...After a few days to listen to MPLSOUND I am suprisingly digging it! I am glad to hear a Prince project that is well written and aggressive. Prince did not clutter this album with overproduction and sonic tricks. I like the "raw" drum and keyboard sound of the album; he really but some nice beats down for this one. It reminds me of albums- Controversy, 1999, and Sign O the Times. He sounds like he actually had fun this time. The grooves are some of his best ever. Hard not to dance off this album. Some tracks take time to grow on you (Better With Time, Here,) but I love this release!

Stand out tracks: Dance 4 Me, Chocolate Box,Old School Company, Valentina,No More Candy 4 U

Not Feeling: (There'll Never B) Another Like Me

Final Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Really looking forward to the tour!
[Edited 3/29/09 22:42pm]
[Edited 3/29/09 22:43pm]

I LOVE Ol' Skool Company! It has that laid back, Come On type of groove to it, i dig it

Prince still pushes the envelope!
Finally, Prince puts out a funky CD that you will actually like all the way through! It has been at least a decade since we have seen this rare form!
Pushes the envelope? Yes …but in a completely different way. He still is shocking us with “Valentina.” Who would have thought he could create a seductive song, with a new mother in mind, and still injects some humor! It completely changes my perspective! This track should make every new mother out there feel like a woman again!
Dance 4 Me- This is one of those grooves you expect from Prince…and it is about time! It is Hot! Hot! Hot! This is the grown up version of “Erotic City!”
Better with Time- Oh my, this one makes me feel that approaching my 40’s is nothing to be afraid of! Wow!
Ol’ Skool Company – This funky groove is exactly what I would say if I had the talent to put it in a song! Not only does it make you want to dance, but it makes you think about how our society has changed.
No More Candy 4 U! – Lyrically, this is an updated late 80’s groove. It has such a good hook, you will listen to it at night and wake up in the morning thinking’ “No more candy for you” and you will say to yourself, ”What the heck”?
Here…This track is such a poignant love song…..that if you have ever been in a failed relationship, you will completely feel and understand this song completely! Musically, it doesn’t just have a great story, but the slow jam feel has a decent hook as well!
Chocolate Box- Another funky one that is just light and fun, but you will enjoy it even more through your kid’s eyes!
There (will never B) another Like Me – This is Prince reminding us he is all that! I can’t complain though, simply because it is one fun dance number!
U’re Gonna C Me- The only track that I may skip through occasionally simply because I don’t want to relive certain feelings; regardless it is another good slow jam!
[Edited 3/30/09 23:19pm]

Anyone who didn't like it at first startin to feel it now??? Is it a grower?

I still unfortunately loathe hearing "Another Like Me"........However, this is a very good album.

My favorite tracks:

- "Dance 4 Me"
- "Valentina" (This song is comical, LOL. That "late night feedings" line is hilarious. )
- "Ol' Skool Company"
- "Here"
- "Chocolate Box"

I can't believe I like Chocolate Box now. Fuck.

A picture of Salma Hayek and her daughter Valentina. Not sure how old Valentina is in this pic, but I was curious to see what she looks like. Cute kid!

Gohi said:

I dont care what anyone says. I have listened toPrince since his first record and he damn sure put the stank on Ol Skool Company with that rhythm guitar! Pee - yoo!

purplecam said:

I have records in my collection that are older than you

Brofie said:

This whole experience has been so much fun and it's just beginning. I hope this continues for a good long while.
[Edited 3/30/09 8:13am]

I think it's interesting that "(There'll Never B) Another Like Me" seems to be the fans' least favorite track on MPLSound by some margin, but the song is mentioned as a standout by nearly every critic who reviews the set. I like the track well enough, but I wonder what the critics are hearing that fans are (seemingly) missing.

livewire said:

It is one of the best on the albumm - possibly THE best.

purplecam said:

Me too

Brofie said:

Count me in on that as well.

livewire said:

I think it works better in the context of the full album. It's still my least favorite, but I don't hate it as much as when I first heard it. (and I love the album as a whole).

