Kanye West's Seventh Album - Swish - February 11 2016*

Why include "Silver Surfer"? It's pointless now that the album is titled "The Life of Pablo".
You can remove any of the last 5 tracks since they're all bonus tracks.

 

I don't have any real justification tbh, this is just the tracklisting of the FLAC I was able to get my hands on.

Also it's what Pitchfork listed for what it's worth:

Kanye West's The Life of Pablo Is Out Now »

 

Some of these are fantastic, and they are all better than the actual cover. Thanks for posting. I especially like the first cover that you posted.

 

Glad you liked. This is my current album art.

 

That's probably my favorite right now, thanks

Fantastic seriously. All of them are great but I think this is my cover right now

 

The reason why I went with the album art above is because it's similar to the Yeezus alt cover.

 

Yeezy should pay to have these pressed as alt LP sleeves. I'd collect a few.

 

One could only wish. I believe "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" had 5 official alt covers.
This was my fav.

 

What are your favourite tracks so far? What would you say are the most forward looking/cutting edge?

How would you sum up the sound/feel of the album, in comparison to Kanye's previous releases? I know that the narrative is that '808' was cold and synthetic, 'Dark Fantasy' was 'maximalist' and that 'Yeezus' was anarchic.

Also, do you think that 'All Day' or 'Only One' should have been included?

 

Here is the Telegraph review:

Kanye West, The Life of Pablo, review: »

 

I like it but reserving judgement compared to his other albums for now...

 

My top 3:

Famous (Disrespectful Ye at his finest)
Waves (Thank you Chance for convincing him!)
Freestyle 4 aka "Good News" (This sounds like Horror Braggadocio)

To be honest, I couldn't single out any songs as being forward looking/cutting edge. This sounds like an accumulation of everything he's done before but now rolled into one.
You remember the mixing and vocal edits on the early version of "Runaway" that was performed on the MTV awards? That's present.
Remember the DJ slammed sample cuts on "Bound 2" and "I Wonder"? That's present on songs like Father Stretch My Hands,Famous,etc.
He even brought back some of the soulfullness of the College Bear years with songs like Real Friends and Highlights. There's only hints of it. Yeezy was teasing his older fans. Darn him!

This is by far his moodiest and darkest album. (Sonically speaking) It's very atmospheric,dense,chaotic and frankly bizarre.
As far as song structures go, it's a bit more traditional than Yeezus. The music is more melodic, less noisy,more accessible and more simplified. But like I said before it's still a chaotic mess. (In a good way)
As for lyrical content, it's the same flashy and nonsensical style he's been doing since his early days. This is definitely a grower album. The type of album that's impossible to digest after the first listen.

Neither song would've fit in with the album. "All Day" could've been a bonus cut like the last 5 songs but would've added nothing significant to TLOP.

 

yes, very much going over old ground here - even the moodiest and darkest elements are riffs on what he's done before on "yeezus", but completely agree that it's more easily accessible and immediately approachable.

the biggest issue i'm having so far is the regression to braggadocio stereotypes - he's done this before, and better. even an introspective tune like "fml" is something that he's done before, and arguably better. the song is a ripper tho.

 

I agree. It's like he let Young Thug,Travis Scott and whoever else that attended the studio sessions talked him into doing the "Ghetto Oprah" bit at the end of "Feedback". (Hence the title of the track)
You know what, I take that back. That's just Kanye being Kanye.
It's entertaining but it's comedic value wears off after a few listens. Maybe it's me, I can sometimes take music too seriously. He's done that before (You ain't got no ****in' Yeezy in your Serato?!) but like you said, much better.

 

This album's growing on me after a couple listens. The album really ends after Wolves, so some extended silence would've been nice. Going into the phone call right after it kills the mood a little. The bonus tracks aren't as bad as I originally thought (30 Hours is great, and Fade is okay--the other 2 are expendable, despite NMPILA having Kendrick). I'm glad he didn't put Only One and All Day on the album--I agreethey wouldn't have fit at all. But I'm also furious that he didn't throw them on as bonus tracks over Facts (terrible). Highlights is my favourite track still, but I also really like Ultra Light Beams, Father Stretch My Hands pt. 1, I Love Kanye, and Wolves. I agree that there isn't a consistent experimental gimmick here, but if you try to listen to it as a "gospel album" like he was saying, it kind of works, so it does have an overall feel/tone for me. I think after a few more listens this might become one of my top 3, but we'll see.

