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Prince

"Musicology" ~ (NPG)

By Mario


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Prince finally got it. For years, he's been pulling media stunts - changing his name, writing "slave" on his face - when all anybody wanted him to do was get back to the music. With "Musicology," he's done just that.
He's got something to prove this time, and it's his place in old-school rock and roll. Don't worry about feeling the "old-school" vibe, Prince'll remind you that he's "old-school" - repeatedly. In the title track, he poses the question: "don't u miss the feeling music gave ya/back in the day?" Having snagged Sly Stone's bass player and James Brown's sax player in recent years, it's obvious Prince has. But even with friends like these, and touring with one heckuva live band, Prince still played almost everything on the album himself. The bouncy bass and silky drumming in combination with the free-flowing falsetto makes "Call My Name" one of the schmoovest Prince songs in the catalog, and his tight playing is prevalent throughout the entire album.

What's missing are those dangerous, hit-or-miss Prince trademarks, like the "Camille" voice in "If I Was Your Girlfriend," the extended jam of "Sign 'O' the Times," and poetic lyrics in "When Doves Cry." "Musicology" is uncharacteristically straightforward. The "come home/come home baby" pleading in "A Million Days" uses the trademark Prince screams - The Kid ain't lost a step in 20-somethin' years - but it still sounds like an emotional recreation.

The rest of the album works like a charm - "Illusion, Coma, Pimp and Circumstance" narrates the story of a gigolo over the type of skeletal funk Prince pioneered in the 80s, "The Marrying Kind" burns with the urgent guitar work Prince is known for, and "Reflection" furthers the mellow guitar territory first explored in "7" and on "The Truth." Even "Dear Mr. Man," a standard rumination on what's wrong with the world, stays away from clichés through the horns and expert phrasing.

Now, as far as musicians who haven't aged gracefully, he does slip in a jab at Michael Jackson. Amidst a funky rap-like break at the end of the utterly danceable "Life O' the Party," Prince throws down "my voice is gettin' higher/and I ain't never had my nose done!" Now, in Chris Rock's "Never Scared" special, he reminds us that people used to argue about who was better - Prince or Michael Jackson. His answer is obvious, and "Musicology" proves it - "Prince won!"

Anxiety said:

- It seems that Musicology was an album made for the radios. Prince knew that it was the moment for it, because of his performances on Grammy/RRHOF. The experimental Prince was more on TRC and some moments of NEWS. In the 80s, the experimental/daring Prince cuts usually became hits ´When doves cry´ , ´Kiss´ etc. That´s why he was loved by mainstream audience AND critics. Something very rare.
I honestly hope that Musicology sells loads of copies, and that after that Prince puts out a masterpiece album (like he did with PR/ATWIAD)

Another glowing review of Musicology. I'm loving it bcuz P is doing the PIMPING this time around. It's so beautiful bcuz the same Magazines that said P could'nt b on the cover bcuz he was'nt relevant anymore is featured on they're cover.

Am I missing something here? Why are all these reviews so positive?

Let's be honest - Prince has not made a truly great album for a long time but most of his dedicated fans have liked many of his recent efforts that never received any kind of publicity at all. If you like rock 'n' roll and soulful ballads, the Gold Experience from 1995 is a good album. If you want funky tunes, go for New Power Soul or Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. If you want something a bit more challenging and jazzy, The Rainbow Children is really good (and made for a great live show). None of these albums sounded good to me at first but I quite like them now. Musicology however, is not a patch on any of them. The funk is not funky enough and the soul isn't soulful enough.

Old stripped down funky Prince which is what I expected given the current Justin Timberlake fad, but it's nothing like that. It's not sexy enough and synthy enough. Complicated, well produced gospel style funk like Lovesexy was another option but it's nothing like that either. Rave and New Power are far better on that front. Many of the songs are sickly rock-soul ballads, and if that is your cup of tea the Gold Experience or Symbol are better.

I cannot really understand where any of the critics are coming from with this album. Either current music is so poor that this seems good, or more likely, the fact that Columbia Records are behind the album has meant that loads of critics have been paid to say it's good!! This really irritates me because the last four studio albums are all better and got no praise at all. In a kind of ironic way though, this proves the point that Prince has been trying to make since he ditched Warners - The music industry is completely screwed because it is based on commericalism rather than content!

I like the video to musicology though. It is fun. There are a couple of decent tunes on the album, and after a few more listens, I might like the whole thing. You never know!

If you know people who haven't already discovered Prince, and they listen to Justin and OutKast and so on, signpost them to Dirty Mind, 1999, Parade, Sign O The Times, the Black Album and Lovesexy instead. They are all much more humourous and far more naughty.

Does anyone agree with me??

mgarlick said:

yes you are. you're missing out on a great album.



YES IT IS. Personally, I think it ranks as as GOOD as The Gold Experience and TRC and is better than Rave and NPS put together. It has more soul and funk than either of those last two plasticky albums (which I still like, let it be known) and it has it in DROVES.



no, it's just THAT GOOD!



YES! let it sink in -- it takes several listens at least. I wasn't sure about it by the second listen, either. Though I did like it...it didn't seem that amazing.....now after many repeated listens it is one of my favourite Prince albums.....not anywhere near as good as Parade or Sign.....but a hell of a lot better than most of his albums, in fact.

mgarlick said:

YOu people need to wake up , AND RELEASE IT!!