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By the mid-'90s, most urban R&B had become rather predictable, working on similar combinations of soul and hip-hop, or relying on vocal theatrics on slow, seductive numbers. With his debut album, Brown Sugar, the 21-year-old D'Angelo crashed down some of those barriers. 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. Not all of his music works -- there are several songs that sound incomplete, relying more on sound than structure. But when he does have a good song -- like the hit "Brown Sugar," Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'," or the bluesy "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker," among several others -- D'Angelo's wild talents are evident. Brown Sugar might not be consistently brilliant, but it is one of the most exciting debuts of 1995, giving a good sense of how deep D'Angelo's talents run.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Drum Programmer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bob Power, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, Producer - Michael Archer, ComposerLyricist - Tim Latham, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - D'Angelo, Producer, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - G-Spot, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1995 Capitol Records, LLC
Bob Power, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Archer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - D'Angelo, Producer, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - G-Spot, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1994 Virgin Records
Michael Archer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Latham, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chaz Harper, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Angie Stone, ComposerLyricist - Russell Elevado, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - D'Angelo, Producer, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - G-Spot, Recording Engineer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Rob Farrell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1995 Virgin Records
Bob Power, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Archer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - D'Angelo, Producer, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - G-Spot, Mixer, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1995 Virgin Records
Bob Power, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Archer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - D'Angelo, Producer, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - G-Spot, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1995 Virgin Records
Bob Power, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Archer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Larry Grenadier, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Gene Lake, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - D'Angelo, Producer, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - G-Spot, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Whitfield, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Luther Archer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1995 Virgin Records
Marvin Tarplin, ComposerLyricist - Jesse Levy, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Seymour Barab, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - SMOKEY ROBINSON, ComposerLyricist - Gerald Tarack, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Raimondi, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Olivia Koppell, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Latham, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Julien Barber, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Sue Pray, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Butch Jones, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - D'Angelo, Producer, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - G-Spot, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Marilyn Wright, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Winterton Garvey, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Masako Yanagita, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Alexander Simionescu, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Farrell, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dunn Pierson, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Laura Vivino, Flute, Piccolo, AssociatedPerformer - Eufrosina Railenu, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Natalie Kriegler, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Regis Landorio, Violin, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1995 Virgin Records
Michael Archer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Latham, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chaz Harper, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Russell Elevado, Mixer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - D'Angelo, Producer, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - G-Spot, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bassy Bob Brockmann, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Farrell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1995 Virgin Records
Michael Archer, ComposerLyricist - Tim Latham, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chaz Harper, Mix Engineer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Russell Elevado, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Raphael Saadiq, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - D'Angelo, Producer, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - G-Spot, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Charlie Ray Wiggins, ComposerLyricist - Tim Christian, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Farrell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Darrin Harris, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1995 Capitol Records, LLC
Bob Power, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Will Lee, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Ralph Rolle, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - D'Angelo, Producer, Vocals, Vocal Arranger, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - G-Spot, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Luther Archer, ComposerLyricist - Rodney Archer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1995 Virgin Records
Album review
By the mid-'90s, most urban R&B had become rather predictable, working on similar combinations of soul and hip-hop, or relying on vocal theatrics on slow, seductive numbers. With his debut album, Brown Sugar, the 21-year-old D'Angelo crashed down some of those barriers. 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. Not all of his music works -- there are several songs that sound incomplete, relying more on sound than structure. But when he does have a good song -- like the hit "Brown Sugar," Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'," or the bluesy "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker," among several others -- D'Angelo's wild talents are evident. Brown Sugar might not be consistently brilliant, but it is one of the most exciting debuts of 1995, giving a good sense of how deep D'Angelo's talents run.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:53:16
- Main artists: D'Angelo
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Virgin Records
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 1995 Virgin Records America Inc. ℗ 1995 Virgin Records America Inc.
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