When people were talking about Voodoo as some TARGO (possibly my GOAT album of all times)-shit, I ended up very underwhelmed due to the whole Dilla, "Look, there's an emphasis on the third beat on the second bar and then it's on the fourth" (yeah, but it's still a dull *pattern*)-dork shit not to mention the sleepy feel, the lack of memorable songs and a general lack ofm dynamics.

This is the album that record *should* have been based on the hype; sure, it's still pretty fucking far from sly and D'angelo is still not really a songwriter* outside of a few songs but still, this knocks. I don't think it's the best shit ever and I was disappointed in the rhythm-arrangement of "Another life" as explained in another post and "Sugah Daddy" and "Betray my heart" (another bad rhythm/riff-arrangement BTW; what sounds fresh for a minute or so ends up tedious-that approacch to the groove should NOT have been repeated throughout in a circular, repetitive manner but should instead have been brought in and out of the tune IMO and juxtaposed against other shit) sounds like they were mailed in and lazy as fuck but other wise, I have no complaints.

Also, while D'angelo might not be a songwriter (tm), he is a distinctive *melodicist* at this point. While the more melodically flowing lines still sound very Prince, it's all in the voice and texture. And the thing is that if you remove the voice and texture of D'angelo(tm) from many other songs (admittedly the less melodic ones), I think it still sounds very D'angelo. I have no proof of this except that if you would have played the vocal-melodies-no matter how minimal-back to me on a piano or something, I would say "They sound like they fit D'angelo". And if you played some other shit, I would not get that vibe so, yes, I think he has a sound; not JUST in arrangement and voice and harmony but in melody too-it might not be Stevie or Brian Wilson but it is... something.

So yeah, props, good shit, very satisfied after about 7 listenings or so now... I too find it hard to play something else but that may be based on me not playing anything remotely "groovy" for the past month or so but still...

*I don't like to bring up the concept of "songwriting" in the Lesson anymore since the likes of the damaja and denny made it synonymous with the sheet-music /"vocal-melody with chord progression-shit and others either just parroting or just using it to mean" music I like". In MY world, the *core* appeal of a song could just as well be found in a riff, bass-line, drum-pattern or above all, a combination. That may be a "wrong" way to define songwriting but I don't give a fuck; this is popular music you listen to, NOT Rodgers-Hammerstein sheet music.

That said, if you utilize a more "Jakob-aproved"/liberal definition of songwriting as meaning something that's a bit more dynamic over the course of a tune, maybe something ear-catching somewhere, anywhwhere that goes beyond texture and production, D'angelo still falls somewhat short, he's not a great IMO and note that both George Clinton and James Brown are GREAT songwriters by my definition.

Then again, who cares, I dug the Jesus Lizard in 90-92 (and today) and I dig D'angelo-it *sounds* dope and really, that's what matters, it's just the icing on the cake that's missing...