MPLSound

So after the high of Lotus Flow3r, I hit the play button on MPLSound and anxiously waited where he would take us on this one.

(There’ll Never Be) Another Like Me had been given a quick airing in the prelude to the launch of the website and it held a lot of promise. Its sparse funk arrangement that is stripped down lets the song groove along. Borrowing from “The Good Life” it’s a great intro to the sounds of the album. Delving more into the history of sounds here, Prince is happy to reclaim the sound he helped pioneer, right down to the overly cocksure lyrical delivery.

While promising to rock the socks off with Chocolate Box I have to say that I had mixed feelings hearing this track. In one verse I am loving the darkness then deciding the chorus is a little weak, hating on that “b.o.x. of chocolate every day” and then getting hooked in again by another verse. An as much as I love Q-Tip, his rap on this is just sub-par. A poor choice for first single in my books when there are far more superior songs on here that most likely won’t get an airing to the general public.

Dance 4 Me is another song that I flip between loving and being over with every listen of the album. It has enough hooks in it but still feels a little undercooked. The whole vibe is a little reminiscent of “Hot Thing” and “It” from SOTT, even with a tweaked vocal, but it just doesn’t grab me 100%, despite having that crunched rim shot sound in it.

U’re Gonna C Me is a run of the mill Prince ballad. A soft subtle seduction track with all his bags of tricks on display, the strings, the countering backing vocals, the building to the chorus followed by a breakdown, but it doesn’t move me in the way other tracks have.

Thankfully, just as I was wondering if the goods were all on the other disc Prince hits us with Here. One of his catchiest, perfectly crafted pieces of pop. It’s light and airy and dripping with lush backing vocals and a ever so Princely lyric. One of the best songs he has released in several album’s worth of releases.

Oh Valentina. Weak is all I can say about this song. Aside from the ick factor lyrically there is that “heeeeeey valentina” that to my ears just smacks of “heeeey Macarena” – a crime against humanity in it’s own. I just can’t get into this song and it has me reaching for the >> button as soon as it comes on.

Better With Time, sadly makes me long for U’re Gonna C Me in the ballad stakes. Now I know many will love it’s slow build and drawn out lyrical delivery, but it just feels like stuff we have heard before over and over and to much better effect.

Ol’ Skool Company is the saving grace following the previous 2 tracks. And as the title promises it delivers an ol’ skool jam with a slinking groove and funk guitar and synth runs. It’s coolness factor is off the chart, and seeing him work it with a band on Leno took it to another level. A song that works both as a one-man jam and a full funk out with band.

No More Candy 4 U is another one of those love one minute don’t the next songs. It’s got that electro-rockabilly feel of the Controversy era and while I love the message of the lyric, the delivery of that “no more candy, no more candy 4 u” just takes me back to the soup nazi and then I can’t take it seriously. Though I have to say I do wonder what it would sound like live.

A less consistent album than Lotus Flow3r for my ear, MPLSound does offer some gems but it feels a little one note in parts. That said as a package it offers a nice counterpoint to the full rock funk of LF. Cobbled together on my ipod a few tracks sneak their way over to the LF experience to create Sounds from the Lotus, so it's win/win.

I love the entire concept of this album. Almost every track is a Linn Drum backed track. Sounds like a prart one to 20Ten ...

Unfortunately, (There'll Never B) Another Like Me is the only song I like on this album... The other songs are alright I guess, but nothing much that would have me going back for more.

I learned to like Valentina

The synths always annoyed me and I would always turn it off without giving it a chance.

Not a great album. For me, it was only good for breaking up the monotony as I listened to LotusFlower obsessively. I do quite like the remake of You're Gonna See Me and I love Here. The rest of the album, unfortunately, does not fair very well for me.

It seems that if he had pushed this one more and allowed radio play, almost every one of these songs would've been a hit. Hell the whole MPLSound album by itself would've been huge because every song on this album is catchy, but funk-driven at the same time. Even though LotusFlow3r was one of the best albums he did in the 00's and the most focused of the whole set, this was the BOMB!

silverchild said:

It seems that if he had pushed this one more and allowed radio play, almost every one of these songs would've been a hit. Hell the whole MPLSound album by itself would've been huge because every song on this album is catchy, but funk-driven at the same time. Even though LotusFlow3r was one of the best albums he did in the 00's and the most focused of the whole set, this was the BOMB!

i am not sure if the radio people want to play his music especially because of how many disputes he has had with record companies

hhhhdmt said:

silverchild said:

It seems that if he had pushed this one more and allowed radio play, almost every one of these songs would've been a hit. Hell the whole MPLSound album by itself would've been huge because every song on this album is catchy, but funk-driven at the same time. Even though LotusFlow3r was one of the best albums he did in the 00's and the most focused of the whole set, this was the BOMB!

i am not sure if the radio people want to play his music especially because of how many disputes he has had with record companies

Not to mention how he kept going on about how much he hates the radio...

