Chaos and Disorder

by

Prince

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From the Hendrix-like opening strains of the title song to the buzz-cutting riffs of the blues/swing "zanalee," "the Artist" (hereinafter known as "Prince") dishes up some impressive power licks as well as some of his strongest singing in years. More rock than funk/hip-hop (although see the solid, if slightly tedious, "I Rock, Therefore I Am"), enjoy his superb guitar work and driving dance rhythms. Prince solos more than in recent years (we want more!), and these sounds, as well as one or two of the ballads, hearken back to the 80's--particularly the very tasty "Dinner with Dolores." Although a couple of songs are a bit uninspired, this is worth getting--play it loud!

The liner notes state "originally intended 4 private use only, this compilation serves as the last original material recorded by [The Artist] 4 warner brothers records." Whatever conflicts Prince had with WB, his new non-WB effort, "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic" doesn't touch this or other releases of older Prince music on WB such as "Crystal Ball" or the superb jazz-inflected "From the Vault."

I am a fairly big Prince fan, owning seven of his releases, but am not so blinded by my "fandom" as to not recognize mediocrity when I hear it.

I bought this album several days ago and have now listened to it 3-4 times, which I think gives it a fair shake. The return to guitar-playing is welcomed, and in fact, is probably the highlight of this record. It is probably Prince's most guitar-oriented record since Purple Rain.

But it wouldn't be a truly great Prince record without his booty-shaking funk and rip-roaring melodies, and those are missing here for the most part. The title track and "Dig U Better Dead" are solid tunes, but still don't compare with anything from "Sign of the Times" or the "Love Symbol" albums. "Dinner with Delores" and "I Like It There" are amusing tunes with nice musical performances, but are nothing really special. "I Rock, Therefore I Am" is a pretty mediocre stab at the rock-funk at which Prince has historically been so adept. The other six songs are either forgettable or downright lousy. "Right the Wrong" and "Had U" in particular just make me want to hit the skip button. Prince even attempts to affect a drawl in the beginning of the former song. Oh brother....

Anyway, as mentioned elsewhere in the reviews, this CD is for Prince completists only. Try "The Very Best of Prince" if you want an introductory sampler to Prince's work. It's a nice place to start....