{{{Here's a review from the Telegraph 29/03/2003 of the Rainbow Children.

In the 1980's there was serious rivalry between Prince and Michael Jackson, and the wee purple fellow is still a contender when it comes to the question of who's more of a fruitcake. A comitted Jehovah's Witness, Prince uses the Rainbow Children to the story of a wise one, whose women falls sway to someone called the Resistor, before the chap with the big white beard sorts it all out. It's a concept album and could be a soundtrack to the sort of rock musical they stopped making when Britain went decimal. Some of the narrative of Family Name even takes place in 17th century London though that track does reveal new feeling for the politics of blackness which suggests some real purpose to proceedings. And whereas Wacko's records have become more bland as his skin has grown whiter, Prince has lost none of that feeling for a groove that has it's pedigree in Charlie Parker and James Brown.

Prince says he could write another album like purple rain if he wanted to - and it's a pity that he doesn't seem much interested in pop songs anymore. But there are engagingly loopy moments here, and when he gets the funk, he still funks harder than his peers.
Casper Llewellyn Smith

i don't like the way the author looks right now; her keychain maybe broken in the softness of akashic spheres.

I don't disagree with the review, but I have a question.


Does anyone in the British music press actually care about reviewing music? Or is this just a stepping stone to writing "comedy"? Nearly every music review in all of the British press seems more concerned with coming off hip, cooler-than-cool, and basically looking down on the work they are reviewing, the audience, and even themeslves.

Just review the fucking CD and leave your aspirations to become the great wit of our day at the door, please.

AaronFantastic said:

...

wellbeyond said:

i couldnt agree more with aaronfantastic. even previously respected magazines like Q have fallen prey to the hollow nature of british popular culture in general. The tendency is to try and sound as funny and/or clever as possible, while simultaneously using self-deprecating humour to remove accountability for what they are trying to say, which is usually very, very little to do with music.

the british music press in general is afraid of good musicianship. So while bands that exist on a tenuous wave of hype, 'feel' and 'coolness' are lauded (the strokes, the datsuns, the music, blackrebelmotorcycleclub, the hives, etc etc), whether they are actually any good or not, bands that feature high levels of musical competence are brushed aside with snide comments. (see any british mag reveiw of phish 'sub grateful dead wannabe's', dave matthews band 'like hootie and the blowfish' etc etc.).

strange considering the brilliant bands and musicians that britain has produced like pink floyd, zeppelin, queen etc... but then again most of those bands got shit reviews in britain in their day anyway...

bottom line, get listenin yourself and dont be reading the british music press to make or even inform your decisions for you...

ak

georget said:

- Beautiful...great to see his name compared with the greats and not with MJ and Britney.


- Well, when it comes to ´poppish´songs that he did in the 80s (specially the ones he gave to talentless protegees) I am glad he is becoming more ´underground´...
I am very curious for his next album, because it has everything to be a band collaboration (a la Gold Experience) and without storyline. Sounds promising

Yea I really agree with the person above who said that so many of the reviews in the British music press seem to have become diatribes of the level to appease the university undergrad. It is rather diappointing cuz the music seems almost irrelevant. Over the past ten years I have lost count of the amount of Prince reviews that don't even mention a single word about any of the songs.
I do think that Rainbow Children was an entirely uninspiring album, nearly as bad as Chaos & Disorder & rave but I'd like to know why the reviewers seem to be budding Richard Curtis / Ben Elton esque music reviewers... and not simply writing about the music.

Let's just hope Mr. Nelson can release a great album this year, it get released in record shops properly and get to number 1 in the charts. Prince may not care abotu the charts but I like it when I seem the man up there.
I still have my copy of Billboard magazine with Around the World In A Day as number 1. Amazing.
[This message was edited Sat Apr 12 16:36:17 PDT 2003 by Persian]

Rainbow children is one of his best albums to date.

Mama Lisa 0(+>

Persian said:

Move along from 1985, please.