My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Personally before I purchase an album, I listen to it on YouTube to make sure that I liked the song.I have always been a big fan of Kanye West since falling in love with his 'College Dropout album' so I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed with this album. The production of this record is fantastic and you can tell that a lot of time and effort has been placed in this.Here is a track by track review of the album to give you a little insight:1. Dark Fantasy - Love the intro and the chorus as the voices harmonise beautifully. You initially think that it will be a slow song but when the bass kicks in and Kanye starts, you know that this is going to be a typical head-nodder. Good start to the album 7/102. Gorgeous - This song is a grower. At first I didn't see what the fuss was all about but Kanye, Kid Cudi and Raekwon all bring something to the song but it is an album filler at best 6/103. Power - Love this song. Love the darkness infused with electronica and it is easy to get quite hypnotised with this song, impossible to refuse its beats. Love Dwele's voice and input and the last minute and a half is my favourite part 9/104. All of the Lights (Interlude) - Only one word could describe this - beautiful. The strings on the instrumental is gorgeous and I wish it would never end. I must have repeated this about 10 times when I first heard this. Sends me chills whenever I hear it and people may only think of it as 1 minute and 2 second interlude that has been placed there as a filler, but the inclusion of it on the official All Of The Lights video shows its importance. LOVE LOVE LOVE 10/105. All Of The Lights - Great song but the inclusion of all of those people (10 in total !) seems to go to waste - they could've been utilized more effectively. But nonetheless, great song with great production. Especially love Kid Cudi's part 8/106. Monster - Monster basically describes itself. MONSTER. From the haunting instrumental to the eccentric verse of Nicki Minaj. Rick Ross has limited contribution but should get more. Love this song 9/107. So Appalled - It's ok i suppose, pretty much an album filler to be honest 5/108. Devil In a New Dress - Love the flow of this song and both Kanye and Rick Ross shine 9/109. Runaway - Yet again another grower - a bit lengthy but a lovely song with a haunting instrumental 8/1010. Hell of a Life - As a bit of a rock fan, I was happy to hear that it has an influence to the production of this song. Good album filler 7/1011. Blame Game - The first time I heard this song, I instantly fell in love ! From the production to John Legend's soulful tones to Kanye's raw poetic lyrics to Chris Rock's fantastic section towards the end of the song, I cannot describe how beautiful and honest this masterpiece. I love the simplicity of the production and the sample of Aphex Twin's Avril 14th. This song has easily elevated itself into my list of favourite songs. Easily 10/1012. Lost in the World - Not really a big fan of this. Bit of an album filler. 6/1013. Who will Survive in America - Good outro to the album even though I feel like it was lacking something 6/10An overall rating of 7.6/10 is an official rating of the album track's based on averaging out the above reviews but i believe that the album flows very well so I would instantly boost that to a 8/10I was a bit late on the bandwagon so when it came to purchasing it, it was only £3.89 (with free delivery) which I was very happy with, especially given the quality of the album.I would definitely recommend buying this album as you will not regret it and you can't really complain at a price like that !Enjoy and I hope this review was helpful :)

Although West goes to great lengths to make himself incredibly disagreeable, there is no doubting that he is a musical talent of epic proportions. While that talent competes with the size of his ego, his music is audacious and ground-breaking. In My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West scales new heights by taking a long, hard look at himself. His artistry is apparent and profound in this album because he is facing demons, facing his own self-destructive tendencies and exposing his soul, flaws, rage and all, to us. The pathos may not seem apparent to someone who doesn't get hip-hop, or to those who only hear the bravado, but look deeper - there is pain and suffering. It is this which lifts the album above the immaturity of much hip-hop and the artistic bankruptcy of much of today's pop. While Jay-Z, and before him, the likes of NWA and Public Enemy laid out what it is to grow up and live in black ghettos in the USA, Kanye West takes us on a far more personal, introspective journey, akin to the also brilliant, dark and twisted mind of Eminem.My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is chock full of A-list guests and contributors, but this doesn't detract from the quality of the work. Surprisingly, despite the crowd and the extravagant musical arrangements, the album is an incredibly personal affair.West first came to prominence as a producer, and his production skills and innovation come to the fore of this album. For example, on "Runaway", he takes his time getting to the bit, with a simple, almost painfully slow keyboard intro. After the "radio edit", there is a few minutes of what at first seems like a self-indulgent trip-hop/funk riff outro of a good 2-3 minutes. However, after a few listens, the craft within even this section becomes apparent and indeed enjoyable.West comes to the album after becoming the poster boy for all that certain sections of the population hate about black music and black people. He made it easy to pick him out for criticism, even if the criticism was unfair, over the top and misdirected. At the time, West was struggling with numerous personal problems, including coping with the death of his mother. While nothing can compensate for that loss, he has used his art to confront his sorrow, his demons, and has made one of the albums of the decade.My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a towering achievement of epic and very personal proportions. Bravo, Kanye.