PRINCE FUNKS BACK

A very positive review from Germany's TV station "ARD" (in German)

http://www.ard.de/kultur/...74/wad3ao/

Neues Album "3121"

Prince funkt zurück
Beginn des Inhaltes
Mit "3121" wird Prince seinem Superstar-Anspruch endlich wieder gerecht. Die Mischung machts: Mit dreckig-puristischem Funk, fluffigem R'n'B und göttlichem Soul erobert sich der Altmeister die Pole-Position in Sachen Pop zurück.


Superstar und Pop-Mythos: Prince3121 - das ist kein geheimnisvoller Zahlencode, auch nicht irgendein verzwacktes "Symbol" für irgendwas, sondern schlicht und ergreifend die Hausnummer von Prince' Wohnstätte in Los Angeles. Standesgemäß residiert er in einer Kitsch-beladenen Villa in Beverly Hills - dort wo die Reichen, Schönen und Satten hausen. Die, die es längst geschafft haben.

Und das hat Prince ohne Zweifel: Er ist der Funkaltmeister der 80er, er hat 100 Millionen Platten verkauft, uns zuckend verzaubert mit "Purple Rain" (1984) und "Sign 'O The Times" (1987); wurde zum "Pop-Mythos" erklärt noch vor seinem 30. Geburtstag. Doch das ist lange her, in musikalischen Zeitdimensionen mehr als eine halbe Ewigkeit. Dass in den folgenden Jahren der Absturz in die relative Bedeutungslosigkeit folgte, war fast absehbar. Nach Streitereien mit seiner Plattenfirma wurde er vorübergehend sogar namenlos. Das ist inzwischen überstanden, Prince ist längst wieder Prince.

Und es ist ja auch nicht so, dass Prince in den vergangenen Jahren nichts veröffentlicht hätte, doch interessiert hat das nur wenige, allenfalls für eingefleischte Fans waren seine musikalisch ambitionierten Ausflüge in teils sperrige Instrumental-Jazz- und Funkgefilde interessant. Seinem Superstar-Anspruch ist er nicht gerecht worden. Hand aufs Herz: Wer hat aus dem Gedächtnis einen Songtitel der letzten Alben parat? Und wer wartet heute noch tatsächlich sehnsüchtig auf ein neues Prince-Album?

Pop-Perle für den Mainstream


Zurück zum Sound der 80er: Prince-Album "3121"Nun also mit "3121" ein Hausnummer-Album, das weit mehr als eine Hausnummer ist. Es ist nicht weniger als eine Demonstration der Dominanz des inzwischen 47-Jährigen aus Minneapolis, der mit bürgerlichem Namen Roger Nelson heißt. Mit "3121" gelingt Prince ein eindrucksvolles Comeback für den Mainstream, eine wohl kalkulierte Pop-Perle reinsten Wassers. Prince spielt die richtigen Karten und zeigt eindrucksvoll, wer im Hause Soul & Funk nach wie vor die Hosen anhat: er und nur er. Eine ungemein vielseitige Platte, die auf Experimente weitgehend verzichtet, auf der es aber in ihrem Variantenreichtum ungemein viel zu entdecken gibt: Prince legt furios los, der Ohrwurm-kompatible Opener "3121" gibt mit seinen puristisch-knackenden Grooves Marschrichtung vor, der Griff des Hörers geht schon da unweigerlich in Richtung Bass- und Lautstärkeregler.

Schade, dass er den etwas schlaff-soften R'n'B-Latino-Titel "Te Amo Corazon" als erste Single ausgewählt hat. Ein gefälliger Song, der im Radio nicht weiter weh tut, aber der heimliche Hit "Lolita" oder das schlicht grandiose "Satisfied", das durchaus als Referenz an Soulgroßmeister Curtis Mayfield durchgehen könnte, wären eine mutigere Wahl gewesen.

Auf der Höhe der Zeit
Das Schöne: Prince erfindet sich nicht (einmal mehr) neu, er besinnt sich auf seine alten Stärken. Er zitiert mit schmissigen elektrofunkigen Keyboard-Riffs ("Lolita") die 80er, greift auch gern auf bewährte Songstrukturen zurück, verliert dabei aber nicht die Gegenwart aus den Augen. Er rockt ("Fury"), er schmachtet ("Satisfied"; "The Dance") und gibt den dreckigen Funkster ("Black Sweat").

"3121" ist eine Platte auf der Höhe der Zeit, die etwa mit dem Dancefloor-Kracher "Love" auch diejenigen Jung-Hintern zum Wackeln bringen wird, deren Eltern sich zu "Purple Rain" gerade erst kennen gelernt haben.

Stand: 23.03.2006

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)

March 23, 2006 Thursday
REGION EDITION

Rock/Pop
PRINCE'3121' (NPG/Universal)
****1/2


Picking up -- and throwing down -- where Prince's unexpected comeback album, "Musicology," left off, this album gets the party started with the rubberized electro-funk (complete with quirky voice manipulation) of a title track that begins with an invitation to "put your clothes in a pile on the floor" and ends with a playful announcement of "It's goin' down, y'all -- like the Wall of Berlin."

And then, it does.

Forget the Latin-flavored easy listening of "Te Amo Corazon," released before the album hit the streets. That song is an exception here. He's "working up a black sweat," as one track that doubles as a mission statement puts it, come to party like it's 1984. And he didn't forget his electric guitar, abused to Hendrix-esque effect on the funk-rock of "Fury." In fact, if anything, this album may be steamier than "Musicology." And that goes double for the sexed-up slow jam "Satisfied," an overheated blurring of the lines most people use to separate the sexual and spiritual until you have to wonder, "Is he trying seduce her for himself or Jesus?"

