Hi all,

I've had Musicology 5 days. Not especially long, and certainly not long enough for any album, by any artist to lodge itself in my heart and be deemed a classic, and certainly not long enough to be condemned as the latest Prince failure.

Let me set out my stall here, please bear with me, I've posted before, and I would not class myself as a Prince lover or hater. I have condemned "Rave" in here, and I stand by my opinions, subjective and personal as they are.

I wasn't a big fan of the NPGMC material, I didn't care for One Night Alone, or NEWS. I still play "Rainbow Children".

And now I have "Musicology". There have been many reviews, many hating, many loving, but hopefully I am going to offer something different, a little game for all those who are finding it hard to love Prince these days. Those people (of which i was one) who hang around and bitch about the new music, but cannot tear themselves away for fear of missing something great.

Firstly, we have all got to stop comparing Prince to Prince. It's crippling the music. It is impossible for him to bring out anything that on first listen will make you say "hey, that's as good as the classics !" How could he. It takes time for any music to settle into your head and get under your skin and win you over.

So I'm asking you to listen to the album and instead of immediately dismissing it, try listening to it as if there was no Prince, and no back catalogue, and as if one of todays "latest fashions" such as Outcast or Usher or D'Angelo or Beyonce or... well you get the idea. Imagine THEY brought out the song. Imagine how that would affect you.

Ok, not convinced ? Here's another trick that might make you see my point. I love "Hey Ya". I mean I really love it. I turn it up if it comes on the radio. I leave the video on if I'm flicking through the music channels. But today, when I was thinking about writing this post, "Hey Ya" came on, and I closed my eyes and tried to imagine that it wasn't by Outcast, but by Prince. To my amazement, I started to fault it. It suddenly seemed too slight, too whimsical, something throwaway and unworthy.

And that was how I approached my review and my attitude to the music. Where would this music fit into Prince's back catalogue, and if anyone else brought out these tracks how would I see them.

1. Musicology - As an album track, it opens the set great. If there was no Prince, and this came out by some guy you hadn't heard of.. well, you know this would be everywhere. There's nothing like this out there. Nothing. Now imagine this as a track on other Prince albums. Could it sit on SOTT ? Graffitti ? Symbol ? Chaos and Disorder ? I find this track hard to place anywhere. It's too mature for the back catalogue. It has more weight. It's not frivolous enough for SOTT, or Grafitti. It might fit on Emancipation, but it outclasses a lot of it. Where would you place it ?

2. Illusion, Coma, Pimp and Circumstance - First major point. Prince albums that I LOVE have one CLASSIC song. IMO Purple Rain has When Doves Cry, ATWIAD has Paisley Park, Parade has Kiss, everyone may have their own favourites. One ciriticism I have seen repeated is that Prince 1990 on was missing those classics. I disagree. But if you need classics, this is one. I HATED Kiss when I first heard it, couldn't get a handle on it, couldn't understand it. Now it's in my top 5 Prince songs. This is another. Imagine this on SOTT. Stick it where the hell you like in the tracklist. It not only fits, it is, im my mind, better than a lot of material there.

3. Million Days - Okay, Prince's style range is so wide that some of his songs go to a place I'm not keen on. This is one of those songs. It's not as cloying or sickly as Three Chains of Gold, in fact it is more like ICNTTPOYM. This could sit happily on Grafitti Bridge or SOTT, but would not be happy on Rave or Emancipation, it just seems a little above those albums. I'm sure lots of you disagree. But again I would say, who else is doing these songs. If Outkast brought out a Million Days jaws would drop. I don't like it, it's not the Prince music I like, but I can see why people would, I can appreciate it's class.

4. Life of the Party - Oh Good Lord this has come in for some flak on the forums. But I say this, forget it's new, stick on Lovesexy, and imagine this is on there. Slot it where you like. It fits. It doesn't jar. Fit it in SOTT. It fits. It wouldn't work on earlier albums, because it's too modern sounding for those, but from SOTT on, you can put this anywhere. On Batman, grafitti, diamond and pearls, symbol this song would be in good comapny and would pass without a whiff of criticism.

5. Call my Name - Never been a fan of the slow material. This reminds me of 1999 material. If this were on 1999 it would be lauded and adored. In fact, put this on ANY Prince CD you care to mention and it would be a simply gorgeous love song. If you can tell me a classic Prince album from "back in the day" that this would not be worthy of I'll be surprised if you convince me you're right.

