GRAFFITI BRIDGE

In 1990 I was 17 and had finished high school and I was starting university. It was a new chapter in my life, and with it came a new soundtrack – or so I had hope. The day Graffiti Bridge came out I headed straight from the uni class room to the record store and picked up both the vinyl and CD copy. With the chart success for the Batman soundtrack behind him Prince was unveiling another soundtrack. And with it came the hopes that it would match the musical direction of Batman and perhaps even the song writing brilliance of Purple Rain (unrealistic expectations - perhaps)

As if clarifying that this is indeed a sequel Prince opens the album with “Dear Dad things didn’t turn out quiet like I wanted them to…” so where was the Kid now, what had happened to The Time? With it’s 1999 / Controversy inspired drum pattern, CAN’T STOP THIS FEELING I’VE GOT seemed dated straight away almost reminding me (dare I say it) of 1980 movie anthems like Footloose. Now several years later, I understand why I had this feeling as the majority of tracks on Graffiti Bridge were re-recordings of tracks Prince has composed several years earlier (not surprising this track was originally written in 1982 and rerecorded in 1986). As the song shuffled along with it’s rockabilly vibe I tried to get into it but it just failed to grab me. The moment of excitement came too late in the final 10 seconds when the song hit more of a funk groove.

Well thankfully, if it was a funk groove I was after, then NEW POWER GENERATION delivered. Whereas some of the other tracks felt throwaway, NPG felt like it was a song with a purpose. As if stating the claim for a new (power) generation Prince addresses the optimism and willingness to change the world that he had hoped this new generation would have, unfortunately as history shows the whole grunge scene of the next few years would be a greater voice of a generation with it’s share of angst and frustration. Zeitgeist aside, this is one of Prince’s finest moments on record from this period mixing dance floor grooves with a social message as he had done with 1999 and Controversy.

Ah Morris, when you hear him strutting his stuff you just know a funk (and most likely Prince penned) groove is going to hit. And doesn’t it just. Packing a funky drummer inspired loop RELEASE IT just hits you where your funk bone resides. With those super sublime backing vocals by his truly, this song just packs the party jam vibe. And tell me you don’t make that funk face after Morris calls for the bass – and that funky run diddladoo. Increasingly using samples and manipulation to supplement the tracks, Prince uses everything he has learned from his years tweaking the Fairlight to brilliant effect. As if continuing the theme of Purple Rain where The Time packed the true funk punch it appeared to me that they still had the goods, and at this point it was 1 all for The Time v the Kid battle.

As if happy to let The Time corner the funk market, Prince decides to move in other fields with the brilliant THE QUESTION OF U (originally recorded in 1985). Taking the blues and making it his, Prince makes it look so effortless. With that flanged underwater bass underpinning the song, Prince’s vocals cut clear and reach for their heavens in their bid to find the answer. Initially I heard this as a romantic song about questioning one’s lover, but over the years I have come to appreciate the higher message, of wanting to live a just and righteous life and trying to find that illusive answer to life and God. I love how this song allows for 3/4 of it to be this magical musical arrangement complete with glorious guitar playing, harpsichord runs and those moments of the double hand claps and “ha” being called out, something I do every time I hear this song much to the amusement of other motorists if I happen to be driving.

As soon as I heard the intro and offbeat drum pattern of ELEPHANTS & FLOWERS (originally recorded in 1987) I was taken back to the Around the World in a Day album and was presented with a song that wouldn’t have been out of place on it. This song has a hopeful essence about it that is contagious, and Prince’s arrangement and delivery of the backing vocals is amongst his best. I simply adore this song. One of Prince’s most underrated tracks.

ROUND AND ROUND with its new jack swing beat and Tevin Campbell’s innocent vocals felt a little light back in the day, and unfortunately it’s the beat that dates it now. I always felt the lyrics were stronger than the song they accompanied and I have always wondered how Prince would re-invent this song in the 2000s.

With its mix of Knee Deep P-funk and Prince Minneapolis sound, WE CAN FUNK (original circa 1983) is a true meeting of the minds. This is one of the rare occasions where two artists with distinct feels come together and it mesh’s without one overpowering the other. George Clinton’s understated vocal delivery has a sense of confidence, while Prince’s have his well patented sense of urgency and passion. One of the stand out tracks on the album for me.

An offcast from 1986’s Crystal Ball, JOY IN REPETITION could easily be pushed aside as one of Prince’s experimental tracks, but that just diminishes its brilliance. With a slow build melody, half spoken half sung vocal delivery and unfolding story of passion this is Prince at his most free. I love that the guitar refrain from Soul Psychadelicide (and had they been playing it 4 months or for months?) pops up when referenced, and how the line “was this woman he had never noticed before he lost himself in the articulated manner in which she said them” is squeezed somewhat effortlessly into a space that shouldn’t hold them. I find this song fittingly hypnotic and love to listen to it in complete darkness just letting myself get lost in the slow burn.

LOVE MACHINE again was a new jack swing track that just felt weak. While it can’t be denied that Prince can take most genres and make them his own and make it sound fresh, I fear new jack wasn’t one of them. File under – if you can’t say anything nice…

With a Jimi Hendrix sampled groove and sense of madness in the musical accompaniment TICK TICK, BANG (originally slated for a 1981 release) has just the right mix of Prince funk and sense of humour to make lines such as “there’s no telling how long I’d last” seem cool. And as if inspired by the drum loop Prince slays the guitar solos with the right mix of Hendrix fire.

