Channel Orange

by Frank Ocean

Overview

Def Jam's contracted edition of Frank Ocean's Nostalgia, Ultra never materialized. The label nonetheless released two of the mixtape's songs as singles. One of them, "Novacane," clashed with everything else on the radio, reached the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and crossed into the Hot 100. The singer's presence spread with appearances on Goblin, 4, Watch the Throne, and The OF Tape, Vol. 2. He then completed this album with Malay, Om'Mas Keith, and Pharrell as his co-producers. Journalists present at June pre-release listening events speculated that some of the lyrics revealed Ocean's bisexuality. Ocean subsequently published a screen shot of a document, dated December 27, 2011, that included details of a crushing romantic relationship with a male. Ocean also revealed that he wrote for the sake of his sanity and credited his inner circle: "I'm sure these people kept me alive, kept me safe." One listen to Channel Orange makes it obvious that he is as free as an artist as he is as a man. The album doesn't have as many slyly powerful hooks as Nostalgia, Ultra, but Ocean's descriptive and subtle storytelling is taken to a higher level. He's up there with Bilal. As easy as it is to listen to Ocean's voice in long stretches -- he's casually expressive -- the number of deep ruminations over slow tempos requires some patience. Even the lone song that could be termed a banger is a ten-minute suite that takes 90 seconds to get on the floor; the song with the widest and most creative scope as well, "Pyramid" shifts from "my black Queen Cleopatra" and ancient Egypt (over swift synth funk) to "Your love ain't free no more" and a strip club (over booming, low-profile slickness). The lighter moments, such as the loose and bright "Sweet Life" and the relatively exuberant "Monks," both of which would be standouts on any N.E.R.D. album, offer more than bright coating, dealing in surrealism and sharp observations that are equally penetrating. On the other end, the most personal song is "Bad Religion," a phenomenal brokenhearted ballad consisting of organ, piano, strings, and handclaps: "This unrequited love/To me it's nothing but a one-man cult/And cyanide in my Styrofoam cup." Everything that falls between, counting the rumbling drug dependency tale "Crack Rock," the snapping/swooning "Pilot Jones," and the longing falsetto shuffle "Thinkin Bout You," is vivid and worthy of complete immersion. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	07/11/2012
Label:	Def Jam
UPC:	0602527755281

Tracks

1. Start
2. Thinkin Bout You
3. Fertilizer
4. Sierra Leone
5. Sweet Life
6. Not Just Money
7. Super Rich Kids
8. Pilot Jones
9. Crack Rock
10. Pyramids
11. Lost
12. White
13. Monks
14. Bad Religion
15. Pink Matter
16. Forrest Gump
17. End/Golden Girl

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Frank Ocean   Primary Artist,Vocals,Keyboards
John Mayer   Primary Artist,Guitar,Featured Artist
André 3000   Primary Artist,Guitar,Featured Artist
Earl Sweatshirt   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Elizabeth Paige   Vocals (Background),Vocals
Juliet Buck   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Raymond Buck   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Shea Taylor   Keyboards
Malay   Keyboards,Bass,Brass,Guitar,Vocals
James Ho   Bass,Brass,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Stacy Barthe   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Sara Parkins   Strings
Dave Eggar   Strings
Auntie Rosie   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Chuck Palmer   Strings,Strings
Crimson Tide Cheerleaders   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Danielle Miranda-Simms   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Charlie Hunter   Bass,Guitar
Jeff Babko   Keyboards
Om'Mas Keith   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Tyler, The Creator   Featured Artist
Irvin Mayfield   Brass
Lalah Hathaway   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Francisco Torres   Brass
Pharrell Williams   Keyboards
Matt Chamberlain   Drums
Taylor Johnson   Guitar

Technical Credits

Gabrielle Peluso   Label Consultant
Christopher Breaux   Composer
Rosie Watson   Composer
Thebe Kgositsile   Composer
Mark Morales   Composer,Composer
Paul Shelton   Composer
Jonathan Ikpeazu   Producer
Shea Taylor   Composer,Producer
Brendan Dekora   Assistant Engineer
Malay   Producer,Programming,Mixing
Vlado Meller   Mastering
Matty Green   Mixing Assistant
Everest   Executive Producer
Scott Marcus   Label Consultant
Ghazi Hourani   Assistant Engineer
James Ho   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Programming
Kevin Risto   Composer
Reggie Perry   Composer
Waynne Nugent   Composer
Chad Carlisle   Assistant Engineer
Marcos Tovar   Engineer
Mark Santangelo   Assistant,Mastering Assistant
Calvin Bailiff   Engineer
Kristen Yiengst   Label Consultant
Mark Rooney   Composer
Nat Robinson   Composer
Thomas Mastorakos   Artwork
Gabe Tesoriero   Label Consultant
Doug Fenske   Engineer
Karen Kwak   Label Consultant
Barry Weiss   Label Consultant
Steve Bartels   Label Consultant
Michael Seltzer   Label Consultant
Christian Clancy   Management
Miguel Lara   Assistant Engineer
Andrew Coleman   Engineer
Nabil Elderkin   Photography
Phillip Scott III   Engineer
Kirk Robinson   Composer
Dan Jensen   Legal Counsel
Tyler Okonma   Composer
Matt Brownlie   Assistant Engineer
Will Anspach   Assistant Engineer
Phil Toselli   Artwork
Adam Harr   Assistant Engineer
Andre Benjamin   Composer
Mark C. Rooney   Composer
Micah Otano   Composer
Om'Mas Keith   Engineer,Producer
Aaron Martinez   Artwork
Jeff Ellis   Mixing,Engineer
James Fauntleroy   Composer
Gizmo   Composer
Michelle Jubelirer   Legal Counsel
Paul Meyer   Assistant Engineer
Peter Mack   Assistant Engineer
Tyler, The Creator   Producer
Ken Oriole   Vocal Engineer
Frank Ocean   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Liner Notes
Kelly Clancy   Management
Reginald Perry   Composer
Vic Wainstein   Engineer
Akinah Rahmaan   Label Consultant
Cory Rooney   Composer
Ryan Kennedy   Assistant Engineer
Pat Thrall   Engineer
Charlie Gambetta   Composer
Mark "Spike" Stent   Mixing
Pharrell Williams   Composer,Producer,Programming
Matt Chamberlain   Programming
Roy Hammond   Composer
Taylor Johnson   Composer
Monte Neuble   Composer