I like Comet alright but none of her albums after Devil's Halo have felt fresh and exciting to me. She seems stuck in a holding pattern. The "Friends" cover is weird and exciting but turned out to be a total red herring for the rest of the album and I wish she'd played around with that sound more.
― I Love Makonnen: New Answers (The Reverend), Wednesday, 12 November 2014 14:07 (nine years ago) link
I didn't really like the stripped-down rock sound of "Weather" and "Devil's Halo", does the new one continue in the same vein? I can see why she would want to go to that direction, but this kind of music does nothing to me, I much preferred the psychedelic/freaky r'n'b and soul of the earlier records.
The Nina Simone debut album was a bit of a disappointment too, I liked the arrangements and production, but the truth is that as a singer Ndgeocello simply doesn't have the range and versatility needed to cover those tunes. (There was a good reason why she didn't sing herself on her jazz album, but instead had guess singers better fitted for the genre.) A good case in point is "Four Women": in the original version, Simone alters her voice to fit the role of each of the four women in the song, and the final "PEACHES"
― Tuomas, Wednesday, 12 November 2014 14:21 (nine years ago) link
...and the final "PEACHES" that closes the tune is absolutely dripping of both sarcasm and barely suppressed rage. But Ndegeocello sings the whole song with her trademark monotone voice, there's no variation between the different women's lyrics, which makes the whole tune half as effective and expressive as the Simone version.
― Tuomas, Wednesday, 12 November 2014 14:24 (nine years ago) link
"guess singers" = "guest singers"
― Tuomas, Wednesday, 12 November 2014 14:25 (nine years ago) link
"Thank you Reverend" = http://www.reverendguitars.com/wp-content/files_mf/1389029931fellowship_SBLK_main.png
― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 12 November 2014 14:51 (nine years ago) link
harrumph imo her take on "nobody's fault but mine" is extraordinary
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 12 November 2014 15:21 (nine years ago) link
Just catching up on 'Comet'...really like this...some strong material on here...like the sparse/moody production...nice
― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Saturday, 17 January 2015 21:23 (nine years ago) link
This album fell even a little bit for me but I still think it's really great and does a lot of interesting things
― all that glitters ain't cyber gold (Drugs A. Money), Sunday, 18 January 2015 05:32 (nine years ago) link
It's pretty good. I didn't really like the bare-bones blues rock of the previous two albums (not counting the Nina Simone tribute, which had its own flaws), so I was pleased to note that she's kinda returned to the psychedelic neosoul (or whatever you can call it) of Comfort Woman and The World Has Made Me..., even if the sound is still more stripped-down than on those.
― Tuomas, Sunday, 18 January 2015 21:00 (nine years ago) link
still adore this
― ØYE MATS (wins), Sunday, 18 January 2015 21:03 (nine years ago) link
we did dis togedder last yearhttp://www.tinymixtapes.com/chocolate-grinder/listen-bunnybrains-if-mountain-was-a-man
― danbunny, Sunday, 12 July 2015 23:49 (eight years ago) link
and dis onehttps://soundcloud.com/bunnybrains/colorado
― danbunny, Sunday, 12 July 2015 23:55 (eight years ago) link
thanks
― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 July 2015 15:57 (eight years ago) link
man, comfort woman is an amazing record. i have not listened to the rest of her discog that much but it feels underrated to me by this thread?
i got turned onto it because syd tha kid put "love song #1" on this (great) playlist for rookie (http://www.rookiemag.com/2015/09/life-soundtrack-syd-tha-kyd/) and damn the whole record is mostly good chilled out neo soulish kinda stuff. just like, the perfect sound. i wish there weren't any screaming guitar solos but oh well.
anywho just wanted to rep for that one. she's playing in nyc in a few months.
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 7 November 2015 19:00 (eight years ago) link
that playlist really is great
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Saturday, 7 November 2015 19:21 (eight years ago) link
yes
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 7 November 2015 19:25 (eight years ago) link
and yeah comfort woman is an incredible, spacious record. a great headphones record too, so much detail
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Saturday, 7 November 2015 19:28 (eight years ago) link
i love all of her records though tbh. i only learned recently that the first two were produced by david gamson of scritti politti which 1) blew my mind 2) made a ton of sense when i spent a ton of time with anomie and bonhomie this year, on which meshell features
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Saturday, 7 November 2015 19:29 (eight years ago) link
also unsurprisingly i love the aggro screaming psych guitar solos, they are literally the best part of "love song #3"
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Saturday, 7 November 2015 19:52 (eight years ago) link
Yeah I only got Comfort Woman last year and I became totally obsessed with it for a while, such an unabashedly sexy album. Love the reggae bass and occasional attempt at Timbaland style stutters.
― Tim F, Saturday, 7 November 2015 20:49 (eight years ago) link
I don't think I've been as vocal in my love for Comfort Woman as for TWHMMTMOMD or Devil's Halo, but it's the single best album to have sex to ever made by anyone.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 24 November 2015 05:04 (eight years ago) link
I would concur, if this album didn't exist:
http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0000/187/MI0000187639.jpg
(Which I would recommend it to anyone who wants to listen to some slow cosmic sexy soul music.)
