Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Because D'Angelo = EveryThing Ever Always to the 57th Power

Watching D'Angelo make music -- and I loooove watching me some D'Angelo --  gives me that sensation of knowing you're listening to something that you'll always be able to recall where you were and what you were doing at the time when you hear it in the future. 

For example when Voodoo came out in 2001 I was in love, and the gentleman in question -- (of whom I may say more at another time, one of these days in a whole essay of its own because Lord that a Story all its own...) -- was out of town on business the week that I first bought the brand-new CD. So when I heard the track that is called "UnTitled" on the CD but is known by its refrain "How Does It Feel" I became obsessed and driven with a most single-minded devotion not to rest until he came home and we could do the things that boys and girls enjoy doing together.
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That summer of 2001 was crazy and the video for the song became a flat out national obsession. So it's no deep observation to point out that D'Angelo creates an atmosphere that is so heavily erotic that using the term "love making" is perfectly polite but utterly unrelated to the behavior that one feels compelled to enact when confronted with his music. (What does one want to do  if not make love? one fucks.) In short, D'Angelo is grown folks music. 
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After two decades, and merely three CDs, D'Angelo has become a by-word for Soul/R&B music which during this time has sadly lost its way and much of its soul, particularly when it is compared to Marvin Gay -- and D' just has that Marvin-like je ne sais quoi, the air of a perfect and divine Black God of Love. 
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So it is with natural acceptance and eagerness to worship that I, like everyone else gifted with his newest treat, have begun my listening journey to the newest joint aptly entitled Black Messiah. D', the son of a preacher man, includes in the liner notes his explanation of the title's meaning clarifying that it is by no means a delusive attempt to elevate himself and rather more about inspiration and the discussion, explanation, reflection is like its master thoughtful, deep, righteous and Black/proud, and muti-layered and nothing to do with being a sex God at all. And that makes it so much more fucking sexy! 
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Will drop some more notes as they come to me while I listen to this new treasure! Definitely check out this extraordinary performance with D' and Tony Rich tributing Stevie Wonder -- it is brilliant! 

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Epilogue
The Ghost of the Battle of Deconstructing the Angry Black Woman

*Trixie Raconteur was saying "---Yes, Shacondria there are more important matters to consider than sex!!"

Snorting with gleeful contempt Shacondria said, "Like what??"

"Like music!! Art!! Freedom! The Soul and--" Trixie was trying to think of the many pleasures but it was hard to think and talk at the same time.

"Bitch that's just cuz you ain't getting no sex. Go on, with that mess--!" Shacondria waved her off, eyes rolling, head on swivel, and a half turned back.

Eyes flashing Politrixie opens her mouth to make a stinging reply bur keeping in mind that she and Shacondria have finally managed to create a fragile peace ever since the vicious "disagreement" they had which Trixie privately thinks of as The Battle of  Deconstructing the Angry Black Woman

The air is a little cold between them until Shacondria picks up the DVR remote to replay D'Angelo's SNL performance- from last Saturday --*

SNL Performance of Really Love


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The Charade from D'Angelo's new album Black Messiah



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