Either way, it's hot -- much more so than "The Word" and/or "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed," in which he serves his spiritual agenda straight, without the side of sex.

It may not find him breaking any new ground, but the music rarely falters, from the slick electro-funk of "Black Sweat" and the title track to guitar-driven funk-rock, falsetto-fueled soul and the Latin percussion that punctuates "Get On The Boat."

What really seals the deal, though, are the lyrics. Take "Lolita," where he purrs, "I know you're fine from head to pumps/If you were mine, we'd bump, bump, bump." In the slower but kinkier "Incense and Candles," another track that makes excellent use of voice manipulation, he sighs, "I'm glad that we're compatible, mature and grown/'Cause this is not something you can do alone."

The title track includes a smile-inducing reference to "When Doves Cry" ("Butterflies scared that they're going to be awake all night long/Dancin' in your belly like a ballerina"). And he signs off with a dream of doing for humanity what Noah's Ark did for the animals, bringing every color, race and creed together on a cruise to love and understanding.
-- Ed Masley, Post-Gazette pop music critic

Great review on "Yahoo! Launch" website (http://uk.launch.yahoo.co...2034f.html) this morning...

Prince - '3121'
(Thursday March 23, 2006 3:06 PM )

Released on 20/03/06
Label: Universal

Hang out the bunting, have ticker-tape at the ready and breathe a collective sigh of relief. There's news from the front, and it's all good. The twenty-fifth album of Prince's twenty-eight year career is a true landmark. Following a decade of misguided, shapeless and self-gratifying nonsense, "3121" is his second good album in a row.

After the unexpected return to form that was last album, "Musicology", it seemed almost too much to hope that the diminutive force-of-pop's return from the funk wilderness was anything more than a one off; a brief and much appreciated reminder that he was once the greatest musical mind of a generation. No one dared think that it might be the start of an actual comeback. Now, two years of breath holding later, Prince fans get the news they could only have dreamt of: "3121" is better than "Musicology".

Well, almost. It's a close run thing, so close it's not really worth worrying about. All that matters is that for the second time in two albums, Prince is proving that he can handle funk without straying into the abyss; that verses and choruses are once again his friends. Better still, he's harnessed his off-head imagination as a force for mind-blowing good and he's got his production-genius head firmly screwed on.

If "Musicology" was Prince flexing his muscles and checking that all his old tricks were still in working order, "3121" is the living legend in him getting firmly back into his stride. "Musicology" was a thing of wonder for its focused simplicity: organic funk, spangled rock and tender seduction, pure and condensed. "3121" is an altogether more sophisticated proposition, awash with a confidence, elegance and subtly not seen since "Diamonds And Pearls".

The bleary, drunk funk and multi-tracked helium / baritone vocals of the title track set the tone as club ready R&B with that unmistakable, Princely strut, and things just get better from there. The sexy synth bounce of "Lolita", "Incense And Candles"' vintage soul with a twist and "Black Sweat"'s taut, trademarked trusting, all confirm that he knows Outkast and The Neptunes have been making good living out of his act, and he's ready to reclaim it.

Of course, there are those who'll note that, great as soul-rock show stopper "Fury" is and sweet as "Word"'s honeyed melodies are, they're nothing he wasn't doing 20 years ago. And it's true. But while "3121" might suggest that, at 47, Prince isn't looking to change the face of music anymore, he's clearly still more than capable of delivering classic Prince albums.

Perhaps the more critical question is whether Prince's comeback - and it's safe to call it that now - will excite anyone under the age of 30. On that, only time will tell, but it's safe to say that if the seething clatter of "Love" and the gorgeously sweet chorus which quietly soars from it doesn't make a whole new generation fall for his enigmatic charms, nothing will.

9/10 by Dan Gennoe

One more very positive review from Germany (Hamburger Abendblatt, a Hamburgian regional newspaper):

Prince - endlich wieder ein gutes Album
Funk: Schwül-sinnliche Klänge aus Minneapolis. Der US-Popstar machte seine Hausnummer zum Titel: Auf "3121" entdeckt Prince die Liebe zum Groove neu.

Von Annette Stiekele

Michael Jackson versucht sich in peinlichen Benefizliedern, Madonna fegt in Satinhotpants über den Tanzboden. Zwei der drei Heiligenfiguren des 80er-Jahre-Pop arbeiten scheinbar erfolgreich an ihrer Selbstdemontage. Einer fehlt. Prince bringt heute ein neues Album heraus, das 34. Und es ist keine laue Liedsammlung eines Frührentners.

Ein Superirrer war er ja irgendwie schon immer. "Geil, gottesfürchtig, funky und verschlossen", befand in den 80ern die Fachzeitschrift "ME/Sounds". Sein neues Werk nennt der 47jährige schlicht "3121". Nach der eigenen Hausnummer im schnieken Beverly Hills. Wie es in des Meisters Heim aussieht, verraten die Fotos im Albumcover: Champagnerbrunnen, Plüschsofas, Kristallüster, Marmorsäulen - und viel schwüles Lila. Wie die Musik des Prinzen: halbseiden, aber so verdammt groovy.

Früher ein Freund expliziter Worte ("Soft And Wet") hält er sich jetzt zurück. Schimpftiraden, Drogen und außerehelicher Sex sind für den praktizierenden Zeugen Jehovas tabu. Im Song "Lolita" erklärt er seiner kleinen Flamme, daß er ihr schon nicht an die Wäsche gehen wird: "You don't make a cheater out of me".

Gut, sein Rhythm 'n Blues gerät schon mal nervtötend zeitgeistig. Doch er trägt ihn mit einer Laszivität vor, die Rap-Stars wie den jungen Amerikaner 50 Cent neidvoll erblassen lassen könnte. Nicht nur in "Black Sweat" brüllt der Meister wie einst James Brown: "Bridge, Yeah!" Die Gitarren jaulen, der Beat scheppert wie in den goldenen Funk-Zeiten von Sly Stone und George Clinton.

