I was never fond of Musicology as a whole. I appreciated the album for 2 things only: 1) It returned Prince firmly to the public spotlight for reasons other than weird ones, and 2) He was trying to write radio friendly material again.


But upon the first couple of spins, although I initially liked the album, to me he took sort of a Diamonds & Pearls approach, just more subdued with an old-skool anesthetic. The album also sounded like he was keeping the instruments and production work relatively simple so that the material would be easy to replicate on stage---an album designed to be performed moreso than be played.


So it was with tremendous surprise last night while listening to my iPod that when this song came on, I really enjoyed it. His vocals are great for this type of song. Maybe it was the uber expensive Shure headphones I was wearing, but I heard slight inflections and a degree of control in his voice that was amazing. He was actually 'acting' with his voice in the song. If you pay attention to it, he goes from the god-like narrator to the old-woman role ("come here, let mamma feed ya...") back to the narrator effortlessly.

The tune is also stripped down, doesn't demand too much by way of attention, and has a decent hook to it. Sure, it ain't Purple Rain, but it was never meant to be.


I dare say, I've discovered a track from Musicology I really enjoyed. Perhaps I should spin the entire album today to see if I rediscover it.


.
[Edited 10/21/09 10:40am]

I hated that one and "Life Of The Party". Too shit hoppish.

"Cinnamon Girl" and "A Million Miles" were my favorites from that album.

Always been my favorite track on the album

Illusion is such a good song, funny lyrics, too. The best part to me is the guitar licks towards the end that are pretty much taking the place of a horn section. Too funky

'Cinnamon Girl' and 'musicology' - were great videos. Something you don't usually associate with Prince

Not my favorite song on the cd, but I do like it for those very reasons.

This album is ok. I love Musicology,Illusion,A million days,cinnamon girl,marrying kind and reflection. The song "Magnificent" shouldve been on the cd.

Well thanks for that Imago. I put the cd into my laptop for the first time and got the fright of my life! Everything went black! And then I saw the Musicology video, I hadn't seen it yet Cool.

Yes I agree there are interesting vocals & musical parts of this song ICPC but this just ain't my groove.

What do you want me to do is my favourite track on this cd.
[Edited 10/21/09 11:25am]

Bohemian67 said:

Are you the person I argued with endlessly a few weeks ago, which got me banned?

If so, sorry for my behavior

Imago said:

I don't remember arguing with anyone endlessly to be honest. But if it was me, apology accepted, no problem. Now I've finally found the hug smilie, cause I'm quoting and it clearly says

Best song on that album, very funky groove.

PanthaGirl said:

I need to listen to the other songs. I've almost forgotten them altogether.

That was the standout "new" sound track on the album for me on first listen.

So much stank on it, one of the best new funk jams.

I Love this funk jam too.

Life O' The Party and Cinnamon Girl are the bad songs for me on this album.

Quite cool song on an otherwise great album, I'd say!



I absolutely love the title track, A Million Days, Call My Name, Cinnamon Girl, What Do U Want Me 2 Do?, The Marrying Kind and If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life.


I understand why some Prince fans are very skeptical towards this album, but the musicianship, song-writing and production are actually first class. This is album is in my top 10, easily.

This album's been out for 5 years and you're only hearing ICPC for the second time? Dang.

But seriously, I used to think that "The Marrying Kind/If I Was the Man in Ur Life" was a fantastic rock 'n roll one-two punch, but now I just think they're cheesy.

I love this track. And, Imago, those Shure headphones will definitely have helped unlock that extra detail

He's had that sort of exquisite control with his voice, instruments and studio production for most of his career. Particularly for musicians (whom I invariably end up playing some Prince they've not heard to), intense listening to his craft usually results in a jaw on the floor!

Mindflux said:

They better!
They cost as much as my damned Ipod.

Dave1992 said:

Since you're so smart about music, can you answer this question:


Do you feel that the album was designed to be performed live? That this was the intent for his song selections and production style? Or was it just an aesthetic exercise and nothing more? I'm speaking of course for the sparse arrangements, and use of very traditional sounding instruments, etc. etc.


