I wanted to lash out, to say bad things about those that disparaged this masterpiece. But I'll abstain. I guess I had to come to the conclusion that music is a very personal thing; certain rhythms, styles, and lyrical content have natural appeal to some, not others. Speaking nothing of the memories associated with certain albums. Ahhhh, when I think about the summer of 2000, D'angelo brought his soulful delicious voice to most every passion drenched night. Sorry, I could ramble on forever about Voodoo's personal meaning to me. But for everyone else...trust that this album is objectively beautiful. There is a seductive cadence in his rhythm, and delicious instramental accompaniments that is unique to him.

There isn't a song I don't really love on this album, although I think he's at his best when moving at a slower pace, it amplifies the sultry, nonchalant, almost "half here, half gone" style he's such a deliberate master of.

I hope this in some way prompts you to consider buying this album, it's just priceless!!!


Voodoo: The new opiate of the masses   March 23, 2000
Faith Pennick (Brooklyn, New York USA)
35 out of 37 found this review helpful

I love this CD. LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT! From the second "Playa Playa" came on (which is such an infectious jam) to "Africa," I danced around my apartment and sporadically stared at my stereo thinking, "My God, this brother is brilliant." And keep in mind, I was not that deep into D'Angelo before this album. I mean, "Brown Sugar" is okay, but it didn't rock my world. But this did. Across the board, the songs are rich ("Spanish Joint"), full of electricity ("Chicken Grease"), haunting ("One Mo Gin"), and seductive as hell (especially "Left and Right"--my favorite cut on the CD--and of course, "Untitled"). "Voodoo" proves that D'Angelo has matured as an artist, the music and his vocals are so tight (the best example is "The Root." The multi-layered harmonies and the round-robin vocal approach at the end of the song is simply SPELLBINDING). Most importantly, this album stands up as a heady, masterful contribution to the annals of R & B music. It's very easy to instantly compare D'Angelo to Prince, Marvin, Curtis Mayfield, etc. But the great thing about "Voodoo" is that he found his own groove, his own voice. Yes, those influences are obviously there, but "Voodoo" is a straight up D'ANGELO record and less of a derivative of other artists. It's early in the year, but there's no question that this CD is a frontrunner for best album of 2000. Buy it. Buy it now (And if his tour stops where you live, check out his concert as well. I recently saw him in NYC, and it's one of the best shows I've seen in a LONG TIME. You will get your money's worth, trust me)!


Soulful, sultry, sexy, steamy: D'Angelo's masterpiece   July 27, 2000
Adam (Newton, Massachusetts United States)
26 out of 27 found this review helpful

OK Everybody is talking about how he is good looking and can sing and all, but I'm gonna break down each song:

Playa Playa: hot, perfect track to start off the album, fast, crazy hot syncopation, jazzy, soulful, great multi-layed harmonies intertwining with each other

Devil's Pie: a hypnotic, dark but still very rewarding piece (no pun intended), a great vehicle for d'angelos low voice style. big up to DJ Premier for lacing this track.

Left and Right: seems a bit out of place on this album but it is still a hot track. Meth and Red get naughty, sexy lyrics, very good song.

The Line: one of my favs, a slow, sultry masterpiece with so many harmonies, unbelievable

Send it On: one of the most touching and incredible ballads i have ever heard! 6 minutes worth of great singing, and a great change in tempo in the middle. FYI, Dedicated to D's son.

Chicken Grease: this song is off the hook! that perfect sloppy keyboard by non other than james poyser of the roots, and a guitar that sounds just like the title of the song, a sensual and very entertaining dance song.

One Mo' Gin: a very hypnotic beginning to the song, contrasted with a very smooth, cheerful chorus led by the keyboards, a great love song.

The Root: at first i didnt like it so much, but i have learned to love it, especially the very unique chorus. probably one of the not quite as memorable tracks, but it would still be better than any sisqo ginuwine or tyrese song by far.

