Prince Musicology gets 2 stars out of 5 in Observer Newspaper Review and is rated the worst album of the Month!


If anyone else uses the G word next to the purple pretender, Einstein should sue. 'Prince is a true genius', trumpets Don Ienner, Sony's president, as the world shrugs and gets on with the grouting. Naturally, there is more revelatory hype where that came from, including a recent quote from the tiddler himself: 'I am really an artist and musician' (as opposed to the politician-stroke-unicyclist we all thought he was). Such huff-puffery screams THIS LP IS A DOG, which it is sadly; but what's really tragic is how close to brilliance Musicology comes. There are some fantastic songs that under the right producer's fingers, could have flipped, soared and sparkled. But they're ruined by musaky instruments, pedestrian funk-outs, lyrics that go clunk in the night.

And we know why. The tracks are almost entirely self-performed: aside from horns and the odd backing singer, each instrument and voice is provided by our Purplish Hero. (Sheila E is listed, insultingly, as playing the shaker on one track.) Prince has worn down every collaborator until he's left staring at his reflection in the studio glass.

No problem with that, when he lets the song do the work. 'Musicology' the single, is ace, an ice cool slice of space-funk; 'Life of the Party' likewise, with a brilliant bonkers Missy-like middle section. There are two gorgeous love songs: 'On the Couch' and 'Reflections', both funny-sexy in the way only Prince can be. And 'Call My Name' isn't entirely bad. 'Cinnamon Girl' is though: not only does it nick its verse-tune from When Doves Cry' but it adds, Howard Jones' synth noises, plus -save us -anti-war lyrics that makes George Michael seem like Chomsky. 'The Marrying Kind' is lift music for pervs. A Million Days' takes every criminal Eighties production cliché and stretches it until it snaps. We could go on: and of course, Prince does, descending into jazz-funk noodle as though hip hop never happened.

Under half of this LP, is worth releasing, which is, of course, well over 50 percent more than most. But from Prince, after a decade and half, four and a bit songs out of 11 just ain't musicology enough. Shame.

This guy didn't even get the # of songs on the LP right. Pretty sure we can take whatever he says with a grain of salt.

Where's EvilWhiteMale?

Who wrote the review? Hahn?

The Review was written by a certain MS Miranda Sawyer

MrTation said:

that, or this guy's a hahnist...

Spunky said:

oh, a ms.? no wonder she's miffed at the album. she musta been expectin to have an orgasm from it cuz it's prince and sumfin didn't work out.

hahahah. ususally kitty empire does the reviews for the observer (she did the 5/5 one for the main paper last week...). so it just goes to show how fucking usless reviews are..

people should just dowload it. if they like it, then go buy it.

MrTation said:

Spunky said:

That's OK, I hated her anyway. Phew.

She isn't worth getting upset about.

And yet, The Guardian review gives it four out of five stars:

http://www.guardian.co.uk...84,00.html

This coming from what is essentially the same newspaper/website.

Good job nobody under retirement age buys The Observer anyway.

Taureau said:

Many call Musicology a great return to form, some call it a dull retread.

Just like some called TRC musically groundbreaking and his best album in years, while some called it meandering jazz and preachy nonsense.

That's just the way it works with music reviews in Prince world.

Always makes things interesting.

I think we need to stop giving the reviews all this power - they are just 1 person's opinion, and often they hardly get any time to really listen to the album properly - two listens and a scan of the lyrics is thought by some to be "in depth research" (I used to be a music reviewer, briefly).

Some people will love it, some won't - even some fans don't like it.

Taureau said:

and what's your point...?

reviews are opinions. they all differ. like i said the person who usually does all the Observer (Music Monthly) reviews - kitty Empire, gave the ablum a glowing 5/5 review in the main paper a week ago. had she not ben on holiday, then it would have been an amazing review.

crap review...you can tell they barely listened to the songs.

There are some fantastic songs that under the right producer's fingers, could have flipped, soared and sparkled. But they're ruined by musaky instruments, pedestrian funk-outs, lyrics that go clunk in the night.

And we know why. The tracks are almost entirely self-performed:



isnt it funny how prince is known so well for playing all the instruments on albums and being his own producer, but now its like "he needs a producer and he plays too many of the instruments by himself."

its like the very thing that makes prince of old so great now makes him shit.

softandwet said:

Prince may make some not so great decisions, but I don't he's ever going to be "shit".

They must be on postive Prince overload & just wanna go the other way - this album is great

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

or
maybe
she
really
listens
to
other
new
music

Spunky said:

I hate that bitch!

How dare she say that the album is mired in eighties production values. She turns up on all those crappy "I Love The 80s" shows, ranting about how great the decade was.

Her brother, Toby, is sort of foxy though.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

what a truly stupid comment...

for crying out loud everyone - it's only one person's opinion, it doesn't mean you have to change your view....so what if miranda sawyer doesn't like it? get over it

Spunky said:

Then give me a Playboy, and stick me in an elevator

letsgocrazy said:

I thought it was funny, and probably true. Like, who uses sexually insecure/frustrated enough to use 'ms.' these days?

NME said:

Hey! You answered your own question, that's great!

By the way, totally off topic and no diss, but why is you name NME? Do you work for them, or are you actually a fan of that rag, like, for real? Just curious.

I knew this would happen. When a negative review comes out, the critic is bashed. As though only an idiot wouldn't like Musicology. So stupid.

Taureau said:

it's easy for me to remember.

NME said:

All's

EvileWhiteMale said:

I thought the review was really funny. I actually enjoyed this one more than the majority of the positives that all seem to lift the same phrases.

The funny thing with this one is that after you get through all the funnies, you get:

"Under half of this LP, is worth releasing, which is, of course, well over 50 percent more than most. But from Prince, after a decade and half, four and a bit songs out of 11 just ain't musicology enough. Shame."

...whereby the reviewer explicitly admits that the album, Musicology, contains more than 50% of releasable material more than most other albums she knows. A heck of a turnaround, considering she just voted it worst album of the month don't you think? And then she finishes by blaming this supposedly 'sub-par' behaviour on Prince not living up to her (? or societies?) expectations. Yes interesting read.

So, like, anyone else notice this?

EvilWhiteMale said:

-----
The critic is being bashed because it appears that they did not bother to listen to the cd.
I am not saying that this cd is the best Prince has every done but it is not the worst CD put out this year.

Prince talked a lot of trash and he finally backed it up with something. This is going to rub some critics, music industry types and haters the wrong way. It is not really fair to trash the record because Prince's attitude and image are off putting for some people.

Judge the music and not the man.