Das haben wir so nicht mehr erwartet. Überfordert vom frühen Ruhm mit 19 Jahren, überwarf sich Prince Mitte der 90er Jahre mit seiner Plattenfirma und ließ sich albern mit "Symbol" anreden. Der Mann, der sein 84er Hitalbum "Purple Rain" rund 17millionenmal verkauft hatte, versank mit seinem bizarren Paisley-Park-Kunsttempel im Schuldensumpf. Erst wurde er zum wahllosen Vielschreiber, später zum einsam vor sich hin bastelnden Kauz. Ab und zu landete ein von krudem Christentum und avantgardistischem Jazz gequältes Album in den Regalen. Zuletzt mußte sich die Fangemeinde seine selbstvertriebenen Audiofiles aus dem Internet klauben. Auch sein Privatleben war überschattet. 1996 verloren er und seine damalige Frau Mayte ein schwerstbehindertes Kind. Mittlerweile ist Prince mit einer zwanzig Jahre jüngeren Sektengenossin liiert und wurde gesichtet, wie er mit dem "Wachturm" unterm Arm die Nachbarschaft abklapperte.

Jetzt ist er endgültig durchgeknallt, stöhnte die Funkgemeinde auf. Und mit ihr Biograph Alex Hahn, Autor von "Besessen. Das turbulente Leben von Prince".

Vor zwei Jahren startete der 1,58 Meter kleine Mann aus Minneapolis dann mit "Musicology" überraschend einen ersten Comebackversuch. Sammelte auf einer Welttournee schlappe 87,4 Millionen US-Dollar ein und landete in der "Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame". Für das Panoptikum ist es für ihn entschieden zu früh.

Amazon's editorial review; also, as of today anyway, 3121 is #1 in Music at Amazon.

"Add 3121 to the mounting pile of evidence: Prince is the black Beck. He's a whole lot sexier, no doubt, but there's more to both musicians than image. All-out weirdness for one. Edginess for another. And a fine-tuned sense of how to combine the two to create some of the decade's most vital music for a third. Prince--looking ageless in videos for the first two singles, the controversy-courting "Black Sweat" and the sauna-steeped "Te Amo Corazon"--proves fearless as ever here, folding fat slabs of disco-funk into rock, heaping measured doses of hip-hop atop soul-tinted jazz supports, and slamming Latin rhythms against old-school R&B riffs. Nothing sounds as slinky-stylish-smart. And nobody delivers quite so deliciously, especially when what they're delivering is ultimately a madcap sonic mash. The usual hype surrounding a Prince release attended this one; over the long-term, expect a few standouts within a way worth-it set to emerge. They include the danceable "Love"; the gospel-lite falsetto feast "Satisfied"; and the summer-breezy "Beautiful, Loved & Blessed."

I know its needlessly pedantic but surely Beck is the white Prince?

Anyway, keep the reviews coming - thanks alot!

What's blowing me away is, you can take each album he's done - some brilliant, some not so much - and they are what they are. Take them all as a body of work, and "3121" just sounds like it makes sense. It sounds like he knew all along what he was doing, like he could make this album whenever he wanted. And it sounds like an album - sonically, and chronologically. A lot of records made now just sound like a dozen or so attempts at hit singles ( which explains why those nuveau k-tel "Now ... Vol #" cd's do so well - we've been conditioned to look for hits collections ). 3121 will again - just like SOTT, and even Purple Rain - show the industry how an album should be done. Andre 3000 gets it, There will be more that will emulate, I'm sure.





"Get up, come on, let's do somethin' !"




[b]

softandwet said:

oh AGREED.

De Standaard (Dutch quality newspaper) zaterdag 25 maart 2006
PRINCE. 3121
** (out of ****)
Sceptici die de voorbije tien jaar hebben beweerd dat Prince nooit meer zo goed zal worden als in de jaren tachtig, mogen zich ook nu weer roeren. 3121 is geen terugkeer naar zijn gouden periode, hoewel sommige liedjes eraan refereren.


Dit is geen comebackplaat en al evenmin een keerpunt in de carrière van Prince, zoals sommige buitenlandse muziekbladen luid verkondigen.

Maar laten we niet zeuren: Prince blijft een onwaarschijnlijk getalenteerde artiest wiens muziek nog niets aan elegantie heeft ingeboet. Hij kan zelfs nog verrassen, zoals met de single ,,Black sweat'', een moordend funknummer met een elektrobeat waarop vooruitstrevende hiphopproducers als Timbaland en The Neptunes vast jaloers zijn.

Het zijn de uptempoliedjes die 3121 de moeite maken. ,,Love'' komt nog het dichtst bij het eighties-werk, met een spannend funkritme en een prachtig gezongen refrein. Het titelnummer verwijst naar de excentrieke stemexperimentjes waarmee Prince ooit zijn popliedjes opfleurde. ,,The word'' is dan weer het muzikale equivalent van De Wachttoren - Prince is getuige van Jehova - maar de kleffe bijbelse boodschap loopt de mooie melodie niet in de weg. Het nummer besluit met een fraaie gitaarsolo.

Daarnaast vinden we ordinaire ballades, een verwaarloosbaar duet met zijn nieuwe liefje Tamar, flauwe rockliedjes en de dertien-in-een-dozijn-funkjam van ,,Get on the boat''.

