Kanye West | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Deluxe 3xLP | Roc-A-Fella Records

I’d like to make it known that the list of grievances listed below has nothing to do with the content of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, rather it’s vinyl treatment or lack thereof. The album itself is an incredibly well crafted and executed microscope into the mind and ego of a self-proclaimed “voice of this generation”. Kanye doesn’t NEED good press or record sales, he self-maintains. It’s a beautiful process to watch, despite his numerous gaffes and awkward moments. You might love him, you probably hate him, but it would be completely daft to deny the impact he and his music has made in the last decade. In case you disagree, I present you a list of his production credits.

My issues with the “Deluxe” 3xLP presentation of the album lie with it’s improper treatment. The 78 minute album is spread across three 130 gram LPs, mastered at a sloppy 33RPM. The sound response is mediocre as best. At times the bass resonates well, but only when there’s no mid-range to compete with it. Example: stand out track “Monster” has a pounding back beat with a snare sample that drops intermittently throughout. But as soon as that snare hits, all bass response drops to a dull hum, completely throwing the track off its rhythm. I also notice some tracks playing a little faster than the MP3s. A recent post on a message board from rap producer Mike Dean stated that the pressing was rushed and that he was handling a re-master for a re-press. It’s unfortunate that the label pushed a sub-par release of an amazing record out just to meet a deadline.

Beyond the actual pressing of the album, the packaging is lacking as well. The center labels contain no identifying information. No track names, no A-side/B-side information. You have to rely on the matrix inscriptions to determine which side is which. The cover, a beautifully printed triple gatefold, is printed with metallic gold finish and really pops and is the most impressive feature of the whole package. Unfortunately the label is still choosing to censor the original artwork, instead offering a heavily pixelated version of the artwork, seen in the bottom right and first LP center label above.

I mean the shit is fuckin ridiculous,
fuckin ridiculous

I’m sad to find that the very anticipated arrival of this record on my doorstep has resulted in so much disappointment. I’ve had a better experience with this album on my headphones via Itunes. What’s worse is the $35-40 price tag this album commanded from many retailers. And even worse than that is it sold out of its initial “limited pressing”. Thankfully I ordered from Amazon for $25 and some change with free shipping. The album arrived in one of Amazon’s famously oversized and air-filled boxes, thankfully undamaged.

Looks like I’ll be picking up the repress.