The Toronto Sun had a review of Rave in today's paper (Sunday, November 28, 1999):



Prince delivers the goods

By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun



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RAVE UN2 THE JOY FANTASTIC

The Artist

NPG Records/Arista (7822-14624-2)

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3.5 stars out of 5



The Artist, known in recent years as artistic freedom fighter instead of musical genuis, is back working for The Man on his latest release, but apparently he doesn't care.



Instead he seems to be celebrating.



His first major label release since 1996 finds the unpronounceable symbol man hooking up with a variety of special guests including Chuck D., Sheryl Crow, Ani DiFranco, No Doubt and saxophonist Maceo Parker.



But the real interesting outside collaborator is Prince, whom The Artist apparently brought back as a producer for Rave in order for his latest collection to revisit his '80s glory days. He discarded the name in 1993.



While there is plenty of joyous, sexed-up funkiness throughout this collection, the album never truly soars like, well, it's 1999. Except for three occasions -- on the poppy rocker So Far, So Pleased, featuring No Doubt's Gwen Stefani on co-lead vocals, the melancholy I Love You, But I Don't Trust You Anymore, with DiFranco on acoustic guitar, and the contemplative mid-tempo number Wherever You Go, Whatever You Do.



In fact, The Artist's guests, for the most part, elevate his music this time.



Chuck D. lends serious weight with his rap turn on Undisputed and Crow does her slinky best on Baby Knows.



The Artist does score a few points on his own for the straight- ahead R&B ballads The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (also the first single) and Man 'O' War, the sexy Hot Wit U, the pretty Tangerine and The Sun, The Moon And Stars and the funked-up Strange But True.



Not so good is his lightweight cover of Crow's Everyday Is A Winding Road.