as prince has so many dimensions i'll tell you my reference points
before i begin..

my favorite albums are
1. the rainbow children
2. purple rain
3. around the world in a day
4. controversy
5. sign o the times

it's hard for me to give a review of prince cause who could ever do what
he does better? but these are just my opinions on listening to this album.

Theres something different about this record, theres something
different about every prince record but for some reason i
notice it more this time... maybe i'm not hearing the subtle
nuances of the same paisley park console he normally records
through, maybe its just a new approach to recording.. or maybe
its just that its the first "prince" record sonically in a long time...
this is the eclectic album he tried to make when he did rave...
something sounds really fresh and different here... like maybe he spent more
time on these songs... overall his voice is in great form and i love
the words on this cd, i think he has grown so much lyrically

song by song.

1. I may be one of the minority on here but i loved musicology
the minute i heard it, and i honestly can't imagine how so many people just dont
get it. i think this is one of the strongest songs on the record and a great
first single.... definatley a little out there but i think thats a good thing right now. i love
the groove and the simplicity of it will be appealing to non prince fans.

2. illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance right off the bat reminded me of
My Medallion meets undisputed... but with the fat cut out... i really like this track
on the first few listens but i can see it maybe getting dated or annoying down the
line. right now it rocks for me.

3. a million days - after reading all the buzz on this track on-line i was excited
to hear it... its a little weaker than i expected.. the chorus kind of bores me...
but the more i listen the more i'm grooving on it, maybe it was the hype. i really dig
him screaming on the end, I dont think we've heard that since the gold experience.
the 3 chains o gold guitars on the chorus kind of make me sleepy though.

4. life of the party - i actually like this track.. i think the live version is a little better
but this jams.. lot of people bashing it.. reminds me of something that could be on
sign o the times... this is a classic prince track.

5. call my name - this can be a massive r&b hit... even cross over.. this song rules!!
i havent always been a big fan of prince's slow jams but i put this right up there with
do me baby and adore.

6. cinnamon girl - the verses are good, the pre choruses are groovin.. but the
choruses are just embarrasing... theres a glimmer of a great pop rock song here
but then those choruses come in and you just know they can be so much better.
this is the lowest moment on the whole album.

7. what do u want me to do? - this is another prince classic... again sounds like
something you could hear following the ballad of dorothy parker on sign o the times.
i love this song... words, music , everythign is perfect. i wouldnt be surprised if
its an old jam with new vocals and instrumentation.

8. the marrying kind - parts of this song get me really psyched.. then it does that whole
scale thing and gets too progressive for my taste... but the choruses are excellent..
those definatley save the song...

9. if i was the man in ur life - i love this song, definately one of the highlights of the
of the album... everything about it just rocks.

10. on the couch - this song is amazing live... did'nt hit me as strong on the cd, but
maybe thats do to the song order of the album... i just think the insturmentation and
voicing is a bit much, when its just him, the focus is on the song and the words.
perhaps a live version of this on the album and we'd be that one step closer to
sign o the times.

11. dear mr. man - one of my favorite songs on the album.. i would of loved this
earlier in place of cinnamon girl.. words are great and the groove and sounds are
amazing.. this is exactly how i thought the whole album would sound... love it.
its like a modern day sign o the times.

12. reflection - this is such a lazy day song... the acoustic version i thought was
even better than this one, but i really love the words and feel... maybe not as the
last song on the cd, i think its stronger than a few others..

over all i think this album is comparable to sign o the times in many ways...
definately a prince record... his voice sounds great... i would say its his best
album in years but i personally think the rainbow children was his best ever...
and i'm an athiest, so you know its not a biased thing about the religious overtones.

but honestly the true test is weather or not well be putting this album on 3 years
from now. for now i'll be pounding it like crazy.