N.A.S.A.

So I'm sitting here with my headphones listening to what must be one of the most hyped projects of 2008/09. 5 years in the working, Sam Spiegel (related to Spike Jonze) and Ze Gonzalez (famous DJ) have rustled up the who's who of music, dead or alive: David Byrne, Seu Jorge, Karen O, ODB, Ghostface, Tom Waits, Kool Keith, Kanye, Lykke Li, Santogold, George Clinton, Z-Trip, etc. etc. etc. Basically, every conceivable niche represented by its respective master or artist-of-the-moment. Luckily, Spiegel and Gonzalez are very talented DJs and producers, and manage to pull together the huge array of sounds and styles into a coherent whole. Glitzy, poppy production values dominate, and the album bubbles with upbeat rhythms, big beats, and more samples and instruments than you can shake a stick at, while staying grounded in a funky, hip-hop sound. In fact, given the enormous scope and range of styles in this album, manning the boards and producing something so consistent is amazing.

Outstanding tracks:

"N.A.S.A. Music" - The LA Riots remix, which was released several months ago, bangs harder, but the album cut is on point. Putting E-40 with Tical is a pairing of 2 dons of contrary rap styles, and the result is fresh.
"Hip Hop" - Given the fact that the hip hop aesthetic is one of the most consistent elements in the album, this track is a no brainer. Mad head-nodding.
"Strange Enough" - A dead rapper, the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the westcoast crackhead rapper (still alive) Fatlip? Definitely strange enough, but oddly appealing.
"Gifted" - Kanye is suffering from a sever case of overexposure, but given his (succesful) schtick of latching on to the latest hipster fad (see: Santogold, Lykke Li), this track is actually one of the strongest on the album. Plus, I like to think (hope?) Santo and Lykke are here to stay...

Now for the bad: Where do Spiegel and Gonzalez fit in? Not only does it come off as gimmicky to have a "featuring" list that spans every superstar, but Sam and Ze's actual role in the music is difficult to determine. Manning the boards for an album like this is obviously a serious challenge, but it would be nice to have at least one track that is only their work. Hopefully, on their next release they trim the guest list and give the audience a taste of raw, uncut N.A.S.A. Ultimately, the album falls a bit short of the hype it garnered, but represents a feat of production and mixing skills and uninhibited ambition and exploration.

43 stars out of 51.