The Unexpected Complexity of D'Angelo
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- D'Angelo's Chicken Grease is amazing. The song feels so good, and so effortless, but if you take a look under the hood, there are a lot of influences happening, from Classic Soul to Funk, from the 60s, 70s, AND 80s, and from hip hop to… Classical Music. No, I'm not kidding. That's how intricate this song is. Here are the 7 musical influences I found in D'Angelo's Chicken Grease.
Stream the Spotify Listening Guide, which includes every song mentioned in this video: open.spotify.c...
Other videos mentioned in this one:
The Soulquarians and the Power of a Music Scene: • The Musical Movement W...
James Brown's Hip Hop Heist: • When James Brown INCEP...
Get the book "Dilla Time" by Dan Charnas: amzn.to/3JXrAcP
// Follow me on Instagram: bit.ly/3KJmbG0
// Follow me on TikTok: bit.ly/3uJc12q
TOPICS COVERED
D'Angelo
Chicken Grease
Voodoo
Questlove
Marvin Gaye
Prince
James Brown
Beethoven
Classical Counterpoint
Curtis Mayfield
George Clinton
J Dilla
Neo Soul
![[Full Episode] The Restaurant War Thailand ศึกพ่อค้าซ่าแม่ค้าแซ่บ Episode 2 | 29 ก.ย. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/r3lfLNH6Ke4/mqdefault.jpg)
Maaaaaaan, these videos are a music/hip hop heads dream!
Trying to give this music the attention and respect it deserves!
I didn't know how to say it. I guess simple is best.
😂😂😂 ok
Your channel is brilliance!
I’m in heaven! Content like this is what I’ve always dreamed of! 🤗🤩🤘🏾
As a huge fan of D'Angelo, I'm here to say, this video was amazing !!
Not only do you do your homework, but you put alot of time in your videos. Love it.
First time seeing a vid of yours and this is dope! Thank you man!
This was an awesome deep dive/breakdown and so glad it popped up on my feed! How could I not subscribe to this channel! Great Job!
Really enjoyed this, thank you for the niche history on such a classic LP! Have you heard all his leaked stuff? Just discovered a random set of leaks on QQ music recently. Several jams I'd never heard before even though I've searched for leaks and have heard most of the Voodoo ones before.
This was an incredible breakdown for people such as myself that love every artist you mentioned but at the same time doesn't know anything regarding musical notes or placing where the influence from!!!!
#Awesome highlight connecting the bridge from the old to the new!!!
Great vid thanks bud :D keep em comin x
Love this! 💖
😂…ok, too many good video’s you got my sub!
Great video mate, my only complaint (and it's slight) is around the 8 minute mark the bass you've tracked is distorting in a pretty nasty way, everything else is spot on and look forward to seeing more of your stuff
WOW. u earned my sub!
Anything you can do on the brown sugar album? That album was amazing
I always thought Voodoo was heavily referencing Parade. Especially the segue between New Position/I Wonder U. Questlove’s Dilla drumming is amazing but it’s a shame how many players try to lamely copy it as “drunken style”. . usually sounds contrived and unnatural.
the ai depiction looks good imo
Curtis mayfield - mother's son 》 》》 d'angelo - talk shit to you
I remember my Dad and I sitting in the car the first time it played on the radio, we looked at each other and said "Prince?!" at the same time. Bought the album for his birthday and he danced with my mother to it. Good times.
I bought this for my mom on her birthday. She still listens to it.
Masterfully done! Voodoo is my favorite album ever! It's a joy to watch these videos and feel all the love and knowledge you put on it! Hope you keep it going!
Thank you! Many more videos on the way!
Same here. Voodoo the best album ever.
Brazilian or Portuguese?
u might like this one :)
th-cam.com/video/0dOyTLuWqSM/w-d-xo.html
Dude.. This is an extremely well-researched and executed video. Amazing job. So much useful info and amazing connections in here! I wish you the best with your channel, this stuff is gold!