I think one of the reasons critics may like it more is that they aren't as familiar with Prince's vast amount of work, and may not realize when Prince is recycling, or repeating himself (which he is doing on this track to a certain extent, IMHO.)
[Edited 3/30/09 9:24am]

Brofie said:

I agree. It's a great song that in MY opinion deserves praise. Others will disagree and that fine and dandy but I dig the song a lot still after a couple of months. I think of it as an introduction of sorts and I'm glad that it's the 1st song on the CD. If that song doesn't wake you up to the fact that "There'll Never B Another Like" Prince, than the rest of the CD will.

Just my
[Edited 3/30/09 9:35am]

A+ I love this album. It's fun, sexy, and refreshing.

An absolute total disappointment. The only thing classic Prince sounding is the type of drum machine he's using. Classic Prince had that type of drum machine mixed over real drums and bass to put strength and power to the sound. If real drums and bass were present, they were pounding so low I could barely hear them. And on one the songs, he even had the nerve to ask the other artists of today..."Where's the drummer, where's the real drums". I wanted to say right back to him...."Where's yours".

The music on the first three tracks is the best sounding on the entire album. I could get into these tracks if it weren't for the way he delivers the lyrics. The lyrics on most of the album seem to have 50 words per verse which is what the other artists today are doing which makes them sound like they are "singing a rap". And all the rediculous shit hop slang words and attitude spoil and ruin even the tracks that have the best music on them. He's sold out before on recent albums but usually on one or two tracks. This entire album seems to have a shit hop attitude all over it. If this is supposed to the new "classic sounding Prince", I'll take artsy/fartsy any day because I can tolerate a lot of things but shit hop is something I don't tolerate at all.

One of the slow jams sounded decent but the falsetto sounded too soft and it sounded like he was holding back with it. It didn't have the sassiness in the falsetto that he's known for. Actually, there wasn't enough falsetto on the album period. Apparently, he was trying to "get his shit hop on" and the shit hop listening public doesn't usually go for falsetto since it sounds "gay", ya know.

I will say this though, I've been a fan since 1979 and have bought the majority of the albums on the day of their release but this is the last Prince album I buy on the first day. From now on, I'll wait to hear a copy from a friend because my money isn't going to be spent to support shit hop and that includes Prince also.

Never Be is a Great song. Chocolate Box is really cool and the music is New Wavey and he has that Anotherlover Clap thing. I hear Prince doing Controversy and Dirty Mind New Wave style on alot of songs and I tell you he definitely was listening to alot of Cars and New Wave and his old Formula it's such a Great album and he sounds also with that Synthesizer vibe a Gary Newman essence. Prince has a 1986 thing right here and his voice is very clear and he does an awesome Camille on alot of songs. Dance 4 Me is Awesome... I hear stuff from Sign O The Times On this track... What I feel is a 2009 version of Prince doing Sign O The Times and Parade. The man never Ceases to amaze me with his BRILLIANCE. A winning cd...

The album's lyrics are absolutely atrocious. Everything is a rehash of prior Prince platitudes and they sound, like most of the music, stale. Chocolate Box, while far from a classic, is well enough produced and, I use this term loosely for such a synthetic tune, performed but the lyrics and sixteen year old spoiled rich girl who's watched too much Disney Channel manner in which he delivers the lyrics flat-lines the song.

Prince has always been hit or miss with the lyrics, often they're just there because they have to be, but he's in desperate need of better writing. He shows how limited of a writer he is by constantly relying on rhyming couplets. It's as if he isn't aware that you can write pop lyrics without a couplet and as a result, he reuses phrases that have been beat to death in the history of rock.

Also, interesting how he included U'RE Gonna See Me from the fanclub Piano cd he gave us from the NPG re-worked ....I love this song...

uh, okay this is a weird album. So much to like, and yet I also find myself laughing aloud at the stupidity of stuff like Chocolate Box.

