Black Messiah - D'Angelo and the Vanguard

You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin dive deep into D'Angelo's critically acclaimed 2014 album 'Black Messiah,' exploring its intricate

Key takeaways

• D'Angelo's 'Black Messiah' blends raw emotion with sophisticated musical craftsmanship, marking a bold evolution from his earlier albums.
• The album's opening track, 'Ain't That Easy,' uses psychedelic guitar feedback reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix, setting a menacing and introspective tone.

Main topics

• Track-by-track analysis of 'Black Messiah'
• Musical influences: Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Sly & the Family Stone, Bee Gees

Notable quotes

"This record is both raw and refined in such a sophisticated way. Normally those two things don't coexist, but I really feel like they do here."

Conclusion

D'Angelo's 'Black Messiah' stands as a monumental achievement in 21st-century music—a

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:15) I'm Adam Maness. And I'm Peter Martin. And you're listening to the You'll Hear It podcast. Music explored. Explored, brought to you today by Open Studio. Peter, go to OpenStudioJazz.com for... Speaker 3 (0:25) Oh, look at him. Look at him. Speaker 2 (0:27) He's backing up further. I had to bring it for this one because this is one of my Speaker 3 (0:31) favorite Speaker 2 (0:32) albums of the 21st Speaker 3 (0:33) century from one of my all-time favorite Speaker 2 (0:35) artists, the great D'Angelo. Man, this is a heavy album. It's literally heavy. It's a double record right there. The Speaker 3 (0:41) two LPs, the material's heavy. 2014's masterpiece, Speaker 2 (0:45) Black Messiah. Speaker 3 (0:46) Yes, Speaker 2 (0:47) yes. Speaker 3 (0:47) This was a big deal. This was a big deal when this record came out. And it feels like... It was just yesterday because we're OGs. Old guys. Speaker 2 (0:55) And what is that, 12 years ago? So I remember everything that was out around it, like Kendrick Lamar's To Bimble Butterfly, which was like really his huge breakthrough that year. Same year. I also remember that St. Vincent self-titled album was everywhere. And I was listening. I actually remember driving in my car, going between this and the St. Vincent album. And then Beck's Morning Phase, which I believe won the Grammy that year. Man, this was such a good year for music. There was so much good stuff from great artists, and we were waiting a long time for this album. I Speaker 3 (1:26) mean, since Voodoo, basically. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Speaker 2 (1:27) What, 14 years? Yeah. Speaker 3 (1:29) This record is, I don't know, man. It's like, it's both raw and refined in such a sophisticated way. I mean, normally those two things don't coexist, but I really feel like they do here. It's both an extension of Voodoo, and it has nothing to do with Voodoo. And Peter, like all the great albums that we talk about on this show, Speaker 2 (1:47) They have to start with a banger. Yes. And this one's no different. Absolutely. First track is called Ain't That Easy. Oh, and it just eases his way. It's already Speaker 3 (1:54) started. Speaker 1 (2:25) A little bit of Prince on those drums, you know? Oh. Speaker 3 (3:42) Yeah, I remember when I first heard this. I mean, I listened from the beginning of the CD, and I was like, okay, where Speaker 2 (3:47) are we going? Speaker 3 (3:48) So Speaker 2 (3:49) satisfying. Speaker 3 (3:50) I want Speaker 2 (3:50) to Speaker 3 (3:50) take it back. So this is such, like, the beginning of this, and I have a little bit of a reference point. I don't know if this is a conscious connection or whatever. But I always think about, we talk about how does a record start. Like, to me, this starts very unsettled. Right. But then pretty quickly it gets into some like obviously heavy groove, but it's still like it's a little bit menacing. Right. And because of a lot of D'Angelo, at least for me, like I can't. I don't focus in on the lyrics because I can't hear them or understand them. They're all beautifully laid out on some things in here, but I had to see. They're mixed solo, first of all. Right. You know what I mean? But I wrote, yeah, they're mixed low. He's in a lot of falsetto. There's a lot of layers. But the first thing I could hear on this, I remember it was like, you can't leave me. Yeah. You know, the hook at the chorus. Speaker 2 (4:35) It ain't that easy. Speaker 3 (4:36) Yeah. And then, so