scriptgirl said:

In D'd defense re Saadiq not working on BM, I have never heard a positive thing about Saadiq other than his musical talent. I have heard he is a straight up asshole.

[Edited 12/21/14 19:53pm]

I noticed SNL didn't have a musical guest listed for their January return featuring Kevin Hart.

Hmmm....

Militant said:

The same thing happened with Guns N' Roses, "Chinese Democracy", which was a MUCH stronger album than Black Messiah. Actually, I like it just as much as their debut album "Appetite For Destruction", which is widely considered one of the greatest records ever made.
Sadly, nobody was still talking about Chinese Democracy 12 months later. All the great reviews, all the buzz, all the strong initial sales were forgotten. And I don't think anybody will still be talking about Black Messiah in 12 months.

Oh, Militant, this paragraph...

I know that opinions can't be wrong, but, IN MY OPINION, you are pushing the boundaries of that truism with just about everything you've said here. Wow! The bolded stuff particularly blows my mind.

I deleted the entirety of Chinese Democracy upon first listen and don't remember ANY of it, which is fine with me, and I consider Appetite to be a classic.
I'll still like Black Messiah 14 years from now. I'm sure of it.

It's all good, though. If we all had the same opinions and loved the same things the world would be pretty boring.

^^ To be fair, it doesn't sound like you gave Chinese Democracy much of a chance. Most albums take more than one listen to appreciate.

I think you'll find that a lot of folks really dug Chinese. I consider it the best rock album of the 21st century by a landslide.

Having said that, I'm not sure why we are discussing the merits of Chinese Democracy in this thread. GNR and D'angelo couldn't be further apart if they tried, it's like comparing Barbara Steisand and Metallica.

[Edited 12/22/14 1:22am]

MattyJam said:

^^ To be fair, it doesn't sound like you gave Chinese Democracy much of a chance. Most albums take more than one listen to appreciate.

I think you'll find that a lot of folks really dug Chinese. I consider it the best rock album of the 21st century by a landslide.

Having said that, I'm not sure why we are discussing the merits of Chinese Democracy in this thread. GNR and D'angelo couldn't be further apart if they tried, it's like comparing Barbara Steisand and Metallica.

I didn't bring up CD, Militant did. That said, it's a fair comparison as both albums were long awaited, long promised, and repeatedly reworked by the artists in question.

As for giving CD a chance: I LOVE Appetite & Lies and like Illusion I&II & Spaghetti. I listened to CD one time and didn't hear anything I wanted to hear again. How much of a chance was I supposed to give it? If I liked some of it, I probably would have listened to it more, but I didn't so I cut my losses and moved on. Besides, it's not like the Guns N' Roses of CD is the same GNR of Appetite... same name, different band.

Whether or not "a lot of folks really dug Chinese" has no affect on me. I'm happy for you and them but other peoples opinions have zero affect on my own. I don't need validation.

djThunderfunk said:

MattyJam said:

^^ To be fair, it doesn't sound like you gave Chinese Democracy much of a chance. Most albums take more than one listen to appreciate.

I think you'll find that a lot of folks really dug Chinese. I consider it the best rock album of the 21st century by a landslide.

Having said that, I'm not sure why we are discussing the merits of Chinese Democracy in this thread. GNR and D'angelo couldn't be further apart if they tried, it's like comparing Barbara Steisand and Metallica.

I didn't bring up CD, Militant did. That said, it's a fair comparison as both albums were long awaited, long promised, and repeatedly reworked by the artists in question.

As for giving CD a chance: I LOVE Appetite & Lies and like Illusion I&II & Spaghetti. I listened to CD one time and didn't hear anything I wanted to hear again. How much of a chance was I supposed to give it? If I liked some of it, I probably would have listened to it more, but I didn't so I cut my losses and moved on. Besides, it's not like the Guns N' Roses of CD is the same GNR of Appetite... same name, different band.

Whether or not "a lot of folks really dug Chinese" has no affect on me. I'm happy for you and them but other peoples opinions have zero affect on my own. I don't need validation.

With regards to the whole "giving it a chance" thing... I don't know about you, but if I love an artist or a bands back catalogue, I don't expect to be blown away immediately by a new album. It always kind of makes me laugh when people dismiss albums from their favourite artists by sayiing something like "I only bothered listening to it once." Some of my favourite albums of all time I disliked on a first listen, but with repeated listens I grew to love them. If an artist/band has impressed you in the past, as a music fan don't you feel like you should at least give their latest work a couple of spins before deciding it's not for you?

Well, that's how I work anyway. Chinese Democracy in particular I grew to love more and more with repeated listens.

MattyJam said:

With regards to the whole "giving it a chance" thing... I don't know about you, but if I love an artist or a bands back catalogue, I don't expect to be blown away immediately by a new album. It always kind of makes me laugh when people dismiss albums from their favourite artists by sayiing something like "I only bothered listening to it once." Some of my favourite albums of all time I disliked on a first listen, but with repeated listens I grew to love them. If an artist/band has impressed you in the past, as a music fan don't you feel like you should at least give their latest work a couple of spins before deciding it's not for you?

Well, that's how I work anyway. Chinese Democracy in particular I grew to love more and more with repeated listens.

It wasn't about not being blown away, it was about not hearing anything interesting enough to grab my attention. And I'll say again, it wasn't the same band, it was one member of a band I liked. The original band had a chemistry that I just wasn't feeling from the new lineup.

Black Messiah sounds and feels like it's from the same artist that recorded Voodoo.

Chinese Democracy does not sound or feel like anything like Appetite For Destruction.

In my not-so-humble opinion, of course...

djThunderfunk said:

MattyJam said:

With regards to the whole "giving it a chance" thing... I don't know about you, but if I love an artist or a bands back catalogue, I don't expect to be blown away immediately by a new album. It always kind of makes me laugh when people dismiss albums from their favourite artists by sayiing something like "I only bothered listening to it once." Some of my favourite albums of all time I disliked on a first listen, but with repeated listens I grew to love them. If an artist/band has impressed you in the past, as a music fan don't you feel like you should at least give their latest work a couple of spins before deciding it's not for you?

Well, that's how I work anyway. Chinese Democracy in particular I grew to love more and more with repeated listens.

It wasn't about not being blown away, it was about not hearing anything interesting enough to grab my attention. And I'll say again, it wasn't the same band, it was one member of a band I liked. The original band had a chemistry that I just wasn't feeling from the new lineup.

Black Messiah sounds and feels like it's from the same artist that recorded Voodoo.

Chinese Democracy does not sound or feel like anything like Appetite For Destruction.

In my not-so-humble opinion, of course...

But GNR are more than just Appetite.

I agree with you that CD doesn't sound or feel like the same band that made AFD. But it does sound like the same band who made November Rain, Yesterdays, Civil War, Estranged etc. If you were a fan of those songs (all of which were Axl's babies) then I struggle to see how some of the stuff on CD doesn't sound like a progression of sorts. Songs like Street of Dreams, Catcher In The Rye and Madagsacar have a definite UYI feel to them imo.

[Edited 12/22/14 11:06am]

Finallu had a chance to delve into this album over the weekend- a couple of long flights and stewardesses that were generous with the cocktails.

With that said, this album's incredible, especially once your get to "Prayer". From that point on for the rest of the album, D'Angelo's in God-body realm...

Black Messiah just got SAVAGED by legendary jazz player Nicholas Payton.

Read the whole article. It's worth it.

http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/will-the-real-black-messiah-please-stand-up/

Took 14 years to make 12 songs. Had to sit through 11 of them to get to one classic. Not really funky, overall. Not worth the hold ups.

For all the hype Questlove made about how innovative and groundbreaking this album was supposed to be, I find it to be D’Angelo’s most derivative work to date. There’s nothing on the album that doesn’t sound like something else. In fact, Black Messiah sounds like a bad version of Bilal’s Love Surreal. I don’t remember folks giving this amount of love to Bilal when it was a far more creative effort than D’Angelo’s latest.

Dude had 14 years to make it, a crew of the best musicians and engineers, and limitless studio time and after all of the hullabaloo it’s not that funky. How many hungry Black mouths could be fed with the studio time he’s squandered over the past decade? Such a waste of resources. He needs to be held to a higher standard of excellence. I guess when you cock tease your fans for 14 years, the least effort makes them nut in their bloomers.

