Kanye West

Although a bonus feature-filled DVD would be most desirable, Kanye West's videos are compelling enough on their own to make a bare-bones collection of them worthy. The uplifting video for "Through the Wire," the smart and stinging one for "All Falls Down," and all three provocative "Jesus Walks" vids are worth repeat viewings, and getting "The New Workout Plan" in all of its rarely shown eight-minute glory is a treat. Including West's Twista and Mos Def collaborations is smart, and while the "Making Of"s are just as mediocre and throwaway as you'd expect, there is one big surprise: editing. Designer label T-shirts and corporate signs in the background cause more blurry mosaics than Japanese porno, and whether or not you get the parental advisory-stickered edition, the swears are taken off the DVD. It's a bummer, one the decent, remix-filled bonus CD -- the disc the advisory sticker does apply to -- almost makes up for. Recommended for fans, but with some major reservations. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide