17. "RE: top 5 d'angelo tracks" In response to Reply # 2
>one mo gin' (live in la)
THIS RIGHT HERE?! Maaan listen. D took a groove that's about 5 seconds on the studio version and stretched it out for like 5 minutes. Man. So glad to see this listed cause it's sick.
36. "damn, i need to hear this! who got a link?" In response to Reply # 17
>>one mo gin' (live in la) > >THIS RIGHT HERE?! Maaan listen. >D took a groove that's about 5 seconds on the studio version >and stretched it out for like 5 minutes. Man. >So glad to see this listed cause it's sick. >
11. "Hard to rank them because Black Messiah is too new. Every couple days I" In response to Reply # 0
have different favorite tracks from that album, gonna take some time to see what sticks with me. But I definitely think that 2 or maybe 3 of his top 5 songs are on the new album.
13. "RE: Black Messiah is too new - that's why I couldn't include any of the" In response to Reply # 11
songs in my top 5
If asked this question again in a year or two, I might feel differently abt the songs from 'BM'
But having said that, I love 'The Charade' 'Prayer' 'Back to the future 1' '1000 deaths' 'Another Life'
>have different favorite tracks from that album, gonna take >some time to see what sticks with me. But I definitely think >that 2 or maybe 3 of his top 5 songs are on the new album.
15. "RE: top 5 d'angelo tracks" In response to Reply # 0
5. Jonz in my Bones - I love the casualness of this song. The simplicity of the genre blend was dope as hell without sounding forced. 4. The Charade - When I watched his concert the first time, this was the one that stuck out immediately to me. The drums and percussion are perfect and the bass is subtly awesome. 3. Me and Those Dreamin Eyes - The harmonies and keys were marvelously done. I was in a bit of jazz phase and loved how this would fit next to some of the music I was listening to at the time. 2. The Root - I agree with whoever said that this song is quintessential D'Angelo. The backward guitar was a nice touch. Plus, I was going through a breakup around the time this album was out and I guess it made me feel the lyrics a lot more. 1. Brown Sugar - I feel sort of guilty picking this one. Kind of like Jonz in my bones, this seems mad casual but I'll be damn if ain't effective. Not really a ton of tricks per se but just a well produced, well-sung joint about a joint. Can't get much better than that!
Writing this made me realize just how much I loved the Brown Sugar album, even though Voodoo is by far my favorite. Albeit painfully short, can't really front on the quality of D's catalog.
Dreamin Eyes Brown Sugar Smooth Send It On Spanish Joint
(I think songs from 'Black Messiah' will appear on the list over time but I've lived with the others for such a long time, it's going to be hard to bump them.)
23. "Just realized none of them come from Voodoo" In response to Reply # 0 Thu Jan-15-15 07:30 AM by Boogie Stimuli
I love a good groove, but you gotta have an overall strong song to be in the top tier. Voodoo has Chicken Grease, Playa Playa, One Mo Gin, which groove and initially caught my ear, but ionno... none of the songs from that album stuck for me. I really tried to force one into my top 5 tho. Spanish Joint IS my cut, however.
1.) Me & Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine Everything in this joint hits on all cylinders. The drums, the way the bass chops on the 6 & 7 every few bars. The melody. If you're fronting on this song, I can't take you seriously.
1b.) 1000 Deaths This actually battles "Me & Those..." for the number 1 spot. FONK! People haven't jammed like this since the 70's man. That punchy bass that gets taken over the top with the synth at the chorus's end. ?uest gettin STOOPID on the drums. Guitars flippin out at the climax. And a Khalid Muhammad opening??? Son!
3.) When We Get By The way the bass rides, the piano. Perfect strolling song. Great vibes. You can tap dance to this shit in a musical or just sing it all silly to your girl.
4.) Smooth Very underrated D'angelo joint right here. Has that late 80s, early 90s contemporary feel to where it could be an Anita Baker or Will Downing song, but has a flavor and swing that makes it "cool"... really hard to explain why I dig this song so much. I'd actually love to hear Stevie Wonder sing this.
