Lou Reed gives his opinion on the production, artistry, other reviews and Kanye’s attitude on Yeezus in his review of the album.
Founding member of The Velvet Underground and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Lou Reed penned an honest, well-descriptive, review of Kanye West’s controversially successful album Yeezus. If you’re unfamiliar with Reed, during the late 1960′s he broke ground and set precedent for what was said in Rock & Roll songs speaking of personal issues, sexuality, and drug and alcohol abuse/culture. You could argue Kanye is in a similar route being notorious for his controversial lyrics, statements, and album/song titles (Yeezus, “I Am God”).
Reed credits Yeezus’ production and Kanye’s artistry for taking a walk on the wild side giving an overall complimentary review.
A common difficulty fans found with Yeezus was they felt Kanye attempted to do “too much” which Reed agrees with, but gives him credit for the amble instruments constructed to make one sound in “Blood On The Leaves.”
“There’s a lot going on there: horns, piano, bass, drums, electronic effects, all rhythmically matched towards the end of the track, there’s now twice as much sonic material,” Reed stated.
He further explained how he felt Kanye engulfed himself with his music juxtaposing his tracks with movies, in regards to the effort put into them. As Reed continued to express his opinions it occurred to me he, assumably, was writing while listening to the album, of course after giving it a listen without pen in hand. For example, his writing goes through a transformation from complimenting a track’s beauty to noting its transitionary sounds. A thoroughly developed review for a bar-setting, new age, musically constructed album.
What certain reviews may call “inconsistency,” or “randomness,” Reed says “structure,” and “format,” focusing on Yeezus’ element of surprise listing ingredients that novelties consist of. Reed commends Kanye’s in-your-face, ‘hate me if you want,’ attitude comparing it to a dare such as “do something!” Regardless of how you analyze it, Reed keeps it short and simple: you either like it or you don’t.
On that note, check out Lou Reed’s full review of Kanye West’s Yeezus here.
– John Weber (@JohnPaulWeber)
