D'Angelo - Black Messiah (2014)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X67rCZ5SZIk

that "please" is doing a lot of work

i want to believe

DON'T JINX IT

try the video. it's good times.

i watched the other ones, i love how they're able to function as a tight band w/no rehearsal because they all have that common vocabulary of Prince's stage cues ("on the 1" = stop, then come back with "good god!" where "god" always falls on beat 3, etc). i mean i know it all comes from james brown, but it's really specific Prince shit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQnHY8u18A4&feature=player_detailpage#t=261s

the groove @ 4:22

just snagged tickets to the williamsburg show, psyched to see him being him

https://soundcloud.com/soundbetter/dangelo-questlove-at-theatre

this is quite good from what ive heard so far, even if it could have been recorded in 2001 (not that i dislike it, but it just seems a bit of a shame, hes still playing the same old rap instrumentals, pretty much the same old covers he was doing in 96... why?!), rather than march of this year. i dont have much faith in his comeback really yielding anything that amazing at this point. and it seems kinda fucked up that bilal is still releasing good records, and actually has a strong identity of his own, while were all still waiting for dangelo to make the album we all thought he could make...

actually, this is pretty great (even if it is covers). from the 57 min mark, its pretty special. and just makes me more frustrated at his general lack of output. argh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj0ifXB-qUg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfTEa0xObSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fEAOLQI6vI

enough already! (as the americans say)

expecting this to be out end of 2015.

2014 please?

ugh. i have a feeling we're going to have to wait for the confluence of D both being ready to let go of the record + being sober enough to do the promo and tour.

quest keeps getting my hopes up

quest is 100 PERCENT on some "if i shame him about this enough in public maybe he'll be motivated to finish it up and get it out" shit

has he said anything recently?

i don't remember. but when they played brooklyn almost a year ago that was totally the vibe i got from quest.

they both said the album was done a year ago!

quest said was 98% done when i saw them iirc

close enough

right, a year ago, i figured if quest has been silent since then we're in trouble. not to mention the cancelled shows and drug rumors. i'm still holding on to hope though.

close enough

haha

he's doing a poor job of shaming dangelo in that case (i dont think he is doing that in any case, i think hes too aware of dangelo's mental fragility, he doesnt want to upset things too much, beyond airing some frustration and playful digs about his career inertia - dangelo wont let the new record be heard until hes laboured it to death most likely)

http://www.factmag.com/2014/03/06/dangelo-announces-expanded-reissue-of-1996s-live-at-the-jazz-cafe/

on the one hand this will be nice, i've never heard it

on the other hand it's not the new album

it's really good, wish there had been an official record for the Voodoo tour though.

check yr mail lex

thankyou!!

http://nyc.redbullmusicacademy.com/#a-conversation-with-dangelo

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn

http://insideplaya.wordpress.com/2014/05/25/an-open-letter-to-dangelo/

ha the effect of this letter putting in D'angelo on blast is mostly that it makes me want to listen to D'angelo

I hope he replies with a new album.

Word

Dag. Bridge: burned.

who is "inside playa"?

Yes, wonder that too, and how is his dissing everyone gonna help

it's gary harris

seems like an asshole!

also petulant? what's the point of this beyond some dude feeling aggrieved about being written out of history

the last paragraph seems especially bitchy (it's true I don't hear a lot of James or George in his music, but Sly definitely. Prince too)

hard out here for an A&R guy

sounds like a good friend!

http://afropunkfest.com/
he's headlining

Billboard a week ago:

In March of 2013, Liles told Billboard, "We're trying to finish the album. Right now we have 13 songs done, trying to think about the sequence of the album, mastering and mixing within the next two weeks, and release the thing. Ain't no question it's coming."

Judging by that tectonic pace, the album actually should be just about approximately almost 100 percent done right about now. Here's what Liles said:

"Here's the thing: with D'Angelo it was a process. He didn't perform for 10 years and he's been working on an album for the past 12 years. I actually got him to go out and do 30 shows (in 2011-2012), and then we did some 'Brothers in Arms' shows. I said, 'We have to get motivated around what people want to hear from you, and what does it mean to come back to that space?' He very bluntly put it, 'Kev, the studio and the stage: that's my lifeblood. Now that I've touched it again, now that I see it again, I wanna be sure that the baby I'm about to have -- the album -- that I take it to the point where it's all it can be.'

"There'll be an album this year: there's 14 records so far, we might have a couple of bonus records, but all the recording is basically done and we're mixing and mastering now. Definitely, he'll be back.

Claiming he has 14 records ready to go sort of undercuts even the modest claim that he even has one record ready to go.

"record" = song

yeah, usually modern industry guys say 'record' and mean song, not album.

(that usage confused me when i first heard it but now i hear it all the time from people in the rap world)

xp

Sorry, was confused, because he calls them songs earlier.

Anyway, not holding my breath.

lol yeah mixing and mastering only two weeks haha

I hope he finishes the album and then keeps it to himself because it's too good and the world is not ready yet

He means two weeks, total, not in a row. Like, one hour one week, three the next, third week off, one year off, two days in a row ...

haha

it's funny/sad that anybody involved with the project even tries to tell people how much is done anymore. i totally believe that there's probably a lot album-worthy music ready to go, but at this point they should realize that people are tired of promises and just want a single and a release date.

at brooklyn bowl a year ago quest was like "the album is 98% done!" but still literally made the crowd cheer as loud as possible so that d'angelo would understand how badly we wanted to hear the new album

it was kinda sad

I wouldn't believe a release date.

yeah this has basically taken on mbv levels of trolling. if it shows up it shows up but i refuse to get my hopes up about anything until then.

My expectations have only grown. It will be a masterpiece.

First 11 on pfork

i finally don't care anymore.

IF his live shows are anything to go by he's become far more guitar oriented but its not clear that he has the chops to pull that off.

I'm guessing somewhere between discordant overkill and tepid disappointment, if anything does materialise.

i haven't been mega-thrilled by the funk/go-go workouts that he seems to favor these days, i want to hear him go even further down the inward-looking close-mic'd quavering intensity of voodoo, where you feel like you're suspended in amniotic fluid or something

Given that apparently broke his brain ...

yeah this has basically taken on mbv levels of trolling. if it shows up it shows up but i refuse to get my hopes up about anything until then.

― ginuwine's cousin (monotony), Wednesday, June 25, 2014 9:00 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Haha Channel Orange came out in 2012!

Oops

i haven't been mega-thrilled by the funk/go-go workouts that he seems to favor these days, i want to hear him go even further down the inward-looking close-mic'd quavering intensity of voodoo, where you feel like you're suspended in amniotic fluid or something

― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Thursday, June 26, 2014 5:59 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark

same

me too but this seems unlikely. he already made Voodoo, and the new material seems like it will be more straightforward or extroverted (ironically). but who knows, really.

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/untitled-an-oral-history-of-dangelo

why do they have to subtitle is "longreads or whatever"

why

indexing purposes i guess

Not much new stuff there. But this caught my eye:

Christgau: I will believe that [D'Angelo's third album] is a good record when it's in my hands and I hear it. But I am skeptical. I don't believe he has the profile of a genius. I think he has the profile of an unreliable artist. I can tell you what I'm certain is going to happen—is nobody is going to know what to make of the record when they write about it. There will be just reams of bullshit written about it. I am certain of it. The long-awaited follow-up album never gets a smart review. You just need time to absorb it.

True, this.

v otm

Why always so much talk about a Voodoo followup, I'm still waiting for the follow up to Brown Sugar, it's been 20 years.

why do they have to subtitle is "longreads or whatever"

why

Refer to: Nathan Barley

And how is that Christgau quote anything other than bullshit? This place is hilarious sometimes.

i'm not sure you understand what a follow-up is

im not sure you do

ok let's just agree to be unsure

was E.T a follow up to Raiders of the lost ark?

yes. it's the next major work by the same person (and in music, using the same name). i think you're looking for "sequel"? and sequel albums are usually shitty.

