Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Dullest album, wimpiest voice.
This may be the best neo-soul record of the last 50 years, but it's not my style. The 90's smooth and chill mix of soul and hip-hop is too close to the R&B of that era for me. "Cruisin'" is a standout track.
Funky but not for me
Might be a bit boring and monotonous but it has some good concepts that work quite well
Very smooth vocals.
Grato descubrimiento. No conocía a este músico y me gusto este álbum. Particularmente disfruté Brown Sugar, Shit, Damn, Mothefucker; Smooth y Higher.
nix besonderes aber very chill
Favorite Track: Brown Sugar
He’s clearly a talented guy but it’s just not my kinda music. Still, some of the more modern sounding beats were nice and When We Get By is a Stevie Wonder-esque banger, so I’ll bump it up to a 2.5.
D'Angelo is really beyond compare when it comes to interesting and catchy R&B. His more recent album Black Messiah won me over and is an easy 5/5 for me. Brown Sugar may be a bit more traditional, but the songs are catchy, and break the mold of what you'd typically think is an R&B song. I have few complaints about this album, other than it wasn't as experimental as Black Messiah (but BM came out almost 20 years later!) 4.5/5 -> 5/5.
That's over.
Okay but not really for me (3)
Yummy album
sorry guys- just wasn’t that sweet
Really did not enjoy this one. The music felt so purposeless and each song just seemed to repeat the same idea monotonously throughout. Not for me
The Soulquarian era of music in the late 90s and early 2000s is simply the most beautiful thing to me. I’ve never seen such an amazing selection of people come together like that. Beyond the original members that started the collective, you had insane talents like Erykah Badu, Bilal, Q-Tip, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Common. These people created some of the greatest R&B and hip-hop albums of all time. D'Angelo happens to be one of those original members. And this man is a mystical figure. I didn’t really get why the episode of Atlanta that was all about the main character trying to meet D'Angelo was so funny until I learned of his reputation. For how good his music is, this man has released a tragically low number of records. Brown Sugar is the first of those three. His output is so consistent, and so even if this is seen as a good album, it’s still probably regarded as the worst of the three. But I still went in excited. Nothing was going to sway me. I was ready to love this. And love it I did. It’s pretty obvious to me that this man has a deeper connection to the soul. Write it into history, because it’s a fucking fact. Reading some of the less than positive reviews of this blew my mind. I couldn’t believe how many people really didn’t enjoy this. Music is subjective obviously, but in my mind, this comes off as an under appreciated classic based on those reviews. Even for a mid 90s album, this clearly defined so much of the neo-soul and R&B movement of that time period. Anybody with knowledge in either of those genres can see that. I guess I can sort of understand why people aren’t interested in this. This is very slowly, and has no desire to speed things up. It’s methodical, and spends more time with subtleties. For how many vocal tracks they have running at the same time, this actually never feels too in your face. The vocals are the focus and the instrumentals, while amazing all around, are not what you should be expecting to be blown away by. I don’t even think this is too overly rooted in “hyper sexuality” as people claim it is. This is one of the most sensual and intimate albums I’ve ever heard, but I’m totally into it. This was so awesome, I put on Voodoo on my way home from work. Unfortunately that album is not on this list, so I won’t ever get the chance to talk about it. Rating: 9/10
nice
No. 207/1001 Brown Sugar 4/5 Alright 4/5 Jonz in my Bonz 3/5 Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine 4/5 Shit, Damn, Motherfucker 3/5 Smooth 3/5 Cruisin 4/5 When We Get By 3/5 Lady 4/5 Higher 3/5 Average: 3,5 Really cool, soulful album.
Good R&B. I wouldn't mind listening again, but I wouldn't choose it.
RnB.
Something special was brewing within the soul music genre in the mid 1990s. After a couple of years seeking to look forwards, the only way it could continue to do so is if it would start to look backwards. That's when the admittedly dreadfully named neo-soul genre started to emerge, with D'Angelo's Brown Sugar sowing the seeds. With its warm, inviting yet slightly enigmatic aura, Brown Sugar not only sweetens the pot but also keeps it spicy when applicable (but never overtly). D'Angelo perfectly got, with his first record, the essence of what soul music was about and it would be that perfection that he would obtain once more before losing his way and coming back again. But this was a hell of a first shot and it's a good thing that we kept coming for more.
Looking forward to Voodoo and have REALLY enjoyed Black Messiah before - but having never heard this, it sounded less revolutionary to me than just super locked-in. Basically, a collection of old-school extended R&B jams to my ears ("I said I got a jones / in my bones"...ad infinitum), which didn't light my fire in any special way.
reading the wiki its clear to me that historically this album is interesting and good as is the production value but to me its just a typical soul album
Well it was smooth, and not too bad to listen to. The falsetto gets old though, and Shit, Damn, Motherfucker? Really?
7/10
An entire album that grated on me. Shit. Damn. Motherfucker.
"Хит" Brown Sugar -- запоминается, но не вызывает прям восторга. Первая часть вообще довольно слабая. Во второй уже поинтереснее -- больше динамика, более прилипчивая музыка, но 3 дня спустя могу сказать, что альбом полностью выветрился из головы. Большая длина каждого трека лишь ухудшает положение. Но на один раз вторая часть альбома -- неплохо.
An alright 3*
Found this quite generic..
Favorites: shit, damn, motherfucker higher Would like to hear some of the songs without vocal track, as the music is great.
Forgot it for the most part now, got through the album, nothing strong for me. Will I listen to again: 0%
Solids R&B album front-to-back from a VA legend, but I've always felt Voodoo was better and more complete.
Mellow, pleasant listening. But it would probably be much more enjoyable if he was singing in a language I don't understand very well.