5.) Higher Deep soul, baby! Got that old gospel feel. Organ on deck and slave melodies coming through. Can't deny that.
26. "Yo - I listened to all three albums last night and agree RE: Voodoo." In response to Reply # 23
First of all I forgot how good Brown Sugar was - I used to wear that album out and I rarely listen to it now. But it sounded so fresh, and the songwriting was GREAT on that album. Voodoo was a huge step up in terms of production and musicianship (which makes sense, he did most of BS himself with a 4 track and the budget was WAY higher for Voodoo) and Voodoo has great grooves, but the songwriting isn't there.
Black Messiah's songwriting is MUCH better than Voodoo, and I didn't fully realize that until listening to the album while reading the lyrics. The songwriting is very much lyrically based on this album, and since you can't understand his words at first without the lyrics you can miss that connection. The thing is as soon as you do listen to it one time with the lyrics, you CAN understand everything he's saying, and the songwriting is better than I originally thought.
So if I was to redo a top 5 it would probably be all Brown Sugar and Black Messiah.
57. "Yo - I listened to all three albums last night and agree RE: Voodoo." In response to Reply # 26
>First of all I forgot how good Brown Sugar was - I used to >wear that album out and I rarely listen to it now. But it >sounded so fresh, and the songwriting was GREAT on that album.
This is pretty much how I felt when I listened back through his catalog. I remembered Brown Sugar being a really good album, but it sounds even better compared to his newer stuff to me.
>Voodoo was a huge step up in terms of production and >musicianship (which makes sense, he did most of BS himself >with a 4 track and the budget was WAY higher for Voodoo) and >Voodoo has great grooves, but the songwriting isn't there.
Word.
>Black Messiah's songwriting is MUCH better than Voodoo, and I >didn't fully realize that until listening to the album while >reading the lyrics. The songwriting is very much lyrically >based on this album, and since you can't understand his words >at first without the lyrics you can miss that connection. The >thing is as soon as you do listen to it one time with the >lyrics, you CAN understand everything he's saying, and the >songwriting is better than I originally thought.
I can vouch for this with 1000 Deaths, specifically. I do know what he's saying now that I've read the lyrics, and it actually makes the song even better.
>So if I was to redo a top 5 it would probably be all Brown >Sugar and Black Messiah.
25. "RE: top 5 d'angelo tracks" In response to Reply # 0
in no particular order...
1. The Root - probably the definitive D'Angelo song. *shrug* 2. Really Love ("you didn't hear this from me" & album version)- those guitars & that melody...SHIT. that bass walking is CRAZY. i'm kinda partial to the drums from the demo because it was so unique, but the album version is a stone cold groove. i'm SO happy they didn't scrap this song because it was leaked mad early. i could listen to that joint all day. and the strings. gotdammit, the strings. 3. Spanish Joint 4. Til It's Done - funky as hell. stutterstep shuffle, the off-tempo drumming, the keys...sick. 5. Another Life or 1000 Deaths, can't decide. the drums and bass line in 1000 Deaths ALONE make it rank high for me, but Another Life is a magnificent ass song.
as much i love Brown Sugar, not one of those songs would make this list. i think i played it out...lol.
32. "i was thinking the EXACT same thing" In response to Reply # 25
>1. The Root - probably the definitive D'Angelo song. >*shrug*
i totally agree. i think i even used the word "definitive" too haha.
to me, the prototype for "the root" was "jonz". he stated in "musician" magazine back in 96 that "jonz" was the last song done for "brown sugar" and that that was the direction he was going in the future. when i finally heard "the root," the lightbulb went on, like "oh, THAT'S what he was talking about!"
and now, i think "prayer" and "til it's done" that continue that vibe.
but yeah man, whenever i think of d'angelo's signature sound, i automatically think of "the root".
Lady Untitled The Root Spanish Joint Back to the Future (Pt. I)
Honorable mention: I Found My Smile Again, think that was the first ever D'Angelo track I heard, sounded so unique compared to everything else on the OST (Space Jam), amazing vocals & arrangement.
