In his regular "Wednesday morning downloads" article, Salon.com writer Thomas Bartlett tells encourages readers to plug into Prince...

http://www.salon.com/ent/...index.html

"Musicology," Prince, from "Musicology"

My loyalty, once earned, is not easily lost, and if an artist has moved me, I will stubbornly stick by that artist through mediocrity and worse. But it became difficult to think of Prince as anything but a joke when I heard his digitally lowered voice intoning a religious parable over smooth jazz grooves on the opening track of his Jehovah's Witness epic, "The Rainbow Children." So this song, the lead single from his forthcoming "Musicology" LP, is a nice surprise. Prince tells us it's an "old school joint for the true funk soldiers," and over a straight-ahead funk groove, he name-checks the greats, from Sly to James Brown to Earth, Wind and Fire. Prince's singing sounds great, with his inimitable swagger, his unrestrained cockiness and the rhythmic precision of those ever-present orgasmic grunts (although since Prince supposedly doesn't sing about sex anymore, I suppose I should call them grunts of spiritual enlightenment). I wouldn't say that "Musicology" ranks with Prince's great singles from the '80s, but it's a good song from a great artist, and, as he says, "Wish I had a dollar/ for every time you say/ 'Don't you miss the feeling/ music gave you back in the day?'" (iTunes, RealPlayer, MusicMatch)

OK...

This guy just doesn't appreciate true music, by the "true MUSIC soldier"...Prince.

Rainbow Children is brilliant through and through. This album did excite me ala Lovesexy, and when this guy says, "...over smooth jazz grooves", referring 2 TRC, he's clearly not listening.

Musicology, as many here have expressed, is really an album 4 people who either haven't heard much Prince, or 4 people who have who like this material. I have mixed feelings about Musicology... I really don't like "Life O' The Party", and I AM a true Funk soldier (and musician).

Rainbow Children is pure Prince musical expression... I don't have trouble with controversial lyrics, or the lowered voice. TRC has a theme, it flows and is as cohesive as Lovesexy.

I am truly tired of critics (and some folks here) bashing Rainbow Children, Xpectation, and N.E.W.S., and calling them "meandering", etc. Xpectation and N.E.W.S. are not "noodling sketches" or whatever, they have beautiful music, funky fusion and jazz, and they make a musician like myself (also LONG-TIME Prince head) believe in Prince's creativity, musical ability, and spontaneity all over again.

Again, I have mixed feelings about Musicology, and some songs I like, but it's not blowing me away in any way... "When I Lay My Hands On U" blows away most of the cuts on this album. Not that it has to blow me away. Of course, I'll keep listening to Musicology 2 try 2 feel it... the real test is at home from my stereo!

Peace.

G.
[This message was edited Wed Apr 7 12:18:00 2004 by Giovanni777]

I agree and am completely baffled at why critics panned "The Rainbow Children" so quickly. I have listened thoroughly to "Musicology" and consider the entire album bland by Prince standards. The hooks and melodies on Musicology are highly minimalistic. In fact the title track "Rainbow Children" and "The Work Pt. 1" are 50 times better than any of the jazz/funk on "Musicology." "She Loves Me 4 Me" is a better ballad than anything on "Musicology." TRC also boasts the anthemic track "December." TRC was a work of art; Musicology is a product more aimed at the masses. Not a single impressive song.

co-sign

Kid Stevie:

"In fact the title track "Rainbow Children" and "The Work Pt. 1" are 50 times better than any of the jazz/funk on "Musicology." "She Loves Me 4 Me" is a better ballad than anything on "Musicology." TRC also boasts the anthemic track "December." TRC was a work of art; Musicology is a product more aimed at the masses."

