From Jonny Breem:

http://www.startribune.co...73101.html

LA Times digs it:

http://www.latimes.com/en...olumn.html

This bites:

"But the records also reveal his flaws: Prince errs on the side of bounty, is blind to the occasional clunker and still fancies himself a talent scout when he has his pick of could-be collaborators."

So true. He has to control people. He cannot work with equals.

And there is this:

http://entertainment.sunt...w-release/

was surfing through Yahoo News this morning and saw 6 articles on Prince

So far it's the best reaction he has received in years despite some reservations.

Aerogram said:

So far it's the best reaction he has received in years despite some reservations.

The WB machine is doing their job.

Now bring on the remasters!

Some of the main reviews so far...

here's the Chicago Tribune review:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/kot/ct-prince-reviews-plectrum-art-official-age-20140929-column.html

AOA: 3.5/4

PLEL: 3/4

Qyote:

In an era when innovative artists such as Frank Ocean and The Weeknd are redefining the form and feel of R&B seduction ballads, Prince sounds not just relevant, but renewed. As Prince declared on his 1982 classic "D.M.S.R., "I … try my best to never get bored." He sounds like he's staying true to his word.

Jon Bream, positive with reservations.

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/277473101.html

Quote:

Prince is blurring plenty of lines between old and new on these two new albums. Neither matches his personal gold standard, but they are a welcome end to the longest recording drought of his career.

here's the New York Daily News liking PLEL more than AOA, which he considers more of the same old, same old.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/prince-back-times-2-article-1.1956949

The Guardian 6/10 -- lacks focus

http://www.theguardian.co...rum-review

4/5 from the Uk's Times newspaper ...

http://www.amusementarcad...icial-age/

http://funkatopia.com/funk-music-reviews/review-prince-art-official-age/

'In all, ART OFFICIAL AGE delivers on all fronts. We just can’t give this album any less than 5 out of 5 afros and not because it’s a funk classic bringing to the altar a wealth of funk music offerings, but because anything less would be a travesty for this fantastic album.

Vibe -- very positive

http://www.vibe.com/photo-gallery/review-15-thoughts-princes-gloriously-vital-and-refreshingly-weird-art-official-age?page=4

Le Point. Très positive but this article was clearly phoned in (SplectrumElectrum).

http://www.lepoint.fr/culture/un-album-electro-et-soul-un-autre-rock-prince-voit-double-26-09-2014-1867013_3.php

And some others German, French and Dutch reviews ranging from mildly to very positive.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Aerogram said:

So far it's the best reaction he has received in years despite some reservations.

The WB machine is doing their job.

Now bring on the remasters!

We were trying to keep it a secret but we're all being paid by WB -- every single person that disagrees with you does it for cash

I think those reiews are spot on. It's just the nature of the job, that they have to be more optimistic than pessimistic. To the extent that a reviwer is going to call out a major artist on a major label before a new reord drops they did, which tells me none of the reviewers actually liked the albums. No one disliked it so much that they were going to bite the hand that feeds them, which is a good sign, in a way. LA Times guy seemed to be writing from a press kit.

funksterr said:

From the LA Time review:

"at one point, during his rant against cloud computing "Clouds"..."

ROFL - does anyone believe Prince is ranting against cloud computing? In what universe would that make sense in and also in what universe would prince either know about or give a crap about cloud computing?

I confess I do not understand the exact meaning behind "we don't need no clouds" but my guess is that it is a drug reference. I guess this is open for debate....

Aerogram said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

The WB machine is doing their job.

Now bring on the remasters!

We were trying to keep it a secret but we're all being paid by WB -- every single person that disagrees with you does it for cash

I was under the impression that this thread was about professional reviews. So why did you try to make your response personally about me? Did I strike a nerve...yet again?

So so review from USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/s.../16423091/

[Edited 9/30/14 3:02am]

GottaLetitgo said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Aerogram said:

We were trying to keep it a secret but we're all being paid by WB -- every single person that disagrees with you does it for cash

I was under the impression that this thread was about professional reviews. So why did you try to make your response personally about me? Did I strike a nerve...yet again?

Just because you mistake your cynicism for knowledge and taste doesn't make this thread about you. Post all the bad reviews you find here, that will be more like it.

This was ok. I want a live album.

'A legitimately magical Prince album':

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/legitimately-magical-prince-album

OperatingThetan said:

'A legitimately magical Prince album':

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/legitimately-magical-prince-album

Great review.

