Kanye West Late Registration

Turning haters into believers one lyric at a time

Given the huge success from not only his debut album of The College Dropout but also his numerous guest appearances and production credits, to say that expectations for Kanye's latest album are high would be an understatement. Many expected Kanye to be another flash-in-the-pan artist, who would never be able to replicate the magic that came from the first album, while others, myself included, were simply afraid that West's magic would falter to the almost inevitable Sophomore Slump. Thankfully, Late Registration isn't only magical, it's easily one of the most significant albums to come out as of late. While not nearly as playful, Late Registration finds Kanye at his most focused, providing incredibly potent and insightful lyrics, while proving all of his doubters wrong along the way. With subjects ranging from politics ("Crack Music," "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"), additional tales from Kanye's life ("Heard 'Em Say" and the exceptionally personal "Roses" and "Addiction"), to even a well-done and heartwarming song dedicated to his own mother in "Hey Mama." Of course, it just wouldn't be a Kanye album without any fun injected into the album at all, and that is provided by amusing "Broke Phi Broke" skits, and also within Kanye's lyrical musings on such songs as "Gold Digger," which masterfully samples from Ray Charles' "I've Got a Woman" and also the track "Celebration." Also carrying over from the last album are the outstanding performances by the guest artists. Ranging from Maroon 5's Adam Levine ("Heard 'Em Say") to Cam'ron ("Gone") to the return of artists such as Jaimie Foxx ("Gold Digger"), Jay-Z ("Diamonds of Sierra Leone remix"), and a surprisingly short take with Common on "My Way Home." The album's production also benefits from the co-production of Jon Brion, who is a masterful musician/producer. For those that aren't familiar with him, he's produced for Fiona Apple and also did the Eternal Sunshine... and I Heart Huckabees soundtracks. With the assistance of Brion, there's additional depth from the many string and orchestral arrangements that are found (which probably works best on the track "Gone"), which not only compliment Kanye's flow, but also give him additional flexibility as a musician. While it's still too early to tell, I'm relatively convinced that when they end of the year comes Late Registration will be recognized as being the best album to come out of the year 2005.

★★★★★

Warm Fuzzy Feelings

Yes, Fuzzy Thoughts is officially back. As you can see, the site has been redone (hopefully) for the better, and if there are any additional comments, complaints, etc. as far as the content, reviews, or whatnot, please feel free to email me at the address given.

Bewitched

All the talent in the world could not save this sorry excuse for a film. Bewitched feels more like a curse than anything else.
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, and Jason Schwartzman
Written by: Delia Ephron, Nora Ephron, and Adam McKay
Directed by: Nora Ephron

On paper, this is a film that could have done exceptionally well. Between the great cast, relatively smart filmmakers behind it, and the still-popular TV show that the movie is based on, how could this movie fail? Well, quite simply, the writing is poor enough that it would be hard to believe that anyone put more than five minutes of thought into the film. Granted, none of the writers involved are known for particularly riveting film, but the movie is a lost, fuzzy, and unfocused shamble of scenes that never adds up to anything more than a half-baked homage to the TV series. While each of the actors do a relatively good job of all of their roles (Steve Carell does an outstanding job of mimicking the off-beat Uncle Arthur), some of the writing for the characters is so bad that you often feel perplexed. This is particularly true with the character of Samantha/Isabel Bigelow, who is such a ditz to the point that it's almost offensive, and really leaves little room for Nicole Kidman to do much more than just look stupid. This is an excruciatingly painful watch, with the only source of relief coming from Will Ferell usually crazy antics, and some surprising scenes (surprising only in the sense that they're actually relatively funny). Within the first five to ten minutes, it's pretty obvious how the rest of the film will flow, and for the most part it's a slow, long, boring ride.

