Photo: Getty
The past few days we've been off in Southern California, following the trials and tribulations of Franz Ferdinand.
We were working on a story for an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone, coinciding with the late-January release of Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, their first disc in more than THREE YEARS. Tonight is worth the wait -- it's their best disc yet -- and while they might never top the pop perfection of "Take Me Out," their new single "Ulysses" (a song about getting high) comes pretty close.
Anyway, on Sunday we went to KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas spectacular at the Universal City Amphitheater, to check out a bill that included Franz, Vampire Weekend, Scott Weiland (who sucked balls), the Killers (who stole the show), and the Cure. A surprise guest was Kanye West, who came out on stage to do "Stronger" and that song with the weak Chris Martin hook, "Homecoming." Then, he sang.
Now, we love Kanye. We've spent a lot of time talking to him over the years, and he's one of the most unique musicians we've ever met. And we love a lot of the songs on 808s and Heartbreak. We don't even give a shit about the vocoder stuff. We think it takes a lot of balls to do what Kanye did, to completely shift gears like that. We hope he takes more insane risks, etc.
But, the dude just can't sing live. Even though the crowd at Universal was going apeshit, it was painful to watch Kanye chase the elusive melodies.
Singing is a fine art. It takes years of practice. Just because you think you sound good in the shower, doesn't mean you should do it in front of other people.
Before the show, Kanye was backstage with the guys in Franz going on about how much he loved those Motown melodies, and his general love of great melodies in pop music.
Now, the guys in the band have such high esteem for Kanye...but we must say, Kanye did ask Franz singer Alex Kapranos for some singing tips. Alex told him to not to have conversations in noisy places, to not smoke, and to stay away from the spirits.
"Spirits?" Kanye said. "Like, ghosts?"
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o_0 | December 30, 2008 4:02 PM
It's a bit depressing that most of the comments here are just pieces knocking acts or nationality. Agreed, Kanye West is poor on the vocal. It's one of the reasons I'm not much for his material. But that doesn't mean that everything he comes out with is unmitigated crap. If you dislike the music, by all means say so, but frankly the biggest effect you can have is not buying in to it, not giving the website hits and assocated advertising revenue, and not launching into a rant that makes other opinionated individuals go "n00b" rather than "there's a point..."
...and now I'm being a hypocrite.
Blair | December 29, 2008 11:44 AM
Just because nothing is as good as take me out, as a whole the new album is stronger than anything they have done. That is what he was trying to say. God people are idiots.
YounG ReVolutioN | December 29, 2008 2:37 AM
LOGOY you make some good points. But I ask, "have you actually listened to 808s and Heartbreak"??? You don't know good music if you don't take the time to listen to it. Yeah, there are some great underground artists, LiL Brother, Charles Hamilton, Kids in the Hall, etc. The reason I'm defending KanYe is for the fact that the guy did an album from the heart, something that is really RARE in hip-hop. With all of the label politics and what not, the dude had some shit on his heart, and went for it. So I guess your the joke. Sorry
kanye fan | December 25, 2008 9:29 AM
LOOK ,Kayne rules
chipotle | December 25, 2008 9:28 AM
danpa, what did you called kanye??? what???
kanye might come over there and band your head on somewhere!!!! Be little polite
i know its smoking section but it dosnt give you right to act like a total dick!
I love kanye west and i think his music
is POWERFUL and stuff but sometimes this "fans" oh man i cant stand them...
danpa | December 24, 2008 3:49 PM
LOGOY said Kenya is a 'joke'.... a better word would be SH*T-BAG.....
get a life people, this guy is putting you all DOWN DOWN DOWN..... what a total idiot.... moron.... racist....
stay as far away from this guy as you can.... take it from somebody who's been there......
LambofGodOwnsYou | December 24, 2008 5:27 AM
Oh, and one more thing YounG...if you want musicians that are "Pushing the Envelope"....see my screen name...you wanna hear music being pushed to the extent that it would make your f*cking head twist off if you had any concept of what was ACTUALLY being played and said? Music that makes even fans of other bands in the same GENRE jealous and ashamed of their personal favorites when LoG fans bash them? Musicians that are respected by others in every genre from Jazz to Metal to punk to Progressive, etc. for their abilities and composition skills? There's a good start. Again....Kanye is a JOKE. A worthless, sad, pathetic JOKE.
LambofGodOwnsYou | December 24, 2008 5:10 AM
Sorry, but Kanye is a joke. And for the record YounG ReVolutioN, HIP-HOP does not get "the bad end of the stick" as you put it...artists like Immortal Technique, Tech N9ne, Deltron 3030, MURS, Dilated Peoples, and older stuff like KRS One, WC, Jurassic 5, Ice T, etc. are GREAT...this MTV Bullsh*t and poppy, mindless club rap and electronic R&B is what gets a bad rep...and rightfully so, it's horrible! Most people over the age of 16 realize this. I will say that I'm GLAD the good stuff stays underground though...because most of the crap that hits the mainstream today is what's wholly responsible for dumbing down just about anyone that listens to it...like a virus that infects your ears and quickly spreads to, and devours, any intelligent thought or originality left in the listener's already small and easily-influenced mind.