there was all this buildup to like the record. So it's, you know, definitely about like lovers leaving, whatever's staying. But it's also like, it seems like a little bit of a play on he's been gone for 14 years to most people. Even Speaker 1 (4:46) though he's kind of been out there. I never thought about it like that. That's a great take. Because I remember Speaker 3 (4:50) when I heard that. But check out just the way that it starts because there's silence and then it just kind of comes in, right, with the sound. Speaker 3 (5:03) Like a guitar, right? It's almost like sirens. It's like a psychedelic rock. It's like funkadelic or something. Right. And so what that reminded me of was, and I was trying to find it. Ooh, did we get this on here? Yes, here. Ever heard of this? Oh, perfect. Yeah, exactly. A little feedback. Speaker 3 (5:27) Of course, Jimi Speaker 1 (5:28) Hendrix. Speaker 3 (5:28) Peter, when's the Jimi episode dropping? Come on, man. Which was not, like, the main connection, I think, with D'Angelo is Voodoo being recorded at Electric Lady Studios, but also there was definitely an influence on D'Angelo's guitar playing. That's the other thing that I'm getting from the beginning of this, is that this is going to be a little bit Speaker 2 (5:45) guitar-heavy record. Speaker 1 (5:46) For sure. Speaker 3 (5:46) You Speaker 1 (5:46) know what I Speaker 3 (5:47) mean? Yeah, yeah. And we talk about this with Radiohead, they had their guitar record. Like, he's kind of putting it out there, right? It's good. It's a different sound than Voodoo. It's D'Angelo. And it's a much different sound Speaker 2 (5:55) than... It is. than uh brown sugar Speaker 3 (5:57) right and the bass okay so this whole damn we're listening we're in trouble already listen to one track again the clap that clap snare that And so that's kind of settled there, right? But then we've got a little bit of like, a little bit of, is this going to be a rock record? What's going on? It has. You're absolutely right. The beat, right? Speaker 2 (6:22) But then, get your head. George Clinton. With those vocals. Come on. It's that mid-Atlantic country. It's that mid-Atlantic swampy Speaker 3 (6:35) country. That's right. Speaker 3 (6:37) But then you got a little bit of that doo-boo-doo, you know. So it's like a lot of things. I think it's, you know, look. Speaker 2 (6:43) Yeah, shout out Virginia and the Carolinas for that. Absolutely. Thank Speaker 3 (6:45) you Speaker 2 (6:45) for that. Absolutely. James Speaker 3 (6:46) Genis, Steve Wilson, so many great musicians from there. George Clinton. George Clinton, exactly. D'Angelo. But the thing is, I think that whether it's conscious or not, whether it's divine intervention, whether D'Angelo planned it, whether somebody else, whether it was by accident, whatever. I think these, what become great records, and sometimes it's on the first listening, the introduction, like it's putting these elements out. It's just like a great story. You're going to hear these things. It's like opening up the loops, right? Guitars, a little bit of rock, a little bit of like Jimmy Hennig. I mean. man, it's so good, but then you're grooving, you've gotten the bluesy stuff, because this record goes all over the place. It wasn't until I really came back with studying for this, I realized how much, because I was hearing them live right around that time, how much this record goes on a journey when you're listening to it from beginning to end. Speaker 2 (7:34) Yeah, real quick, let's talk a little bit about some of the personnel on this album. So we've got Questlove, James Gadsden, and Chris Dave are the three drummers listed in the credits. Of course, D'Angelo's longtime collaborator in the studio and on tour, Pino Palladino, on the bass. And it says the sitar, which we're going to hear in a little bit. Speaker 3 (7:54) Well, and D Speaker 2 (7:54) 'Angelo's playing... playing bass on a bunch of stuff. Speaker 3 (7:57) The great Isaiah Sharkey on the guitar, too. Sorry, yeah. Speaker 2 (8:00) But Speaker 3 (8:00) it's not broken down anywhere. The things we're going to talk about, I did make notes on certain tracks where I know because either Russ Elevato or D'Angelo himself Speaker 2 (8:07) specifically said who Speaker 1 (8:08) played on, it's not Speaker 3 (8:09) on any of the albums thing. And there's definitely some overlap where they come or go. There's sometimes when you know on bass, it's, you know, I mean. Well, because Speaker 2 (8:16) that was