[.ca] Brown Sugar

From Amazon.co.uk:
D'Angelo is obviously inspired by the progressive soul of the early 1970s, but he has also borrowed carefully from the hip-hop of his own generation. Like many of his contemporaries, he has recorded a tribute to marijuana--the album's title--but it's far wittier than most. It takes the form of a conventional love song ("Brown sugar babe, I gets high off your love ... that's why my eyes are a shade blood burgundy") and mimics intoxication in its throbbing bass lines and reverb-heavy organ. Another song, with a title too profane to print, is a blunt tale of infidelity and murder, but in contrast to most rap fantasies, D'Angelo's blues-like narrative acknowledges such acts have serious consequences. Best of all is the Prince-like "Higher", which combines the spiritual love of God and the carnal love of a woman into one dizzying, organ-fuelled hymn. D'Angelo is still rather clumsy with lyrics, and he leans too heavily on ballads over dance numbers, but he has enough talent to grow in any of several directions. It will be an exciting story to follow and one would be foolish to miss the first chapter. --Geoffrey Himes

Chronique amazon.fr:
Avant que la maison mère britannique ne décide de fermer boutique aux Etats- Unis et de transférer certains des artistes vers sa filiale Virgin, EMI USA avait recruté quelques artistes plein de potentiels. Aux côtés de rappeurs comme Channel Live et dans un registre connexe à la soul et au R & B, D'Angelo était de ceux-là. Brown Sugar sort en 1995 et impose ce jeune pianiste autodidacte de 21 ans comme une bouffée d'oxygène dans une scène R & B sclérosée par trop de penchants pour la facilité commerciale. Des titres de la trempe de "Brown Sugar" ou "Lady" lui ont permis de s'attirer autant les faveurs du grand public que de la critique la plus exigeante ou des amoureux de certaines de ses influences comme Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Ohio Players ou Prince. --Yann Cherruault

deep:
great album filled with soul and what he thinks are important, like marijuana use and his main squeeze. I will forgive him on preaching drug usage or.. rather loving a drug so much he had to sing about it... *shrugs* good album

Very Musical:
D'Angelo's debut album Brown Sugar is addictive. I don't think I can really describe it as anything else. If you love music, buy it.

Revisiting a Modern Classic.:
Forget the "neo-soul" tag that's often bandied about in r & b circles. "Brown Sugar," the debut from D'Angelo, is a classic regardless of genre. Owing a debt to Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Marvin Gaye, D'Angelo helped change the face of modern r & b with this stellar debut of street-savvy soul. There's the suave funk of the sizzling title track, the formidable cover of "Crusin'," the disturbing tale of bloody revenge in "S.D.M.," and the seductive ballad "Lady." Featuring slammin' beats, jazzed-up vibes, and his honey-smooth voice, D'Angelo glides over these tracks so effortlessly and with poise. A mastery of both style and substance, "Brown Sugar" is a wonderful, towering debut.

D'Angelo's 1995 Debut:
Next to R.kelly, D'Angelo is the 2nd best R & B artist out there. Everyone knows the classic Slow Jam, "Brown Sugar" though including some not as popular hits, like "Lady" The songs on this album may not be a popular as his hit "Untitled (How Does It Feel) But in my opinion, it is diffinetly better. Pick this album up, you won't regret it!

A Rarity (A Modern Classic):
R & B kinda died away in the 80s with all that new jack swing nonsense which mutated into the 90s R & B, a bunch of crotch grabbing, screaming & wailing 'singers' laying their vocals down over cheesy g-funk beats. Then thankfully in 1995 D'Angelo came out of nowhere with his knockout debut 'Brown Sugar', and brought the funk back to real lovers of black music. Throughout he uses a live band, and how refreshing it is to hear real instruments. They create a dense, dark and brooding atmosphere that mix well with D'Angelos high pitched falsetto. There's a real smoky vibe about this album and I swear sometimes I can smell the weed smoke seeping out of my speakers when I play it. All the grooves are inviting and individual, real well crafted numbers, and he even updates Smokey Robinsons classic 'Cruisin' in his own individual style. This kid had MAJOR, major skills and how good it is that he didn't squander them and grew as an artist, unlike his peer at the time Maxwell. 'Brown Sugar' is not only the greatest R & B album of the 90s, but one of the best ever. A smokers masterpiece.

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