PARADE

they used 2 say the genius of hendrix was that his guitar acted as an extension of his total being, that he agonised and fantasised through that axe.well the same applies 2 prince- everything he treats has a midas touch a litmus feel for the most effective groove, an intuaitive thrust at the erogenous zones where the physical and spiritual collide in orgasm."no one plays the clarinet the way u play my heart", swoons the precocious one over a beautous , humping beat and the equation between music and emotion is sealed with a "kiss" this lp ladies and gentlemen, is alive ! i believe prince is currently pops greatest operator , a wizard, a true star. he is calculating and innocent - one eye tearful the other cocked, laughing, coquettish , showing off.and, of course , sex is his sacred plaything hes freudian beyond fault and fabrication and theres a shocking intelligence working us up into a lather inside these songs , hand-jobs, yet the pure effusions of a man-child wide eyed and naked with wonder. theyre amoral in that love and lust,pleasure and pain, are inditinguishable , immoral in that we are aware of the dandy out-rage of it all , and boldly hedonistic in that princes advocates, all experience enriches life. as he screams in ecstasy here "i want 2 live life 2 the ultimate high". so parade is a soft porn paradise , a sensual sacrement, supposedly the soundtrack 2 our doe eyed heros next exhibition of narcissism on film. the first sides well, weird, nursery rhyme songs subjected 2 sensory overload.prince luxuriates in submitting himself 2 his senses, whether hes evoking sgt pepper in symphonic collage of "christopher tracys parade" trying on machismo in the cocky "new position", crooning like a camp valentino in the gorgeously melodramatic "under the cherry moon" or turning tricks through the psychedelic funk circus of "life can b so nice". and side 2 if anything , is more illicit , more abandoned 2 delight. "kiss" , of course , is perfection ..bo diddley, curtis mayfield , jayne mansfield licking off their fingers after something dirty. "mountains" / "do u lie" is delightfully daft cosmic vaudeville, wigged and powdered and rustling in velvets.and then theres the finale, this lps "purple rain" , "sometimes it snows in april" , an acrobatic ballad that employs the simple sentimentality of country music 2 express deep loss so poetically , so personally ,.. its indecent when his vocal spirals into luscious grief , celebrating the sadness 2 the very last sob.ive heard tell that while ive been under this spell , lesser mortals have been saying dull things about revivalism and beatles fetish , such cold fish dont deserve the privilege of your time because , when alls said and done , when youre panting on the pillow , when the license has cleared and youre catching your first sweet breath from this glorious vertigo , you'll realise PARADE ECLIPSES EVERYTHING ELSE YOU'VE HEARD THIS YEAR !!! seriously godlike.

melody maker 12 april 1986 writer steve sutherland.

i think this guy liked it
[This message was edited Sun Mar 7 1:51:51 2004 by danielboon]