How to I get to own this album? To be completely honest, Im not exactly sure if it was in this or that store. Two different to choose from. But I do recall coming home and putting in the CD player. Hearing the big rich sound come out from the speakers. It was almost physical. A sensation I seldom feel today. The fact that the music was there in the room. Physically there and there only. When I pushed play it just filled the room. When I pushed the stop button it stopped. It might sound stupid but it was amazing.
I was still living at home with my parents back then and they had a TV. I saw the video for How Does It Feel and I was confused. The music was so powerful and beautiful and at the same time this singer was practically naked. It was confusing but I just had to get that album. Also some older cool dude said ”this the sh#t. You gotta get this album” So I got the signal that this is pretty cool. There is a vibe about this record that’s just bigger then the actual pieces put together but I’ll try to disect. The groove, the sort of dynamic timing that makes me feel it in my body. The drums, the bass, the guitar, the rhodes and the fantastic vocals. These walls of vocals (Choirs the call it). D’Angelo‘s voice just moves me.
It was also a new world that opened to me I think. Surely I had heard soul and hiphop before but this was in a new way to me.
It’s tough to pick a favourite tune from it since there are so many great songs but right now in this very second I would say Africa. It gave and gives me this feeling of dreaming about something else so far away. Its so minimalistic in a way but still very organic and thick in its sound. Is it the rhodes that sounds like bells almost ? In my mind it does anyway. To me it’s a an album I think you can always come back to. If music is relevent to us humans in general I would say that this album definetely is relevant. Its good to move to or just sit and listen to. For me it kind of embodies the word soul. Someone is opening a door to their heart and lets us take a peak in there. I think thats why.
Sir Was‘ second album Holding On To A Dream arrives on September 20 via Memphis Industries.