Tell me I don't like "decent" music and I'll tell you you're absolutely correct...I like GOOD music...quality, originality, and from just about any genre worth having an interest in. I can't stand Kanye West. Maybe it's YOU that has no character.
And on an end note...he's not doing anything DIFFERENT, he's using looped beats and effects and he's using a vocal processor...most likely because he CAN'T sing and needs to keep up with the hooky "digitized" bullsh*t that's slowly becoming the next "big thing". I could make the same crap on FruityLoops with a crappy 65$ mixer, a cheap mic, a little brain power, and a thesaurus in 20 minutes (or LESS). If YOU had any character you'd see right through his little money-grab and pass him off as the poser he truly is. All Kanye is is a producer-gone-retarded. He should stick to PRODUCING and STOP SINGING. Plain and simple.
YounG ReVolutioN | December 23, 2008 10:39 PM
Have any of you moron's listened to 808's and Heartbreak? It's a pretty good fucking album. And why does hip-hop always get the bad end of the stick? This "NIN" guy/girl has no character. You wouldn't know decent music if it was in front of you! I don't see any other artists pushing the envelope in any other genre. At least Mr. West has the balls to do something different. A**hole!
1234 | December 23, 2008 7:39 PM
not every american is stupid, fyi. we just have the worst of our population in the entertainment sector, as do all countries. and let me tell you, kanye DOES NOT equal every american.
CM | December 23, 2008 4:47 PM
I'm Canadian too, Marlene. When I walk into the liquor store to purchase some vodka, I head for the section marked "SPIRITS" in very large letters. No need to insult someone because of your own ignorance.
Marlene | December 23, 2008 4:12 PM
I am Canadian and I have no idea what is meant by spirits. I guess I am not as good as you Brits, eh abdulnasir? Is it alcohol? Kanye is generic, but at least its catchy. I personally hate rap and hip hop, I am into heavy metal and alternative, but Kanye is an exception. BTW...abdulnasir...I bet there are American terms you don't understand. There are American terms I don't understand and we are it's neighbour. There are definitely British terms I do not understand and I find a lot of the culture(mostly food wise) to be disguisting. You can't act better than another country, you are probably just as ignorant and stupid as many Americans and Canadians.
lol | December 23, 2008 3:45 PM
once again, every comment on every music story is some negative bullshit. go find something you LIKE instead of posting on these sites no one cares! lol
well i care about other peoples comments but most of them are just someone venting their pointless opinion
ari | December 23, 2008 2:22 PM
One hit wonder FF. They'll be on VH-1's "I love the 'OOs". Kanye is a joker and so is his genre.
NIN | December 23, 2008 10:45 AM
And the Killers stole the show?? That's another act that is totally overrated and has no substance.
NIN | December 23, 2008 10:43 AM
Kanye sucks! It blows my mind that people waste their time with this idiot. His voice, singing and rapping, is horrible. His lyrics are average at best. Anyone who wants to hear some real hip hop, check out Murs. Kanye can't hold his jock!
abdulnasir | December 23, 2008 8:25 AM
once again u see the difference between americans and britons. "spirits? like, ghosts?" how dumb can kanye be?
Anonymous | December 23, 2008 5:09 AM
Kanye's rich. he can afford vocal lessons.
I'm surprised that he hasn't yet
jenks | December 23, 2008 2:58 AM
though kanye may not be able to sing live the engery and all around show he puts on has to be respected. give him time he'll figure it out.
prgrssive j | December 23, 2008 12:41 AM
kanye redefines himself in his new album. while he may be pompous about playing live (b'roo 08) it could just be that he knows he sucks live. I personally did not enjoy him when he and daft punk performed at the awards (needed more daft punk). However, this new material is unlike anything i've ever heard from the pop/rap culture. Props to him for raising the bar and I hope he keeps it up. In the mean time, i'll enjoy 808s & Heartbreak.
lordbean | December 21, 2008 12:03 PM
totally agree about kanye. saw him on snl a few weeks ago...ah!! it was awful. im not buying the new album, but i have all the others.
Duh! | December 19, 2008 2:36 PM
Blair,
"Take Me Out" is a song, so Scaggs is saying that they may never have a song as pop perfect as that one, but that the new album as a whole is their best yet.
Blair | December 19, 2008 1:07 PM
Mr. Scaggs,
I want to know how this upcoming album is their best yet if nothing is as good as "Take Me Out?" I'm indifferent to the band, but that doesn't make much sense and sounds a lot like hype.
Blair