You're talking about the noun follow up, I'm talking about adjective follow up. Adj. follow up as to relate to, reinforce, evaluate, a previous action. That's not the same as a sequel. Voodoo was not a follow up to Brown Sugar. Any more than Purple Rain was a follow up to Controversy.

There's no indication that this new album will be a follow-up to Voodoo in the sense that you're talking about so what exactly is your point?

who has actually made a 'follow-up' album in the sense you're talking about? unless the songs are actually from the same sessions, i don't even know what that would mean. was The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse really a follow-up to The Blueprint?

There's no indication that this new album will be a follow-up to Voodoo in the sense that you're talking about so what exactly is your point?

I said I was still waiting for a Brown Sugar follow up, 'what exactly is your point?'

who has actually made a 'follow-up' album in the sense you're talking about? unless the songs are actually from the same sessions, i don't even know what that would mean. was The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse really a follow-up to The Blueprint?

In pop music history? You want me to list the 1000s of albums that fit?

Not sure what's setting you off with the statement "im still waiting for a follow up to Brown Sugar", as in, I like Brown Sugar D'Angleo more than Voodoo D'Angelo and I wouldn't have minded him revisiting that sound.

ok good luck with that, since it's not usually how art or time works (although i guess it is how Rick Rubin works).

I didn't say it's how it works but people like what they like. You seem to have a problem with me preferring Brown Sugar. Do I respect Prince's current music? Yes. Do I prefer him on Dirty Mind and Controversy? Yes. Would I have liked more Brown Sugar D'Angelo? Yes. Get over it? Yes.

Meanwhile keep co-signing foolish critics saying shit like "he doesn't have the profile of a genius, he has the profile of a unreliable artist"

ha, ok man.

Meanwhile keep co-signing foolish critics saying shit like "he doesn't have the profile of a genius, he has the profile of a unreliable artist"

i didn't say anything about this? i think he's an unreliable genius fwiw (which is nothing).

dnftt

in the music business it's common to refer to an album that comes directly after another album "the followup" to that previous album. Raccoon Tanuki has his own place where people don't actually use that term and anybody who does get called out. you gotta watch your goddamn mouth around Raccoon Tanuki

Brown Sugar > Voodoo though we're all agreed on that.

hahahahaha

that's just how they roll down topfordshire guv wot wot

Brown Sugar > Voodoo? Psh! maybe on your oatmeal!

You're talking about the noun follow up, I'm talking about adjective follow up. Adj. follow up as to relate to, reinforce, evaluate, a previous action. That's not the same as a sequel. Voodoo was not a follow up to Brown Sugar. Any more than Purple Rain was a follow up to Controversy.

god stfu

you used the term as a noun yanno

When will we get a follow up to nouns?

kinda tired of waiting tbh

I saw this guy live on tuesday night which was a bucket list gig for me - it's the first time he's ever played in Australia. He was 70 minutes late and elongated all the songs to ridiculous lengths (I feel like Untitled lasted 15 minutes or something), but it was totally glorious, one of the best shows I've seen in ages.

Unfortunately I don't think anyone's written about it yet, the only article I've seen on the show is from TMZ making cheap shots about his weight - which, well, he doesn't look like he did in the Untitled video anymore but we've known that for years, and he seemed happy, healthy enough and uninhibited to me.

I was standing just in front of the VIP section where I noticed Angie Stone lurking at one point.

he's definitely in good shape.
wtf with this album being two years late past the last major announce

y'all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVsiVf_eSYE

oh shit

info seems to be pointing at a possible surprise release next week?

who knows if this is real but

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4reyVKCYAEY8XO.jpg

omg

what

this is the song in the trailer, albeit an audibly different version/mix:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZFbNNgEhgM

i first saw rumblings about this on twitter, unattributed, and thought it was new kanye, got really excited - this is arguably more unexpected, and also v fucking cool

still a little bummed it's not kanye tho, not gonna lie

Looks like a Tuesday release, I'm seeing.

wow

Black Messiah is a good/intriguing title for indicating where D'Angelo is going with this record but as a Kanye title it would just seem kind of on-the-nose and redundant with Yeezus imo

so every December we're gonna have messiahs, it seems!

xp oh absolutely. my brain just immediately went to kanye rather than d'angelo because to be quite honest i never thought we'd hear anything from the man again, questlove rumors or no questlove rumors

woah

Fingers crossed

my first thought was that the title's a reference to black moses

Track above feels very Sly Stone

has he been playing with a band? who is The Vanguard?

I'm freaking the fuck out right now.

me too.

he's had a steady live band (chris dave on drums, pino, etc) but it sounds like it's a different crew in the studio (some ?uestlove drum tracks, some James Gadson {which i can't wait to hear}, etc).

still a little bummed it's not kanye tho, not gonna lie

― just a couple of assholes having breakfast (slothroprhymes), Friday, 12 December 2014 21:27 (52 minutes ago) Permalink

new d'angelo is so much more exciting of a prospect than new kanye cmon now

otm wtf sloth

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0003/716/MI0003716844.jpg

fuck, FINALLY

http://i.imgur.com/MNLksVE.png

lol damn

may have mentioned this elsewhere but when i moved to NYC from middle tennessee, i bought a one way bus ticket and took two bags and a discman with a freshly bought copy of voodoo which had just come out
i listened to it more or less for 24 hours nonstop
this would be an important step forward

Are you gonna move to another city on Tuesday?

well if he comes out with the album i may try portland

Whoa... Finally! Preparing my heart for the Messiah rn brb

now on a less unintentionally hilarious thread:

T or F: an unleaked d'angelo album stealth beyonce released could do serious holiday numbers

http://pitchfork-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/content/IMG_20141209_173254602.jpg

Considering all the pressure and expectations were in no small part what accounted for all the false starts and delays, it seems like tempting fate to name an album "Black Messiah."

how does a "listening party" count as a debut

don't know, but keep speaking truth to power, shakes.

I'm actually looking forward to this album. D'Angelo's always been one of my blind spots.

Really hope the imagery he's putting out with this has some substance to it that's actually reflected in the album, cause otherwise...

Black Messiah sounds like a purposeful title. I don't expect an overload of sexytimes jams.

wasn't it supposedly called 'James River' until recently?

iirc he floated the title James River like 5 years ago and hasn't said that was the title since then, but since it was one of the only shreds of detail anybody had about the album the title kinda stuck in the public mind

this reminds me that i should probably expect a new Burial EP this month too.

https://twitter.com/RBMA/status/543560613801500672

this reminds me that i should probably expect a new Burial EP this month too.

― festival culture (Jordan), Friday, December 12, 2014

god let's hope. a surprise d'angelo album's good too, obviously.

it's just not the holiday season anymore, unless there's an awesome surprise album release.

He should have named the album Surprise. Black Surprise? Surprise Messiah?

So this is gonna be his New Amerykah Pt. 1? I NEED THAT IN MY LIFE.

Omfg I never thought the day would come

your move, Dr. Dre

I'm still waiting for that second Avalanches album.

I'm still waiting for that second Avalanches album.
--MarkoP

we all are, man, we all are.

ok maybe only some of us are

still a little bummed it's not kanye tho, not gonna lie

― just a couple of assholes having breakfast (slothroprhymes), Friday, 12 December 2014 21:27 (52 minutes ago) Permalink

new d'angelo is so much more exciting of a prospect than new kanye cmon now
--deej loaf (D-40)

it is, honestly, just a case of one of the outbursts of irrational kanye stan-dom to which I occasionally succumb

if this record sounds at all like the track linked upthread that'll be prettttyyyyy, pretttaaayyyy incredible

"black messiah", someone stole jay electronica's new album title.

handling copyright extensions probably a big part of managing either of these guys

holy fuck

Anyone know what time of day those Red Bull 20 Before 15 tracks go live? They seem to be limited to 1k downloads and I want this D'Angelo song.

up now on rbma

http://20before15.redbull.com/#d-angelo-and-the-vanguard

this song is so legit

it's great.

the piano and the knickety-knack drums and alien space horns are so good

odd for a guy who has said he cant bear the pressure to name an album THAT

but then he probably needs to do something dramatic to get peoples attention

or hes just been watching kanye and thought someone should compete with that

and from seeing what hes been wearing lately, prob better if the album cover doesnt have dangelo on the front.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dangelo-new-album-black-messiah-20141212

D'Angelo Will Unveil New Album 'Black Messiah' at NYC Listening Party

The R&B singer will play the album in its entirety at an event hosted by Nelson George

By Jason Newman | December 12, 2014

After 14 years, numerous false starts and nearly two years of D'Angelo's next album being "99 percent done," the singer will unveil the follow-up to 2000's Voodoo this Sunday.

