Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Já coloquei para tocar um desânimo enorme, e não aparaceu nada para mudar.
Smooth and cool enough, I got the impression that the songs should have ended at least a minute earlier. (Giving 3 to anybody, I don't like numeric ratings)
Wow, i knew it would be good, but i didnt expect it to be THIS good! The star of the show here are the basslines, but everything about this record is awesome.
Smooth grooves. Digging it.
Smooth
This is not my favorite genre but d'angelo is my favorite artist within it
Wasn't bad, but also wasn't something I'd look up to listen to again.
Super Chill music.
Not really a genre appeals to me but he has a great voice. This 'neo soul' just wishes over me.
Very smooth and accomplished, talent to spare... But the content and general vibe are maybe a little basic.
Fenomenal. Soul é muito foda!!
Music is close to a 4, vocals a 2 and a lyrics a 0. While he tries he's no Marvin Gaye or Prince. I did make it though but kinda became a slog at the end.
Middling R&B. At best.
Not something i would have normally listened to. Not bad. Didn't want to skip any tracks but won't be revisiting.
This is 100% not for me. I never got to the I want to turn it off stage but pretty close.
снова соул и рнб которые ну совсем мимо меня
Ruhiges Album, guter Start in den Morgen. Calm vibes. R’n’B glaube ich? Würde auch auf Big daddy’s mystery Playlist passen LOL
Not my thing
Booooring. Next. I mean, it's very monotonous. Whatever interesting may be going on in the background is drowned out completely by the bass and the singing. Especially the bass is very monotonous. I don't like falsetto singing and he does that almost all the time. The harmonies all sound the same. The shortest song is 4:20, which is already too long. I hate all the songs. Music like this should be actively discouraged.
The progenitor to modern mumble rap, which is not a title worth holding in my book. There are several tracks where D’Angelo can’t be bothered to do more than say the title and add a few “mhms” and “yeahs” on top, leaving mostly instrumental to listen to. The production is at least decent and the backing tracks even a bit soulful and rich, but the mediocre performance by the star of the show means this one is destined for mediocrity.
90s ridin music
Oh dear, really, rather not.
meh
Love this album
Quite liked this
3.5 I reckon
Neo Soul ain't my thing...I honestly wish I liked it more. 2/5
Excellent mood music
This is high quality R&B. Great voice, excellent production.
Nope. Shite.
Molto chill
All the songs are the same
It was ok. Not my favourite genre but I managed to listen with very little flinching.
Just not my type of music
Rating: 10/10
Great album all the way through
EHHHHHHHHH it wasn't horrible but was repetitive and didn't really have any memorable songs besides track 5 which was amazing.
Its not my style of music but it sounds really good and has a withstanding legacy.
This album was fire during my University years. People lost their damned minds when D’Angelo came to town to perform. A re-listen rekindles. This was the start of neo-soul.
Smooth 3/5
The negative reviews for this tend to be from middle aged men who love 70s rock music and seem to hate anything made by people of colour. This album is one of the best 90s r'n'b records.
Quite dull and boring. Very samey. Would be much better as just an instrumental
he actually cannot make bad music
Consistent 4
Hard to be left unsatisfied after hearing this album. It's just exquisite. It SOUNDS like D'Angelo at his most unconscious, his most musically free and unwrought. Just effortlessly making incredible music. But... apparently he spent ages, recording all of the instruments himself?? At 21?? Unreal. I couldn't believe that because it sounds so effortless. It just sounds like, an early incarnation of D'Angelo, with an incredible backing band. Well, it turns out that that's D'Angelo as the backing band. Wow. Still a classic, still an incredibly fun time. 5/5
Aanvankelijk gaat het nog over de 'echte' bruine suiker, van het type dat je niet in de supermarkt aantreft. Daarna volgen gelikte achteroverleun-klanken, sommigen zouden het zelfs 'slaapkamermuziek' noemen. Soul voor de jaren negentig. Best leuk in ieder geval.
Soul met een mannenstem en af en toe een Prince-achtige hoge uithaal. Ik had gelet op de titel een bittere smaak verwacht. Maar dit is letterlijk suikerzoet. Bah.
Hele rustige soulvolle achtergrondmuziek. Heeft duidelijk wat weg van de stem van Prince en Marvin Gaye. De funky basis is fijn, de zang had wat minder gemaakt gevoelig mogen zijn. Luistert prima weg als je wat anders aan het doen bent, maar na een tijdje begint het wel allemaal op elkaar te lijken. Omdat het verder wel aardig in elkaar zit, geef ik het toch nog 3 sterren.
This debut is struggling to communicate one cohesive identity to the listener. Good thing his team figured out that he just needed to take his shirt off and make a thirst trap music video for the next record, otherwise he’d be lost in the shuffle and have contributed nothing whatsoever to the pop culture zeitgeist.
R&B isn't my thing generally so I wasn't expecting to enjoy this record too much. What surprised me was how flat the record actually is, the songs meander. The production is murky and after four songs the whole thing become much of the same, background music.
No diggity! No really. No diggity! What a bunch of RnB.
Not my kind of thing, but smooth and silky enough to provide some background sounds.
A very chill R&B album, nothing that stood out to me, but I'll take a three star album like this over 95% of the others we have gotten.
