Anyone seeing this Kanye West on SNL?

[audiovisceral]

looks like we're not the only ones who noticed
marathonpacks: enough history, let's talk weather

"On Saturday Night Live last night, Kanye looked like a guy who’d just bumrushed a karaoke stage. Incredibly excited, irritatingly off-key, plagued by what sounded like technical glitches (whch were no doubt planned), ****ing up the lyrics and trying to stay on the beat. It was one of those performances that forcefully reminded us how much we take for granted the musical tropes associated with being a professional. Kanye called to our attention, made unavoidable, the fact that appropriate modes of singing, in certain keys, were at some point in history deemed acceptable to the ear. Just a little bit on either side of a key--as he unapologetiacally and purposefully was--and a singing voice just sounds wrong. Not because of something inherent in the voice, but because we've been conditioned to hear it in particular ways. Kanye wants his music to be known as “Pop Art,” but I don’t think he meant Warhol: his use of Auto-Tune—a revolutionarily reflexive use of the technology—is as performative as Kabuki makeup or a thumb in front of the camera lens.

Known as “not having a filter,” to some, “prolific” to others, Kanye has purposefully and successfully aestheticized the imperfections of longwindedness and spontaneous outbursts. He sang and rapped his first single despite his jaw being partially wired shut, and tweaked a Chaka Khan sample that originally said “fire” instead of “wire” to make the hook fit synctactically as effectively as it did emotionally. The last track on that same album spends its last nine minutes as an ad-hoc origin myth, recited like a loquacious bus rider in a Jarmusch film. In one of his biggest singles, he sings “I ain’t sayin’” immediately before he says something, as much doubling the length of the subsequent thought as negating it. During his stream-of-consciousness anti-Bush rant, he could barely contain himself, looking like he was going to break down in tears, while Mike Myers tried, stoically, to remember what it was like to do improv. He’s the guy who stormed the stage of the European VMAs to bitch about losing an award, and rush-recorded an album channeling Tubeway Army and T-Pain because he was pissed at his ex-girlfriend and mourning his lost mother.

Kanye’s voice isn’t “bad,” necessarily, not in the traditional sense anyway. He’s just using the parts of it that he’s not supposed to. The result is a timbre that we don’t often hear, not in music at least: primal scream therapy, or Kanye’s version of Lennon yelling himself hoarse at the end of “Mother.” Only Kanye’s never proven himself able to sing songs like this. That’s not stopped him yet, but that’s his point. He’s using stardom as practice, writing songs in the manner of conversation fragments and flustered, late-night voicemail messages. He's an untouchable global pop-star, no doubt with a cadre of professional advisors, but is still running the risk of embarassing himself on a regular basis: simultaneously untouchable and resoundingly, publicly fallible. So, yes: “Love Lockdown” is a terrifying song in many regards, but it’s made infinitely more uncomfortable by Kanye’s grotesque performance of prolix, technologized amateurism."

[iomegaman]

Originally Posted by PoorGlory

Funny. But I already explained the poor attempt at humor before you commented, which means you didn't read the whole thread. So I'll excuse you.

Funny you can't seem to read either, my post was in response to your excuse.

[PoorGlory]

Originally Posted by iomegaman

Funny you can't seem to read either, my post was in response to your excuse.

What do you want from me then?

[iomegaman]

Originally Posted by PoorGlory

What do you want from me then?

Just the boundless possibility of your inability.

[PoorGlory]

Originally Posted by iomegaman

Just the boundless possibility of your inability.

Fascinating. Glad we pretty much killed this thread. fuuck

[tropicalhotdog]

"...and to all a good night"

ho ho ho

[Astromann]

Kanye wants his music to be known as “Pop Art,”

I can think of other names for it!!

He’s just using the parts of it that he’s not supposed to. The result is a timbre that we don’t often hear,

Perhaps he could try farting, that might produce a better result.

He’s using stardom as practice, writing songs in the manner of conversation fragments and flustered, late-night voicemail messages.