Better than expected but still not great
Not really my usual type of music, but enjoyable all the same. Particularly the smooth bass lines and production throughout. It's impressive how many instruments D'Angelo played himself on here! On the negative side, I did find it a bit repetitive, and the lyrics are often so to-the-point horny that they are borderline creepy. Title track is great though, as well as a few others. I prefer his later album, Black Messiah, as it has more political lyrics and is a bit more varied and jazzy. This one is mainly just about boning, which is fine too I guess. 7/10
Þetta varð allt annað en það sem ég bjóst við að ég væri að fara að hlusta á. Ég bjóst við einhverri hörmung en svo var þetta bara allt í lagi þó svo að þetta hafi verið svolítið svona 90s kvennabósalegt. Ég mun líklegast ekki setja hana aftur á en það var samt allt í lagi að hlusta.
It's smooth, ain't no denying that. Not my thing.
this almost sounded like a modern day version of stevie wonder. it was interesting, but i’m not sure i’ll listen to it again.
Kinda meh
possibly the most egregious example of 90's rnb I've heard. Reminds me why I hated it so much during this time period. trying so hard to be "sexy" music. 1 .4
Odotukset oli ehkä turhan korkealla, mutta tämä osoittautui pettymykseksi.
Entirely forgettable. This is a genre I just cannot get into. It all sounds exactly the same to me, but D’Angelo does have a good voice.
Not the music for me, of course it was made in Sacramento
Terrible
This was very enjoyable, smooth as fuck.
Some nice sounds and easy to listen to. But there was nothing to really catch me and no songs of particular interest.
A dreary music genre is not going to be lifted by this example of its oeuvre. the first song drifts into a repetitive phrase, the second song drifts in with incoherency and I desperately want this to end. The third song barely makes an effort. Christ some of this is total rubbish. Randomly repeating words over dreadful substance free plinky plonking. Starts very badly and gets much much worse.
Some nice music, but not really anything warranting listening to the full album. I’ll give it a 3, though, because it doesn’t deserve the same rating as Calenture, which I rated yesterday.
Not bad.
Maybe I just don't know neo-soul enough to enjoy one of its most revered artists. It was pleasant enough but honestly I couldn't really find what was so special about it.
I really don't get how good this is supposed to be. Anyway, here's another wasted hour.
Very well crafted neo-soul that is so easy-listening that it becomes almost annoying or useless. I can't explain why this is so much praised or influencial. But, that's well made for sure.
I know people love D'Angelo -- particularly his album Voodoo. I haven't really given him a chance. Love the opening title track. Beautiful, layering of soulful bass, keys, and vocals that you could practically slice a knife into. His voice is silky and well supported here. Alright borrows a beat from trip-hop origins -- dusty, quantized snares contrast with the cleanness of his vocals. This is the kind of song that doesn't really go anywhere fast, but you can easily sit back into and groove. I dig it. Three tracks in and I am most taken by the production quality on display. The layering is beautiful and a treat through quality headphones. Also three tracks in, I can see this album running together before long as this seems to keep going back to a groovy, soulful mid-tempo R&B. Man I am a sucker for that clean jazzy electric guitar tone that is mixed into the back half of Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes. Drop into Shit, Damn, Motherfucker was surprisingly abrupt -- this one continues the jazzy atmosphere, but in a more bluesy vein with wide-open organs and a sleek bassline carrying the whole thing forward. This is quite a different song from the preceding, talking about finding his wife and best friend getting it on and killing them both. Lyrics of disbelief at the back half (why are you bleeding so much, why am I in handcuffs). The background bass plucking in Lady reminds me a lot of a Thundercat song whose name I can't think of at the moment. This is a tricky one for me. I think this played a little longer than I would have preferred, but found a lot of the early songs (particularly the production) to be really strong. This had initial 4 energy, but it faded out for my taste. At the end I'm left with somewhere between a high 3 and a low 4 after a single playthrough.
Jonz In My Bonz is a great title. Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine put some boogie in my bones while I was making lunch. Not my normal cup of tea, but certainly enjoyable. Basslines were bumping! I think this one is a 4, but it definitely got a nudge for being something that is better than I expected. Probably won't listen to this again cause it's not really my style, but it was good one.
Much too erotic and R&B for me. It definitely wasn't terrible music, just not my taste at all.
This just isn't for me but I could see people getting it on to it in the 90's. The best part was Cruisin' which was a cover. Not terrible and had some fun background sounds but overall meh.
Sweet seeet voice and some great bass on this one. I wish this had decimal points tho because this feels like a 3.5 to me .
I liked his voice and the sound. Could definitely hear the Prince influence. Smooth and soulful but truthfully not my kind of thing.
It was mellow. Is all the positive I have about it. I didn’t get to the end as I was very very bored a couple of tracks in.
Soulful. And filthy. Nothing I would normally ever listen to, but it's good
there's a track on this album called Shit, Damn, Motherfucker Shit - my review of this album Damn - I can't believe I listened to this album Motherfucker - D'Angelo I would also like to know what the fuck Jonz In My Bonz means - sounds painful
In the 90s, women melted over this. I can't really blame them. If D'Angelo were smoother he'd be a waxed kitten. I mean, now it's trite as F, but back thirty years ago he'd have been knee deep in clunge, and there would have been zero complaints. Get in, dude. You've earnt your place.
Smooth like velvet, and it sounds great in headphones, but it is so extremely boring. There is literally now dynamics in his vocals, it just flows along like tap water. Give me some waves and rougher waters!
Sounds like an album a teenager boy might put on when he thinks there is a chance he might get some.
Certainly 90s R&B. Smooth and not as icky feeling as the Maxwell record on the list. A bit too long for me to keep my interest the whole time.
A great surprise and a fun listen. Some really gooddd work here
Hated it when it came out, still hate it not my cup of tea at all
Not my bag.
It’s alright - mid 90’s R&B but ultimately forgettable background music.
One of those rare trifectas of amazing vocals, savant musicians hip, and generally being cool as hell
Better than I expected.
Smooth, sexy, but I can't remember any of the songs. I find R&B nice but a bit samey.
Enjoyed this very much. Listened several times. Great background for whatever.
