PurpleKnight said:

In some ways I can agree with this statement. But on the other hand, that was also the point of the album. It wasn't about trying to create a 'masterpiece' or trying to find 'a new sound', or trying to convert you to his latest 'religion/philosophy' or whatever. It was all about Prince just being himself, returning to his roots, playing all the (mainly acoustic) instruments, and just writing solid pop songs. At the time of its release, it was like a breath of fresh air after a string of more experimental/challenging, albeit more interesting, albums.

It's not the kind of album that I can listen to for weeks and weeks on end, or something that I turn to when I'm in the mood to get all deep in the music, but it is the kind of album that I can play on the stereo when other people are around and share the 'Prince' experience (without coming across like a weirdo!). It's a good introductorary Prince album - one for the masses. Nothing wrong with that.

it does seem a bit safer than some of his others, but VERY sophisticated.
bit like me
i'm loving it at the moment.
this is one album tht will never sound dated.

true

take Musicology and Planet Earth and throw them in the toilet

but get the live version of 'Musicology' from the Jay Leno show

that is the only track from these two albums that I ever care to hear again

how can anyone listen to reflection and not think its a piece of pure gold?

I love Musicology, we got a tour, TV appearances and a lot more from that album. I love it!

I agree. Its probably my least favorite Prince album. No standout tracks for me. Just good songs...nothing great.

Ya'll have your opinions but damn are they wrong . Musicology has one song i'm not too fond of and thats 'life o the party'. I find it better than planet earth, 3121, rave into. Don't wanna go back too far here.
Sure, 'On the coach' is one of his most beautiful songs.

'couch'.
Damn

lexstarr said:

"Don't make me sleep on the coach..."

PurpleKnight said:

IMO, Million Days is a gem

On the couch, Reflection, What do you want me to do, the marrying kind, if I was the man inf your life and Dear Mr.Man are songs that I really like. However I don´t bother to listen to the album anymore. It´s perhaps because the first half is so weak.

I really Love "Musicology" The song itself is timeless. Just as much as "1999"...Especially on a dance level.

"Call My Name." Again, Lovely. I fail to be able to describe in one word, the charming nature of this collection. From the mystery of, "Illusion," to the solidity of, "Refection," through the sex appeal of "What do you want me 2 do,"
and including the political sensitivity, of, "Cinnamon girl" and "Dear Mr. Man."

The whole cd is filled with the very essence of Prince's ability to make a cd, that has a variety of emotions. In my eyes, the, "Life 'o' the party, is, "The marrying Kind."

zsasz said:

I agree!

Musicology is a FANTASTIC, well produced, arranged and executed album. The songs are tight, playful, thought provoking, soulful, pop fun and FUNKY!

Killer album and tour.

"Don't U ever Touch my stereo!"

I can't completely agree - generally yes it's a mediocre album but I think Call My Name is brilliant - and his slow ones are the ones I usually hate

Also love Cinnaomn Girl but more for the statement it makes which makes me bias and unabkle to objectively rate it musically

I do kind of agree with the initial statement.

This was the very first album I bought and listened to it. Not the best way to start listening to Prince. I listened to the first half of the album and I had to stop... I got this impression it was a pop album. That wasn't pop... or what I thought of as pop (3121 kinda fits that definition better).
So I really didn't like it much at first.

But I kinda went through a mini-crisis when I heard the kind of music the college students were playing. It was so hard to deal with that personally, so I crawled back to Musicology... and it felt great!
With my hatred of mainstream radio, Musicology became better sounding than 3121 for the longest time. I like the organic sound it has.

Then again... after Planet Earth came out, I've started to like it less. It seems a little dry in comparison to it and 3121 (which I'm starting to like again).

As far as gems, A Million Days is my favorite track. I also like Cinnamon Girl a lot. I don't understand why its hated so much. Great music and great lyrics (not 2 mention the back-up vocals), what more could you ask for?

And Reflection is one of the most personal tracks Prince has written... how can anyone not love that acoustic guitar?

I think Musicology and Call my Name are two memorable tracks, I only had to listen to them once and I started humming them.

