What would the tracklists be?

How much would you hurt from the songs he didn't officially release?

And what if it was still shit.

Something like this would blow D'angelo out the water...

Beginning Endlessly

Prelude 2 Muse

Muse 2 The Pharoah

Black Sweat

Call My Name

Colonized Mind

Future Baby Mama

Satisfied

Mellow

Ol' Skool Company

Somewhere Here On earth

Dreamer

Future Soul Song

Sticky Like Glue

Dandroppedadime said:

What's more amazing to me is that after fourteen years, every song on Black Messiah sounds the same, and each of those songs sound like outtakes of Voodoo or outtakes of Brown Sugar. It's difficult to say what a Prince album would be if he only released a record every fourteen years, but it's safe to say that every song on the album would not sound the same. And, I doubt that it would sound exactly like the other one did fourteen years ago.

[Edited 12/15/14 19:50pm]

1725topp said:

KingSausage said:

Dandroppedadime said:

Something like this would blow D'angelo out the water...

Beginning Endlessly

Prelude 2 Muse

Muse 2 The Pharoah

Black Sweat

Call My Name

Colonized Mind

Future Baby Mama

Satisfied

Mellow

Ol' Skool Company

Somewhere Here On earth

Dreamer

Future Soul Song

Sticky Like Glue

Nope. Black Messiah is better.

Too late in my day to give BM a listen--but I'm not wild about that tracklisting. I probably would only have one or two of those tracks if I made my own--which is exactly why I'm glad P didn't wait 14 years with no releases, because I know his choices in such a case would leave out things I like a lot. So, while I'm sure I'll enjoy Black Messiah when I do listen to it, I'm thankful that P went a different route. Glad everyone's digging D'Angelo, though.

KingSausage said:

1725topp said:

What's more amazing to me is that after fourteen years, every song on Black Messiah sounds the same, and each of those songs sound like outtakes of Voodoo or outtakes of Brown Sugar. It's difficult to say what a Prince album would be if he only released a record every fourteen years, but it's safe to say that not every song on the album would not sound the same. And, I doubt that it would sound exactly like the other one did fourteen years ago.

They don't come close to sounding the same. Come on. That's hyperbole. You can't tell Ain't That Easy from 1000 Deaths from The Charade from Really Love from Another Life etc? Really? Nonsense.

*

Nope...not hyperbole...I can't distinguish one song from the other. It's all the same D'Angelo one-trick pony routine. He writes two different types of songs with the same changes or progressions in the exact same spots. When Brown Sugar was released, I loved it. Then, came Voodoo, which was somewhat cool but sounded like outtakes of Brown Sugar. And, now, Black Messiah sounds like what was left on the cutting room floor. Maybe in another fourteen years he will finally write something that I've never heard by him. Until then, he's just a great talent with no real direction and no variety or diversity in his writing. At the core, D'Angelo is a R&B performer who tries to sprinkle funk and rock in his meal, but they are always sprinkled the same way and in the same amount. Not one time have I ever listened to a D'Angelo song and thought, "Damn, I didn't know you could do that" because it's never different. His pie chart is just too one-dimensional for my tastes.

1725topp said:

Then I probably wouldn't be a Prince fan.

If I was, I wouldn't be half as big as I am now.

KingSausage said:

1725topp said:

*

Nope...not hyperbole...I can't distinguish one song from the other. It's all the same D'Angelo one-trick pony routine. He writes two different types of songs with the same changes or progressions in the exact same spots. When Brown Sugar was released, I loved it. Then, came Voodoo, which was somewhat cool but sounded like outtakes of Brown Sugar. And, now, Black Messiah sounds like what was left on the cutting room floor. Maybe in another fourteen years he will finally write something that I've never heard by him. Until then, he's just a great talent with no real direction and no variety or diversity in his writing. At the core, D'Angelo is a R&B performer who tries to sprinkle funk and rock in his meal, but they are always sprinkled the same way and in the same amount. Not one time have I ever listened to a D'Angelo song and thought, "Damn, I didn't know you could do that" because it's never different. His pie chart is just too one-dimensional for my tastes.

Brown Sugar and Voodoo sound nothing alike. There's no way anyone reasonable could say Voodoo sounds like Brown Sugar outtakes. That's like saying The White Album sounds like Rubber Soul outtakes.