 

Did you place "30 Hours" after "Wolves"? It is the highlight bonus track. (As mentioned by Kanye during the outro)


1. Ultralight Beam (feat. Chance the Rapper, The-Dream, Kirk Franklin)
2. Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 (feat. Kid Cudi)
3. Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2 (feat. Kid Cudi)
4. Famous (feat. Rihanna, Swizz Beatz)
5. Feedback
6. Low Lights
7. Highlights (feat. Young Thug)
8. Freestyle 4
9. I Love Kanye
10. Fade (feat. Post Malone, Ty Dolla $ign)
11. Waves (feat. Chris Brown, Kid Cudi)
12. FML (feat. The Weeknd)
13. Real Friends (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
14. FACTS (Charlie Heat Version)
15. Wolves (feat. Frank Ocean)
16. 30 Hours (feat. Andre 3000)

I wouldn't listen to it any other way. "No More Parties in L.A." (a last minute addition) simply does not belong on the album. It ruins the cohesion and flow of the album.

 

Every thing I've been reading has his new album titled "The Life of Pablo", or did he change the title.

 

That's the official album title.

 

I think Ultralight Beam is an incredible opening track and maybe one of Kanyes most beautiful songs. Chance nails his lines and I thought the SNL performance of it was chill inducing.

 

I don't really like to mess with the tracklists. If there are bonus tracks that go with an album from a certain period, I'll place them after the album in my playlist, but I never mess with an official tracklist of an album. On the Kanye Reddit forum though, I'm hearing lots of praise for the original tracklist, so I might have to give it a listen reconfigured to match that. Does 30 Hours really feature Andre 3000? I don't hear him anywhere. Also, why did you put FACTS between Real Friends and Wolves? The only redeeming factor of Real Friends is that the last 30 seconds or so really set the stage nice for Wolves.

 

I don't get this bonus track thing. Is it because artists know so many young people listen to bits and bobs now, rather than an album experience? Interesting you decide your own best closer! I was pretty pissed off when Bowie did it with his The Next Day "comeback" album. Did the extra tracks on the end of the simultaneously released expanded version mean the closer on the standard album wasn't a closer after all? Then he released the album again a few months later with even more tracks, but reinstating the original closer ! It diluted the album experience for me, I guess everybody's at it now!

 

Don't forget Brian Wilson's No Pier Pressure, where the deluxe edition had bonus tracks inserted into the MIDDLE of the album, completely altering the flow/progression.

 

I think it's just that they are truly bonus tracks. they don't fit the "story" of the album proper, but are too good to throw away.

I wonder, if Springsteen was making darkness in 2016, would we have a crapload of bonus tracks on that 'modern' release?

 

"30 Hours" features Andre 3000. You can hear him step in and adlib the sample after Kanye says "3 Stacks can you help me out?".
I actually placed "Facts" after "Waves" since the two preceding songs (Fade and Waves) are the most mainstream sounding songs on the album.

Try this configuration.

1. Ultralight Beam (feat. Chance the Rapper, The-Dream, Kirk Franklin)
2. Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 (feat. Kid Cudi)
3. Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2 (feat. Kid Cudi)
4. Famous (feat. Rihanna, Swizz Beatz)
5. Feedback
6. Low Lights
7. Highlights (feat. Young Thug)
8. Freestyle 4
9. I Love Kanye
10. Fade (feat. Post Malone, Ty Dolla $ign)
11. Waves (feat. Chris Brown, Kid Cudi)
12. FACTS (Charlie Heat Version)
13. FML (feat. The Weeknd)
14. Real Friends (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
15. Wolves (feat. Frank Ocean)
16. 30 Hours (feat. Andre 3000)


I'm constantly switching and rearranging tracks until I find the perfect balance and most cohesive feel.