The R&B singer will play the completed album, Black Messiah, in its entirety at a listening session in New York hosted by writer Nelson George and organized by Red Bull Music Academy and Afropunk.

As Consequence of Sound notes, D'Angelo's manager Kevin Liles shared a mysterious teaser trailer to promote the album.
George and the singer sat down in May at New York's Brooklyn Museum for a public discussion. When the topic of "neo-soul" came up, D'Angelo hinted that he was embarking on a new musical direction with his own music. "I respect for what it is, but anytime you put a name on something, you just put it in a box," said D'Angelo. "You want to be in a position where you can grow as an artist. You never want to be told, 'Hey, well, you're a neo-soul artist.' Right now, I'm not. We're going someplace else."

D'Angelo also referenced his return to the spotlight, which began with a triumphant covers set at Bonnaroo 2012. Since then, whispers of a new album have appeared periodically.

Shortly after Bonnaroo, Questlove told Rolling Stone that D'Angelo had recorded nearly 30 tracks at Electric Lady, the same New York studio where the singer cut Voodoo. "He is about to take a radical 180 turn with this record," Questlove said at the time. "It's going to throw people off the same way that Prince's Dirty Mindthrew his R&B fanbase off. In the past few years, he's discovered Bowie and Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Pet Sounds, Captain Beefheart and Zappa." At the time, Questlove said that the musician was experimenting with guitar arrangements and creating his own keyboard sounds.

In January 2013, Questlove told Billboard that D'Angelo's album was "99 percent done." "I would not be far off by saying this is probably my generation's version of Sly There's a Riot Goin' On," the drummer said. "It's potent. It's funky. It's an extremely hard pill to swallow.

"It's going to take you about 10 years to digest this record," he added. "Totally brilliant. Just the way this society works with music...being able to judge if something is a classic after the first listen, you can do that after 30 seconds on this. And the fact that we started this record in 2004, and it still sounds like it came out five years from now, it is a testament to the timelessness of it."

In a June interview, Liles said that the Bonnaroo show inspired D'Angelo to want to finish the album. "He very bluntly put it, 'Kev, the studio and the stage: that's my lifeblood. Now that I've touched it again, now that I see it again, I wanna be sure that the baby I'm about to have – the album – that I take it to the point where it's all it can be.'"

In January 2013, Questlove told Billboard that D'Angelo's album was "99 percent done." "I would not be far off by saying this is probably my generation's version of Sly There's a Riot Goin' On," the drummer said. "It's potent. It's funky. It's an extremely hard pill to swallow.

reminded of sly stone and prince when i first heard that new song.

that song has been doing the rounds for a few years now... its a bit sly, a bit prince... and a bit lenny kravitz, not necessarily in a bad way.

a bit lenny kravitz

don't kill my buzz.

lenny is the missing piece of the puzzle in dangelos roots!

1. "Ain't That Easy" D'Angelo D'Angelo 4:49
2. "1,000 Deaths" D'Angelo D'Angelo 5:49
3. "The Charade" D'Angelo D'Angelo 3:20
4. "Sugah Daddy" D'Angelo D'Angelo 5:02
5. "Really Love" D'Angelo D'Angelo 5:44
6. "Back To The Future Part 1" D'Angelo D'Angelo 5:22
7. "Till It's Done (Tutu)" D'Angelo D'Angelo 3:51
8. "Prayer" D'Angelo D'Angelo 4:33
9. "Betray My Heartless" D'Angelo D'Angelo 5:55
10. "The Door" D'Angelo 3:08
11. "Back To The Future Part 2" D'Angelo D'Angelo 2:24
12. "Another Life" D'Angelo D'Angelo 5:58

apparently from the liner notes -
"“Black Messiah is a hell of a name for an album. It can easily be misunderstood. Many will think it’s about religion. Some will jump to the conclusion that I’m calling myself a Black Messiah. For me, the title is about all of us. It’s about the world. It’s about an idea we can all aspire to. We should all aspire to be a Black Messiah."

seemed like an obvious Isaac Hayes allusion

those are short song lengths! (for him)

There was a tv ad during Saturday Night Live for the album...

ah i recognise this new one from his tour ages ago, veh nice to hear it finished etc

this is so good

http://pitchfork.com/news/57828-dangelo-returns-with-new-track-sugah-daddy/

Liked it better on second listen than first.

Yeah, seemed a bit slight at first but it blossoms pretty quickly. Love the mixing.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x18/gr8080/dancingalienld7.gif

Those boogie-woogie piano turnarounds are great.

That said, per Questlove above, this song at least is not 180 degree change, let alone redolent of Bowie and Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Pet Sounds, Captain Beefheart and Zappa. I wonder if the album as a whole is more all over the place, as opposed to the sustained vibe of "Voodoo."

this sounds great. I'm hopeful.

and yes, it's been around for a long bit but not so clean a mix or as a statement of "here's a cut off the album" so i'm thankful.

I've never suspected this album would be a mess. I wouldn't say I'm hopeful, but more like relieved that we finally get to hear it. I trust D'Angelo and Quest more to pull together a great record after a really long gestation period than, say, Axl Rose.

i'm not thankful out of fear the album would be a mess, i'm thankful they're RELEASING the goddam thing finally. I'm expecting a great album with a few permanent life changing tracks. Sugah Daddy sounds more like Left, Right which is wonderful but not earthshaking. Looking forward to contact with the stellar.

this track is tremendous

it's not a direct lineage thing but now that i can get repeat play, i'm hearing traces of Cannonball Adderley's Hummin here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8clwX4bhMU

questlove says a lotta things and is not to be trusted

love both of the leaked tracks. really hyped for this!

this is good

the album preview video is pretty dead prez-ish, what with the speech about a 'cracker jesus' etc.

Report from the field:

Halfway through BLACK MESSIAH & so far it's as much THE REALITY OF MY SURROUNDINGS as SIGN O' THE TIMES or THERE'S A RIOT GOIN' ON.

whoa, sign me up

Further

Which isn't to suggest it slams or has metal guitar (though it does), but the noisy, anything goes feel is Fishbone-ish to me. Which I love.

it sounds a lot like voodoo

the sound is a bit distorted here but it sounds very much of a piece to me

"1000 deaths" is the real gnarly one, it's the one that's in the trailer

but "sugah daddy" --> "really love" --> "back in the future part I" could slide right in after "the line" and "send it on"

Did they mention if it would actually be released on Tuesday or not?

from what I understand it's coming out very very soon, certainly within 72 hours

https://twitter.com/QtipTheAbstract/status/544245862059495424

"album out 2nite! Black Messiah!"

* thinkpieces ready*

More info here:

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6406142/dangelo-black-messiah-track-list-title-explained-q-tip

"Black Messiah is a hell of a name for an album," reads an album introduction by D'Angelo that was handed out with a lyric pamphlet at the listening party, as Pitchfork reports. "Many will think it's about religion. Some will jump to the conclusion that I'm calling myself a Black Messiah. For me, the title is about all of us. It's about the world. It's about an idea we can all aspire to. We Should all aspire to be a Black Messiah.

"Its about people rising up in Ferguson and in Egypt and in Occupy Wall Street and in every place where a community has had enough and decides to make change happen. It's not about praising one charismatic leader but celebrating thousands of them. Not every song on this album is politically charged (though many are), but calling this album Black Messiah creates a landscape where these songs can live to the fullest. Black Messiah is not one man. It's a feeling that, collectively, we are all that leader."