★☆☆☆☆

Batman Begins

Raising the bar significantly, Batman Begins is the ultimate benchmark in the comic book genre.
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, and Morgan Freeman
Written By: Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer, and Bob Kane
Directed By: Christopher Nolan

The Batman story, while already thoroughly covered on the big screen, has never fully realized the importance of the history of Bruce Wayne as a character. This is a fault seen in many of the other movies that are all within the same comic-book based vein. In Batman begins however, we are introduced to the very core of Bruce Wayne's character and as such the essence of what Batman is really all about, and while almost anyone (particularly those familiar with Batman's story) knows his history, to see it fully flushed on film is nearly unheard of. As such, Batman/Bruce Wayne becomes more of a complete hero, rather than just being the masked crusader who beats up the bad guys. Christopher Nolan's direction is remarkable, straying away from the inconsistent and overly-dark thematics that earlier movies featured, instead creating a world where Gotham (which is a CGI-enhanced Chicago) is much more a reflection of the world we in and a much more tangible place, and also keeping true to the original concept that makes Batman so popular. In truth Christopher Nolan doesn't reinvent the wheel, he just refines it. The formula is still mostly the same, Batman is still the ultimate "vengeance" story, but we instead see deeper into that mindset and with a great screenplay as well as extremely well-done character and plot development, Batman Begins is that much stronger. Christian Bale is superb in his role as the protagonist, easily outperforming all previous Batmans (including Michael Keaton). He perfectly balances the bitterness reflected from his painful past, and also the desire the his character continuously shows to save his own city. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman both also perform wonderfully in their supporting roles of Alfred and Lucius Fox, respectively, each guiding Bruce Wayne through his up-and-coming glory. Neither actor appears to be dull in their approach, giving the standard treatment rather than fully immersing themselves into character, instead they (especially Michael Caine) almost seem natural in playing their characters. Equally so, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, and yes even Tom Wilkinson are very convincing for each of their bad guy roles, being incredulously menacing or, in the case of the former two, even downright creepy. Tom Wilkinson and Cillian Murphy in particular make distant departures from their typical "nice-guy" roles, Tom Wilkinson is surprisingly convincing (complete with atypical "mobster" American accent) as a no-good crimelord, Carmine Falcone. Cillian Murphy's character on the other hand, Dr. Jonathon Crane, who has an apparent obsession with fears and the mind of people, is often mind-numbingly creepy in his approach, not to mention his general world view. The final great facet of Batman Begins is the integration of such themes of how people react to fears, and also people's constant (and need of) adaptation, which adds a psychological depth unforeseen in many of the other movies that fall within this genre. All in all, Batman Begins is a very surprising and inspiring movie, and is the one big film that everyone had been waiting for, and is also the movie that Spider-Man really should have been. Finally, sixteen years after the original film was released, there is a crowning achievement in the Batman portfolio.

★★★★★

Q101 Block Party Day One (Hot Hot Heat, Interpol, and Queens of the Stone Age), 6.03.05

Always well done, this year's opening Q101 show should prove that rock is not dead after all...

The show began with a modest effort by Hot Hot Heat, a band while not new in any way they have yet to exercise a certain clout that veteran rockers like Queens of the Stone Age and (while relatively new themselves) Interpol carry. That's not to say that Hot Hot Heat is amateurish, they are just still on the brink of finding themselves it seems. An example is that while on album Steve Bays vocals, while never entirely pleasing, do get the job done and serve quite well with the rest of the band. In concert however, Bays tends to oversing, almost attempting to overpower the sound of his band through his nearly-incoherent screeching. The band was at their best (and appeared their most comfortable) when performing their singles "Bandages," "Goodnight Goodnight," and "You Owe Me an IOU."

★★★☆☆

Although Interpol had to restart their opener of "Next Exit" due to technical difficulties, the band effortlessly went through their set which appeased many of the fans in attendance and also engaged those who either originally did not like Interpol or were unfamiliar with them. While their sound (especially in studio) is undoubtedly mellow, the sheer confidence and presence of the group is what made their performance so engaging. While each of the songs performed were equally special in their own right some of the highlights were "PDA," "Evil," "Narc," "Stella...", and finally "Not Even Jail."

★★★★½

Queens of the Stone Age, who appeared on the side of the stage to enjoy Interpol's performance came back out later and, as always, were ready to rock. When singer/guitarist Josh Homme wasn't poking fun at or hilariously reprimanding crowd members, he was leading QOTSA in a very energetic performance that featured stellar guitar work and also some exceptional drum solos that would make even David Grohl proud. They played a very balance setlist of old and new songs, and also mixed in their hits of "No One Knows," "The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret," and the newer "Little Sister" with the all out rock jams of "Song For The Dead" and "Monsters In The Perisol." All in all, it was a very solid set that proved, in case anyone had forgotten, that while such new acts like the Hives, White Stripes and others get much of the press, Queens of the Stone Age still rock, and rock hard... and they'll also kick your ass.

