DARKNESS AND LIGHT [Clean Version]

by John Legend

Overview

Unlike John Legend's first four proper studio albums, this one, his fifth, was produced almost entirely by one person. Floored by Alabama Shakes' Sound & Color, Legend -- coming off his first number one pop hit and an Academy Award -- recruited Blake Mills, that album's chief collaborator. Mills, who also plays several instruments and co-writes almost every song, responds in kind here with a similarly vivid touch. Even at its most processed, the album sounds handwrought, a fully evolved synthesis of gospel, folk, rhythm & blues, and adult pop. Legend's supporting cast of songwriters, an unconventional mix of commercial pop and underground figures that widely ranges from John Ryan to Will Oldham, is completely different to that of 2013's Love in the Future. The bulk of the songs are thematically similar nonetheless, with the embrace of an intense and long-term partnership -- up against "all that shit from the outside" -- at the center. A little more personal and societal context is drawn here. It starts with "I Know Better," a ballad led by Larry Goldings' Hammond organ and piano, where Legend enters in almost startling fashion with "They say sing what you know, but I've sung what they want." He renounces vanity, then beams "My history has brought me to this place/There's power in the color of my face." After the elegant funk-soul number "Penthouse Floor," a triumphantly escapist number enhanced by Chance the Rapper, the content switches to more personal matters. A one-night stand ("Temporary Painless"), the rejection of anxieties to seize commitment ("Surefire"), love after war ("What You Do to Me"), and life under a microscope ("Overload") are among the subjects. There's also a moving ballad, featuring tenor sax from Kamasi Washington, addressed to Legend's daughter. In addition to Legend's laser focus and Mills' presence, the album is tied together by the supreme rhythm section of Pino Palladino and Chris "Daddy" Dave. Each track has its own kind of burning intensity. The album's front, back, and inner photos are in black-and-white, but the music evokes rich shades of yellow, orange, and red. [Darkness and Light was also released in a clean version.] ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	12/02/2016
Label:	Columbia / Sony Music
UPC:	0889853916221
Rank:	113678

Tracks

1. I Know Better
2. Penthouse Floor
3. Darkness and Light
4. Overload
5. Love Me Now
6. What You Do to Me
7. Surefire
8. Right By You (For Luna)
9. Temporarily Painless
10. How Can I Blame You
11. Same Old Story
12. Marching Into the Dark

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Legend   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
John Ryan   Drums,Piano,Percussion,Synthesizer
Wendy Melvoin   Bass
Sebastian Steinberg   Bass
Blake Mills   Bass,Guitar,Guitarron,Keyboards,Percussion,Synthesizer,Slide Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Kamasi Washington   Sax (Tenor)
Pino Palladino   Bass
Z Berg   Vocals (Background)
Rob Moose   Viola,Violin
Chris Dave   Drums
Bruce White   Viola
CJ Camerieri   Trumpet
Holly Laessig   Vocals (Background)
Perfume Genius   Vocals (Background)
Miguel   Featured Artist
Jess Wolfe   Vocals (Background)
Brittany Howard   Vocals,Featured Artist
Jessy Wilson   Vocals (Background)
Miguel Pimentel   Vocals
Chance the Rapper   Vocals,Featured Artist
Tobias Jesso, Jr.   Vocals (Background)
Dave Daniels   Cello
Peter Lale   Viola
Caroline Dale   Cello
Zac Rae   Piano,Keyboards,Organ (Hammond)
JL   Vocals
Larry Goldings   Piano,Keyboards,Organ (Hammond)
Gavin Greenaway   Conductor

Technical Credits

John Ryan   Composer,Producer,Programming
Blake Mills   Composer,Producer,Programming,Executive Producer
Brendan Dekora   Assistant Engineer
Greg Kurstin   Composer
John Legend   Executive Producer
Andy Masters   Assistant Engineer
Justin Tranter   Composer
Matt Sweeney   Composer
Isobel Griffiths   String Contractor
Rob Moose   String Arrangements
Will Oldham   Composer
Shawn Everett   Mixing,Engineer
Francis White   Composer
John Stephens   Composer
David Davis   Assistant Engineer
Ludwig Goeransson   Composer
Perry Montague-Mason   Leader
Meaghan Lyons   A&R
Tyler Shields   Assistant Engineer
Julia Michaels   Composer
Mark Williams   A&R
Ethan Gruska   Composer
Christopher Feldmann   Design,Art Direction
Ashley Johnson   A&R
Joseph Lorge   Assistant Engineer
Miguel Pimentel   Composer
Eliot Lee Hazel   Photography
Amy Stewart   Strings Contractor
Tobias Jesso, Jr.   Composer
Buddy Bojorquez   Graphic Design
Michael Tucker   Composer
Joe Grasso   A&R
Chancellor Bennet   Composer
Rob English   Creative Director
Bob Ludwig   Mastering