Vinyl pressing for the new album is available for pre-order. Shipments will be sent out on or around February 10th.

My only complaint. The album is 55 minutes, which would be okay if the sides were evened out like IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS TO HOLD US BACK, but it isn't. Side 1 is close to 25 minutes in length, Side 2 will be 31. While the 25 minute side is not what I'm bothered with, it's the 31 minute side. It's an analog album so it's meant to sound good, if not great. As I see the track listing, "Back to the Future (Part I)" will start off Side 2. Now, even if RCA Records made it the last song of Side 1 and made Side 2 begin with "Till It's Done (Tutu)", the time lengths would now be closed to reversed: Side 1 would end up being 30 minutes, Side 2 would be 26. I realize in terms of quality control, major labels don't care anymore so unless RCA is turning this into a 2LP/4-sided album, the sound quality will suffer just a notch.

I realize for most people it will be an "I don't care, I just have to have it on vinyl regardless of what you say" issue. I would prefer to wait until an audiophile company like MFSL or Audio Fidelity does it a bit properly, those of us who bought ENTER THE WU-TANG (36 CHAMBERS) knows what happened when we bought it and a song skipped on Side 1. Even when RCA allegedly "remastered" it, the skip was still there, which means they used the exact mother place or they somehow skipped at the exact spot as original pressings. If RCA was doing something Elvis related, it would sound superior over anyone else, but it's D'Angelo, so they expect for not too many people to care. Don't let RCA pull that to customers.

If it's not an issue, then by all means buy a copy or two. I look at it like this: NEW AMERYKAH PART 1 was 59 minutes, released by Universal as a double LP. NEW AMERYKAH PART 2 was 51 minutes, another double LP. As I write this, it doesn't seem like BLACK MESSIAH will be a double record, since they're acknowledging a specific "Side 1" and "Side 2". If I'm wrong, I am obviously talking out of my ass. I'm just giving out a warning.

JB

do you know if it will be a double?

(Edit: just saw your response. damnit).