird...

 

I don’t have a problem with you not wanting to listen to it but to outright judge the quality of the music without listening to it is stupid.

 

This is such a lazy judgment. I hate when people do this shit.

 

There are a bunch of critiques of the music in this thread that don't touch the Trump shit. The idea that everyone in here is just mad about that and that those comments made us dislike this choppy, poorly made and produced record is a bad faith argument.

 

Ok, let me rephrase. It’s an album objectively comprised of hastily assembled first-draft lyrics and unfinished beats that grasps at some sort of thematic resonance but falls wildly short

 

What are you talking about unfinished beats? The production is incredible. I swear majority of this thread was dead set on hating the album to begin with so there was no pleasing you to begin with.