http://expressnews.com/en...ent/music/



Prince, 'The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale' (Warner Bros.):



This closet-cleaning effort puts a lid on The Artist's often bitter feud with his former record label over what and how much the prolific Purple One could release. Talk about low expectations — a cynical title, a contractual obligation and a note that says these tracks were 'originally intended 4 private use only.'



You might think he gave Warner 10 cuts of heavy breathing and noise. Instead, 'The Vault' demonstrates that even his discards are better than some artists' best stuff. Recorded between 1985 (when he was still Prince) and 1994, a couple of these tunes have popped up on bootlegs, but only 'She Spoke 2 Me' has had an official release (in different form, on the 'Girl 6' soundtrack). They lean heavily toward jazz and soulful R&B, except for the recitation 'My Little Pill,' which leans toward weirdness. They also make you wonder what else might be languishing in that vault.



**3/4