I think it's very good but from his fans comments i see most think the album is just OK. Why?

New member here by the way.

a) because it was released after TGE (MEANING?)

b) slighty safe-commercial-bland

c) not enough funk, jams, electronics

to each his own, it's my fav '00s Prince album after the excellent 3121

[Edited 9/23/15 7:48am]

I am a fan, I love the entire album, to say fans do not like it is a bit of a generalization imo. I am even fond of all the b-sides, United States of Division, Silver Tongue, Magnificent, etc.

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I'm not saying it's all in all a weak album, but it suffers from being safe and somehow predictable (and I think this from the 1st time I listened to it back in 2004).

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The main problem I have with it is that it sounds uneventful and nothing new in P musical journey.

I like "Musicology", "What Do U Want Me To Do?", "Mr.Dear Man" and "Reflection" but all seems normal exercise of a talented guy more than genuine musical inspiration.

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JMO

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I found the album incredibly boring. The title track alone felt limp and uninspired to me. To this day, I've only listened to the album twice. And I don't have any of its tracks in my Prince playlist.

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Not to say it can't be someone else's favorite Prince album of all time. But it did nothing for me.

The original title was 'Blandology', which was better.

The only thing I like is the rhythm guitar in 'Illusion...'

And I remember there was one day I liked the most maligned song Life Of The Party... But maybe I was stoned.

I think it's the kind of album he should have released in 2001 or 2002

of course, the calling of a spiritual rebirth is always too strong to ignore

Cinnamon Girl, A Million Days, Reflection, Call My Name......come on people, these are some super strong songs, way stronger than anything on AoA, Plectrum, or HITnRUN, honestly if you passed on these you need to queue them back up and give them another listen.

I wish he would have continued along with the vibes of Rainbow Children, but brought the message more mainstream. I love the sounds of that album.
Musicology like others have said was safe.
the intentions of Musicology 3121 Planet Earth were very similar.

Musicology and Reflections are great. Unfortunately, they are the high peaks bookending the very low valley in beetween.

leadline said:

Cinnamon Girl, A Million Days, Reflection, Call My Name......come on people, these are some super strong songs, way stronger than anything on AoA, Plectrum, or HITnRUN, honestly if you passed on these you need to queue them back up and give them another listen.

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This Could Be Us (AOA)

Way Back Home

Time

100 Hugs

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These for me are better than the 4 you listed (Reflection as I said is really good)

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TKO said:

I think it's very good but from his fans comments i see most think the album is just OK. Why?

New member here by the way.

I don't dislike it but I indeed consider it weak by comparison to other Prince efforts.

IDK, I'd say it was designed to be accessible, maybe a little too much though the same could be said about Rave or 3121 but I find those 2 other album much stronger, cohesive statements. Musicology to me felt like "here's a little bit of everything", and had too many songs that I'd say were very strong pop songs and relatively weak Prince songs all at the same time (Hey Mr. Man illustrates this perfectly: a total pop achievement and IMHO a great hit-single opportunity lost, but at the same time too generic and impersonal to be what I'd call a great Prince song).

It was also the first album of what I would call the "neo-classical Prince period (Musicology to Superconductor) and as such it was a great disappointment to me at the time, for I expected what I'd call the "jazz years" to last more than 3 years and NEWS was to me the promise of many great things to come that, finally, never happened.

Now if only for What Do U Want Me and Reflection it was worth my while, and there's no song I can say I truly dislike on it. I listen to it with pleasure, but it doesn't blow me away as an artistic statement.

That's a good question, I think it's possibly his weakest album for me but I can't for the life of me figure out why. I'll need to go listen some more I think! I do love the title track though...

It has some good songs, but it was a very safe (bland) album with lots of average songs, and lots of songs that were similar to earlier Prince songs (but less good).

Some people have mentioned this already, but for me he should have followed the TRC path but then with meaningful, non-religious lyrics. I think that formula is Prince's safest bet if he wants to be successful in album sales again without having to rely on an external producer.

I love Musicology, i think a lot of people just don't like the album cover.

And welcome to the Org TKO.

[Edited 9/23/15 13:04pm]

I still like it but don´t really go back to it very often. I think the title track is a bit bland and boring lyricwise and musically, and some of the other songs´ lyrics don´t appeal to me but I like the music (for example What Do You Want Me 2 Do.....nice music reminiscent of Dorothy Parker but the lyrics don´t grab me like Dorothy Parker´s lyrics).

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Cinnamon Girl is very underrated....I think it´s one of his better (and very contemporary) political statement songs. Maybe it´s the pro-Muslim stance he´s displaying here that turned some fans off of it but I think it´s one of his more profound and deeper political songs. I like the music a lot, too. Great video, too.