Voodoo is my favorite album of the past 30 years. Mama's gun is probably the second...what an amazing, creative moment in music history 2000 was.
Love your videos, bro.
Agreed! An incredible time in music history! Thank you 🙏
Thank goodness we got to witness & live with the Soulquarians.
Both my favs too bro, good taste!
Counter melody concept is existent way before Beethoven and is applied to a lot of music.
Doubt that Angelo was thinking on it to do it 😅
@@eyesoulyou2086 why wouldn’t he be thinking of it? He’s an incredibly sophisticated musician
I got to work with d recently, was a blessing, i have a recording of this live and also a denzel curry version of him doing chicken grease pretty rad, recorded on same room too
his new album is coming?
Cool story bro!
@@minibuns5397 🫂
This is some real talent here, your pedagogy and your video’s production value are just excellent. My hat is off
"Chicken Grease" is one of my favorites on Voodoo! I've always thought of it as his "Sexy MF" or "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud". Prince was a bog fan of James so this lineage is no secret. D'Angelo put his FOOT in Voodoo and the band elevated the magic. Pino's bass playing on this track is some of the best on the album. He's such a thoughtful player playing with space in such a fun way. It's the most prevalent on "Chicken Grease." So happy to see other musicians analyzing D'Angelo's work! Good video.
It's not an F#min9 chord. It's an F#min traid and he's adding the 13 (6th).
I rarely comment on here but this video truly blew me away man. I've been a Voodoo truther for years now because I believe that Voodoo is the best R&B album so far this century but also how much of a homage it was to the great Black music that proceeded it so to see you so eloquently break this down was amazing man. Keep up the good work & I'm looking forward to seeing your channel continue to grow & take off. Salute
I have the voodoo cd in storage. It's a little scratched up. I played it a lot. Chicken grease is one of my favorites 😍👑
One mo gin is my number one favorite on that album. ❤️
I love your content...much needed in these times. My only feedback to this great digging is that James Poyser probably deserved more flowers in this piece. He allegedly did the bulk of this, going from an Okay Player video on the song, and D'Angelo and Questlove came to him and asked him to give it to them, instead of Common. When he agreed, they proceeded to swap with Common. Poyser worked with Dilla on Common's The Questions, and his beatmaking influenced him on the rest of his Electirc Lady sessions. Great content though. Many blessings!
First time I heard Black Messiah it absolutely blew my mind. Was definitely worth the wait! Don't think I've ever heard an artist incorporate so many different kinds of music and sounds in his work. There's all sorts of parts where there's a random clarinet riff or something, and then then that's the only time that instrument makes a noise the whole song and I'm left thinking "wow, I wonder why that's there. I wouldn't have thought of that in a thousand years"
That’s such a great Album 💿
It’s truly a masterpiece. I was a kid during the voodoo era so this have me a sense of what it may have felt like.
this. The fact that Black Messiah came out almost at the same weeks that TPA came out kinda ruined the release, but damn is that album just perfect
@@yellowbones TPA? What dat?
@@byanymeansnecessary9329 could be wildly off but maybe To Pimp A Butterfly, was a similar time I think.
Anyway, Black Messiah is one my all time albums, continues to blow my mind to this day, an absolute masterpiece!
Fantastic video, man. You broke down the intricacy of “Chicken Grease” in layman’s terms so well - especially the counter-melody bit (which I was totally unaware of) and Questlove’s drumming technique.
It’s made me appreciate the ‘loose precision’ and risk-taking of Voodoo more than I did.
Subbed to you yesterday, hoping you continue to gain subs over time. Your stuff is quality.
finishes video
immediately puts chicken grease on loop
🔥🔥🔥
Great video. However, I cant help telling you that you forgot a massive influence of the mummbling and overdubing which is SLY STONE.
not talking about Sly Stone influence on voodoo and D'angelo is an outright blasphemy.
I am sorry but you are selling D'Angelo short by attributing the whole groove thing to Dilla. Questlove explicitly stated in his Red Bull interview that both of them arrived at that sound independently from each other.