According to the lyric pamphlet, Q-Tip and Kendra Foster of Parliament-Funkadelic contributed lyrics to Black Messiah. ?uestlove, bassist Pino Palladino, and drummer James Gadson play on it as well.

yeah ok so they're putting it out tonight

Yup, at midnight -- EST, I assume.

the album is great, as good as you would hope for any d'angelo album 14 year wait or not

i am so happy

Omg me too.

http://i.imgur.com/QgJjdYJ.png

http://i.imgur.com/u37uncw.png

How does it feel?

Perfect timing for me -- I've always been lukewarm about him. Ready to spend the next couple days getting (re)acquainted.

http://i.imgur.com/Da6P8iV.png

I have tomorrow off and I cannot wait to listen all day :)))

Not every song on this album is politically charged (though many are), but calling this album Black Messiah creates a landscape where these songs can live to the fullest.

really like this way of thinking about an album title

the album is about sex tbh, there's a very faint whiff of opportunism with the timing of it given the marketing

there's def some "personal is political" type stuff if you subscribe to that but I think it would be a stretch to call it a political album save a few isolated tracks

but they're all about sex

out tonight on iTunes? Spotify? Where does one get this? I wanna physical copy i think.

they didn't say anything about medium but itunes is a safe bet

that said i wouldn't be shocked if it was put out straight through some red bull sponsored one-off site

that would certainly make more sense.

http://puu.sh/duukT/dd9246ff65.jpg

I don't think it's about sex. There are as many sex songs as there are political songs—1 or 2 at most. There are two big lush love ballads, one of which is gonna be the first single and the other of which closes the album—it's basically a Delfonics song, and it's amazing. There's some religious stuff, a blues song, a jazz song that actually swings...it's a really crazily multifaceted album. In some ways I feel like the rush delivery strategy is gonna hurt it—they should have put out one song, like they did, then another a month later, then another a month after that, with each one hinting at the breadth of the thing. As it is, a lot of people are gonna gobble it down, get weirded out, and forget about it by mid-January. Which will be disappointing.

HEY GUYS what if he actually has like six albums worth of stuff done and this is just the first salvo

Oh like Maxwell? Who released the first in a quick succession of no more albums in 2009?

dude, d'angelo is releasing a new album in less than four hours; you could convince me of more or less anything right now

brb gonna start a twitter rumor that The Avalanches album comes out at 11pm.

James Gadson! The drummer who put the ba-bum-ba-bump in the Jackson 5's Dancing Machine.

7. Till It's Done (Tutu)

hope this samples the miles davis cover of "perfect way"

THE REALITY OF MY SURROUNDINGS

Holy shit does this get me primed even though there is no way it can really be like The Reality of My Surroundings, though I wish!

Up now

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/black-messiah/id950764300

hella just downloaded

otm

literally jumping around my room to the first track

aaaaaaaa

THERE IS AN AFTERLIFE AND IT IS FUNKY

1000 deaths omg

Amazing, isn't it? "The Charade"'s a nice follow-on to it, love that piano.

"the charade" is a fucking amazing false parade track for real

some real overt prince nods on this record, all pulled off flawlessly of course

i think this is my album of the year? i'm only five tracks in and i'm ridiculously drunk but

I am listening to the Black Messiah.

i need this in my life obv

i think this is my album of the year?

this was my initinal instinct too, but it has been a pretty sorry year for albums. so then i was thinking "it's the best since..." but that didn't seem healthy

it has been a pretty sorry year for albums but THIS ALBUM

"really love" is circling around me like smoke

"really love" is amazing ... "prayer" + "betray my heart" knocked me out tho

"it's the best since..."

Voodoo?

People who use the iTunes store a lot, plz help. (I mainly use Amazon.) My download of Sugah Daddy got botched. Is there a way to download it again without paying for it a second time, or am I fucked? It's telling me my computer isn't authorized for that song, but plays the other 11 with no problems.

"1,000 Deaths"/"The Charade" back to back is some barely earthly shit

ughhhhhh i'm at work why why why why

everything about this album is so great i want to cry

johnny fever i will email you a noncorrupted version of "sugah daddy" bc it's very important to me that your version of this record be okay

can't wait to see what comes by surprise on 13/14/15 december next year tho

xp thank you!

"prayer" motherfuckers "PRAYER"

(sent it to u johnny fever)

"betray my heart" started and i covered my face with my hands and started crying idk

it's on spotify right now, starting to listen as I'm typing. game on.

wow, first track is mislabeled!

"another life" !!!!!!

Hell of an ending, that track.

It just fits right. Anyway: well that was very good indeed. Initial standouts for me: "Prayer," "1000 Deaths," "The Charade," "Really Love." But all a total treat.

i am relistening to it and thrilling equally to the first listen

christ

First track is spectacular on contact. Okay, I'm gonna just listen to the album three times and do some work.
this is as big deal as music gets for me quite frankly

Really Love is the best song of the last 650 years or so.

Most people could work fourteen years straight on an album and not come up with anything this good. D'Angelo took a bunch of those years off and threw this one together in four.

Really Love is the best song of the last 650 years or so.

otm

this is a weird comparison to make but this is my last train to paris of 2014

holy shit am I ever glad Spotify exists for Canada now

woah @ those rumbing bass tremors on "1000 Deaths"

this whole thing just feels so comfortable and right.

minor note but in the booklets they gave us at the listening thing both songs were titled "back in the future" but i'm not sure who has it wrong

i listened to like two 30-second clips and just about peed my pants and downloaded the whole thing just now

but I'm waiting til tomorrow to listen fully #masochist

Anyone have a breakdown of who played on what, production credits, etc?

oh god he did really love live and it floored me then and it's killing me right now
jesus, how is this living up to my expectations

xps It's not even late where you are!!

jesus, how is this living up to my expectations

RIGHT?
RIGHT/??!?!?!!

I want to listen to this until the sun comes up. I'm sure they won't mind me sleeping at my desk at work for 8 hours tomorrow.

'really love' is an immediate standout and in some ways i'm having trouble wrapping my head around the other stuff yet—this sounds very much like a D'Angelo record and at the same time def has a jammier feel than Voodoo (never mind his first album), a lot more texture, a lot more of a live feel

it's obv great but i'm excited to let it unfold, not really sure i'd be able to put into words yet why it is good and how it is good ... really, really love 'really love' though. just jumps out as the most immediately incredible record. apparently quite an old one, too, and i guess questlove leaked it early—must have missed it, or forgot i heard it.

from the booklet they gave us

ain't that easy

music d'angelo
lyrics d'angelo, q-tip, kendra foster

1000 deaths

music d'angelo
lyrics d'angelo, kendra foster

the charade

music d'angelo, questlove
lyrics d'angelo, kendra foster

sugah daddy

music d'angelo, pino palladino, james gadson
lyrics d'angelo, q-tip, kendra foster

really love

music d'angelo
lyrics d'angelo & kendra foster

back in the future 1

music and lyrics d'angelo

till it's done

music d'angelo, questlove, pino palladino
lyrics d'angelo, kendra foster

prayer

music and lyrics d'angelo

betray my heart

music and lyrics d'angelo

the door

music d'angelo
lyrics d'angelo and kendra foster

back in the future II

music and lyrics d'angelo

xxxxxpost I can't get all keyed up now I gotta go to bed and go to work and shut up that's why

quest also said that d'angelo spent a lot of time in between albums improving his guitar playing so a lot of the guitar on the album is him and not session guys

oh and

another life

music d'angelo, questlove
lyrics d'angelo, kendra foster

that cock-eyed groove on 'Prayer' is so killer. Has a west coast hh feel too it, Quik-esque claps coming in at the end, Dre-esque bells placed perfectly, that spooky sound that never leaves. Could probably spend a few full listens just trying dig my ears into these guitars too.

thx jord

ok I just got to "Really Love" and holy FUCK

wow, prayer

"another life" is making me wanna lay down naked on a grand piano rn

"betray my heart" started and i covered my face with my hands and started crying idk
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson)

Sugah Daddy sounds more like Left, Right which is wonderful but not earthshaking. Looking forward to contact with the stellar.
― a stupid red mute juggalo (forksclovetofu)

"another life" is making me wanna lay down naked on a grand piano rn

otm, see you there

prince made the second best prince album of 2014 go figure

Another Life is so enveloping.