When we do get to the first tune with a funk feel in “Sugah Daddy,” the pulse is delivered in a cutesy and corny way. It’s almost like I can see Betty Boop doing Jazz Hands to this. I don’t get it. Why? D had one of the dopest pockets in the business. Let the unfunky people hide behind wack rhythms.

He’s been out of the album business for a while and Black Messiah sounds like it. A lot has happened in music since he’s drifted off the scene. All of us weren’t waiting for him. Many continue to evolve.

I get why a lot of y’all think Black Messiah is a masterpiece. It ain’t because it’s great or you love it. It’s because you need something to believe in. It’s not because this album makes you want to dance or make love, and if it does, I shudder to think what type of spastic tango it elicits. You’ve been mindfucked for over a decade that this record would change your life, and now that it’s here you don’t care how it sounds. You’ve been deprived for 14 years and brainwashed to think you’re having the best sex of your life, but when the hype dies down, all you’ll be left with is a bunch of crackers.

Militant said:

Black Messiah just got SAVAGED by legendary jazz player Nicholas Payton.

Read the whole article. It's worth it.

http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/will-the-real-black-messiah-please-stand-up/

Took 14 years to make 12 songs. Had to sit through 11 of them to get to one classic. Not really funky, overall. Not worth the hold ups.

For all the hype Questlove made about how innovative and groundbreaking this album was supposed to be, I find it to be D’Angelo’s most derivative work to date. There’s nothing on the album that doesn’t sound like something else. In fact, Black Messiah sounds like a bad version of Bilal’s Love Surreal. I don’t remember folks giving this amount of love to Bilal when it was a far more creative effort than D’Angelo’s latest.

Dude had 14 years to make it, a crew of the best musicians and engineers, and limitless studio time and after all of the hullabaloo it’s not that funky. How many hungry Black mouths could be fed with the studio time he’s squandered over the past decade? Such a waste of resources. He needs to be held to a higher standard of excellence. I guess when you cock tease your fans for 14 years, the least effort makes them nut in their bloomers.

When we do get to the first tune with a funk feel in “Sugah Daddy,” the pulse is delivered in a cutesy and corny way. It’s almost like I can see Betty Boop doing Jazz Hands to this. I don’t get it. Why? D had one of the dopest pockets in the business. Let the unfunky people hide behind wack rhythms.

He’s been out of the album business for a while and Black Messiah sounds like it. A lot has happened in music since he’s drifted off the scene. All of us weren’t waiting for him. Many continue to evolve.

I get why a lot of y’all think Black Messiah is a masterpiece. It ain’t because it’s great or you love it. It’s because you need something to believe in. It’s not because this album makes you want to dance or make love, and if it does, I shudder to think what type of spastic tango it elicits. You’ve been mindfucked for over a decade that this record would change your life, and now that it’s here you don’t care how it sounds. You’ve been deprived for 14 years and brainwashed to think you’re having the best sex of your life, but when the hype dies down, all you’ll be left with is a bunch of crackers.

Yeah, I read that. If I might be blunt, fuck him.

I've never minded if people don't share my musical tastes or opinions, everybody hears music differently, and I've been a member of this site long enough to know that even among fans of the same musician people can get extremely different things out of the music, and can find value in stuff that I would skip over every time, and dismiss stuff that I think is essential. That's cool, and it's part of the pleasure of sharing one's musical opinions with others. But please don't tell me that the only reason I like something is because I'm some deluded moron who's too stupid to realise how terrible my taste is. That's condescending bullshit, and a terrible arguement to boot. I honestly wouldn't mind if he totally rubbished every aspect of the album, if he didn't give his ridiculous reasoning for why it's receiving so much praise.

Shame he reveals himself to be such a colossal prick in that last paragraph, as honestly I think some of the stuff he had to say was really quite interesting, if occasionally objectional (that thing about how black people shouldn't play rock music is just some weird cultural imperialist rubbish, but whatever). It certainly is worth a read, but attempting to second guess other people's enjoyment of an album is dumb as fuck.

[Edited 12/22/14 12:31pm]

Militant said:

Black Messiah just got SAVAGED by legendary jazz player Nicholas Payton.

Read the whole article. It's worth it.

http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/will-the-real-black-messiah-please-stand-up/

Took 14 years to make 12 songs. Had to sit through 11 of them to get to one classic. Not really funky, overall. Not worth the hold ups.