Isn't it moreso selling Questlove short?
Pino on bass was so key on this album!
Bro! You bodied this breakdown! VooDoo was literally my first album as a kid. the only 8 y/o listening to DeAngelo in 2000. lol Stole the CD from my older sisters room. Walkman life.
That’s fire, i wish I had that good music taste when I was 8
This channel is gold!
🙏🙏🙏
Wow, this is such a great video. I had never thought of that counterpoint idea while listening to D'Angelo, and it was like a light switch that went off when I realized that correlation between the bass and drums haha. Please keep making these videos!
Yeah, it’s really incredible how it all works together! Many more videos on the way!
You killed this breakdown, thank you!
cannot get enough of your channel, man. so well done and way enjoyable.
Sorry, but "the use of counterpoint increased in the late classical era"
Excuse me????
For the three people wondering what this comment means: the use of counterpoint actually dramatically _decreased_ in the Classical era, as composers focused more on simpler melodies and less cluttered arrangements. It‘s the Baroque era (think J.S. Bach) that was peak counterpoint, and this era was _before_ the Classical era.
Can’t believe I haven’t found your visa and channel until now. Been a huge D’Angelo fan since Brown Sugar.
So deeply appreciative of your incredible deep dives. Thank you 😎
This is the greatest R&B album of all time to me. I'm sayin all time. I put this above Thriller. There are no skips on this album. The content in the songs. The emotional depth. Songs like Send It On, The Root, Spanish Joint...sheesh. D'Angelo did that! I hope he comes around one more time! I love all 3 of his albums.
thriller is sill better, lets be honest
songs like devils pie feel quite dated.... thriller is timeless
@@nikhilrampal7488 to you. Not to me. I skip multiple songs on Thriller and the sound is dated. You can tell it was constructed in the 80s. I'm speaking sonically, lyrically, arrangement...TO ME, there is nothing touching the Voodoo masterpiece. It could be released today and still be light years ahead of R&B.
@@nikhilrampal7488 ok. 😂 Do you see all of these protests going on in the world? Do you see what's happening in music especially with rappers? And Devil's Pie is dated? Do you know what the song is about? Yeah. Jay-Z asked once do you listen to music or skim through it...
@@MossyB4Prez you're speaking to a 0.01% jay z fan....
You can rate it over thriller if you want to. But be careful, Thriller is widely considered as the best of all time. Questlove himself would also conceed to this.
Sure its better than modern RnB... but all modern music is shit.
devils pie.. save some desert from us😁
Hmmm, are you sure those "Chicken Grease" guitar 16th notes is a (F#m9?), I might not be picking up on the "9" because it sounds like a (F#m7)....or another way of saying it: (an A major triad, 2nd inversion, with the 3 on top)...Man I hate sounding overly technical for simple stuff, lol......But, great video!
Your editing is inspiring. Far superior of channels 10x your size!
Keep it goin :)
Great video. A minor note about the counterpoints. Use of counterpoints was a standard tradition during Baroque, so it does not really "increased" during late classical. You might argue that it had been perfected by Beethoven, Mozart, but it was the Baroque era that had started it all, and most definitely inspired by Bach, more than anyone else. Good luck with your channel!
Pokémon Gen 1 counterpoint was fire!
@@lewishamel8788 you're not wrong lmao
@@lewishamel8788 I've never thought about it as counterpoint but it actually is! Little did my 8 year old brain know it was getting conditioned to appreciate interplay between melody, countermelody, and bassline, at an early age lmao
Great video. Also, I heard that D’Amgelo is the son of a preacher and Quartet Music is a great influence as well.
Great Video and thanks for highligthting this, but there is nothing UNEXPECTED about D'angelo's complexity! He's won a grammy for everything he's put out! He's a Soul Icon! He's the musician's musician. The Artist's Artist! 🔥🔥🔥
Dude! As a young bass player in the 2000s Chicken Grease was my favorite track and Voodoo is still my favorite album of all time and the most influential on my playing. You have no idea what a treat it was to find this video. Incredible work man! Great production value and even though I'm a dedicated fan of this record I learned some stuff I never knew.
