At times I’ve fantasized about the day when I could lie down, put a new vinyl record on that I’ve never heard before and listen to something that I knew would be mind-blowing. I’ve entertained the idea quite frequently with upcoming albums by Arcade Fire and Kanye West. I wish I could’ve done it with Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange. I never expected it would meet the standard. But it surpassed it.
Channel Orange will undoubtedly be not only one of the seminal albums of a generation but will also be considered one of music’s most remarkable achievements. It pleasantly evokes the likes of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, yet Ocean’s unique talent for effortlessly shifting between his nasal and falsetto delivery immediately distinguishes him from all his predecessors. Ocean carves himself a place in music history with a knife made out of his provocative subtlety.
Singing of a Cleopatra turned prostitute and a Forrest Gump turned football player, this album presents so much lyrical variety partnered with musical innovation that it’s impossible not to be intrigued. The horns on “Sweet Life,” the catchy synth on “Lost,” the club dance vibe from Pyramids - all of these variations constantly draw us in, providing the opportunity to delve deeper into an album that continues to surprise.
My personal favorites are “Bad Religion” and “Pyramids”. On “Bad Religion,” Ocean sings more passionately than I’ve heard from an R&B artist for a long time, with an unconventional opening melody that is fascinating and mournful. “Pyramids,” the album’s magnum opus, begins with an upbeat and synth-heavy account of Cleopatra’s abduction and ends with a resonating solo by John Mayer. The track is a nine-minute work of art that moves from a song into a story that Ocean tells with the passion it deserves.
In the music industry and critical community, it is an unfortunate reality that the status of great albums and artists is slowly forgotten. It happened with the Velvet Underground and to Led Zeppelin. Channel Orange has received the attention it deserves, but I urge for it to not dissipate just yet. The pessimists who lament that music’s heyday was 50 years ago should hear to this album because it disproves everything they believe. Have a listen.
By: Spencer Semianiw
Most people reading this article were probably introduced to music at a young age by their parents. For me, a cassette would be played as everyone went about their household business. Skipping tracks wasn’t allowed. My mom had a beat-up cassette of Paul Simon’s classic Graceland. I wasn’t old enough to understand the shady South African politics that governed the production of the album, and I happily spent many hours humming along to catchy songs like “Gumboots” and “You Can Call Me Al.” My love affair with the album came to a tragic end when I heard the dreaded screech come from my boom box and opened it to reveal the tape unspooled beyond repair.
Looking back, I realize that listening to an album was once an immersive experience. It was important to sit close by so you could flip sides when the time came. There was also something very moving about the general cohesiveness of the albums of yore. Artists relied on a strong record to sell and then tour behind, so they made sure to create a thematic release that could lend itself to drawn-out listens. Perhaps the best example is Radiohead’s Kid A. Full of ambient washes and mesmerizing loops, it deviated from the group’s prior material, but above all it played like a story — and a great one at that. Today, the music industry has become so commercialized that many people are wondering, what happened to the music coming first – coming above all else?
Musicians aren’t solely responsible for the blame. To keep their shifty “fans” attention, artists are forced to churn out single after single. The thought of creating a concept album might seem ludicrous to the financially struggling musician who more often than not has to retain a day-job in order to make ends meet. Even concerted efforts to please fans can bite them in the foot in this digital era where album leaks are the norm. Most artists aren’t even able to make the music they want to if they want to make a living.
That said, things aren’t quite as bleak as I’ve suggested. Frank Ocean, a singer who only recently caught the attention of the mainstream media, just released a stunning epic with Channel Orange. But it wouldn’t hurt to go crate-digging for records when you visit your parents for the holidays. You might find something surprisingly enjoyable.
Tomi Milos