6. Cinnamon Girl - Wow, when I disagree with popular opinion I really disagree. This is not my cup of tea at all. Sounds too commercial. Too straightforward. Too generic. It's early days, and in time who knows. I certainly dont hate it. And that's another interesting thing that i've noticed. A lot of people here seem to have forgotten how to buy a CD and just play it and let it run without analysing ever track to death. As part of the album of songs, this fits fine. It plays, I carry on having my bath, and reading my book. I dont scream and stab the "next" button. And let me tell you, I did with "Rave"

7. WDYWMTD - This is the track that made me stop and think about my attitude to new Prince material. When I downloaded it from "glam slam" I utterly dismissed it as off the cuff crap. HOW ? How did that happen ? Was I fucking deaf ? Sorry to cuss, but really, how did I get so blinkered. This is the best song here. This is a complete classic. I simply can't fault it. And I dont like slow songs. What is happening here. It reminds me most of the symbol album, except I dont think there's anything there as sweet as this. And NO-ONE else could have made this song. NO-ONE. Again, all you outkast lovers, if they came out with this song jaws would drop. The second Classic, for me at least.

8. Marrying Kind and IIWTMIYL - Okay, again, not really the side of Prince I love. And this is a good case for all those who have been saying Prince should get someone "current" to produce his new tracks. Hmmmmm, so Prince who has been producing since he was 18 and can make whatever sound he wants, should get someone else in. O..... k..... My take on this is simple, I'd like to see what another producer would do with these tracks in particular. There's a weird ATWIAD feel that comes off these tracks and I have no idea why. Prince could probably tell me (Wouldn't it be great if Prince took this release and wrote some notes on each song, on how the ideas came to him, what instruments he chose to use, what production decisions he made, and how they measured up to the originals in his head. That's something I would really love to see.) Stick both these on SOTT, no-one would blink an eye. If the Neptunes brought out IIWTMIYL everyone would be raving about their genius.

9. On the couch - More or less the same comments as Call my Name. I like bluesy Prince, and this is a 21st Century cousin of Adore. It's super sweet and even a slowy hating cretin like me likes it. Oh, and all you folks banging on about the lack of classics. This is the Third.

10. Dear Mr Man - And this is the fourth. And aside from Money Dont Matter (which I'm sorry is a poor cousin to this track) I can't think of anything Prince has done in this vein. Bizarrely this reminds me of Jamirouquai (Who IMHO are much maligned and underated) - There is a warmth to this music, and the lyrics are surprisingly clear. As for my little game of fitting these songs onto old Prince albums, sorry to say, this fits nowehere but here. It's too good for the past. It would feel out of place anywhere else.

11. And finally Reflection. Why on earth does it remind me of Pop Life. Sometimes it Snows in April, but with more heart, wisdom and growth. I wouldn't call it a classic, but y'all might.

And that's my take on Musicology, but only after I listened to it with my mind blank of the past, and blank of Prince. I feel for the man, I really do. How can he compete with his own legacy ?

If I had to tell a non-fan to buy one album, it would be this one. Sorry, I love 1999, Purple Rain, ATWIAD, Parade (my absolute favourite), SOTT, and Gold. They are my top Prince Albums, but this is the best showcase, with SOTT close behind.

Hope you enjoyed the speel.

Tony

yep. I agree. CLASSIC prince album here folks. It's great.

You're insane.

Can you explain why ? It's just I can get a cheaper prescription if I can describe my symptoms with some clarity

Fandangouk said:

I agree with the majority of what you said. Most importantly you took the album in the context of its own merits. Most people on this site do not understand this concept. By the way, I'm with u on your comments about What Do U Want Me 2 Do?, however I can honestly say that I've loved this track and Reflection from day one. Both tracks have a classic feel and the album is very well paced and arranged. I've played the album for roughly 7 friends that are casual/non Prince fans and they loved it. Most have told me that tracks 5-12 are some of the best sequenced album work they've heard in a while.

eugnj420 said:

Care to expound? At least he explained his opinions.

wow, you read my mind.. i couldnt have said it better... so true.. the first thing everyone does is compare the new sounds to the older ones with tons of history and memories attatched.. how can something new compare to all those memories you have from the old albums?

i think this album completely stands on its own... as i said on another thread this is the first album i played for a friend that i've been trying to get into prince that has actually said they loved it and wanted it.. they thought the older "hits" sounded dusty and dated - sonically. this sounds fresh and current.