I could've swore we got Voodoo on here too, but nope, this is our first from D'Angelo. What a great talent he is, someone who operates on the softer side of R&B/soul, I named him in my review of Solange's album for that shared trait. How do you do a Smokey Robinson cover ("Cruisin") and make it feel even lighter and airier? No idea, but he does it. I hadn't heard this album before but it's great. Title track was fantastic. Would be happy to get any or all of the other D'Angelo albums on here too. Favorite tracks: Brown Sugar, Jonz in my Bonz, Smooth, Cruisin, Lady. Album art: A sort of sepia-washed out photo of D'Angelo, it's not bad but not very special. 4/5
Title track a banger, rest sounds the same
Judging by the reviews here, the majority of users on this website get precisely zero bitches.
Bit repetitive
I just listened and didnt really get anything from it. yeaah ohh uh huh yearahh
chill as hell :)
sexiest album ever made
Genre defining
This is funky, 90s, sexy-time music at its best. Lots babies were probably made to this album.
Tried; couldn't get into it.
Pleasant enough but didn't really hold my attention
Dull
Pas nécessairement mauvais, mais ce style de RnB/soul n'est pas tellement mon style. Ça me semble bien exécuté, mais c'est beaucoup trop "sucré" à mon goût, à la longue ça tombe sur le coeur. 5/10
Peurile AND putrid.
Smooth ass voice, it’s sometimes tolerable for 90s R&B.
I don't like it
2.5/5
Amazing! D'angelo's voice is so smooth and the instrumentation backs that up. Very cohesive and doesn't overstay its welcome. Best tracks: Brown Sugar, Smooth, Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine.
Prima soepele RnB en Soul maar niet heel bijzonder.
M’n gebeden waren direct verhoord!! Echt heel prima album die lekker weg luistert, soort vibey sexy sweet jummy
Tsja sorry de Angelo
cool album! i wish i liked it more (i found the sound to get somewhat monotonous :/) cause the few d'angelo songs i heard prior to this are amazing but this is still some well made sensual neo-soul. lady is EASILY my favourite song on it
You be making babies to this album...👀👀👀
Given that R Kelly is no longer a viable choice, d'Angelo is now my default for 90s sex jams.
It's groovy and bassy, but D'Angelo doesn't have the staying power to keep the album interesting through its runtime. The beats are cool, but the record loses its novelty about halfway through.
Oooph, this is way too jiggy for me. Even with the “jazzy” instruments and the “smooth” vocals it somehow still ends up soulless.
The lyrical matter was quite sleazy and lame, but I liked the "music" part of it! Definitely something I could have on in the background as buzz. Generally not a fan of RnB, but this sat quite well with me!
I don't know why but I don't like 90s RnB. Or i don't like this at least. I like funk and soul and most things related but this was just boring. Lyrics was meh, singing was mostly the same. The funky instrumentals were a plus though.
Not for me
I really didn't want to listen to this. This came out when I was in high school and I hated R&B at that time. I still think most of the R&B after the mid-70s blows but this definitely shows the influences of previous generations. The synthy backing tracks are pretty weak shit still but I actually kind of enjoyed this
Generic bedroom music with a falsetto on top. Best track: Cruisin'
It was OK.
Totalmente olvidable. Se deja escuchar pero no hay nada interesante para mí en 2023.
D'Angelo's followup album, Voodoo, is perhaps the greatest R&B album of all time. Brown Sugar ain't far behind. Aside from being incredibly sexy, it's a hallmark album that builds on all of it's influences with precision. The groovy basslines of funk, the tight production of hip hop, the soul of soul. Every song hits in different ways without ever feeling out of place. Brown sugar really is that sweet.
Very smooth and very chilled. Falls between soul and hip-hop, while not moving me as much as either. Not my favourite
Very smooth album. I like the nods to things like gospel, smooth jazz, and even a little trip-hop on the title track. It's crazy, even a song about beating up your lady's lover can be a smooth, chill song before you realize you're hearing lines about blood and handcuffs. Plus, the "Cruisin'" cover is pretty solid too. Favorite track: "Brown Sugar"
Brilliant album, start to finish.
Hella smooth and sexy. I'm a bit of a sucker for this nineties neo-soul and r&b stuff. The instrumentals just pop different to what we hear nowadays, probably because they provide more space for D'Angelo's delicious voice. Hoping his most recent album Black Messiah is on the list because it's more mature and varied than Brown Sugar. My only gripe with this album is that it doesn't move beyond the very specific style it opens with.
Seemed pretty generic
Shiiit, daaaym, muthafuckaaa. Chance the Rapper's Acid Rap must surely be influenced by this album. Buttery harmonies that tickled one's pickle has lifted this to a 4
Super repetitive lyrics, though it's quite a nice intro to neo soul.
won a lot of acclaim I guess. I listened to it twice! not bad.
A little lost as to what the term "neo-soul" really entails, compared to usual nineties r'n'b. Maybe it's my uneducated ear, but does the difference between digital/electronic *bland* music and the same type of music recorded with real instruments *actually* matter? Whatever the answer to this question is, "neo soul" feels far less vital than hip hop anyway. Case in point: Lauryn Hill. I love her work with the Fugees, but her *Miseducation* solo album bores me to death, in spite of whatever it was that the critics raved about when she released that solo debut. It's more or less the same drill with D'Angelo and his music. After what I've just said up there about hip hop having the upper hand compared to "neo soul", it is absolutely not a surprise that my favorite track on this LP is the opener--because it was co-written with A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammed. Everything else sounds... remote and without any real stakes to me. I don't know how to explain it better. I don't even *care* explaining it--which is probably a first for me. And not a good sign. To put it in a nutshell, this LP is certainly not "horrible" to listen to. But it doesn't scream "essential" to me. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: a little less than 600, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: approximately a half so far Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter (including this one: I sometimes leave a door open for albums from subgenres I'm not overtly familiar with--I'm only tougher with "middling" listens when said subgenre is more familiar to me, for better or for worse). Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter
not as bad as expected
Great Value Prince with none of the soul.
