Long before he made noise as an R&B swooner with Voodoo, D’Angelo created his debut
album, Brown Sugar, with the
intention of truly enveloping himself into every single sound. Inspired by
artists like Prince, D’Angelo was involved in everything from production to
songwriting and even played a lot of the instruments, including sax, piano and
drums. It was an album that gained attention upon its release but has since
then and justifiable so, become an album that paved the way for other artists
like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill to take hold of the scene. Taking a
workmanlike approach, the result was what is still one of the finest jazz/blues/soul
inspired neo-soul albums of the 90s.
The first song and title track was co-produced by A Tribe
Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad but the rest of the album is a testament to
D’Angelo’s tremendous skill. Immediately after, “Alright” stands out with a
grooving bass line and impressive drums that features D’Angelo sounding a lot
like Prince. Growing up a gospel listener, the smooth melodies and sultry
vocals are what make Brown Sugar such
a hit. This song showcases the keyboard skills that D’Angelo possesses and it
makes you wonder why he has, to this date, only recorded two albums. (Although
there are rumors that a new one is on the way soon.)
After the brilliant rendition of “Cruisin’” comes the jazzy, blues vibe of “When We Get By” that comes equipped with piano and a featured look into the multi-faceted skills D’Angelo holds. His voice here is again in the falsetto range but it’s even more present with the use of what sounds like a Fender Rhodes electric piano. The music itself is supported by the tender jazz motif that D’Angelo employs and still, it pays homage to the soul movement of Al Green, Sam Cooke and even Miles Davis with the trumpet at the end. Albums like this only come once in a while and as impressive as they are, artists like John Legend (who are obviously very indebted to D’Angelo), have never made an album close to Brown Sugar, or its follower for that matter. – Bryan