Een goede Prince, maar geen geweldige. Toch staat de man duidelijk weer scherp.

even Blues people are hip

Prince "3121" (NPG/Universal)

By Dylann DeAnna www.bluescritic.com

*** The artist known as Prince has enjoyed a bit of a comeback the last few years partly due to nostalgia as the 80s generation has come of age. His previous disc "Musicology" was a mixed bag that mostly sold on the strength of high profile appearances (with Beyonce at the Grammys), a great video ("Musicology") and a monster tour. There really were no major hit singles from that record and this time it's obvious he's gunning for the charts. After all, his last bona fide smash was "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" (#3 Pop) and that was 1994! So on "3121" he comes out swinging with everything from the Prince bag-o-tricks: You got the the falsetto voice, synth/funk ("Black Sweat", "Get On The Boat"), Prince guitar rock ("Fury"), keyboard pop ("Lolita", "Love"), sultry slow jams ("Satisfied") and some good ole' eccentricity ("3121"). Firstly, I gotta admit I dig the new Prince image. Since he's been involved with those Jehovah's Witnesess and become cleaner and happier he is just too cool. That said- what about the music? Well, you know how it is- because Prince hit such highs with albums like "1999", "Purple Rain" & "Sign O The Times" everything the guy does is overshadowed by those triumphs. Face it the Purple Reign (and Rain) is over and Prince is just a pop artist putting out music he wants to put out. There's no single as brilliant as "Little Red Corvette", "When Doves Cry", "Sign O' The Times" or "Kiss" but there's some darn good tracks. Interestingly, the current single and video is an obvious tip of the hat to "Kiss'. The Spartan synth funk/pop "Black Sweat" is a kissing cousin, albeit without a hook, to that minimalistic dance funk gem. The wacky title track "3121" hearkens back to his one-man band "Sign O' The Times" heyday replete with that tweaked vocal effect ("Camille"). It's not much of a song just a fun jam before leaping into the retro-80s synthesizer pop of "Lolita", which may remind the young folk of Andre 3000. But that's a chicken and egg thing, no? The rocker "Fury" is what Jimi Hendrix might have sounded like in the 80s and "Love" strangely reminds me of a Janet Jackson song circa "Rhythm Nation". Oh yeah, Jimmy Jam & James Lewis produced that and who were they influenced by again? Perhaps the best track is "Word", with that clever beat, acoustic guitar, sax hook and guitar solo. I don't care much for pop music and though I'd like to hear him drop the mainstream and do a straight blues record it'd be nice to hear Prince on the radio again. www.bluescritic.com

HomeSquid said:

"James Lewis". It's Terry Lewis, ain't it? I went to the www.bluescritic.com site and they had changed it to Terry already! Somebody musta complained.

From the London Feee Press:

3121

PRINCE; NPG/UNIVERSAL

Unless you were the kind of Prince fanatic who subscribed to his website for musical downloads or stood in line for hours after hearing whispers of his low-key club performances, the only Prince music you probably heard during his self-imposed exile was golden oldies.

Maybe that's why his much-hyped return to the spotlight with 2004's Musicology -- his first album on a major record label in years -- was so disappointing. Compared to the classic Prince we'd been listening to, it was hard to deny that Musicology lacked the fire, passion and innovation that made him such a groundbreaking '80s force. One had to wonder whether his time away from the spotlight or his conversion to the Jehovah's Witness faith had tamed his Royal Badness for good.

Such concerns evaporate upon listening to his latest CD, 3121. Tantalizing, sexy, even uplifting, this Prince sounds like the vintage Purple One.

Well, almost. Though Prince ramps up the sex appeal on 3121 with the throbbing club track Black Sweat, it's generally a pretty tame affair, unlike the salacious content of his prime. On Lolita, he declares to a temptress, "You'll never make a cheater out of me," while on sensual, pillow-soft ballads such as Incense and Candles, it's true love, and not lust, being celebrated. In fact, some of the most passionate songs have nothing to do with romantic love, but a spiritual one, such as the lovely Beautiful, Loved and Blessed, a duet with his protege, Tamar. There's also an inspirational uptempo track, The Word.

And unlike the Prince of old, he doesn't mine any new musical ground here. You'll still hear the dance grooves that are heavily reliant on synthesized funk or those that sound like you've dropped in on a free-for-all jam session. But with killer jams such as the horn-and-drum centred Get On the Boat, that's hardly a bad thing.

Whereas Musicology made you long for the Prince of old, 3121 leaves you excited about where Prince is today -- and looking forward to where he might be going.

http://lfpress.ca/newssta...6-sun.html

Sunday Herald Sun

March 26, 2006 Sunday

HEADLINE: Prince still reigns supreme

BYLINE: JAMES WIGNEY

Prince
3121
(Universal)

... 1/2

In short: His royal funkiness refines a well-tested formula.
PINT-size pop genius Prince is a Jehovah's Witness these days, but he still has a one-track mind. The Almighty gets a look-in on a couple of tracks on his new album 3121. But for the most part it's more of the steamy bump 'n' grind that has been his stock in trade since he burst on to the world stage more than 25 years ago with his aptly titled breakthrough album Dirty Mind.

And that's no bad thing because at the top of his game nobody does filthy funk better than Prince Rogers Nelson. And 3121 is a further step -- after 2004's Musicology -- towards rehabilitating a reputation that took a battering in the'90s after a string of undercooked, sub-par releases. The first single, Black Sweat, is sexy as hell, with an electro funk feel in a similar vein to his 1986 hit Kiss. Likewise, the upbeat Lolita, with its call and response refrain and synth riff is reminiscent of his best work of the mid to late '80s. It's both a blessing and a curse.

Most admirers of Prince compare his current work to his, er, purple patch spanning the mighty albums from 1999 to Sign O' the Times. There's no shame in this, but it's clear he is breaking no new ground. And it's a fine line to tread between recreating a vintage sound and sounding dated. There is no denying his talent -- in addition to writing, playing, arranging and producing most of the album, he has come up with some gems, such as Fury and The Word.