Right On. Really good point about "She Loves Me 4 Me" and "Last December". Yes, TRC is truly a work of art... I think people are 2 challenged and/or afraid of controversial lyrics when it comes 2 one's (Prince's) spiritual path being expressed with such conviction. I personally could've accepted nearly any spiritual path Prince has decided 2 take... It shouldn't be a surprise, as he's mentioned God (and Jesus) so much over the years. In terms of him choosing the JW path, that's his choice... it wouldn't be my choice, but 2 each his own. JWs get a bad rap constantly... if 3 things can be said in their 'favor'... They are extremely dedicated, well studied in the Bible, and they witness 2 others... Spreading 'the word' 2 others door 2 door is actually a true aspect of Christianity.

Anyhow, the music (and song writing) on TRC is fantastic, brilliant, fresh, and diverse.

PEACE!

G

I don't think much can deny...You just gotta Prince!!!

I think people just need to stop comparing TRC to MUSICOLOGY...yes we all realize they are different, but because TRC is more musicily enticing, dont mean Musicology is any less of an album. We all know prince is a genious and all the critics in new york (and everywhere else) dont love him, and especially dont know a good album when they here it. Musicology is more commercial and simple , but it is a very good album, not many weak songs. I enjoy it everytime i spin it and play TRC right after and get the same joy out of it.

KidStevie said:

Actually, it wasn't a critically panned album. When it was released fans here posted all the reviews they could find everytime one was written; the majority of the critics gave the album excellent reviews and some even asserted it was a return to form. Rightly so, if you ask me.

well, i love trc but i must say the voice now gets on my nerves. it didn't back when it was new but now, when i just wanna hear the music, i'm stuck with that voice. it's a great cd though, so i don't know what record this cat was listening to. maybe it was a defect or something, lol. anywho...musicology, as a whole, is a great cd also. i don't particularly like life o' the party but disliking one out of 12 songs isn't too bad. and i don't HATE the track, i just don't like it as much as the other stuff. it is far too reminiscent of newpowersoul.

KidStevie said:

The critics didn't pan TRC.

Back when it was released there were lots of positive reviews calling the album exactly what it was:

a return to form.

I remember copying and pasting a load of reviews back then and there were some glowing ones.

TRC was panned because of the Jehovahs Witnesses .

If TRC was a Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Buddist,Jewish, etc. it would not have received as MUCH criticism.

The Witnesses seem to bring out the best in haters of religious thought.

agreed... hating TRC is about hating JWs (we don't seem to leave anyone indifferent). and maybe secondly, and more minorly, hating the voice-over.

fans/fams were the biggest haters, most definitely not respected music critics, who i think are bored these days at hearing the same things over & over and are probably dying for something different.

i have grown to like the voice more & more over time. on first listening to TRC, it was all a tad overwhelming... took 2 or 3 listenings to really start getting into it.

i'm thinking the writer didn't even listen to it all the way through and if he did, only one time.

MightBQueen said:

no. not to dredge up old discussions, but it wasn't panned simply because of the JWs. there were different reasons people reacted negatively to TRC

Indeed many critics did "pan" "The Rainbow Children." Look it up on www.metacritic.com. Rolling Stone gave it 2 stars and Spin magazine trashed it also. Reviews varied, but many reviews were VERY negative by music critics outside of this Prince fan club.

pluvv2002 said:

The "Musicology" albums BORES me out of my mind and is a terrible album. Prince is definitely a genius, but he is also a crazed lunatic.

KidStevie said:

genius... lunatic? ...uhh, i kinda thought the two were inextricably linked

Every 'genius' has tons of ideas that either people thought were crazy or just never got as much respect as the ones that brought them fame.
[This message was edited Thu Apr 8 16:43:44 2004 by JumpUpOnThe1]

KidStevie said:

Comprehension police

...nobody said there were no critics that didn't like it. There were many reviews from publications all over the world that were positive. It was not universally panned, and the people who posted links to those reviews (good and bad) during that time can attest to that. They weren't written by Orgers. But if Spin and Rolling Stone are what constitutes universal panning to you, so be it.


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[This message was edited Thu Apr 8 17:36:49 2004 by Supernova]