Everytime I listen to 3121 I keep finding myself missing the mystery that runs through his best songs. Except for the Dance and Fury (and the not-so-intriguing lyrics of the title son), everything is on the surface here, and while it's pleasant enough, I'm already getting bored with it. I'm sure, however, that this is also why it's been his biggest hit in a long time.

You're right. Can't please them all.

I haven't been able to dance to Prince records ever since PoomPoom, so I am quite happy.

Just you wait til that tour hits your town...

HamsterHuey said:

I do love dancing to some Poom Poom!
But I don't hear anything on this that's as danceworthy as that track honestly.
[Edited 4/1/06 7:07am]

MendesCity said:

I've been thinking the same thing.
As a fan of 20 years or so this maybe the first release I'm bored with after a week of it's release. I dunno what it is. I havn't listen to so much that I'm tired of it or anything. And I've listened to it enough to take it all in. I just think for the most part it's boring and somewhat uninteresting. Like I said this is coming from a fan of some 20 years. But I'm happy it went number 1.

I like Poom Poom.

If you cannot dance to 3121, Black Sweat or Love then there is something wrong with ya. Serious.

HamsterHuey said:

Hi Huey!
You are right you cannot please everyone. Maybe I'm listening to to much Flaming lips and Super Furry Animals and it's skewin my judgement.

HamsterHuey said:

Whatever I think of the album as a whole I love 3121 the track and a few choice tracks.

MendesCity said:

You're right. 3121 does lack mystery.

But I think that's what's cool about it. When Prince tries too hard to be mysterious it's just annoying. Like in those SNL skits where the Prince dude talks through Beyonce and acts weird just to be weird.

HamsterHuey said:

Black Sweat, ya, good dance track. Those other, not so much. I don't know enough late-90s Britney moves to dance to "Love"

MendesCity said:

Hehehe, yer calling yerself old? That's okay. I love Prince doing different stuff. Wait til his duet with Kylie Minogue.

HamsterHuey said:

If it's half as good as the one with the Pet Shop Boys, I'll be happy...

LoL

Well,tome it was a kind of win/win situation. I have been so unhappy with so much of thework Prince has done of late that I was not expecting ANYTHING from this album.

And I must admit that some tracks I just keeplaying and playing, like 3121 and The Words, which is something I did not have with ANYTHING on Musicology.

Interesting...

I think Black Sweat, Incense and Candles, Satisfied Fury and The Word are all dance worthy. Yet, I do understand it is a matter of dance preference.

Black Sweat is just one of those songs you get wild on.

Incense and Candles is one you play at a family ruion when Gtandma and Grandpa is still up.

Satisfied is great for intimate encounters.

Fury is a rockin song. It reminds me of his For You and Prince days. Yet, it has a lot of Jimi Hendrix, WAR, and Door influence.

He Word is slamming though it is one of those play at a family reunion song.

hilton02895 said:

True. My best moment on ANY dancefloor EVER was when I was in a gay club in Utrecht, Holland and the DJ slowed the set down to play Smoke City's Underwater Love followed by Teardrop by Massive Attack...

The dancefloor cleared, but to hear those songs with my mind on hyper was SO amazing...

the more you listen to it.. it deserves listens.. but it does lack something.. and I think that will affect me listenin to this later on.. I just feel its something like musicology.. it didnt take long to absorb, and it expired before it should have in my music catelog.

Sdldawn said:

To me the songs that DO make sense make it worth it. If you dislike Kylie Minogue pop, like some, then Love won't make sense. But I looooove Kylie. So Love works very well. It reminds me of the dance tracks on Emancipation, but with a somewhat lesser dated sound.

Where I just still listen to two songs of Musicology these days, I already know I will keep part of this album with me longer.

HamsterHuey said:

See, I find Musicology and ICPC as danceable as anything on 3121, and Call My Name, Reflection, What Do You Want Me To Do and On The Couch all have that mystery in the writing and music. I guess it's almost a tinge of sadness, like that picture of him with his head in Mani's lap from that era.

I agree that it lacks mystery.
The more I listen to the album, the more
that I believe that 3121 is just the outline
of the upcoming tour. It sounds like Prince
is just having fun crafting catchy pop/rock/soul songs
that will become more interesting and
funky once he rehearses them with his tour
band.(Look at what 'Fury' became on SNL)
Also, the man can still whip out some
wonderful hooks. Just imagine 'Love' live
with each band member putting their own stamp
on the different parts of the song, and not
just Prince laying all of the tracks down himself.
I am excited for a tour.
Imagine this: You've been waiting and waiting for the show to start.
The lights go down and the sick heavy beat from '3121'
starts thumping in your chest making 'that ballerina
in your stomach turn round and round'! And then your
off waving your arms and jumping up and down all night...

goku said:

Now THAT could be cool.
[Edited 4/1/06 8:57am]

goku said:

You get the message. I will go up to 3121 personally and kick his cute lil' behind offa the compound if he decides not to take this to the road.

All I hear on the album are EDITS... esp 3121. This is just an outline. Well said.

I think its a very good observation that this album lacks mystery..

Sdldawn said:

Like this thread lacks depth? Then yeah.

It lacks mystery. Prince should have made at least ONE Da Vinci Code reference to make it at least interesting and validate it's excitence.

HamsterHuey said:

I would've taken a eerie instrumental somewhere in the mix...
[Edited 4/1/06 13:01pm]

Sdldawn said:

Well, The Dance is not an instrumental, but it has some ominous sounds.

I hear you. I am, however, glad that this album (and Musicology) have been as straightforward as they've been. I mean, no matter what kind of album he makes, someone's not gonna be happy, but honestly, this was the kind of album he was known for in the early 80s (no, I'm not going on a nostalgia trip, don't fret folks). The jazz albums with The Rainbow Children have been enough mystique for a while, and he might go do another album like that after this.

Sdldawn said:

Yes. Maybe he should've stuck Gamillah on there.

1999n3121 said:

That's my hope.

MendesCity said:

to me this CD and MUSICOLOGY lacked mystery and weirdness that I come to like about Prince. These 2 releases are SO easily accessible. They're almost saccharine

Well, I just came to dance.