Smooth, yet somehow a little hollow. Nice to have in the background but I couldn't really engage with it very deeply.
An evening spent with D'angelo is an evening spent well.
Love making music right here
Maybe I just don’t click with what D’Angelo has to offer here, but with all-over-the-place song structures, meandering run times, and song topics I don’t care all that much about, “Brown Sugar” becomes a daunting listen, as much as I enjoy what it’s trying to go for, particularly on songs like the opener and closer (which are both fantastic).
Typing this review a few days after the death of D'Angelo, I must admit before listening this album in May 2024, I almost forgot about the artist. This list was a great reminder of the excellence of the RnB he produced on Brown Sugar. Great sexual, sweaty soul with a heart.
Not for me
I guess if the critics say it's very good, I'll have to believe it... 🤔
Sounded like the same song over and over. Can't understand why this should be listened to, other than as a warning of how bad R&B can be. Utter rubbish.
Good background grooves
Listened quite a lot to "Voodoo", but did not like this debut album as much. It's ok but not as good.
Soulful R&B recording, it's not bad but doesn't leave any type of lasting impact. The most memorable song on the album is a cover of "Cruisin'", the rest is mostly forgettable.
90's R&B... not for me
Not really my cup of tea but definitely smooth (ha) and well produced. I can see why D'Angelo is popular, just doesn't do much for me. I liked the instrumentals in "Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine" a lot.
ohhh I know this! smooth jazzy rbn, great instrumentation, the vibe I need. +1 extra star to boost the average rating. people here seem to hate anything that isn't the most standard dad rock.
i didn't know what to think going in but have always heard great things about d'angelo. i enjoyed this! super smooth r&b. his voice is incredible and the production is fairly solid. at times, it has a little bit of a jazzy feel - although the jazzy feel of 'when we get by' does, at this point, feel pretty dated and funny due to its use of synthesized jazz instrumentation (it kind of sounds like a nintendo 64 game song lol). i particularly enjoyed his cover of smokey robinson's 'cruisin'' which i think even though it was recorded 15 years prior, fits the sound of this album very well. you can definitely tell that d'angelo and the other producers of this album have a lot of reverence for old school soul music, which i think is what i appreciate about this album the most. it feels like a natural progression from the likes of smokey robinson or perhaps al green. just a solid, chill album.
Either my brain is fried, or I'm not horny atm, or that it's actually a dull and generic soul wankery. Either way, it all just washed over me. But I guess I did bop with it a bit.
Cool album, but I don't feel as it is anything too crazy special.
Absolutely amazing.
Smooth but not amazing...
I would never choose R&B but I can enjoy the musicianship and there’s some particular nice bass playing here. The main problem with this record is it’s just a bit boring. Also ‘Shit, Damn, Motherfucker’ sounds exactly like an R&B song this kid I used to sit next to in year 9 would make up as a joke! Best of luck, D’Angelo.
So, about song 2 my mind wondered. Song 3 (Jonz) I stopped paying attention. If I was attempting to get laid in my 20s, I could see throwing this one so I could feel the swagger and pray she was into it. However, just for a listen in my 40s feels…well, too “Shit. Damn.Motherfucker” for my tastes. I’ll pass.
I enjoyed this. It's not really for me. I can see why people are into it. I played this around Susan and she wasn't into it. It didn't work as intended. :) Almost dropped a star for not working.
It’s groovy but my problem with D’Angelo is that I always like the first song or two and the. It just gets too similar. A lot of space in this album. But it sounds great. Kind of torn but think I have to go high high 3.
This is the peak. Mastery of form. It doesn’t get much better than this. One of my favorites that I’ve listened to at least 100 times. So good.
Smooth sounding soul music with a good groove. Now I know what Mayer Hawthorne was listening to. Well produced, and I’m especially impressed since I found out he played all the instruments himself.
I love D'angelo, his music draws form so many places but is uniquely his. Though Voodoo will always be better for me this album is still pretty fantastic. And for a debut album it's even more impressive. The songs sound both classic and modern and the fact that he wrote and plays most of the instruments on here is wild too (although shout out to Will Lee who plays bass on the final track). The whole album oozes soul and he really is a master of the genre, My favorites are "Brown Sugar", "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" and his cover of "Cruisin"
He doesn't sound like he gets laid as much as Prince did, or even enjoyed brown sugar as much as Mick Jagger. It's all more PG-13 than it is R rated, which I guess is fine. But when you title one of your songs "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" I'd like my smut to be smuttier.
I miss this sort of rnb, the mix of live and samples and understated vocal
Ahh. Not really my thing
I like his mix of hip hop and motown sounds .
90s fuckboy music. I tried many times to get into that genre but alas, it is irredeemable.
It's alright. Kinda repetitive to me but I think I just don't like the genre that much. Better than average though so 4.
Do you want to listen to an album that sounds exactly like Prince, but with none of the bite?
D'Angelo's talent and skill as a musician is apparent, and while this definitely has cool chill vibes going for it with decent grooves, there isn't a lot of substance. Basically, this is fucking music for those who were having sex in the 1990s. If this CD was found in your collection, the probability that you were getting laid was fairly high.
Love the music. Ignored the lyrics for the most part
Funky, jazz-infused R&B with a strong mid 90’s vibe, so your mileage may vary, if you’re looking for something that doesn’t feel tied down to an era.
yea
A Neo-Soul landmark, it retains a consistent chill vibe with funky beats, jazzy grooves, and pop hooks. His vocals at time reminds me of Sly and at times Al Green. It's what neo-soul is all about. Taking what the likes of Al Green and Stevie Wonder started in the 70s, and showing what could be done in a modern context, with 90s pop and hip hop production. I think he's the only neo-soul artist who doesn't rap either? (At least in the Soulquarians movement.) Nearly every song is a hit imo. The two weaknesses: it's too long at 53 minutes, and it starts off slow. "Brown Sugar" is a strong start, but I thought "Alright" and "Jonz in My Bonz" were the weakest despite the incredible production work. It picks up with the funk and energy from there. I also wasn't too big of a fan of "Higher" after so many tracks I loved, but I admire the gospel vocals. Maybe if it were shorter and ended on a more satisfying touch. With so many deep cuts I love beyond the hits, it's a record I will frequently return to. I could definitely see this album be a bit stronger, but most of it is gold, and there isn't any other album that better represents neo-soul in its purest form.
