Customer Reviews

Brown sugar [Single-CD]

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Minister's son, Michael D'Angelo Archer really made a massive impact with his organic soulful sound on this his 1995 debut.

Making his name on "U Will Know" (Which he co-wrote and co-produced) with Black Men United the talented, multi-instrumetalist Richmond VA native made his own muse apparent here. Instead of following the mainstream definitons of what "R&B" had come to define, D took it all the way back. He clearly is a true lover of peak era soul music, wearing influences like Marvin Gaye, Al Green and Prince on his sleeve. This can be observed right down to a superlative, chilled cover of Smokey Robinson's classic "Cruisin'".

That song is a true highlight and was a single release. As was the anthemic title track, which is a head nodding, drugs/female double entendre (Not unlike The Rolling Stones did with same title 25 years previously) opening, which incoroporates Mr Archer's hip-hop generation roots.

The album has a laid back, jazzy vibe throughout and the Raphael Saadiq co-produced ode to his woman "Lady" exemplifies this.

There isn't a weak song to be found but other favourites of mine include the brooding ...and gospel soaked closing number "Higher". "Dreamin' Eyes" was a worthy single release as well.

D'Angelo took a five year break before his next album but the influence of this album endured all the while and proved one of the main catalysts in the genre the media came to know as "neo soul", although beyond categorisation, this album is just superb music.

Check out the "Live At Jazz Cafe, London" Japanese import CD too for the live experience.

I first heard this album back in '95 when it first came out, and what with me just venturing into rnb music at that time (and being only 15 years old) I really didn't take to this album at all. I wasn't shy to admit it then, and I'm not shy to admit it now, what I lacked then was maturity in my musical tastes.

Back then all I wanted to do was dance, which is how rnb fit in quite nicely. My tastes developed into hip-hop pretty much through BIG, Ma$e, among many others. Still in the dancey stages of hip-hop, that eventually slowed right down towards the mellower/moodier sounds of hip-hop through artists like The Roots, Method Man, Tribe, Nas, Common and Gangstarr (again, among others), and through that route came my undying appreciation for soul music, which is where artists such as Maxwell, Eric Benet, Jill Scott and particularly, D'angelo shine through.

D'angelo has constantly stayed true to his roots and to the music that he puts out there. He breathes life into any track that he features on and is such a credit to the music world. He is almost a symbol of what music should really about - from his writing, to his producing, to his singing, to the instruments he plays. With 2 masterpieces behind him, while he is still in his mid-20's, we can only wait patiently for more.

I hope that hasn't bored you senseless, I just wanted to put my opinion out there.

Thanks for your time.

R&B singers in need of a Teddy Riley or Babyface are put to shame here by the one-man-band-Prince-in-the-making D'Angelo. With his sultry voice gliding over every cut while nursing his smoky organ, D'Angelo emerges as one of the very few relying on the old school to create the new school, staying away from rickety drum machines & cheesy keyboard effects. His influences are obvious; but what makes this record so refreshing is that he uses his influences to help create his own vision instead of just emulating his heroes. "Cruisin", with it's never-ending chorus and sublte violins, is something you'd expect to hear on one of Stevie Wonder's 'super' albums. "Jonz In My Bonz" sounds like a wonderful omission from Prince's "Sign 'O' The Times". Every other song sounds as if D'Angelo is channeling Curtis Mayfield & Marvin Gaye all at once.

Every song on this album works wonders, D'Angelo has a wonderful falsetto and his organ playing wavers from funk to jazz with ease. Hearing this album is a great example that now is a good time to be alive.

Preface: D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar" is and probably will always be my favorite CD.

My husband (then boyfriend) bought this CD after hearing the single "Brown Sugar". He was so excited to listen to it that he listened to it on the way home in the car and actually sat in the car listening to it until it was finished (30 minutes!). He was incredibly impressed with the CD, to put it mildly. He was wowed by D'Angelo's remarkable blend of jazz, neo-soul, R&B, and gospel. He was most impressed by the sheer brilliance of each and every song, saying that he didn't have (nor would he want) to skip a single song! That made me REALLY want to hear the CD, so I listened...

All I could say was "WOW". My favorite artist pre-Da'ngelo was Stevie Wonder (they are still my two favorites, I love both equally) and D'Angelo was proving to be mighty good competition with just his freshman album! His sensual, raspy, yet incredibly strong voice was equally impressive and was a perfet match for his music. To my astonishment, the title track (which I'd absolutely loved prior to hearing the album) was actually one of my least favorite songs on this album! The only songs I liked less are tracks #5 (the explicitly titled song about infidelity and it's possible consequences, a great song, but in my opinion, not his best) and #6 ("Smooth" - my least favorite song on the album, though that's not saying much since I really like this song!). My personal favorite song is easily "Higher", which is, quite possibly, my all-time favorite song (followed closely by "I Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" by Stevie Wonder and "Change is Gonna Come" by Al Green). "Lady" and the cover/re-make of Smokey's "Cruisin'" are my second and third favorites, respictively. I usually dislike covers/re-makes of classics, but D'Angelo definitely did this song justice!

The influences of the likes of Stevie Wonder, Prince, Marvin Gaye, just to name a few, are evident, yet D'Angelo carries his own recognizable (versatile as he may be) style. I am a sucker for an amazing vocal range (a la Prince) and D'Angelo certainly fits the bill. He can move back and forth between sultry falsetto to intense baritone (and everything in between) making it sound so effortless. D'Angelo truly is a musical genius in my book.

