The Midnight Hour (album)

For the Jamie Principle album, see The Midnite Hour.

The Midnight Hour
A collage of musicians
Studio album by
Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge
ReleasedJune 8, 2018 (2018-06-08)
RecordedStarting 2013
StudioLinear Labs Studios, Los Angeles, California, US
Genre
Length60:42
LanguageEnglish
LabelLinear Labs
Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge chronology
The Midnight Hour
(2018) 		The Midnight Hour: Live at Linear Labs
(2019)

The Midnight Hour is a 2018 studio album by American musicians Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge.

Reception

Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Andy Kellman writing that several tracks are stand-out and "the freer moments are almost as stimulating as the deliberately composed numbers".[1] That outlet also chose it for one of the best rhythm and blues albums of the year[2] and one of the best albums of any genre.[3] Matt Bauer of Exclaim! rated this release a 7 out of 10, for being "both intimate and expansive", creating "a perfect chillout for the woke".[4] Writing for Pitchfork Media, Brian Josephs praised "a peculiar live intimacy to the production that threads through hollowed-out kick drums and scratchy bass strings" that still upholds the "soulful aesthetic" that bridges "generational and genre gaps between black music’s multitudes".[5]

Track listing

All music composed by Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge.

  1. "Black Beacon" – 4:00
  2. "Mare" (lyrics by Ladybug Mecca) – 1:06
  3. "It’s You" (lyrics by Raphael Saadiq) – 4:56
  4. "Questions" (lyrics by CeeLo Green) – 3:27
  5. "So Amazing" (lyrics by Luther Vandross) – 4:13
  6. "Gate 54" – 4:04
  7. "Do It Together" (lyrics by Bilal) – 3:09
  8. "Redneph in B Minor" – 2:48
  9. "Better Endeavor" – 2:48
  10. "Smiling for Me" (lyrics by Karolina) – 3:03
  11. "Don’t Keep Me Waiting" (lyrics by Marsha Ambrosius) – 3:18
  12. "Bitches Do Voodoo" (lyrics by Angela Munoz) – 0:54
  13. "Possibilities" (lyrics by Eryn Allen Kane) – 3:12
  14. "Mission" (lyrics by Marsha A.) – 2:56
  15. "Dans un moment d’errance" (lyrics by Laetitia Saidier) – 3:03
  16. "Love Is Free" (lyrics by Eryn Allen Kane) – 2:44
  17. "Together Again" – 3:21
  18. "Feel Alive" (lyrics by Karolina and Loren Oden) – 2:57
  19. "There Is No Greater Love" (lyrics by Loren Oden and Saudia Yasmein) – 2:19
  20. "Ravens" – 2:24

Deluxe Edition bonus disc

  1. "Mare" (instrumental) – 1:06
  2. "It’s You" (instrumental) – 4:56
  3. "Questions" (instrumental) – 3:23
  4. "So Amazing" (instrumental) – 4:13
  5. "Do It Together" (instrumental) – 3:09
  6. "Smiling for Me" (instrumental) – 3:03
  7. "Don’t Keep Me Waiting" (instrumental) – 3:18
  8. "Bitches Do Voodoo" (instrumental) – 0:54
  9. "Possibilities" (instrumental) – 3:12
  10. "Dans un moment d’errance" (instrumental) – 3:03
  11. "Love Is Free" (instrumental) – 2:44
  12. "Feel Alive" (instrumental) – 2:57
  13. "There Is No Greater Love" (instrumental) – 2:19

Personnel

"Black Beacon"

"Maré"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – upright piano, electric bass, vibraphone, alto saxophone, drums, percussion
  • Ladybug Mecca – vocals
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Loren Oden – backing vocals
  • Saudia Yasmein – backing vocals

"It’s You"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, electric bass, percussion, bass clarinet, sopranino saxophone, alto saxophone, drums
  • Raphael Saadiq – electric guitar, vocals
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa

"Questions"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, upright piano, percussion, flute, vibraphone
  • CeeLo Green – vocals
  • David Henderson – drums
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Jack Waterson – acoustic guitar

"So Amazing"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Wurlitzer electric piano, electric bass, electric guitar, tubular bells, carillon, celeste, alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, flutes
  • David Henderson – drums, percussion
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Luther Vandross – vocals

"Gate 54"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – grand piano, fender rhodes piano, electric bass, drums
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa

"Do It Together"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, electric bass, electric guitar, vibraphone, flutes, alto, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
  • Bilal – vocals, backing vocals
  • David Henderson – drums
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Saudia Yasmein – backing vocals

"Redneph in B-Minor"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, electric bass, tubular chimes, electric guitar, vibraphone, drums, percussion
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa

"Better Endeavor"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, electric guitar, electric bass, vibraphone, drums, percussion
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Jack Waterson – Guitar

"Smiling for Me"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, electric bass, Hammond organ, analog synthesizer, flutes, alto saxophone
  • David Henderson – drums
  • Karolina – vocals
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Jack Waterson – acoustic guitar

"Don’t Keep Me Waiting"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, electric bass, electric guitar, vibraphone, drums
  • Marsha Ambrosius – vocals
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa

"Bitches Do Voodoo"

  • Adrian Younge – grand piano
  • Angela Munoz – vocals

"Possibilities"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, upright piano, electric bass, electric guitar, alto & baritone saxophone, minichime, drums, percussion.
  • Eryn Allen Kane – vocals
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa

"Mission"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, electric bass, electric guitar, carillon, percussion, analog synthesizers, alto & baritone saxophone, clarinet, flute
  • David Henderson – drums
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Marsha A. – vocals

"Dans un moment d’errance"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Wurlitzer electric piano, Hammond organ, electric bass, analog synthesizer, flutes, alto saxophone
  • Keyon Harrold – trumpet
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Questlove – drums
  • Laetitia Saidier – vocals
  • Jack Waterson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar

"Love Is Free"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, electric bass, electric guitars, alto saxophone, drums
  • Eryn Allen Kane – vocals
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa

"Together Again"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – electric bass, electric guitar, carillon, alto, baritone & sopranino saxophone, drums
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • No ID – percussion
  • James Poyser – Fender Rhodes piano

"Feel Alive"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – Fender Rhodes piano, upright piano, Hammond organ, glockenspiel, electric bass, electric guitar, flute, bass flute, alto & baritone saxophone, drums, selene
  • Karolina – vocals
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Loren Oden – vocals

"There Is No Greater Love"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – upright piano, electric bass, vibraphone, drums, percussion
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa
  • Loren Oden – vocals
  • Saudia Yasmein – vocals

"Ravens"

  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – upright piano, Hammond organ, clavinet, drums, electric bass, electric guitar
  • Linear Labs Orchestra – orchestrated by Adrian Younge, conducted by Brooke DeRosa

Technical personnel

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Kellman, Andy (n.d.). "Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge – The Midnight Hour". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Favorite R&B Albums". AllMusic 2018 in Review. AllMusic. RhythmOne. n.d. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  3. ^ "AllMusic Best of 2018". AllMusic 2018 in Review. AllMusic. RhythmOne. n.d. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Bauer, Matt (June 6, 2018). "Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge The Midnight Hour". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  5. ^ Josephs, Brian (June 4, 2018). "Ali Shaheed Muhammad / Adrian Younge: The Midnight Hour Album Review". Albums. RhythmOne. Retrieved October 27, 2023.