As a fan of the soulquarian period of R&B and Hip Hop this album really felt right at home for me. You might be able to show me objectively better albums from that era but D-angelo has a special sauce that elevates his work above all others in terms of effort and craft. Brown Sugar is a great album for anyonr in need of a chill soundtrack or baby makin background sound.
A bit too much of the crying-singing. I did actually like the song about the Mother Fucker, though.
Has anyone ever sung the word “Motherfucker” so beautifully? I’ve been catching up on albums that I missed when I took a break from this project. When I saw the news of D’Angelo’s passing, I knew it was time to give “Brown Sugar” its listen. What a treat this album is! Cohesive, yet eclectic. Consistent, yet always interesting. “Cruisin’” is the platonic ideal for a cover song: D’Angelo made his own while staying faithful to the original. The fact that he produced, wrote, and played most of the instruments on this record is astounding. Rest in Peace D’Angelo, a talent taken too soon!
Neo-soul/R&B/soul/funk/jazz = pretentious crap.
I don’t think I’ve heard of D’Angelo before. I know this has already been said many times, but R&B in a big blind spot in my musical knowledge. For the most part, I’ve not tended to click with a lot but there are definitely occasional albums I’ve lived. Let’s see where this lies. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Brown Sugar This wasn’t my cup of tea. To my ears, I can’t see what separates this from other R&B albums to make it an essential listen. The one thing I did really appreciate was the smooth bass lines which felt very inspired by jazz, but the rest of the music and lyrics just fell flat for me. If you love this, that’s great for you, but it just didn’t do much for me.
Solidly okay by my standard. This singer has an excellent voice. The songs felt pretty similar and didn't showcase much variety from the artist. I feel like other artists (Prince, Marvin Gaye, + more) left big shoes to fill and D'Angelo doesn't quite live up to them.
...
This is some pretty smooth easy listening.
Not a big R&B guy yet.
Pretty good sound but some lyrics are horrible
This sucks.
Already liked a couple songs off this record. Several songs in, and I’m adding everything to my playlist. This is better than I expected. Classic soulful, quiet storm r&b. This will get you laid. No fail. Even the song about murderous rage is sexy as fuck. The Smokey Robinson cover is a nice surprise. Well done. Really enjoyed this album more than I thought I would.
Best song - Higher
I’m vaguely familiar with who D’Angelo is and his influence in the 90’s, but I’ve never listened to any of his music before. I’m not a big R&B fan, so I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this album. Overall, this album was fine. The singing and the arrangements were really beautiful, and I can see how this album sold really well when it came out. It’s pretty impressive that this was D’Angelo’s debut album, because musically and vocally, it sounds like it was made by an industry veteran. However, lyrically, it felt pretty juvenile in a sense. Instead of love songs, this album felt like it had songs about cheesy teenage lust. Additionally, the songs couldn’t really justify their length, as most of them were pretty boring. As pleasant and well composed as the musical arrangements were, they were somewhat boring and unmemorable, but maybe that was exacerbated by the length of the songs. Still, D’Angelo is a talented musician who’s had a successful career. Even though I’m not too hot on this album, I think it’s a big part of nineties R&B music.
Sounds like sex
Haven’t touched the genre since R Kelly music videos were popular 15 years ago, but D’Angelo fucks (I bet he has so much sex)
Dad R&B
This was a good album i liked.
Not for me
It's not bad, as in impossible to listen to, but I didn't understand it either.
I think this is a great example of a album that merits its inclusion in this list but isn't massively for me. I remember Brown Sugar from the first time around, but the rest of the album seems quite competent lyrically and the groove is good.
It surprised me and after the album was done, spotify went on to other artists I didn't know that I also liked.
Not that many opinions on this one either, it was fun but I got a bit bored
I fucking love D’Angelo.
not my kinda music
Not a big fan of 90s R&B that sounds like moaning, but I’ve gotta admit, the vibes are great. He has an angelic voice, and I’m sure if I wasn’t a guy and born in the right era, I’d melt. Did have me bobbing my head for a good bit of it. Standouts: Alright, When We Get By, Higher.
Already liked a couple songs off this record. Several songs in, and I’m adding everything to my playlist. This is better than I expected. Classic soulful, quiet storm r&b. This will get you laid. No fail. Even the song about murderous rage is sexy as fuck. The Smokey Robinson cover is a nice surprise. Well done. Really enjoyed this album more than I thought I would.
Not really my kind of album. I can hear the quality in the musicianship and the smooth neo soul production, but it just does not connect with me in the way other genres do. The laid back grooves and mellow vibe never quite build into something that grabs my attention. If I had to pick a highlight, the opening track Brown Sugar is the most engaging. It sets the tone well and has a nice groove. Beyond that, much of the album blends together for me. Coming straight after listening to Meat Is Murder, this felt like a big tonal shift and perhaps a bit of a comedown. Completely different mood, different energy and not one that suits my taste as much. Favourite song: Brown Sugar Least favourite song: The overall sound feels too similar throughout Album artwork: Clean and understated, fitting the smooth tone of the record
Really grew on me smooth easy listening style
this is such a pleasant listening experience take a shot every time this guy says a shade of brown. like it’s very probable this is something that’s just going over my head but what is chocolate lemonade?
Brown Sugar by D'Angelo. Smooth as butter, creepy as Serge. Okay its not that creepy but its very thirsty and gets a bit grating after a while. Extra star for the song title Shit Damn Motherfucker, loses that star for chorus only being the lyrics, Shit , Damn, Muthafuckaah on repeat...although not sure what I expected
4 / 10 Buen sonido y buena voz, pero muuyy aburrido.
