Musicology Review #69

Okay, figured I might as well add my review to the pile-up. After a couple listens through the whole album, I have to say I really like it. Some trax more than others but, overall, this is a very cohesive release. Where Rave often sounded like a disjointed collection of tracks this seems like a focused set from one end to the next. Where TRC sounded like a grand but, ultimately, failed experiment this sounds polished but still rather organic (even with the occasional stale beat). I've heard several people compare this to NPS and I really disagree. NPS is much better! (Just Kidding) Outside of maybe one cut, there's nothing that sounds overly "plastic" to me. This is worlds above that release, imo.

It's greatest weakness may be the unevenness of the lyrics. Prince has used some rather mega-stoopid lyrics in the past and magically made them work (think Kiss) but here when the lyrics get drippy, you know, and it drags the album down a lot for me.

Track by track:

1) Musicology - Horror of horrors, I like this track. The groove can be repetitive and the delivery is a bit restrained but I think it works in the end. Think Sexy M.F. without the sex or edge. As a single - I'm undecided. Artistically, it intros the album wonderfully but from a commercial aspect there are more single worthy tracks than this for someone who seems to be trying hard for a comeback. "Don't u touch my stereo" I'll be especially kind and give it 4 stars but I think it's really 3 1/2.

2) Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance - Featuring a hilarious story and a rubbery rhythm, this is the red-headed child of 'Silicon' & 'Come On' on crack! This wouldn't have sounded out of place on . It's *almost* single worthy. "Just put your name on this Pre-Nup and we can all hit the disco". Extremely funky and worthy of 4 stars, imo.

3) A Million Days - Another red-headed bastard child, this time it's Dolphin meets 3 Chains O' Gold. This is a beautiful rocker with a building intensity but once again sounding like it stepped straight off the album or maybe the original tracklisting of Come. Since happens to be my favorite Prince album, I'm extremely happy about the style but given that the first 3 tracks are rather derivative it tends to make one worry about the lack of innovation on this album. 4 Stars, easy. "U've only been gone 4 an hour but it seems like a million days." This should be single #3, IMO.

4) Life O' The Party - I'm very tempted to call this a throw away party track. ...and in the Prince universe that's exactly what it is. It's stripped down arrangement and funky vocal delivery combined with female co-lead by Candy on the chorus, however, make this a fun 'n' funky track. Outside of the chorus, it's a fairly nondescript number better suited for a b-Side in the old days... (Keep a listen for a short rap delivered in a style reminiscent of the one on The Sun, The Moon And Stars.) An energetic remix might send this to the next level. "She ain't got no off switch and neither do I." 3 Stars

5) Call My Name - Gawd, this album is full of bastard children. Insatiable meets U Make My Sunshine, with a little Adore thrown in for wishful thinking. Once upon a time Prince wrote unique and interesting ballads, increasingly they all same to be falling from the same tree. The average lyrics tend to sink it, imo. "Land of the free - somebody lied." 3 Stars

6) Cinnamon Girl - Enjoyable guitar pop with a chorus delivery vaguely like So Far, So Pleased. Serious war-related lyrics and enthusiastic performance make this a winner. It might not sound out of place on C&D but don't hold that against it. This is one of the highlights of the album and should be quickly delivered as a 2nd single, I think. "As war drums beat in Babylon..." 4 Stars

7) What Do U Want Me 2 Do - Paint-by-the numbers, throw away Prince track. Even the Ballad Of Dorothy Parker style drum pattern doesn't make this interesting. This is something that you find on a bootleg and quickly forget about. He must have had stronger tracks that could have taken the place of this one. maybe later it will come to me why this is here. ... probably not. I could give it 1 star but then I remember Ronnie, Talk To Russia. "You'd get beheaded in other lands if I were in your arms tonight." 2 Stars

8) The Marrying Kind - A funk rock track about taking someone else's wife. It's got a very operatic feel to it... You should expect to find it on one side or the other of The Morning Papers. "That's when I'm gonna lay her across my piano stool and... sing to her." 3 1/2 Stars