Fandangouk,

I applaud your ability to think outside your own head. That skill is rare and so much more rewarding to read.

Brendan

Brendan said:

Ditto for me Bro. This collection is amazing. The whole damn concept seem to come outta nowhere. The album, the appearances, the Tour. Its what weve been asking to happen for years. Thats why this URL exsist. Its so mind blowing, some of us didn't believe it could be happening again. we kinda looked at the CD with a cocked eye. But I can tell you exactly what I was doing when I first heard SOTT. And 20 years years from now I'll damn sure be able to remember my first dose of Musicology. This is gonna be one helluva ride

DK47 said:

DO YOU WORK FOR ROLLING STONE....NO ONE AROUND HERE WRITES CRAP LIKE THIS

Fand thanx 4 thinking outside the box.....this is exactly how I approach a new Prince album...with an open mind and heart

i got bored after the first couple of tracks...

Mmmm: I don't disagree, in general, with the verdicts that you have reached about the quality of the songs, and it seems as if we both share the same preference for one style of Prince over another. The only major disagreement I have is that I think "WDUWM2D?" is lyrically lazy and musically ordinary - it's pleasant enough, but no more than that for me.

.

Brendan said:

also a physical impossibility. Get yourself down to your local hospital immediately, Fandangouk - you'll be of major medical interest.



.

langebleu said:

I set you up for that one. You owe me.

Brendan said:

My exact same thought... Well written piece! Coincidentally, I agree with the bulk of what you are writing.

This should be published.

To all who responded, thanks. And to those who thought my views were insane, that's cool. You're entitled to your opinion. Oh, and to the guy who said it was crap, are you flirting with me ? Is that what this is about ? You want me and you think if you pull my hair in the playground I'll be your new boyfriend. I wouldn't fuck you with someone else's dick.

Hope I didn't overstep the mark. Enjoy the album

A very thoughtful and thought-provoking piece, Fandanqouk. It will certainly condition my ears the next time I listen to the album.

I have to say that I do agree with much of what you said. On several previous threads, I panned the title track severely. In fact, on the way to the simulcast in Arlington, a friend and I were discussing just how embarassing a track it was to have out there as the lead single. Then we experienced the concert.....got back to the car and drove down I-95, and I must say that the sound actually sounded different. Perhaps we were hearing now in a new context. I think after the concert, we understood what Prince is trying to do with both the title track (why he chose it as a lead single) and the album.

I definitely like this album, and unlike RAVE and a lot of the other recent creations, I'm not skipping songs. No filler.

And though it's far from my favorite track on the album, I have a feeling that Life O' the Party would fare well as a single (with a nice video), as would Call My Name and Cinnamon Girl.

But again, my focus here is on how insightful your post was. Thanks for sharing, Fandanqouk.

Fand - I must respond. Your thoughts were expressed very well and your writing was eloquent. It's hard to look at a lot of what P is making now and saying this is great when he was so cutting edge at one time. Is it better than 90% of what is played on radio stations now? Hell, yes! Not every fan has the bar set this high for their favorite artist. I rejoined the club and downloaded the tracks and burnt them to a CD. After hearing P talk about 'real music' I was shocked to hear all the tracks with the drum machines. Where's Blackwell? Where's all the horns that he's been using now? (believe me, though, he doesn't need horns on every song) On some tracks the drums should be so much more powerful along with the guitars. Gimme some of those tasty solos! On Prince's rocker tracks he loses the edge by doubling those guitar licks with the keyboards, imo. Endorphinmachine is a perfect example. Don't overproduce - sometimes the more raw the better. Remember Bambi? Remember Dirty Mind? Last, the only time I heard 'reflection' before I downloaded it was when he played it on Tavis. That version is SO fu$@ing beautiful! It's so cluttered on this CD and the drums are too loud. Now even though I've critiqued P a bit I can still tell you this - he's still a GENIUS, brilliant live performer and inspires me to create music, myself.

