Dayum!

Put it this way. AOA and PE aren't gonna get much time in the car during 2015. This is FUCKIN NUTS.

Face melting nuts. P would be cracking out his cum face for this. 1,000 deaths, Sugah & betray my Heart. Just the best stuff I've heard in a loooong time.

Listened to it three times now, digging it and it keeps growing It is quite complex sonically and it is maybe somewhat marred by too many things going on (maybe that will change with more headphone listens) but my biggest gripe is that his vocal is too burried in the mix quite often...

Does anyone lese feel that Prayer has a 'She is always in my hair' vibe to it?

Stranger

So "alongside his band The Vanguard, which is made up of bassist Pino Palladino, guitarists Jesse Johnson and Isaiah Sharkey, keyboardist Cleo 'Pookie' Sample and John Blackwell on drums." This is the live band, is this who is playing on the album also? Is there a credit list?

breakbeat said:

Quest's answered some questions about the album over here on the okayplayer boards: http://board.okayplayer.c...&page=

Wow. I'm not sure I've been in disagreement more with something considered really good.

I would probably enjoy this album as an instrumental. D'angelo's "WD40-needin-voice" destroys these songs to me. I'd skip any of these songs as soon as I hear his voice for 20 seconds or more.

I'm glad I didn't just purchase this CD without listening.

He can wait 41 years to drop the next one.

getfunked said:

nd33 said:

getfunked said:

Quest's answered some questions about the album over here on the okayplayer boards: http://board.okayplayer.c...&page=

Oooh, he says to expect more new music in 2015 and that D is interested in releasing an extended edition!

And so the cycle begins anew......

after only 2 spins this has already grabbed me in FULL

fave so far is Betray My Heart, outstanding groove! I also really dig Really Love and Another Life. and very much "The Door" ! Sure, it's some old school singalong and changes heard many times before, but truly enjoyable to these ears

KingSausage said:

Graycap23 said:

14 years vs a few months................

I'll take Black Messiah over everything Prince has done for the last 14 years combined.

In the last 14 years Prince has released at least 3 albums worth of music better than anything on "Black Messiah"...

"Black Messiah" suffers from the same blandness that Janelle Monae's albums have;

- first listen, really good album
- second listen, notice too many misses and annoyances

- third listen, album has become stale

It's just disposable music on a disposable album and not worth 14 years of waiting...

After 14 years D'angelo still can't sing and his mumbling and squeeling schtick is old and tired...
Really good production and musicianship on the album though, got to give him that...

Neversin.

Neversin said:

KingSausage said:

Graycap23 said: I'll take Black Messiah over everything Prince has done for the last 14 years combined.

In the last 14 years Prince has released at least 3 albums worth of music better than anything on "Black Messiah"...

"Black Messiah" suffers from the same blandness that Janelle Monae's albums have;

- first listen, really good album
- second listen, notice too many misses and annoyances

- third listen, album has become stale

It's just disposable music on a disposable album and not worth 14 years of waiting...

After 14 years D'angelo still can't sing and his mumbling and squeeling schtick is old and tired...
Really good production and musicianship on the album though, got to give him that...

Neversin.

Lawd, SOOOO much disagreeance haha! To cut this short, I think the exact opposite about 1st/2nd/3rd listen and disposableness.

Janelle suffers from a bland vocal tone IMO.

D's vocal tone is mesmerizing and who gives a shit if the enunciation is hazy, when the voice sounds so compelling. He uses it like a masterful horn player. Brilliant musicianship!

Neversin said:

KingSausage said:

Graycap23 said: I'll take Black Messiah over everything Prince has done for the last 14 years combined.

In the last 14 years Prince has released at least 3 albums worth of music better than anything on "Black Messiah"...

"Black Messiah" suffers from the same blandness that Janelle Monae's albums have;

- first listen, really good album
- second listen, notice too many misses and annoyances

- third listen, album has become stale

It's just disposable music on a disposable album and not worth 14 years of waiting...

After 14 years D'angelo still can't sing and his mumbling and squeeling schtick is old and tired...
Really good production and musicianship on the album though, got to give him that...

Neversin.

Agreed with this.

