OK, /mu/, let's settle this once and for all: which of these four fine albums has the most complex orchestration? Not talking about quality of songwriting here, though I'd love to hear what /mu/ has to say on that issue too.
My vote is for MPP, followed by Illinois with Remain In Light and Pet Sounds tied.
>>59635668
none of those even get close to this tbh. white people smh
I think Pepper needs to be seriously considered as part of this discussion. If so for orchestration I'd go:
Pepper > Remain in Light > MPP > Illinois > Pet Sounds
For songrwriting:
Pet Sounds > Remain in Light > Pepper > Illinois > MPP
>>59635736
kanye ruined country music
mpp has the most straight shit (lotsa synths)
remain in light has the most thoughtful sounds
>>59635736
lol
>>59635762
Personally, I feel like Sufjan is the best storyteller songwriter of the 4. And believe it or not, the songwriting in MPP resonates more with me at a core/basic level than Pet Sounds. I feel like both are exceptional, just in their own way. Remain In Light is by far the most esoteric as far as songwriting, and I cannot deny just how incredibly interesting and inspired some of the songs are, like Seen and Not Seen as well as Once in A Lifetime. Honorable mention for Crosseyed and Painless, too.
>>59635736
I'm a pretty big Kanye stan but I don't think MBDTF is on the same level of orchestration as the other 4. Kanye is for sure one of the best hip-hop producers of all time, but hip-hop just naturally aligns itself to be a bit simpler due to the necessity of consistency of beat/flow.
This is now a hip-hop thread.
Illinoise gets my vote. It has the most composition and instrumental diversity, and he doesn't have to bathe his music in reverb and filters to give it appeal.
Don't get me wrong, I love MPP, but it's all to fuzzy sometimes you can't help but feel as if it's being used as a crutch for their weaker songwriting.
>>59635736
Kanye is a retard
>>59635668
>The bongos and horns on The Great Curve
Heaven. Probably the best instance of "orchestration" I've ever heard.
>>59635668
>the most complex orchestration
I'm not quite sure why you picked these four. In terms of complexity,Illinois and Pet Sounds are MILES above Remain in Light and Merriweather.
Merriweather is actually fairly simple- it rarely modulates or changes key, and most songs have a defined verse and chorus that each have a single, simple chord structure. Most of the songs are just composed layer by layer on a synth loop. It's easily the least complex overall.
Remain in light is complex only in rhythm. All the instruments, including the voice, is used for a rhythmic purpose (think of the guitar in Born Under Punches to understand this concept). In terms of melody, every song has a single chord except for Listening Wind, which has two.
Illinois has by far the largest orchestration, and uses more odd time signatures and experimental sonic techniques than the others.
Pet Sounds uses some amazingly complex yet un-jarring modulations between the melody and the harmony. In terms of melody. it's easily the most complex. It also has a fairly large diversity of instruments- slightly more than RiL but less than Illinois.