Impossible not to grin like a motherfucker throughout "Betray My Heart"

yeah. coda on that one is too good.

oh man "Another Life" is too good, nobody was lying. this album feels so short!

I'm amazed at how disciplined it is - no wooly long-in-the-making vibes, just craft and attention and care.

I've been listening to the Sturgill Simpson album and was struck by how after two listens I was already bowled over and that pretty much never happens to me.
I don't think I've ever been so completely taken by EVERYTHING on an album on first listen before and this had every card stacked against it. really impressed.

if i was nitpicking, i'd like a version of really love for over and over replay use that has the first minute or so of the intro clipped.

just craft and attention and care.

ding ding ding

off a couple listens, my faves are "1,000 Deaths", "Really Love", "Sugah Daddy", "The Charade", "Another Life" in roughly that order. Only one I'm not so sure about is "The Door" but I have a hard time with whistling in general.

I had the same reaction to "The Door," but not because I don't like whistling. It just seems...unnecessary? I may grow to love it, though, who knows.

imo "the door" rules

imo everything rules

door has some vague pomplamoose vibes which i was able to relocate as SotTimes vibes a'la Starfish and Coffee and that helped

"Prayer" reminds me of "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker," which is the first song I ever really got into that purposely sounded like something was wrong with the tape during playback.

are you trying to get kicked out of the thread? (xp)

i dig that the door, sitting on the dock of the bay vibes imo

if i was nitpicking, i'd like a version of really love for over and over replay use that has the first minute or so of the intro clipped.

― a stupid red mute juggalo (forksclovetofu), Monday, December 15, 2014 12:53 AM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this opinion is wrong via facts

the concierto de aranjuez vibes of the intro are one of the best parts

I just heard "The Door" again during my second run through the album and I've gone from neutral to positive. This album is now a 12/12 slam dunk.

the concierto de aranjuez vibes of the intro are one of the best parts

anyways, if we can't unite as a board around this album we're all fucked so let's take quibbles with a grain o salt plz

this opinion is wrong via facts

― deej loaf (D-40), Sunday, December 14, 2014 11:11 PM Bookmark

word

omg this album

wow @ "prayer"

i ordered it from amazon. seems weird to have it here when its been expected for so long. not sure i actually want to listen to it yet. that corny saying, 'they aint ready', im actually not lol.

though from hearing sugar daddy, which is nice in a sort of dilla-makes-gangstarr's manifest'-meets-NOLA funk way, i think

questlove was maybe being just a tad hyperbolic when saying this album is 10 years ahead of the game...

I gotta report to jury duty in an hour; I worried that I'd have no new music. ARREST ME PLZ I'M NOT LEAVING THESE CHAMBERS

Mumbles strikes again

Another Life is like listening to, "Never Too Much, "Can't Hide Love", "Baby" from Prince's debut and something else I can't quite remember rn all at once. Incredible.

second half of the album is better than the first imo

1000 Deaths is completely batshit
Yeah this is the best, missed this guy's crazy mixing and fall-off-the-bone feel so much

Only a couple listens in a car so far but this is the most compelling argument for analog recording I've heard in years

Say they be wondering
About the shape I'm in
I hope it ain't my abdomen
You're referring to

ha!

this album really hits its stride with "sugah daddy" for me, it'll all take time to sink in - d'angelo reactions really can't be rushed - but the first couple of tracks made me think i'd perhaps downloaded some dodgy files

also...he and his lyrics are not as foregrounded as i'd thought they might be

"questlove was maybe being just a tad hyperbolic when saying this album is 10 years ahead of the game..."

he said that? lol

it's awesome nonetheless.

xp
He's retreated even further into his head voice over the years which I can't help but think is a bit of a shame

Yeah the first two tracks reminded me of the first time I heard "Amerykahn Promise", love that there's an avant streak off the top
The bell on "Prayer" >>>>>>

when i first heard "amerykahn promise" i was confounded in a brilliant way but on "1000 deaths" i thought perhaps two songs were playing at the same time

you've really never heard There's a Riot Goin' On, have you?

Yah that was my exact point of ref too

i haven't! xp

first song is a very weird opener. 1000 deaths would have been better to start it off. not very into the rockier parts of this. its all a bit dated sounding. his guitar playing is a bit iffy at times too. like aspirational eddie hazel. but it has 3 classic dangelo songs - really love, betray my heart and the door.

the demo for 1000 deaths was much more riot than this version.

xp It's one of the truly amazing albums out there although it may take a while to sink in. (It did for me, it's one of those you really have to learn to listen to on its own terms. Voodoo was the same actually.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJZHm5_i1vI

i'm listening to "there's a riot goin' on" now, i get the comparison but "1000 deaths" is just so much...messier

"prayer," tho

second half of the album is better than the first imo
--uxorious gazumping (monotony)

just now getting through listen #1 but I think I agree with this

I feel a little bad for Rip Van D'Angelo. I hope that someone told him that as much as folks wanted a new record, people don't actually pay for music anymore. Alternatively, I hope plenty of people pay for this, and he gets more than a pity charting.

damn, this album... at work tryna let this sink in, can't waittt to be home and blast this.

woke up with the chorus of Metallica's "Leper Messiah" in my head, except with "bow to the black messiah" of course.

"prayer," tho

― just a couple of assholes having breakfast (slothroprhymes), Monday, December 15, 2014 8:05 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

woke up with the chorus of Metallica's "Leper Messiah" in my head, except with "bow to the black messiah" of course.

I keep singing it to "bring on the black messiah" a la "Bring On the Dancing Horses."

I feel a little bad for Rip Van D'Angelo. I hope that someone told him that as much as folks wanted a new record, people don't actually pay for music anymore. Alternatively, I hope plenty of people pay for this, and he gets more than a pity charting.

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, December 15, 2014 8:41 AM (35 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's #2 on itunes behind Nicki. Not bad for a 14 year gap and 2 days of notice.

Yeah, but how many will it sell? I hope he doesn't land a number one with, like, 20k. Let alone number two with less. But yeah, it's a good question. 14 years later, exactly who is waiting for this? Anyone under 30? 35?

I kinda wish this album were released one song at a time, to give it all time to sink in.

1) Anyone know who plays/sings on this?
2) Anyone know what he's singing about? A few tracks in and the funky multi-track vox mud is thiiiiick

They'll be able to come out with some sort of deluxe physical/vinyl version whenever and sell plenty, I would think (the advantage of having a loyal 30+ following?).

xp

We've got the holidays, Josh!

having an older demographic is really one of the best things to have going on as far as album sales. it's why Adele outsold everybody.

i'm gonna go ahead and bet he ends up with the #1 album for the week and Nicki has to settle for #2.

Also, Adele was massively commercial and happy to please. This is tougher stuff, though so far it is exactly what I wanted (though not Reality of My Surroundings).

1) Anyone know who plays/sings on this?

from what was posted above, James Gadson is on drums for Sugah Daddy, and it sounds like ?uestlove on everything else, Pino on bass, and D on keys/guitar/all vox? but i'd love to see official credits.

i'm not saying he's gonna do Adele numbers. but he'll definitely do Frank Ocean numbers at least, which is plenty enough to be impressive in this sales climate and to make a big cultural impact.

the studio version of 'Sugah Daddy' is soooo nasty. after one listen that, 'Ain't That Easy', and 'Betray My Heart' are the instant gratification tracks, but i look forward to getting deep with everything else.

I could have sworn I heard a girl singing on one of the early tracks.

I keep humming 'Better pray for your sins / ca-use Black Messiah's coming' That one is a bit awkward, though.