I'd say there's 3 good songs on the D album. That's it.

Brothaman needs to learn to write a catchy melody, stop mumbling, and learn how to write a good chord progression.

Militant said:

Neversin said:

In the last 14 years Prince has released at least 3 albums worth of music better than anything on "Black Messiah"...

"Black Messiah" suffers from the same blandness that Janelle Monae's albums have;

- first listen, really good album
- second listen, notice too many misses and annoyances

- third listen, album has become stale

It's just disposable music on a disposable album and not worth 14 years of waiting...

After 14 years D'angelo still can't sing and his mumbling and squeeling schtick is old and tired...
Really good production and musicianship on the album though, got to give him that...

Neversin.

Agreed with this.

I'd say there's 3 good songs on the D album. That's it.

Brothaman needs to learn to write a catchy melody, stop mumbling, and learn how to write a good chord progression.

At least a handful of people are being realistic.

All is not lost.

Neversin said:

KingSausage said:

I'll take Black Messiah over everything Prince has done for the last 14 years combined.

In the last 14 years Prince has released at least 3 albums worth of music better than anything on "Black Messiah"...

"Black Messiah" suffers from the same blandness that Janelle Monae's albums have;

- first listen, really good album
- second listen, notice too many misses and annoyances

- third listen, album has become stale

It's just disposable music on a disposable album and not worth 14 years of waiting...

After 14 years D'angelo still can't sing and his mumbling and squeeling schtick is old and tired...
Really good production and musicianship on the album though, got to give him that...

Neversin.

Yep.

Graycap23 said:

Militant said:

Agreed with this.

I'd say there's 3 good songs on the D album. That's it.

Brothaman needs to learn to write a catchy melody, stop mumbling, and learn how to write a good chord progression.

At least a handful of people are being realistic.

All is not lost.

Sure, because if someone disagrees, they just don't know what they are saying.

Graycap23 said:

Scarfo said:

I got this album, and it's a thousand times better than anything Prince has released in over a decade! #Fact

[Edited 12/15/14 7:35am]

If Prince took 14 years 2 make an album................your head would EXPLODE when u heard it.

Then I'd rather wait

Neversin said:

KingSausage said:

Graycap23 said: I'll take Black Messiah over everything Prince has done for the last 14 years combined.

In the last 14 years Prince has released at least 3 albums worth of music better than anything on "Black Messiah"...

"Black Messiah" suffers from the same blandness that Janelle Monae's albums have;

- first listen, really good album
- second listen, notice too many misses and annoyances

- third listen, album has become stale

It's just disposable music on a disposable album and not worth 14 years of waiting...

After 14 years D'angelo still can't sing and his mumbling and squeeling schtick is old and tired...
Really good production and musicianship on the album though, got to give him that...

Neversin.

I imagine you've got a phd in soul and funk music for trying to force opinions on people like that

Zannaloaf said:

Graycap23 said:

If Prince took 14 years 2 make an album................your head would EXPLODE when u heard it.

Then I'd rather wait

No one forces u 2 listen or buy his music.

Phishanga said:

Graycap23 said:

At least a handful of people are being realistic.

All is not lost.

Sure, because if someone disagrees, they just don't know what they are saying.

It is all of a matter of opinion.

I dig the new cd a great deal, but the disses on Prince are weak at best.

[Edited 12/16/14 7:37am]

Neversin said:

KingSausage said:

Graycap23 said: I'll take Black Messiah over everything Prince has done for the last 14 years combined.

In the last 14 years Prince has released at least 3 albums worth of music better than anything on "Black Messiah"...

"Black Messiah" suffers from the same blandness that Janelle Monae's albums have;

- first listen, really good album
- second listen, notice too many misses and annoyances

- third listen, album has become stale

It's just disposable music on a disposable album and not worth 14 years of waiting...

After 14 years D'angelo still can't sing and his mumbling and squeeling schtick is old and tired...
Really good production and musicianship on the album though, got to give him that...

Neversin.

Funny- I still break out Archandroid. Great production and writing. Most underrated record of that year.
I won't mention which ones in your post I didnt listen to more than twice.

Graycap23 said:

Zannaloaf said:

Then I'd rather wait

No one forces u 2 listen or buy his music.