For all the hype Questlove made about how innovative and groundbreaking this album was supposed to be, I find it to be D’Angelo’s most derivative work to date. There’s nothing on the album that doesn’t sound like something else. In fact, Black Messiah sounds like a bad version of Bilal’s Love Surreal. I don’t remember folks giving this amount of love to Bilal when it was a far more creative effort than D’Angelo’s latest.

Dude had 14 years to make it, a crew of the best musicians and engineers, and limitless studio time and after all of the hullabaloo it’s not that funky. How many hungry Black mouths could be fed with the studio time he’s squandered over the past decade? Such a waste of resources. He needs to be held to a higher standard of excellence. I guess when you cock tease your fans for 14 years, the least effort makes them nut in their bloomers.

When we do get to the first tune with a funk feel in “Sugah Daddy,” the pulse is delivered in a cutesy and corny way. It’s almost like I can see Betty Boop doing Jazz Hands to this. I don’t get it. Why? D had one of the dopest pockets in the business. Let the unfunky people hide behind wack rhythms.

He’s been out of the album business for a while and Black Messiah sounds like it. A lot has happened in music since he’s drifted off the scene. All of us weren’t waiting for him. Many continue to evolve.

I get why a lot of y’all think Black Messiah is a masterpiece. It ain’t because it’s great or you love it. It’s because you need something to believe in. It’s not because this album makes you want to dance or make love, and if it does, I shudder to think what type of spastic tango it elicits. You’ve been mindfucked for over a decade that this record would change your life, and now that it’s here you don’t care how it sounds. You’ve been deprived for 14 years and brainwashed to think you’re having the best sex of your life, but when the hype dies down, all you’ll be left with is a bunch of crackers.

Don't care how much of a legendary player this man is. He isn't exactly good with words, and is terrible at explaing why he thinks this album sucks. He is just emotional about his own personal opinion. Not very rational. Some musicians should stick to what they do best, play music.

Well, I've developed an appreciation for D'Angelo and his music through Black Messiah. So I haven't been waiting or anticipating anything - I listened to the album and evaluated it on its own merits.

I bought Voodoo years ago and never really got into it. I listened to it again yesterday and though it's grown on me now, I still prefer Black Messiah and consider it a better album.

There are definite sonic differences between the two. Black Messiah is deeper, murkier and more guitar-driven.

Militant said:

Militant said:

I get why a lot of y’all think Black Messiah is a masterpiece. It ain’t because it’s great or you love it. It’s because ... blah blah blah

i really don't care if someone doesn't dig music that i like... but only a pretentious wanker would try and tell me why i like it

babynoz said:

wonder505 said:

Finally had the chance to give Black Messiah a good listen and I must say its one of the best albums ive heard. Yes i cant understand some of what hes saying but thats the crazy thing it almost doesnt matter. it surprised me when i found myself loving at least 5 or 6 songs. If i need to bring Prince into this, its a much stronger cd than AOA but i still love AOA. AOA is a different vibe. Plus you know me, I feel after 30 years Prince has nothing to prove anymore. Also i think people take music too seriously. You cant force anyone to like a CD and cant force anyone to stop liking Prince or become this angry fan because you think a cd another artist releases is better than Prince. Sometimes i feel sorry for people on this board because music is supposed to be fun and some of you act miserable. I love Black Messiah and whoever dont like it oh well. With AoA, BM, Billy Idol's release its been a good year of music for me. My favs are 1000 deaths, prayer, really in love, another life, the door. Got these on repeat.

Have fun girl...and thanks for making your point without belittling anybody else's tastes....you classy!

Thanks. I could understand why folks would like or not like BM or even AOA, but i'm not going to get worked up about it.

[Edited 12/22/14 14:22pm]

Militant said:

Black Messiah just got SAVAGED by legendary jazz player Nicholas Payton.

Read the whole article. It's worth it.

http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/will-the-real-black-messiah-please-stand-up/

Took 14 years to make 12 songs. Had to sit through 11 of them to get to one classic. Not really funky, overall. Not worth the hold ups.

For all the hype Questlove made about how innovative and groundbreaking this album was supposed to be, I find it to be D’Angelo’s most derivative work to date. There’s nothing on the album that doesn’t sound like something else. In fact, Black Messiah sounds like a bad version of Bilal’s Love Surreal. I don’t remember folks giving this amount of love to Bilal when it was a far more creative effort than D’Angelo’s latest.