This record sounds very different on headphones vs. speakers btw. Listened to it again on the train this morning and thought I was gonna have to revise my whole review (which I just turned in - it'll be on Stereogum within hours, I imagine). But ultimately I just felt like it was even more Riot than Reality, with maybe even some Pre-Millennium Tension thrown in.

Agreed on the headphones bit. Also: bits of rhythm and blues singalongs from the thirties and forties ("Back to the Future Pt II").

And "Betray My Heart," too. Plus the aforementioned boogie woogie piano in "Sugah Daddy."

"Prayer" has a perfect staggering home drunk from a party quality to it.

ah you're right Josh, from the Ebony review:

Drums come courtesy of Questlove—who co-writes three tracks—as well as James Gadson and Chris Dave. And though Black Messiah is credited to D’Angelo and the Vanguard, the band lineup is never expressly revealed. (In addition to three drummers, the record boasts five guitarists, including Jesse Johnson of the legendary Prince-affiliated outfit The Time, and D’Angelo himself.)

...

Q-Tip co-writes lyrics here (on “Sugah Daddy” too), as does singer-songwriter Kendra Foster, who contributes to eight Black Messiah tracks. She’s his Black Messiah foil, like Angie Stone in the days of his Brown Sugar debut.

His guitar work on "Betray My Heart" is stellar

Yeah, but how many will it sell? I hope he doesn't land a number one with, like, 20k. Let alone number two with less. But yeah, it's a good question. 14 years later, exactly who is waiting for this? Anyone under 30? 35?
--Josh in Chicago

*under-30 millennial in corner nervously raises hand*

I can't say I was exactly waiting for it the way some were bc I didn't ever expect it to happen. questlove's assurances had the feel of a guy covering for his friend.

but now it's here! and it builds on the promise of the first two records and legit positions him on the level of sly stone, Stevie and peak Isaac Hayes. it reminds me a lot of hot buttered soul, in fact.

there's a riot going on is about the only pt of comparison questlove made that makes any sense

i think they probably got very close to releasing an album several times over the years but the groundhog kept seeing his shadow. ?uest knew how much music they had ready to go, he just didn't have the say-so to give the final green light.

I don't think it builds on the promise of the first two at all, but it definitely does justice to the man, if not the wait.

ok, i'm gonna say it's Chris Dave on 'Prayer', that's the only one i wasn't sure about. gotta be.

heh he's not even sure: https://twitter.com/Chrisdaddydave/status/544468937841590273

lmao

engineer is tweeting some info

https://twitter.com/kanevibrations

definitely seeing the there's a riot goin on comparisons
which that being one of my fav albums of all time i'm pretty on board with this

"1000 deaths" reminds me of on the corner

xxpost -- thanks for that, that will be helpful!

The bell on "Prayer" >>>>>>

seriously!

"1000 deaths" reminds me of on the corner

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, December 15, 2014 9:56 AM (18 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah good call

thanks 2x! ok, James Gadson on Ain't That Easy, cool.

I think comparisons to "Riot" are both obvious and not entirely accurate. This album at least on first listen really doesn't have that same dark night of the soul (pun intended) quality, though it is murky. But again, need to hear the lyrics to get what and where he's at.

Or maybe if there is a "Riot" thing going on, it's tempered by all the same stuff that tempered "Voodoo," like dollops of Prince and whatnot.

i wonder if the current state of constant protest in response to murder of citizens was what pushed D to get this out the door finally? Did ?uesto use that as a crowbar, hence the title? Anybody know anything on that front?

When did the louder murmurings of an imminent album kick in? Certainly pre-Ferguson.

One of the gawker comments on Jordan's post there is something like "If I were a 16 year old girl, this would be a big deal."

A 16 year old girl was a 2 year old girl when Voodoo came out. I doubt a new D'Angelo album is high on a teenager's list of priorities.

wow the playing and arrangements on "Betray My Heart" are gorgeous

I def agree it's not totally like Riot, but some tracks have that kind murky, mid-rangey sound, a sorta thinned out rackety aspect that defines riot

[i]One of the gawker comments on Jordan's post there is something like "If I were a 16 year old girl, this would be a big deal."

A 16 year old girl was a 2 year old girl when Voodoo came out. I doubt a new D'Angelo album is high on a teenager's list of priorities.

― Mailkhimp (Johnny Fever), Monday, December 15, 2014 10:37 AM (28 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink{/i]

like is this really important either way?

itunes purchased... would've preferred the opportunity to get this on vinyl but eh can't wait, it is what it is

One of the gawker comments on Jordan's post there is something like "If I were a 16 year old girl, this would be a big deal."

ban gawker commenters

at some point I will listen to this album

it will be the first time I've ever listened to an entire D'Angelo album

I think dude is good but he's never been a go-to artist for me

I am really, really hoping for New Amerykah-esque vibes from this

the hype is making me want to never play it but I know curiosity will get the better of me at some point

Well, you have to concede, a 14 year gap between albums for a relatively major artist is a more natural hype spark than OMG, some person tweeted something they just found on bandcamp and it the best album of all time!

lots of really great, subtle guitar playing on this album

My Stereogum review is live.

having a hard time understanding ILM being into D'Angelo

how can you review an album after listening to it for less than a day? Needs at least a week in rotation.

sit a while, hit repeat, write some notes, stand up and walk around, sit some more, shape up the notes, hit spell-check

having a hard time understanding ILM being into D'Angelo

― Raccoon Tanuki, Monday, December 15, 2014 11:05 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah pretty confusing that ilx would be into the work of a critically acclaimed R&B singer, how mystifying

A 16 year old girl was a 2 year old girl when Voodoo came out. I doubt a new D'Angelo album is high on a teenager's list of priorities.

― Mailkhimp (Johnny Fever), Monday, December 15, 2014 11:37 AM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the 16 year old girl excited about this album is d'angelo's daughter

having a hard time understanding ILM being into D'Angelo

Imagine a place called I Love Music being into several, nay MANY, different kinds of music.

xp tru

ok i'm not passing judgement just looking around at most talked about other music on here surprised

listening to album I've been waiting 10 years for and 4 years snarking at. gonna take me a while to settle into it.

New D'Angelo totally overrated.

brainwasher pointed out to me & it's totally obvious now that he's said it that this stuff also kinda sounds like bilal's work of the last few years

The guitar playing on this album is totally what keeps pulling me deeper. Are there strings? Real horns? It's hard to tell for sure. But the jazz licks are for sure real, and they are great.

so much has changed in music since voodoo it was a product of its time that time happened to be a pinnacle sort of time for that sort of music to happen. Same with Saadiq Instant Vintage came out same kind of time that album couldn't exist now it's not that Saadiq or D have fallen off. Voodoo couldn't happen today, not possible. Brown Sugar is my personal favourite of his though but this album sounding like something so far. But half way through it's clear that his voice is more withdrawn than it's ever been.

yes but is it a true follow up to brown sugar is the burning question

lol

~alert~: music sounds different now than 14 years ago

*scales fall from eyes*

though markedly less so than during any 14 year period in the past

I didn't say anything about "music sounds different than 14 years ago"

Sounds decent after 1st listen though I'd put it has his 3rd best album

Of course you would.

Physical copies are on sale too. Crazy if this in record stores tomorrow and nobody knew it was coming.

His voice has suffered a little in the last 14 years

Doesn't have the groove or the confidence of Voodoo, doesn't have the melodies of Brown Sugar

Sugah daddy to Really Love is a powerful moment

He's channeling prince stronger than ever before

lol so is this going to upend year end lists or what

Prayer is ripping me apart rn

lol so is this going to upend year end lists or what

No war on drugs is still better

D'Angelo should have named this album "The War On Drugs."

The notion that this lacks for grooviness or confidence is a non-starter

I don't know what confidence sounds like

please. tell me what notes are played on this album.

