Let us now sing the praises of Raphael Saadiq’s Instant Vintage.
This 2002 release from the “Tony! Toni! Toné!” veteran is tough to peg. It’s R&B, it’s gospel, it’s soul, it’s even a little neo-soul (to Saadiq’s horror). Not wanting to be pegged, Saadiq labels his music “gospeldelic,” gospel meaning “truth” (and referring to the musical genre) and “-delic” from “funkadelic” and “psychedelic”. It really does describe his style well.
Instant Vintage is lush, densely layered, and nearly perfect in its arrangements. I don’t care for much R&B or soul, but anything that draws so heavily on Ike Turner, James Brown, and Al Green, I’ve just got to love. Saadiq, a producer by training, doesn’t settle for the flat, synthetic instrumentation that usually backs up the vocals in R&B — the album is thick with strings, horn, and even a couple of tuba solos. (The tuba solos are both funny and beautiful. Funny, because who ever heard of a tuba solo?, and beautiful because they’re just so perfect in their context.
I really enjoy most of the songs on the album, though the collaborations really stand out. T-Boz’s contribution on “Different Times” is floaty and easy-going, while Rosie Kaye’s duet with Saadiq on “Skyy, Can You Feel Me” has the feel of a Gil Scott-Heron (“Whitey on the Moon,” “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”) performance, complete with bongos. I’ve never been a D’Angelo fan, but his commanding-yet-chill vocals on “Be Here” complements Saadiq’s perfectly.
The opening track, “Doing What I Can,” may be the best. It’s a biographical, narrative introductory piece, which is dangerously into “Hey, hey, we’re the Monkees” territory, but Saadiq pulls it off perfectly. The production of this song is the best on the album. (
“Tick Tock” is another stand out. It’s a song of love in absentia, a man trying to convince the love of his life that he’s the man for her, and that she’d realize it if she’d just follow her heart. The lyrics are lovely, but the rhythm (accordingly clock-like) is absolutely inspired. The light syncopation of the vocals only makes it work all the better. (
“Instant Vintage” is a pretty nervy name, particularly for a first-time solo album, even from an experienced guy like Saadiq. But he’s right — this album is instant vintage. I’ll be very disappointed if in thirty years we’re not all looking back on Instant Vintage like we now look back on Songs in the Key of Life.