TRC Review in the Montreal Gazette

Copyright 2001 Southam Inc.
The Gazette (Montreal)

November 29, 2001 Thursday Final EDITION
SECTION: ARTS & LIFE, Pg. D9 New CDs

HEADLINE: Prince returns to regal focus
SOURCE: The Gazette

PRINCE
The Rainbow Children
NPG

"With the accurate understanding of God and His law they went about the work of building a new nation: The Rainbow Children." And we are off into Prince's kingdom for his most outlandish, cohesive and inspired work in recent memory.

In his visit to the Montreal International Jazz Festival this summer, Prince showed both that he is not above a little (or even a lot of) self-indulgence and that he can still rule a room like nobody's business. Here he shows that, while he might drift into psychedelic religious netherlands, he has found a sense of focus, confidence and calm that allows him to regain a bit of that old touch.

Jazzy, funky, free-flowing, these songs breathe. Get over the opiated baritone narration and encounter the bang-on James Brown kick of The Work Pt. 1 (featuring former Sly Stone bassist Larry Graham Jr. and heard at this summer's concert), the effortless ballad She Loves Me 4 Me, and the racial-commentary soul jam Family Name. Downloadable for NPG Music Club Members at Prince's Web site, www.npgmusicclub.com.

Rating 4
T'Cha Dunlevy