Novabreaker said:

Isn't it a bizarre album? So many great songs, they sound well sequenced together, but still. I think something is just strange about it... because every song is so much different. Prince can do so much, and he showed it here. You've gotta be really into "music" and not one or two genres to enjoy it. I can't imagine the adult contempary "Te Amo" crowd getting into the "3121" song, or dance music fans getting into Fury, or rock fans getting into Get on the Boat.

Novabreaker said:

I'm glad your viewpoint seems to be in the overwhelming minority so far...lol

Byron said:

You know, BL&B sounds like it would fit perfectly in an album from the 1-800 New Funk era/album. It's a good song, straight r&b, nothing more, nothing less. It's strange to hear it after an Ani Difranco song like The Word, and even stranger after a dark rock song like Fury. On Fury Prince sounds like he just took some crystal meth and he's out of his mind singing this tune. It's pretty bad ass how effortless the studio "Fury" is. An EP of "3121," "Fury" and "The Dance" could be called "The Crystal Meth EP." The Dance sounds like early 80's Prince.

andykeen said:

Wow - harsh - I love it & when I say I love it I mean I love your harsh grades.
All these negative reviews really lower my expectations so by the time I get the cd I will be expecting the worst. At that point things can only improve.
Keep those negative reviews coming.

Before this thread will be deleted because of another flame war , for what it's worth here's my "as-of-now" review:


3121 - Not a particulary great song, but a good, deep groove. Like the voice treatments, but could use a harder hitting, tight rhythm guitar. Gets an extra point for the wonderfully lo-fi synth horns in the middle and its freakyness. 7.5/10

Lolita - Really nice pop song. Has enough going on to make it worthwile. Nothing overly special but fine enough, if you're in the mood. 7/10

Te Amo Corazon - What to say about this? I actually like it very much, but only when in the mood. Nice. Don't know if that's what you want a Prince song to be, though. 6.5/10

Black Sweat - The verses could use a little something more, but the "chorus" is absolutely killer - love the hook and the keyboard riff underneath it. Loses a half point for being to short.8/10

Incense and Candles - Not really a bad song, but it somewhat lacks a little Prince-ly touch. It really is totally modern RnB. The rap? Undecided. I like the vocal arrangement and the chorus melody, though. 6.5/10

Love - This might very well be my favorite song here! Love the synths, the rhythm guitar, the chorus melody. I hope I can hear this in a club somewhere sometime. Could care less than that he says "bounce" and "no more drama" here. If that's something that bothers you about a Prince song, you are looking for something to complain. Period. IMO. Minor fault would be the kinda weak snare sound. 9/10

Satisfied - Nice enough to not bother me, quite good actually. I also like "On the Couch", so this one gets some points too, even if it really is exactly the same. I love this organ in bot songs! 7

Fury - I am really undecided on this one. It sounds totally strange, IMO. Some would say badly mixed, I guess. His vocals are strange. The guitar... well it's kinda wild, but also messy in a not-so-good way. Hard to make out what he's playing at all. It's nice to have this on here though, for the sake of variety and because we know he'll rock tis live! Good song. 7

The Word - This sounds really interesting. Great arrangement, nice subtle melodies. Unusual melodies IMO. There are many little details that make this a great one for me. 8.5/10

Beautiful Loved and Blessed - Always liked this one. Especially because I will marry Tamar. Good melodies, very uplifting, but maybe a little too bland sounding (mainly the drum programming). Love the jam at the end! 7/10

The Dance - I can see that some people don't like the melodramatic, cinemaesque atmosphere of it, but I love it! Haunting, dark, beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous melodies. Love the piano solo (I wonder who played that?). The outro with the handclaps is absolutely killer. There's this great unintrusive countermelody...absolutely great. I bet he had to rest his voice a couple of days after "It's just not fair, it's just not fair". 9/10

The Boat - First of all, the horn hook sounds unbelievably cheesy. I don't mind him using horns but this sounds too Vegas (I can't believe I now used this line, too). Doesn't ruin the song, though. Enough of a melody here to call this a decent song and not just a jam. With its live feel, it sounds completely different than the rest of the album. Feels a little like "oh yes, we need this too". But the same could be said about SOTT. 7/10



I cannot say much about the lyrics without a booklet. Some rather weak, some better.
I can see what some people don't like about this, but it doesn't bother me personally (like using contemporary or rather almost contemporary language, or whatever some people's complaint is).
Overall, the mixes are a little too busy for my taste, too much reverb here and there. Black Sweat being the total opposite, of course.

Sooooo, I think this is a very good, occasionally great and occasinally not-so-great POP album!
I hope it does well.

andykeen said:

That's a pretty harsh review. I notice your icon is from the Rave era. Do you like Rave un2 better than 3121?

lspear76 said:

Very strange, I agree... ...It really doesn't fit in there. And then it's followed by the moody and dark "The Dance". Prince should have just left "BLB" off the damn thing...lol

Novabreaker said:

Do I have to get what you mean AT ALL?