Yoooo Brandon, this video just blew my mind. I love the attention to detail and the effort to make all the editing so clean. Well done!
Also, every time I read or watch about D'Angelo, I love him more. The dude is just so immersed in the history of music. Thanks for making me love him even more.
First time viewer and long time D’Angelo fan. Bravo! So much content packed into such a short video. Thanks for the history lesson.
Because of this segment, i have a whole nutha appreciation of the song...👐🏽👐🏽💪🏽💪🏽💯
Hey brother, awesome video and great explanations for how different genres, artists, and sounds can come together in a new recording. The history is so vital to a lot of music, am I right? I'm a pop musicologist, so I love to use these kinds of interesting examples to teach students who aren't feeling the Bach usually, and you killed it. You're doing a great job, keep it up.
It's finally dawned on me that you should have been a music teacher of some sort.
Your story telling is smooth and luring.
Keep it up.
This is a great video, thank you! Being a fan of all those elements and influences I enjoyed every second. Btw hats off for the way you explain counterpoint to non-knowers - couldn't have done that better. I heard D'Angelo in Berlin, Daddy Dave was not short of Quest, his groove with Palladino made me cry😌
great video as per usual! however, i do believe there is an old Q interview where he mentions that chicken grease was born from them jamming the drum break in the middle of ohio players' 'never had a dream,' quest mentions playing the groove at different speeds for D for hours before chicken grease was born.
First time seeing one of your videos this is SO well done, editing, passion of talking and bass playing mate subbed immediately
Pino Palladino's bass grooves make the rest of us look like we got no rhythm whatsoever. lol.
I love the left turns! I love the dots representing counterpoint ACTUALLY being the example you continue to explain beautifullly! I love the early photo including Pino who I had no idea was involved with D'Angelo at all! You're amazing! WHAT'S UP?!
Dude this channel is fckn awesome please keep doing watcha doin i am sure you’ll be blessed very soon 🙌🙌🙌👌👌👌
I came across this channel in my TH-cam feed and can’t stop watching the videos!!!! Amazing content! Thank you for highlighting real music!!!
How is D’Angelo *unexpectedly* complex?
Dude, just came across this video and had to subscribe. Excellent quality of video making, and also great musical listening and investigation. Sweet stuff!
As a D’Angelo super fan, thank you for this! Excellent video.
I subscribed to your channel before the ads even finished lol
I’m pretty sure that’s a first for me
So fun dude. Love the charisma and passion for the music your covering
You forgot the most important element… CHURCH. That is his entire upbringing. The “hump” or the feel the music had is straight church, the flow of the vocals comes from church, even some of the instrumentation is church. I’m just saying man, I think this video is cool but misses the most important thing…
Thissss
This channel is unreal, you do the most incredible work!
DUDE. Sick video. Absolutely loved learning about all this. Some inspiring stuff for sure
Just stumbled across your channel. It's great!👍
Thoroughly enjoyed this breakdown video of one of, if not my favourite album. Subbed!
I’m glad as a little middle school kid I somehow discovered voodoo, like water for chocolate and mamas gun all at the same time and now I’m the most tasteful musician in the world
This channel is going to be massive one day. Incredible content!
1st time watchin, great content. That album is a certified classic and the sound of the bass is supreme.
Solid video! Not sure you needed so much detail on counterpoint. It's a fundamental part of music that was around long before the Classical Era, and should be well-understood by your target audience. Otherwise, interesting perspectives!
this one video, the first i've watched by you, is enough for me to subscribe. meticulous and masterful! 👏🏾
Damn, that was deep, well researched, with an entertaining mix of reverence and levity. Nicely done. I salute.
First time watching your stuff, easy sub. Wonderful work, brother
Found it a little odd that you mentioned JDilla (may he RiP), who is a giant and definitely was in D'angelo's circules, but DIDN'T MENTION DJ PREMEIR
why is the complexity unexpected though....?