Neo soul. Ni fu ni fa.
There's nothing "bad" about this album but this kind of music always gives me the ick - especially when the lyrics lacks subtly/nuance. I'm just not a fan of croon-y falsetto R&B
Falsetto R&B gets really old after a few songs in a row. There wasn't enough variation in this album to keep my interest.
I’m sure for people who enjoy this sound and genre, this album is great. It’s not a genre I generally steer towards, and while I appreciate the soul/funk vibes of a mid-90s R&B record, I was glad it was over. I could handle one or two songs at a time of this.
Some great tracks here but as an album it doesn't wow, and it is awkward listening to this knowing Voodoo is so much better.
This was awesome. Not an r&b guy but this was too funky not to love
90's Soul / R&B Incarnate. Refined and sexy . This album just feels good when this is the mood you want.
Smooth
truly amazing how one-note, bland, uninspired, and almost comedic 90s R&B can be. the vocals, backing track, and overall vibe are fine by themselves but get so boring when combined. laughed out loud at the moans in Jonz In My Bonz. The sound of lounging in your living room on a sweltering summer day
massa o R&B, bem agradavel e pa
Not bad but feels like parody being it so exaggerated and theatrical at times
decent sound but annoying lyrics
Saw the cover and thought this is gonna be awful. By half way through the first song that was confirmed. Somehow, it then continued to get worse. It manages to offend and bore me at the same time.
Meh.
Shocked at how boring and not good this was. I'm amazed this is always so critically acclaimed, other than the first track it put me to sleep.
I’m a little surprised I haven’t heard more about D’Angelo. The album was a tad repetitive for my taste, but other than that, I enjoyed it. Forgettable, but not unbearable by any means. 3/5
It is an R&B album. It was alright. I think i only recognized Cruisin, but not this version. Better than a 2 not really 3.
Rubbish. Boring, whiny RnB, like there's good RnB but this was terrible. Who even is D'Angelo? Literally never heard of him. Too many of the songs were drawn out and way too much of that "woo woo yah yah" crooning that kinda gives me the ick. Best: Brown Sugar Worst: When We Get By
oh wow...
I liked it. Nice music to chill to, to have in the background. Great rhythm
The only thing that I actually liked was the contrast of music and lyrics in 'Shit, Damn, Motherfucker'. Everything else was undisturbing at best.
Nice lo-fi, r&b vibe. Nothing outstanding but still quite nice album. Solid 3
Neo soul, funk. Rollo.
Not my type of jam, but wow, started listening with suit and tie on, ended shirtless. I was alone and couldn’t handle all the sexiness in this thing.
It good
Totaal mijn ding niet
Shit, Damn, Motherfucker
Very soulful and classic soul sounding. Not generally what I like to liste to tough, a little overly romantic for my tastes. I guess I'll stick to Al Green when I am in need of my dose of romantic, soulful music 3.5 stars
C’est bon dans le style, je pense.j’ai tellementjmais ecoute ce style. La production est intense car il n’y a pas beaucoup de contenu tant quamoi. 2.75
Well, that was unexpected. I loved the bass lines. I actively listened to every song, even caught myself dancing during my workout. Nice.
Based on the Wikipedia blurb, I expected to enjoy this album a lot more than I actually did. This shit was a slog and completely unmemorable. Maybe it was super influential in the mix of electronica, R&B, and hip-hop but it definitely hasn't aged well because it just sounds totally dated and lame.
this didnt age well
This album wasn't made for me. I did my best though. I liked the jazzy songs better than the straight R&B ones. Favorite song: Shit, Damn, Motherfucker.
Urghgghhhhhhhhhhh A mix of cringe and boring. Just not an enjoyable record at all. Would not listen again. Best track: Lady Worst track: Alright, Jonz in my Bonz, Higher, Brown Sugar, Cruising
Awful. Repetitive. I had to keep skipping to the next song because the repetition was getting on my nerves.
3.5
eu ouvi a primeira musica, tem um som legal mas n é muito meu tipo de musica. prefiro o dos stones
Highlights: "Lady," "Jonz in my Bonz," "Me and my Dreamin' Eyes" R&B mid-90s had already absorbed plenty of funk and hip-hop. What sticks out here in context is plenty of other stuff: the timbres, the harmonies, and the rhythm. "Neo-soul" is more a cluster of associated artists that formed a new guard of Serious Musicians in R&B: Erykah Badu's 1997 "Baduizm," The Roots, Bilal...Thundercat was an understudy twinkle in their eye. It isn't just how old-school the soul can get with D'Angelo but how much jazz extension and ornamentation is in here -- not an innovation but a cut above a lot of his peers. If anything, his style seems to owe a lot to Prince, his appreciation of groove and his tentative, exploring falsetto. But even Prince has spent much more time in a very timbrally embellished place. It's really taken "neo-soul" a long time to renegotiate the bells and whistles of synths and high production, and it's easy to forget it started as a "conscious" reaction against that. Gone are the '80s crystal leads, the vocoders, the pads, (most) strings, the trippy modulation, the scratching, the guitar is filtered down to a heeled wah, gone gone gone. This is so stripped down and dark that you really get this central heavy thud, this behind the beat feel that only became more pronounced over D'Angelo's career until Questlove popularized a formalized version with THAT quintuplet beat. D'Angelo gave pop this feel. 4/5
Some really good stuff! Smooth, great harmonies. Good cheeky little solos. Not very overwhelming. Good good cruise stuff
Some cool stuff here. I see how it ushered in an era of a genre I enjoy but rarely seek out.