He has also unveiled a new protege, Tamar, who provides suitably smoky additional vocals. A word to the wise though -- anyone remember Apollonia and Mayte? Neither do we. Of course, it wouldn't be a Prince album without a couple of dud ballads -- Te Amo Corazon and Beautiful, Loved and Blessed fit the bill nicely -- but it's worth sticking around for the final track, Get on the Boat.
Prince has roped in some of his old buddies, including James Brown's sax man Maceo Parker and his former partner in percussion, Sheila E, for an all-star party jam, which provides a send-off worthy of a true master who still has plenty to give.
LOAD-DATE: March 25, 2006
[Edited 3/26/06 1:03am]

Copyright 2006 Nationwide News Pty Limited
All Rights Reserved
THE AUSTRALIAN

March 25, 2006 Saturday

POP
3121
Prince
NPG/UMA
* * * * 1/2

HE'S hot, he doesn't care who knows it and he's got a job to do. Thus Prince gets down and dirty on the dangerously funky Black Sweat, which grabs your limbs from the off with nothing more than a simple keyboard riff and handclaps. The real funk, of course, comes from inside Prince.

He oozes it here to great effect. Everything, from the sexy falsetto to the cheesy synth sounds, is much as it was in the glorious Purple Rain era. The funk flows on the likes of Love, the stripped-back, insistent The Word and on the naughty, jaunty Lolita.

To mix it up there's the Latin, romantic sway of Te Amo Corazon (I Love You Sweetheart), the Stax-ish soul-blues-gospel of Satisfied and a duet with rising star Tamar on the more contemporary rhythm and blues slinkfest, Beautiful, Loved and Blessed.

The renaissance spawned by 2004's Musicology album and accompanying world tour can only continue with this hot, hot stuff.
Iain Shedden

Herald News (Passaic County, NJ)

March 24, 2006 Friday

SECTION: FRIDAY; Pg. D14

HEADLINE: Prince returns to his funky, sexy roots
BYLINE: By BRIAN McCOLLUM, Knight Ridder News Service, Wire Services


We knew Prince had it in him. It was just a matter of time.

"3121," the Minneapolis star's Motown Records debut and full-fledged return to the major-label world, is a phenomenal work from front to back, a record that should immediately deliver him to the mainstream stage after years in the creative and commercial wilderness. Cool, funky and teeming with hooks, the album reprises the vintage Prince sound and style without any forced retro clumsiness. It's the culmination of a reenergized career overhaul that's been at least two years in the making.

Prince released plenty of good music after his notorious 1996 split from Warner Brothers, but often you needed a little luck and a lot of digging to find it amid what became a sprawling mass of uneven releases. "3121," tight and cohesive, quickly eliminates the dilemma. That cliched complaint about contemporary pop albums with "only one or two good songs"? Not applicable here. Each of these 12 tracks stands strong on its own; any could have fit comfortably on a Prince album circa '84-'87.

With the throwback funk-psychedelia of 2004's "Musicology" as its launching point, the new record dives even deeper into Prince's roots — and into the nether regions where sexy, slinky tunes come soaked in double entendres. It's clear from the opening title track, with its lusty chorus and "Black Album"-era groove, that the 47-year-old artist isn't letting his new emergence as a Jehovah's Witness stop his old-school carnal urges, and the musical ambrosia is all over "3121."

Creative experiments are all well and good, but it's been ages since Prince put together a collection of material this aesthetically consistent, and that's refreshing. Much of his '90s work was either congested with sound or minimalist to a fault; here he's judicious with the layering, crafting distinctive soundscapes while letting the arrangements breathe. He has achieved the balance once so distinct to his work, creating sounds that are interesting for the sake of being interesting, but without overwhelming the songs themselves—in this case such melodic, dance floor-ready standouts as "Lolita," "Fury," "Black Sweat" and "Love."

As the disc rolls into its closing tune, the delicious '70s-styled soul-funk of "Get On the Boat" with sax man Maceo Parker, Prince sounds like he's having more fun than he has in years.

From the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia:

3121
By Bernard Zuel
March 25, 2006

Echoes of his best work suffuse the latest from a cleaned-up Prince.


Since giving up the louche for the Lord (of the Jehovah's Witness kind - though no one like him has ever knocked at my door), Prince no longer performs songs such as Sexy Motherf---er and other odes to unbridled sex.

Not that he's given up the rumpy: the sentiments of new songs, such as the slow soul burn of Satisfied and the Beyonce-ready Incense and Candles, aren't taken from a homewares catalogue, you know. But these days he keeps his Little Prince purely for Mrs Prince. In Lolita, a young lass tempts him mightily - the kind of temptation which once would have seen them "like Frank and Ava / we'd paint the town" - but is told: "Lolita, you're sweeter / but you'll never make a cheater out of me."

If you haven't been impressed enough by his pants-on piety, in The Word (with its syncopated moves George Michael once stole from Prince) he warns us against the "forked tongue and the treachery of the wicked one" while in the album's final track he urges us all to Get on the Boat - not the Love Boat but the Ark.

As any proselytiser will tell you, your message is better received if your audience likes the way you say it. It's no coincidence then that the last Prince album, 2004's Musicology, and now 3121 eschew the indulgent fusion moves of his late '90s work in favour of shorter albums and direct songs with clear echoes of his best work.

Get on the Boat, for example, works on the kind of light James Brown groove that powered many of the tracks on 1990's fabulous Graffiti Bridge (aided by Brown's favourite horn player, Maceo Parker). Lolita's poppy synthesiser vamps; Fury's keyboard/guitar combinations and Te Amo Corazon's creamy textures canvass the mid to late '80s; the title track's contortions mix The Black Album's grind and Diamonds and Pearls' hip-hop-influenced funk; while the lean and sinuous Black Sweat has some of Parade's limber.