Production more crowded than anything he's done (not in a bad way)

whole thing sounds busier than usual. His vocals aren't controlling and dictating the tracks like they usual do. But

Betray My Heart has some gorgeous gospel, though sounds like a Voodoo pre-sessional jam that didn't quite progress onto the level of a fledged voodoo track. Never the less beautiful.

Ooooh Check out those Delphonics late 60s soul licks on the last track Another Life!! Smooth azz track to end.

please. tell me what notes are played on this album.

― $80 is absurd and very ridiculous! (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, December 15, 2014 12:44 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it's mostly all Bs, Es, and C#s

The notion that this lacks for grooviness or confidence is a non-starter

― Simon H.,

twisting words my friend no one said it "lacks in groviness" (think you mean groove), just that doesn't have it of voodoo or brown sug, which are obvs a bit special in that deparment

Last track got D stuck on his Delphonics channel DIDNT I BLOW YOUR MIND?!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4lSjIl96Sc
Yessir.

please. tell me what notes are played on this album.

― $80 is absurd and very ridiculous! (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, December 15, 2014 12:44 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it's mostly all Bs, Es, and C#s

― you say tomato/i say imago (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, December 15, 2014 10:51 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ah, it is interesting that d'angelo chose to sharpen those Cs!

i dont disagree w/ tanuki that groove isn't quite as foregrounded here as it is in 'voodoo'

one big reason for that (obv) would be no dilla

please. tell me what notes are played on this album.

― $80 is absurd and very ridiculous! (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, December 15, 2014 12:44 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it's mostly all Bs, Es, and C#s

― you say tomato/i say imago (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, December 15, 2014 10:51 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ah, it is interesting that d'angelo chose to sharpen those Cs!

― $80 is absurd and very ridiculous! (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, December 15, 2014 12:54 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i feel like sharps are inherently a political statement

walking around listening to this on a shitty rain monday makes everything feel so good

like i wish the flowers & trees were all getting their groove on, lol

http://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/dancing-groot.gif?w=650

http://www.cnsolartoy.com/pic/small/_200912111352434155.gif

lol ty

crazy how guitar-heavy this is. not that he was ever a synth-focused guy but the lack of synthesizers/keys on a 2014 r&b album is p striking. and the guitar playing is amazing

bass on charade is so good

I think comparisons to "Riot" are both obvious and not entirely accurate. This album at least on first listen really doesn't have that same dark night of the soul (pun intended) quality, though it is murky. But again, need to hear the lyrics to get what and where he's at.

Or maybe if there is a "Riot" thing going on, it's tempered by all the same stuff that tempered "Voodoo," like dollops of Prince and whatnot.

I wasn't comparing the whole album, just "1000 Deaths" in particular.

At any rate DJP never hearing a D'angelo album is way more o___O than Lex never hearing Riot til now.

brainwasher pointed out to me & it's totally obvious now that he's said it that this stuff also kinda sounds like bilal's work of the last few years

I said this on twitter last night.

Lex never hearing Riot til now

lol why do you guys listen to lex's opinions

At any rate DJP never hearing a D'angelo album is way more o___O than Lex never hearing Riot til now.

― Dej & the Fommly Loaf (The Reverend), Monday, December 15, 2014 10:09 PM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there's a riot going on is about the only pt of comparison questlove made that makes any sense

― deej loaf (D-40), Monday, December 15, 2014 9:22 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

also i would argue that questlove was saying he'd gotten into beefheart, zappa, zep, etc. which i would say influence can play out in ways other than 'making music that sounds like the person who inspires you'

can we discuss how awesome the hand claps and drums on "The Charade" are?

Every detail about "The Charade" is awesome.

"Charade" is the early standout for me, but I could make a case for almost any song here.

I love the sequencing on this album; how it starts with the bleak, claustrophobic songs then brightens up. The compression loosens, the grooves get funkier; D'Angelo ditches the Bane from Batman voice and begins to sing in a more conventional falsetto. There's sort of a problem/solution structure here, and it makes what could've been a very daunting album ultimately feel very uplifting.

Production more crowded than anything he's done (not in a bad way)

whole thing sounds busier than usual. His vocals aren't controlling and dictating the tracks like they usual do.

This was exactly my first reaction, at least to the first few tracks. When Sugah Daddy hits it feels really open and spacious by contrast.

ooh Chris Dave replied to my tweet and confirmed that he's on 'Prayer' :)

charade is my favorite right now but ask me again in an hour, lol

its only the vocals that sound like riot, and 1000 deaths. every time someone does a weird/vaguely 'dark' soul record, riot is the standard comparison. in atmosphere, voodoo was much closer to riot than this one. i dont think it sounds that much like recent bilal as recent bilal has been all over the place (not in a bad way... bilal should actually get more attention than he does...). the second half of this is pretty fabulous.

Loving the hell out of "Back to the Future Part 1"

"The Door" has some kinda Paul McCartney-esque songwriting

i love the way The Door comes back in with a new groove

I hear shades of recent Bilal here, as well as shades of New Amerykah and maybe even Dwele's Some Kinda. But I think mood wise The Roots' Game Theory is a good comparison, too.

"the door" reminds me of the ukulele song off of Portishead's Third lol

"The Door" has some kinda Paul McCartney-esque songwriting

― you say tomato/i say imago (upper mississippi sh@kedown)

if you mean "Ram with the sheep dung and peat and weeds left in," yeah.

love the piano on Sugah Daddy so much

Walked into a record shop and bought this on cd earlier.

I hear shades of recent Bilal here, as well as shades of New Amerykah and maybe even Dwele's Some Kinda. But I think mood wise The Roots' Game Theory is a good comparison, too.
And bits of 'Like Water For Chocolate' and 'Electric Circus'.

On second run through now. "Prayer" and "Really Love" the early standouts for me.

from grantland's alex pappademas, who is usually not exactly this utterly wankery with his criticism:

I like wondering; I like building Chinese democracies in the clouds. And I mourn a little for the imaginary third D’Angelo records that never were.

Admit it: You were halfway ready for this to be some kind of transformational, cathartic brick, for him to reemerge with an incredibly competent bar-band blues album or some black–Scott Walker torture implement of a record — for him to try something, anything to move the conversation about him into a different room, out from under the royal portraits of Prince and Sly and Marvin and himself in the “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” video with abs shredded up like Crying Freeman’s. Who wouldn’t want to do that, under the circumstances? As much as I wanted this to be a great D’Angelo record, I wanted almost as badly for this to be D’Angelo pushing the whole idea of D’Angelo out to sea in a flaming canoe to kick off a confounding, Van Morrisonian third act that would involve playing a lot of jazz festivals with weird things pinned to his lapel. I wanted a mystifying D’Angelo record that would not come with the pressure to love it, one I might grow to love.

...did anyone else want any of these things, really? ban music critics.

There's sort of a problem/solution structure here

a la curtis, though this is more knotted

those things all sound terrible

xp

apologies if that should've gone in the worst writing ever thread

nah, i see what he means. this is basically a GREAT 3rd dangelo record (and one of my favourites this year, its made my day in fact), but not one that really merits the 15 year lay off. its an album that could very easily have followed voodoo in 2002 or thereabouts. if someone told me it was a lost album from 2002 i wouldnt be at all surprised. which is what makes it both great and a bit 'oh'.

at least bow i know who i'd like to push off in a flaming canoe

*now

some black–Scott Walker torture implement of a record
some black–Scott Walker torture implement of a record
some black–Scott Walker torture implement of a record
some black–Scott Walker torture implement of a record

like, for someone whos been going ON (or is that questlove) about the pressure to be a loverman, a soulman, a sex symbol, a demigod, this record doesnt really sound like someone trying to shirk those things! (which is maybe a very good thing, but it doesnt really explain the questions that have been raised since 2000)

its made my day in fact), but not one that really merits the 15 year lay off

tbf this is not the sort of thing an artist plans

needs more ticker tape

anyway, if you forget all the external stuff, its bloody good. he better release an album every year from here to 2020 though.

