D'Angelo - Brown Sugar 2xLP

D'Angelo is obviously inspired by the progressive soul of the early '70s, but he has also borrowed carefully from the hip-hop of his own generation. Like many of his contemporaries, he has recorded a tribute to marijuana--the album's title--but it's far wittier than most. It takes the form of a conventional love song ("Brown sugar babe, I gets high off your love ... that's why my eyes are a shade blood burgundy") and mimics intoxication in its throbbing bass lines and reverb-heavy organ. Another song, with a title too profane to print, is a blunt tale of infidelity and murder, but in contrast to most rap fantasies, D'Angelo's blues-like narrative acknowledges such acts have serious consequences. Best of all is the Prince-like "Higher," which combines the spiritual love of God and the carnal love of a woman into one dizzying, organ-fueled hymn. D'Angelo is still rather clumsy with lyrics, and he leans too heavily on ballads over dance numbers, but he has enough talent to grow in any of