I really like that Prince has compartmentalized himself for this project. It allows each disc to have consistency. I imagine mixing the two albums and it ruins the whole thing.

I like the 80's purple sound, finally completely embraced unlike on Rave, Musicology or 3121. And listening in the headphones you can hear the usual attention to detail that is fairly unique to the man. Dude is still a fantastic musician.

The songs are all fun, and cute, but it feels at times like I'm eating spoonful after spoonful of sugar! What the hell are these songs? They are cotton candy, shaped strand by strand into beautiful sculpture

But then, why are desserts not looked down upon, but songs without nutrition are?

There are two songs that stand out as having substance. Shit, now I can't remember titles, but I think it was Better With Time (or possibly Here), the one he sings in the low register, fairly softly. This is probably the only song I think will stand on its own, beyond simply being a prince song. I was really impressed, though in a subtle way. Much like the track Silly Game which stood out on Rave (though I am in the minority on that one)

Also Old School Company was awesome.

I think the only song I actually didn't like was Valentina. I don't know why, but this one bugged me.

livewire said:

I think it´s funny that, after reading the first negative reviews for these albums, you were the first one to say "Well, if the critics don´t like it, I´m pretty sure I will enjoy it", and you were right !
Strange that some of the positively reviewed albums in the past couple of years were not exactly what the fans were hoping for, and vice versa.
I dig most of the songs on Lotusflower and MPLSound but I don´t like There´ll Never Be Another Like Me and Chocolate Box ( can´t stand the latter for its obvious Fergie/Gwen Stefani style while TBNALM has its moments) and I really, really can´t listen to the last song, No More Candy 4 U, which sounds a lot like those oldschool songs Jack U Off, Gotta Stop Messing About and Delirious.....I know that is the very reason why folks around here like that crazy song but I didn´t even like those couple of 80s songs I mentioned above, so this one doesn´t really move me much.

But again, it´s hilarious how prophetic you were with your prognosis.

KoolEaze said:

I think that for me, There'll Never Be Another... suffers because it has that same melodic thing I've heard since Jam of the Year ("let's make a toast to the host with the most") Lemon Crush ("when I'm working at my jobba, I'm a victim you're a robba") Dig U Betta Dead ("with their awsome power they struck...a toke or two what the fuck")

These are not my favorite Prince songs to begin with, so copying their melody doesn't really appeal to me.

But I wouldn't be surprised if the critics have never heard them. The song itself is not that bad. It's a lot of fun, and if you're not as familiar with Prince as we are, the arrangement is very impressive.

Gohi said:

Early thoughts.....



I prefer the MPL disc myself. He goes back to Anotherloverholeinyohead for the opener. Dance 4 Me has some elements of the Housequake drum programming in it.
Valentina has him going for some straight Santana I like it too.

He's going for that almost Camille voice again on Old Skool Company and it works pretty good, the man is preaching on here. That's some funk I like to hear.
No More Candy is another fave, uptempto funk rocker that sounds alot like his 80s days.

So overall a good effort I think, nothing truly ground-breaking but sevral tracks I will put into high rotation over here in my funk zone. Have not even peepd the Valente disc yet.

KoolEaze said:

First off, thanks for remembering! As to your comments: It was completely predictable. The critics like Prince best when he's straightforward, crafting concise pop-rock ditties that reveal everything on first listen. That way they can skim through, write a cursory review they feel comfortable with, move on to the next album in their stack and never look back. In my three-decades experience as a Prince fan, that is NOT AT ALL the recipe for a classic album. Based on the early leaked tracks, I felt the critical response would be mixed but it was clear that many longtime fans would be over the moon about the new material. How wonderful to be right — I'm loving reading the Org right now!

Can´t find the place where to download the MPLS-album...I already downloaded Lotusflower, but now I´m hungry for more.