Never claimed they did.
I am simply staing I'd rather wait 14 years if the end result would be as good as what you stated in your post.

Zannaloaf said:

Graycap23 said:

No one forces u 2 listen or buy his music.

Never claimed they did.
I am simply staing I'd rather wait 14 years if the end result would be as good as what you stated in your post.

Lol............get some q-tips.

I have to hand it to the guy: 14 years away; all kinds of doubts about him swirling around; and he's swaggered in out of the blue and dropped an instant classic. I'm only on my first listen, and it's not the sort of album that opens itself up fully to the listener first time around, but it's already possible to hear that it's a solid piece of work with excellent musicianship. And as a soundtrack to our times, I think it's terrific. (I actually wonder if it was slated to come out now anyway, or if Ferguson and its aftermath supplied the additional kick that was needed to get it out into the public domain.)

I suppose my one hesitation is that, even taking his vocal and songwriting style as it is, and not trying to make him into a different artist (!), it feels like perhaps it could stand a little bit of opening up melodically and harmonically. I think that's there on Voodoo. Then again, that might just be something where subsequent listens reveals some of the subtleties, and you gradually get 'tuned in' to that 'micro' level. The grooves are outstanding, though. How many albums released this year sound so urgent and full of fire?

It's quality over quantity. I would rather wait 14 years for a great album than 14 years of shitty shit. But I guess that's just how I roll. If other folks prefer shit albums over a great one, then hey enjoy.

I can see this record getting 4½ - 5 star reviews from critics. I think I like it the most out of the albums he's put out so far, if only for the reason that it's heavier on the funk.

I agree with the criticism that the recordings could have more clarity to them. I understand that it's his artistic decision to have his stuff sound this way, but a lot of the cool and artsy stuff must go unnoticed by many of the listeners because it can easily become just stuff that plays in the background. I was a little disappointed in the studio version of "Charade", because there's all kinds of great things going on there, but he doesn't quite drive it all the way home on the album. Like, could you emphasize the hooks next time around and just let me enjoy the good stuff, right?

I do think there's some artistic progress there and that that it's not just a copy of "Brown Sugar" and "Voodoo". There are more synths and distorted guitars used throughout it. It's not so reliant on that loud rimshot sound to give it the signature D'Angelo sound as Voodoo was and that's a good thing. "1000 Deaths" doesn't really sound like his old stuff to me.

It's not really a "ladies' record" on the whole, is it? It's like he decided to do a record mostly for the guys this time around.

Graycap23 said:

Replica said:

It only matter because you know that. The music is still the same no matter how long it took. As much as I love Prince for being a multi talent, his album doesn't sound better just because he did alot of them all by himself in a short amount of time. Art should be judged for it is. If anything, people should spend MORE time on their music. Music is really lacking quality these days because of these auto pilot protools productions.

I love the new joint................I still would like 2 know what took so long.

A LOT of stuff went down and then some but I'm glad we all get to hear it finally.

It wasn't easy trying not to talk about it for months...

Styles said:

Graycap23 said:

I love the new joint................I still would like 2 know what took so long.

A LOT of stuff went down and then some but I'm glad we all get to hear it finally.

It wasn't easy trying not to talk about it for months...

U guys did a great job because..............BOOm it's here and at the stores.

Replica said:

Neversin said:

In the last 14 years Prince has released at least 3 albums worth of music better than anything on "Black Messiah"...

"Black Messiah" suffers from the same blandness that Janelle Monae's albums have;

- first listen, really good album
- second listen, notice too many misses and annoyances

- third listen, album has become stale

It's just disposable music on a disposable album and not worth 14 years of waiting...

After 14 years D'angelo still can't sing and his mumbling and squeeling schtick is old and tired...
Really good production and musicianship on the album though, got to give him that...

Neversin.

I imagine you've got a phd in soul and funk music for trying to force opinions on people like that

I'm not forcing anything, I have the right to voice whatever I want just like any other fucker in here...

You like the album? Good on you and enjoy it, I on the other hand prefer better music than this and just stated how I feel about this album...

Neversin.

I remember when I used to get this excited for new Prince albums.