*

Voodoo is essentially the same drum and bass repetition throughout the album. While Brown Sugar is more musical, Voodoo works within the same drum and bass grooves as Brown Sugar but with less musical depth. So, while there are five songs from Voodoo I like, "Playa, Playa" and "Left & Right" are, essentially, parts one and two of the same songs. And while "Send it On," "One Mo' Gin," and "Untitled (How Does it Feel)" are somewhat different--I do like each of them, there is nothing about either that shows me any real growth from Brown Sugar other than showing that D'Angelo can write a strong ballad. Yet, comparing the songs I listed from Voodoo with "Brown Sugar," "Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine," "Shit, Damn, Muthafucker," "When We Get By," "Lady," and "Higher," Voodoo sounds like a step back or regression for D'Angelo. Ultimately, the songs on Voodoo have very little progression and seem to remain stuck in the fundamental grooves of Brown Sugar, making them seem, to me, as one dimensional retreads of Brown Sugar. I will concede that "Spanish Joint" may give us a glimpse of D'Angleo's mastery of fusion or jazz funk sensibility, taking "When We Get By" to another, more syncopated level, but funkier does not necessarily mean better. To that end, does either "Playa Playa" or "Left and Right" do anything that "Brown Sugar," "Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine," and "Shit, Damn, Muthafucker" haven't already done? As such, the best thing I can say about Voodoo is that it added the well-written slow jam to D'Angelo's resume, but that's about it. Don't get me wrong, I'll be listening to the songs that I listed from Voodoo again, but after two listens I can't think of one song from Black Messiah I want to hear again.

CharismaDove said:

Dandroppedadime said:

Something like this would blow D'angelo out the water...

Beginning Endlessly

Prelude 2 Muse

Muse 2 The Pharoah

Black Sweat

Call My Name

Colonized Mind

Future Baby Mama

Satisfied

Mellow

Ol' Skool Company

Somewhere Here On earth

Dreamer

Future Soul Song

Sticky Like Glue

And that list right there is the very reason that I'm so happy Prince has released a ton of stuff in the last 14 years. I wouldn't even be a fan if that was the album he was releasing. I like 5 of them.

Sade puts out a new album every 10 years and her fans don't seem to mind.They still go crazy whenever the record comes out

Prince's appeal at least since D&P has relied on the diversity of the genres he's tackled with his own approach. That approach relies heavily on also giving the listeners more material to choose from.

I really don't see D'Angelo as a versatile songwriter and the way he performs his songs doesn't make them stand out from each other too much. He generally has just 2 or 3 "moods" he goes for, and while many people like that, his output leaves you pretty cold if you don't click with what he's got to offer.

Many people have commented unfavourably on the "plastic" sound of Prince's productions from the last twenty years or so and that's absent pretty much altogether from D'Angelo's output. Listening to him is a lot like listening to a non-mainstream hiphop record (The Roots come to mind first, of course), because it's all about finding the right vibe that's "earthy" and "urban" at the same time - and sticking with it.

novabrkr said:

Prince's appeal at least since D&P has relied on the diversity of the genres he's tackled with his own approach. That approach relies heavily on also giving the listeners more material to choose from.

I really don't see D'Angelo as a versatile songwriter and the way he performs his songs doesn't make them stand out from each other too much. He generally has just 2 or 3 "moods" he goes for, and while many people like that, his output leaves you pretty cold if you don't click with what he's got to offer.

Many people have commented unfavourably on the "plastic" sound of Prince's productions from the last twenty years or so and that's absent pretty much altogether from D'Angelo's output. Listening to him is a lot like listening to a non-mainstream hiphop record (The Roots come to mind first, of course), because it's all about finding the right vibe that's "earthy" and "urban" at the same time - and sticking with it.

this is D in a nutshell. He goes to A to B very well. If you can get into that groove with him its very enjoyable but his abilities are limited to a few moods. Some people really dig that mood which is fine. I've enjoyed all 3 of his releases.

*

The 14 year absence just makes people who love that D mood all the more excited because its so rare.

I agree wholeheartedly; this new album sounds like Brown Sugar 2.

I can't comment on Voodoo because I didn't like Brown Sugar "1" enough to buy it.

D'Angelo's high-pitched, mumbling gets real old to me, real fast. And all of the songs, even on this, "Brown Sugar 2" have that very same underlying high-pitched, mumbling delivery.

I'm a fan of neo-soul, but I have enjoyed Erika Badu and Maxwell much more than D'Angelo.

Prince should be concerned about this album? Funny.

(FYI - I really do enjoy the music of the album, pretty much 100% neo-soul, aside from D'angelo's voice. This dude sounds like a chipmunk who just sucked in some helium.)

