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Thread started 10/06/21 11:26am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

pitchfork 're-scores' musicology

https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/pitchfork-reviews-rescored/

Prince: Musicology (2004)

5.8 → 7.8

I was not surprised at all that Pitchfork’s 2004 review of Musicology was pretty lukewarm. It’s cool to like Prince now, and this was arguably not the case in 2004. Which is a shame, because this late-career album is a major masterpiece on a minor scale. Prince examines his own work and the history of Black music (both “Musicology” and the jazz fusion-gospel of “If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life”), gets contemplative (“Reflection”), and sings the blues (“On the Couch”). He’s not necessarily aiming at the same targets he hit in the 1980s, but this portrait in miniature contains everything he’s been contending with his whole career. –Hubert Adjei-Kontoh

musicology was fine, but 7.8 seems high for what it was.

[Edited 10/6/21 11:46am]

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Reply #1 posted 10/06/21 11:58am

McD

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7.8 is way too high.

6.5 would be very generous.
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Reply #2 posted 10/06/21 12:02pm

Romeoblu

7.8 is about right.

It's an album I have appreciated more in the past few years.

Not quite as strong as 3121 or Lotusflow3r but in the same league.
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Reply #3 posted 10/06/21 1:15pm

paisleypark4

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Its still a 6.5/10 for me.

While there are some good songs on it, doesnt hold up well as a whole musically. It is all over the place stylistically.

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
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Reply #4 posted 10/06/21 1:24pm

LoveGalore

Well, I can appreciate Prince tried his best with this record, at least.
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Reply #5 posted 10/06/21 1:26pm

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

TRC - 7.9/10

ONA - 6.3/10

musicology - 5.5/10

3121 - 6.2/10

planet earth - 4/10

lotus flower - 5.2/10 + mpls sound - 4.9/10

20ten - 4.8/10

PE - 4.8/10

AOA - 7.1/10

HNRP1 - 4.9/10

HNRP2 - 6.8/10

cool

[Edited 10/6/21 13:27pm]

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Reply #6 posted 10/06/21 2:18pm

funkaholic1972

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paisleypark4 said:

Its still a 6.5/10 for me.

While there are some good songs on it, doesnt hold up well as a whole musically. It is all over the place stylistically.

That's a fair assessment.

RIP Prince: thank U 4 a funky Time...
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Reply #7 posted 10/06/21 3:50pm

kingricefan

Sorry, IMHO Musicology scores a 9 with me. It's one of his tightest and most accessable albums. Might be all over the map musically but each song is a gem. Old School Funk!!!!

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Reply #8 posted 10/06/21 4:39pm

Mintchip

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Strange how they admit the reason for the 5.8 vs. the 7.8 is all about coolness. So the public's perception for how "cool" an artist is trumps the actual work of art being reviewed? Why have we all become so beholden to what other people think? It's a decent album, no more. They were closer the first time.

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Reply #9 posted 10/06/21 4:47pm

billymeade

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paisleypark4 said:

Its still a 6.5/10 for me.

...It is all over the place stylistically.

Oh man, you are not gonna like Sign O' The Times then...

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Reply #10 posted 10/06/21 6:05pm

GustavoRibas

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It´s a good, solid album. I would give something like 7.5

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Reply #11 posted 10/06/21 6:40pm

LoveGalore

billymeade said:



paisleypark4 said:


Its still a 6.5/10 for me.



...It is all over the place stylistically.




Oh man, you are not gonna like Sign O' The Times then...



Or any other Prince record.

The fact is, Musicology just has a lot of blah or boring songs on it with a few really standout gems. This revised review is trying too hard to forgive his mediocre records.
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Reply #12 posted 10/06/21 7:27pm

laytonian

paisleypark4 said:

Its still a 6.5/10 for me.

While there are some good songs on it, doesnt hold up well as a whole musically. It is all over the place stylistically.


I think "all over the place" was his intention. Remember, this was him teaching "real music, real musicians" and a number of different styles were necessary.

But I really do not like the title song. It seems flat.

Welcome to "the org", laytonian… come bathe with me.
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Reply #13 posted 10/07/21 4:44am

DarkKnight1

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Pitchfork is self indulgent, look at me, album reviewing at its finest. F them. Like Rolling Stone, it’s cool to like Prince now, but it wasn’t for years.
(Insert something clever here)
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Reply #14 posted 10/07/21 9:17am

paisleypark4

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LoveGalore said:

billymeade said:

Oh man, you are not gonna like Sign O' The Times then...