D'Angelo's process, right? He talked about it. Speaker 3 (8:18) Yeah, this is the instrumentation. and how D'Angelo approaches specific on this record, I think. Speaker 2 (8:23) How much bass do you play Speaker 4 (8:24) on Black Messiah? I play bass. I play pretty much everything on all of the songs. And then after I'm done with the first skeleton, the blueprint, then I'll bring in my guys. I'll bring Pino in and I'll bring Amir. At the time, James Gasson played a lot of drums on the songs. A lot of times, me. There's times when just me and Amir, just be me and him. He'll come up with the drum pattern and I'll sit there and write the music. Sometimes Pino will be in the room with us while we're doing that. But most of the time it's me who starts it off and then I'll bring Pino in. Speaker 3 (9:08) Yeah, so I mean, that's kind of, that's what the process was like. Very different from Voodoo. Well, I shouldn't say Speaker 2 (9:13) very different, Speaker 3 (9:14) but different from Voodoo, right? Voodoo, when they're in the studio doing a lot of jams, playing stuff together, there is a couple tracks on this that are like that as well that we'll make a note of. Shout Speaker 2 (9:23) out to, on background vocals and the co-writer of eight of these songs and lyrics, vocalist Kendra Foster. Right. Speaker 3 (9:30) The only other vocals Speaker 2 (9:31) you hear on here. Yeah, that's right. Speaker 3 (9:32) Should we move on? And I hate to even... Yeah, let's do it. Speaker 2 (9:34) Next track is A Thousand Deaths. Speaker 3 (9:36) Yes. Speaker 3 (9:55) That's Fred Hampton and Khalid Abdul-Muhammad. Speaker 1 (9:58) That's Speaker 3 (10:07) got to be Gadsden there, right? And then it makes way. I don't Speaker 2 (11:24) know if he was checking it out, but there is a little Kid A in this, actually. Yeah, there is. There's Speaker 3 (11:27) a Speaker 2 (11:27) little bit of this dystopian thing Speaker 3 (11:29) happening in this track. And it's also, it's definitely got that, the production, you know, the Tribe Called Quest. With that, it's that bass. Speaker 3 (11:53) Everything's so great here. I want to jump ahead a little bit. I know this is your chance. You're famous. What are you doing? But we'll get to that in Speaker 1 (11:58) a Speaker 3 (11:58) minute. What Speaker 1 (11:59) are you Speaker 3 (11:59) doing? No, because it keeps moving along, but then there's this transformation. Speaker 1 (12:04) his Speaker 2 (12:29) music so special to me is like no matter what texture he's playing around with and this album uses some different textures than anything he's ever done. It's much denser than Voodoo. There's a lot going on all the time sonically and even musically but he's never too far away from the church. He's never too far away from the blues and like that comes through in our souls so hard. You know what I mean? And it's going to kind of transform here in a couple of seconds. Speaker 1 (12:54) With Speaker 3 (13:30) the transition to the next tune. Oh, this is great. Bass and drums again. Speaker 3 (13:37) He's a prince now. This has got... It's Speaker 2 (13:53) like... It's like Funkadelic and Prince and Sly all wrapped up. Yeah. Glorious package. And then we're Speaker 3 (14:09) going to transition into the charade coming up here, track number three. This is a great Speaker 2 (14:14) transition record, too. There's so many... I hope this lets us... But you can hear it even in this first two tracks. This, like, never-ending da-da-da-da-da-da-da is already happening. Right. Now, Speaker 3 (14:27) this is the charade. Now we're opening up. And this is just the trio. And they cut this live. Pino, Questlove, and D'Angelo. Just the three of them. Speaker 1 (14:59) Guitar. They Speaker 3 (15:09) did this live a bunch. This is a great Questlove group. Speaker 1 (15:18) Oh! Speaker 3 (15:19) Man, Speaker 2 (15:30) you're right. The first part of this album is a little like a rock album. It is. It Speaker 3 (15:33) is. Speaker 2 (15:34) And then it starts opening up in the middle. Not yet. Never Speaker 3 (15:36) thought about Speaker 2 (15:36) it like that. Speaker 3 (15:38) That's why a lot of people listened to this from the beginning and they were like, wow, okay. Speaker 1 (15:47) Bess Love's Speaker 2 (15:48) rock grooves are slamming there. But it is in the sort of sly rock groove. You know Speaker 3 (15:53) what Speaker 2 (15:53) I mean? Yeah. Speaker 3 (15:53) That sitar bringing it. The electric sitar. We got to get a sitar around