5. cruisin yes it's a cover. but d made it his own. to me this is the best/signature cut on brown sugar. that feel, those harmonies, those keys. pffff.
4. one mo'gin this voodoo track sums up what i loved abt brown sugar. but all growns up here. slow, organic funk reminiscent of sly. perfect raw and smooth vocals.
3. back to the future OR another life bttf is a fav of mine. that positive vibe, those strings, the vocal melody of the verses and that killer bridge. doesn't get old. another life is the better song, but the studio version is underwhelming after having heard this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZIWeJ9Q3g0
2. thousand deaths even though i expected more from this cut after hearing the demo, it still is awesome. i wouldn't be mad if d decides to do more of this stuff.
1. always in my hair again a cover, again he made his own. i wished d would've used this as the blueprint for james river.
44. "This Morgan James cover of Black Messiah..." In response to Reply # 0 Fri Jan-16-15 04:19 PM by Approaching
Had not heard of her. Do not usually like this sort of thing. But it's good - and it's revelatory to the strength of some of these songs. I'm sure there's more piggybacking tribute cover stuff like this in the months and years to come from other artists. But check it out and see if your perspective on the BM songs evolves...
From another perspective, this video also highlights how the album is such an essentially guitar album. The guitar layering is a sonic experience, but even boiled down to essentials, over half of these songs are guitar and vocal cores.
53. "props to that guitar player" In response to Reply # 44
When I saw it was just a vocalist and a guitarist, I wondered how dude would boil down such complicated and layered arrangements to one instrument... he's got a really good ear and a pretty sharp sense of approach (see some of the fills on Sugah Daddy, the way he semi-mimics the percussion on 1000 Deaths). And a lot of the stuff he hits dead on (the intro to Really Love).
Didn't watch the whole thing but at least skimmed a bit of each track just to hear what he did... might need to look his other stuff up.
50. "It's because it's new." In response to Reply # 49
The homie Monotone even said he didn't put Brown Sugar tracks in his top 5 because he played them out. That's means his top 5 are actually his 2nd tier tracks. The top 5 are the ones from Brown Sugar. It's one of those things that alotta Lessonheads do...downgrade the best/popular in favor of upgrading the lesser known okay stuff. Hmmmm... "okay"player... could be something there!
69. "whoa whoa whoa...that's a LOT of assumption. and it's false." In response to Reply # 50
>That's means his top 5 are actually his 2nd tier tracks. The >top 5 are the ones from Brown Sugar. >It's one of those things that alotta Lessonheads >do...downgrade the best/popular in favor >of upgrading the lesser known okay stuff. >Hmmmm... "okay"player... could be something there! > >Anyway, you get used to it.
>The homie Monotone even said he didn't put Brown Sugar tracks >in his top 5 because >he played them out. >That's means his top 5 are actually his 2nd tier tracks. The >top 5 are the ones from Brown Sugar. >It's one of those things that alotta Lessonheads >do...downgrade the best/popular in favor >of upgrading the lesser known okay stuff. >Hmmmm... "okay"player... could be something there! > >Anyway, you get used to it.
54. "RE: top 5 d'angelo tracks" In response to Reply # 0
Too many tracks to choose from...would take a while to put that list together. That said, "One Mo' Gin' live at universal amphitheater would definitely be there
82. "5???...I just can't say just 5..." In response to Reply # 0
The WHOLE "Brown Sugar" album, it just don't get any better than this and every song on the album is hittin' !!! "Voodoo" is pretty much the same in my world. Now, with the, "Black Messiah" album, I am still getting the know most of the songs and I play the cd damn-near everyday, but the track that really strikes my heart is, "Really Love". Everybody that I know that has heard this song loves it. "Me And Those Dreamy Eyes Of Mine" is playing in my head right now !!!
D'Angelo puts his heart and soul in his music and his music does shine!!! I am really looking forward to being in his presence, at his concert, LIVE!!! I am looking forward to hearing, "Really Love" all the way LIVE w/D'Angelo!!! I am feeling happy just talking about it...5 favorite tracks...It's just not enough !!!
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