9) If I Was The Man In Ur Life - Segueing immediately from the previous song, you may not even realize the track has changed at first. This seems to be a popular track with some other reviewers but the staccato vocal and piano playing are just this side of annoying to me. I hate to be as repetitive as the style on some of these tracks but, yes, it's another sounding cut. Features a very short but interesting jazzy ending to it. "I'd give u power, I'd do whatever u say." 3 1/2 Stars

10) On The Couch - I can't really imagine Prince sleeping on the couch but the church organ still sounds lovely on this bluesy ballad. This is much more interesting than Call My Name. A silky smooth and sexy old-school joint. "You shouldn't a let me unzip your dress..." Indeed. 4 Stars

11) Dear Mr. Man - I used to have a cat named Mr. Man. Totally irrelevant to the review of this track but perfectly relevant to me. Someone stole him. Anyway, this is a 70's style slow groove political statement. "Ain't no sense in voting, same song with a different name". I don't agree but I still like the track! Too damn short. 4 Stars

12) Reflection - An "oh-so-wishing-he-was Joni-Mitchell" style track that wouldn't have sounded out of place on The Truth. It's a perfect bookend to this collection. "Did we forget to water the plants today?" hmmm.... Shame Wendy isn't playing on this version. 4 Stars


Okay, so... 3.5 out of 5 for the whole thing. Of course, my ratings will probably change after a week or so. It's no 1999 or SOTT, and it sure as heck isn't but I guess I'd have to label it " -Lite".

Thanks for the review man!!

Well articulated!!

So, I guess this isn't the second coming huh?

and finally I heard this song after not being able to download it or hear it on the NPGMC. and you PAN IT. Dude this is a cool, mellow, summer breeze of a song. Deserves to be a second release (round MAY) and would be a hit in a "perfect radio world".

Just my Opinion, but I do respect yours...
[This message was edited Mon Mar 29 23:36:53 2004 by lmas]

Very good review. Again, i disagree hugely in one respect (I think What do u want me to do is outstanding - far more than a throwaway track, and I also think that Life o the Party is one of the worst atrocities he has ever had the audacity to commit to record), but that's the beauty of these things.

and it sure as heck isn't but I guess I'd have to label it " -Lite".[/quote]

AW MAN, YOU GOT MY HOPES UP CALLING IT THAT, FOR A SECOND I THOUGH THAT MAYBE THERE'S SOME RAPS BY TONY M. ON IT (AND CARMEN!)

sinisterpentatonic said:

LOL How many 'second comings' has Prince had by now?

Seriously, I still think P has another masterpiece hidden in him somewhere but who knows when it will come out... it's been a long time.

TheFrog said:

Well, maybe WDUWM2D will hit me later but for now it just seems to fly under my rader. It's not offensive, it just doesn't elicit ANY reaction.

As far as LOTP goes, I did say it was a throw-away track. ....but it's not offensive to me, either. I think there are sooo many songs P has done that are worse than this. Ronnie, Talk To Russia - Jughead - Right The Wrong - etc...

thesexofit said:

AW MAN, YOU GOT MY HOPES UP CALLING IT THAT, FOR A SECOND I THOUGH THAT MAYBE THERE'S SOME RAPS BY TONY M. ON IT (AND CARMEN!)[/quote]

The raps on certainly never bothered me... they were much better integrated than on D&P or even most albums since then, I think.

lmas said:

I agree, I've probably posted this in about 10 different post. "What Do U Want Me 2 Do" could be a SMASH on radio especially the R&B format. For the second time last night I played this (for those who don't know I DJ) and the crowd went wild asking is this on the new Prince CD. This should definately be the next CD with a tight video.

jtfolden said:

This is one of the things I love most about Prince. You could take 10 Prince fans, put them in a room and have them list their top ten albums and you would get 10 different lists. You could take those same albums and have them list their top 5 tracks off of each one and you would get another 10 lists. WDUWM2D is my second favorite track on the album after "If I Was The Man In Ur Life", two tracks you seem less than enthused over. While ICPC, Million Days and Cinnamon Girl are cuts it pains me to even listen to. This just goes to show you Prince will never be able to totally please his fans. His fan base includes people who don't even share the same taste in music.