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Product Description
Product Description
Debut studio album by the Brit Award winning American neo soul artist. The album peaked at #2 in the UK and includes the singles 'Thinkin Bout You', 'Pyramids' and 'Sweet Life'. Guest performers include Earl Sweatshirt, John Mayer, Tyler, the Creator and André 3000.
Review
Two weeks ago, many knew very little about Frank Ocean. The New Orleans-born RnB singer had kept a relatively low profile as a member of the controversial Odd Future collective. A quiet outlier, he scored notable collaborations with Jay-Z and Kanye West, yet managed to breach popular culture without making much noise.
Now, it’s virtually impossible for Ocean to go unnoticed. His recent sexual revelation sent shockwaves through the internet, and his television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon catapulted the young crooner into mainstream allure. The magnitude of Ocean’s channel ORANGE, his major label debut, can no longer be ignored.
Given the hype, some may be expecting the second coming of Thriller. Instead, channel ORANGE is a meditative voyage through Ocean’s innermost thoughts, no matter how intangible the topics.
Crack Rock, for instance, warns against the pitfalls of cocaine usage. Super Rich Kids, its beat evoking Elton John’s Bennie and the Jets, is a nonchalant depiction of young affluence. Here, Ocean shares the spotlight with fellow Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt: “Too many joyrides in daddy’s Jaguar / Too many white lies and white lines.”
Ocean conveys his messages with an innocent zeal, displaying a youthful expression that’s equally reserved and mischievous. On Bad Religion, he bemoans unrequited love. “We’re spending too much time alone,” he says emphatically on Sierra Leone, “and I just ran out of Trojans.” Such statements, set against silky electro-soul compositions, will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Prince.
Except that’s unfair within the context of this project. Ocean’s inflection is more Musiq Soulchild than Purple One, although his voice is more textured and his sound a bit broader. Pink Matter, which nods to early-80s funk, is woozy and downright seedy, but it’s supposed to be that way. His lyrics are equally disjointed as he ponders everything from cotton candy to aliens amid a wafting guitar and ghostly howls.
In the end, channel ORANGE is a direct reflection of its maker. There are moments of assured clarity, juxtaposed with flashes of childlike shyness. What remains is a solid collection of pop-soul renderings through which Ocean tries to find himself. We get to watch his maturation, growing pains and all.
--B007RITZK4
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
By the time Frank Ocean made his recent broadcast television debut on the Jimmy Fallon show performing the epic "Bad Religion" the secret was out and so was Frank. His admission in a recent letter on tumbir.com that he was bi-sexual finally dragged hip hop with its often vicious homophobia screaming into the 21st century and hopefully the whole horrible fa�ade of hyper-masculinity associated with the genre crumbles with it. What is as important as Ocean's letter is the fact that he has talent to spare and then more, as such "Channel Orange" sees the birth of a new and potentially huge star.
"Channel Orange" is much more than a hip hop album. It fits easily into an R&B; framework and within its grooves are jazz, soul and rapping. It also is interspersed with musical fragments and interludes alia Kanye West (who Ocean has recorded with) where ideas literally spill over. The recent review in the Observer accurately describes an album where "beats run on after melodies recede, lonely guitars twang away in the margins, soundscapes overlap. The album, like the mixtape, is broken up with bursts of radio static, fragments of conversation, juddering tape-deck click". And yet at the core of Ocean's work are great songs. The sumptuous R&B; ballad "Thinkin bout you" brings a huge burst of summer sun shining brightly into the dour pre Olympic grey of a British summer. The best days of Stevie Wonder are recalled on the pulsating beauty of "Sweet Life" one of the albums standouts where Ocean's vocals are at their best and throughout you can hear traces of other greats such as Al Green, Prince and Marvin Gaye. As with these artists Ocean is not afraid to tackle social issues. Read more ›
"Channel Orange" is much more than a hip hop album. It fits easily into an R&B; framework and within its grooves are jazz, soul and rapping. It also is interspersed with musical fragments and interludes alia Kanye West (who Ocean has recorded with) where ideas literally spill over. The recent review in the Observer accurately describes an album where "beats run on after melodies recede, lonely guitars twang away in the margins, soundscapes overlap. The album, like the mixtape, is broken up with bursts of radio static, fragments of conversation, juddering tape-deck click". And yet at the core of Ocean's work are great songs. The sumptuous R&B; ballad "Thinkin bout you" brings a huge burst of summer sun shining brightly into the dour pre Olympic grey of a British summer. The best days of Stevie Wonder are recalled on the pulsating beauty of "Sweet Life" one of the albums standouts where Ocean's vocals are at their best and throughout you can hear traces of other greats such as Al Green, Prince and Marvin Gaye. As with these artists Ocean is not afraid to tackle social issues. Read more ›
28 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By [randy]
Format:Audio CD
Right we all know the story of the letter that Frank posted up on tumblr so lets just forget about that for a few moments and actually focus solely on the music and the fantastic album we have before us.
For starters with an album of 17 tracks, Frank really is spoiling us. One thing that is obvious right from the start of listening to Channel ORANGE is that the production quality here is simply fantastic and is something that many other R'n'B artists really lack. It is no secret that Frank has always been a quality producer and composer but Channel ORANGE really shows off just how good he is and I can tell you that taking some time out and listening to this through a good pair of headphones is more than worth it.
Right onto the music itself. The format of Channel ORANGE is similar to that of his 2011 mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra whereby the tracks are often broken up by the sound of computer games and the sound of a skipping tape. The first real track is Thinkin Bout You which has been around for a while and is an excellent start to the album and it is easy to see how it relates to Frank 'coming out' earlier this year. The next three tracks are fairly standard Frank Ocean tracks but that doesn't mean that they are poor songs they are actually still of greater quality than most R'n'B singers around these days. The next standout track is Super Rich Kids which is another fantastic mix of quality production with clever lyrics and a verse from Earl Sweatshirt which will continue to grow on you I can guarantee it. Next up are Pilot Jones and Crack Jones which are two excellent chilled out tracks.
