CD Star New Zealand

Marty Free



The Artist

RAVE UN 2 THE JOY FANTASTIC

Album review



The intro of the title track signals what’s ahead on Prince’s New Powered opus for the next thousand years, or at least until his next album. Essentially, everything eclectic from what must have been a frustrating few years for The Artist Formerly Ridiculed As Precious. Back on a major label, Mr Lovesexy crams tight multi-tracked vocal harmonies, huge guitar, old-school-funky synth and Arabic melody over an incessant drum machine into the first few bars. It may be the final days of 1999, but the purple one has some business to attend to on Undisputed before he gets down to party in salacious style with Ruff Ryders’ Eve on Hot Wit U. To assist, the guest list at this party also includes rapper Chuck D, Sheryl Crow, No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani, Ani DiFranco and sax legend Maceo Parker guesting on tunes that fall into now familiar styles of dancefloor strut, pious reproach and full blown ballads. Generally it’s the former that Prince is remembered for, of which the funked up cover of Everyday Is A Winding Road and Prettyman are prime examples, but Baby Knows and I Love U But I Don’t Trust U Anymore also get the nod. The man is a flawed genius and though he claims never to be market driven, Rave is an important milestone that surreptitiously seeks to seduce a public that has followed music from the club to the street, back inside and up to the bedroom.



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