D'Angelo: Voodoo

Like any great album, Voodoo is impossible to classify. Trying to count D'Angelo's influences is like writing a history of black peoples in the Americas. When D'Angelo describes his music (check the liner notes for D'Angelo's exposition on the current state of black music and his philosophy on the artistry of the vocalist/MC) you cannot help but notice his sense of history. In the liner notes, he writes, "We have come in the name of Jimi, Sly, Marvin, Stevie, all artists formerly known as spirits and spirits formerly known as stars." It is also no coincidence that all the songs on Voodoo were recorded and mixed at Electric Lady, Jimi Hendrix's New York studios.

Hip-hop is the one element in D'Angelo's black music synthesis that stands out in Voodo even more than on Brown Sugar, his first album. On Voodoo, Ahmir Thompson (?uestlove of the Roots) drums throughout the entire album, DJ Premier produces a track ("Devil's Pie" from the Belly soundtrack), and Redman and Method Man rhyme on another ("Left & Right"). What is extraordinary about these collaborations is how naturally D'Angelo incorporates hip-hop into the sound of the entire album, something that the overwhelming majority of recent R&B and rock collaborations with hip-hop artists have failed to do. D'Angelo is special not only because he understands his breadth of influences, but also for his uniquely unforced manner of constructing a whole from these many parts. His sound helps the listener to understand the interconnectedness of all black music.

That said, I'm forced to conclude that "Left & Right" is the weakest song on the album. Red and Meth's voices fall nicely into D'Angelo's groove, but their lyrics just aren't up to par with the resto of this intensely introspective album. The original version of this song featured Q-Tip, who was subsequently dropped because, according to ?uestlove, "No one was feeling Tip's verse." I can't help but wonder what this song could have been with a lyricist like Common, Black Thought, or Mos Def.

As it stands, the highlights of Voodoo are too many to count, but "Chicken Grease," "Untitled," and "Africa" will stand out. ?uestlove describes the first two as stylistic tributes to George Clinton and Prince, respectively. "Africa" is a track I'm still not sure I can wrap my mind around. It is at once a song dedicated to D'Angelo's son, history, Africa, and God, all set against hauntingly beautiful bells and hypnotic drums.

After just a couple of listens, it is abundantly clear how superbly produced this album is, right down to the transitions between songs. A lot of time and effort went into making this album (five years since Brown Sugar) and it shows. There is no formula here; D'Angelo simply does what he feels, and in this age of made-for-radio and MTV albums, that is as rare as it is refreshing. (Virgin)

—Eric Brown

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