I wrote this a week or so before making my return here. I listened through the album (btw, the first one I bought as one of the Prince persuasion) and wrote these reviews track-by-track as I listened to them.
I'll post them one track at a time to save a little reading time 4 u guys with short attention spans.
Keep an eye on my signature cuz it's going to change very soon.

Musicology
Obviously lights up the purpose of the album. Here he mentions some of the artists that he grew up with and possibly some of his influences. The laid-back nature of the song lets you listen to the various instruments, but at the same time, its just soft enough so the lyrics are easier to hear. In one segment in the middle, he adds a little of his own personality in there when he tells us not to touch his stereo. Injecting his personality into his songs is part of the appeal I knew from him in the beginning. The extra keys he adds later after the “stereo” segment show a little of more of his personality, which I mentioned before. At the end, he reminisces with how far his music has come.

How many albums do you have now?

bboy87 said:

Let's try to stick to the topic here.
It was a pretty interesting experience I had with the album and I'd like to share all of my findings... as I always have. It's a little extra special because its the first album I picked out.

But to answer ur ?, I have... well, 17, but 2 of them (Parade & TBA) are on my hard drive.
I own on disc:
Dirty Mind
Controversy
1999
Purple Rain
ATWIAD
SOTT
D&P

Come
TGE
(mystery album: won't reveal until I've heard it)
Rave un2 the Joy Fantastic
and the last three releases (Musicology thru PE)

Nice job there. I look forward to the next tracks. this album was pretty much a gateway drug for me, so i am glad you chose it to write about.

I always wrote a lengthy intro & conclusion. But I'll add each track one post at a time. Hope u like the rest.

Illusion, Coma, Pimp and Circumstance
Here’s one of his storytelling tracks. It’s hard to tell if this was ever taken from personal experience, but its an interesting tale. It seems like it’s a story about a little rich girl that doesn’t have any rhythm and a man shows her how to dance. This just might go back to the movie “under the cherry moon” where Christopher Tracy tries to bring Mary Sharon down to his world. It’s a bit of a vague/obscure track. The instrumentals are a little funky, but show how music used to sound when he was growing up. His delivery of some of his lines is more of his personality and that speaks volumes more than a lot of the lyrics do. The obscurity of the whole thing just be another one of his “Prince”-isms. The song ends with instrumentals alone that recall the chorus and such and that’s how songs used to end “back in the day.” The only thing that irks me is his delivery of the first line of the song and each time its repeated. It could have been a little smoother.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Well I won't be asking you anymore questions

bboy87 said:

Tell u what.
If you want to know what I think about any of those other ones, send me a message and I'll make it my next priority.

Can't promise SOTT, though. I'm saving it for Christmas break when I have time to break it down.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

This song is about a young gigolo showing a rich, old, fugly woman a good time...a young pimp turned into a ho for $$$

In-depth view .....more like glanced over
[Edited 9/24/07 13:42pm]

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

So how the hell is this an in depth look at this song? Instruments? Style? Tempo? Production? This is just empty waffle.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

You need LoveSexy!

bboy87 said:

Yeah, I thought the same thing when I read that . . . seemed kinda rude.

15 albums in just about a year; seems like too much too soon. It's impossible to fully absorb each album when you buy so many like that.

maybe my Intro & Conclusion are more in-depth than the tracks themselves. Give it time. I've saved the best for last. In the meantime, here's one of my personal favorites:

A Million Days
Sounds like an old-school break-up song. The delivery of his lines speaks a lot from his heart and the music does the same throughout the song. There’s nothing extraordinary about it, but on heart alone, it’s a very powerful song in my mind. The desperation in his voice helps me recall “The Beautiful Ones,” one of the most beautiful songs from the Purple Rain album/soundtrack. The first time I heard the song, it didn’t feel like your typical song. There aren’t any verses and the chorus is only done once, but its structure is very unique and over time, I understood why he write it the way he did. The lyrics aren’t as strong as they could be, but back in the old days, lyrics were cheesy. The guitar is a very powerful instrument in that song. The vocal work during the chorus is incredible, how he uses different voices to showcase the different emotions he’s feelings. It kinda reminds me of what he did with “When Doves Cry,” but to a less extent. This is about his last relationship before his current wife, but who knows if its for real?

Life O’ the Party
Another funky track that seems a perfect song for the other side of Prince that comes out during his stage performances. He makes the whole crowd party with him with the energy he has. He uses other people here, but they do add a lot to the song. [You can’t have a party with just one person, can you?] Prince also throws out different vocals throughout the song that he’s known to throw into his songs through the years. He makes fun of himself when he says, “I don’t care what they say about me. ‘he don’t play the hints no more, plus I thought he was gay.’” That’s a little hint of what he did with the track, “Controversy,” but only for a moment.

