After purchasing D'Angelo last Tuesday, I listened to it....liked it...and knew I was going to pumping it for a great while (save new albums soon from Common, Blackalicious, and hopefully Jurassic 5). THEN, I listened to it all the way through in the car the other day. Just me, the CD, and the road. I was struck by the layers, and thick dialogue, and smoothed out tracks he had put together. It is truly better than I thought it was and it sounds better all together than just playing one cut (its eventual downfall on the charts). And like my brother said, this album can not compare to Brown Sugar because it is really his third album...he surpassed the point in his career where a second album would have come out and just went right to the third. That's why I think Devils Pie doesn't truly 'fit' on the album because it has some Brown Sugar feel. Luckily (or maybe not so unluckily) I sort of live in a vacuum with my music and really don't talk face to face too much with people who listen to this stuff, so I think I'll just be happy listening to it when I want. Waiting for the tour...<P>joemills