Dude had 14 years to make it, a crew of the best musicians and engineers, and limitless studio time and after all of the hullabaloo it’s not that funky. How many hungry Black mouths could be fed with the studio time he’s squandered over the past decade? Such a waste of resources. He needs to be held to a higher standard of excellence. I guess when you cock tease your fans for 14 years, the least effort makes them nut in their bloomers.

When we do get to the first tune with a funk feel in “Sugah Daddy,” the pulse is delivered in a cutesy and corny way. It’s almost like I can see Betty Boop doing Jazz Hands to this. I don’t get it. Why? D had one of the dopest pockets in the business. Let the unfunky people hide behind wack rhythms.

He’s been out of the album business for a while and Black Messiah sounds like it. A lot has happened in music since he’s drifted off the scene. All of us weren’t waiting for him. Many continue to evolve.

I get why a lot of y’all think Black Messiah is a masterpiece. It ain’t because it’s great or you love it. It’s because you need something to believe in. It’s not because this album makes you want to dance or make love, and if it does, I shudder to think what type of spastic tango it elicits. You’ve been mindfucked for over a decade that this record would change your life, and now that it’s here you don’t care how it sounds. You’ve been deprived for 14 years and brainwashed to think you’re having the best sex of your life, but when the hype dies down, all you’ll be left with is a bunch of crackers.

>

That's an interesting article.

I'll concede to the idea that this isn't a groundbreaking album. The way Quest was talking we were all going to hear something we hadn't heard before. Even D alluded to that in that sit down interview with Nelson George. So i can see all the detractors feeling, after fourteen long years and repeated promises of release dates, totally let down.

Is it one of the strongest R&B albums of the year though?

Yes.

RaspBerryGirlFriend said:

Militant said:

Black Messiah just got SAVAGED by legendary jazz player Nicholas Payton.

Read the whole article. It's worth it.

http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/will-the-real-black-messiah-please-stand-up/

Took 14 years to make 12 songs. Had to sit through 11 of them to get to one classic. Not really funky, overall. Not worth the hold ups.

For all the hype Questlove made about how innovative and groundbreaking this album was supposed to be, I find it to be D’Angelo’s most derivative work to date. There’s nothing on the album that doesn’t sound like something else. In fact, Black Messiah sounds like a bad version of Bilal’s Love Surreal. I don’t remember folks giving this amount of love to Bilal when it was a far more creative effort than D’Angelo’s latest.

Dude had 14 years to make it, a crew of the best musicians and engineers, and limitless studio time and after all of the hullabaloo it’s not that funky. How many hungry Black mouths could be fed with the studio time he’s squandered over the past decade? Such a waste of resources. He needs to be held to a higher standard of excellence. I guess when you cock tease your fans for 14 years, the least effort makes them nut in their bloomers.

When we do get to the first tune with a funk feel in “Sugah Daddy,” the pulse is delivered in a cutesy and corny way. It’s almost like I can see Betty Boop doing Jazz Hands to this. I don’t get it. Why? D had one of the dopest pockets in the business. Let the unfunky people hide behind wack rhythms.

He’s been out of the album business for a while and Black Messiah sounds like it. A lot has happened in music since he’s drifted off the scene. All of us weren’t waiting for him. Many continue to evolve.

I get why a lot of y’all think Black Messiah is a masterpiece. It ain’t because it’s great or you love it. It’s because you need something to believe in. It’s not because this album makes you want to dance or make love, and if it does, I shudder to think what type of spastic tango it elicits. You’ve been mindfucked for over a decade that this record would change your life, and now that it’s here you don’t care how it sounds. You’ve been deprived for 14 years and brainwashed to think you’re having the best sex of your life, but when the hype dies down, all you’ll be left with is a bunch of crackers.

These paragraphs were arrogant enough for me, thanks.

Militant said:

Black Messiah just got SAVAGED by legendary jazz player Nicholas Payton.

Read the whole article. It's worth it.

http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/will-the-real-black-messiah-please-stand-up/

Took 14 years to make 12 songs. Had to sit through 11 of them to get to one classic. Not really funky, overall. Not worth the hold ups.