It's nice to see someone with such a thirst for Prince's music, take your time, P's stuff tends to sound different over time. With me, if I don't like a cd upon the first listen.. then it usually grows on me. I hated ATWIAD, Lovesexy, and Crystal Ball when I first got them, but I love them now. My fav is still the Truth . I play that one all the time, I never tire of it, can't wait to see what you think of that one.

paintedlady said:

Will keep u posted if I get that along with Crystal Ball later on.
In the meantime, here's Call My Name

Another cheesy love song, but back when Prince was growing up, it wasn’t uncommon. Here he talks about his current wife and it’s pretty much a love song dedicated to her. Here he says that he can’t stop writing songs about her, a few of those songs did show up in his next album, but not quite as many as he did for his first wife. The 2nd verse kinda foreshadows the track after it, but he quickly retreats back to the current track. The significance of the title lies in the fact that he had just went back to being called Prince. And Mayte never called him Prince. When you’re truly in love with someone, it must feel pretty special to hear them call your name. I think that’s what the song’s really all about. Occasionally, when I listen to it, I really get drowned in it. There’s just something very romantic and sweet about it, regardless of how cheesy the lyrics are. “So many speak of the moon as if it has no flaws,” is also what being in love is about. You only see the good when you’re in love with someone that much. And of course, the song wouldn’t be complete unless someone did say “Prince” once before it ended. This song is a hit/miss for me most of the time. A lot of the time, it’s a miss for me, but I guess that’s only because I don’t want to be taken in by it. But sometimes, it surprises me and it sounds really sweet and beautiful.

Cinnamon Girl
Has some of the best instrumentals of any song on the whole album. Great combination of guitar and keyboards during the chorus. This, of course, alludes to 9/11 and the state of the world after it happened. Since he plays all of the instruments in this song, it shows more of his character as well as his talents. Halfway through, there’s a really good guitar solo that I like a lot. In fact, it’s some of the best guitar I’ve heard him do in recent years. The back-up vocals he had here are also some of the best vocal work there is on the album. The taper off at the end is also really great. This ends the first half of the album where he talks about the state of the present (both in the world and in the music world).

What do u want me 2 do?
One of the best laid-back, jazz-driven songs he’s done. The moment I heard the song, I could picture him walking down the street where there are a lot of people around. He’s playing guitar on the curb and she does pick him out from the crowd. I wonder when this occurrence happened, but it feels like a real experience. Based on his description, the girl is really good looking and works hard to look good. The little interlude in the middle reminds me of the background music on the old “Peanuts” cartoons. Of course, since he’s the son of two jazz musicians, he had to do a jazz song if he was going back to basics here. The girl in this song continues to make appearances in the next few tracks, connecting them together in one storyline. The percussion in this song is probably some of my favorites he’s done.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

That Was Cold

The Marrying Kind
He changes things up a little bit. The song is a little bit stronger with louder instrumentals. The girl in question runs to Prince after her husband cheated on her and Prince seems to know the man personality. He’s trying to appeal to the husband in question, giving him one last chance to take her back because if he doesn’t take it, he won’t get another chance to win her back because Prince will take over where he left off and she won’t want to return once he’s through with her.

If Eye was the man in ur life
He changes things around again here. He wants the girl more than ever now and thinks a lot less of the other man. He tries to woe her with some more cheesy lyrics. The delivery of his lyrics makes it a bit more fun because his personality really shows here. He also adds a little bit of cymbals, bass and guitar in the very last segment which connects to the last of these songs.

On The Couch
I don’t really care for this song all that much. Overall, I find it dragged out and boring. It’s a mushy, bluesy song. But I do understand the significance it has in the album. It sounds like a song that could have been written decades ago. It connects to the last song because here, his wife catches him with the other woman and this is him being punished for being unfaithful. Besides the boring nature of the song, but I really don’t like it when Prince grovels at a woman’s feet. He says, “It’s undignified to sleep alone,” but the song kinda strips him of any dignity he has a man. Haha… so I skip it whenever I get the chance.

I think you should analyze each track on Emancipation, keep it on your own computer and look at your writing 10 years later. oh, but don't post it here on the org

runningbear said:

Even I wouldn't be crazy enough to do that in regards to Emancipation. I wouldn't even want to listen to ALL 3 DISCS when I eventually do get it.
Somebody'll get back to me sooner or later, so I'm gonna post until I've finished posting my track by track... but maybe my intro & conclusion will come across better.

Dear Mr. Man
This song is the infamous return of “political Prince.” Here he addresses every-day issues people have with politics and the environment. He injects a Bible verse and “to kill is a sin” to show his start as a Jehovah’s Witness. He talks about the states of the streets, “cigarette ads on every block,” and about the hole in the ozone layer and oil spills. He feels that the government systems aren’t doing very much about the very important issues. I like the instrumentals in the middle of the song. He adds a little bits about the constitution and how his people were treated in the past (slavery and the back of the bus). A little of his personality gets through in the last lyrics he speaks, which always makes me smile. It’s a pretty bluesy track that’s not quite as dramatic of “Money don’t matter 2night,” which touches on similar issues. This track didn’t grab me much at first, but when I listen to the lyrics, it really makes you think about things. It also kinda brings you back to what the first half of the album is about.

mplsmike said:

you laughing at my pain?


adds mplsmike to the "list"

Se7en said:

From November 2003 to July 2004 I bought:
For You
Prince
Dirty Mind
Controversy
Purple Rain
Around The World In A Day
Parade
Sign O' The Times
Diamonds And Pearls
The Hits/The BSides
The Very Best of Prince
Musicology

Well... here's my Intro... which I should have started with, but w/e. Excuse the length, its REALLY long. Sorry for any causalties I may cause.