I'm not interested in albums explaining/answering "questions" about the artist

its only the vocals that sound like riot, and 1000 deaths. every time someone does a weird/vaguely 'dark' soul record, riot is the standard comparison. in atmosphere, voodoo was much closer to riot than this one. i dont think it sounds that much like recent bilal as recent bilal has been all over the place (not in a bad way... bilal should actually get more attention than he does...). the second half of this is pretty fabulous.

― StillAdvance, Monday, December 15, 2014 4:13 PM (33 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i dunno, bilal & riot both seem like pretty reasonable points of comparison to me. like, in what way is it not? i don't think it's THAT dark of a record, it's not the darkness that is of a piece w/ riot, more the graininess of the textures & the exultation of it

and it's that kind of deconstructed classicism that's in bilal records like "Sirens II"

the darkness of riot has always been way overstated to me. i blame it on greil marcus and wanting to project a shit load of stuff onto sly/riot than wasnt always warranted. sure, riot is kinda dark, but to me its always been more bittersweet, wry, sardonic, cynical than properly DARK. theres still humour in there... i.e. its not dance to the music, but its still SLY. yes hes drunk (id call it a drunken record before i would a dark one actually) and high. but he didnt turn into a nihilist. anyway, dangelo layers and mixes and arranges his vocals in a way bilal doesnt tend to (unless youre talking sally or fast lane). more recent bilal (iirc) has been more about him just being one of the greatest, most graceful, emotive singers of the last ten years. dangelo buries his voice in the songs, and he does it beautifully, but dangelo is a hider, in the tradition of hendrix, or lennon, bilal places his vocals where they would normally be expected to be. i dont hear black messiah being as broken or weird as nu amerykah.

the darkness of riot has always been way overstated to me. .... sure, riot is kinda dark, but to me its always been more bittersweet, wry, sardonic, cynical than properly DARK.

totally agree w this. it's not a Black Sabbath record.

the darkness of riot has always been way overstated to me. i blame it on greil marcus and wanting to project a shit load of stuff onto sly/riot than wasnt always warranted. sure, riot is kinda dark, but to me its always been more bittersweet, wry, sardonic, cynical than properly DARK. theres still humour in there... i.e. its not dance to the music, but its still SLY. yes hes drunk (id call it a drunken record before i would a dark one actually) and high. but he didnt turn into a nihilist. anyway, dangelo layers and mixes and arranges his vocals in a way bilal doesnt tend to (unless youre talking sally or fast lane). more recent bilal (iirc) has been more about him just being one of the greatest, most graceful, emotive singers of the last ten years. dangelo buries his voice in the songs, and he does it beautifully, but dangelo is a hider, in the tradition of hendrix, or lennon, bilal places his vocals where they would normally be expected to be. i dont hear black messiah being as broken or weird as nu amerykah.

― StillAdvance, Monday, December 15, 2014 4:57 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i have no idea who greil marcus is but riot is one of the darkest albums

Quite an album, I'm enjoying it greatly. More fond of the back half.

people WANT riot to be darker than it really is

as if music that isnt, simply isnt important otherwise

there are actually moments that are darker on a whole new thing, the first sly record, songs that are much deeper and far more angry

and yeah, my first reaction was TOTALLY bilal. I need to dive back into his stuff soon.

i think its kinda fucked up how bilal, despite releasing a steady string of albums, that havent always been worthy of his talent, gets about 1/10th of the love that dangelo get. but i realise this isnt the place for that. suppose hes just one 'weird' and 'dark' album away from having more people check for him!

i meant 'that havent always been worthy of his talent, but have still contained some seriously sublime moments'

nah, i see what he means. this is basically a GREAT 3rd dangeloMBV record (and one of my favourites this year, its made my day in fact), but not one that really merits the 1520 year lay off. its an album that could very easily have followed voodoo Loveless in 2002 or thereabouts. if someone told me it was a lost album from 2002 i wouldnt be at all surprised. which is what makes it both great and a bit 'oh'.

lol yes MBV is what i keep thinking of too. and i love that album, though for all that album's much hyped jungle-shoegaze (junglaze?) direction, which i think they did BRILLIANTLY btw, speaking as a jungle/D&B fan, you could substitute 1000 deaths as a premise for what black messiah might have been.... (and was supposed to have been, though i should know better than to trust questlove, whos like the least reliable commentator for any record he works on). i think MBV actually IS perfect, and 80% of BM is perfect too, but i just wonder how much of that tinkering really made a difference. shields and dangelo have some sort of OCD/hoarding issues they might need to work on.

The mbv record largely went in one ear and out the other for me, though I've never been a My Bloody Valentine disciple. I'm not historically a D'Angelo disciple either, but something about the timing of this record and the sound of it and not having any real expectations and then getting blown away makes Black Messiah SO much more important to me than mbv was.

i like MBV more than loveless, though thats prob cos i wasnt into loveless when it came out. i WAS very into voodoo when it came out (though badu's mamas gun is STILL the better album of the two), but i still think this new one is actually an improvement in several ways.

I'm already to declare this better than MBV, and I say this as a) someone who's a big MBV fan and loved that album, and b) someone who is new to D'Angelo. (When he was initially popular I wasn't into his style of music.)

i dunno if i can go that far, though i am digging this & still kinda figuring it out. Voodoo feels infintely more subtle and like, deft, or something—not inherently superior but a more interesting approach to me—here's there's definitely a letting the accidental contrasts happen of live musicianship going on, a less precise approach

i keep wondering if the fact prince released some new albums this year made dangelo finally give this thing in.

bilal's recent work is nowhere near this daring or expansive... and i LIKE bilal

I dunno, Prince has never really stopped releasing albums. Just for some reason people were paying attention to Prince this year.

xp Black Messiah probably more painstakingly crafted but i don't see how its that much more daring or expansive than "A Love Surreal"

skipped the part where people started talking about MBV but this isn't better than voodoo lol

viny's on sale now btw https://twitter.com/TheDangelo/status/544638668347281408

ah shit

well I wasn't gonna wait til February

given the emphasis on live musicianship it's crazy this album doesn't sound more conservative, the production and arrangements are super dense and detailed

Had a fair bit of time to tinker

well yeah

so happy the vinyl is not $45 like the new MBV

airtights revenge has some pretty unusual touches and interesting chords throughout, more than a love surreal actually.

True. My brain thinks Airtights Revenge is a lot older than it actually is for some reason.

love surreal feels WAY less weird to me than black messiah
bilal feels less funky than d to me these days as well
i like LS a great deal tho'

like bilal is more on the sananda matreiya tip; proggier

Proggier is definitely otm. Also I guess a lot of what makes A Love Surreal scan as weird to me is in how he uses his voice. Less tight and controlled than usual, almost eerie and haunting at times.

that's otm. i think of bilal as the spirit of jazz haunting r&b

Lol at the Grantland "I wish this were an imaginary shitty album instead of a good album that actually exists"

isnt he just saying he wished he'd gone for a diff paradigm instead of competing w/ his older work idk makes sense to me

i wish the d'angelo album wasnt a d'angelo album etc

kid d'a

voodoo is much better. but this is still super nice

I actually thought of Kid A while listening to this for the first time, with "1000 Deaths"/"Really Love" and "National Anthem"/"How to Disappear" as first-half tonal disparity twins

not even d'angelo can escape without a radiohead reference :(

sorry :(

well someone invoked Pomplamoose upthread so it can only get better, surely

I've always liked Voodoo, but some people itt obviously LOVE it to a degree I've never managed to reach. For me, Black Messiah pushes some buttons that Voodoo doesn't (noisier production, more devil in the details, etc). I can't fault someone who's loved Voodoo for the last 15 years for saying this isn't quite as good, but it's continuing to kick my ass all over the place.

1,000 Deaths sounds SO much better on my stereo at home. I was listening to it mostly in my car today which has a pretty shitty sound system and all I could hear was distorted bass, it just sounded like soup

so much better at home!

Loving the hell out of "Back to the Future Part 1"

― Tim F, Monday, December 15, 2014 5:14 PM (5 hours ago)

this song is so killer