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Reflections is great. No version can even compare to the magic he created with Wendy on the Tavis Smiley show but the album version is still very nice, too. Don´t understand why so many fans hate it.

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All in all, a good , albeit not great album.

Musicology is a lot better than I initially gave it credit for. I would rate it higher than 3121, 20Ten, Plectrum and HitNRun but below AOA and the criminally underrated Planet Earth.

A Million Days is wonderfully epic and reminds me of the rock-ballads he was doing on The Gold Experience (like a hybrid of Dolphin and Shhhh). I've always loved the Stevie Wonder-esque vibe of What Do U Want 2 Do.... infact, the one-two-three punch of WDUWM2D-The Marrying Kind-If I Was The Man In Ur Life is probably one of the strongest run of tracks on any Prince album from the 00's.

Life O The Party is an underrated funk jam. Some cool horns and an awesome drum pattern. It's far grittier than a song like Feel Good Feel Better for example.

I actually probably listen to Musicology more than any of his other albums from 2000-2015, even though it isn't my favourite. It holds up very well to repeated listens.

[Edited 9/23/15 11:32am]

MattyJam said:

It's a quality Prince album. I have always enjoyed it. That is one thing about Prince fans...one will love it the other will piss on it.

GiggityGoo said:

I found the album incredibly boring. The title track alone felt limp and uninspired to me. To this day, I've only listened to the album twice. And I don't have any of its tracks in my Prince playlist.

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Not to say it can't be someone else's favorite Prince album of all time. But it did nothing for me.

I believe you pretty much nailed it. The title song is cool live but the album is a snooze.

MattyJam said:

Musicology is a lot better than I initially gave it credit for. I would rate it higher than 3121, 20Ten, Plectrum and HitNRun but below AOA and the criminally underrated Planet Earth.

A Million Days is wonderfully epic and reminds me of the rock-ballads he was doing on The Gold Experience (like a hybrid of Dolphin and Shhhh). I've always loved the Stevie Wonder-esque vibe of What Do U Want 2 Do.... infact, the one-two-three punch of WDUWM2D-The Marrying Kind-If I Was The Man In Ur Life is probably one of the strongest run of tracks on any Prince album from the 00's.

Life O The Party is an underrated funk jam. Some cool horns and an awesome drum pattern. It's far grittier than a song like Feel Good Feel Better for example.

I actually probably listen to Musicology more than any of his other albums from 2000-2015, even though it isn't my favourite. It holds up very well to repeated listens.

[Edited 9/23/15 11:32am]

I agree with the exceptions of:

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• "criminally underrated Planet Earth" - Planet Earth is a real borefest overall with a handful of gems (SHOE, All the Midnights in the World) but is otherwise devoid of life, fun or funk to me.

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• "Life O The Party" - this was great live during the Musicology tour mashed up with James Brown's "Hot Pants." On record, it sounds pretty lifeless and phoned in, and Candy's voice is terrible. Sounds like Hanna. Both should stay busy with their instruments.

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The rest of Musicology I was quite happy with and revisit it often. It was a very nice "comeback" era for Prince, and his look at the time was very pop/commercial/relateable. It's one of the rare Prince album eras that didn't come off as weird or fringe to some degree. He launched a great tour, did it in the round which really worked well, gave the CD out at the concert (made casual fans quite happy to get a CD with their concert ticket - nice surprise), sat down for an interview with Jay Leno where he encouraged fans to bring their kids.

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He also sat next to Mel Gibson during that interview, which was another rare moment when the normal Joe could look at their television, see Prince and say to themselves, "He's not the weirdest guy on stage right now."

Musicology:


I really love the 1st half of this album.. minus Life O The Party..

I also like Musicology way better than 3121.

(and better than Planet Earth and also better than 20Ten)

It sound a weak album, for me it's what it was Invincible album for Michael Jakcson, a failed attempt to sound fresh and current at that time. I love Reflection, Call My Name and Dear Mr Man great songs for me. Tiltle track it's ok WDUWMTD i love it and it sounds a little bit like Dorothy Parker. But not a great album really.

Musicology is like two great albums amputated from some of their songs, then stitched together.

The If I Was the Man in Ure Life/Marrying Kind sequence sounds bombastic on the record but if you listen to the two songs back to back on their own. they make perfect sense.

I vastly prefer Musicology (the song) to 3121 (the song), I just don't like that 3121 chorus, while Musicology is a sweet concoction, really just a good song about great musicians, it's celebratory and poppy at the same time

Most disappointing: the lyrics of Dear Mr Man. I like everything about it except some of those words about how it's no use to vote.

Also I wish Cinnamon Girl had a thicker sound, 3eG would probably do a good job on a reloaded version.

Since when was Musicology disliked by fans? It isnt NewPowerSoul or HitnRun