For all the hype Questlove made about how innovative and groundbreaking this album was supposed to be, I find it to be D’Angelo’s most derivative work to date. There’s nothing on the album that doesn’t sound like something else. In fact, Black Messiah sounds like a bad version of Bilal’s Love Surreal. I don’t remember folks giving this amount of love to Bilal when it was a far more creative effort than D’Angelo’s latest.

Dude had 14 years to make it, a crew of the best musicians and engineers, and limitless studio time and after all of the hullabaloo it’s not that funky. How many hungry Black mouths could be fed with the studio time he’s squandered over the past decade? Such a waste of resources. He needs to be held to a higher standard of excellence. I guess when you cock tease your fans for 14 years, the least effort makes them nut in their bloomers.

When we do get to the first tune with a funk feel in “Sugah Daddy,” the pulse is delivered in a cutesy and corny way. It’s almost like I can see Betty Boop doing Jazz Hands to this. I don’t get it. Why? D had one of the dopest pockets in the business. Let the unfunky people hide behind wack rhythms.

He’s been out of the album business for a while and Black Messiah sounds like it. A lot has happened in music since he’s drifted off the scene. All of us weren’t waiting for him. Many continue to evolve.

I get why a lot of y’all think Black Messiah is a masterpiece. It ain’t because it’s great or you love it. It’s because you need something to believe in. It’s not because this album makes you want to dance or make love, and if it does, I shudder to think what type of spastic tango it elicits. You’ve been mindfucked for over a decade that this record would change your life, and now that it’s here you don’t care how it sounds. You’ve been deprived for 14 years and brainwashed to think you’re having the best sex of your life, but when the hype dies down, all you’ll be left with is a bunch of crackers.

Nick Payton is a great musician, but he is not "legendary". He's controversial because of his blog which I follow and happen to like. He has a lot of interesting and insightful blog interies on race relations in America. Everyone should read it.

I'm very close to the Jazz community and I know for a fact, many of the musicians LOVE this album. The album does have more of a rock edge to it, but just because it doesn't "swing" the way HE likes it, doesn't mean it's not dope. I'm sure he probably thinks AOA is shit too.

And it's funny how you leave out the part where he says 'Prince hasn't released a great album in 25 years and he's just a parody of himself.'

My friend Marcus Strickland, "legendary" sax player, posted this on his FB

"For those who think there's a complicated phenomenon behind why many love ‪#‎BlackMessiah‬ I offer a different thought pattern... Whether right after Voodoo or 15yrs down the road #BlackMessiah is simply great music. No gimmicks, no catch phrases, just greatness!!! Most of the music I love didn't generate my direct or immediate understanding of the lyrics either. James Brown, Busta Rhymes, Slum Village's Baatin, Hiatus Kaiyote's Nai Palm, Jose Gonzalez. Sheeeeit, in gospel music u usually have to know the song in order to discern the extra soul sauce thrown on top. I've always found that great music isn't about immediate literal communication, it's about the immediate and evolving feelings. It's great music, no question!"

Many, many, many listens on....this album is historic!! It just get's better and better and i hear new things each time. I haven't been this excited over an album for a long time.

D has school'd us all.

WetDream said:

Throwback, Voo Doo era

^He comes back in February looking like this?

^He comes back in February looking like this?

Militant said:

Black Messiah just got SAVAGED by legendary jazz player Nicholas Payton.

Read the whole article. It's worth it.

http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/will-the-real-black-messiah-please-stand-up/

Took 14 years to make 12 songs. Had to sit through 11 of them to get to one classic. Not really funky, overall. Not worth the hold ups.

For all the hype Questlove made about how innovative and groundbreaking this album was supposed to be, I find it to be D’Angelo’s most derivative work to date. There’s nothing on the album that doesn’t sound like something else. In fact, Black Messiah sounds like a bad version of Bilal’s Love Surreal. I don’t remember folks giving this amount of love to Bilal when it was a far more creative effort than D’Angelo’s latest.

Dude had 14 years to make it, a crew of the best musicians and engineers, and limitless studio time and after all of the hullabaloo it’s not that funky. How many hungry Black mouths could be fed with the studio time he’s squandered over the past decade? Such a waste of resources. He needs to be held to a higher standard of excellence. I guess when you cock tease your fans for 14 years, the least effort makes them nut in their bloomers.