Well, I have to say this album has grown on me. I still find many of the tracks unremarkable (particularly Million Days and Cinnamon Girl), but they are all quite listenable. I love some of the tracks, in particular Call My Name, On The Couch and Dear Mr. Man. I actually think that Musicology is perhaps the weakest song on the album, if only for the way the track is spoilt about 3/4 of the way thru. I find it hard to listen to because of the awful synth horns and crap ending. If it didn't have that part I think I'd like the track. It just ruins it for me so I can't enjoy the track as a whole.

Ultimately, The Rainbow Children is still musically much better than this album in every way. Much funkier, better played, more interestingly arranged and better produced, more coherent, and more likely to stand the test of time. TRC is great, Musicology is good. Better still when considered as strictly Prince trying to be more commercial to coincide with everything that's going on this year. That's the way I rationalise my disappointment that Prince couldn't follow up TRC. Deep down I knew he couldn't.

Maybe in the future. This will hold me until then. This album is more than worth having, but not a classic. Certainly not one u should overlook or not even purchase. It's not bad at all.

MoneyMade said:

This is the silliness that makes the board so unbearable, yet alluring all at the same time.

I think this is an excellent review. I stated some of the same things earlier during the week

http://www.prince.org/msg/7/87279

artist08 said:

I like some of what u said. But isn't John Blackwell actually on quite a few tracks. Yes, there are some triggers being played but I think about 9 of the 12 tracks have live drums on them.

If I'm not mistaken the only tracks which do not feature Mr Blackwell in some shape or form are:

Illusion...
Life O' The Party
What Do U Want Me 2 Do?

Correct me if I'm wrong.

fauxnewbie said:

Then Blackwell isn't impressing me like he usually does. Listen to TRC, ya know? That's powerful drumming, this isn't. Maybe it's just that the MP3s are not CD quality, I don't know. You're so right about TRC - musically it's soooo tight! Too bad it has the annoying narrator part. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these weren't actually Prince drumming.

Great post man. I agree with everything u said. We all have our favorite songs. I really didn't know how good WDYWMTD was until i heard in context. Dropped in the middle like that u get a better sense of its uniqueness. It like dorthy parker crossed with a sweet jazz sensibility. Its perfect and cool.

Wow.. someone finally made put into words what's been lingering in the back of my mind for years. It's all your expectations. Tricky99, I've got an example of how expectations affect opinions far more than the actual matter being judged. Quite often I've found that I enjoy certain movies (Perfect Storm, Monster INC) more on a 2nd viewing. I've thought about it and realized, obviously the movie didn't change, but my expectation of it must have. WHen I rented those movies early on, I had wild expectations. Probably due to the pumped up trailers.

With Prince, you hit it on the head, our expectations are so pumped up that anything he does will not be good enough. OUr mistake is that we're comparing new work (after one or a few listens) to work that we've listened to 100s of times over the years. That's an unfair advantage for the old stuff, wouldn't you say?

Let's put it down on paper - what has made us continue listening over the years? If Prince's out put is truly on the decline, why do we keep sitting around wasting our time judging his new
material? Can any one name another artists who has released 'weak' albums for so many consecutive years all the while retainign so many avid listeners/criticizers(sp?)?

I love Musicology. If Andre3000, D'Angelo or Maxwell could come up with this, they'd be saluted. Prince is expected to come up with a wide array of music, and it's expected that he'll ave a few gems on every album. What about Lenny? What has he done differently in 15 years? Why is he so well regarded?

Who else can do what Prince does?

Just want to add to the love fest. Really great review. It's funny, the album's critics came out so hard and strong in the beginning that I really was feeling crazy for enjoying it so much. If people can just let go of the "hit" factor, I think they'll enjoy it much more. I think many of us Prince fans have this bizarre tendency to want our man's music to be liked by everyone. What's that about??

Fandangouk said:

I really enjoyed your review and you've read my mind with your words. So many people here are quick to dismiss anything Prince does after 1988 and it bugs me cause there have been incredible things from him since then but those people have probably missed it due to dogging his stuff so much. I'm glad you liked the CD and I can't wait to get Musicology for myself!

MoneyMade said:

How bout this: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming" Is that better? Since you cant seem to recognize one of the better and accurate reviews posted

DK47 said:

You tell him DK

fantastic review.