Very nice modern-yet-vintage soul-feel to this album. I read that he wrote and arranged nearly everything and played multiple instruments as well as sang the songs. Very cool!
I've never heard of this album but it's pretty good! I'm not super familiar with a lot of R&B artists so I don't really have a lot to say about it. The songs are on the slightly longer side but I think it's worth it.
As I've said many times, a whole album of soul without fusion is painful. Fortunately, this album fuses. The title track is quite good because of the fusion with hip hop. The drum beats on Allright are another good example and Bob Power's guitar playing including on Shit, Damn, MF is quite good. The fusion is good in general but the reliance on super high pitched male lead and background vocals typical in soul makes it difficult to handle the full album.
I mentioned on yesterday's LP that R&B/neo-soul isn't my cup of tea, but Amy managed to break through it for me with good song-writing and some jazzy solos. There are no such breakthroughs on this album.
This Neo soul is really not my jam. Couldn't get thru this one and for the record, the Stones did Brown Sugar better.
8/10 dated but really enjoyable.
7/10. This was good, but I didn't give it the attention it deserved so I can't say how good it was.
I like D’Angelo’s wandering R&B style. The songs have a sort of jammy improvisational feel that really works for me. 8/10
Smooth
imagine my disappointment when i found out this isn't about heroin.
A spooked moose in the shower shaving its back. The prickly centre of the perfect stroke gives the moose the horn. He goes out a rapes a young tiger dressed as Dracula. He's the number one candidate to win Big Brother this year.
How come you taste so shit?
This music makes me very nervous, overproduced, all character removed, like swimming in a pool instead of a sea full of waves.
Did not enjoy
HL: "Lady", "Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine", the title track I was a bit disappointed- & after reading about D'Angelo, and how he performed almost every instrument on this album I was disappointed that I was disappointed. Or maybe the multi-instrumentalist production is why I couldn't connect, since I'm sure I'd enjoy much of the album's content live and in the right setting. Perhaps Voodoo or Black Messiah would deliver for me what this album doesn't. January 15, 2023
Exelente, sensual, neo-soul
Great signing voice, jazzy basslines, good beats. Typical mid 90s R&B. It was pretty good
d'angelo's brown sugar is incredibly smooth. all songs were of the same build: some funk, some soul, lots of romance. it ended up sounding rather one note. this sometimes happens to an album that spurred a large music trend. without a doubt, d'angelo influenced r&b for the late nineties. i was heavily reminded of prince during some of this whole album. even moreso when i discovered d'angelo created these songs in their entirety almost completely by himself! i admire the creation decision and dedication. outside of that, the musical similarities to prince were too much. the album came across was unoriginal as a result. not terrible sounding, but there was only ever one prince.
I found this to be an odd inclusion. It wasn't bad at all, but as far as 90s R&B goes, there were probably soooo many better options that could have been included in place of this album. Ultimately, this was very smooth, but also very boring. It just faded into the background for me.
booooorrrrrriiiiinnnnnggggggggggg
This album fucks
Not my vibe
2.5. It seems nice. Not really my thing though. The remake of Cruisin is nice
I was interested in this but no song stood out just an hour of really light, fluttery male vocals 2.5
I can see how if I liked this kind of music it's probably very good, but for me it just sounds bland and every track the same. Ok for background music but not much else.
Undeniable the greatness of this album. Made us all listen to music differently again. Could be released today and win awards.
Smooth and sexy. Not sure I'd play it with my mum in the house and some of the album teeters into cheesy territory. But generally loads of fun.
wow, this is sensual fuck music to take your clothes off to. im super moist thinking about it. is it music or just essence du fuck? cant tell. i really cant.
When it is jazz it is good, however at times it drifts into obscenity laden hip hop and that is annoying and irritating.
Meh. Found this quite boring, not my usual cuppa tea. Had some nice little interesting parts to this, particularly the bass in Alright. Can see how it’s gone on to influence others, especially the likes of Blood Orange. Could not be bothered with this one but enjoyed it slightly more than I expected, although I can’t see me listening again.
Not for me at all, dull even by r and b standards.
Some of it was fine, but again not really my kind of thing. Guy has a good voice.
Not usually that into R&B and thought this was okay. I think the songs just go on longer than they need to. "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" could have been easily cut in half to make the same point. Highlight was "Brown Sugar".
He's got a good voice but R&B does nothing for me. Lyrically uninteresting. Would not listen again
Wonderful, smooth
Pleasantly surprised by this album seeing as it’s not in my particular field of taste.
Not something I would seek out, but I enjoyed this
Great voice - but too delicate for my taste. I appreciate the ability but doesn't float my boat.
Love a few of these songs, but a few of them are kind of meh. I like his other album better.
Meh
The instrumental part as was quite good in some tracks, I just don't stand the genre I'm afraid
The instrumentals are very nice, but the singing and lyrics kill it for me. It's 53 minutes of D'Angelo waving his boner in your face. I would love an instrumental version.
This is totally not my thing. My knowledge of this genre is admittedly nil. But even as R&B goes, I do not find anything especially good or different about this album. On the contrary I can think of a lot of R&B I like a lot better than this. I don't hate it, but it's big MEH for me. 2.5/5, rounded down bc it's just so unremarkable.
