Prince has always had a hard time coping with urban hip hop music. During the late 80’s he saw himself being marginalized and dubbed “old school” in comparison the new genre of what was still being called “black music”. The critic’s darling—the infallible trail blazer—was now considered an eccentric old school genius, a title Prince probably found less than flattering when you consider the doors he opened musically and artistically for all genres, races, and creeds.

He has often taken different strategies to reaffirm his rightful place in music as its true guru. He faced hip hop as it’s adversary with the release of the black album, only to later shelve the record until Warner Bros released a limited edition printing in the 90’s. Unable to go head on with the hip hop movement, he took the almost tragic stance of trying to embrace it and emulate it, incorporating hip hop into his material for the greater part of the 1990’s, drawing both ire from critics and fans alike.

His emulation of modern music wasn’t confined to just hip hop. Indeed, techno and other genres that speckled the 90’s could be found in all his work. Prince has always incorporated popular musical forms in each period of history. Indeed, you can hear elements of disco in all of his early work; however, he has also always maintained a unique sound that redefines the elements that he throws into the mix. Unfortunately, he simply failed with hip hop. Acts like Beck and Jamaroqio, being vastly less talented than Prince somehow more successfully fused modern and old school genres.

The real nail in the coffin was Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, and impressive span of what Prince is musically capable of throwing together—but an equally grim epitaph to his how desperate a Prince album can sound when he’s playing catch-up to modern music.

Around the turn of the century, that strategy totally changed. If Prince could not meet Hip Hop and Dance face-to-face, he would then rely on his vast arsenal of “old school” talent and turn the game on it’s head.

This is what Musicology Represents: A musician still willing to show the new cats a thing or two, but to base the entire argument on pretense that sometimes “New School” is not a good thing. Take Your Pick – Turn table…or a band
If Prince couldn’t play their game by their rules, he would simply state that they are violating his rules. Live performances are supposed to have real musicians, real talent, and real instruments.
Even in the musicology video, you can see that if you’re a new cat, decked out in Hip Hop clothing, you ain’t getting’ pass the bouncer and into his show!
And he timed this approach beautifully. The public was craving a return to form. The public needed their heroes to show that they could still deliver the goods. Madonna and Michael Jackson simply weren’t producing material worth listening to. And there isn’t a large musical act today that still commands the attention that these three gods of the 80’s where able to do.
In the basking glow of his newly recaptured spotlight, Prince moved in and struck gold.

All the songs are generally upbeat, catchy, simple, and easy to sing along with. And all the songs evoke an old school feel. Prince is saying, “I am old school. But I’ve earned it, and now, I’m going to teach you a thing or two.”
Though there really is nothing to learn. There is nothing on this album that we haven’t heard before. No new genre hybrids, no new ideas, and no new concepts. Indeed, Prince isn’t so much wanting to teach us anything new, but rather boasting that he is still “in the game”, and reminding us that Music today will never conjour the feelings the good old stuff could. Don’t U miss the felling, Music gave U in the day? .
Ergo, Musicology is a dog and pony show of precisely crafted, well defined, up-tempo music designed to be heard live. Indeed the album sounds as if it would be more comfortable played live than in a studio.

Prince knew not to release an over-the-top album in what would be perceived as a desperate move to reaffirm his status as the true King of Pop, thereby raising the stakes of what he had to loose (something he’d already done twice before with Rave & TRC). Instead, he released a safe album, a fun album, and a good—Yes, GOOD—album.

The title track not only sounds upbeat, it positively is the most played song I’ve heard by Prince in years. I hear at my gym, I hear in the StarBucks—I’ve heard it in car stereos. Certainly, it’s not as exposed as Usher—but compared to the likes of The Rainbow Children, it is an enormous success. Songs like A Million Days and Cinamine Girl are shake-and-bake hit material, and all the other tunes in Musicology sounds as if Prince took his favorite attributes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Stylistics, and James Brown—and threw them all together. And this time, instead of trying to outdue his influences, he sounds as if he’s having fun just grooving with them!

Look, it’s not one of my favorite Prince albums—and Yes, compared to some of his incredible (and I do mean incredible) works from the 80’s, I can see why people where so disappointed with it. And yes—it is indeed bland in it’s unimaginative premise and execution, but I strongly believe it will listed as one of the lesser of his “great” albums as the years pass.

So, I give it a thumbs up!




Oh, by way—do the lyrics on any of his songs indicate that he might be gay?


