KingSausage said:

duccichucka said:

From a mixing and production vantage point, you need to raise your standards if Black Messiah is
a "sonic Bible" for you.

The production sounds like it was rushed (we now know that the album itself was rushed) and al-
though he used analog recording devices/techniques, the result was a totally muddied affair.

Now, if you are purposefully producing opaquely and not aiming for clarity, then yes, maybe you're
better off with Black Messiah as a benchmark.

Given the many, MANY accolades I see online to the quality of the recording, mixing, production, etc on Black Messiah, your opinion is in the extreme minority.

I don't mind being in the minority.

For example, off the top of my head, the levels for the first tune change throughout the song;
some parts are louder/softer than other parts. The mixing is a straight up mess and the pro-
duction is muddied. And the vocal production, which was used to a masterful effect on Voodoo
is buried in Black Messiah.

There is much to be desired with this album. However, all of this is moot if the final product, i.e.
the muddied production, buried vocals, uneven mixing was intended to make some sort of artistic
statement (which could certainly be the case).

MoBettaBliss said:

duccichucka said:

From a mixing and production vantage point, you need to raise your standards if Black Messiah is
a "sonic Bible" for you.

The production sounds like it was rushed (we now know that the album itself was rushed) and al-
though he used analog recording devices/techniques, the result was a totally muddied affair.

Now, if you are purposefully producing opaquely and not aiming for clarity, then yes, maybe you're
better off with Black Messiah as a benchmark.

one man's 'clarity' is another man's stale, lifeless, sterile, run of the mill drivel

these mixes are alive to me... i think the album sounds incredible


.

[Edited 1/19/15 11:20am]

Can you give us an example of how/why the mix and production are incredible?

Maybe I'm missing something!

I was going to say the same as you-

I opted to not comment..

BM might be the Last album on earth that i'd use as a reference for 'good mixes'.

I suggest you check out any of Quincy Jones' mid 70's - early 80's productions

& possibly AJA by Steely dan.

duccichucka said:

MoBettaBliss said:

one man's 'clarity' is another man's stale, lifeless, sterile, run of the mill drivel

these mixes are alive to me... i think the album sounds incredible


.

[Edited 1/19/15 11:20am]

Can you give us an example of how/why the mix and production are incredible?

Maybe I'm missing something!

Like D's keyboard set up!

[img:$uid]http://pic80.picturetrail.com:80/VOL2084/9118410/23995995/410711600.jpg[/img:$uid]

[Edited 1/20/15 9:06am]

[img:$uid]http://pic80.picturetrail.com:80/VOL2084/9118410/23995995/410711690.jpg[/img:$uid]

[Edited 1/20/15 9:15am]

The images you posted can't be seen.

D will be on Saturday Nght Live on Jan 31!!!!!!!!!!

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Like D's keyboard set up!

[img:$uid]http://pic80.picturetrail.com:80/VOL2084/9118410/23995995/410711600.jpg[/img:$uid]

[Edited 1/20/15 9:06am]

Looks like a Roland and a Kronos.

scriptgirl said:

D will be on Saturday Nght Live on Jan 31!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the news , SG!

Identity, my pleasure.

Kool, where did you get those pics?

It's D in the studio courtesy of @SteveMandel......

I would love a recording of this album live...so that I can clearly hear D'Angelo's voice and the lyrics.

scriptgirl said:

D will be on Saturday Nght Live on Jan 31!!!!!!!!!!

Wow. This will be the first time in years that I try to stay awake to catch the musical guest
artist on SNL.

I didn't give two craps about Prince's recent foray.

duccichucka said:

MoBettaBliss said:

one man's 'clarity' is another man's stale, lifeless, sterile, run of the mill drivel

these mixes are alive to me... i think the album sounds incredible


.

[Edited 1/19/15 11:20am]

Can you give us an example of how/why the mix and production are incredible?

Maybe I'm missing something!

i'm not going to try to convince you to dig the sound of this album... if you're not feeling it, cool

for me, i love that it sounds thick and dense... not thin and hifi (if you know what i mean)... it's like a lot of coloured gear has been used... like if someone prefers the tone of a neve 1073 preamp to a grace... it's whatever floats your boat

i love that the mixes sound alive... like they're moving

i love the use of reverb and delay too

but i don't like this album due to the mixing alone... the musicianship and arrangements are stellar

as KingSausage said.. i'm not alone in my thoughts




.

[Edited 1/20/15 21:00pm]

Nice! thanks..

scriptgirl said:

D will be on Saturday Nght Live on Jan 31!!!!!!!!!!

Black Messiah’ Engineer Ben Kane Talks D’Angelo, Music Industry Blues, Etc.

January 2015

Read here.

Identity said:

Black Messiah’ Engineer Ben Kane Talks D’Angelo, Music Industry Blues, Etc.