here. Speaker 1 (16:07) Back up. Back up. Bess Speaker 2 (16:26) Love killing this? Yeah. Cruisers. Speaker 3 (16:57) Okay, so the lyrics on this, I had to print them up because we were talking about this. Something is so lost, but it is fun if you're able to look at it. It is printed in here too. But he's got one of the great lines in here. All the dreamers have gone to the side of the road, which we will lay on, inundated by media, virtual mind fucks in streams. Speaker 2 (17:19) Yeah, yeah. Speaker 3 (17:20) This is a deep track. I think Questlove's killing it, obviously. Yeah, he Speaker 2 (17:24) sounds great on this. Yeah. Speaker 3 (17:25) I mean, playing like a rock part. Speaker 2 (17:27) Yeah, it's just like a rock Speaker 3 (17:28) trio. Yeah. Speaker 2 (17:30) The break's incredible. Sounds so good. So we're three tracks in, and we're already seeing kind of a variety of themes that he's... Speaker 2 (17:40) talking about and there's going to be more coming there's going to be a third prong to this but this is why this album I think more than Voodoo it reminds me of a couple of albums so I think a lot of people talk about this album reminding them of Sly and the Family Stones There's a Riot Going On which I think is true I think like if you well especially that track The Charade for sure like here's Family Affair from There's a Riot Going On Speaker 2 (18:14) All right, next season. We already got orders for next season. But I also think, and I haven't heard people talk about this, but I think it's got a little of this going on too. Speaker 2 (18:24) maybe not musically as smooth, but like the themes of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On are there's some social things happening, obviously, but then there's also some spirituality that we're going to hear later on here in Black Messiah. I mean, just the title Black Messiah, but he does, you know, Speaker 3 (18:39) we Speaker 2 (18:39) think about prayer and some of the more spiritual sides of this album. And then there's love and sex, which is a huge part of this music. And D'Angelo actually talks about like... the line between spirituality and love and sex is very blurry for him. Speaker 3 (18:51) Yeah. And he references in the interviews Marvin specifically in talking about that. Speaker 2 (18:55) Oh, that's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. But to me, it's like, it's those, and I would even put too, just on the spirit of the album, maybe not thematically, but a little bit, an album we've talked about here, Prince's Sign of the Times. In that this is, I think, the process that D'Angelo talked about making this seemed not quite like Prince, you know, locking himself away and making all those tracks mostly himself. Yeah. D'Angelo did that, and then he brought in the Vanguard to play over what he was playing. But he created these, not like Voodoo, where it was like a bunch of musicians hanging out for years, making the things in real time together. Yes. This is more of just him and his playground doing his thing. Yeah. And that reminds me of Sign of the Times. That's awesome. Speaker 3 (19:33) Now let's go on to track number four. So Speaker 2 (19:36) this is where I introduce a new character here in the band, and this is the great Roy Hargrove. That's right. Your old friend, R.I.P. Roy, one of the greatest jazz musicians of this or any generation, truly, and was a part of Voodoo. He was a huge part of Voodoo. Speaker 3 (19:50) Yeah, and I mean, exactly, Voodoo and this record, I think, and was probably the best sort of cross-pollinator. ambassador coming from truly the jazz world. Speaker 2 (20:01) I mean, D'Angelo in his own way, you know, stepped in. We're going to hear some, there's Speaker 3 (20:04) some scatting on this record. There's some piano solos, guitar solos. And we're about to hear a lot more walking bass lines than we would expect. Speaker 2 (20:11) But Speaker 3 (20:12) Roy was Speaker 2 (20:12) a leader on our scene. Speaker 3 (20:13) Exactly. But then he crossed over into, in the most. you know, seamless and authentic and genuine way out of his love for solar and being hip hop in a way that I think is very similar, you know, very similar age group to, uh, to D'Angelo and a lot of the same influences, a lot of the same kind of outlook and singularity in terms of like dedication to, I mean, I remember Roy just having the chance to work with them and known for a number of years, but especially the short time when I was in his band,