I'm probably one of Prince's greatest defenders on this site but yesterday after listening to PE several times at work a certain melancholy came over me. Don't get me wrong I think PE is a great collection of songs. I think I like every song in one way or another. And I think with repeated listening it will grow on me even more, but before I let that happen I wanted to explore this feeling I have.

1) Is PE a great album?
No I don't think its a great album. This seems to contradict what I said earlier about the songs, but what I feel is that PE is a great "collection of songs". A grab bag or variety pack of very likeable songs that don't come together to make a unified statement. In a few years will we be able to look back at PE and sense it as a whole or just remember our favorite songs from it? What statement or story is Prince trying to tell with PE?

From the title of the album, the cover shot and the Title song you would think this is Prince's statement about the state of our planet. "Resolution" also seems to follow this theme. But the funny thing is the rest of the album all seems to be a bunch of unrelated songs (we have a mini soul album with "SHOE", "Mr.. GN", "FBM", and "CR". A mini rock album with "Guitar", "TOUWC", and "Lion of Judah" and a curio in "All the midinights")

Did he initially plan on an album in which the songs addressed his feelings about the planet/state of the world and then abandoned it for a jukebox of songs?

2) Faith
Is it possible that Prince doesn't have faith in either the marketplace, fans, and critics that it would accept a statement album from him? Maybe he is afraid that if he was too overt with his feelings on world matters he would be roundly criticized as "stepping out bounds" from the Prince the media expects. Remember he was widely criticized by the media for TRC even though it was not widely marketed. The term self-indulgent was thrown at him again and again.

Also If Prince does monitor the sites dedicated to him where the many various fans seem to want different things from him does this influence get us "grab bag" albums to try satisfy everybody?

His last albums that seem to be focused on certain thematic conceits whether by sound or subject have been underplayed. TRC was not widely marketed, the Truth was stuck in with Crystal ball, ONA was for members only, NEWS was like TRC available to the masses but unpublicized. Xpectation and C-note were for fans only. Beat heavy songs like "Silicon" and "Daisy chain" were relegated to internet only albums. Was it Prince's choice to downplay these works due to the reception he thought they would get in the wider world or did he actively shop these around and didn't find takers?

PE seems to pander to a sort of generic fan base. Like here is an album u all should like. Not really any rough edges are sounds that will take people time to digest. In other words the equivalent of comfort food.


3) Musicology
Seems to follow this same "grab bag" effect however in this case I think the title alone explicitly tells the audience that Prince is giving us a bunch of songs to illustrate how music of various styles can be created exceptionally. We get the rockers, r&B, acoustic, etc. And it makes sense given the context of the title. These are genre exercises intended to remind the audience Of "how music was back in the day" before clear-channel and labels segregated and dumbed down music.

4) 3121
Seems to carry a hint of a latino influence (Get on the boat, TAC, The dance) but does not carry though on this promise. The sound it self seems to have more overall "modern" production sound which one could see as a unifying element. Both "incense and candles" and "beautiful, loved, blessed" while enjoyable songs probably would have been better served on the TAMAR album. If I'm not mistaken BLB was also going to be on her album. The title track seems to belong to a different more ambitious album. How cool would an album of songs in that vein be? Instead it seems to be a one shot that drifted in from another universe.

5) Unity
I think Prince makes his most memorable albums when he leaves the listener with a unified experience (with the exception of SOTT which is the exception to the rule). I think the following examples have a unified feel to them. And I am not necessarily critiquing their quality:

lovesexy
1999
exodus
come
gold experience
Parade
Black album
NEWS
Xpectation
C-note
Batman
Musicology
For U
Prince
gold nigga
TRC
AWTWIAD

6) Maybe with the success of the last trio of albums Prince will focus on another statement album. One that focuses on a certain specific unified sound structure or presents a unified story. Sure that is bound to turn off a segment of the fan base or get calls of self-indulgence from critics. But I think it will make for an album remembered more as a singular entity.

I think a lot of your points are well made and valid. I do think that Prince has possibly suffered since around the time of D&P by trying to showcase his own immense range of musical styles and that, for the most part, has meant that the albums do not necessarily have a cohesive feel or sound.

There are of course exceptions and it isn't a case of it not working at all.

wow...was it too long to read. Are my thought all wet? Does everybody agree or something? damn!

Actually I enjoyed reading your post. You have really good points here which are thought provoking...and definitely possibilities.

Obsidian said:

thanks!

food for thought:

I am always struck by the cavalier way people discuss prince's virtuosity as being a "grab bag", (the usual pop, rock, r&b, jazz, show tunes, and funk) as if it was some tired hackneyed stunt that anyone could pull off. Did it ever occur to them that the reason other acts don't try this "angle" is because they can't??
It must be maddening to Prince to have listeners and critics demand that he stick to one strain for the duration of an album (the format of which is dead, anyway) and promotion cycle for them to digest before moving on to the next one. Can you imagine how boring that must be for him?
I see his tracks as moods that he expresses and territories he wants to explore, and I thank him for the privilege of being witness to his efforts.
A prince "album" at this point is just simply what he's been up to lately, and that's more than enough coming from him, compared to what else is out there.