i love Musicology. more than 3121

The title track really took off live, the 2004 band with John + rhonda did a super tight version, but the 3121 era band took it somewhere else. If anyone can find it, check out the 18 minute version from the 13th September 2007 aftershow. One of my fave live performances.

The album is okay, Call My Name is a classic ballad, i love Reflection and Dear Mr Man. The album is just a bit too light, too bland. A lot of safe light rock. Prefer 3121, it more directly says "i am Prince, i do funk (Black Sweat), rock (Fury), ballads (Te Amo Corazon) and a bit of latin inspired stuff (Get on the Boat)", i just think 3121 is so cliché and actually Prince by numbers, but in a really cheesey great way.

[Edited 9/23/15 15:12pm]

FUNKYNESS said:

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

Compared to those two bombs it's a classic! It certainly isn't bad (like those two) but I would never think to play it. Actually I thought that way shortly after it came out. I only listened to the songs that he was playing on the tour to get familiarized with them.

what do you have against Dear Mr Man? it's very elegant song, what's wrong with the lyrics?

It's good enough but I don't break it out too much. That was a banner year for Prince though (tour, Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, lots of media presence) so I'll always have fond memories of it for that reason alone, since I tie it in to the era and the times. It's sort of like a 2000's version of Diamonds & Pearls; good enough but not great, a tad too commercial and a little on the safe side.

Musicology is the only album he's released in the 2000's that I actually do like.

I really enjoyed that album. I liked the booklet. I liked that Prince was able to twick the system and got a lot of numbers sales wise by giving away a cd for every ticket or the cd was part of the price of the concert.

Prince has a lot of music and a lot of sounds.

Do Prince Lifers like everything he records/releases? Myself Prince '81

Do Prince Newbies like everything or just a few things.

I myself, like a lot and this was one of them,

I hated it for 10 years. And then rediscovered it last year and thought it not so bad. I dont know if that is because the bar is so much lower now or because my tastes have changed. Either way, it is a solid effort without being classic. 3121 I thought was so much better, but I dont think that one has aged so well.

I hated it for 10 years. And then rediscovered it last year and thought it not so bad. I dont know if that is because the bar is so much lower now or because my tastes have changed. Either way, it is a solid effort without being classic. 3121 I thought was so much better, but I dont think that one has aged so well.

maybe cause 1/3 of it kind of sucks

luvsexy4all said:

luvsexy4all said:

maybe cause 1/3 of it kind of sucks

I would say closer to 2/3.

warning2all said:

It starts with the album cover- perhaps his worst; "Illusion Pimp Coma Circumstance", is an ugly song with a regrettable story in the lyrics. I think "Cinnamon Girl", and "A Million Days" are pretty bland. "Life of the Party" is still an inexplicable track for inclusion. These tracks to really sink this album for me; which sucks because I think every other track is just brilliant. I hear the criticism of he's done all this stuff before but better--but there's NOTHING wrong with writing music like "Call My Name", "Dear Mr. Man", "What Do You Want Me 2 Do?", "Reflection", "Musicology", "On The Couch"---OUTSTANDING tracks.

I can agree with all of this.

The same reason they don't like Planet Earth, it's not funky enough

It was soo much fun to attend some of the Musicology Tour. I didn't see any1 there who didn't like it - most there were jamming in the experience of the music live as well as the recorded CD. Were you there...?

Compared to the disasters he's spewing out these days, Musuckology is great. In fact give me two albums worth of Musuckology over half an hour of that new shite any day of the week.

Still as bland as a ten litre bucket of white emulsion though.

fortuneandserendipity said:

The same reason they don't like Planet Earth, it's not funky enough

It's funky enough. I like "Life o the Party", "Illusion, Coma..." and the title track as funk tracks. It's WAY better than "Planet Earth", especially the rock/mid-tempo numbers. PE is just fucking DULL as hell. I don't get the hate for Musicology myself. It's not great and Prince a great oppotunity to capture a new audience here, what with the free CD giveaways. If it had been generally great, a lot of people would have taken notice.

couple of turds: Life O' The Party (always) and ICP&C (sometimes, depending on the mood).


but overall, I like it a whole lot. pretty good songs and they all sound natural and well-produced, unlike 3121 which is way too slick and not varied enough.

Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance gets shat on here so much... Where boring and bland R&B songs on Musicology, 3121, Lotusflow3r and Planet Earth always get treated with royalty...

ICPC, is probably one of the most creative, funkiest, unique song he has released in the 2000's... This song's quirkiness, reminds me of his 80's work.

ICPC and Sticky Like Glue could easily been an outtake or song that he could've recorded in the 80's.

bigd74 said:

i love Musicology. more than 3121

I prefer 3121 over Musicology.

I think the problem with Musicology is it's one of those albums where it was hailed as the "BIG COMEBACK" and when Prince fans view it like that they always try to compare it to his ultimate masterpieces and works of the 80's...

Also I believe, Musicology starts very strong and has some great songs and the ending of it kind of starts to get stale and bland... Musicology is an average album imo, but 3121 is his most solid album out of all the albums released in the 2000's... IMO of course. Songs like Fury, The Word are some of his best work.

ITs a really boring album to me. I like Cinnamon Girl but thats about it. The songs don't seem to mesh together as am album either. It seems like he just pulled out a bunch of random songs and stuck them together and called it an album. 3121 and Planet Earth have that same effect also where the songs are just all over the place and not cohesive. The Rainbow Children was so strong though I guess whatever follows it will be hard to meet expectations. Its kind of like ATWIAD and Parade after Purple Rain. There are a few good songs but the albums just don't quite meet the previous as an "album". At least for me that is. He seems to be getting back on track to me though with AOA and HNR. Those actually feel like actual concept albums and I like those quite a bit. I hope he continues with that direction as far as making an "album" and not just getting one of each type of genre song on an album