Musicology is a great return to form and Prince has not been funkier for quite some time.

All the recent comparisons of Musciology with NPS, Exodus, and outside sources like

JB, AG, and Sly make me yearn for P’s rawest funk. The Black Album is the funkiest P has

ever been. Not the glossy, impenetrably layered fake P-funk of NPS. Not the sparse, airy, and

deliberate popfunk of Musicology, good as it as. Not the spiritually infused overproduced glam

funk of the

weakest tracks on Lovesexy. Not the pop guitar funk of Diamonds and Pearls or the radio

friendly funk of Symbol. On the Black Album P does not sound like he’s reaching for the funk

and he brings it to you raw. While on Musicology and NPS, P’s sound is heavily derivative

(Dear. Mr. Man uses a Curtis Mayfield/Marvin Gaye template with a straight Sly sounding

vocal, On the Couch is a amalgamation of several different Al Green Melodies, etc. and the

entire NPS record with the exception of Come On and Waste Kisses is wiggity wack. Just P-

funk wannabe bullshit.), on the Black Album all of these forces come together seamlessly to

produce the rawest and, barring a couple tracks on 1999, funkiest music Prince has ever

written. The Black Album is one of the few (along with 1999, Dirtymind, and Controversy)

Prince record that has the raw sweetness of classic funk records like

“There’s a Riot Going On” or “Sweet Exorcist.” The music on the Black Album is straight up

incredible. In my opinion the Black Album has as much feeling inspires as much feeling as

any other Prince record. Cindy C, le Grind, Rock Hard in a Funky Place are classics of 80’s

funk. I strongly disagree with anything less than four stars for this record. And personally I

give it five.

'Dead On It' is pretty lame.

I wouldn't call 'When 2 R In Love' "funky" either.

True. Dead on It is one of the weaker tracks (although I think it works) and When 2 Are

in Love is not what I would call a funk song. But the Black Album is most definitely a

funk record.

17ways69days said:

Hmmm... '2 N*gs United 4 West Compton' is more jazzy than funky if you ask me.

When I think of "funk", I think of 'Superstition' by Stevie Wonder or 'Shining Star' by Earth Wind & Fire or 'If You Want Me To Stay' by Sly & The Family Stone. 'Cindy C' doesn't necessarily spring to mind.

'Scarlet Pussy' is pretty fucking funky in my book.

Well, I'm not really sure how to respond. "Superstition" and "Shining Star" are both

funky, no doubt. And "If you want me to stay" is the epitome of funk. “Scarlet Pussy” is

funky although it’s a real throwback to George Clinton. The Black Album is highly

original so it does not sound exactly like any of these four songs. “2 Nigs United for

West Compton” is jazzy but saying that it’s more jazzy than funky? That I don’t follow.

It’s fusion and it works. Listen to slap bass, the tight horn structure, the heavy drum

machine, the staggered stop and start JB structure…this is funk. On TRC you get

something like this but the sound is not fully organic –like Prince doing Jazz and not

Prince being Prince and having elements of Jazz + TRC just lacks the crackling energy

and funky vitality of the Black Album. On the Black Album you got quintessential

Prince – lots of different sounds and varieties of music seamlessly blended all while

Prince retains his own identity. The Black Album is a new kind of funk and, like all good

funk, it defies easy categorization.

You are quite correct about the Black ALbum...it is original raw cohesive funk. When 2 r in love is slowed down scifi hihat flanged robo funk... Le grind is the fierce monster party funk, cindy c is raw disco funk, Dead on It is comletely strong with its white boy parody rap (yes he is using his minneapolis white man voice... its tongue in cheek) with the funkiest layers of bass and guitar just lazilly funking each other... what about that crossfade to Sheila E's voice "wicked witch" from HOlly ROck thrown in the mix? To ca-razy and cool. Bob George is dark industrial robot cinema funk, Superfunky is evil funky, 2 Nigs is funk so compressed and thick that you think its jazz, and ROckhard is so midnight street bad ass cool, it lost you!

candidates for black album level dark funk: Pheremone, My Name is Prince, Come On, that live version of Martial Law, MPLS, Exodus has Begun, Return of the Bumpsquad, SExual Suicide, CLoreen Baconskin, Rebirth of the FLesh, .... dunno can you think of anymore.... I know there's more...

I think that a lot of us have different opinions of The Black Album due to what year U may have first heard it...I heard the album back in early 89 and knew that it was funky as hell and ahead of it's time...But if U heard this album say in 96 or whenever it was officially released, it probably didn't have the same impact...I still listen to this album occasionally and still love it BUT it also takes me back in time to the original feelings of 89...THat 8 years or whatever from conception to eventual release was a lifetime in the music world...

ufoclub said:

[This message was edited Sat Apr 10 12:00:50 2004 by NouveauDance]

Dirty Mind - funky because it's nasty and stripped down

The Black Album = Prince's funkiest album.

PumponmyFunk said:

I heard the Black Album before I heard Lovesexy. Lovesexy is the funkier of the two albums in my opinion.

BinaryJustin said:

You really think so?

r1ghteousone said:

Yeah, honestly. I'm not trying to be provocative or playing Devil's Advocate - I really think Lovesexy is funkier.

Obviously, the Black Album is dirtier and crazier, but Lovesexy is funkier.

BinaryJustin said:

I can see where you're coming from...but I still don't think there's anything on Lovesexy as funky as rockhard...

r1ghteousone said:

Hmmm... Well 'Lovesexy' (the song) is a pretty strong candidate. I mean, even the opening bass played over those flop-flop beats:

Dung, a-dung, a-dung-dung.

BinaryJustin said:

Yep, I agree that is pretty funky...

I dunno...maybe Lovesexy is as funky as TBA.

r1ghteousone said:

I quite like the Black album its has some funky tracks on it,but I find it hard to believe that this would have been an album in itself,seems a little incomplete ,but I dont really know much about the whole situation apart from it was aparently dropped because Prince had bad vibes due to ecstacy and went with Lovesexy. Its all so interesting just thinking that he could drop one great album and release an even better one,just shows the creativity of the man in these years.

Lovesexy is not as funky as the Black Album. It's kind it's own kid of polished

funk (Lovesexy, No, Danceon) but Positivity, AnnaStesia, I Wish U Heaven, Glam

Slam, alphabet Street, and When 2 are In Love are all pop songs. Granted they

don't sound quite like anything else but they lack the hip shaking pop and raw

edge that a heavy bassline, tight horn loop, and sugary keboard melodies

provide. Shiiit, Lovesexy is good (overrated but good) but it lacks the hard

edges and desperation of the Black Album. In fact, the Lovesexy sound while new

and different is embedded within the Black album. So next time ya'll are

talking about how "classic" Lovesexy is, remember that Prince already went there

(musically) and did it better on the Black Album. Contravesy. Lovesexy is a

more complete album though - but again even the structure of the Black Album is

funky. Put it in yo playas and dance ya'll!

the bass solo on '2 nigs united 4 west compton' is without question one of the funkiest things ever

there's some raw funk on the black album IMO

I just wanted to kick this thread back up to the top where it belongs. Too many Prince-

centric fans out there seem like they have been listening to nothing but P and

consequently they have warped opinions about the worth of records like TRC and TGE.

And Lovesexy? Yes, it’s a great album but embedded within The Black Album is the

music of Lovesexy. Trade in Lovesexy’s glazed overproduction and the earnest

slickness of the “positive” vibe for crackling energy and raw desperation of the Black

Album and you get a rawer, funkier, edgier, more vital record. (I must note that Anna

Stesia is something new and this song is one of P’s best.)