http://news.bostonherald....rticleFull

LotusFlow3r”

Grade: B

“MPLSoUND”

Grade: A-

BRIA VALENTE

“Elixer”

Grade: C

Prince isn’t a genius. He’s three geniuses.

His Purple Majesty is one of the few legitimate heirs to Jimi Hendrix’s “greatest living guitarist” crown. After George Clinton, he’s the world’s freakiest funk maestro. And he’s a slick pop craftsman, with skills somewhere on the continuum between Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie.

Prince’s three-disc “LotusFlow3r” collection drops Sunday as a Target exclusive (or get it online now at lotusFlow3r.com, if you can penetrate this infuriatingly designed Web site and if you fork over $77 to become a member). All three Prince geniuses get their say on it. Even if they often have to shout over each other to be heard.

Half of the first CD, also titled “LotusFlow3r,” is the album Hendrix may have made if he had lived to rock in 2009.

“Boom,” “Wall of Berlin,” “Dreamer” and closing instrumental “. . . Back to the Lotus” are anchored by heroic whammy bar and wah-wah pedal workouts. Occasional slivers of Eddie Van Halen (the closing of “Wall of Berlin”) and Eddie Hazel (“Colonized Mind”) slip in to round out the “Electric Ladyland” jams.

If Prince fully indulged his Jimi fetish, this would have been his most consistent set in two decades. But his schlock side won’t leave well enough alone. The annoyingly jaunty “The Morning After,” smooth jazz snorer “Love Like Jazz” and faux-Latin instrumental “77 Beverly Park” kill the momentum.

“MPLSoUND” wants to be a classic Paisley Park record. It comes close.

The retro feel forces listeners to compare these good songs with their better predecessors. “(There’ll Never B) Another Like Me” is righteous Minneapolis funk, but it recalls the slightly groovier “Anotherloverholenyohead.” “Dance 4 Me” thumps like “Housequake,” but misses the minimalism that made that “Sign ‘O’ the Times” track so striking. “U’re Gonna C Me” rehashes the primative computer beats that were Prince’s early ’80s hallmark but turns saccharine.

If you’ve been waiting two decades for a Prince album that you can spin from start to finish with no cringing, this well-balanced mix of gritty funk and polished pop may be as close as you’ll get. Even his bizarre love letter to Salma Hayek (“Valentina”) manages a decent hook.

EmailE-mail PrintablePrintable Comments(1) Comments LargerSmallerText size ShareShare Rate(0) Rate

“Elixer” is a purple and paisley lemon - a set of Prince songs sung by Bria Valente, the latest in a dubious line of female Prince proteges. If it had the cheeky nastiness of Apollonia 6’s “Sex Shooter,” well, at least we could work with that. But Valente sounds like B-grade Vanessa Williams. Not what we need Prince wasting his time with when he’s so close to getting his three geniuses to actually agree on a direction.

Download the surprisingly political “Ol’ Skool Company,” which is “Alphabet St.” routed through “Chocolate City.”

“(There’ll Never B) Another Like Me” is righteous Minneapolis funk, but it recalls the slightly groovier “Anotherloverholenyohead.”

"Download the surprisingly political “Ol’ Skool Company,” which is “Alphabet St.” routed through “Chocolate City.”"



This guy is just pulling song titles out of his ass

it's interesting sometimes to read how folks who think they know about Prince's music - but actually don't - view Prince's new albums.

But mostly it's just worthy of an eyeroll and a quick flip of the page.

I listened 2 Elixer 4 the first time 2day & gotta say I'm digging some of the melodies... better than what I xpected, and 4 what it is - a chill, lounge-type of record, it's pretty decent.

But this review cleared sumthin up 4 me... I'd been 1dering who she sounded like.... it IS Vanessa Williams... something bout her inflection & tone.

Oh boy... folks around here are going to be pissed. Another review grading Mplsound better than the great (and I mean that!) LotusFlow3r!!

Alexandernvrmind said:

I was just about to comment on that!
MNPLSOUND has been getting much better reviews from the professional paid music critics!!

What do you know!

hmmmmm, so are all the fams going to take them seriously or dismiss them like they do his "critics" reviews fron the last 15 years

Very intresting.

I completely disagree with all these reviews, but whatcha gonna do.

Ugot2shakesumthin said:

Personally I think Lotus is slightly better but its only by a whisker. I just think its funny because a very vocal group of this site as been less than flattering when reviewing Mplsound

I love both of these records!!! Now lets dance!!!
[Edited 3/29/09 18:07pm]

He makes a few really good points here, but like almost all professionals, he's not blessed with the time needed to really understand what's going on here. He didn't even review the right album, the one that wouldn't have slowed down his groove.

But, after all, he has 6 more deadlines to meet and I don't blame him one bit for the instant impression that some in arrogance actually believe is the final verdict.

Alexandernvrmind said:

that's because they're racist! :eyeroll:

well the guy didn't really give a bad review of lotusflow3r, He just thought it'd be better w/o the morning after, love like jazz, and 77 bev. Park. And I must agree, I love Lotus, I'd love it even more w/o those tracks, although i do kinda dig morning after. They should be replaced with more guitar tracks. They are good songs, just probably not on this album is what i think the reviewer was trying to come across.

But then again, thats the glory w/ Princes music, us fans like so many different styles, so he has something for everyone, so I think the ablums work. As long as one of them or all make U (a fan) feel amazing..... then Princes job is done.

That's an insult to Vanessa Williams! Anyone who's heard her jazz & pop standards--she can sing quite well.

Love Like Jazz a "Smooth jazz snorer" ?! - wtf

Boston still is a beautiful place I am sure