Il y a du bon, du moins bon, du bien produit et du cheap. En temps que vocaliste, il est excellent
Smooth and silky - and actually a good record. It kind of leans towards a steamier Stevie Wonder with a lot of soul.
A lot of smooth sexy songs on here, an overall real nice listen!
It went in one ear and out the other without troubling my brain
I have a hard time dealing with R&B. I can obviously hear that there are a lot of redeeming qualities - the smooth-as-silk vocals, the great beats and the stellar production. But I'm just. So. Damn. Bored. And then all the repetition. ALL the repetitions. Nothing about this grabs my attention, and it seems to work the best when playing in the background while doing household chores (or other, more interesting activities...). I'm probably just not sexy enough to get it.
First of all. Shout out to D’Angelo for playing essentially all instruments himself and naming a sexy R&B song “Shit, Damn, Motherfucker”. Apart from that this record really bored me. D’Angelo is obviously extremely talented but the songs are way to long and tends to just be mere repetitions after 2 minutes. I enjoyed “When We Get By” and I didn’t hate the other songs. This just isn’t for me.
I didn’t need to even listen. I’ve heard this album 1000 times already. D’Angelo is a master of his craft and this album is a classic.
Quite boring in all honesty. Says “sugar” a lot. No ‘Unshaken’
Meh
Smooooooth.
3.75
Great R&B album. Very smooth.
p769. 1995. 1 star. The background music they use in stores selling Gwyneth Paltrow's "This Smells Like My Vagina" candles. Wannabe Marvin Gaye for the 90s, only without the talent or the voice. This was a key influence on Craig David - so! We finally have someone to blame! Can't be doing with high pitched male voices, especially when they are used on such bland material. This is soulless and instantly forgettable.
D'Angelo is the master of baby-making music. This album is loose, jazzy and sexy. I really enjoyed it and it works just as well when you pay close attention to the music as it does simmering in the background. "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" is a wild song. Aside from the (amazing) chorus, the lyrics about catching his wife with his best friend and murdering them both caught me by surprise. 👀😂
Sexy music, very easy to listen to. I think it deserves a place on this list, but the one downside is that it's almost ~too~ easy listening. I find that can be the case with some genres like smooth RnB, and light jazz, and I've heard him before but didn't expect it to be this laid back. It's still a great sound, but the songs all kind of blend together. I think some of it's downfall is the proliferation of choruses where the backup singers sing the main hook and he riffs behind them. It's a great sound but definitely overdone on the album. I think it's a strong 3, like closer to a 3.8, so I'm giving it a 4.
Pretty boring mid 90's R&B. Nothing that speaks to me at all. 1.5/5
Not always a huge fan of R&B, but damn, this man has soul. Love the album.
The production is high end. The bass lines through many of these tracks are buttery smooth. The echoey reverb that is used on the organ and guitar provide a wall of shimmer and glow. But most of the songs themselves have little life in them. The lyrics are often repetitive and pointless. I really couldn’t wait for the album to end.
Nice, solid soulful album. If you new "Cruisin' " from the Huey Lewis / Gwyneth Paltrow version, that has to be the whitest version of that song I have ever heard. D'Angelo makes it about 1,000 times better and smoother. Wow. The album version is a bit long, though. I imagine the radio edit is better. I'm surprised that he's only done three albums. But I guess quality over quantity? Although they called this neo-soul, there were a lot of times it drifted into more jazz. Not a bad thing, but the lines were definitely blurred. Good album to "get it on" to.
Ah yes, I remember D'Angelo - that's what everyone talked about "macking" to in high school. I was surprised I didn't really recognize any of his songs. I think that might be telling - great voice, some sexy beats, but otherwise a little forgettable. It's a solid album but I wasn't fired up by it. For what it's worth, my favorites were Brown Sugar (nice beats and innuendo), Sh%t, Damn, MoFo (I think I just liked hearing someone sing MoFo so many times in a sultry voice), and Cruisin (this version fit him well). I admit my rating might be a level too low.
Ma che noia… musica da salone di bellezza Non mi capacito sia inserito tra i 1001
So silky smooth
I don't really *get* R&B. I enjoy it but I really struggle to figure out the difference between good, bad, and excellent. Overall I really enjoyed this. I found the lyrics to be a bit naughty! My goodness. Toss this on on date night, I guess.
Very smooth I enjoyed it
Pretty decent considering I basically never listen to any of this type of music. Almost every song was pleasant and catchy.
wasn’t a fan
Into the music, but the rest was kinda meh.
Best Song: Shit, Damn, Motherfucker. I already thought this song was great with the funky intro, and then when the chorus hit I was in with both feet. GotDAMN this song is good. Worst Song: Higher. A little too much gospel in my R&B. Overall: Shit this is smooth. My first exposure to it, and I'll definitely be keeping it in the rotation. So slick, with no real low points. Just a perpetual groove.
Rap, layered sounds are clear and clean. Good rythmn. R&B lyrics (not hard west coast). explicit Suggested music after is all soft R&B and Love Song mixes. That would be pretty accurate.
No more please, make it stoooop
It was okay
Meh
En voyant apparaître cet album R'n'B dans le générateur, je me voyais déjà lui accorder au minimum une note de quatre étoiles. Ce style de musique fait en effet partie de ceux étant de bon goût, par opposition à ceux de mauvais goût comme le punk ou encore le métal. Malheureusement, et contrairement à ce que pense eltrapeze, cet album m'a insupporté du début à la fin, ne proposant que des boucles interminables sur lesquelles le chanteur prendra tout juste la peine de poser sa voix. Une belle escroquerie, en somme.
