D'Angelo Puts Focus on Music
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
.c The Associated Press
HOLMDEL, N.J. (AP) - When the new year began, D'Angelo was overexposed - quite literally.
The image of his nearly naked body for the sexy video ''(Untitled) How Does It Feel'' trumpeted the release of his sophomore album, ``Voodoo,'' one of the most anticipated and critically acclaimed discs of the year.
But as the months wore on and D'Angelo went on a nationwide tour, his profile steadily declined.
``We were planning to drop another single, but it just didn't happen,'' he said with a shrug during a recent interview, between drags on a cigarette. ``We were on the road, and we were just concentrating on that.''
``Voodoo'' hasn't approached the sales of bubble-gum acts like Britney Spears or rap sensations like Nelly. Although it debuted at the top of the charts in January and has sold more than 1 million copies, by October ``Voodoo'' had dropped off Billboard's Top 200 album chart.
But D'Angelo says that's not a concern.
``I want to sell as many copies as (people) will buy, but that's not what I'm (about),'' said the singer, punctuating his sentences with profanities. ``I'm really just trying to get out what I feel in here, artistically,'' he said, pointing to his heart.
Artistry has been the focal point for Michael D'Angelo Archer since he came on the scene in 1995 with Grammy-nominated debut ``Brown Sugar.'' The album's funky R&B grooves recalled the '70s sound with its focus on instrumentation instead of borrowed tracks or predictable beats. Critics labeled D'Angelo the leader of a new neosoul movement, along with the likes of Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and Maxwell.
But where ``Brown Sugar'' was radio friendly, with smooth hits like ``Lady'' and the Smokey Robinson remake ``Cruisin','' ``Voodoo'' is more of a musician's album, with a focus on raw, jazzy grooves that sound like something you'd hear during a jam session at a club.
In fact, the album's unconventional edge was partly the reason for the five-year lag between albums, according to D'Angelo, who says his record company, Virgin, wanted to hear some radio-friendly hits.
``They were like, 'Well, we like it, but we don't hear any hits that radio would play,''' he said. ``So, I went into the studio and did some more work ... I think I had to approach it just a little open-mindedly.''
Besides a couple of tracks, however, D'Angelo doesn't feel that the album really satisfied the record executives' hit request - and he's glad.
``They're looking for that hook, that recognizable hook, that's their thing,'' he said. ``And I like to do hooks that are unrecognizable, that you have to look for, that you have to search for - I love that.''
The result, although a musical triumph, may have lessened the album's commercial appeal. D'Angelo says searching for commercial success is a dangerous goal for an artist.
``You cannot, you cannot work like that. You cannot make music like that. That's not what this is about,'' he said. ''(Musicians) have gotten trapped into that mode of thinking - marketable and commercial. That destroys art, that destroys the essence of what it is about.''
That focus in some ways parallels the career of Prince, a major influence on the young singer, as anyone who listens to D'Angelo can attest. D'Angelo's sensual ''(Untitled) How Does It Feel'' sometimes sounds like a remake of some unheard early '80s Prince song, from the singer's falsetto to the musical composition.
D'Angelo counts Prince as one of ``the greats'' that he's studied closely, along with James Brown, and when he talks about Prince's music, it's one of the rare times the subdued singer gets animated.
``We've talked on a number of occasions,'' D'Angelo said of Prince. ``We jammed together after a show he did at Jones Beach and we did an afterjam at Tramps.''
He considers Prince's music from ``Under the Cherry Moon,'' the 1986 movie flop, to be his best work.
``See, everybody was thrown off by the movie because the movie was horrible, but I'm telling you man, live - it was the most amazing (thing)!''
D'Angelo's live performances rival those of his idol. In concert, he intertwines his sexual energy with the spiritual slant drawn from his childhood as a pastor's kid in Richmond, Va. And while he denies playing to his pinup image, it's kind of hard to believe as he writhes on the floor and teases shrieking female fans by flexing his muscles.
His onstage image is hard to reconcile with his laid-back, quiet demeanor off-stage. D'Angelo says he likes to stay away from the limelight and play with his two children, ages 3 and 1.
``I used to hang out a lot, but now I've become more of a recluse,'' said D'Angelo, a bachelor. ``I long for just peace and silence. Back then, I could go out and be anonymous, and that was cool.''
D'Angelo is now working on a live album taken from performances during his tour, which kicks off its international leg in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday (Oct. 21).
His U.S. tour was partnered with PAX, an anti-gun violence organization, which - together with sponsor Levi's - urged concertgoers to sign petitions to end gun violence. D'Angelo supports the cause, but you won't hear similar messages in his lyrics. He likes to keep politics out of music - at least for now.
``I just want to do it in a way where I don't feel like I'm shoving (stuff) down somebody's throat, trying to be a political activist,'' he said. ``I definitely have a stance on things like that ... but I just want to do it in a way where I'm not preaching.''
AP-NY-10-18-00 1206EDT
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Sorry Bluesman I did not have a link or could not send it properly.
