January 2013

Photo credit: Jelledk91

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If anyone knows the latest on the near-reclusive R&B sage who goes by D'Angelo, it would be Roots' drummer and NYU professorambassador Questlove.

Lately, he's spent a great deal of his free time outside of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon laying down drum tracks for D'Angelo's perennially-anticipated follow up to 2000's classic LP, Voodoo. And according to Quest, not only is the album nearly finished, but it's sounding like an instant classic.

"I'm heading out to Asia right now praying that we're still on schedule for when we said we were going to turn that record in," Questlove told Billboard. "All last week, I was in the studio finishing (the album). We spent close to 18 hours, well not me personally because I have to go to 'Fallon,' but usually right after work. He's the only person that I'll actually go to the studio with and stay there to six in the morning, re-doing these drum parts. I won't even do that for my own band, but I'll do it for him. Right now, we're just tightening up the loose ends. But I still stand by, 99% of it is done."

Since it's 2000 release, Voodoo has been almost universally acclaimed -- a sprawling, effortlessly visionary work that sounded incredibly ahead of its time, yet brought D's many muses (Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Marvin Gaye, etc) into present-day context. Questlove's got similarly strong words to describe D'Angelo's long-brewing third album:

"I would not be far off by saying this is probably my generation's version of Sly (and the Family Stone's) 'There's a Riot Goin' On.' It's potent. It's funky. It's an extremely hard pill to swallow. He's one of those artists that have, of course, taken 13 years to follow up a record. It's going to take you about 10 years to digest this record. 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 thirty 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."

Since 2004, the music world has seen plenty of false alarms regarding D'Angelo's untitled third album, though Questlove is fairly certain it'll be submitted for review by February, setting up a potential release during the calendar year.

"If this record is not turned in by February, then something is extremely wrong. Because we worked to the bone in the entire month of January just to tighten up all the loose ends."

Last year, D'Angelo took part in a series of covers and jam sessions alongside The Roots and others Jun. 10 at Bonnaroo, marking his first U.S. performance in a decade. With the Roots, Quest has a pair of albums slated for a 2013 release: the band's 17th studio album and a just-announced collaborative effort with Elvis Costello.

We gonna need that (1%) ?uestlove, we gonna need it!!.

I'm willing to bet this 1 percent means another year or two for wait.

Finally, its only been forever.

LOL, bullshit.

99% won't do. I need an OFFICIAL album release date. And.that.is.all.

The least he could do is to preview or put out an EP in the interim. So lame.

"99% done"...

missfee said:

99% won't do. I need an OFFICIAL album release date. And.that.is.all.

Word up !!!! I can't even jump for joy, over this. I need a title, a single, and a release date. In that order, please. No more false alarm.

Questlove needs to stop praising him and let the music talk.

He also should learn about the mistake he made in the past, talking about 99% done is not going to help D'angelo release that record.

What's the 1%? The mastering? The photo shoot?

mjscarousal said:

I like Quest but as you said in a recent thread he always talking shit and he always trying to spread hype.

If Questlove was trying to hype Axl Rose when Chinese Democracy took 13 years to make he would have made some fans riot

P.S That guitar he has in the picture is FIREEEE

[Edited 1/23/13 11:13am]

I'm sure the album was supposed to be done when he did that tour, like, a year ago.

Militant said:

I'm sure the album was supposed to be done when he did that tour, like, a year ago.

THIS

Won't believe anything until I see it on the shelf.

A year ago it was 97% finished, now 99%? Following this logic this means the record will be finished in another half year, so we might still get a 2013 release...

I am a bit late to the party as I only found out this week about this song, but here is a live version of "The Charade", a new D'Angelo track sounding just like a Purple Rain or ATWIAD outtake!

I think it is absolutely awesome, beautiful synths, and some great guitar work by Jesse Johnson. D even looks like Prince here with his scarf (almost) half covering his eyes, and that female background singer with the Lisa / Jill Jones hairdo. If this song is a measure of things to come then I am very excited!

[Edited 1/23/13 12:23pm]

funkaholic1972 said:

A year ago it was 97% finished, now 99%? Following this logic this means the record will be finished in another half year, so we might still get a 2013 release...

I am a bit late to the party as I only found out this week about this song, but here is a live version of "The Charade", a new D'Angelo track sounding just like a Purple Rain or ATWIAD outtake!

