i think the music shows a very mature side of prince as a songwriter and producer. on these levels, i really like this album. there are a lot of things going on here, and it's all very smooth and pleasant.

as for bria? her presence is all but irrelevant here. someone had to sing the songs, it had to be a woman, and clearly bria was the purple paisley bond girl du jour. her voice isn't awful. it's not great, either. for me appreciating prince's work on this album, her voice didn't get in the way at all.

think of this album like watching a david lynch or woody allen movie. it doesn't really matter who is the star of the movie, because when lynch or allen direct a movie, you pretty much know what you're in for, and if you like that kind of thing, you're watching the movie for the director, not so much for the actors. that's what's going on here. this album has bria's name on it, but it is 100% a prince vehicle. and it's a good one. i'd even venture to say he's sneaking a bit of creative evolution into this album, just to test the waters and see how we respond.

Anxiety said:

Really?

I listened to about 20-30 seconds of each song on the Bria album and it sounds like smooth jazz adult contemporary R&B to me - pretty much the epitome of music I hate. Nothing against the people who like that, different strokes and all. Just not my thing.

Am I wrong, though? Is there something else there?

i like it but i also liked the tamar album and stuff like
chaka's npg album or such.

it's post emancipation prince r'n'b. i would have minded if these
songs had been on his own album but collected here and performed
by bria i dig them and appreciate them.

her voice is nice enough, i don't understand all the hate toward
this woman. it's not like she's ever done anything to any of you.



oh and by the way, the title track is a very good track
it's my fav of the album.

ELIXER...anyone else think it's a pun of he lick's her?..."listen to the lyrics"...Prince is kinda showing his old raunchy side a little in this album...and it's far more believable, lyrically Prince has dumbed down his act so much lately he makes Rod Jane and Freddy look positively perverse

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

Exactly what I thought.

Here I Come - The instrumentation and bass especially is inviting. This reminds me of something from the early to mid-90s, an enjoyable, if perfunctory intro that should fade out at 2 minutes.

All This Love - Down-tempo acid jazz. Like mid-90s 'Brand New Heavies'. Nice flute and bass and piano. "Sexy talk" rap in the middle is completely unnecessary, but is very brief thankfully.

Home - Disappointing because I liked the mood in which the album seemed to be heading. This slow 'dance' number is devoid of a hook and the jagged synthline that repeats throughout and even replaces the chorus is silly and annoying. The track doesn't develop at all either. Shame.

Something U Already Know - Another slow acid jazz type number. OK, but it would've completely passed me by had I not thought to concentrate on it though, it's the very epitomy of "album track", I did kind of get into it by the end though, I'll come back to it for another listen for sure.

Everytime - Nice, little samba type mood. Cheesy and sentimental in a way only Prince can be. Warm sun, afternoon breeze..... zzzzz, *snort* Oh, yes, I drifted off then.

2Nite - Sounds out of date, and quite like something from Carmen Electra's album, but better than any 'dance' numbers on MPLSound. And what does that bouncy piano line remind me of, Ladies Night? Needs a better vocalist to lift it and I can do without the predictible glitzy Prince synths towards the end.

Another Boy - Sounds pretty modern, but doesn't really do much for me. Next.

Kept Woman - OK, the down-tempo acid jazz thing is back but this track flew past me, nothing really jumped out at me, neither here nor there.

Immersion - Honestly I forgot this was playing till it faded out. This was recorded for Prince's upcoming chain of NPG crystal healing and floatation tank centers.

Elixir - Another slow mid-90s type number. Prince duets, not sure if his whiney falsetto adds anything, could've done more with a deep baritone to offset Bria's own brittle whisp. I love the strings on this one, but the vocals grate on me.


Overall: - They were thinking Sade? I hear Incognito in their less energetic down-tempo moments. Despite Bria herself having a completely unremarkable voice, the supposed duffer of the triple album set is actually a nice little slow Acid Jazz trip, which only falters when it strays from the mid-90s into the mid-00s for inspiration. Most tracks are needlessly over-long though with far too few musical ideas to go around, and it's hard to form any sort of attachment to Bria as a performer as she brings nothing distinctive to the record and you can't help but feel she'll be nothing more than a footnote by the time Prince has tired of his current projects.

I've been putting off listening to it but you know what? I am really liking some of it. Particularly Immersion. She has a very laid back kind of voice. Reminds me of Janet on some tracks and Chante Moore on others. I disagree with some who say it's like most of the stuff out today. It really isn't. I hate today's stuff and I don't hate this.

Vendetta1 said:

I gotta say that I'm really digging this. Upon hearing Another Boy, I thought this LP was going to be some ol'cheesy bullshit. But as an entire body of work I can't hate on this. I actually think this is much better than Tamar's proposed album (not vocally). This is some good chill out music. I don't think ol' boy was comparing her to Sade, but the music and vibe of it definitely has a chill out feel. Some very thexy things going on here.

bsk3601 said:

You took the words right out my mouth. Very good album...and ends the collection well as dessert. You know when you eat a full couarse meal..and then you chill the fuck out..that's this album. I like just abotu every song on this album. And it is hell of alot better than Tamar's album. I played the album 3 times already. I talked to our friend..can't wait to hear Lotus Flow3r later

Some of the songs are a bit generic, though, and any chick with a nice voice could have done them as well.

This is a great album! Musically speaking, there's some interesting moments on here. The vocals sound really nice and the songwriting superb!. I don't remember the last time P produced a protege album this good.
[Edited 3/29/09 3:09am]