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[Edited 3/26/05 12:21pm]

Nice review. I might go and buy it now

AsianBomb777 said:

So, how many stars is that?

i wish i could be arsed reading all that.
im sure its all good tho.

the only song i like on this album is "A million days". when i first bought this album i was expecting a ride on the "prince expericence" train instaed what i got was this attempt at some cross over to so called "modern music" or "modern R&b" or whatevr u call it. "Call my name" is okay but it sounds like a regualr r*b track to me nothing spectualr or amazing. "Cinnamon Girl" is just a crappy attempt at some kinda pop rock sound, that song is just terrible. "If I was the Man in ur Life" & "The Marrying kind" sound too much like the same track to me i guess that's why they blend into each other like that. "On The Couch" & "Dear Mr. Man" *& "Reflection" are just boring ballads. "Illusion , Coma pimp & circumstance" & "Life o The Party" are prince's pathetic attempts at hip hop sound. even though i said the only song i like is "a Million Days" i do also like "What do want Me to do" that in my opinion is really great song , love the way it has a jazzy, r&b feel to it. and then there's the title track "musicology" the beat is nice and the song is generally ok.
i was really dissapointed with this album, i'd expected a whole lot more from prince on this cd and quite frankly he just didn't deliver.

Xavier23 said:

QUICK. RUN TO CHURCH!!
YOU NEED JESUS!!!!!

AsianBomb777 said:

AsianBomb777 said:

You seem to be confused and blurring the truth between what you actually feel about this LP, what you think the critics/commercial success of this LP was and basically what your expectation of Prince are.

As a UK fan of Prince - this is how I see the above points.

1) I feel Musicology was an very satisfying LP - it quenched my Prince thirst - but rarely, if ever, had me touching the 'fuck, I'm really into that' button.

2) The critics in the UK where for the most part patronisingly average towards Musicology - airing on the side of 'this is a major return to form (but I aint heard any of his LPs for a decade - so whatdoIknow)' but hey, its a bit naff really, ah, what the fuck, I'll give it 6 and maybe get a free tamborine.

3) The commercial success in the States sounds grand (for P in recent years) but over here is was next to anonymous compared to previous releases - even when compared to Emancipation. No Top of the Pops etc; just pants videos and the odd mention.

4) Expectation: I think its really hard to be fair to Prince with expectation; becuase ultimately we expect the best, all the time. I reckon P put in a lot with Musicology - and he is the first to admit he has released some shite - but in terms of expectancy of this latest release I was more down on it than a lot of others - even Rainbow Children and furthermore NEWS.

Not necessarily because either of them are better; rather more because I was anticpating something rather special with Musicology. NEWS was a whim/artistic endeavour - which I love for its individualty but rarely play - whereas Rainbow Children didn't hit me with any - wow factor but grew and grew into some kind of fab concept LP; which having appreciated live was a monster (albeit for 18 months and never to return from the sleeve).

Ultimately musicology is a very average LP which is fine in parts, never lived up to the expectation or critical lauding (despite heavyweight label backing) but - and its a big but - received a major kick in the arse in the States - and therefore I am not surprised that 2004 was a renaissance for good old Mr Nelson.

Phew!

PANDURITO said:

3.5 out of 5

beautiful review.

I don't buy any fan theories that Musicology was in any way a departure from the Rave/NPS/Emancipation style of comeback-making.

Many songs on Musicology sound a kin to ones from the late 90's...

Musicology... a poor mans Prettyman
Cinnamon Girl.... So Far So Pleased
Life O The Party... I Like Funky Music
Illusion Coma Pimp Circumstance... reminiscent of those cheap sounding Hip-hop imitations like Mr Happy
Reflection... poor mans Circle Of Amour
On The Couch... Avalanche


Musicology was a far less interesting comeback attempt than Rave IMO.

I even preferred Invincible to Musicology.

I like the album. I find myself playing it quite a bit, so that has to count for something.

It's funny, I'd say that TRC is better and more interesting musically, yet I don't play that album even half as often as Musicology.

where is the hawt getting down rythems though ...i dig the cd but its not easy to dance to ...let alone have sex to


lmao


teasin teasin

AsianBomb777 said:

Prince is gay?!

GREAT review!

vainandy said:

Thanks vainandy!

I was only dissapointed that Tony M. didn't do at least one interlude in any of the songs, you know what I mean?

That was a cool review. I still enjoy Musicology. It's a cool album for the right time. My only hope is that he gets heavier on the funk and that we get a club banger song on the next CD.

purplecam said:

He's heavy enough on the funk for me.
It's the rock and true "thinking outside the box" aspect of his music I would like to see him explore more.

enjoyed the review. enjoyed the album.