After listening to this album-which I dig a lot; MUCH better than VoodoO imo-4 times thus far, his criticisms sound somewhat stupid even if he's admittedly consistent and cant be beaten true to the dorky music-school student he is...

First of all, it's true that the more "grovy" tunes generally stick to the 8th note shit he is talking about (well, "Prayer" threw me off-that's twisted approach to rhythm a jazz-musician *SHOULD* appreciate on sheer principle; then again, perhaps not a square like Payton who praise CTI...), the songs with more "rocky" rhythms sure as fuck don't; "1000 deaths" doesn't exactly have that 8th note east-coast boom-bap feel. Of course, since he thinks that black people shouldn't play "rock"-and his reasonings for that seems stuck in a time-warp where Stones and Animals made millions playing Black blues; like 50 years ago-I guess he doesn't care.

Furthermore, the Ghost-note thing:well, they are called Ghost-notes for a reason-you don't hear them! Seriously, I understand what he is going at and it's a common problem past Hip-Hop (fuck, post-*disco*) but thAts the thing:D'angelo is not JUST a retro soulman; no, he's one heavily informed by (90's) Hip-Hop and its associated aesthetics which is based on loops and everything that goes with it; the free-wlowing, oonstant subtle change of rhythm that is, say, "TARGO", isn't really Hip-Hop like that (for the record, I noticed subtle changes of rhythm in severazl tracks).

What I found odd is why/how he feels "Voodoo" pulls this off better. Maybe I need to listen to ''VOOdoo" again but my memory of that album is that it was FAR more rhytmically "Hip-Hop" stereotype than this album as a whole; I guess it's in the gost-notes (seriously, I think he's talking out of his ass)...

HOWEER, I must say that the drum-fills in "Another life" as well as the Keyboard thing after the "hook" gives me a strong, wack, arena-rock/post-"Who's next" circus-trick drummer feel; I was disappointed in that tune after reading so much good things about it here and it has NOTHING to do with the composition and EERYTHING to do with the rhythm-arrangement which reminds me of some really wack rock. Then again ,the Lesson likes wack rock so I'm not surprised. Good song either way but those drum-fills? Yikes...