Not gonna lie – one could listen to this all day, though risk is that one will get to feeling way too sexy. It's suave and sexy, swinging and sexy, groovy and sexy, gospel-y and sexy. "Retro-lutionary" is right.
крутая музыка, but not my vibe
пока все жарят телочек, он жарит курицу и поет алкоальбом: сангрия
Возвращаясь назад, вспомнился мне один комментарий на ютубе, когда мы обсуждали Эрику Баду. Что вот мол, надо слушать D'Angelo, это и есть настоящий исток нео-соула. Окей, по поводу истоков спорить может и не буду. На мой вкус - Эрика больше раскачала. Мне оч нравится звук, но не хватает какой-то грубости здесь. Какого-то вызова для слушателя. В том же комментарии писали: "Улично, дерзко, хулиганисто и при этом очень сложно музыкально. Типа расп…и из детройта делают музыку ну очень со вкусом. Сложные аккордовые прогрессии, очень сложный грув, звук на высоте и все это делают грязные матершинники которые рассказывают о том как они жарят телок, курят шмаль и ничего не делают но при этом рассказывают это очень изящно". Ну не знаю. Грязи тут нет. Короче, @iriknuriev8378, за коммент спасибо, но я с этой частью именно не согласен.
3.4/5 Best Track: When We Get By
D'Angelo has an incredibly smooth voice that is a pleasure to listen to, and the songs themselves are real easy-listening RnB. However, there seems to be just something missing that gives it that extra kick that would make me seek this album out for repeated listening.
Feels earnest and organic. I can see why people credit it with being one of the roots of Neo Soul in the 1990s. Very chill vibe. Personally, a bit too chill for me. I would have loved the inclusion of a couple of upbeat tracks just to change the pace up occasionally, keep the listener sharp, and to keep the album from becoming tranquilizing. It became, after awhile, dare I say, boring? While I respect that he brought Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'" to a new audience, it just reminded me that I should go add the original to my collection. Ultimately not really my bag. There was a reason that I was listening to very different music from this in 1995.
Apart from the title track, I had no idea. Another real grower. Chilled, mixed influences and aid definitely go back to this album.
2.75
Cool macht Spass! Nid dasi würklich rap lose aber finds funky und gmüetlich. Shit damn motherfucker isch natürlich es lyrisches Erlebnis wome so nid wett verpasse. Für da das er cheated on worde isch, isch er mir no fasch zu groovy. 4.1/5
Hey finds eig es wük stabils album wo recht toll isch zum lose und sich eifach lose laht!
Find die Musig eifach extrem cool. Vocals mega cool, band au mega cool. Sicher au under de liebevoll hornigste musig vo sinere ziit (nöd nur ide lyrics). Ich los vo ihm eigentlich nur immer s ganze Album und je noch Mood fühl ichs mengmol nöd so oder aber ich wird Background Sänger und es absorbiert mich voll für e stund.
brown sugar isch hübsch, zieht sich chli alright. findi weniger nice aber immerno cool so. d bgvs sind super. Jonz in my Bonz. ah jo was? was in was? sound isch cool aber s passiert sochli nüt. Me and thise dreamin eyes isch bluesier findi cool. Shit damn mueterfigger isch recht geil, macht sich uf boxe mit viel bass sehr sehr guet. passiert au nöd viel aber de groove isch nice smooth het en seehr geile drumloop. nocher halt sochli neo-soul chords. cruisin' het sehr cooli chords und de refrain und d strophe sind ganz andersch harmonisch dasch cool. when we get by swingt hert mega nice. bitz retro aber au mega D'Angelo. die bgvs het er basically erfunde? so alles er alles immer zeme und parallel, da macht irgendwie nur er so tight. gad checkt dass er das album mit 20i ufgnoh het. fuuuuuuuuck. Lady findi en ass titel, aber d drums und de bass und d gitarre slapped haaaaard. boooh da riff wos parallel spieled uuuuh. me merkt dass de D'Angelo do öpis neus am cooke isch und woner uf Voodoo denn ane gange isch. es fehlt de Questlove. De Bass isch do geil aber de Pino Palladino bringts denn no uf e ganz anders level. und d songs sind chli lang, waner zwor nöd andersch gmacht het uf voodoo. Higher isch wieder en bluesy-Gospel-type song macht spass zum lose. Orgel-time. ich ha zerst denkt jäääh mues das album do ine sii, well voodoo isch klar besser und ich ha im einte begleittext glese dases chli meh sound als songs isch zum teil. Mit dem bini iverstande, aber s het doch seehr geili songs drunder und was de 20/21-jöhrig do uspackt het und wiener afoch s ganze Soul/R&B Genre veränderet het isch crazy. D backing vocals sind immer chli glich aber drum au markezeiche. plus d instrumentierig isch nie z viel, sehr tasty. Döt woner no am meiste lücke het findi sind d songs selber, beziehigswiis d hooks. er verlürt sich glaub mengmol im sound vom song anstatt im song selber. aber sehr sehr guets album, als Debüt absolut chrank.
engeliiii brown sugar super ihstig und denn au alright mega schön und nice drums SUMMERSUMMERSUMMER Jonz in my bonz het mi nöd ganz umghaue, ischmer chli z wenig passiert shit damn motherfucker schöö moody ja eifach richtig guet neo soul
So damn good. S-t Damn Motherf-ker and Higher are the highlights. But several more great ones. The bass sound on Lady is dreamy. I dismissed this guy as some basic R&B crooner in the 90s. First, the music is better. Second, he wrote it. Third, he plays not just sings. I'm sorry D'Angelo, I did not give you a chance until now.
An all time classic
I like the lyrics When we get by is a jam good tune In my opinion it was just a calm smooth album 3/5
I want some of your brown boogers (doodoodoo) Another 5.
