Unit 2 - Comminucation Skills for Creative Media

Communication Skills for Creative Media

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

 Album Name: Back to Black

Producers: Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi

Artist: Amy Winehouse

Year/Date: October 27, 2006

Genre: Soul, Rock, Jazz, Pop, Rhythm and Blues, Blues, Contemporary R&B, Neo Soul 

Track List

Rehab

You Know I’m No Good

Me & Mr Jones

Just Friends

Back to Black

Love is a Losing Game

Tears Dry on Their Own

Wake up Alone

Some Unholy War

He Can Only Hold Her

Addicted

Amy Winehouse released Back to Black in 2006. Her authentic soul voice and mowtown styling combined with her lyrics was the reason this album was revolutionary. (4) The album is also revolutionary due to it being important not just when released but throughout time as its a soul template for future generations. (1) The songs reach out to a variety of audiences due to her ability to express her emotions of inner pain through the music. During this album we witness Amy’s downfall including drug taking, heartbreak and depression, which she then took advantage of and produced her pain into revolutionary art. Her lyrics compliment her life events such as ‘Rehab’, which is track 1 on the album based on when she rejected admission to rehab. This track includes snarls and stops in its brassy foot at every “No, no, no”. Another track on the album is “Love Is A Losing Game” this number is stripped back with no brass making it raw giving us as the audience the ability to listen to the heartfelt emotion in the song. Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi produced the entire album with Amy Winehouse. (1) (3) Most of the album was recording in the studio where the piano, guitar and bass were all done in one room. The drums were recorded with one microphone including lots of spill between the instruments. Although most of the recordings were in New York Mark Ronson travelled back to London to record ‘Rehab’ where he recorded the strings, brass and percussion in a tracking room. (2) (3)

 Kanye West - The Life of Pablo

Album Name: The Life of Pablo

Artist: Kanye West

Producers: Daniel Armbruster, Sean Donnelly

Year/Date: February 14, 2016

Genre: Hip Hop

Track List

Ultralight Beam

Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1

Pt. 2

Famous

Feedback

Highlights

Freestyle 4

I Love Kanye

Waves

FML

Real Friends

Wolves

Frank’s Track

Siiiiiiiiilver Surffffeeeeer Intermission

30 Hours

No More Parties In LA

Facts (Charlie Heat Version)

Fade

Saint Pablo

Recently released this year Kanye West’s album ‘ The Life of Pablo’ has excelled and instantly became revolutionary. With each individual song being completely different in variation from the duration of the tracks with some songs being 1 minute long and some being 4 minutes long to the different styles of music this is one of the reasons why this album is revolutionary. Another reason its revolutionary is due to Kanye's ability to connect with a different type of audience. Many can relate to the songs in ‘The Life of Pablo’ for example ‘Wolves’ resembles a guilt-ridden son following the martial blues slow jam ‘FML’ which resembles a restless husband. This song features The Weeknd, who is another artist in the industry. (5) One of the favourites on the album is ‘ I Love Kanye’ this a freestyle rap which means its recorded with no preparation but just improvised on the spot. This track is also recorded with no backing track but just his voice on the track making it acapella. (5) With Kanye being so creative he deviates from beats that are futuristic and turns them into modern trap. (6) He includes vintage soul in his music adding an edge onto his traditional hip-hop title. Kanye ensured that this album was produced to perfection, which is evident when he rejigged the album 24 hours after he premiered ‘The Life of Pablo’ at Madison Square Gardens. The album was then released with Kanye still adding tracks months’ later showing he’s always trying to improve the music society. (7) The album was recorded from 2013 all the way to 2016 in a variety of locations such as his home studio, New York, Mexico and Italy. (8) Kanye once again has managed to keep his status as a creative genius.

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP

Album Name: The Marshall Mathers LP

Artist: Eminem

Producers: Dr Dre, Eminem, Jeff and Mark Bass, Mel Man, The 45 King

Year/Date: May 23, 2000

Genre: Hard-core Hip Hop

Track List

Public Service Announcement 2000

**** You

Stan

Paul

Who Knew

Steve Berman

The Way I Am

The Real Slim Shady

Remember Me?

I’m Back

Marshall Mathers

Ken Kaniff

Drug Ballad

Amityville

**** Please II

The Kids

Under the Influence

Criminal

With Eminem releasing ‘ The Slim Shady LP’ just a year before ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ just shows his dedication to music. Like a variety of other artists Eminem puts his emotional pain into his songs makings them powerful and easier for the listeners to empathize with him. The reason ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ is revolutionary is because Eminem adds an emotional spin onto hip-hop making his album almost like a story that is saddening.  With Dr Dre being a producer on this album he brings a variety of different techniques including sound effects, basslines and pop rhythms makings this more iconic due to Dr Dre being a main artist in the industry himself. (1) This album was recorded on within 2 months which some refer to as a creative binge. Some sessions were 20 hours long, which again shows to dedication to music making his albums more revolutionary due to music lovers sharing an interest with Eminem. Some songs occurred from producers strumming of guitars and then developing melodies and one song ‘Criminal’ was inspired by Eminem overhearing a bass playing a riff in another room in the studio, which then was produced into a piano piece. (9) One of the tracks on this album is called ‘Stan’ it includes a second track featuring a sample of the track ‘ Thank You’ performed by the English singer Dido. (10) 

References

(1) Dimery et al, R. (2011) 1001 Albums you must hear before you die. 5th edn. London: Cassell illustrated.

(2) Tingen, P. (2016) Issue navigator. Available at: http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/secrets-mix-engineers-tom-elmhirst (Accessed: 7 October 2016).

(3) Wikipedia (2016) Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_Black#Recording (Accessed: 7 October 2016).

(4) Jonze, T. (2016) Albums of the decade no 6: Amy Winehouse – back to black. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/nov/25/amy-winehouse-back-to-black (Accessed: 7 October 2016).

(5) Sheffield, R. (2016) Kanye west ‘the life of Pablo’ album review. Available at: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/kanye-west-the-life-of-pablo-20160216 (Accessed: 7 October 2016).

(6) Haynes, G. and COM, N.E. (2011) Kanye west - ‘the life of Pablo’ review. Available at: http://www.nme.com/reviews/kanye-west/16398 (Accessed: 7 October 2016).

(7) Fleischer, A. (2016) Kanye just changed an album that’s been out for Four months. Available at: http://www.mtv.com/news/2893486/kanye-west-updates-the-life-of-pablo-saint-pablo/ (Accessed: 7 October 2016).

(8) Morris, J. (2016) These are all the places Kanye west recorded ‘the life of Pablo’. Available at: http://uk.complex.com/music/2016/02/kanye-west-the-life-of-pablo-recording-locations (Accessed: 7 October 2016).

(9) Eminem (2016) ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’, in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marshall_Mathers_LP#Recording (Accessed: 7 October 2016).

(10) "Ultimate Albums: The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem interview". VH1. Retrieved July 16, 2012.

Dholder comments 23/09

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