You wouldn't say that any of these tracks betters the originals or quite reaches the freshness Prince managed on Musicology. But it's also true that save for some over-sweetened ballads, 3121 does pop funk with class and pleasure.

Music
Badness as usual
Prince gets the party started with familiar fun on 3121.
By SEAN DALY
Published March 25, 2006

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How's this for a reassuring thought: When challenged by younger pop stars, Prince, His Royal Badness himself, can still bust out booty-shaking funk better than musicians half his age and twice his height.

On the new 3121, a familiar but fun disc "produced, arranged, composed & per4med by Prince," the wee 47-year-old slyly reminds us how such modern-day hitmakers as Lil' Jon, OutKast and the Neptunes have made millions by swiping the old dog's tricks.

And let me tell you: It's a darn good time listening to Prince put the pups in their place.

With its slithering keyboard line, low rumbling bass and shout-out lyrics, first single Black Sweat is, by definition, a "crunk" song. But although Lil' Jon calls himself the "King of Crunk" - a party-hearty hip-hop style birthed in the South - there's no doubt that the sublime Black Sweat, similar to the Purple One's saucy hit Gett Off, is built with classic Prince materials. Who's your crunk king now, huh?Lolita - a sexy cut that ultimately adheres to the puritanical tenets of Prince's Jehovah's Witness faith "Lolita, u're sweeter but u'll never make a cheater out of me" - is a head-nod slice of neo-funk that merges '80s-born synth, sugary puffs of pure pop and hip-hop edge. (Think Little Red Corvette.) Go back and listen to Andre 3000's OutKast work and you'll realize the Hotlanta duo aren't nearly as inventive as you once thought.
The best track on the album, the club-wrecking Love, is built on dueling keyboard loops that wouldn't be out of place on a cut by the Neptunes, the Virginia Beach producing duo who build their hits with multilayered hooks that burrow into your brain and don't let go.

You know, just like Prince has been doing for the past 30 years.

3121 is awash in the same good vibrations that fueled his 2004 disc Musicology, a multiplatinum "comeback" album - that is, he "came back" from Planet Wacky, with the Sharpie "Slave" stain erased from his cheek and that doodle-pad "symbol" giving way to his normal name.Although it lacks groundbreaking grooves or genius twists - no Prince weirdness means no Prince risks for the most part - 3121 is nevertheless a safe but satisfying continuation of Musicology's welcome-home party. About as nutty as he gets is the song Fury, a beware-of-fame rocker with noodly guitar licks and in-your-face keyboard blasts that sound like CBS's March Madness music. It's odd, but remember who we're talking about here.
Because of his religion, Prince has refused to work blue of late, and that puritanical approach has affected the bite of his slow jams. Te Amo Corazon has a clean, Latin-rhythm arrangement, but in the end, the romantic whisperings make for nothing more than polite dinner music.

In the old days, a song title such as Incense and Candles would have promised all manner of Princean kinkery. Candles? Heck, that little guy could work wax better than Madame Tussaud. But alas, he's a married man now. So it's hard to get hot and bothered over such new lyrics as "I'm glad that we're compatible, mature and grown."

Ultimately, Prince has a lot more fun tearing the roof off the joint than cooing about monogamy, and that's good news for us. The album closer is the insanely catchy world-peace cry Get on the Boat, with old pal Sheila E. on percussion, Maceo Parker blowing a slippery sax solo and pretty young protege Tamar cooing the background vocals. After spending so much of the album nudging the pop stars who borrow from him, it's only appropriate that he offers a wink-wink mea culpa and closes with this call-and-response soul-funk burner. After all, Prince has been dipping into James Brown's brand new bag of tricks for years.

Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8467. His blog is at www.sptimes.com/blogs/popmusic.

Grade B

Toronto Star 3121 Review

New release in purple reign
Mar. 23, 2006. 01:00 AM
STAFF STAFF

POP & ROCK

Prince
3121 (NPG/Universal)
(3 1/2 stars our of 4)

Prince sure knows how to keep us on our toes ­ refusing advance copies of his latest disc for music critics, giving Tower Records eight hours' notice for a midnight, in-store performance at its Sunset Blvd., L.A., location on Monday night. But it's all good, because the new record is simply irresistible. While the best thing about 2004's Musicology was the title track and comeback tour, 3121 (the release date ­ 3/21 ­ see?) features His Purple Highness at his funkin' sexy best, with more dance hooks and engaging melodies, the musicans we love ­ Maceo Parker and Candy Dulfer on horns ­ and a new protégé, Tamar, assisting on vocals.

I'm hot and I don't care who knows it/ I got a job to do, he declares on the groovy, stripped down "Black Sweat," then promises you'll scream like a white lady. Also strong are the bluesy "Satisfied," foot-tappingly cheeky "Lolita" (You're sweeter but you'll never make a cheater out of me ­ Nabokov would be proud) and guitar-driven "Fury." Less appealing are the jazzy, but boring "Te Amo Corazon" and the mid-tempo "Incense and Candles" with its Destiny's Child type chorus. Bring on the tour.
-- Ashante Infantry

http://www.torontosun.ca/...3-sun.html

Sun, March 26, 2006

Party like it's 3121
Prince is back with a new album -- does the Purple Reign begin anew?

Prince's appearance on Saturday Night Live last month was a reminder of two things.

First, the legendarily eccentric purple one is a top-notch showman. Of course, that much has been in evidence since well before 1999 -- the album, not the year.

Second, the little fella really can really wail on that teeny-weeny guitar of his. This is going out on a limb, but Prince just may be one of the most underrated guitarists of the rock era (most underrated tambourine player remains a tie between Davy Jones and Tracy Partridge).