Vict0r said:

hhhhdmt said:

i am not sure if the radio people want to play his music especially because of how many disputes he has had with record companies

Not to mention how he kept going on about how much he hates the radio...

to a degree i understand where he is coming from- alot of mainstream artists these days have very little talent. Ofcourse this is not true for all, some mainstream artists are musically talented but alot of them like britney have zero ability whatsoever.

I really don't think this sounds like the Minneapolis sound. In fact I think nothing could be further away from his 80's catalog than this shit. Although it's still a good two points higher than the Lotus CD.

Listening to No more Candy and Valentina in my car after getting the cd, I was just cringing. Sooo terrible. The first time I've ever skipped through "EVERY" track on a Prince cd

While I kinda dig this CD it sounds dated like it was made years ago and kinda sorta updated.

The drums are dry linn from reason for the most part. I know this because I have the drum kit

DecaturStone said:

While I kinda dig this CD it sounds dated like it was made years ago and kinda sorta updated.

The drums are dry linn from reason for the most part. I know this because I have the drum kit

I guess it was a nod to all those who wanted the "old Prince Sound" which was very much driven by the Linn Drum machine and synths.

PurpleLove7 said:

Sounds like a prart one to 20Ten ...

I'm not seeing it, because I absolutely love 20Ten but don't care for MPLSoUND at all.

[Edited 10/28/10 14:38pm]

(T'LLNB)ALK is ok and Dance 4 Me's the highlight; the rest is average or crap...

LotusFlower is Abel, MPLSound is Cain... period...

Vict0r said:

PurpleLove7 said:

Sounds like a prart one to 20Ten ...

I'm not seeing it, because I absolutely love 20Ten but don't care for MPLSoUND at all.

I've played them back to back and it feels like the same 'vibe' ...

silverchild said:

It seems that if he had pushed this one more and allowed radio play, almost every one of these songs would've been a hit. Hell the whole MPLSound album by itself would've been huge because every song on this album is catchy, but funk-driven at the same time. Even though LotusFlow3r was one of the best albums he did in the 00's and the most focused of the whole set, this was the BOMB!

Yessss!!!! I've been jamin' it 4 the last 3 weeks, WOW!!! MPLsound & 20Ten r among his best. They really do sound like vintage Prince. His falsettos & r 2 die 4! 2 me this is PRINCE (esp. the song Elixer).

Swa said:

DecaturStone said:

While I kinda dig this CD it sounds dated like it was made years ago and kinda sorta updated.

The drums are dry linn from reason for the most part. I know this because I have the drum kit

I guess it was a nod to all those who wanted the "old Prince Sound" which was very much driven by the Linn Drum machine and synths.

I guess the Linn are clean without effects or live drums with them. They sound weak on this album as opposed to his older CDs. Even on Private Joy for example they sound strong these sound really thin. I do like the this best of the 3 CDs. Bria bored me to death I gave to my old GF and she bought it back. LOL

I always find it interesting the extreme level of love/hate this one gets.

I personally really, really enjoy it... better than Lotus or 20Ten. The biggest flaw is that it feels like it needs at least one more uptempo track. The number of slow tracks in the middle sort of weight it down a bit.

I sort of agree with PurpleLove 7 that both this album and 20Ten have a slightly similar feel.

Where I think one difference is: 20Ten seems to hark back to Pre-Purple Rain Minneapolis sound whereas MPLSoUND seems to draw more inspiration from Post-Purple Rain version of the Minneapolis sound. Another difference is that I felt like MPLSoUND was trying to take that classic vibe and update it for today, 20Ten seems to have its head unfailingly stuck in the past.

If you've ever been in a meaningful relationship Better With Time is one of Prince's best songs of all time. Otherwise, most of the rest of this album is garbage IMO.

i like MPLSound a lot. the hate it gets is surprising. Here is catchy and unexpected. its captures his uniqueness like no other song on the album. (ok maybe Valentina) instant classic to me. Better With Time is awesome. its extremely creative, the hate shows how MUCH of a genius he is, cause by anyone else, the reception would be different. Dance 4 Me shoulda been a "chart" hit. 8 of of 10 for me. nostalgists go to hades!

Yeah it does need another mid tempo or dance track. Sticky Like Glue would have been nice.

Swa said:

MPLSound

So after the high of Lotus Flow3r, I hit the play button on MPLSound and anxiously waited where he would take us on this one.

