The ArchAndroid

( 7 )

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Andy Kellman
Any misgivings about Janelle Monáe's Bad Boy deal are nullified by the briefest contact with this, an extravagant 70-minute album involving more imagination, conceptual detail, and stylistic turnabouts than most gatefold prog rock epics. Credit Bad Boy's Diddy for allowing Monáe to fully explore the singularity on display through Metropolis, Suite I: The Chase, and work with her Wondaland crew on a bigger budget. The ArchAndroid not only picks up where The Chase let off, but contains both the second and third Metropolis suites in one shot with no discernible 'let's make some hits now' intervention. The packaging alone -- the elaborate crown, the inspiration listed beside ...
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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Andy Kellman
Any misgivings about Janelle Monáe's Bad Boy deal are nullified by the briefest contact with this, an extravagant 70-minute album involving more imagination, conceptual detail, and stylistic turnabouts than most gatefold prog rock epics. Credit Bad Boy's Diddy for allowing Monáe to fully explore the singularity on display through Metropolis, Suite I: The Chase, and work with her Wondaland crew on a bigger budget. The ArchAndroid not only picks up where The Chase let off, but contains both the second and third Metropolis suites in one shot with no discernible 'let's make some hits now' intervention. The packaging alone -- the elaborate crown, the inspiration listed beside each song, etc. -- provides much to process. Liner notes from the vice-chancellor of the arts asylum at the Palace of the Dogs, Monáe's residence, outline the (possible) situation fleshed out in the songs. In short, Monáe was genoraped in the 28th century, sent back to the 21st century, and had her organic compounds cloned and re-purposed for the existence of ArchAndroid Cindi Mayweather, whose directive is to liberate Metropolis from a secret society of oppressors. Understanding all this stuff enhances the enjoyment of the album, but it is not required. A few tracks merely push the album along, and a gaudy Of Montreal collaboration is disruptive, but there are numerous highlights that are vastly dissimilar from one another. "'Tightrope,'" the biggest standout, is funky soul, all locomotive percussion and lyrical prancing to match: 'I tip on alligators, and little rattlesnakers/But I'm another flavor, something like a Terminator.' Just beneath that is the burbling synth pop of "'Wondaland,'" as playful and rhythmically juicy as Tom Tom Club ('So inspired, you touch my wires'); the haunted space-folk of "'57821'" (titled after Monáe's patient number); and the conjoined "'Faster'" and "'Locked Inside,'" packing bristling energy with a new-wave bounce that morphs into a churning type of desperation worthy of Michael Jackson. Monáe might not have much appeal beyond musical theater geeks, sci-fi nerds, and those who like their genres crossed-up, but no one can deny that very few are on her creative level. She can sing, sang, and scream like hell, too.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 5/18/2010
  • Label: Bad Boy
  • UPC: 075678989834
  • Catalog Number: 512256
  • Sales rank: 7,797

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 Suite II Overture (2:31)
  2. 2 Dance or Die (3:12)
  3. 3 Faster (3:19)
  4. 4 Locked Inside (4:16)
  5. 5 Sir Greendown (2:15)
  6. 6 Cold War (3:23)
  7. 7 Tightrope (4:22)
  8. 8 Neon Gumbo (1:37)
  9. 9 Oh, Maker (3:47)
  10. 10 Come Alive (The War of The Roses) (3:22)
  11. 11 Mushrooms & Roses (5:42)
  12. 12 Suite III Overture (1:41)
  13. 13 Neon Valley Street (4:11)
  14. 14 Make The Bus (3:19)
  15. 15 Wondaland (3:36)
  16. 16 57821 - Deep Cotton (3:16)
  17. 17 Say You'll Go (6:00)
  18. 18 BabopbyeYa (8:47)
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Album Credits

Performance Credits
Janelle Monáe Primary Artist, Vocals, Background Vocals
Kevin Barnes Synthesizer, Drums, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocals
Terrence Brown Organ, Piano
Big Boi Background Vocals
Saul Williams Vocals
Hornz Unlimited Horn
Roman GianArthur Irvin Percussion, Piano, Conductor, Background Vocals
Chuck Lightning Background Vocals
Wondaland String Ensemble Strings
Nate "Rocket" Wonder Organ, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Conductor, Drums, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocals, Mellotron, Vibes, Hammond B3
Skinks Background Vocals
Wolfmaster Z Drums, Bass Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Theremin, Tubular Bells, Bass Marimba
Kellindo Parker Guitar, Ukulele, Soloist
Deep Cotton Background Vocals
Eánom Ellenaj Vocals
Technical Credits
Richard Rodgers Composer
Kevin Barnes Producer, drum programming
Lorenz Hart Composer
Jerry Freeman Horn Arrangements
Antwan Patton Composer
Control Z Engineer, Mastering
Saul Williams Composer
Janelle Monáe Producer
Jason Freeman Horn Arrangements
Roman GianArthur Irvin Arranger, Composer, Producer, Engineer, Vocal Arrangements, String Arrangements
Chuck Lightning Arranger, Producer
Nate "Rocket" Wonder Arranger, Producer, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Carolyn Tracey Package Production
Damien Lewis Engineer
Kellindo Parker Arranger
Lord Mitchell A. "MitchOW!ski" Martian Mastering
K. Barnes Composer
Kellis Parker Jr. Composer
Janelle Monáe Robinson Arranger, Composer
Gninthgil Kcuc Composer
Eánom Ellenaj Composer
Dr. Nathaniel Irvin III Arranger, Composer
Charles Joseph II Arranger, Composer
Chad Weatherford Costume Design
Rednow "Tekcor" Etan Arranger, Composer
Max Stellings Liner Notes
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 7 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(7)

4 Star

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Sort by: Showing all of 7 Customer Reviews

  • Posted February 15, 2011

    A Beautiful and Cinematic Landscape

    This reaches in deep in a viceral sense. It's not just audibly cinematic but picturesque. It is an aesthetic ideal that a lot of other artists could stand to reach for (this is not part of the majority of modern gutter-trash and non-substantives released that degrades humanity through it's shear existence). With that said I look forward to seeing more from Ms Monae.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    An Essential New Voice

    Janelle Monae is an artist whose unique skill and creativity have been too long unnoticed. The long-awaited ArchAndroid presents the second and third suites of a project that began with Metropolis: The Chase Suite. Metropolis is also the title of a 1928 classic silent film, which tells the tale of a city whose surface is magnificant and wealthy; a mile below the city, however, is an oppressed force of laborers. How does one become free? Monae puts a sci-fi twist to the concept in Metropolis: The Chase Suite, and ArchAndroid carries on Monae's storyline. ArchAndroid is a far-ranging stylistic musical production in which Monae somehow successfully weaves together urban, club, classical, jazz, and even some folk-ish lines. It shouldn't work at all, but it does work, musically and conceptually. Her ideas are fresh and curious. She is a fine-minded and important contemporary artist, a great voice, and an excellent composer. Hats off to Bad Boy for producing a work that defies The Industry's profiteering standards. New listeners should note that ArchAndroid does call up lines from Metropolis: The Chase Suite. It is useful to hear Metropolis but not essential for enjoying ArchAndroid.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 29, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

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    Posted July 29, 2010

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    Posted July 5, 2010

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    Posted May 26, 2010

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    Posted July 24, 2010

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Sort by: Showing all of 7 Customer Reviews