PurpleKnight said:

This is actually one of the most solid songs on the album. People will realize it's brilliance once they get over the idea that P should only make stomping floorfillers or whatever.. liten to it on it's own merits, it's full of passion and musically tastefull stuff. The solo in the middle is an instant classic with me.. if 3121 is the new 1999, then this is it's little red corvette

Having listened to the album several times over the last 24 hours, I think it's a positive, upbeat affair. It's not a 'Musicology 2' at all musically, but I suppose it will be seen as a follow up to Musicology because it's clearly a deliberate attempt to go for the mainstream jugular with a sound that is clearly Prince, but speaking in a 'contemporary' accent. Even the title track, which kicks off like it's going to turn into a 'Crystal Ball'-style 10 minute jam, tempers itself into a well-behaved four-and-a half-minutes.

I like the record, but there's something about it - the production maybe, just the feel of the songs - that makes me think Prince could have gone an extra few yards and really kicked ass. I just think that Prince has perhaps bent over backwards to try and 'speak' to today's MTV/VH1 audiences, and while it's a far more successful attempt to do so than 'Rave...', it's not pushing the envelope. And maybe that's why so many have reacted with such hostility.

I like 3121, and I will be there when it comes out to buy the CD. And it will be one of the highlights of the year for me - a new Prince album always is. But Prince is at his strongest when he's just being an obsessive, reclusive musical genius making maverick magic in his ivory tower. I think he was paying a bit too much attention to the world outside when he was putting 3121 together.

Payt said:

Te Amo is the kind of song someone approaching 50 would make, according to some people. It's a beautiful song, painless, simple, but beautiful. Not as complex as something like Pink Cashmere but not as cheesy as Don't Talk 2 Strangers or Sweet Baby.

But there's one really good thing about it that we haven't discussed yet: NO GUEST RAPPERS.

Novabreaker said:

While we're at it.. no misplaced cowbells either

Payt said:

Novabreaker said:

This album would be PERFECT if it contained the lyrics:

I Want 2 Get Hot Wit U! Can you handle rufffff riidddders!?

Come One Come All 2 The Download Ball! There's no curfew to hurt you!

lspear76 said:

It's not that simple, actually.. i hear an intricate arrangement which does sound deceptively simple.. it's very rewarding in the long run though

Where are the moments of muscianship on this record? The really stand out, pump your fist and bob your head flairs that permeates throughout Prince records? Moments like the horns stomping at the end of Billy Jack Bitch, the brazen guitar work on Last December, there's no such moments on this record. He plays some great guitar (nearly underneath the mix) on Fury but that's as close as it gets. What happened to the decree of "Real Soul Music"?

lspear76 said:

paisley paaaaark! whaaaaat???

Novabreaker said:

Who's Scrap D, anyway? I want to see a picture.

"lift up your bra, show me your titties."

lspear76 said:

Not really harsh, I'd rather tell the truth than lie, and no i dont think rave is better, i just like the symbol, BUT....musicology is better than this!

Wall said:

when you're finished whining about what you expected to be there, but isn't, maybe you can start seeing what IS there

"Moments like the horns stomping at the end of Billy Jack Bitch"

That version was unreleased

<< the brazen guitar work on Last December

I like the acoustic, live version much better, Last December is overproduced and too long

<< there's no such moments on this record.

There are other great moments though. The space funk of the title track (with the best lyric ever, japanese robes/chocolate handles), the catchy and funny Morris Day reprise in Lolita, the pure addictive nature of Love, the "perfect" soul ballad Satisfied, the acid-trip crystal meth jam Fury, the deep, Ani Difranco sounding The Word, the ending to BL&B, the early 80's outtake, cinematic version of The Dance, and the memories of Chevy Chase Vegas Vacation of Get on the Boat
[Edited 3/7/06 11:44am]

lspear76 said:

i rest my case

lspear76 said:

It definitely sounds like he was on drugs when he recorded that version, but I'd propose Prozac and red wine as opposed to acid and meth.
[Edited 3/7/06 11:45am]

Payt said:

I'd label the title track a retread of his Camille persona with recycled P-Funk influences and a standard beat with a cute guitar at the end. Lolita sounds, as was noted by another poster, like Get Yo Groove On Part 2, with as much as Morris Day bravado as my Uncle Lemmy (been dead since '02), Fury, already noted is mundane and in desperate need of urgency, The Word is the highlight of the album, but I agree, it's heavily Ani Difranco influenced, I've already commented the ending of BLB is fun, The Dance is Strays of the World '06 and Get On The Boat is without a captain or crew. Apparently Maceo and Sheila got their tickets though.

andykeen said:

hmm i don't think so.. it sounds very finished to me, with all the panning of voices/guitars andreverbs and whatnot going on. I really hope you're right.. i could do a better mix myself.. lol. Don't get me wrong though, i do enjoy the song, but it could do qith a better mix, and a better delivery of the vocals (more reminiscent of SNL, for instance)

lspear76 said:

"Lolita" uses silence and space to freakin' perfection...the tension in the beat and vocal delivery are impressive as hell. The big drum accents towards the end propel the song forward nicely...and there are TONS of things going on musically in this song.

What a mistake it would be to write this song off as nothing more than a "cheesy Soft & Wet retread".

Wall said:

Where the HELL are people getting this "Get Yo Groove On" comparison??...Does "GYGO" sound like a retread of "Soft & Wet"?...Cuz if so, this would be the FIRST time I heard that comparison.