I’m too shy to listen to this!
All the feels
so smooth so good
What rubbish
I enjoyed this album, it’s more my taste now than in the mid nineties when it was released.
Big bass, whispered songs If your bedroom is your church Ecstasy abounds
Opening cut, BROWN SUGAR, boring and repetitive; don't want to hear his thoughts on having a menage a trois. Or his constant use of the word "Nigga." D'Angelo seems to find a groove, fit in a lyric, and put it on repeat for 5+ minutes per cut. While he's at it, he throws in as many "Ooooohs" as he can. Reminds me of Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and Lonnie Liston Smith, all of whom I'd rather be listening to. I stopped listening in the middle of SHIT, DAMN, MOTHERFUCKER. This album would be much better without the vocals. ⭐ __________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 35 🎧 LPs left to review: 966 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 9 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 12 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 10
Dude's trying really hard to be Prince but he lacks the master's touch. He's a good singer and a talented musician but the songs are kind of drab and dull. Also, if you have a song called Shit, Damn, Motherfucker, make it a hardcore rap song with some venom. Don't make it a smooth R&B ditty.
Netter, 90er Soul.
Some smooth nice sound, but some very strange harmonic choices. I did not care for the weird shifted out of tune melodies
Inte helt min grej, men bra album med bra vocals och nice funky moments
God sounds, some bangers, but wayyy to repetitive
A lot of hat and falsetto singing. Sounds very dated.
r&B vibe
Ég get ekki sagt að D'Angelo sé mjög eftirminnilegur söngvari, en mér finnst þessi hljóðheimur ágætur. Má alveg hafa þetta í bakgrunni án þess að pirrast.
Pretty excellent. Overall distinct sound, and really seemed like this defined (although maybe defied some conventions) of the mid-90s R&B sound. Overall enjoyed listening, will probably revisit, but I don’t know that this will make it into regular rotation/personal favorite territory.
Brown Sugar - 8.5/10 Alright - 7.5/10 Jonz In My Bonez - 7.5/10 Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine -7.5/10 Sh*t, Damn, Motherf*cker - 8/10 Smooth - 7.5/10 Cruisin' - 7.5/10 When We Get By - 7.5/10 Lady - 8/10 Higher - 7.5/10 TOTAL - 77/100
Alright.
Not really my thing, but not bad.
Some of the smoothest babymaking jams you’ve probably ever heard. Full of soul.
Not bad, I like the keys and the neo-soul sound. Not as bad as others have rated.
Smooth R&B vocal, with jazzy hip-hop beats. It's a good sound, though the lyrics definitely haven't aged well.
almost 30 years later and every album still tries to sound like this
The guy can sing but R&B doesn't do much for me. It has the same sound on many of the tracks and just reminds me why I don't like R&B.
just didn't like it
Chill baby making music. It took a couple listens but I could definitely get down to this in the right setting. My favorite track off the album is Jonz in my Bonz
Culture woven through and through. This is like a nice night out mixed with beautiful slow Jams. Higher will be on my playlist for ages. I needed some RNB in my life. This is love in music form. Black excellence mixed with Neo-soul. You hear the jazz influences in so many of the tracks. I love this so much and I will be exploring D'Angelo's catalog for a while! 4.5/5
Very impressive that he produced the record and played instruments himself, and I am a fan of the R and B style, but too many of the songs sound exactly the same.
What a sexy second gear he’s stuck in
No comment
Did not listen to much. Sorry, just not my thing.
Only one hit.
This was just painful to try to get through all of the songs. Some of the least creative lyric writing I have had to endure, especially 'Jonz in my Bonz' and 'S,D,MF'. Stunned it would even make a top 10,000 album list.
This is not my genre, but I can recognize the quality. I like some neosoul to listen to it repeatedly. This isn't quite there -- it's got a little too much melisma for me, but it's still good. (Why turn cartwheels to get from point A to B, when walking would have been just fine?) 4 stars.
Did not like it at all.
Smooth- never heard this album before.
Some solid R&B delivered by D'Angelo. This still bangs almost 30 years later. It's a great mix of R&B, Soul, and Jazz back beats.
wow, that’s a lot of slow jams
90s RnB can, for the most part, get in the fucking bin. Title track here is pretty good though, the instrumentation is very nice, and it reminds me of this kind of sound getting embedded into dance in the 10s, I'm thinking Disclosure primarily but it was very en vogue around then. Second track was not alright, it was shite. Third track was shite. All the stuff Prince did that I didn't like much. Fourth track was... Ok this is obviously not made with me in mind so lets not do that. 2 stars, let's move on. .... Oh god I'm so bored. This got progressively worse. One star.
Just not the type of music I like.
Endless repetition, but some interesting soloing. Couldn't get past the 4th track.
Baby-making music. When I worked at a record store in my teens/twenties there was a very large lady working in the receiving department who listened exclusively to D'Angelo on her portable boombox. So I know this album well. It served her well, and I enjoyed it as well.
Beats are great, can’t really get into the lyrics so just listen to the background
Funky Jazz type toon. Reminded me a little of Russ and some other artists but it’s definitely from the late 90s early 2000s.
as enjoyable as a prison sentence
bzvz
nije bas moj đir, malo dosadnjikavo i repetitivno
Dobar glas, al nisu mi riči. Može to puno bolje
Bas mi je dobar! Bio je ful lijep dan jucer, kuhala sam rucak i slusala ovo i bas je super sjelo!! Favorit je shit, damn, motherfucker ofc
Okej mi je ali ništa posebno
fave track: lady final thoughts: d'angelo i <3 u
i love love LOVE this album omg. i wasn't too sure on d'angelo as i wasn't the biggest fan of voodoo. but mannnn i enjoyed every song on here! the funk aspect, the soul elements, the jazz inspiration. guys it all comes together to create a beautiful, sensual, HORNY album (heavy on the horny, goddamn). i feel like this is my sign to revisit voodoo tbh because i feel like i misjudged this man, he's a talent no doubt about it
It’s quite good for its genre, and I appreciate the jazz influence But man this type of music is just hard to listen to for more than a song or two. The vocal style just is a huge turn—off, the weird sensual falsetto
Some sexy r+b, love this stuff. Nice to not listen to anything British
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I liked it. Soul with a nice bit of jazz. Not a style I’m very familiar with but I think it does merit a place on this list.