My thoughts on the album overall is that Prince is trying to reintroduce us to the way music used to sound. Music with real instruments and lyrics that come straight from the heart. In one interview, he called it a pop record, so I assumed that the songs would be pop-songs. Of course, knowing Prince, you can never come in with a guess-ti-mate because he’ll most likely prove you wrong. That’s what happened with me here. This is no ways a Prince record the way he used to make them and at first listen, it doesn’t sound like anything he had done before.

It feels like here, Prince presented himself with a challenge. To not use technology or any high-tech techniques and go back to his roots and show the world the kind of music that he grew up with. It’s not spectacular in a way that it’ll stick in your head forever or you’ll keep it playing on the turn-table. It’s great in the way that Prince incorporated a lot of what he grew up with and put his own spin on it. It also makes you appreciate what music used to sound like. It’s just very full of personality and it goes to all sides of Prince in ways of the human condition. You see that he knows how to have a good time (Musicology & Life O’ The Party), he knows how to tell interesting tales (Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance), he shows he’s well-informed and concerned about current events (Cinnamon Girl & Dear Mr. Man), and he’s a simple man who only requires the simple things for his happiness (Reflection).

Here, he plays most of the instruments himself, bringing himself back to basics, and when he does play the instruments, they take on his traits and tell you about him as much as his lyrics. They[the songs]’re very real tales that come from his own experiences and the music helps showcase the feel/interpretation of each experience. That’s what music is all about, drawing from your own experiences and putting the words to music that’ll bring the feelings of those experiences to life so the audience can understand his own feelings. [That’s what Musicology really means] Of course the best way to get the most of the songs is to really listen to them without any distractions and just let it wash over you and see if it makes you feel anything. Prince writes in such a way that you’ll know instantly how he felt about each experience.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

I really like the way you bury yourself so completely in a topic. This will give me a different perspective the next time I listen to this album.

You have a lot of exploring/thinking behind you, but even more of it ahead.

Out on Prince’s stoop thinking about the 60s and 70s, about mom, posters, fishing nets, and young romance.

Thanks.

Brendan said:

:gasp: An actual reply... I could die of shock. Glad to hear u could at least digest some of what I wrote. One night, I just decided "I want to really go in deep with Musicology". It'll always be a special album for me cuz I picked it out as my very first one. And once I got into the Toostie roll center, I found something really... quite amazing. So here's the rest.

Reflection
Here he’s alone and he uses the different instruments to showcase his laid-back attitude towards life. It’s a very smooth steady beat that draws on his laid-back nature when he isn’t hard at work. I really like the use of flute in this song and the addition of instruments in the last verse that help everything come together. He interjects a few little thoughts here and there from his feelings on different days of the week. He talks about his beliefs (life after death), and the reference to his mother shows that he could have written this a little bit after he died. It could have helped him deal with that loss. The lyric about afros goes back to when he started his career and how he and his friends did compare theirs. The last line shows his love for life and the simplicity of it. This is also a great ending track for the album because “back in the day,” things were a lot simpler. There was no technology and here he uses the organic nature of the instruments to show that simplicity. Oddly, it does go against his nature because he’s not the reminiscing type, but since he was going back to how old-school music used to be, there was no harm in bringing old experiences into that light.

Conclusion
I like to come back to this album every now and then to remind myself of things. It holds my perception of Prince at the beginning of my journey and shows me what he’s like a person. It lacks the elements his long-time listeners know him for, but I don’t mind not having that side of him anymore. A person can’t be that kind of a person with that kind of mind all the time. It shows how he’s grown up and the fact he put such a project together shows off his experience. Not many do, but I respect this album. I believe it should be respected because its still great in its own right.

bboy87 said:

I still stand by my earlier post. It is impossible to fully digest and appreciate his albums when you buy them in rapid succession or all at once.

Having said that, you do have most of the best ones on there!

'What Do You Want Me 2 Do?' is 'jazz-driven'?

He plays every instrument on pretty much every track, so that's nothing new

Se7en said:

For me personally, I'm a fast learner, so I pick up a lot of things pretty quick. Once 7/7/07 came, I got 4 albums at once and it was really hard for me to stop once I started.
But this is a thread all its own. If you want me to start one, I'd be more than happy too. (In fact, if you want to request me to do a review of any of the albums I have, I'll do it, just send me a message)

Doesn't anyone care about Musicology anymore to attempt to read ANYTHING I wrote about it?

Guess it is safe to say dreamypop doesn't write reviews for a living..

thepope2the9s said:

ha ha... very funny

I write things 4 long for you people and very few can keep up.
I've never had this much trouble getting responses b4.

Side-note: My new siggy pretty much explains why I went through all this trouble.
[Edited 9/25/07 8:18am]