Maybe he could practice his vocals a little and then perhaps do an extended tour of the South Pole and entertain the penguins and wildlife there!
Maybe he could even take 50 cent with him...I think the South Pole is probably big enough to handle both of their massive ego's.
I think tho...that the local wildlife population wouldn't pay him much attention.

[Dr.Wu]

maybe that would stop the global warming and the melting of the pole caps!

[Knox]

we went from this (videos below) *live performances, just like Kanye's'* . . . . to the Kanye video etc / Autotune etc . . . . it's a sad time for music. No social conscious . . . it's all about individual ego now. Guys standing in front of Bentleys holding wads of cash etc in their photos, talking about how tough and bad they are . . . And the people who can actually sing, over singing to show off . . . 100s of PT tracks / edited half to death . . . no songs . . . dog barking rock bands, TRY-ing to act tough with cliche tattoos and wearing all black . . etc etc etc . . it's ridiculous

YouTube - James Brown

YouTube - Otis Redding - I've been loving you...

YouTube - Donny Hathaway - Song for you ~ LIVE!

YouTube - Marvin Gaye "What's Going On / What's Happening Brother"

[Sounds Great]

True enough. thumbsup

[Knox]

true . . . and "MOST people" don't even notice how "under par" music is in general these days. Or how bad it sounds . . . . . then most listeners are listening to mp3s and things like Britney Spears and rap.

Originally Posted by Drone

The sad thing is most people wouldn't even notice anything under par with that SNL kanye appearence.

[Sounds Great]

Kanye West Caught Lip-Synching?

West has encouraged us to expect such a superhuman level of perfection from him, it was inevitable he would one day not be able to meet it.

That day was last Saturday, when West performed on Saturday Night Live. Dude did not sound good. He was more American Idol blooper reel than Grammy-winning polished performer. So what was the problem? Well, it had something to do with the Auto-Tune feature--you know the part of "Love Lockdown" where he sings about a system overload and losing control? Well, he was living it!

[cave goblin]

If this guy is making money of of his alleged "music" than he's as good as a crook in my book.

...that or he did some really good marketing research to find what most people like: absolute crap!

I mean the guy's song writing skills are worse than any song I've heard Brittney Spears sing to.

[Remoteness]

His "Good Morning America" performance was even worse than the YouTube clip that I just saw in this thread.

I heard that he held up a sound check for an "in studio" video shoot because he needed an iron to press his shirt. He was not going to do the sound check until he got his shirt ironed. Well, one of the PAs ran to the store, grabbed an iron, the shirt was pressed and the sound check finally got done. Besides that everything else was fine.

Keep in mind that this was from a reliable source that was on the studio set.
Hey, remember -- it's not about sounding good; it's about looking good.

[MarkusColeman]

Originally Posted by Tha Wiizard

I cant name one rock n roll singer who can sing

the lead singer from Europe and the lead singer from Scorpions? and I wouldn't even call them "singers".
both guys sounded better live than on a record.

[MarkusColeman]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

Hey, remember -- it's not about sounding good; it's about looking good.

true. Enrique Iglesias is the worst to ever hold a microphone (and I know I'm right, because I've heard the live tracks, before they hit Autotune), but he sounds decent with Autotune.

btw, I've seen the typical teenager-reaction to Kanye's material.

first day after release:
- "oh man, Kanye released a new album. it's sooooo dope"
"have you heard it? it's soooooooooo super awesome!"

1 week later:
- "I've heard the album at least once a day over the last week"

2 weeks later, TV stops to hype it, Kanye's record playing:

- "will you turn this shit off man? I'm serious, turn this shit off!!!!"

has nothing to do with music. all hype.

I think musically and concept-wise, this is a decent record.
lyrics and performance wise, this is one of the worst records I've ever heard.

and don't even get me started on his ego thing.

[Remoteness]

I feel you.

[tribeofenki]

Industry Standards are reaching untouched Levels of crappiness - without any resonable doubt
This Kayne guy, well clothed, handsome (?) and what-ever-else you could imagine JUST SUCKS ON STAGE AND SUCKS ON MICS.