Idolator

A reader named Chris Yamashiro sent a letter into the Idolator tip jar pleading with us to "please please please sign my petition asking kanye to bring back jon brion for all music in the future." Apparently a world without Jon Brion is not a world where Chris can bear to see Kanye walking around making music and buying sweaters and handing out free sunglasses:

To: Kanye West
Dear Kanye,

FUCKING BRING BACK JON BRION.

Your beats on Graduation are a bit rudimentary compared to Late Registration and the hooks are just a bit underdeveloped.

"Stronger" is not a terrible song, though I don't think you can really do anything with Daft Punk and get away with it.

"Good Life" is exactly what I was hoping Graduation would sound like... in full.

Instead, you throw a Can sample, a Kate Moss reference and an Entourage appearance at us, expecting that we'd forget all about how good your music was with Jon Brion involved.

I am not petitioning to tell you that the album was bad, but I think it could've been so much more if you didn't have such an oversized ego and were willing to give up a little control in the production department.

Thanks for listening.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Dissing Daft Punk out of hand? You're fired, Chris.

Is this what happens when you bring a Hollywood producer-arranger type in for one album to add a little unexpected flair to your beats—spending the next few years listening to grumbles and gripes because your new tracks aren't being fleshed out by an oboe or a pump organ? Okay, so an online petition is one thing, but why do I expect a lot of this kind of griping over the next few months, especially from the more schmindie reviewers and/or bloggers who had their minds blown that the rapper dude was working with the Fiona Apple guy? I did love the Kanye/Brion team—"Gone" would have halved its power without those strings, for instance—and wouldn't have necessarily looked askance at Late Registration redux myself. But Kanye made great music before Brion, and I have a strange feeling his heart will go on without him.

Bring Back Jon Brion Petition [PetitionOnline]