Spanish Joint: a great, different track, salsa mixed with r'n'b mixed with soul equals a hot song. HOT HOT HOT!

Feel Like Makin' Love: a superb remake of the Roberta Flack classic, a great beat, amazing instrumentation, and of course, D'Angelo is off the hook. Perhaps the best slow song on the CD.

Greatdayndamornin'/Booty: A very likeable song, a simple enough chorus, and D'angelo wraps his voice around the chorus, ahhhh so tight!

Untitled (How Does it Feel): the so-called "hit" song, even though it hardly got any play at all. I'm sure women love the song, especially the classic nude music video, often referred to as "the video". D'angelo imitating prince, with much better results than prince, ive never liked princes music, D'angelo is better any day. This is a true classic, up there with "Brown Sugar", "Lady", and Maxwell's "Ascension".

Africa: probably my fav slow song on the cd, with soft guitars imitating Jimi Hendrix, coco-butter moans and murmers supplied by my man D. This is one cool cat.

Well thanks for reading my review, I appreciate it. Do yourself a favor and get this album. I'm out.


One of a Kind   January 28, 2000
Justin M. Webb (Anderson, IN USA)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

This album can almost be classified as jazz. It can also be classified as soul..and there's even a space for R&B, Urban, and Rock. You might as well mix them all up into one word: "Voodoo." D'Angelo managed to do that, and create one of the best albums in a long time. His smooth soulful voice, daringly spicy lyrics, and smoky melodic tracks can literally captivate the listener.

I guess the only fallback D'Angelo expressed on this album was the elongation of many tracks. A lot of these songs go on and on, though the melody is sweet, trumpets and guitars seem to be never-ending on a few songs.

Now for the goods: "Send It On," "One Mo' Gen," and "The Root," all contain catchy hooks and smooth instrumentals. "Greatdayinthemornin" is a great track, co-written by new-comer Angie Stone. "Afrika" closes the album out nicely with a slow tempo'd african groove feel...

Though most were expecting the Brown Sugar formula, D'Angelo's sophomore effort actually creates it's own new formula. If I had to guess, I would say his 3rd album will follow a WHOLE NEW formula also. D'Angelo is not just another artist who is going to find what works, and then drive it into the ground until we are sick of hearing it...he's all about making the listener think. He wants you to find new likes and dislikes, and to explore different styles, and new worlds of music. Once he stunned the youthful crowd of R&B listeners, he managed to pull them into a jazzy old fashioned world of music. Now he's pulling them again, this time into another galaxy and hopefully stunning them once again.

I know he has stunned me.


D'Angelo Is an "Artist", Not a Pop Peddler   January 28, 2000
Mark Caldeira (Brooklyn, NY)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

There aren't enough complete artists in today's music, especially in R&B and hip hop, where someone else writes the music, someone else lays down the tracks, someone else arranges the music, someone else produces the tracks, and then the so-called "artist" steps in and chats or sings pure irrelavance on tape. D'Angelo made us wait too long for this, true, but there is much depth here - and that is refreshing. Why do most music cosumers (as opposed to music listeners) always settle for less? D'Angelo, Maxwell, Rahaan Paterson, Angie Stone, even Q-Tip, The Roots, Mos Def, etc., are all blazing new paths in the direction Prince laid out from his study of the motown, funk, jazz, rock and r&b masters. (Yes, STUDY). This is what ART is all about. This is what inspires the mind and moves the soul. This is what will be remembered and celebrated. To the critics who say D'Angelo's stuff all sounds the same: you probably think all Asians look alike too. To the critics who say they don't understand what he's talking about: that's the point of mystery - use your brain to try to discover truths. To the critics who say D'Angelo is not original, he's just a Prince clone: thanks for the complement. The artist who copies a Prince song verbatum is 100 times more original than 99.9% of the jokers out there today, who mass-produce prefabricated, preformulated junk. Prince is name-brand. D'Angelo is name-brand. Listen and live.