While the Tina Turner-inspired backup singers were a distraction during the SNL performance, Prince's steamy rendition of his new song Fury was enough to make fans curious.

Would Prince's forthcoming CD, 3121, represent a return to fightin', frisky, funky form?


Well, sorta yes and sorta no.

3121, which hit music stores on Tuesday, arguably has four good songs on it: The title track, Lolita, Black Sweat and the aforementioned Fury. It's disappointing to report, however, that the studio version of Fury is not nearly as raucous as the live SNL version.

The other eight songs on 3121 meander back and forth between dated techno pop and self-indulgent R&B stylings. It's not horrible, but it's not a breakthrough, either.

On the negative side, the multi-talented Prince still is prone to staring into the musical mirror for too long. On the positive side, at least he's trying again, which is refreshing news given his embarrassing output during the 1990s.

All things considered, how's this for a ringing endorsement of 3121: It's not dull and pointless from start to finish.

A backhanded compliment, to be sure.

But hey, given the recent spate of releases from tired icons of the '70s and '80s, being "not completely boring" is more of a compliment, and a goal, than it used to be.

Here's a track-by-track breakdown of Prince's 3121:

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THE SONGS

3121 4:31

Bouncy opener features effects-laden harmony vocals that sound like Alvin And The Chipmunks on a voyage to outer space. The catch phrase in the chorus is borrowed from Hotel California by the Eagles, with Prince's adaptation being, "U can come if u want 2, but u can never leave."

Lolita 4:05

Prince is 47 years old now and still as horny as a mongoose, but apparently he's not horny enough to take advantage of sultry youth. "Lolita, you're sweeter, but you'll never make a cheater out of me," he sings in this catchy synth-pop offering that has definite potential as a single.

Te Amo Corazo 3:35

Just what the world needs, more soft jazz. Yippee.

Black Sweat 3:11

This has been issued as a single and it certainly is hook-laden enough to be a hit. The chorus brings to mind one of Prince's old songs, Kiss. Prince promises that by the end of whatever he has in mind, "U'll b screamin' like a white lady." Interesting theory.

Incense And Candles 4:04

Well, put it this way: It's no Incense And Peppermints.

Love 5:45

Don't work too hard on the song title there, Prince. More sweet than lusty, but still strangely dry.

Satisfied 2:50

A soul-tinged effort that Otis Redding might have belted out effectively. As close to Gospel as a song of seduction can get.

Fury 4:01

As catchy as this tune is, the main riff virtually is a carbon-copy of the classic Prince song 1999. Wonder if Prince is eccentric enough to sue himself, just for the publicity.

The Word 4:11

Definitely not the Beatles song of the same name. That wasn't one of the Fab Four's best offerings, and this isn't one of Prince's best, either.

Beautiful, Loved And Blessed 5:43

A sunny pop duet with songstress Tamar, who appears five times on this CD. Her vocals dominate the proceedings on this number. Not coincidentally, 3121 includes a paper insert promoting Tamar's soon-to-be-released CD, which apparently is titled Beautiful, Loved And Blessed.

The Dance 5:20

Theatrical instrumentation, a la Les Miserables, belies a fairly standard, mid-tempo dance number with Spanish overtones. Perfect cruise-ship fare.

Get On The Boat 6:18

And speaking of cruises, let's hope this final song isn't an ode to that lewd and infamous party boat the Minnesota Vikings were on last year. Prince does hail from Minnesota, after all.

Anyway, this tune is just goofy enough and clunky enough in a horn-infested, Latin-lite kind of way that it sounds like something Doug And The Slugs might have done back in the '80s.

Clarification: That is not a good thing.

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3121

Prince

Universal

Sun Rating: 3 out of 5

Party PrincePurple One's newest a fine mix; it shows what '80s fuss all about3121
Prince
Universal
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal staff writer

Prince's wildly successful 2003 tour, spurred by his most solid album in years (Musicology), and his induction into the Rock Hall have made him once again interesting to music fans, beyond the hard core who've followed him through thick and thin.

Now, with a fresh one-album deal with Universal under his belt, Prince has returned with 3121. It finds him mixing the vintage synthfunk sounds of his '80s output with the usual pop rock tunes and sexy ballads for another solid record that focuses on getting the party started.

Prince may not be the innovator he used to be, but he has apparently heard his influence in young producers such as Timbaland and The Neptunes, who directly ripped Vanity 6's Nasty Girl (which Prince wrote and produced) for the sparse groove on Britney Spears I'm a Slave 4 U. Prince returns the favor on the lowdown funk of the typically randy Black Sweat and the more pop-flavored Love.
The title track, named for the Los Angeles mansion where Prince holds parties, is toe-tapping and bass-heavy, with Prince extolling the virtues of the party palace. Lolita is an ode to a young seductress admired but spurned by the married Prince, featuring a call and response reminiscent of The Time's Wild & Loose that comes off as a bit corny.

Recent records such as 2001's Rainbow Children were marred by religious proselytizing that at times bordered on just plain weird. On 3121, he keeps the spirituality general on the acoustic guitar-driven The Word, and duets with newest protege Tamar on Beautiful, Loved & Blessed, a midtempo praise song that could make the contemporary gospel charts.
The record's sexy ballad slot is filled with Satisfied, an old-school R&B slow jam featuring the patented Prince falsetto also used on the string-laden The Dance. The 53-minute, 12-track album ends with another slice of James Brown-influenced funk Get on the Boat featuring Brown's former go-to saxman Maceo Parker.

Overall, 3121 is a stronger album than Musicology, and fans who never jumped off the Prince bandwagon will likely be happy with the groove the Purple One seems to have settled into. 3121 likely won't spend much time on the charts and his back catalog will always be his biggest competition, but at 47, Prince is still occasionally able to remind folks what the big deal was in the first place. And, after years of (some say purposely) subpar records, 3121 keeps the don't-call-it-a-comeback momentum going.

dreamfactory313 said:

I think I hardly ever in my life have agreed with an EW review of anything.