When we do get to the first tune with a funk feel in “Sugah Daddy,” the pulse is delivered in a cutesy and corny way. It’s almost like I can see Betty Boop doing Jazz Hands to this. I don’t get it. Why? D had one of the dopest pockets in the business. Let the unfunky people hide behind wack rhythms.

He’s been out of the album business for a while and Black Messiah sounds like it. A lot has happened in music since he’s drifted off the scene. All of us weren’t waiting for him. Many continue to evolve.

I get why a lot of y’all think Black Messiah is a masterpiece. It ain’t because it’s great or you love it. It’s because you need something to believe in. It’s not because this album makes you want to dance or make love, and if it does, I shudder to think what type of spastic tango it elicits. You’ve been mindfucked for over a decade that this record would change your life, and now that it’s here you don’t care how it sounds. You’ve been deprived for 14 years and brainwashed to think you’re having the best sex of your life, but when the hype dies down, all you’ll be left with is a bunch of crackers.

Dude is in Love with his own opinion.

MattyJam said:

But GNR are more than just Appetite.

I agree with you that CD doesn't sound or feel like the same band that made AFD. But it does sound like the same band who made November Rain, Yesterdays, Civil War, Estranged etc. If you were a fan of those songs (all of which were Axl's babies) then I struggle to see how some of the stuff on CD doesn't sound like a progression of sorts. Songs like Street of Dreams, Catcher In The Rye and Madagsacar have a definite UYI feel to them imo.

Glad you like CD. Cool. Whatever. I did not. At all. Wasn't interested in giving it a chance to grow on me. Still not interested.

It's okay with me you don't like BM. I do. A lot.

It's good we're not all the same. Keeps the world interesting.

[Edited 12/22/14 20:58pm]

RaspBerryGirlFriend said:

Militant said:

Black Messiah just got SAVAGED by legendary jazz player Nicholas Payton.

Read the whole article. It's worth it.

http://nicholaspayton.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/will-the-real-black-messiah-please-stand-up/

Yeah, I read that. If I might be blunt, fuck him.

I've never minded if people don't share my musical tastes or opinions, everybody hears music differently, and I've been a member of this site long enough to know that even among fans of the same musician people can get extremely different things out of the music, and can find value in stuff that I would skip over every time, and dismiss stuff that I think is essential. That's cool, and it's part of the pleasure of sharing one's musical opinions with others. But please don't tell me that the only reason I like something is because I'm some deluded moron who's too stupid to realise how terrible my taste is. That's condescending bullshit, and a terrible arguement to boot. I honestly wouldn't mind if he totally rubbished every aspect of the album, if he didn't give his ridiculous reasoning for why it's receiving so much praise.

Shame he reveals himself to be such a colossal prick in that last paragraph, as honestly I think some of the stuff he had to say was really quite interesting, if occasionally objectional (that thing about how black people shouldn't play rock music is just some weird cultural imperialist rubbish, but whatever). It certainly is worth a read, but attempting to second guess other people's enjoyment of an album is dumb as fuck.

Yeah, he may be a legendary jazz player but his "review" shows him to also be a legendary ass and he shows that ass in that last paragraph.

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/12/why-dangelos-album-makes-you-want-to-have-sex.html?mid=facebook_vulture

D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s new album Black Messiah, released to the surprise of almost everyone a week ago, isn’t supposed to be about sex. Its release was bumped up, after all, in response to protests surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and other unarmed African-American men. And yet it is a very sexy album. Just listen to it. As Ava Tunnicliffe wrote in Nylon, “If there was only one word to describe the album, it would be sexy. In three words, it's really, really sexy.” This has become something of a consensus position since the album fell from the sexy, sexy heavens, at least if numerous tweets like this one are any indication:

But why is it a sexy album? It seems like a question designed to drain the very sexiness from the thing itself, but it can actually tell us some interesting things about the psychology of music and sex. So here are a few insights aboutBlack Messiah's, well, potent effects on its listeners.