SOTT productionwise are all closely related, songwriting was unique and harmonious

Or any other Prince record. The fact is, Musicology just has a lot of blah or boring songs on it with a few really standout gems. This revised review is trying too hard to forgive his mediocre records.

I think "all over the place" was his intention. Remember, this was him teaching "real music, real musicians" and a number of different styles were necessary.

But I really do not like the title song. It seems flat.

Musicology was one of the best songs on it along with Reflection, If eye Was The Man In Your Life and The Marrying Kind.

The issue was the drum machine tracks did not go well with the live cuts this time. 3121 did a better job at incorporating the two...Lolita, Te Amo Corazon and Black Sweat have a soudscape that is relateable and not jarred like the transition from Musicology to Illusion, Coma, Pimp and Circumstance. As well as the latter just not being a 'good song'. In essence I always felt 3121 was what he meant to do with Musicology.

[Edited 10/7/21 9:17am]

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
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Reply #15 posted 10/07/21 5:42pm

WhisperingDand
elions

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Pitchfork is the worst website ever. It's always like 5-6 grandstanding paragraph preambles about jack shit zero.point.zero before they actually start reviewing, then it ends like two paragraphs later.

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Reply #16 posted 10/07/21 6:51pm

TheKid94

Musicology is a great album from start to finish. It's not his flashiest release, he didn't need one because the tour, performances, and rrhof induction was enough. It's accessible music and a great rnb/soul record.

**also phuck pitchfork

[Edited 10/7/21 18:52pm]

prince
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Reply #17 posted 10/10/21 5:21pm

billymeade

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TheKid94 said:

Musicology is a great album from start to finish. It's not his flashiest release, he didn't need one because the tour, performances, and rrhof induction was enough. It's accessible music and a great rnb/soul record.



**also phuck pitchfork

[Edited 10/7/21 18:52pm]


.
It works as a great album, which is different than the "mixtape" era he was coming out of (chocolate invasion, slaughterhouse, npgmc). Always a great listen, especially that middle run.
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Reply #18 posted 10/13/21 7:00pm

POOK

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Mintchip said:

Strange how they admit the reason for the 5.8 vs. the 7.8 is all about coolness. So the public's perception for how "cool" an artist is trumps the actual work of art being reviewed? Why have we all become so beholden to what other people think? It's a decent album, no more. They were closer the first time.



PITCHFORK MIDDLE AGE MAN OF ALBUM REVIEW SITE

AND THIS HELLO FELLOW KID OF ARTICLE

P o o |/,
P o o |\
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Reply #19 posted 10/15/21 7:31pm

ffdff123

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d

[Edited 10/15/21 19:33pm]

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Reply #20 posted 10/16/21 1:44pm

CAL3

my God, this album just suuuuuuuucks - my least favorite of his

I’ve been informed that my opinion is worth less than those expressed by others here.
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Reply #21 posted 10/17/21 5:52am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

CAL3 said:

my God, this album just suuuuucks - my least favorite of his




Felt the same though I wonder if there was better stuff he thought wasnt the right fit for this comeback album or if this really is the best he had.
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Reply #22 posted 10/17/21 5:52pm

CAL3

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

CAL3 said:

my God, this album just suuuuuuuucks - my least favorite of his

Felt the same though I wonder if there was better stuff he thought wasnt the right fit for this comeback album or if this really is the best he had.

.

Probably had better stuff, had to be. This album feels like such an incoherent grab-bag. I do happen to like "Call My Name" and the title track isn't bad. But mostly the rest just is mediocre to bad. And even beyond the quality control issues, the songs just don't hang together well. There just isn't any cohesion.

.

'3121' really isn't much better, in terms of quality songs. But it at least feels like an album. Like there was some thought behind the sequencing and overall vibe throughout. But that little era of those two albums was just really weak.

I’ve been informed that my opinion is worth less than those expressed by others here.
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Reply #23 posted 10/18/21 12:28am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

This era wasnt much good in album terms tbh
Prince didnt seem to care for album making any more
Wasnt until aoa that that changed I think.
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Reply #24 posted 10/18/21 12:19pm

CAL3

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

This era wasnt much good in album terms tbh Prince didnt seem to care for album making any more Wasnt until aoa that that changed I think.

.

And even then...

I’ve been informed that my opinion is worth less than those expressed by others here.
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