Sick breakdown. The main guitar riff though is not played on the guitar at all. It's played by James Poyser on a Korg Triton jazz guitar patch.
Awesome! Sly Stone's influence is also felt throughout this album, but even more strongly on Black Messiah.
So true!!
Great content and editing. Very entertaining. Happy I found your channel.
First time I see you channel. My brother, you got soul. Big ups.
cool video. only thing i'd point out is that counterpoint decreased, not increased, during the period of haydn/mozart/beethoven, as a reaction to baroque music which was heavily contrapuntal. and before baroque, renaissance music was heavily contrapuntal as well. in fact what made mozart the GOAT was that he was able to bring back a heavy use of counterpoint into his period's music, which prioritized simplicity and accessibility. and despite using insane contrapuntal techniques, he managed to bury them beneath the surface so that the music still sounded simple to the listener.
Guitar style on funk/disco records is called the chicken scratch(guess prince renames it to grease) thus James had a massive influence to disco :P
Excellent video!! High quality!! Excellent communication!! I'm subscribed
To anyone who has seen Lost, do you remember how Desmond was holding on to his copy of 'Our Mutual Friend' by Charles Dickens? That is how I feel about these videos, going through them carefully, one by one, like treasures. Voodoo is in my all time top 10 best albums ever, learned new things here. Thank you Brandon, perfectly produced, fantastic content.
U definitely forgot Sly Stone as an influence, especially his album Fresh influence quite a lot if artists and I hear Sly's drums, vocals anf bass in D'Angelo's music, no one as funky as Sly
Man, I've just found out your channel, I'm already following, definitely!!
I'm from Brazil, big hug and peace out!!
Big D'Angelo fan!!
Really great knowledge your share brother!! Keep on!!
Prince LOVED the Cocteau Twins and often said so!Do you you think D’Angelo might also like the Cocteaus?Even more VOODOO?I am thrilled by your work!
Your struggle to correlate cause with effect at the end of the video is the only argument needed against the use of counterpoint on chicken grease, just because the bass is not monophonic or because it moves contrary to the melody does not strictly necessitate the invocation of polyphony or counterpoint, counterpoint is a very specific practice with very stringent rules and systems that aren't very effective at accurately describing how contemporary popular music functions but does so far more efficiently with composors of the likes of Bach, Motzart and as you suggested Haydn. Correlation is not evident of causation, or vice versa in this scenario. I appeal for more reason, specifically, such as what species of counterpoint is this? 1st? 4th?, is this tonal consonance and dissonance or rhythmic? can you show your analysis alongside the Cantus firmus?
I just found your channel and I'm quickly watching everything. Best musical breakdowns ever
Well shiiiiiit, looks like I found my new favorite channel on TH-cam 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
🤚🏾 Teacher! Teacher! I didn't get all that. Can you go over it again? LOL You dropped it, man!! 👍🏾✌🏾
got to see Dee with Pino, Chris Dave in Denver with only about 150 people.
BTW, your bass is heavily distorted in this video.
When I clicked on this video I wasn't expecting to Hear Beethoven's counterpoint, lol. Great analysis!
Love your channel dude. I started Djing disco/house etc about 2 years ago, and ever since it has opened me up to so much more music, and your channel brings me exactly where I want to be when it comes to learning about music - entertaining way that also isn't overbearing, with on point history and musical knowledge. Keep it up!
That was the great Spanky Alford on guitar. A Gibson ES-345. 👌🏾🤝🏾
Dope breakdown. But Dilla wasn't a playable character in Def Jam Fight for NY
its not a m9 chord. its 513 513 (major chord) to 51#11 . if you put a 6 under it then you got a m7 to m76 (or "m13") chord. (i use numbers of the scale since i dont have perfect pitch but relative pitch and my keys are in my car) - hope it helps
It’s not unexpected, it’s very obvious but he disguises it well and puts it in a very tasty context