http://www.smh.com.au/art...60206.html


Prince, Musicology
May 21, 2004

The diminutive genius from Minneapolis is back with his best album in years. Bernard Zuel reports.

PRINCE, Musicology (Sony) * * * *

There are many reasons Prince lost his way in the '90s: a change of name to one that no one could pronounce; changing public tastes; a sense that his best years were behind him.

But one key element was that Prince forgot what he was about - being himself - and wasted years trying to incorporate ill-fitting parts together so as to sound new.

Hip-hop in particular never suited Prince, a man who grew up on a diet of '70s funk and soul, '60s pop and R&B, and Joni Mitchell. For that matter, his more recent jazz-fusion and jazz-orientated albums - The Rainbow Children and N.E.W.S - never suited us.

But if you hear some resonance in the lines "Wish I had a dollar/ 4 every time U say/Don't U miss the feeling/Music gave ya/Back in the day", from the title track, then you can celebrate the fact that Musicology is the best pop album Prince has made in a long time.

The track Musicology, an "old-school joint/4 the true funk soldiers", goes on to name-check Sly Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire and Kool & the Gang. From then, Prince is loose, funky and casually catchy.

He struts around in the manner of his best party songs from the early '80s in Life 'o' the Party.

He takes Stevie Wonder out for a stroll in What Do U Want Me 2 Do? And the soul-drenched ballads, such as Call My Name, are like old friends.

Yet Musicology isn't just the digging up of old bones; these songs feel fresh. Cinnamon Girl borrows its title from Neil Young, but is frisky and vampy, and takes on some Dubya-era politics, as does the activist-spurring Dear Mr Man.

Sadly, he's born-again, so we don't get the rampant sex any more, but Prince hasn't lost his sly sensuality.

Musicology proves he hasn't lost his pop sense, either. Hallelujah

So u havin a party....good 4U! All the Beautiful people gonna bthere, ELBOOGY is 2!