On this date in 2004, Prince released Musicology, an album that seems to still split the fanbase. Some love it, others hate it.

From allmusic:

Prince's star faded not long after he won emancipation from Warner Brothers in 1995, as he abandoned the mainstream so he could follow his whims however he liked. Which meant that he effectively started making records for nobody but himself, whether that meant triple-disc collections of new material or an all-instrumental smooth jazz album, and in short order, his fans started dwindling away to nothing but the hardcore, who themselves had their patience tried by such antics as Prince suing his own fanzine in the late '90s. It seemed that he was fated to permanently wander in the wilderness, making music for an ever more selective audience, until he suddenly decided in 2004 that he wanted to be back in the game, returning to the spotlight with acclaimed performances at the Grammys and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, announcing an all-hits tour, and releasing Musicology, his first major-label distributed album in five years. This flurry of activity suggests that Prince is treating this as an opportunity for a full-fledged comeback and, thankfully, he's seized this moment and delivered a vastly entertaining record. Unlike everything he's done since leaving Warner, Musicology doesn't alienate listeners; it's tight and lean, weighing in at 12 tracks and 47 minutes, yet that's still enough room for Prince to showcase his virtuoso versatility. He tries a little everything -- down and dirty funk jams, slow sensual grooves, and, happily, he revives the psychedelic pop of the mid-'80s with the deliriously catchy "Cinnamon Girl" -- but unlike on such overworked albums as Emancipation and Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, it never feels like an attempt to dazzle or a series of stylistic exercises. That's because there's a clarity to his production -- dense, but never busy, proving once again that he's about the only musician who can make a one-man band sound as vibrant as a live nine-piece group -- and a focus to his writing that hasn't been heard in a long, long time. At its core, Musicology is essentially classicist Prince, as he makes a deliberate decision to play to all of his greatest strengths, but because it's been so long that he's made a record this confident and concise, it doesn't sound like a retreat. It sounds as if he's rediscovered his muse, which is quite a bit different than simply following his whims. Make no mistake, this isn't the second coming of Purple Rain or Sign 'o' the Times or even Parade -- in other words, it's not a masterpiece, more like a more confident and consistent Diamonds and Pearls without the hip-hop fixation -- but it's a strong album, one that impresses on the first listen and gets better with repeated plays. In short, it's the comeback that it was meant to be.

For me, it's not a favorite record, but I enjoyed the time of it a bit. His appearance on The Tonight Show (with that silly Mel Gibson question), and the huge ensuing tour. I've only listened to the record a few times, and it took me just until the last couple of years to actualy buy a copy of it. Then last year, I'm at my local wrecka stow, and find a copy that was handed out with purchased tickets at the concerts. So somehow, I now have two copies of a record I otherwise don't care much for. Such is the world is Prince collecting.

Your thoughts on Musicology?

Wow, 12 years! Personally, I love this cd. My only complaint would be that Reflection isn't longer.

Love it too

2 b honest... it has aged well... it's not a great album, but it's not as bad as many members make it out to be... obviously the first half is solid, starts to slow down the second half.

a 3.5/5 stars in my book

MUSICOLOGY vs. 3121

My preferences, track by track:

1. MUSICOLOGY > 3231

2. ILLUSION, COMA, PIMP & CIRCUMSTANCE > LOLILTA

3. A MILLION DAYS > TE AMO CORAZON

4. LIFE O' THE PARTY < BLACK SWEAT

5. CALL MY NAME > INCENSE & CANDLES

6. CINAMMON GIRL < LOVE

7. WHAT DO U WANT ME 2 DO? > SATISFIED

8. THE MARRYING KIND < FURY

9. IF EYE WAS THE MAN IN UR LIFE < THE WORD

10. ON THE COUCH < BEAUTIFUL, LOVED & BLESSED

11. DEAR MR. MAN < THE DANCE

12. REFLECTION < GET ON THE BOAT

I prefer 3121 overall as an album, edges MUSICOLOGY out just by a lil imo.

Wow..has it been that long? Cool record but I haven't listened to it since..2004 was a good year for him.

Temp sticky

I totally love the entire album and the Musicology video

Great album. Only songs I don't like are 2, 4 and 8. My favourite track is 'What do u want me to do" which seems like it would have fit better on the Vault. But overall, solid album imo. Wish I'd been a fan at the time. The video footage I once saw on youtube looked fabulous.

feeluupp said:

Played it for the first time in years on Saturday evening and even though I'd always liked it, I'd forgotten how good it is. I love it.

vladimir said:

Played it for the first time in years on Saturday evening and even though I'd always liked it, I'd forgotten how good it is. I love it.

A Million Days is such a good song.

MattyJam said:

This is the album that started it for me. Musicology was one of the first Prince songs I ever heard. Dad used to bop along to the CD in the car. Bringing back those childhood memories. I ended up stealing his copy for myself and still have it to this day, sorry dad.

Rest up true funk soldier.