Pyramids is really where the album goes to another level! A 10 minute masterpiece which needs to be heard rather than me describing it which would just not do it any justice. Read more ›
For starters with an album of 17 tracks, Frank really is spoiling us. One thing that is obvious right from the start of listening to Channel ORANGE is that the production quality here is simply fantastic and is something that many other R'n'B artists really lack. It is no secret that Frank has always been a quality producer and composer but Channel ORANGE really shows off just how good he is and I can tell you that taking some time out and listening to this through a good pair of headphones is more than worth it.
Right onto the music itself. The format of Channel ORANGE is similar to that of his 2011 mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra whereby the tracks are often broken up by the sound of computer games and the sound of a skipping tape. The first real track is Thinkin Bout You which has been around for a while and is an excellent start to the album and it is easy to see how it relates to Frank 'coming out' earlier this year. The next three tracks are fairly standard Frank Ocean tracks but that doesn't mean that they are poor songs they are actually still of greater quality than most R'n'B singers around these days. The next standout track is Super Rich Kids which is another fantastic mix of quality production with clever lyrics and a verse from Earl Sweatshirt which will continue to grow on you I can guarantee it. Next up are Pilot Jones and Crack Jones which are two excellent chilled out tracks.
Pyramids is really where the album goes to another level! A 10 minute masterpiece which needs to be heard rather than me describing it which would just not do it any justice. Read more ›
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By JM1926
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Amazing!!! I must have listened to it every day for 6 months. 0one of the best albums for a while....
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Charlotte
Format:MP3 Download|Amazon Verified Purchase
Love every track on the album, highlights are Thinking bout you, and Lost. Recommend this to any RnB lovers, good for easy listening.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By clifford
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Every single time you listen to Channel ORANGE something new presents itself. It has to be, hands down, my favourite album of 2012 and I regret not finding it sooner. Frank Ocean is a powerful musician, with lyrics heightening your emotions. All in all, fantastic album.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download|Amazon Verified Purchase
Simply put the album is as good as you can get from an RnB work of art. Stand out tracks include the soulfull feelgood vibe of "Thinking Bout You", the head-bopping funk of "Super Rich Kids" the epic journey of "Pyramids" and then "Bad Religion and Pink Matter.
The rest of it, while not as good, or at least slow growers, aren't merely just fillers. They all contribute to the album.
It's not the kind of thing I would like normally but like NERD'Fly or Die, I've found myself strangely addicted to it.
The rest of it, while not as good, or at least slow growers, aren't merely just fillers. They all contribute to the album.
It's not the kind of thing I would like normally but like NERD'Fly or Die, I've found myself strangely addicted to it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Fantastic new music, fresh sounding, full of pathos..Almost a concept album when Cleopatra kicks in..Ive listened to a lot of fabulous music over the years but Ive never heard anything like this track and Pink Matter..Like every great artist he takes elements from all styles of music genres and has created something new..I predict this guy could be of huge relevance in the future...I find the music hard to define, but give it a listen you might just love it...I cant stop playing it...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Sean
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
One of the greatest albums I have heard in a longtime. This album contains many classic songs like:
Thinking About You
Sweet Life
Pyramids
Lost
Forrest Gump
Bad Religion
Check out these songs on youtube or spotify, then purchase the album to support Frank Ocean.
Thinking About You
Sweet Life
Pyramids
Lost
Forrest Gump
Bad Religion
Check out these songs on youtube or spotify, then purchase the album to support Frank Ocean.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpected surprise.
This music is somewhat new to me: Just love this disc.
First listening is good but the more you listen the better it gets!
First listening is good but the more you listen the better it gets!
Published 1 month ago by Jakob-P�ll J�hannsson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Listen!
This is a phenomenal album! Really different but equally as enjoyable as much more "mainstream" artists. Definitely worth a listen! Would highly recommend this album. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Saqib
5.0 out of 5 stars
Genius
This really is a great album, one of my favs of 2012. Great songwriting, superb production and very varied, makes for a fascinating listen. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Toshkins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Album
Just buy this album you wont regret it; I never tire of playing it! Interesting themes and to die for tunes!
Published 1 month ago by Skinbo
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good music and quality, few downsides
Not bad, good music and quality. However the cd case doesnt fit in my 'universal' cd rack. As well as this it does not show the track numbers so its harder to find a particular... Read more
Published 1 month ago by G Wanten
3.0 out of 5 stars
All as expected... just a little bit disappointed with the delivery...
All OK with the goods.
Quite a small package, so we would expect the delivery time to beat the estimated delivery time but It didn't. Read more
Quite a small package, so we would expect the delivery time to beat the estimated delivery time but It didn't. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. O. Leon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing album
Bought months ago and fell in love, then saw him at Wireless Festival and got it out again - been on repeat for the past week. Definitely recommended.
Published 3 months ago by Gary
5.0 out of 5 stars
.
very good quality, perfect condition. 5/5 nothing wrong with it.
Happy with my purchase. Quick arrival.I'd recommend it to friends.
Happy with my purchase. Quick arrival.I'd recommend it to friends.
Published 4 months ago by Terri-Lee Cowie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review
Good album had listened to it previously so knew what to expect, comes in a very nice case as well.
Published 4 months ago by D.Shelley
5.0 out of 5 stars
make this one of your 5 a day
if you need to up your fruit intake then go irange. hell, eveb if you don't have to up your fruit intake buy this anyway as it's fabulous
Published 5 months ago by T. Heigh
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