Sans interêt mais je vois déjà le 4/5 de mon camarade d'écoute robplumière pointer le bout de son nez.
Kinda groovy i guess but if felt wrong towards women
Mm seemed plain
Muy bueno, chill, para trabajar o ir de viaje. Hasta para una cena en el lounge.
Not my vibe
Loved this type of rnb, lyrical and jamming.
A really chill neo-soul album with great vocals and even better production. It seems this is the only D'Angelo album on the list though, which is a bit odd as the other two seem so much more focused and vital
Solid R&B
Very smooth. Too smooth. The aural equivalent of drowning in a compote of syrup, treacle and molasses. Cannot fault musicianship and D'angelo's voice, but it is all just a bit dull
Sounds like it's aged well, as someone totally new to Brown Sugar. It is smooth to a fault, a little bit more material needed to stretch it to its length.
Nice
What can I say, other than I'm a big fan of the 80-90s R&B. Enjoyed grooving to this album first thing in the morning, while at work. Listened again in the afternoon. Favorite song was Lady. Made me think of my wonderful, beautiful wife. Played a few songs for her last night on the deck, while enjoying the last Supermoon of 2022. Mindy, full moon and DeAngelo. It was a great night. 3.5
2 There’s some thing about 90s R&B that I just don’t like. It’s not quite R&B it’s not quite rap and it all sounds the same. Really not a fan of the lyrics on this one either, could’ve used a touch more nuance.
2.5 Having never listened to D'Angelo but familiar with the name in the context of great albums, I expected more. This is a fine R&B album - It incorporated some elements of funk I dug, but overall it lacked versatility and didn't offer me a ton of memorable moments. Some of the songs felt longer than they needed to be, which left me a little bored by the end. Musically and vocally it's airtight, just not very interesting. Favorite songs: Shit, Damn, Motherfucker, Cruisin'
No.
This was a fun and funky album. I liked the bass but most of the time I wanted it to sit a little higher in the mix. It was a good album, just not really my thing.
Is there a sexy word for ‘boring’?
"Brown Sugar" is an all-time classic track; undeniably D'Angelo at his best. Sadly, the same can't be said for the album of the same name. It's fine, but only three other tracks stand out, "Cruisin'," "Lady," and "Higher." "Cruisin'" is a Smokey Robinson cover, so of course it's good. So that really leaves three D'Angelo originals out of nine that caught my ear. All that said, a mediocre album by D'Angelo's still a solid R&B album.
Superb. 90s R&B at its finest. Every track is gorgeous, and I love his rendition of Smokie Robinson's Cruisin. A new favorite.
D’Angelo one of the best to ever do it
Funky soulful beats, groovy bass, gorgeous jazzy feel. Very easy to get lost in.
A usually reliable friend was very excited about this at the time, describing it as a Marvin Gaye-level work of genius. It's not that good, but it is both tuneful and interesting which is high praise for '90s R&B.
Every song seemed to be the same. Back up singers came across stronger than the lead.
Is mid-90s neo-soul the hardest genre to listen to now? Beware of any artist who has his/her top off in their photos as a USP. One star for the first track, but boy this is inconsequential.
Brown Sugar drags on and doesn't really separate itself from loads who tried this genre and didn't stand out. Super dull, not interesting, somewhat offensive. 1/5.
Doesn't even scrape a 2. It's really dull musically, and the lyrics are both cliches and throwbacks to the creepy lyrics you'd get in 50s/60s music but without the innocence that gave the oldies a bit of an excuse. Would've got a 2 had I only been half listening to it, but the lyrics drop it down to a 1 as it made it actively unpleasant to listen to.
For some reason I thought I was going to like thos more than I did. It was ok
I mean, it's not literally the worst thing I've ever heard... but... it's not great. His falsetto sucks and the whole thing felt bland and boring after the first song. That being said, 'Shit, Damn, Motherfucker' is clearly the pinnacle of songwriting and no one should attempt to surpass it. I like how he said the three words over and over and over and over. Quality stuff. This album did help me find religion, though. I didn't think at the beginning that I would be praying for it to be over, but here I am.
J’aime le petit côté jazz de cet album et sa groove. Je crois que ce qui rend cet album important est ceci: «D'Angelo concentrates on classic versions of soul and R&B, but unlike most of his contemporaries, he doesn't cut and paste older songs with hip-hop beats; instead, he attacks the forms with a hip-hop attitude, breathing new life into traditional forms.» C’est peut-être pourquoi je n’aime pas tout du R&B mais que j’ai bien apprécié mon écoute ici.
90's R&B to the max. It is the "ahhhs", "owwws", bass, falsetto, and ranging of anything to come out of this genre around the turn of the millennium. And.... it's boring. So many came ofter and did it better. If this is a cornerstone, then it is one hidden and structurally great but the real magnificence of the building is everything on top. I appreciate this album but didn't enjoy this album--I would have expected the opposite.
It's a very classical hip-hop album but very repetitive. I liked it, but I'll probably not listen to it again.
Schmoov futhermucker. Never been my thang.
Not my bag. The two albums I had before this were absolute bangers so only fair I get this to even things out.
Different vibe to the rest of the list, smooth and easy listening.
Now I understand why I keep seeing women on YouTube losing their shit over Johnny Mathis, Tom Jones and the Righteous Bros...This is what’s been passing for “romance” all this time. No wonder Buble is getting the bag...the bar’s been set so low. Thought it was overrated then, still think it’s overrated now.