Relax and enjoy
Total grooves! Enjoyed this so much more than I expected. A genre I gave no time to. Loved it 4.3
mierīgi vaibi
really like it
Yes! They should have scheduled this album for 14th of February, has the vibes 😏😏😏
It’s perfect
I love it.
B’angelo
I’m familiar with this artist and have had songs on playlists from his edgier, later album, Messiah . This earlier album was a good place to start the musical Kaizen journey. While the sound was somewhat dated, that 90s synth incongruous with the r&b soulfulness, there was a song or two that held up well. Overall the album is superior to most of the crap released in the last decade.
This album did not appeal to my musical taste
I'm pretty sure I owned this CD at some point in the 90's. Great R&B album for sure from that decade.
I had heard (and stared at the album cover of) Voodoo, but not this earlier album. An amazing first album, made even more impressive given that he was responsible for nearly every aspect of it. Such talent. I’m not a regular R&B listener, but I could get into this. 3.8
Neo-soul classic. Smooth, jazzy, damn near raunchy. Over 10 million children conceived to D'Angelo in '95 alone. Pretty solid album. 3.7
Boring.
“Uhhh kissing you, kissing me, squeezing yo butt cheeks, Putin’ my bologna pony in yo minestrone, talking’ ‘bout sex whooo whooo” every song basically
This has its moments but I'm not a big fan of the genre and it feels like it should be shorter
Certainly not bad, but just not my thing.
I had a roommate almost 25 years ago who was very much into this album. Back then it was not something that was on my radar or of a style I listened to at all, but over time I grew to enjoy it quite a bit. I haven't listened to much D'Angelo at all in the years in between, but I have widened my interests substantially in that time and I really enjoyed listening to this album now. The musical accompaniment is the main draw for me. Songs like Smooth and Cruisin' have my favorite style of jazz keyboard playing; sparse but no notes wasted, almost like acting as punctuation for each musical phrase. So close to a 5 score for me; 4.4/5.
Not for me. It was pretty boring and it seems like it doesn't have actual lyrics and instead it's just repeated phrases sung in fancy ways, which could be cool, but the background is too boring to hold my attention. 1.49/5
For the second coming of Prince, this is kinda dated in a way his best stuff never will become. Luckily I still love 90s R&B so that’s not a problem, but I do think D’Angelo perfected his sound on Voodoo. B-
mellow r&b, meaning it’s good as long as it’s not the first boy thing i’m paying attention to
D’Angelo Provo g that real soul is not dead, it just needs a clever mind to keep it going.
Hmmmm not hot
Smooth, but ultimately so boring. This stinks of too much axe body spray and pre-pubescent pheromones.
Kao neka seks muzika, ne vidim drugi scenario gde ovo slusam?
A great soul album, I've had a few like this so far in my run and the genre is growing on me, definitely a good sou dtracj to wrap christmas presents
-third album in a row where i don’t know the artist or album -let me tell you. this guy has a VOICE -like so pretty -these songs too are like DAMNNNN -YEAHHH THOSE HIGHER NOTES YOU TELL THEM! -also he looks AMAZING on this album cover -he is cruising through these vocals and SINGING! -these songs are very groovy -im actually enjoying the vibes we have created here -overall im giving it a 3 just because i really liked it but idk if i would listen to it on my own
Está interesante sobre todo el contexto de este dude, no lo conocía. Está chill.
December 17, 2023 Better than expected
Very well sung with good falsetto but it wasn't interesting to me, could have just caught me on the wrong day.
soft and smooth but basically the same song
Not my type of sugar.
Kinda boring
Groovy, sexist, 90's We didn't know better.
Fantastic '90s style R&B singing contrasted with excellent musicianship rooted in more traditional forms of R&B and soul.
These grooves are a bit too smooth for me. OK in small doses but two or three songs in and your teeth start to itch a bit.
Great RnB Album! I love D´Angelo`s soft soulful Voice! Fav Tracks where for me brown sugar, (shit, damn, motherfucker), cruisin and lady
Whiney, crap, hated it
Neo soul. Ni fu ni fa.
Neo soul, funk. Rollo.
timeless. Impossible not to start dancing.
3.5
Only knew one song of his (from MTV!) I dont know if this is an iconic, must listen album but it certainly is a sold example of soul and r&b. Nice listen.
This was not for me the album just kinda lingered on and could not wait for the end. .5/5
I was not impressed by this at all. Every song had essentially the same beat and pretty much the same story of mumbly singing without much tone change. Nothing exciting or worth returning to. 1/5
Boring
I'm sorry, but I'm not able to be neutral in any way when rating rnb albums. DAngelo might be one of the greatest in the genre, but it's so physically painful to listen to it for me, that it's basically impossible. I survived 15 minutes in total, which is a nice achievement itself. Really not my type of music.
Not really for me, but I can see how people would be into this. It certainly sounds a bit dated, but it could be worse.
1.2 - I just hated it. Not saying it’s bad, just not for me at all.
Was okay, nothing too flashy. I did enjoy the look of confusion that briefly flashed across my supervisor's face when I paused my music and she saw the song title 'Jonz in my Bonz'. I have been trying to figure out what this phrase means ever since.
smooooooth as frick, very soulful and jazzy definitely like this one a lot
Very smooth album, cool and comfy for a lounge.
