Does anybody here listen to Neo Soul/Underground RnB?

Melbourne Red

Still hasn't given Rain Dog another chance
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I know nothing about this type of music, but I do enjoy 70s soul. Assuming there's enough of a similarity between the two, I'd like to learn more about it.

What are the names of some of the seminal albums? Names of artists and songs I could check out on Youtube would also be helpful.
 
Bump, wanted to type a short note on the genre, but found this.

I've been going through a phase recently, now I listen to more slow jams. Unfortunately most of the contemporary R&B artists don't do anything for me. Trey Songz is alright, but after hearing him 15 times everyday on the radio it gets repetitive. And in all the songs, it's the same fecking formula, synthesizer pattern, drums, the initial croning, interlude, then modulation to a higher key, and then loop. I only have time for Usher nowadays.

I recently stumbled on D'Angelo's second album, "Voodoo", and it is truly a masterpiece of the "neo-soul" genre. He really took it back to the legends of funk and soul. Listening to the album, you can hear the influence such legends like Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and others had on the production and song layout. His lyrics range from sexually provocative in "Untitled", the song that gets the women wet, to uplifting songs like "Africa". He struck that balance sweetly. Can someone back me up on this? I can't stress it enough, the album is a fecking masterpiece.

I also copped his first album, "Brown Sugar", and it is very good, but "Voodoo" was groundbreaking on so many levels. Unfortunately he hasn't released an album since then, although rumor says one is on the way.

Since then I became a fan of the neo soul genre. I feel it is artistically genuine, not anyone can do that type of music, and singing about sex and women on all the songs doesn't cut the grade for me.

Albums I would recommend for you (or anyone else)? Get "Voodoo" first, no doubt about that. Get Lauryn Hill's album. Look into artists like India.Arie, Jill Scott, Maxwell, Bilal, Dwele, Anthony Hamilton, and so many others. There is a lot of good soul out there.
 
Heh, I thought this thread was deader than Vanilla Ice's rap career but it's nice to see someone's bothered to reply. Thanks Adex.

I've heard of most of that lot after asking around but not really started listening to it. I think I'll do so now.

I've been watching Chapelle's Show of late and saw a live performance from ANthony Hamilton on one of the episodes. It really impressed me. I think I'll get his album, and Jill Scott's live album which I've been told is her best work.

The stuff I've heard from her on youtube has been quite frustrating because she's quite clearly got a powerful, sing-to-the-back-of-the-church voice but her songs are so overproduced that it's like listening to her underwater. I suspect the live album will be good for an unrestrained experience of her voice.
 
Melbourne Red said:
I know nothing about this type of music, but I do enjoy 70s soul. Assuming there's enough of a similarity between the two, I'd like to learn more about it.

What are the names of some of the seminal albums? Names of artists and songs I could check out on Youtube would also be helpful.
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No I don't listen to songs about that shit you cnut.
 
You don't listen to songs about 70s soul?

I wouldn't assume there are too many of those, you semi-literate cock.
 
Melbourne Red said:
You don't listen to songs about 70s soul?

I wouldn't assume there are too many of those, you semi-literate cock.
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I listen to Al Green, Steven Wonderful, Barry White, The Delfonics, Bobby Womack, Smoky Robinson (more Sixties, admittedly), Billy Ocean to name a few...
That was proper music, none of today's utter equivalent wank with Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Jay Sean and fecking whoever else.
 
Scoreboard Red said:
That was proper music, none of today's utter equivalent wank with Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Jay Sean and fecking whoever else.
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I've never heard of these people but I suspect they have very little to do with this thread.
 
Melbourne Red said:
Heh, I thought this thread was deader than Vanilla Ice's rap career but it's nice to see someone's bothered to reply. Thanks Adex.

I've heard of most of that lot after asking around but not really started listening to it. I think I'll do so now.

I've been watching Chapelle's Show of late and saw a live performance from ANthony Hamilton on one of the episodes. It really impressed me. I think I'll get his album, and Jill Scott's live album which I've been told is her best work.