I didn't like Musicology when it came out and I don't like it now.The only real good track there is A Million Days.I find Musicology weak and boring

Musicology is a "OK" album,i like the title track,Illusion COma pimp and circumstance (Cant believe no one mentioned it yet)A Million Days,Cinnamon Girl,Marrying Kind and What do u want me 2 do

but i prefer PE and 3121 over musicology.

moviestar08 said:

After landing on Planet Earth, Musicology has kinda lost the impression it had on me... but its been kind of a rollerocaster ride. First I wasn't impressed... then I was very impressed... now I'm back to not...

It is definitely an OK album for me these days... the way I see it... it's around the same league of Dirty Mind, but that album has gotta several advantages over this one (content/timing/"old Prince")... not to mention Dirty Mind seems like its all heading in one direction while Musicology kinda jumps around as far as its storyline goes. That plain I put them on is pretty much in the middle... between my top 6 and NewPower Soul (the very bottom of my rankings)... that doesn't say much.

But I think no other album has jumped around so much in my rankings the way Musicology has. And jumping around isn't really a good thing.

A lot of people think there is a gem or two there, but we all have a different opinion on what those gems are.

Is that why the album is a weaker as a whole.

Personally I think the title track and Illusion Coma are the stongest things he has put out in the last 10 years.

I still think the best release would have been an amalgamation of the last 3 albums.

1. Musicology
3. Guitar
4. Black Sweat
5. Illusion Coma Pimp & Circumstance
6. Somewhere here on earth
7. Cinnamon Girl
8. Love
9. Te Amo Corozon
10. A Million Days
11. Lion Of Judah
12. The Dance
13. Chelsea Rodgers
14. The Word
15. The One U Wanna C
16.Fury
17. Planet Earth

As B-sides, he could chuck us the likes of Mr Man, Relfections, Resolution, 3121, Get On the boat

no that honor goes 2 planet rubbish..

L4OATheOriginal said:

I disagree. Somewhere Here On Earth is a beautiful song that almost reaches Prince's past pinnacle.

What's the best song on Musicology? Insatiable? Err Call My Name? The songs are so pedestrian; they all sound exactly like tame versions of past songs.

I accept that the album is tame, average and forgettable, but it's still fun and fresh, something that NPS or Rave were not

Musicology, A Million Days, Call My Name, IF I Was The Man in Your Life and Reflection are all top notch.

The two songs I'm not keen on are On The Couch and Dear Mr Man

PurpleKnight said:

Not much I can add to that because you basically said it all. Prince was sounding his age on this one. Should've called it Pipe and Slippers.

midnightmover said:

I was just thinking the same thing earlier!
I'm convinced the man doesn't age, haha... but when I see footage of him here and now... he does look older then... but maybe its the suits

This is my take on the whole idea of it and why it sounds the way it does.

Prince thinks that the quality of mainstream music has gone down over recent years (I happen to agree 110% and that was b4 I knew him as the musical genius I see him as now). He wanted to bring real music back and with real instruments by real musicians... and so created Musicology. After hearing it a few times, I've since started picking up guitar, bass, keys, anything you could think of in not only his songs, but in other songs I commonly enjoy.

What Prince was like in the beginning was a man who was basically the walking encyclopedia of rock n' roll. He took the sounds of other musicians and put his own spin on them to take them to the next level. The sound of Musicology is pretty much Prince taking the music he grew up with and putting his own spin on them... I can't say its greater or better than the "inspirers" cuz I don't know much about them... but Prince will always say what he did "was just something else."

midnightmover said:

Thank you..there's nothing worst than a older artist trying to act young and hip with the kids...MJ..Madonna..etc..move on...

LondonStyle said:

I agree, but what I meant was that he seemed to have picked up some of the worse middle-aged qualities, like docility. Prince's earlier music had energy; passion; just a certain edginess that is totally missing from Musicology. Even a shitfest like Rave had a bit of energy to it. Now like the thread-starter said, this album is not as embarassing as Rave, but it seems more tame than anything he ever did. It's a nice album with no big mistakes that leaves you completely empty afterwards.