★★★★¾

Dave Matthews Band Live at Tweeter Center (Tinley Park, IL): 6.02.05

On what started out as a terribly rainy evening, the storms let up just in time as the band emerged onto the stage. After recently releasing Stand Up many fans wondered just how well the tracks from the latest album would sound when being played live, and after hearing the nine (yes, nine) songs that were played during the course of the set, Daveheads have plenty to be excited about. The band started out with "One Sweet World," which really got the energy amongst the crowd going, as it is one of their earlier songs. However, after following that up with "Grey Street"--an often-played, but always welcome song--eight of the next thirteen songs all came from their latest release, a number obscenely high for DMB, and also for many other established artists. That's not to say it wasn't enjoyable, as a matter of fact, it was great to see the members so enthusiastic about the new material rather than referring to their older songs and more "safe" choices, not to mention that most of the highlights were in fact from the newer songs they performed. Among the highlights was the surprise cover of the Zombies' "Time of the Season" which was truly outstanding and played with such precision that it would seem as if the band had been playing it for years, and also "Hello Again" which featured some incredibly intricate work from the drummer Carter Beauford. "All Along the Watchtower" and "Warehouse," while both relative standards, were also very well-done, especially with Butch Taylor (keyboard) seeming to have gained a great deal of confidence in working with the band both on solos as well as even singing. The encore of the show was a bit uneven, as after the dynamic and thrilling "Watchtower" which really had the crowd in a frenzy the band came back out to play "Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)," a song, while amazingly breezy and fun, seemed a bit out of place in this part of the setlist. The conclusionary "Tripping Billies" was nothing short of astounding and truly showcased (as always-- the song was almost specifically written for him) Boyd Tinsley's skills on the violin and left everyone leaving the Tweeter Center feeling happy even if most were still soaking wet. For those that do have tickets at the Alpine shows, you should be in for one hell of a concert, as the only thing truly keeping anything away from DMB tonight was it's notoriously shoddy acoustics.

★★★★★

Common Live at The House of Blues: 06.01.05

The DJs from Power92 might've hyped up the crowd in anticipation of Common's return to his hometown Chicago, nothing could've prepared them for the performance that he gave. From the moment he stepped out on to the stage, there was a feeling that this night would be genuinely special. His new album BE, reviewed earlier, is now sitting high in the #2 slot of the Billboard charts (#1 Hip Hop) and has already gone gold. This concert could very well have marked a turning point in his career, as this could potentially be the album that pushes Common into being a mainstream name. He introduced the set with his lovely and appropriate intro to his most current album (also entitled "BE"), and defined the significance of the "Basement Experience" that he is trying to represent; a place where individuals shined for their own uniqueness. This uniqueness was clearly brought through Common's own definitive personality and style, as the already incredible tracks from BE, Like Water For Chocolate and even earlier albums were taken to an even higher level. Common also did an exceptional job of mixing his own music with that of songs that he guest appeared on such as Black Star's "Respiration," Kanye West's "Get 'Em High," and surprisingly even Erykah Badu's remix of "Love of My Life." Common also paid tribute to a number of the older Hip Hop artists, through not only giving a brief history of Hip Hop (which appropriately also led to a great solo performance by his DJ, as the DJ was the original centerpiece of Hip Hop), but also referencing a number of the older songs during his performances. The highlights of the concert were Common's freestyle over A Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation," his more or less first hit single "The Light," "Funky For You," and the outstanding encore which featured a spoken word piece as an intro to the concluding song, "It's Your World." The concert gave newer fans a great opportunity to see what Common is truly about, as a man who loves Chicago, and is not only about fun, but also about expanding people's horizon's (both intellectually and socially) as he expresses that both through his music and his improv work in-between songs. Mix that with an incredible amount of crowd participation and energy, which Common fed off of really well and it adds up to one of the best shows of the year by far.