The stuff I've heard from her on youtube has been quite frustrating because she's quite clearly got a powerful, sing-to-the-back-of-the-church voice but her songs are so overproduced that it's like listening to her underwater. I suspect the live album will be good for an unrestrained experience of her voice.
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She is very talented. I was listening to an interview by Questlove (of the Roots crew), she was supposed to be the lead singer of the Root's breakthrough single, "You Got Me", but due to pressure from the label, they went with Erykah Badu, someone who was well known at the time, but the version with Jill was brilliant.
 
Scoreboard Red said:
I listen to Al Green, Steven Wonderful, Barry White, The Delfonics, Bobby Womack, Smoky Robinson (more Sixties, admittedly), Billy Ocean to name a few...
That was proper music, none of today's utter equivalent wank with Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Jay Sean and fecking whoever else.
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That's the point Johnno, Neo Soul tends to avoid the commercialized version of R&B you find all over nowadays. Even though such artists will never reach the heights of "Innervisions" or "What's Going On", they aim for such lofty targets, and it shows in every fiber of their albums.
 
adexkola said:
That's the point Johnno, Neo Soul tends to avoid the commercialized version of R&B you find all over nowadays. Even though such artists will never reach the heights of "Innervisions" or "What's Going On", they aim for such lofty targets, and it shows in every fiber of their albums.
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I'm prejudicial toward any new variation of modern Motown/Soul from the glory days of the late sixties to late seventies, just as I am to most modern rap compared to the Late 80s/Early 90s, just as I am to English band scene when everyone knows it peaked between the years 1993-98 and has been shite since....
 
Scoreboard Red said:
You've never heard of Chris Brown, he of the twatting Rihanna fame, or Jay Sean, the 'Down, down, down, down' fella?

Or you've never heard of the other singers I mention, Al Green, Stevie Wonder etc?
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No I've never heard of Chris Brown or Jay Sean. I download all my music from album reviews and rarely watch TV so I've got no feckin clue about mainstream music.
 
Melbourne Red said:
Nah, it peaked with the Stone Roses first album and has been largely gash ever since
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The Stone Roses was a huge blip on the radar, but the truth is they were merely a massive underground highlight in a period when Rick Astley, Bon Jovi, Jive Bunny and Jon Farnham were ruling the music scene.
It took the introduction of Brit Pop (gay name) with the likes of Blur, Suede, Elastica and the introduction of Oasis for the Roses to become mainstream popular....
 
Scoreboard Red said:
I'm prejudicial toward any new variation of modern Motown/Soul from the glory days of the late sixties to late seventies, just as I am to most modern rap compared to the Late 80s/Early 90s, just as I am to English band scene when everyone knows it peaked between the years 1993-98 and has been shite since....
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I do the same thing with rap, my friends call me an intellectual music snob :lol: There's good music in every era though, don't be afraid to branch out.

And Melbourne Red, don't you listen to the radio? I'm sure you must have heard Chris Brown at least once in this day and age
 
adexkola said:
I do the same thing with rap, my friends call me an intellectual music snob :lol: There's good music in every era though, don't be afraid to branch out.

And Melbourne Red, don't you listen to the radio? I'm sure you must have heard Chris Brown at least once in this day and age
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Never, I don't drive and I always listen to my Ipod on the train.

You know how sometimes people go 'hey, do you know that song by...?'

I never know the feckin song.
 
adexkola said:
I do the same thing with rap, my friends call me an intellectual music snob :lol: There's good music in every era though, don't be afraid to branch out.

And Melbourne Red, don't you listen to the radio? I'm sure you must have heard Chris Brown at least once in this day and age
Click to expand...

I disagree re: the rap thing tbh.

The late 80s and early 90s in rap still had a considerably carry-over from the early days of hip hop when the genre was entirely a producer's medium and dependant on funky/dancable beats. This meant that the beats from that period were miles better than the ones now and you'll never hear a modern album featuring beats as good as the ones that routinely featured in the work of acts like Run DMC/Beasties/Public Enemy.

However the actual rhymes/rapping of the modern era have evolved hugely since then. Listening to Run DMC's rhymes makes me cringe these days.

Still, I suppose if you're more into the beats than the rhymes than you'd easily prefer that era to the more recent one.
 
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