A CELEBRATION: DIAMONDS & PEARLS

Diamonds and Pearls was released at a time when I was eagerly awaiting new albums from a few of my favourite bands and artists at the time. U2 had dropped the ball in my eyes with Achtung Baby a few weeks earlier, so I was concerned that on the back of the mixed bag that Graffiti Bridge had been, that maybe D&P would also be more let down. One listen through the record though I was happy to know that this was Prince back with a solid album.

With the opening vocals of Thunder I felt like I was being taken back to a LoveSexy era. His voice crisp and clean echoed through the room as the drums rolled over me. The song packs a punch from the outset, meshing world music instruments with the elements of funk. The track builds with each chorus until a torrential rain of funk covers you. It was if Prince was signaling to all those that had worried if he still had it, that he had it in spades.

The force and one-upmanship of Daddy Pop grabbed me from the opening exclamation. This track is on fire, frenetic and fuelled with wit as Prince lambastes all the doubters. After all this is the man that has “deep purple concord jams”. And this is one of them. Still to this day this song hooks me in and makes me put on my funk face.

With the focus squarely on composition, Prince crafts a perfect pop ballad with Diamonds and Pearls, The slow enticing build, the hopeful chorus that sweeps you away and the bridge that just transports you into a mini-rock opera. Wonderfully written with faultless production, everything finds its place.

Cream with its nod to T-Rex “Get It On” didn’t initially grab me. It felt too much like a Prince hit by the numbers. But who else do you know that can make a pop tune out of ejaculation that millions around the world would sing. Even if I felt the song was a little light I couldn’t deny it would be a hit. Now years after it’s release I feel like I have accepted it for what it is and now rather than fight against it, am more willing to let myself get caught up in the pop.

Taking a left turn in more jazzier tones, Strollin’ was actually the song that was playing in the record store when I bought the CD. I remember wanting to get in and out of there as soon as I could and not hear anymore until I could appreciate it. The playfulness of the song has Prince in a happy space and you can almost see his smile through the lyrical delivery. Again no faulting the production or playing here. It soothes and just gets you in its laidback groove.

With a Princely reworking of a boss nova Willing And Able is a song that doesn’t let up. It grabs you by the hand in the first bar and then leads you through a cool land of beautiful backing vocal and rippling guitar, and just places a smile on your face. Even the rap didn’t seem as forced as it could have been. A fave.

That scream. That flute. The beat. Those lyrics. If people were wanting a return to form Gett Off delivers. It stalks the listener like an animal in heart, spewing lust filled lyrics with every step. Dripping in sex and seduction this takes a new look at funk and packages it for the 90s. Unlike other tracks on the album it still holds up, and while a post 2000 Prince may not ever play it again, it will always get a hearing at my place.

Walk Don’t Walk is a curious song. I can simultaneously love and hate this song. It just feels a little light at times and maybe a bit too simple and singsong. Accessible yes, catching, yes, but moving no. Unfortunately that feeling has altered over the years.

After the strength of the tracks thus far, it might have been too much to ask that the quality continue. Unfortunately Jughead proves that when you hand the power over to the NPG the output can be low voltage. With every member seeming to get their time on the mic, it appealed as an intro the band live, but on record it just left me feeling a bit detached. Maybe it was trying too hard to be cool, but it just doesn’t convince in its swagger.

Thankfully Money Don’t Matter 2 Night saved the final tracks from being all write off. It’s one of Prince’s classics, and at first listen I found myself feeling it wouldn’t have been out of place on Sign O The Times. It had that kind of quality to it. Thankfully, Prince leaves the NPG out of the equation for the most part and takes over the backing vocals with brilliant layering that just envelops you. A favourite that has held up the best of the album.

Push with its new funk hook sounded like a possible left over from Batman. The production was on point, and the strings and backing sound effects just swirled around my head. Out of all the songs that felt like it was a band effort, this track came out the best.

Up to this point Adore was always THE Prince ballad. But while listening to Insatiable I felt a new challenger was emerging to take the title. Oh so smooth in the production, it just feels like you are strolling the halls of seduction. By this point in his career Prince had become a master at the make out jam and could craft a perfect r’n’b ballad. Here he lays out the blueprint that many would follow. Listening to it again now it still sounds fresh and bristling with excitement. Maybe it hasn’t taken the title from Adore but it gave a good fight.

Live 4 Love as a track was a highlight back in the day, it felt urgent and fuelled a bit by anger. It burst through the headphones and dropped a series of funk bombs with each passing verse. Now though, I feel more ambivalent about the track. I can’t truly explain it, maybe I have heard it too many times for it still have the same impart. But this funk rocker just doesn’t seem to soar as high as it once did.

And with the disc stopping I couldn’t help but feel happy that this was a Prince back in the game. Maybe a little focused on commercial success and less on being experimental, it was an album that would prove to recapture the imagination of the lapsed listener and go on to sweep up another load of fans.

It still holds some killer tracks on it, but now I feel more drawn in my the 80% Prince 20% NPG tracks over the reverse.


Swa

Love this album, it was the album I discovered as a 15 year old Fourth Former when a friend and I were watching music videos together and on came that video for CREAM and they danced a mock orgy and I knew the song was about cumming and semen, I thought its so dirty and yet so funky and then Princemania hit me and I took my conversion. Within a week I had bought all the Prince records I could see including Diamonds and Pearls, Cream and Gett Off Cassingles, and a record single of New Power Generation. I was the latest new fan on the block, there was a new god to worsjip and he was funky!!!!. I forgot about Colour Me Badd and Madonna straight away, even though Michael had just dropped Dangerous and I was really digging that.
I know its cheesy, but I was 15 what do you expect. (I didn't rediscover the back catalogue until a few WEEKS later.

Still love the album the tatty cassette has long since been replaced with a CD and its holographic cover (Also as I wrote the word Cream all over it several times. I really got that carried away with that song

this album

Once again you're dead on SWA..not many pick up the Cream-T Rex connection, well not in my circles..My faith was restored with D&P..like i knew it would..lol..Some sure-fire hits were needed at the time and he delivered..I just started DJing and Get Off flutestrumental would get the dance floor jumping everytime...

For me this album continued the slide that arguably began with Graffitti Bridge. In the past Prince's strength was to make commercial music while at the same time pushing boundaries and being innovative. On Diamonds And Pearls he had the commercial part down but I missed the sense of adventure on earlier albums. I do really enjoy all of Clare Fischer's string arrangements on this album. I think they really elevate a song like "Push." "Gett Off" is a song that I've tried to like over the years but I just can't. I just find it annoying. I also think there are too many throwaway tracks ("Daddy Pop," "Willing And Able," "Walk Don't Walk"). A common critique of this album is that Prince was trying much too hard for a hit and I have to agree.
[Edited 6/30/09 4:09am]

Excellent review!
The analysis for each song perfectly denote the feelings evoked while listening to them.
It's one of my favorite cd's and I will forever love Gett Off & Instatiable.

1sexymf said:

Did the commercial success of D&P kill it for some fans who enjoyed P being a little more on the fringe at this period?

Swa