But Comfort Woman is definitely up there, yeah.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 24 November 2015 10:41 (eight years ago) link
soooo....where do I start? I own Peace Beyond Passi and nothing else. I've been dipping into Bitter, Comfort Women, Weather.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 31 January 2016 03:38 (eight years ago) link
bitter and comfort woman are great introductions imo. I also think you'd loooooove devil's halo
― HYPERLINK TO RAP GENIUS (BradNelson), Sunday, 31 January 2016 03:42 (eight years ago) link
Comfort Woman is as good a place as any. It's worth noting that most of her albums tend to have a distinct vibe from one another, so there isn't really any one album that can be taken as representative of her work. The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams might be something of an exception because it's an expansive tour de force whereas the rest of her albums tend to hone in on doing one thing. But I can also see finding that album overwhelming.
― The Reverend, Sunday, 31 January 2016 03:47 (eight years ago) link
My problem with Bitter is it's too lyric-focused, which isn't always her great strength.
― The Reverend, Sunday, 31 January 2016 03:49 (eight years ago) link
I agree to a point, but also every melody on bitter breaks my heart
― HYPERLINK TO RAP GENIUS (BradNelson), Sunday, 31 January 2016 03:53 (eight years ago) link
I'll have to go back to it. I haven't listened to any of her 90s work in a long time.
― The Reverend, Sunday, 31 January 2016 03:55 (eight years ago) link
im catching up with some of her stuff that ive missed. its interesting how much of a 'better' singer she has become over the years. but also the one thing that i think will always be a barrier for her is that shes still too limited/mannered as a singer. it doesnt matter ultimately, if the songs are good enough, but its like shes permanently going for 'gracefully wounded'.
dirty world is my shit however.(soundcloud is pretty excellent at guessing what i want to hear next lol)
― StillAdvance, Monday, 27 June 2016 10:15 (seven years ago) link
I need a new Meshell album.
in the meantime is it time for an albums poll?
― Tim F, Wednesday, 3 May 2017 13:43 (six years ago) link
agreed and yes
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Wednesday, 3 May 2017 14:10 (six years ago) link
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXqorhCDP9u/
includes: an excerpt of her cover of "tender love," potentially from a new album coming out in november?
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Friday, 11 August 2017 23:00 (six years ago) link
ohhhh it's a covers album https://www.instagram.com/p/BWd2EJrjntB/
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Friday, 11 August 2017 23:08 (six years ago) link
incidentally holy shit at that tracklist
1. wonder if i take you home2. Nite& day3. Sometimes it snows in april4. Waterfalls5. Atomic dog6. Sensitivity7. Funny how time flies8. Tender Love9. Don't disturb this groove10. Private dancer11. Smooth Operator
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Friday, 11 August 2017 23:10 (six years ago) link
!!!
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 12 August 2017 00:00 (six years ago) link
yesss
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Saturday, 12 August 2017 17:53 (six years ago) link
https://media.giphy.com/media/26n6YSEVjKzqE4Jqw/giphy.gif
― blog haus aka the scene raver (wins), Saturday, 12 August 2017 18:27 (six years ago) link
https://soundcloud.com/officialmeshell/sometimes-it-snows-in-april/s-gR5VM
and a lyric video for "tender love"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZSCWwCJAxI
album out 3/16
― sophistipop 2 (stritram), Saturday, 13 January 2018 12:35 (six years ago) link
gonna b so gooooood
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 13 January 2018 17:53 (six years ago) link
i'm so hyped, these are both so gorgeous
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Saturday, 13 January 2018 17:58 (six years ago) link
in particular her "sometimes it snows in april" is just killing me
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Saturday, 13 January 2018 18:06 (six years ago) link
wowwwwwwwww @ the "sometimes it snows in april" cover
― Tim F, Saturday, 13 January 2018 18:28 (six years ago) link
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/08/590336350/first-listen-meshell-ndegeocello-ventriloquism
1980s songs slowed down with interesting vocal touches and instrumental flourishes.
Reference to Neil Young Harvest listening at time of recording makes sense too
― curmudgeon, Friday, 9 March 2018 21:09 (six years ago) link
very good and cool record
― k3vin k., Sunday, 18 March 2018 02:53 (six years ago) link
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/meshell-ndegeocello-ventriloquism/
great review brad. i've listened to the "sometimes it snows in april" cover nearly every day since it came out. the whole album is quite something.
― piper at the gates of d'awwww (voodoo chili), Monday, 19 March 2018 18:06 (six years ago) link
thank you!!
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Monday, 19 March 2018 18:09 (six years ago) link
atomic dog 2017 is so awesome lol. possibly even more dog-like than the orginal, but not quite as dogg-like as snoop's "what's my name"
― piper at the gates of d'awwww (voodoo chili), Monday, 19 March 2018 18:10 (six years ago) link
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8232751/meshell-ndegeocello-ventriloquism
She talks about making covers her own and her take on Bruno Mars (“karaoke “)
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 20 March 2018 04:02 (six years ago) link
I listened to this album 4 times today. Clearly something I needed.
― President Keyes, Wednesday, 21 March 2018 01:02 (six years ago) link
yeah, this album is cool. i think my favorite is "sensitivity."
― jaymc, Wednesday, 21 March 2018 01:13 (six years ago) link