★★★★★

Layer Cake

While more serious than many of its contemporaries, Layer Cake is quite the treat
Starring: Daniel Craig, Colm Meany, Sienna Miller, Michael Gambon
Written by: J.J. Connolly (Based on his book, Layer Cake)
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Layer Cake, while directed by the same producer that worked on such projects as Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, doesn't follow the same fast-paced action that the other films prided themselves on. Instead, Layer Cake, as it's name implies slowly makes it's way through the layers of the British drug-ring world, which is the same world that XXXX (Daniel Craig) tries to escape. The plot twists and turns throughout the course of the movie, and takes on quite the ride, all the while the performances, particularly that of Daniel Craig, put the exclamation point on an already well-made film. While playing more or less of the unlikely hero, Daniel Craig adds so much depth to what would otherwise be just another one-dimensional drug smuggler that it makes the movie all the more enjoyable. The cinematography is outstanding, often connecting two events seamlessly to the point that they would appear to be the same event, and the screenplay does an exceptional job of accentuating the analytical depths that were focused on for the movie, without being tiresome. Perhaps the strongest suit to the movie is it's attention to details, whether it be explaining backstories of the characters or the development of plot twists, there are very few broken links to be found. This is a wonderfully made film, particularly considering this is the directorial debut of Matthew Vaughn, that could easily benefit from repeated viewings. Mix that with a great script and an outstanding acting performance by Daniel Craig, and Layer Cake truly is a winner.

Overall rating: ★★★★¾

Gorillaz Demon Days

No longer just fun and games...

With Dan the Automator gone, Gorillaz turned to the equally eclectic Danger Mouse to put together an album that is quite simply an outstanding, albeit difficult follow-up to their self-titled debut. Don't let the poppy "Feel Good Inc.," featured in the new iPod ads, fool you, the majority of songs here are sculpted with much darker tones, feeling almost industrial in their delivery with such songs as "O Green World." If there is one aspect of the album that still holds true from their debut it is that there is still something for everyone. Bassheads will love the entirety of the album, as the beats and baselines are rocking as ever, fans of the happy-go-lucky Gorillaz of old will be able to find some fun on this album too (though it's harder to come by) on the two lead singles "Feel Good Inc." and "Dirty Harry" as well as "DARE." Fans of Damon Albarn will enjoy the greater focus he has put to the vocals, and with Danger Mouse on board it appears that the two collaborate much more nicely than Albarn had with Dan the Automator, as there is a very natural flow through the entirety of the album. Much of the difficulty in this album is that Demon Days is best enjoyed when played from beginning to end, and in hearing it all at once, there is a realization that these guys have elevated what was once thought of as a novelty band to an exceptionally intelligent band that, now with two exceptional records under their belts, has to be taken seriously. Demon Days is one of the few albums in recent times that takes you through an entire experience, an experience that exists not within this world but in another place and at another time. There are some great guest spots on this album as well, as MF Doom, who never disappoints, is outstanding on "November Has Come," and Shaun Ryder provides an extra spark on the previously mentioned "DARE." There is also a great spoken word piece provided by Dennis Hopper on "Fire Coming out of The Monkey's Head." All in all this is an exceptionally well done album that truly shows the genius of both Albarn and Danger Mouse, it should be exciting to see where Gorillaz can go from here.

Overall rating: ★★★★½

Nikka Costa Can'tneverdidnothin'

Funky and fun, definitely a CD worth looking at
Artist to Watch

Four years after her debut album Everybody Got Their Something, Nikka Costa returns with a sound that appears much more focused, and therefore creates overall a much tighter experience compared to the debut. Straying away from the more hip-hop influenced beats, she instead moves to the foray of funk-rock (even having Lenny Kravitz guest star as guitarist/bassist on a few tracks) a genre that seems to fit her like a glove. While the grooving party anthems such as "Till I Get To You," "Can'tneverdidnothin'," "Swing It Around" and "Happy In The Morning" are the clear standouts in their , the subtleties that are within her slower songs ("I Gotta Know" and "Hey Love") that add depth to her album, and show that she's capable of transitioning from fast to slow without making it feel forced or unbalanced. Overall, the sound of this album seems much better fit than that found on Everybody Got Their Something and for that reason Can'tneverdidnothin' is a stronger effort and shows that Nikka Costa, who should be considered anything but a one hit wonder, should have quite a career ahead of her.