January 2015

Read here.

I need that Chris Dave joint.................yesterday.

- On “1000 Deaths” Everything is D, except drums:What do you think? Just bout everything on this track played by D’Angelo, but Questlove’s killin’ drums which we recorded within the last 3 years at MSR. Especially those filthy bass riffs. All D! He can slay the bass.- Ben Kane

http://www.okayplayer.com...eds.html/2

DAMN! D is really funky on the bass.

i cant find the interpretations:remakes CD on amazon....is it official?

IMO Nothing about this song is funky!

nuttynutmeg said:

- On “1000 Deaths” Everything is D, except drums:What do you think? Just bout everything on this track played by D’Angelo, but Questlove’s killin’ drums which we recorded within the last 3 years at MSR. Especially those filthy bass riffs. All D! He can slay the bass.- Ben Kane

http://www.okayplayer.com...eds.html/2

DAMN! D is really funky on the bass.

Ego101 said:

Ego101 said:

IMO Nothing about this song is funky!

nuttynutmeg said:

- On “1000 Deaths” Everything is D, except drums:What do you think? Just bout everything on this track played by D’Angelo, but Questlove’s killin’ drums which we recorded within the last 3 years at MSR. Especially those filthy bass riffs. All D! He can slay the bass.- Ben Kane

http://www.okayplayer.com...eds.html/2

DAMN! D is really funky on the bass.

it would be interesting to isolate the bass groove and see what you thought then

MoBettaBliss said:

duccichucka said:

Can you give us an example of how/why the mix and production are incredible?

Maybe I'm missing something!

i'm not going to try to convince you to dig the sound of this album... if you're not feeling it, cool

for me, i love that it sounds thick and dense... not thin and hifi (if you know what i mean)... it's like a lot of coloured gear has been used... like if someone prefers the tone of a neve 1073 preamp to a grace... it's whatever floats your boat

i love that the mixes sound alive... like they're moving

i love the use of reverb and delay too

but i don't like this album due to the mixing alone... the musicianship and arrangements are stellar

as KingSausage said.. i'm not alone in my thoughts




.

[Edited 1/20/15 21:00pm]

I completely agree with you, MoBetterBliss! The album almost sounds like it could have been recorded in the seventies, which I think is a great thing.

I do also love Quincy Jones and Steely Dan (gary katz) productions though!

MoBettaBliss said:

Ego101 said:

IMO Nothing about this song is funky!

it would be interesting to isolate the bass groove and see what you thought then

So? Are you suggesting that you need to have the technicalities of Stanley Clarke or Louis Johnson to be funky on bass?

In an interview during the Rave era, Prince once said to a reporter somewhere along the lines of "if you try to solo Lenny Kravitz's drums track on Are You Gonna Go My Way, he's not that great on drums, but he's funky."

nuttynutmeg said:

MoBettaBliss said:

it would be interesting to isolate the bass groove and see what you thought then

So? Are you suggesting that you need to have the technicalities of Stanley Clarke or Louis Johnson to be funky on bass?

In an interview during the Rave era, Prince once said to a reporter somewhere along the lines of "if you try to solo Lenny Kravitz's drums track on Are You Gonna Go My Way, he's not that great on drums, but he's funky."

ummm... i was responding to Ego101 saying nothing about the song is funky

my point was that i bet if you were to solo the bass track, my guess is you'd be saying 'damn that shit's funky'

.

[Edited 1/24/15 1:20am]

MoBettaBliss said:

nuttynutmeg said:

So? Are you suggesting that you need to have the technicalities of Stanley Clarke or Louis Johnson to be funky on bass?

In an interview during the Rave era, Prince once said to a reporter somewhere along the lines of "if you try to solo Lenny Kravitz's drums track on Are You Gonna Go My Way, he's not that great on drums, but he's funky."

ummm... i was responding to Ego101 saying nothing about the song is funky

my point was that i bet if you were to solo the bass track, my guess is you'd be saying 'damn that shit's funky'

.

[Edited 1/24/15 1:20am]

Oops..sorry! My bad!

1000 Deaths snippet from the last Vanguard rehearsal http://instagram.com/p/yRmLqGmaL4/

wathana said:

1000 Deaths snippet from the last Vanguard rehearsal http://instagram.com/p/yRmLqGmaL4/

Wow, is he really gonna play 1000 Deaths on SNL?

[Edited 1/25/15 9:44am]

nuttynutmeg said:

wathana said:

1000 Deaths snippet from the last Vanguard rehearsal http://instagram.com/p/yRmLqGmaL4/

Wow, is he really gonna play 1000 Deaths on SNL?

[Edited 1/25/15 9:44am]

I love how D is so anti sellout when it comes to his style on this record, and yet he manages to get so much hype and love. This is great for music as a whole.