I heard "Make Me Feel" on the radio this morning... I expect that Tom Jones will be releasing his version in the not too distant future...
I'm in the "I love every bit of it" camp. I find it very moving and feel like my excitement at following her for the past three years has made this an extremely rewarding event. Loving the high res download. On a weekend trip and won't be able to watch the video until I can get it transferred to my phone for uninterrupted playback.
Purchased the HD Tracks download this morning. For the record, my resolve lasted approximately six hours, five of which I was technically asleep. ...and yes, I will likely grab the vinyl when that comes out as well.
Since Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones have left us, maybe Tom Jones will be the one to take up the idea I had, of a vintage soul singer doing an album of modern songs in a 60's R&B style. Jones certainly has the voice for it, especially with how it's deepened with age, the guy sounds better than ever right now.
I'd say I thoroughly enjoyed the album, though I don't necessarily think it's a masterpiece. If I were to score it, I'd probably give it an 8/10, 8.5/10. Lots of her influences shine on this LP, and I cannot wait for the vinyl release. Solid album. Highlights Love the Brian Wilson collaboration on the title track. Fantastic, psychedelic harmonies Make Me Feel is easily one of the best pop tracks that have come out this year, for me. The entire album, despite the varying genres from track to track, has a distinct sound and production and flows very well.
I like Dirty Computer better than Electric Lady in terms of cohesiveness. Also 14 songs is great for an album. The ArchAndroid is still her best album though imo.
So I have spun this album at last. It is definitely an album statement - diverse yet unified in sound (fits the message well!) Buuuut - anyone else think that Pynk is at a much lower volume than all the other tracks?
I stumbled upon Janelle Monae during her ArchAndroid tour(s) when my son drug me to an Of Montreal concert, and Janelle was the opening act....before the show, I admit I was skeptical...and, after her set, you had to pick my jaw up off the floor....without a doubt one of the best bands and singers and produced shows I have ever seen, I am listening to Dirty Computer (via Tidal Masters) as I type this...and am on the last song. This is a great effort and really shines in all the right spots! Sound is fantastic! I did not think my speakers and amp were capable of such bass presence! I loved it!
Totally miffed by this album. I thought Electric Lady was a big letdown after the incredible ArchAndroid, but this is wretched. She's released a generic pop record, devoid of any originality or durability. So she's showing a lot of flesh and has learnt some naughty words and is shamelessly looking for a hit. I'm out
The emotion picture >>>>>> Damn!! Janelle is looking very beautiful and the cinamatography is great too.
A great album in the sense that there are a lot of well performed songs. Like Tom for me some of the really unsubtle sexual content and blatant language are a distraction - wish there was a clean version! Crazy Classic Life and Make Me Feel are standouts for me.
There is a clean version. An album about accepting people for who they are and accepting one's own self shouldn't be criticized for being "too dirty" (especially if you watch the emotion picture), but that's just my opinion, I guess.
As a Beach Boys fan, I would say that the title track is pleasant listening but nothing to get too excited about. Brian (and the other members of his band) has contributed these kind of guest vocals for so many singers now and these sound as you would expect. Not bad at all, but way too processed. The same could be said of the lead vocals, of course, but that's modern music for you.
I actually like the album a lot, after 3 or so spins through it. Definitely more interesting than Electric Lady. The more explicit content was just particularly jarring on the first listen, and I needed to unpack my feelings. This is provocative music, and that’s maybe the main point.
As someone who absolutely loved The ArchAndroid, her new album is easily on par with it. I love all the people clutching their pearls after hearing some "offensive" words. I hope she has a lot of success with Dirty Computer... for me, it's going to be on heavy rotation all year.
Lol! I was actually reflecting on this some minutes before I saw your post. I wouldn’t be mad at all if someone actually preferred DC over AA. Both are incredible. Album is so damn amazing. Janelle has blown us away once again.
Absolutely. She's one of my favorite current artists and has yet to put out a bad album IMO. Hell, her new album has hooks for days...
I like the album and the statement it's making. I hope my wrangling with her shift in tone didn't come off as pearl-clutching.
Not at all; I think you made some well-thought-out statements elsewhere in the thread. There is a definite shift in tone on this album, but I dig the fact that she's branching out and trying new styles and new themes. As far as her more "mature" lyrics are concerned, I figure she's taking a page from the Prince playbook (not to mention "Make Me Feel" is already channeling Prince).
The lead vocals are barely processed at all compared to most modern music, and when they are, they're used for effect, rather than to cover up any deficiencies (which she definitely doesn't have)