1001 Albums Summary

The fact that I began listening to this album, albeit as part of my Kanye re-listen before BULLY comes out, the *day* it's chosen, AND I have no clue it was going to be chosen, is kind of crazy. Anyway, thought I might as well put it down here. This album is phenomenal, and that's not even counting the fact this is his debut album. The most clean and vibrant instrumentals backing up every single song, the melodic and captivating singing from Kanye and the people he had sing as well, the iconic usage of chipmunk soul (dumb name I'm sorry even if it's accurately named) which provides a central hook to keep each song feeling unique and memorable...this album has it all. While I haven't listened to the work Kanye was involved with before his debut, yes not even Blueprint, you can feel the passion and effort that had been building up and waiting to burst out straight from the first song. The skits I personally find entertaining and funny, and the extended reading by Kanye on Last Call doesn't feel out of place; the album is dealing with topics that Kanye has felt weren't properly represented in that era of rap music, and the artistic statement made by simply *having* a song that is 75% a script reading is astounding. Love this album to bits since I first heard it, and this re-listen has only made me love it more. Favorite Songs: Jesus Walks (10/10) / Two Words (10/10) Least Favorite Song: The New Workout Plan (7.5/10) Overall Album Rating: 9.5/10