D'Angelo - Black Messiah (2014)

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