Lou Reed, David Lynch among fans of Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’
Kanye West’s new album “Yeezus” has picked up a lot of plaudits in the usual pop music critic circles, and now it’s collecting support from some impressive, not-so-usual sources, among them punk godfather Lou Reed and filmmaker David Lynch.
Reed has reviewed the album for the Talkhouse musician website, saying in a generally enthusiastic assessment, “No one’s near doing what he’s doing, it’s not even on the same planet.”
And this week, Lynch -- who has a new album of his own coming later this month -- says he’s enamored of the track “Blood on the Leaves” from “Yeezus,” which entered the Billboard album chart at No. 1 last week.
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That’s also the first track that Reed singled out in his review, writing: “People say this album is minimal. And yeah, it’s minimal. But the parts are maximal.
“Take ‘Blood on the Leaves,’ ” Reed writes. “There’s a lot going on there: horns, piano, bass, drums, electronic effects, all rhythmically matched -- towards the end of the track, there’s now twice as much sonic material. But Kanye stays unmoved while this mountain of sound grows around him. Such an enormous amount of work went into making this album. Each track is like making a movie.”
If anyone’s in a position to compare music and movies, it should be Lynch, who will release his second album, “The Big Dream,” on July 15.
Pop & Hiss asked Lynch to name musicians he admires. He said, “You might be surprised, but I love ‘Blood on the Leaves’ by Kanye West. I just love it.” The rest of the interview with Lynch will appear soon in Calendar.
As for Reed’s review, it’s not an unqualified rave. “There are moments of supreme beauty and greatness on this record,” Reed notes, “and then some of it is the same old [thing].”
In his wrap-up, however, Reed writes, “It’s all music -- that’s what makes him great. If you like sound, listen to what he’s giving you. Majestic and inspiring.”
ALSO:
Fleetwood Mac’s back with a love-fest vibe
Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ lands at No. 1 on Billboard chart
Review: Kanye West’s wildly experimental, narcissistic ‘Yeezus’
Follow Randy Lewis on Twitter: @RandyLewis2
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