Super smooth album. I enjoyed the fusion of jazz and R&B. Where some albums incorporate jazz elements, this one goes a bit further and quotes entire passages featuring walking basslines to draw the connection between earlier and contemporary music forms. The singing was fantastic and it suited the music well. My biggest complaint is the length of the album.
Panomusiikkia jota ei kyllä levyllistä jaksa putkeen kuunnella.
Textbook kutumusaa. Siinä toimii, muuten ei
This was exactly the kind of nothing R&B bilge that used to get me really animated in the 90s. Not now though, I’m chill. 😎
zzzzzzzz
ce gros lover
felt cool.
I was expecting to like Brown Sugar more than I actually did. I was introduced to neo-soul through Maxwell (who is amazing) so I had some expectations. D’Angelo is also quite respected in the neo-soul community. I don’t think this album was amazing though. I found “Brown Sugar” to be groovy, however his singing was a bit monotone. My problem with this album is that it feels like you could groove so much to it, but it’s quite repetitive and the melodies just don’t stick. I do appreciate his singing! Definitely going to relisten in the future. I do think it should be given a few more chancesZ Hopefully I enjoy Voodoo much more. Highlights: Alright, Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine, Shit Damn M**********r, When We Get By
I have probably only heard one or two complete songs from D'Angelo. I don't follow the kinds of entertainment that might include this music. My impression of D'Angelo is that he's more than content to be D'Angelo, but I don't like "I'm so cool" as a theme in any genre of music. Some of the music on this album is... okay..., but why would I ever want to listen to the content? I don't want to listen to a guy sing about how much he wants to get physical with the ladies. Bleh.
Come ON! Try to top it, what is sexier than this?
Was worried this was gonna sound dated upon revisiting it, but he captured a pretty timeless sound - incorporating various influences from the past fairly seamlessly with a more modern, at times even progressive, touch. The grooves are nice but I like it most when he gets more atmospheric and textured with the the arrangements, like on "Jonz in my Bonz" and "Cruisin'". This was a breath of fresh air compared to the more formulaic R&B of its era.
Smooooth, pretty nice grooves but nothing stuck with me beyond an enjoyable listen.
About as musically interesting as listening to a bubbling pot.
Shit, Damn, Motherfucker What a jam
This isn't my genre, and I don't see myself reaching to put it on again, but I can't give it anything lower than a 3.5. I'm rather impressed with his musicianship, especially for a debut album. Arrangements, instrumentation, vocals, and production done largely by himself. I also understand that this really set the tone for 90s R&B and basically created neo-soul. Unfortunately, I feel like a lot of the songs blend together after a while and no one song really stands out to me over any of the others. Nonetheless, I am very glad that I listened to this, as it's the first one that's been generated for me that I was truly unfamiliar with.
Great debut album - pretty perfect. I say 9/10 but only because the follow-up, Voodoo (assume it is the list too) is even better (10/10).
I remember the title song and still like it, but otherwise this is a pretty unremarkable album for me.
Smooth, good vibes
very mellow and smooth
Listened to on 3/24/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: Crusin, Lady This man is SO talented and has a beautiful voice - the album was very soulful with a hip hop vibe and was pretty good all in all
Smooth and easy listening but a bit repetitive
This whole album is a vibe. Very soulful. D’Angelo has a great voice. Not sure I’d listen to it all the time but I’m glad I did today.
Not for me, but appreciate what he's doing here. It's all very soft-focussed 90's.
This was better than expected. Was not familiar with it before.
Somehow the most average album But I do like it. 3
Funky street R&B/soul
Have tried this previously, don’t get the hype.
Something about this album reminds of those late nights I'd stay up baked out of my mind to watch that greasy ass show Cheaters. I hated it, but also it was kind of fun?
Shout out to all the grown-ass adults who were conceived to this album back in the 90s. This is smooth and seductive! I love the sense that the lyrics are utterly at the service of the music and D'Angelo's vocals, more about evoking a mood. It's a dream.
Liked this more than I expected to. Definitely gospel roots and very smooth.
