KanYe 's Instrumental Evolution

I received an "advanced" copy of Mr. KanYe West's new album from my friend Stanley with much excitement. It was my most anticipated album in any genre this year. His debut album "The College Dropout" album was probably one of the best hip hop albums in the last 5 years [honorable mention to Jay-Z's KanYe assisted "The Blueprint" album]. But before I listened to the album Stanley had already informed me that the album will be somewhat of a disappointment...@ least it was to him. I told him that I would give it a listen and let him know what my thoughts were. I gotta admit that on the first listen of this album I was not very impressed. Where were the catchy-multi-layered sample chunks that I came to know and love from KanYe's tracks? Some of the songs sounded almost unfinished or really stripped-down to me. On the second listen, I liked it a little more then on the third listen I realized that this is indeed a worthy successor to his debut and that it will also end up being a classic album. Why the big change in opinion?...one word...speakers. When I listed to the album the first two times on my office computer's cheap tin-sounding speakers. But the third time I listed to the album on my good-quality [non-Apple] ipod earphones....what a difference! The chunky samples are replaced with lush instrumentation, deep 808 rumbles and the usual KanYe kick & snares. This album is very musical and instrumental when listened to carefully. A big part of this is because of KanYe's co-collaborator for this album. A very accomplished composer/multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion. Brion weaves sounds into KanYe's production that I can't recall ever being used on a "traditional" Hip Hop album. The songs "Hey Mama" and "Celebration" are prime examples of how layered and intricate Brion's instrumentation is over a simple kick and snare from West. I think KAnYe made a smart move with collaborating with Brion because the style from his first album has been duplicated [although never as well as he does it] and the instrumentation is just on some next-level stuff...way ahead of the current Hip-Hop curve. He also stepped up his flow. So all in all I think this album is a worthy joint. Very sophisticated and evolutionary indeed.