(There’ll Never Be) Another Like Me had been given a quick airing in the prelude to the launch of the website and it held a lot of promise. Its sparse funk arrangement that is stripped down lets the song groove along. Borrowing from “The Good Life” it’s a great intro to the sounds of the album. Delving more into the history of sounds here, Prince is happy to reclaim the sound he helped pioneer, right down to the overly cocksure lyrical delivery.

While promising to rock the socks off with Chocolate Box I have to say that I had mixed feelings hearing this track. In one verse I am loving the darkness then deciding the chorus is a little weak, hating on that “b.o.x. of chocolate every day” and then getting hooked in again by another verse. An as much as I love Q-Tip, his rap on this is just sub-par. A poor choice for first single in my books when there are far more superior songs on here that most likely won’t get an airing to the general public.

Dance 4 Me is another song that I flip between loving and being over with every listen of the album. It has enough hooks in it but still feels a little undercooked. The whole vibe is a little reminiscent of “Hot Thing” and “It” from SOTT, even with a tweaked vocal, but it just doesn’t grab me 100%, despite having that crunched rim shot sound in it.

U’re Gonna C Me is a run of the mill Prince ballad. A soft subtle seduction track with all his bags of tricks on display, the strings, the countering backing vocals, the building to the chorus followed by a breakdown, but it doesn’t move me in the way other tracks have.

Thankfully, just as I was wondering if the goods were all on the other disc Prince hits us with Here. One of his catchiest, perfectly crafted pieces of pop. It’s light and airy and dripping with lush backing vocals and a ever so Princely lyric. One of the best songs he has released in several album’s worth of releases.

Oh Valentina. Weak is all I can say about this song. Aside from the ick factor lyrically there is that “heeeeeey valentina” that to my ears just smacks of “heeeey Macarena” – a crime against humanity in it’s own. I just can’t get into this song and it has me reaching for the >> button as soon as it comes on.

Better With Time, sadly makes me long for U’re Gonna C Me in the ballad stakes. Now I know many will love it’s slow build and drawn out lyrical delivery, but it just feels like stuff we have heard before over and over and to much better effect.

Ol’ Skool Company is the saving grace following the previous 2 tracks. And as the title promises it delivers an ol’ skool jam with a slinking groove and funk guitar and synth runs. It’s coolness factor is off the chart, and seeing him work it with a band on Leno took it to another level. A song that works both as a one-man jam and a full funk out with band.

No More Candy 4 U is another one of those love one minute don’t the next songs. It’s got that electro-rockabilly feel of the Controversy era and while I love the message of the lyric, the delivery of that “no more candy, no more candy 4 u” just takes me back to the soup nazi and then I can’t take it seriously. Though I have to say I do wonder what it would sound like live.

A less consistent album than Lotus Flow3r for my ear, MPLSound does offer some gems but it feels a little one note in parts. That said as a package it offers a nice counterpoint to the full rock funk of LF. Cobbled together on my ipod a few tracks sneak their way over to the LF experience to create Sounds from the Lotus, so it's win/win.

wo findet das große Ereignis statt

und wenn ich Sie entführe was dann

SUPERB ALBUM!

I like it!!! No More Candy 4 U and Chocolate Box are the jams for real!!

What can I say? I looove the oldschool Minneapolis Sound, so I was delighted to read this album was using those elements. Only to find out the actual songs were not good at all, I only really like Old Skool Company. The rest is subpar, and lyrically stupid.

The ballads I've never really cared for, and also on this album they do nothing for me. I think this album is very, very "throwaway". I see it as an exercise for 20Ten, which offers a much better take on the Minneapolis Sound.

Vict0r said:

Unfortunately, (There'll Never B) Another Like Me is the only song I like on this album... The other songs are alright I guess, but nothing much that would have me going back for more.

I don't care for it, I thought I would when I heard the instrumental snippets, but I will say like the last 3- minutes of the song change and the groove is different. Now if that was the song, I would seriously love it.

funkaholic1972 said:

What can I say? I looove the oldschool Minneapolis Sound, so I was delighted to read this album was using those elements. Only to find out the actual songs were not good at all, I only really like Old Skool Company. The rest is subpar, and lyrically stupid.

The ballads I've never really cared for, and also on this album they do nothing for me. I think this album is very, very "throwaway". I see it as an exercise for 20Ten, which offers a much better take on the Minneapolis Sound.

I don't even consider Old Skool Company to be the Minneapolis Sound at all. He should have titled it something else.

This album made me listen to some Jesse Johnson ie Can U Help Me, Sheila E the Glamorous Life, the Time What Time Is It, even Mazarati

OldFriends4Sale said:

I don't even consider Old Skool Company to be the Minneapolis Sound at all. He should have titled it something else.

That could have easily been a Camille track back in the day.