D'Angelo is a gifted musician in all aspects of the word. If you enjoy soul, "neo-soul", and/or R&B, "Brown Sugar" is a must...then again, you probably already knew that!

This is the first CD...whereafter the first listen...I knew it was a classic. I heard everybody in it...Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Blue Magic, Stylistics and The Chi-Lites....I heard music from that short time (1969 - 1975) when R&B was going through its' Renaissance...and was hitting it's artistic peak...before it crashed with the advent of the Disco era (1975-1980). I stopped listening to R&B, knowing it never would reach the heights attained earlier...and I moved to jazz-fusion. But then Prince appeared...and I had hope. It took awhile but D'angelo arrived...and the world is right again. Erykah, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Bilal, Angie Stone....we got a "Nu Thing" going. D'angelo's "When We Get By" has got to be one of the best R&B sides produced in the 90's. "Lady", "Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine", "Alright"....damn, the whole album is fantastic!!

The past, the Prince, the present, and the future...all combined on one CD...that is D'angelo's "Brown Sugar". It is absolutely the best R&B album released since Stevie Wonder's "Innervision" and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?", The Spinners' "The Spinners" and possibly "Mighty Love". Those 4 are the only CDs I would give 5 stars...although "Who Is Jill Scott?" comes mighty [darn] close!!

Those of you who long for the true classic forms of soul and R&B to return to contemporary music need look no further than this stunningly talented self-taught pianist-writer-producer-arranger-singer's groundbreaking debut album. This was released at a time when rickety drum machines and formulaic arrangements and lyrics were everywhere, and innovation was... well, nowhere to be found. Rather than falling prey to those generic qualities of most urban R&B of the '90s, D'Angelo instead takes his soul influences like Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, Prince, etc. and breathes new life into these traditional forms by adopting them with a hip-hop attitude. He glides his smoky organ over a piano and bassline that sounds reminiscent of barroom jazz, while singing a love song to herb on the now-classic title track. On his cover of Smokey Robinson's 'Cruisin' he wavers between an old school innocence and new school experience vibe, using subtle violins and orchestration and creating something that few artists can - an absolutely perfect rendition of an excellent old song. The notoriously-titled 'S.D.M.' (er, as I call it 'Shoot, Darn, Moe Fletcher') is a very bluesy, slow-building number that utterly personifies the boiling hot rage that surfaces in a man over a woman's betrayal. Every other song only makes D'Angelo's wild talents more evident, in the same way that everytime you heard a new song by Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield back in the day, you could see their brilliance and how deep their talents ran.

Every song on this album gives off a late-night smoky club vibe that works wonders over you and makes you realize that you are listening to some truly great music. D'Angelo's voice can waver from rough baritone to smooth falsetto with ease and his excellent organ playing is at once effortless funk and sophisticated jazz all melded into a unique sound. Cruise the downtown strip late at night bumping this album in your car. Nothing will make you feel happier to be alive. It is my belief, that this album will undoubtedly transcend times and genres and be held as one of the all-time great debuts.

The first time I heard Brown Sugar I was at first skeptical because I had heard Voodoo first. But once I absorbed the lyrics, the rythms, and his vocals I was mesmerized. D' is like a cross between Prince, Al Green, and Stevie Wonder all at once and reaches his peak with songs like "Higher" and "When We Get By". The album is a mix of jazz, blues, gospel, and soul. Believe me, this is a cd that any music lover should hear.

When I first heard of a new artist out by the name D'angelo and his new song "your my lady," I said to myself this brotha needs to stop whinning like Keith Sweat. When I found out what he was saying along with his other songs I just fell in love. I fell even more when I had found out where he was from because I am from Petersburg, and he is from Richmond, Va. I went to his concert for my birthday because I had won tickets, and after that he really stoled my heart. No one else is like him and no one else can compare. When he sings he is sincere with the music as well as the melody. Call me old fashion if you will but I like it when artists can play their own music and some how create a sound that reminds me of my parents music(when it was real music)and makes you want to keep the faith of finding someone and falling in love. I'm convinced and also sprung. I'm not a groupie but he has stolen my heart as well as others with his soft and soultry beat and I love him that.

D'Angelo's Brown Sugar is definately in a class of it's own. Even years after its release, the CD still captivates listening audiences everywhere. I have yet to find another artist with the talent that D'Angelo exhibits in his lyrics and his music. Moreover, this CD has paved the way for new artists who also show an appreciation for jazz in their music. Nevertheless, the world will only see one D'Angelo.....

Where did D come from??? He comes on the scene and just shakes everything up with is smooth sultry neo soul style that no one else could compete with in the day. Regardless of what i say in this review this album will be an all time great because it started the neo soul movement. But if you like the dance/party r&b of today, you probably will not like this type of album because it is sticktly soul music with a band and all music is played not engineered. Which is very good for a change. And ontop of that D's vocals are unmatched. He has such a silky smooth falsetto that is uncompareable. This album will move you. Because he just gets deep down in the soul with his music, that you swear its his soul singing. I mean the shere grooviness to the single "Lady" alone makes the album worth purchaseing. Then the laid back, rolling track "When We Get By" you will find yourself grooving to weather you like it or not. From the opening song "Brown Sugar" takes you on a laid back ride that you wont forget in a long time. I can assure you there will never be another album unless its from D like this. He just knows how to get in your soul with his music. And i heard it took him 6 years to finish recording this album which explains why it is for the most part perfect. But like i said dont by this album expecting Usher R&B, because you will be mistaken. But none the less it is worth buying for your laid back chill nights with your girl!


Grade:
A-