2020 said:

Its amazing how many reviewers have to trash other Prince albums to review this one.
[Edited 3/26/06 21:15pm]

Hello everyone... my name is Deshair Foskey. I just joined this site last week. I wanted to tell yal' about a giveaway that I have going on with one of the sites that I write for. I went to the 3121 Listening Party in NYC, and they allowed me to take a grab bag or two with me for giveaways... here is the link to my review. I wanted for diehard fans to win this giftbag, so check out my review, immediately before it is taken down later on this week. I will extend the deadline to April 5 for Prince.org members. Just make sure that you place "3121 Prince.org" in the subject when you enter the contest.

Here is the link: http://www.indiestreetent...rince.html

Has the review from the BBC website been posted yet?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/musi...3121.shtml

Some of the comments make for interesting reading.....




They carry on pretty much like that - fawning by casual listeners who haven't heard a Prince record since 1992 most likely.


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[Edited 3/27/06 9:14am]

What's funny is that despite these reviews, 3121 will be forgotten about so soon.

Even a retarded monkey knows this album isn't "great." It's fair at best...IMO.

Sacramento Bee (California)

March 26, 2006 Sunday

BYLINE: Chris Macias, Bee pop music critic
BODY:
3121
Prince
Universal Music
* * * 1/2

Who knows what "3121," the title of Prince's new album, actually means. But it might as well be binary code for "The Purple One is back." "3121" pretty much trumps any album that Prince has released in the past decade. There aren't any snooze-jazz overtones or windy instrumental jams here. It's as if Prince purified himself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka and got back to the sweaty and sultry jams that are the crux of his Purple Reign. The album kicks off with the title track, but it's kind of a curveball. Prince's vocals are pitch-shifted into Keebler Elf territory, while an atonal worm of a groove slinks in the background. But before you think Prince is on another experimental, self-absorbed trip, "3121" cruises into "Lolita." The funky, fuzzed-out synthesizer lick is like the ghost of Doctor Fink, Prince's keyboard player from the Revolution days, and Prince's "Purple Rain" past. "Black Sweat" sounds like syncopated, "Controversy"-era Prince but with a stomping "Hollaback Girl" kind of beat that could've come from Pharrell Williams' drum machine. This song will bang in concert.

The energy of "3121" lags with some of the ballads and a few too many midtempo cuts. The oboe and strings at the beginning of "Te Amo Corazon" are a nice touch, but the song doesn't boil over as it could. The Spanish-sound trumpet lick that heralds the end of the song just sounds cheesy. Ole! "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed" is one of the better ballads, with a middle section that sounds like a slow-jam version of "I Wanna Be Your Lover." "Satisfied" is also strong and could be Prince's equivalent to "I'm Goin' Down," the Mary J. Blige staple.

"3121" could use a few more guitar heroics. Prince really goes off with guitar solos in concert, and he's never sounded better on six strings. "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed" features some cool, midrange-y guitar moments from Prince, but that's about the extent of his guitar jamming on "3121." But "3121" is still a triumph for keeping edge without losing accessibility. He still sounds like Prince. And he sounds like someone who could debut today.

TimeKeeper said:

So i guess you fall under the realm of a retarded monkey?...just asking....

http://www.diamondbackonl...928cd7d5a0


REVIEW - Prince still rules the world of velvet and groove
By Roxana Hadadi

March 28, 2006

There’s a reason Prince is musical royalty.

Put aside the purple velvet suits, the phallus-shaped guitar, the stint as a symbol and the newly found religious faith. Instead, focus on Prince’s genius in funk, jazz and rock, captured perfectly on early singles “Little Red Corvette” and “Delirious” and the revolutionary 1984 album Purple Rain.

Now, with 3121, his latest release, Prince continues where he left off on 2001’s Musicology: stripped-down beats, sensual ballads and playful lyrics wrapped up in one focused album.

Back in the day — I Love the 80s, anyone? — Prince was the king of synthesizers and eclectic arrangements. He was a weirder, hornier Michael Jackson who wasn’t worried about the father of Billie Jean’s baby but was instead amazed at darling Nikki’s skills in the sack.

With 3121, Prince is back in the groove, and the majority of the album’s 12 tracks prove it. “Lolita” is a slice of Prince past, chock full of sexual imagery: “I know you’re fine, from head to pumps/If you were mine, we’d bump, bump, bump,” he croons to the lady in question. Don’t worry fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses, Prince keeps it in his pants: “Lolita, you’re sweeta’, but you’ll never make a cheater out of me.”

“Black Sweat,” the other stellar track, is so full of delicious deviousness that Prince’s obsession with colored liquids — Purple Rain, etc. — can be forgiven. The hand claps, drum machine and falsetto yelps are intoxicatingly old school. And Prince commands attention when he says, “I’m hot and I don’t care who knows it/ I got a job to do.”

The album isn’t all bump and grind, though. 3121 has its share of disappointments. “Te Amo Corazon,” Prince’s ill attempt at some Spanish-language loving, is slow and boring — a ballad of the worst caliber. “Beautiful, Loved and Blessed” is just as bad. It’s a poor introduction to Prince’s newest protege, Tamar, who lends her vocals to what sounds like a song from Beyonce’s reject pile.

Prince has done his best work on 3121. He delivers engaging songs in the style that made the former symbol famous and spawned the likes of Pharrell and Andre 3000. Let’s hope he stays that way.

murph said:

a-ha hahaha good one

News for ya there little monkey - this is a 'great" CD and will not be forgotten about anytime soon