I think it is absolutely awesome, beautiful synths, and some great guitar work by Jesse Johnson. D even looks like Prince here with his scarf (almost) half covering his eyes, and that female background singer with the Lisa / Jill Jones hairdo. If this song is a measure of things to come then I am very excited!

[Edited 1/23/13 12:23pm]

As long as he don't use them signature princey linn claps on his beats, the charade will be perfect. It works live with the claps. But the comparison between Prince and D'angelo would be much too annoying if he is using them on record. Voodoo had a super organic sound... something Prince sadly has had on very few records. Even though he has been experimenting with this on albums such as The Rainbow Children, it still doesn't have the down to earth groovy laidbackness of Voodoo. D'angelo managed to make the best Prince album Prince never made. It beats every album Prince did after SOTT imo.

But please don't use too much of signature Princey sounds! Only man that can do that now and get away with it is Dam Funk.

I know it will be worth the wait...D & ? are both Prince fanatics. It will have his influence all over it plus D's soul......I can't wait for it. Glad D has cleaned up his act.It was a touch & go for a long time..Its an "Act of God" that he is still here with us. That talent won't go to waste...

[img:$uid]http://pic80.picturetrail.com:80/VOL2084/9118410/23995995/400807201.jpg[/img:$uid].

Replica said:

funkaholic1972 said:

A year ago it was 97% finished, now 99%? Following this logic this means the record will be finished in another half year, so we might still get a 2013 release...

I am a bit late to the party as I only found out this week about this song, but here is a live version of "The Charade", a new D'Angelo track sounding just like a Purple Rain or ATWIAD outtake!

I think it is absolutely awesome, beautiful synths, and some great guitar work by Jesse Johnson. D even looks like Prince here with his scarf (almost) half covering his eyes, and that female background singer with the Lisa / Jill Jones hairdo. If this song is a measure of things to come then I am very excited!

[Edited 1/23/13 12:23pm]

As long as he don't use them signature princey linn claps on his beats, the charade will be perfect. It works live with the claps. But the comparison between Prince and D'angelo would be much too annoying if he is using them on record. Voodoo had a super organic sound... something Prince sadly has had on very few records. Even though he has been experimenting with this on albums such as The Rainbow Children, it still doesn't have the down to earth groovy laidbackness of Voodoo. D'angelo managed to make the best Prince album Prince never made. It beats every album Prince did after SOTT imo.

But please don't use too much of signature Princey sounds! Only man that can do that now and get away with it is Dam Funk.

I agree, using Linndrum on the actual record would maybe make it too obvious for most fansand critics. For me personally I wouldn't mind too much if he did to be honest, I am just a sucker for Linndrum beats!

Also agree that Voodoo is the best Prince album Prince never made. Beck's "Midnight Vultures" would be a close second...

Militant said:

I'm sure the album was supposed to be done when he did that tour, like, a year ago.

Damn it really was a year ago wasn't it? Time really flies.

1% = 2 years...................

missfee said:

Militant said:

I'm sure the album was supposed to be done when he did that tour, like, a year ago.

Damn it really was a year ago wasn't it? Time really flies.

Time flies when you're older. When you're young, time's slow. And it's been about 13 years since Voodoo. What does that tell you?

Timmy84 said:

missfee said:

Damn it really was a year ago wasn't it? Time really flies.

Time flies when you're older. When you're young, time's slow. And it's been about 13 years since Voodoo. What does that tell you?

That "D" put a spell on the music buying public.

with all due respect... to all involved. d needs no hype man... or hype for that matter. voodoo and bits of brown sugar still work for me. thank you. now just drop the shit sometime soon and let me find out about it a few months later (cody chesnutt ). whether i'm blown away with it will be my own problem (cody chesnutt).

purplepolitician said:

with all due respect... to all involved. d needs no hype man... or hype for that matter. voodoo and bits of brown sugar still work for me. thank you. now just drop the shit sometime soon and let me find out about it a few months later (cody chesnutt ). whether i'm blown away with it will be my own problem (cody chesnutt).

Ahmir definitely needs to let D breathe...

Timmy84 said:

purplepolitician said:

with all due respect... to all involved. d needs no hype man... or hype for that matter. voodoo and bits of brown sugar still work for me. thank you. now just drop the shit sometime soon and let me find out about it a few months later (cody chesnutt ). whether i'm blown away with it will be my own problem (cody chesnutt).

Ahmir definitely needs to let D breathe...

long as he's not breathing in other shit, i agree . and find a groupie or angie stone or