Overall rating: ★★★½

Unleashed

What happens when a good idea goes terribly wrong
Starring: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, and Kerry Condon
Written by: Luc Besson
Directed by: Louis Leterrier

In concept (and in the trailers for that matter), this is a movie that could have very easily gone the other way. It's supposed to be a "kung-fu movie with heart" if you will, where Jet Li, an exceptionally-damaged person, winds up in the loving home of a step-father and daughter (Morgan Freeman and Kerry Condon, respectively) and tries to find himself through them. However, the end result was an extremely unbalanced affair, which jumped from over the top fight scenes to a family drama at the blink of an eye and left no room or time for any emotions to truly set in. There's an overusage of narrative economy, particularly on the parts of Bart (Bob Hoskins) and the rest of the "bad guys" in the film, who really come off as over the top versions of the bad guys played in all of Guy Ritchie's films (or similar british crime film for that matter). This overkill makes the overall effort of this film seem particularly lazy and not well integrated, and the action/fight sequences of the film are equally ridiculous, and not in any wowing fashion (these are all moves that either Jet Li or one of his many counterparts have done before), so there really wasn't much to look forward to in that aspect as well. By the end of the film, it seemed that if it had stuck to being simply either an action movie or a drama, it would have been much more successful, but instead it's a half-hazard in-betweener that, while partially entertaining, never really amounts to much, and is subpar to what everyone involved is capable of doing.

Overall Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored

It's a Celebration Bitches!

Amidst the now partially-settled scandal, Season 2 of Chappelle's Show has finally arrived, and it couldn't have come soon enough. The DVD will finally give fans something to tide them over until the third season makes way to Comedy Central. The DVD is well packaged and features all 13 episodes and even some of the musical performances (which was something missing from last season. For those that are not too familiar with the show, the definite highlights are both of Charlie Murphy's (yes, he's really Eddie Murphy's brother) True Hollywood stories featuring Dave playing the late Rick James and Prince as the chauvinistic, couch-dirtying party animal and ultimate baller respectively. Lovable characters from last season also return such as Tyrone the crackhead and also a weird (but funny) rehash of the Player Haters skit from last year. What gives this dvd true replay value is the bonus features, which contain over an hour of bloopers and deleted scenes, audio commentary by Chappelle himself and co-creator Neal Brennan, and much more! For those of you who aren't too familiar with Dave Chappelle as a stand up comedian also get a treat in the extra stand-up from Dave which shows unused clips of his stand up routines which he does in between skits, and show how genuinely funny he is not only as a skit-writer/impersonator but also as a pure stand up performer. This is a great treat for anyone who is a fan of Chappelle and his show and it should undoubtedly sell just as well if not better than his previous season. It truly has something for everyone, and it reinforces how much of a comedic genius Dave Chappelle is.

★★★★★

Common BE

One step closer to the revolution...

When Common released Electric Circus back in '02, the album unsurprisingly was received with mixed feelings. While the concept was well-intended, with its continuous envelope-pushing and often challenging sound, many felt that as a whole the album was just too unfocused and felt like the overly-experimental cousin of The Roots' Phrenology. Whether or not the album was another case of Erykah Badu's often intoxicating influence can be questioned (and funny enough is an issue addressed on Common's bonus DVD), but he makes a great sonic departure from the previous album with his new release BE.
BE returns to the sound that most Common fans are familiar with, as the backgrounds are heavily soul/jazz influenced while Kanye West's production provides an extra punch to Common's sound, adding a depth unfounded in any of his previous albums. The first song and lead single "The Corner" which features The Last Poets is a powerful single that truly showcases Common's incredible aptitude for not only story telling but also his great sense of social consciousness. The following track "Go" (which will be the second single for the album), while slightly repetitive with it's one word chorus, features an exceptional beat that should make it a club hit this summer. The other weakness with "Go" is that it features of all people John Mayer, and he essentially just sings the chorus which feels somewhat underwhelming. Other highlights on the album are the very soulful "Faithful" featuring Bilal and John Legend, "The Food" as heard from Chappelle's Show, and Common's homage to his hometown in "Chi City."
Overall, Common's sound is derivative, but not in a bad way by any means. While the beats and vocals are as strong as ever the production puts the focus on the connection between Common and the listener, and while nothing on here is particularly groundbreaking the pure honesty shown by Common and his lyrics alone make this album well worth buying. Fans of old Common can come into this album with open arms, while he may not have created the ultimate revolutionary album, he's definitely a few steps closer to making it.

Overall rating: ★★★★¼