Well, Jon Bream thinks 'Way Back Home' could be considered 'romantic', so that means his opinion means less than two shits to me and is about as credible.

Breams review is so lazy and ill considered I won't even bother linking to it here. I'm not completely sure why anyone thinks this man matters or is at all influential. He appears utterly mediocre.

OperatingThetan said:

OperatingThetan said:

Well, Jon Bream thinks 'Way Back Home' could be considered 'romantic', so that means his opinion means less than two shits to me and is about as credible.

Breams review is so lazy and ill considered I won't even bother linking to it here. I'm not completely sure why anyone thinks this man matters or is at all influential. He appears utterly mediocre.

Prince needs to go ahead and ban him from PP again..guy blows

delirious said:

From the LA Time review:

"at one point, during his rant against cloud computing "Clouds"..."

ROFL - does anyone believe Prince is ranting against cloud computing? In what universe would that make sense in and also in what universe would prince either know about or give a crap about cloud computing?

I confess I do not understand the exact meaning behind "we don't need no clouds" but my guess is that it is a drug reference. I guess this is open for debate....

I assume he IS in fact referencing "the cloud"...the entire song is about appreciating real intimate human contact as opposed to electronic communication and our impersonal methods "in this brand new age". Saying "we don't need no clouds" is another way of saying "put your phone down" and live in the real world. It's the only logical reference in the context of the song.

Prince may shun smart phones but I'm pretty sure he has some awareness of what the cloud is. At least as much as any of the rest of us. I'm sure he thinks referencing it makes him seem hip and aware, while still above such things. He's once again lecturing to the young'ns.

renfield said:

delirious said:

From the LA Time review:

"at one point, during his rant against cloud computing "Clouds"..."

ROFL - does anyone believe Prince is ranting against cloud computing? In what universe would that make sense in and also in what universe would prince either know about or give a crap about cloud computing?

I confess I do not understand the exact meaning behind "we don't need no clouds" but my guess is that it is a drug reference. I guess this is open for debate....

I assume he IS in fact referencing "the cloud"...the entire song is about appreciating real intimate human contact as opposed to electronic communication and our impersonal methods "in this brand new age". Saying "we don't need no clouds" is another way of saying "put your phone down" and live in the real world. It's the only logical reference in the context of the song.

Prince may shun smart phones but I'm pretty sure he has some awareness of what the cloud is. At least as much as any of the rest of us. I'm sure he thinks referencing it makes him seem hip and aware, while still above such things. He's once again lecturing to the young'ns.

Interesting now that I think of it this way and also after yet another reviewer has stated he thinks it is about cloud computing maybe I am wrong...am interesting discussion for sure. Cheers...

Time Magazine: Prince is revitalized on Art Official Age and Plectrum Electrum

CharismaDove said:

was surfing through Yahoo News this morning and saw 6 articles on Prince

Google Now - for those that use it - has been throwing Prince articles at me all week.

Chigao Tribune likes em:

http://www.chicagotribune...olumn.html

75 on Metacritic based on 10 reviews, 6 positive, 4 mixed

http://www.metacritic.com...age/prince

KingSausage said:

funksterr said:

I think those reiews are spot on. It's just the nature of the job, that they have to be more optimistic than pessimistic. To the extent that a reviwer is going to call out a major artist on a major label before a new reord drops they did, which tells me none of the reviewers actually liked the albums. No one disliked it so much that they were going to bite the hand that feeds them, which is a good sign, in a way. LA Times guy seemed to be writing from a press kit.

Oh, please. Reviewers slam albums all the time. What a load of horseshit.

I said the fact that no one slammed the album was a good sign, but since they were careful to insert, what I feel was the harsh truth, at the end of those reviews, it tells me they wanted to play ball with Prince and WB, by parroting the press release, but really wasn't feeling the album, and wanted to make that known.

delirious said:

From the LA Time review:

"at one point, during his rant against cloud computing "Clouds"..."

ROFL - does anyone believe Prince is ranting against cloud computing? In what universe would that make sense in and also in what universe would prince either know about or give a crap about cloud computing?

I confess I do not understand the exact meaning behind "we don't need no clouds" but my guess is that it is a drug reference. I guess this is open for debate....

ex speed freak here, and bingo, i thought the same. Not that Prince would know the lingo...although those aftershows do go pretty late