Musicology

by

Prince

Edit

At the 20 year anniversary of when Prince took over the world with PURPLE RAIN comes MUSICOLOGY -- his return to light hearted straight ahead funk ... with a couple of songs that cut a little deeper. There aren't any more anti-war messages than the typical Prince album, and none of them seem directed at anyone in particular ... simply the world at large. Prince is at the top of his form right now, and poised to jog your memory of why he belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

But here's the catch -- almost every PRINCE recording has a concept behind it. RAINBOW CHILDREN was a Jehovah's Witness jazz experiment, NEWS was instrumental noodlings, and here we have Prince paying homage to James Brown and other artists like Sly Stone that influenced him. He even pays tribute to his old persona by working out some old school 80s Minneapolis sound tracks complete with some help from SHEILA E and CANDY DULFER. At the end of the title track we hear samples of some 80s Prince ("Little Red Corvette", "17 DAYS" and others) and it sets the stage for a look back with an artist who the world never seems to catch up with.

My favorite new track is A MILLION DAYS which laments a lover leaving and reminds me of the days when Prince was pop. CALL MY NAME will go down as one of his great slow jams! DEAR MR MAN gives you the most blatant "the world is troubled message". LIFE OF THE PARTY is his latest "Housequake" or party tune like "DMSR". The CD is totally clean and has escaped any lyrical or content warning, so it's safe to listen with kids or parents present!

So put on your purple paisley and get ready to party like its 1999! MUSICOLOGY is a funky return to form for one of music's biggest talents. Will it be big and huge like PURPLE RAIN or 1999? Nothing could top that era. But this one will please the hardcore fan and the casual listener.

This is definitely a good CD, although I can't justify giving it 5 stars just yet. Especially from the man who gave us the albums 1999, Purple Rain, Sign 'O' The Times, and The Gold Experience. And no, I don't expect Prince to keep rehashing old CDs, and I do appreciate the musical direction he is heading in. I just don't feel this latest CD is quite as strong as some earlier ones, but I still enjoy it and have no doubt that Prince will continue to evlove and redefine music again and again as he has always done.

Some tracks that stand out for me are the funky and upbeat title track, Illusion Coma Pimp & Circumstance, Life 'O' The Party, Cinnamon Girl (a great song, though not to be confused by Neil Young's also great song of the same name--the two songs are quite different), and Dear Mr. Man.

A lot of reviewers have stated that it is his best since Emancipation. In my opinion, Musicology could easily have been the 4th disc of the Emancipation set. On both collections, Prince is paying a tribute to the old school R&B, and doing a fine job of it. Fans that crave more of Prince's signature guitar work will find these songs lacking, but those who appreciate his overall songwriting and versatility will be pleased.

The bottom line is, if you are a Prince fan on any level you gotta add this to your collection. There are a number of really catchy tunes and beautiful ballads, and although it may lack the consistency of some of Prince's legenday albums, it is still a great listen and will undoubtedly grow on you with repeated listenings.