1725topp said:

What's more amazing to me is that after fourteen years, every song on Black Messiah sounds the same, and each of those songs sound like outtakes of Voodoo or outtakes of Brown Sugar. It's difficult to say what a Prince album would be if he only released a record every fourteen years, but it's safe to say that every song on the album would not sound the same. And, I doubt that it would sound exactly like the other one did fourteen years ago.

[Edited 12/15/14 19:50pm]

TheEnglishGent said:

Dandroppedadime said:

Something like this would blow D'angelo out the water...

Beginning Endlessly

Prelude 2 Muse

Muse 2 The Pharoah

Black Sweat

Call My Name

Colonized Mind

Future Baby Mama

Satisfied

Mellow

Ol' Skool Company

Somewhere Here On earth

Dreamer

Future Soul Song

Sticky Like Glue

And that list right there is the very reason that I'm so happy Prince has released a ton of stuff in the last 14 years. I wouldn't even be a fan if that was the album he was releasing. I like 5 of them.

This is it. We can never decide. I do wonder what would happen if he worked on some of his songs for longer though. What would a song like Da Bourgeouise sound like if he spent months perfecting the groove, and the delivery and the lyrics? Who knows... possibly terrible, possibly brilliant.

I was so excited to listen to the new D'Angelo release after some comments I read here and there.

And I end up quite disappointed. My expectations were too high.

D'Angelo has not managed to renew himself after all these years and so few releases. Always the same recipe. Heavy on drums and percussions and bass with tons of vocal layers and mumblings.

The guy has talent for sure but he is nowhere but absolutely nowhere near Sly, Stevie and Prince. And I really thought he had the potential years ago.

To me, it is the same work as on Brown Sugar and Voodoo. Sound slike a man desperate to sound as funky as Sly and weird as Prince but he fails big time.

Don't get me wrong. BM is not a bad album at all. But I really thought D was going to move on and to offer something new. Digesting the same recipe over three albums make it hard for my stomach.

jaawwnn said:

TheEnglishGent said:

And that list right there is the very reason that I'm so happy Prince has released a ton of stuff in the last 14 years. I wouldn't even be a fan if that was the album he was releasing. I like 5 of them.

This is it. We can never decide. I do wonder what would happen if he worked on some of his songs for longer though. What would a song like Da Bourgeouise sound like if he spent months perfecting the groove, and the delivery and the lyrics? Who knows... possibly terrible, possibly brilliant.

More cowbell and some lasers.

TheEnglishGent said:

jaawwnn said:

This is it. We can never decide. I do wonder what would happen if he worked on some of his songs for longer though. What would a song like Da Bourgeouise sound like if he spent months perfecting the groove, and the delivery and the lyrics? Who knows... possibly terrible, possibly brilliant.

More cowbell and some lasers.

MASTERPIECE DOT GIF

jaawwnn said:

TheEnglishGent said:

More cowbell and some lasers.

MASTERPIECE DOT GIF

If you leave it long enough you'll also get a guest rapper in there and some Jamie Lewis remixes.

I would hope that it'd essentially be something between 3121 and AOA

1. Extraloveable Reloaded
2. Lolita
3. Clouds
4. This Could Be Us
5. Insence & Candles
6. Love
7. Black Sweat
8. Call My Name
9. Dreamer
10. Crimson & Clover
11. The Breakdown
12. Better With Time
13. The Song of the Heart
14. That Girl Thang
15. F.U.N.K.
16. Guitar (Obligatory iTunes Bonus Track)
17. Laydown (Obligatory Prince site bonus track)

[Edited 12/16/14 11:00am]

If Prince released an album once every 14 years he'd be irrelevent! Get what I'm saying, D'Angelo!

TheEnglishGent said:

KingSausage said:

TheEnglishGent said:

If you leave it long enough you'll also get a guest rapper in there and some Jamie Lewis remixes.

Hahaha This assumption that Prince taking more time to hone a release would blow is away is fucking laughable. The guy can't stop tinkering with shit as it is.

He doesn't need 2.

The Ex's Face would do the job.

If Prince had relased BM after 14 years, half of the org would say it's terrible - ("where's the song writing"/"what's up with the mumbling"/"bad mixing"). The other half would say the album is great, but only thanks to input by ?love/Jesse Johnson/etc ("they probably wrote the whole album") or having Alan Leeds on board telling Prince straight etc.

paulludvig said:

If Prince had relased BM after 14 years, half of the org would say it's terrible - ("where's the song writing"/"what's up with the mumbling"/"bad mixing"). The other half would say the album is great, but only thanks to input by ?love/Jesse Johnson/etc ("they probably wrote the whole album") or having Alan Leeds on board telling Prince straight etc.

Yep.