687 Danger Mouse - The Grey Album (2014)

 687 Danger Mouse - The Grey Album (2014)

Remix Album - Hip Hop



About the Act:

Danger Mouse is a remixer and producer from White Plains, New York

About the Album:

This album was his first album, and is a mashup between The White Album by the Beatles and The Black Album by Jay-Z. It was not intended to become an album, just a project to see if he could do it. It became a bootleg.

My History with this Album:

None

Review:

So the idea is an appealing one. Create a mashup of The White Album and The Black Album and call it The Grey Album. Fine, clever thinking. How does it come out? This is the first album in this list where I have felt the need to listen to a different album to prepare for listening to it - as I had no knowledge of The Black Album.

Well it's helped by the fact that Jay-Z released a vocals-only version of The Black Album to allow remixing. The White album, of course, did no such thing.  The end result is the vocals (mostly rapping) from the Black Album with different backing, which is a combination of new beats, maybe some added other samples, and then of course samples of The White album. These are mostly presented as loops, and as backing, although they occasionally are more recognisable when the vocals stop. In addition, the rapping is at times mashed-up itself, re-ordering some elements and putting in repetitions where there was none.

The result is weird, I think. I didn't like it for two reasons. First, it is too busy. The idea sounds interesting, but the backing has too much going on, and isn't really the sort of style you would associate with either hip-hop or The Beatles. Second, the drum patterns are busier too, with and the end result is an assault on the ears, and also a bit like Custard with Steak. Custard, yes. Steak, yes. Together... no. 

So, to me, interesting idea, result, just a mess. None of the charm of the Beatles or the flow of Jay-Z, but a confusion of sound that I didn't happen to find pleasant.

5/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2PNro0Vyve4kaVkJAbpshb

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1X3qTzT40VmLZP-ULfJMxA4yyzSQsu1S

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grey_Album



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