Musical Spontaneity Is Sexy, and Black Messiah Has It

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According to Tony Lemieux, a researcher at Georgia State who studies the social psychology of music, part of the reason for Black Messiah’s sexiness is its mix of well-known R&B elements with some surprising flourishes. “There’s a familiarity about the sound and the music, and yet it does some kinds of surprising and unexpected things,” he said. On parts of “Really Love,” for example, someone is whispering enticingly in the background — presumably about something sexy, though for all the listener knows they could be reciting a recipe for pound cake. And on “Betray My Heart,” there are “aspects that mix up the rhythm a little bit that kind of draw you in, that cause you to listen a bit more closely.”

You do need some aspect of familiarity in pop music, explained Lemieux, and it’s not like Black Messiah isn’t operating within some well-established genres. But for songs to really deliver a visceral punch, there also have to be elements that cause people not just to bob their heads along, but to occasionally sit up straight and take notice.

Black Messiah Piggybacks on Past R&B Sexiness to Create Present-Day R&B Sexiness

Gordon Gallup Jr., an evolutionary psychologists at SUNY Albany who studies “embedded reproductive messages” in music, explained that lyrics are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a song's sexiness. Black Messiah’s lyrics aren’t all that sexy (with some notable exceptions, like “Sugah Daddy”), and it’s often hard to make them out anyway. “When you listen to it, a lot of the lyrics are unintelligible because they get masked by the instrumentation and/or the accent of the artist, and nonetheless people are profoundly affected,” said Gallup. “So what people are responding to are these nonverbal cues.”

In other words, when you hear sexy music, you feel sexy. It sounds circular, if not tautological, but that’s how psychological associations work: R&B songs do tend to have more explicitly sexual lyrics than other kinds of music, Gallup explained, so after years of hearing those sorts of songs, our brains are naturally attuned to think sexy thoughts when familiar R&B elements kick in, regardless of the song in question's lyrics.

We're Very Predisposed to See D'Angelo and His Music As Sexy

As Lemieux pointed out, when many people think of D’Angelo, they think of this famous video:

Theories of Black Messiah sexiness that don't come back to the artist himself, in other words, can only get us so far. “All of those things are certainly factoring in here, but I would definitely not discount the identity of the performer here and the associative networks that hearing him or seeing him brings up,” said Lemieux. “If you heard this and someone said ‘This is Joe Smith from Peoria,’ it’s not going to do the same thing.” Music and sexual attraction both rely on the brain’s ability to connect A to B to C — and you can’t always explain, in a reductive way, exactly why these connections take place, but once they form they can be rather formidable.

So in general, while sexy albums are usually mostly about sex, Black Messiah might be an exception partially because its singer had already carved out such a sexy niche for himself. The divide between what the album is about and listeners' visceral reaction to it is an interesting one, but for now the only appropriate response I can come up with is to queue it up again.

http://www.nylon.com/articles/dangelo-new-ablum-black-messiah

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d'angelo releases his first album in 14 years

it was worth the wait.

by: ava tunnicliffe

photo via facebook

December 18 2014

tags

When D’Angelo released his last album, in the year 2000, we lived in a very different time. J.Lo and Puffy Daddy were an item, and Juicy sweatpants were considered the height of fashion.

Jump forward 14 years: D’Angelo is back with a new album, Black Messiah. And he's proved that he's still as relevant as he was back when the '90s were only yesterday.

If there was only one word to describe the album, it would be sexy. In three words, it's really,really sexy. There is a sultry, let’s-get-it-on vibe to Black Messiah that is perfectly fitting for the '90s neo-soul sex symbol. His mumbling voice is as enchanting as ever, especially as he hits his high range on “Really Love.”

D’Angelo has been working on this 12-song album since 2005 with a little help from his friends. His Soulquarina bandmates Q-Tip and Kendra Foster contributed lyrics, while Questlove and Pino Palladrino played on the record. A highlight of the album is “Sugah Daddy,” which features one of Palladrino’s funky bass line—you can’t help but tap your foot along.

Black Messiah is more than just a collection of well-written songs—the album also makes a powerful statement. Inspired by the nationwide Ferguson protests, D’Angelo decided to fast-forward the release of Black Messiah, which was originally due to be out in 2015. The Questlove-produced song “The Charade” speaks blatantly to the recent backlash against police, with D’Angelo singing, “All we wanted was a chance to talk, ‘stead we only got outlined in chalk.”

Mark our words: This album is about to become the stuff of legends.