Whew. Lemme towel off. That was 50 minutes, and then some, of pure, unadulterated R&B/Soul/Gospel (yes, Gospel) seduction (yes, yes, seduction). Oh, and we consummated the relationship… several times. Yeah, this LP carries a Parental Advisory tag for Explicit Content, and for good reason. It’s a grown-up experience, for sure. The kids couldn’t handle this. 'Brown Sugar' needs to be played loudly, headphones are fine, too. If you like Soul music- no, forget that, if you recognize any good music when you hear it, regardless of genre- then you’ll dig this LP. I sure did. How have I not heard of this cat? With the exclusion of the stringed instruments- which, by the way, are used with such subtle restraint that you hardly know you’ve been listening to them, like the aftertaste of an herb used in the sauce, never standing out, but only contributing to the overall flavor- D’Angelo plays virtually every instrument on this debut recording. That’s Prince territory, brother. His bass parts ala Paul McCartney’s, that wonderful wah-wah guitar sound so important to R&B/soul, his tasty little jazz piano solo on ‘Smooth,’ or the pure funk beat on ‘Alright,’ with a bonus gospel sound that blow in and out like the seemingly capricious movement of the Holy Spirit. (By the way his father was a Pentecostal minister.) On ‘Shit, Damn, Motherfucker’ (and more on that in a moment) he pays homage to a Marvin Gaye-like groove. He actually (re)covers Smokey Robinson’s 1979 hit, ‘Cruisin’,’ and makes it his own. Smokey Robinson. He’s not as good a singer as Smokey, but he’s got his own perfectly fine chops, including the lilting falsettos. On ‘Jonz In My Bonz’ he creates this wonderful bubbly, underwatery, and syncopated xylophone (I think) kind of sound that runs throughout the underneath of the song. I’ve never used this term, but here goes: prog funk. D’Angelo just gave it birth. Musically, so subtly smooth. Lyrically, about as subtle as knocking on the door to your blind date with a large, ebony strap-on. D’Angelo has one thing, and one thing only, on his mind: he wants to make sweet, chocolate love to you. ‘Your skin is caramel with the coco eyes,’ he purrs on the title track. How delicious does caramel skin sound? On ‘Me And These Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine’ he describes her love as ‘the cherry in my chocolate covered dreams.’ Ok, we get it, D. brown skin is sexy. But he overdoes it a bit on ‘When We Get By,’ which begins as a nice date, dinner, movie, etc, but then of course, ends with sex, D’Angelo proposes, ‘We could make love in the shade, sip some chocolate(?) lemonade.’ But I get it. He’s a young, good looking dude, this one. I can’t imagine getting consent has been much of a problem for him. And good thing, too, cause this guy’s so horny the crack of dawn isn’t safe. At the time of this recording, he was 21. So, say no more. But to be fair, and this is noteworthy, the content is presented romantically, albeit erotically. Every song, save one, is about seduction, with the final track, ‘Higher,’ a celebration of good news, complete with the gospel genre being the primary influence here. But the good news of this sexy service is not quite what one typically gets in church. The salvation here is that D is getting some: ‘Just like an angel watching over me (your protect me from my fears). I once was blind but now I see (ever since the day you appeared.)’ This is not a reference to the grace of God in Jesus, either. It’s not that he’s disrespectful at all of gospel music, or church, sincerely referencing prayer and such. But D’Angelo’s just as likely to bend the choir director over the pew and have a go as he is to use it for prayer. I’ll not give it a way, but on the afore mentioned, ‘Shit, Damn, Motherfucker (it’s honestly cracking me up to type that title),’ D catches his girl with another guy in bed, and things end horribly. I won’t give it away, but I found myself actually a bit frightened as the song progressed. I loved this LP, especially the instrumentation which was conceived, written, edited, and performed with style and taste. I would add one last adjective to describe 'Brown Sugar': sophisticated. This is dress up soul. Tuxedo and evening gowns. Just make sure you’ve got some sexy negligee on underneath for later.
Smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy. Been a minute since I listened to this. I love Shit, Damn, Motherfucker. The vibes and the lyrics are in such contrast lol.
Ironically Spotify played a Curtis Mayfield track after this album, which was a great track. It wasnt a D'Angelo track though
Background music
Nice/smooth/raw
ok R and b with a jazz influence.
// Sugar, you're so fine, and the day is fine, and we'll be fine. When we make it by and we get by with love. //
Enjoyed enough but I'm not sure it'd be something I'd turn to
Vibed, but not so much that I'd go out of my way to vibe again... Ygm?
I liked most of this but hated the vocals. Would never put this on again but this list was all about expanding my taste and I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would so this was a win in my book
Not really the kind of music that I choose to listen to but, this is a very nice album. I like his version of Crusin' but it isn't unique enough from the original Smokey Robinson version to make it stand out. It is nice that he is able to bring the song to a new generation of fans. 2/5
Love the album
I've never been a big fan of slow jams, but I do have to recognize D'Angelo's talent here as singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. It's good to hear his neo-soul version of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'" as a way to connect his style with more classical soul and show off his work. Overall, I just don't enjoy the slow, repetitive style of most of the album. It does intrigue me, however, to listen to "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" as its slow, cool style is so contrary to the content. "I got a jonz in my bonz" is one of my favorite lyrics, but I am left really wanting to know more details about exactly what for. In any case, I engaged with this album more than most of its genre.
I have heard the name D'Angelo...maybe even a track or two, but I didn't really know this album at all. It was a smooth soulful ride that I enjoyed. The album has that sexy R&B feel with some funk sprinkled in. It sounds like what an album titled "Brown Sugar" should to me.
I'm not too keen on this many songs containing what sounds like earnest let's-get-it-on-ness. I liked the cover of Cruisin' and the smooth and jazzy When We Get By.
This album is very smooth and well-produced, but not really my bag. I didn’t connect much with with the themes of the songs. The music was well done but I got bored well before a song ended and found myself waiting for the next one. Not long into the next song the feeling repeated. The talent on this album is really high, and I wouldn’t mind hearing this played somewhere in the background I guess. It isn’t something that connected with me really at all and I have any desire to put on again.
Takin me back
WAOUH!!!
This album was definitely a cornerstone for the genre, pulls in a lot of great ideas, and D’Angelo is a competent singer. But man, I just did not enjoy this. He may be a good singer, but he is also a boring one. No excitement, the same energy the whole way through. And the melodies don’t help either. What’s the opposite of an ear worm? They seemed to slide off the folds of my brain and out my ears before the songs even ended. If they ever would end; the songs all go on for two or three minutes doing nothing new or interesting. I see why people like this, but it has so many of my pet peeves baked into it.
Well, what a boring but enjoyable ride. The sound was solid, but it never moved anywhere interesting. The songs were great by themselves, but consecutively each song is way too long.
It's rhythmic, not unnecessarily profane, and kind of works as an ode for his beloved... but there's just way too much cliche going on here. Way too much... not sure if his version of "cruisin" is better than Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow's version...