Listened: Wednesday July 14
Danger Mouse had the most genius moment in music anyone has had in a long time when he came up with mixing music from the White Album under Jay-Z’s raps from the Black album. It flows together so well I don’t know why no one else thought of it first.
The particular standouts are Public Service Announcement over Long, Long, Long, December 4 over Mother Nature’s Son, and 99 Problems over Helter Skelter. It amazes me how well the very gentle songs are mixed so well with the rapping; it’s not something I’d expect to work.
As I’ve said before, I can’t listen to a lot of rap because the production is so bad or sonically confrontational that I can’t listen to the words. After this album, I can finally give Jay-Z the props and then some – dude is a poet and storyteller on par with anyone you can name. Though I have to note that his performance at Coachella 2010 was so. damn. loud. I couldn’t hear the lyrics or enjoy it. Yet another roadblock thrown in my path when I’ve tried to give a rapper a chance!
Emily's Albums A to Z 
Great review of a Terrific album! : )
Although, I doubt this was a CD that you had to rip down?
Actually it was – I never downloaded it myself. A friend presented a CD to me with this on it.
[…] was shocked when I read a review of Broken Bells in Spin recently. They thought Danger Mouse‘s production rendered it detached and clinical. I don’t know what planet they were […]
[…] Flaming Lips, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Susanne Vega, and James Mercer (this is how he and Danger Mouse decided to collaborate on Broken Bells). It’s a pretty good album, and I love the “old […]