A better record- albeit not a great product for those fronting the money- would have been just the monologues. But hearing them here did make me think again about that record and hardened my belief that it will ultimately sit in West's catalog as respectfully as his first three LPs. The tracks here, from 808s in particular, are well chosen- especially underrated ones like "Say You Will", "Robocop", and "Heartless"- even if the album versions are vastly better. However it may have played in the room, breaking down a song in order to ramble doesn't make for a compelling at-home listen. (A need that no doubt caused this to be released more than a year after it was recorded- they were still working 808s and Heartbreak back when this was taped.) I understand the impulse: The people behind the album aren't looking to entertain us they're looking to create a salable product. Alas, those who pick up this record get an abbreviated, neutered version. Those at this taping presumably got their money's worth, but other than the few excised morsels that leaked after the show (a long anti-Radiohead screed and a defense of Chris Brown's attack on Rihanna), we don't know what was cut. Live, West is an entertainer and a perfectionist- a bang-for-your-buck guy. Dude should have had a highball in his hand. It's less storytelling and more golden age of entertainment-type stuff, like Sinatra or Garland holding court over an audience: Here's an anecdote, here's a joke, here are some inspirational words, here's what happens to be on my mind at this very moment. Instead, Kanye delivers monologues in the middle of songs. That would be unnecessary anyway, since his bio is already so entwined into his music. There are no long intros explaining the hidden meanings of his songs, or where his life was at the time he wrote them. If you've ever seen Kanye live, you know what sort of stories he tells. On record, it's all over in a little more than an hour. But VH1 wound up with too much of a good thing, or too much of a jaw-dropping thing: West's three-hour set had to be chopped to 90 minutes, including commercials.
Kanye west vh1 storytellers zip tv#
He was already responsible for four (and soon to be five) of the most WTF/OMG live TV moments of the decade: crashing Justice at an awards show (Taylor Swift would come later), his "SNL" freestyle, his Grammys performance, and of course, the famed Hurricane Katrina benefit. Retrieved December 16, 2019.The producers of "VH1 Storytellers" must have thought they'd struck gold when Kanye West agreed to appear on the program. ^ a b Langager, Ross (January 11, 2010).Kanye West: VH1 Storytellers Album Review. ^ a b c Plagenhoef, Scott (January 12, 2010).^ a b c Greenblatt, Leah (January 4, 2010).^ a b Rabin, Nathan (January 19, 2010).^ a b "VH1 Storytellers by Kanye West Reviews and Tracks".Similarly, Scott Plagenhoef from Pitchfork observed "less storytelling and more golden age of entertainment-type stuff" from West, claiming that he "should have had a highball in his hand." However, Plagenhoef viewed West as "an entertainer and a perfectionist- a bang-for-your-buck guy" and wrote: "Those at this taping presumably got their money's worth." Track listing Club wrote that West "seems to violate the entire spirit of Storytellers" and expressed the viewpoint that "the rambling semi-stories here are disappointingly dull," while Rabin praised West as sounding "tight, accomplished, and polished to a blinding sheen" during performances of some tracks.
In a highly positive review, Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly viewed West as rarely boring and wrote that he "doesn't so much tell stories as pour his id onto the stage in rambling, free-form fragments." Greenblatt continued, describing West's singing and speaking as being done "with a sort of messy, testifying fervor." Writing for PopMatters, Ross Langager branded West's performances on the album as "often-exciting" and opined that "the main appeal of this episode of VH1 Storytellers lies in West's idiosyncratic take on the vaunted 'storytelling' portion of the show." Īndy Kellman was less enthusiastic in AllMusic, claiming that "West repeatedly switches between laying his soul bare and acting like an egomaniac," though Kellman concluded by calling VH1 Storytellers "a nice addition to a hardcore supporter's collection." In a mixed review, Nathan Rabin of The A.V. At Metacritic, the album received an average score of 66, based on six reviews. VH1 Storytellers was met with generally positive reviews from music critics.
Kanye west vh1 storytellers zip professional#
Critical reception Professional ratings Aggregate scores