------------------
"those who sacrifice
liberty for security deserve neither"
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
.c The Associated Press
HOLMDEL, N.J. (AP) - When the new year began, D'Angelo was overexposed - quite literally.
The image of his nearly naked body for the sexy video ''(Untitled) How Does It Feel'' trumpeted the release of his sophomore album, ``Voodoo,'' one of the most anticipated and critically acclaimed discs of the year.
But as the months wore on and D'Angelo went on a nationwide tour, his profile steadily declined.
``We were planning to drop another single, but it just didn't happen,'' he said with a shrug during a recent interview, between drags on a cigarette. ``We were on the road, and we were just concentrating on that.''
``Voodoo'' hasn't approached the sales of bubble-gum acts like Britney Spears or rap sensations like Nelly. Although it debuted at the top of the charts in January and has sold more than 1 million copies, by October ``Voodoo'' had dropped off Billboard's Top 200 album chart.
But D'Angelo says that's not a concern.
``I want to sell as many copies as (people) will buy, but that's not what I'm (about),'' said the singer, punctuating his sentences with profanities. ``I'm really just trying to get out what I feel in here, artistically,'' he said, pointing to his heart.
Artistry has been the focal point for Michael D'Angelo Archer since he came on the scene in 1995 with Grammy-nominated debut ``Brown Sugar.'' The album's funky R&B grooves recalled the '70s sound with its focus on instrumentation instead of borrowed tracks or predictable beats. Critics labeled D'Angelo the leader of a new neosoul movement, along with the likes of Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and Maxwell.
But where ``Brown Sugar'' was radio friendly, with smooth hits like ``Lady'' and the Smokey Robinson remake ``Cruisin','' ``Voodoo'' is more of a musician's album, with a focus on raw, jazzy grooves that sound like something you'd hear during a jam session at a club.
In fact, the album's unconventional edge was partly the reason for the five-year lag between albums, according to D'Angelo, who says his record company, Virgin, wanted to hear some radio-friendly hits.
``They were like, 'Well, we like it, but we don't hear any hits that radio would play,''' he said. ``So, I went into the studio and did some more work ... I think I had to approach it just a little open-mindedly.''
Besides a couple of tracks, however, D'Angelo doesn't feel that the album really satisfied the record executives' hit request - and he's glad.
``They're looking for that hook, that recognizable hook, that's their thing,'' he said. ``And I like to do hooks that are unrecognizable, that you have to look for, that you have to search for - I love that.''
The result, although a musical triumph, may have lessened the album's commercial appeal. D'Angelo says searching for commercial success is a dangerous goal for an artist.
``You cannot, you cannot work like that. You cannot make music like that. That's not what this is about,'' he said. ''(Musicians) have gotten trapped into that mode of thinking - marketable and commercial. That destroys art, that destroys the essence of what it is about.''
That focus in some ways parallels the career of Prince, a major influence on the young singer, as anyone who listens to D'Angelo can attest. D'Angelo's sensual ''(Untitled) How Does It Feel'' sometimes sounds like a remake of some unheard early '80s Prince song, from the singer's falsetto to the musical composition.
D'Angelo counts Prince as one of ``the greats'' that he's studied closely, along with James Brown, and when he talks about Prince's music, it's one of the rare times the subdued singer gets animated.
``We've talked on a number of occasions,'' D'Angelo said of Prince. ``We jammed together after a show he did at Jones Beach and we did an afterjam at Tramps.''
He considers Prince's music from ``Under the Cherry Moon,'' the 1986 movie flop, to be his best work.
``See, everybody was thrown off by the movie because the movie was horrible, but I'm telling you man, live - it was the most amazing (thing)!''
D'Angelo's live performances rival those of his idol. In concert, he intertwines his sexual energy with the spiritual slant drawn from his childhood as a pastor's kid in Richmond, Va. And while he denies playing to his pinup image, it's kind of hard to believe as he writhes on the floor and teases shrieking female fans by flexing his muscles.
His onstage image is hard to reconcile with his laid-back, quiet demeanor off-stage. D'Angelo says he likes to stay away from the limelight and play with his two children, ages 3 and 1.
``I used to hang out a lot, but now I've become more of a recluse,'' said D'Angelo, a bachelor. ``I long for just peace and silence. Back then, I could go out and be anonymous, and that was cool.''
D'Angelo is now working on a live album taken from performances during his tour, which kicks off its international leg in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday (Oct. 21).
His U.S. tour was partnered with PAX, an anti-gun violence organization, which - together with sponsor Levi's - urged concertgoers to sign petitions to end gun violence. D'Angelo supports the cause, but you won't hear similar messages in his lyrics. He likes to keep politics out of music - at least for now.
``I just want to do it in a way where I don't feel like I'm shoving (stuff) down somebody's throat, trying to be a political activist,'' he said. ``I definitely have a stance on things like that ... but I just want to do it in a way where I'm not preaching.''
AP-NY-10-18-00 1206EDT
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Sorry Bluesman I did not have a link or could not send it properly.
------------------
"those who sacrifice
liberty for security deserve neither"