Please try not to talk about vagina's and assholes in what's destined to be a very intelligent reply

Imago said:

Well, they will be worth the investment (I have some too )

But, don't just listen to mp3s with them, listen to the actual cd so you're getting every bit of detail - I swear, you'll think you just wiped a layer of dirt off the disc and are finally hearing it all for the first time.

Its why I always urge music lovers to get the best hi-fi they can afford, it really does make a difference to the involvement and sheer enjoyment of the music.

Jakeasaurus said:

how did Smokey say it?


I second that emotion!

I imagined a cartoon video for it...not digital animation, but old skool cartoon. Make a charicatue out of everything...kinda like that segment in that Madonna video for Music but better. I think tat shit woulda been fly. I woulda kept Prince outta the vid altogether.


I really like the tune cuz it's just badass..What other 50 year old woulda bust some shit like that out? Reminded me of UTCM too.

Imago said:

Well I found my purple 16 gig iPod at a bus stop. So maybe I can fins some Shure headphones too!

definitely like this song better now than I did then. And that's true for the entire album, although I did like it to a certain degree when it came out.. i think it has aged very well.

Hate this song-never liked it

Imago said:

Musicology may sound sparsly arranged at some parts in some songs, but one can hear that he put a lot of effort into arrangement and production on this album. Let's just talk about the vocals, for instance: You said that you find the delivery in ICP&C very distinctive and striking. Actually, his vocal delivery on the whole album is just perfect and the vocals on tracks like this one, A Million Days, Call My Name, What Do U Want Me 2 Do? and Reflection, for example, are so on point and somehow make the songs.

Now, apart from having an overall rougher sound on-stage, which makes you have to change the overall arrangement and approach, one can never deliver the vocals the same way live as on a studio record and in the case of Musicology it's even more impossible. What I'm trying to say is that these songs are meant to sound "live", "lively", "earthy" and organic, but this perfect live-but-studio-feel makes it nearly impossible to deliver those songs live without making them sound crappy or not well enough rehearsed.

The title track, Musicology, definitely is designed to be played live, - and it was. Tracks like If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life, though, have so much going on in the background that, even if you had a perfect band of 10 musicians and a perfect sound on-stage and you were still fit physically after having played for 60 minutes already, your voice was still perfectly well in-shape, your back, your fingers and wrists don't hurt, it would take only a venue with an imperfect architecture to make the snare-drum sound all crappy again, which can ruin everything else on-stage again. Especially in a song like that.


All in all, this record may sound old-schoolishly arranged in some parts of some songs, but it's never comparable to the production of, let's say, the "Prince" album. It's just too perfect overall. And I guess he knew it.

Musicology stands perfectly well on its own, in my opinion. Whereas I would have needed Planet Eearth songs to be played more often live to really know what he actually means musically. What was he on about? How the hell does he feel about Resolution? How would he interpret it on-stage? Most albums - especially Prince albums, because he always seems to give songs something extra live -- more than other artists do -- - need to be played live before I can truly appreciate and understand them. But Musicology... I don't know. It feels like the perfect studio album for me. It feels like I just know what he wanted to do and what he was talking about. I understand the album perfectly without being bored by it, or without it being too transparent. The lyrics to the title song give a good insight on what this album is about, actually. - More than it's about politics, war, or whatever, it's simply about the art of making music; the handcraft of making music!


Yeah, Musicology is a lesson about the craft of making music, writing songs, melodies, arranging them, singing and making it all sound organic and live - on record.





Happy?

Where's the pussy you promised me?

Hmmm.... I feel like Marrying Kind and If I was the Man of your Life were recorded live in sequence with added overdubs (or it least it has the illusion of that kind of creation)... I love these two in sequence, and think they would kill live at a concert.

He should have done these on a talk show.

Imago said:

Yah apart from that song I will only listen to Million Days, What Do U Want Me 2 Do, Marrying Kind & Dear Mr. Man. The remaining few can go suck it.

I love that song, it's funny and reminds me of Prince and Morris. I can see Morris singing it too.

ICPC has always been cool 4 me.