SHAKE! always sounded like a part of BatDance turned into a full track. And while acceptable at the time it feels a bit weak – The Time had stronger material on Pandemonium that could have popped up on here.

By the time THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE hit, I had discovered an uneasy pattern in the album, weak songs that almost made you lose faith in going any further were always backed up with songs that made you glad you did. Once of Prince’s most haunting dance tracks TITT just hit me, and was it any surprise that this was the song swirling around my head when I had to confront a cheating girlfriend, thankfully Prince made getting my heart broken feel almost cool.

THE LATEST FASHION (a 1988 Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic intended track) always seemed a bit of a mish mash to me. And it wasn’t until I heard “My summertime thang” on The Time’s Pandemonium did I know why. While the groove is dead on, the melody of the vocal seems a bit stilted. My Summertime Thang will always be the stronger of the two interpretations for me.

Ok so maybe MELODY COOL redeems some of the Prince can’t write new jack swing, as this is slower new jack groove and arrangement is right on the money. Mavis with her powerful vocals and Prince’s punctuated “melody” that grooves this song along. “if we all play in the same key everything will be melody cool”.

Like Purple Rain and Sometimes it Snows in April I can’t hear STILL WOULD STAND ALL TIME (originally a Rave track) now and not think of my best friend who would die a few years after this album came out. During a time of questioning and sadness for me this song helped me find the beauty and happiness in those times I had shared with him. He was also a huge Prince fan and we use to spend hours listening to the albums and dissecting them. And even now as I listen to the beautiful arrangement and the gospel inspired backing vocals I am moved. And as Prince sings “we’re not alone… can you see the light” I can still feel the comfort and solace this song gave me. My favourite lines however as the last ones “you better run to the light, leave your past behind… all things will be fine”. Thank you Prince for this song.

For me when I listen now to the album this where I stop. But I know for the rest of you there is the epic GRAFFITI BRIDGE. Whilst musically it is a richly textured song, I feel the lyrical melody just fails to do it for me. And although you can hear how Prince would take what he learnt in the arrangement of this and apply it to the opuslike 3 chains of gold, I just feel it doesn’t have the same power the latter does, and feels a bit overblown.

And the reprise of New Power Generation seems a bit unnecessary, but it a viewed like a movie then I guess these are the closing credits just like in the actual film. But like a movie – most of us have probably walked out during the credits. The only thing I can think of mentioning is that it contains a sample of “love to the left of me, love to the right” one of the coolest b-sides from this era along with the original Get Off.

On a whole, it’s the Prince tracks that I gravitate to on this album, songs like Question of U, Joy in repetition, elephants and flowers and obviously Still could stand all time that keep me coming back to this cd. However a tell tale sign was when I was transferring my prince collection to my ipod, and GB became a 10 track album rather than a 17 track one.

Swa

This is when i started getting into Dela Soul and Tribe and Hip-Hop was beginning to take me over.. and the "sounded old" vibe hit me as well..his attempt to throw new jack in was sad..the drum loops were outdated...Joy in Repetiton and Questions of U are still two of my favorites and Thives extended version was a banger in the club..The movie was just horrible to watch..i still dont know how it ends..For the first time..he lost me on this one and "is he falling off?" actually popped in my head

Love it.

I think like a lot of fans I have a real love/hate relationship with this album.
There are some great songs on it but it seems like they suffer from being over produced with a bit too much polish. This is also arguably where Prince stopped being a leader and started being a follower by chasing trends. I think it is telling that some of these songs are re-recorded versions of songs that are years old and in almost every case the older versions are superior.

I was about 16 when it came out. I skipped school and picked it up from the record store, still hooked on it to this day.

Tame said:

I like the album but, I know the album would have been a lot better in Prince would have kept some of these songs in their original form or close 2 it. Like 4 example 'We Can Funk', if he would have kept the original 1983 version or the extended re-recorded 1990 version as versus the edit version that appears on the album it would have been better.

i like the album a lot. as always P can win for losing, the only "older version" of a song from this album i heard was We Can Funk and i like the GB version better. so i think if he had done that, ppl would've bitched and moaned that it was an album of "old (throwaway) songs". the bad movie took some of the shine from a really good album. even tony m's rap on NPG pt. II isn't god awful like most of his others.

datdude said:

To me the 1990 version of We Can Funk is as good as any Prince song ever. I really like the George Clinton vocals and the party atmosphere.

swa thank u 4 ur personal insight 2 this album. i really enjoyed how articulated certain things. very well done

Joy in Repetition is a CLASSSIC!!! One of his BEST!

lotusflower said:

No doubt about it.

My fourth favorite Prince album. Great stuff.

SUPRMAN said:

Really? Wow. Nice to know there are some fans that appreciative of the album. What does it mean to you?

Swa

Swa said:

That Graffiti Bridge=Easy access to Prince's purple banana.

Besides, "Thieves in the Temple" is awesome.
[Edited 7/1/09 0:30am]

Hate this album, even down to the typeface used on the album artwork.

The album seriously stopped me from being "a Prince fan" to just being "a fan of Prince" (if you know what I mean).

I didn't enjoy listening to a full Prince album again until Musicology.

GirlBrother said: