DJ Dangermouse

The Grey Album

December 7, 2004

# 11

There’s something to be said for getting your hands on that which you aren’t allowed, something thrilling about obtaining the unobtainable, acquiring the outlawed, and attaining the illegal. But, sadly, more often than not, once said perpetrator is in custody, the whole thing turns into a huge letdown, with the thrill of the chase far outweighing the product of one’s labor. Even now, some fifteen years later, I can still remember getting my first cassette copy of the infamous 2 Live Crew recording As Nasty As They Wanna Be and sneaking it around on my walkman, gallantly parading like some sort of prized peacock. Looking back, I can readily admit that the recording was indeed pornography, but it was utterly amazing as well, kinda like seeing Vanna White in Playboy for the very fist time. But unlike Vanna, As Nasty… far outdid the hype, and to this day, I still consider that album a landmark and a very exciting listen.

But that was 1989. Today, foul mouthed albums hardly even require that formerly infamous “Explicit Lyrics” sticker, rated R movies are certainly more violent and graphic than in decades past, and television shows such as The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives leave little to the imagination. The fight for and against censorship is surely not entirely forgotten these days, that’s for damn sure (with wardrobe malfunctions being the first thing that comes to mind), but far ahead in terms of media attention is the war on piracy, curiously, also an issue that initially took flight in the late ‘80s, with artists such as Biz Markee and 2 Live Crew, themselves, two of the more famous cases. The motto of big business and the entertainment industry then and now: if you can’t stymie their originality by smothering them in the market, then nail ‘em for being derivative. So is the case with 2004’s public enemy #1: DJ Dangermouse’s The Grey Album.

The Grey Album is producer Dangermouse’s mash up that pits music from The Beatle’s White Album against the lyrics and rhymes of Jay-Z from his Black Album. The result is a hot potato of rock meets rap that is as exciting and unexpected as 1986’s Run DMC/Aerosmith Walk This Way collaboration. But, no matter your stance on the matter, it is illegal in every sense of the word. No permission was requested and no permission would ever be granted. But that’s fine because Dangermouse never had any intention of asking in the first place, and those most interested in this music probably couldn’t give a damn, themselves, anyway.

This album is cool because it is unexpected. Like an Andy Warhol exhibit, there is a philosophy first and foremost to what is going on here. This is the combination of two very, very different artists, both literate and introspective, but tackling their respective environments from completely different directions. Because of this, it is amazing how well they seem to work together under Dangermouse’s guide. Songs such as What More Can I Say, Encore, Moment of Clarity, and 99 Problems are clear standouts, mixing those Jay-Z tracks with strangely appropriate cuts by the Beatles (While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Glass Onion and Savoy Truffle, Happiness is a Warm Gun, and Helter Skelter, respectively) that add an urgency, freshness, excitement, and further perspective to both artists’ releases. Knowing the originals certainly adds to the experience, but regardless, the music speaks for itself as both fun and innovative. It takes only one listen to realize, but the more you do listen, the better and more fluid the songs become.

In one sense, The Grey Album is unquestionably a publicity stunt of sorts. Dangermouse claims he had no intention of mass marketing this album, but I wonder how seriously you can take that claim when you know he’s sitting on a winning lottery ticket. On the other hand, The Grey Album wouldn’t have become such a phenomenon if it weren’t for the excellent production work by Dangermouse that seamlessly merges these two seemingly unrelated works. That Dangermouse did it first certainly counts for something, but regardless, this is excellent music that not only represents a cultural touchstone, but is also a damn fine listen, and in my opinion, one of the most interesting and best albums of 2004.