As neo-soul emerged from a divergent timeline with hip-hop in the mid 90’s, D’Angelo rode the crest of the wave. His debut album, “Brown Sugar”, is fifty straight minutes of rich, luscious and lusty quiet storm. By nature, it isn’t especially exciting or awe-inspiring… but it’s certainly not a difficult listen. I liked “Brown Sugar” a fair bit more than the closest comparison I know, Maxwell’s “Urban Hang Suite”. Rather than overreaching by charting the full story of a misguided relationship, “Brown Sugar” focuses simply on the grooves: slinky, sensual, smooth. But it’s not all pretty atmosphere at the expense of any hooks: “Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes” has a spiralling chorus which subtly grows and grows with each repetition, until it finds a home under the skin. “Jonz In My Bonz” is another exemplary groove, where D’Angelo’s brooding delivery calls to mind Prince at his most bedroom-ready. There’s some nice instrumentation, too: basslines rumble with low-end, filling out each mix without losing any clarity. Luscious, jazzy piano inflections and solos run through “Smooth”, and some organ enters the mix in the final track “Higher”, which lends it a very welcome gospel flavour to send the album out on. But the real centrepiece here is D’Angelo’s multi-layered vocals: appearing on almost every track, they give pillows of melody to become a hallmark of the album’s sound. Imagine “Smooth”, “Cruisin’” or the title track with only one vocal line: it would be like the Beach Boys without harmonies. All in all, though, the best albums on this list have either been a galvanising punch in the face or are beautiful enough to stop me in my tracks and rethink my life. “Brown Sugar” doesn’t quite do either, but it also doesn’t offend or outrage me in any way. Pleasant and inoffensive, it wafts by like a hot summer breeze. “Quiet storm” indeed.
He probably paved the way for Ne-Yo. The tracks are so smooth. The lyrics are not really up my alley but the music is amazing.
D'Angelo is one dude who's career is far more interesting than I had imagined. It's weird that he wanted to do all this interesting stuff with music as part of the neo-soul movement, but was essentially considered to be too sexy to be taken seriously. It's a bummer that he didn't put out more music as a result of his struggles for creative control, but I have a hell of a lot of respect for him. Anyway, this album is before all that, and I don't have a huge amount to say about it, but it's dope 4/5
This one was just so much fun to listen to. I love how languid and slow it moves, slipping from song to song. The vocals and harmonies are gorgeous and every song has its own distinct identity. Nearly everything was on par with each other too, the weaker songs not being that much weaker than the stronger songs. A very nice listen to an album I would definitely go back to.
Wow. Another one I’ve never given a second thought to. This really surprised me. Not something I’d have enjoyed as a youth, but damn this is flowy. It’s so jammable. This didn't feel difficult at all.
Not that impressive, the covers of Cruisn' are better than this
Though his singing is fine and the songs were chill, it was too chill, boring and not very interesting. I hadn't heard this before and I'm sure I wouldn't have listened long if I stumbled across this album. I'm perhaps not the target audience for this music, I like some R & B, but not his, which is fine...let's move on...
4/5 - so smooth, hard to dislike this album, a little bit repetitive though
classic
Funky, although background for me
Neo-soul from 1995. Never listened to this before. . . Will probably never listen to it again.
I went into this listen with low expectations, knowing I’m not a D’Angelo fan but hoping I’d get something more out of a critical listening experience. But alas, I still find D’Angelo to be the blandest R&B artist ever. It’s like the stock music of R&B, it just feels like it has absolutely no edge. Tracks like “Shit, Damn, Motherfucker” are just lame instead of cool. And when your best track is a cover of “Crusin’” you know you’ve got a problem. Stick to the sandwiches D’Angelo!
I like R&B but this album was just ok.
D'Angelo sounds like Dollar Store Usher. Not bad, I'm just not a huge fan of R&B. Conveniently though, D'Angelo has mixed his music with more upbeat hip hop so it isn't so fucking boring. He also has a pretty good voice, so that helps. There are definately a few songs on this record that fall into the "songs to play while banging" category. Favourite songs: Brown Sugar, Alright, Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine, Higher Least favourite songs: "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" 3/5
Cat: baby makin music. Great bass lines, funky organ and guitar, smooth voice.
Man this album just wasn’t it.
Obviously amazing
Not my vibe
Funky and sexy. Fabulous mood setting background tunes while also being really cohesive and a testament to the time
One of the great R&B albums of the 90’s. D’Angelo’s singing is as smooth as butter, and those bass lines just create a great pocket and sit right in the groove. 4/5!
This is sitting at a 2.9 average rating on here, are you people crazy? You need to invest in a decent pair of headphones/speakers because the production on here alone is worth a 4, that bass feels like it's hugging my ears through the whole runtime. The constant 5+ minute songs don't bother me at all because this is the type of music you just need to let it run for a while, let those beats and the soulful singing just absorb you completely. I think his most recent album Black Messiah might be his peak, but you can't go wrong with any of his work, incredibly consistent at a high level.
Not my thing, most stracks ounded a bit samey
It was fine. Not for me, as I'm not an ovulating woman.
I'm not a neo-soul person at all but I do like Brown Sugar. I enjoy the instrumentals but I don't like the singing that much tbh.
Some smooth tracks. Best song is title track
Amazing.
Not a huge fan of R&B but found this pretty nice. Good voice and rhythms. Started to drag toward the end. Solid album but not my cup of tea.
3 songs in and I am bored to tears. Really quiet basic 4/4 beat. Nothing interesting at all about this album. This shouldn't have been included in the list. Found a decent part. There is a neat little guitar run in "Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine".
It was a good r&b album, I liked it. But not really my genre.
Lovely D’Angelo, great pizza too
the combination of classic soul influences, hip-hop beats & D's silky, buttery voice is just too immaculate for words. My favourite D'Angelo album & quite possibly my favourite album of the entire 1990s decade!
An outstanding debut from a singular voice. Muhammad, Saadiq and Powers are a heck of production team. It’s layered into some kind of futuristic version of Sly’s late 70’s sound. It’s also very of its moment and as such transcends space and time. It’s also glorious booty call music.