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May. 25, 2004 7:16
Living up to the legend of Prince
By DAVID BRINN


Prince and Patti Smith are two rock & roll visionaries who have had a far-reaching influence on modern music.

Practically every female rocker from Shirley Manson and Courtney Love to Avril Lavigne and Pink (not to mention males such as Michael Stipe and Morrissey) have a bit of Smith's musical DNA in their approach and attitude. And what latter-day funkster - from Jason Timberlake to Usher - could possibly not owe a great debt to Prince?


In fact, the two were among the few still-active performers who made Rolling Stone's recent list of Rock & Roll's 50 Immortals. Which makes it all the more difficult for them to behave like mere mortals and create new music. But this is what they've done on Prince's Musicology and Smith's Trampin', with mixed results.

PRINCE
Musicology
(NMC)

Prince, who - if Michael Jackson didn't exist - could win the title of pop's most eccentric personality, insists that Musicology is not a comeback because he never went away. But try telling that to anyone who followed the Minnesota chameleon's career in limbo over the past 10 or 15 years of name changes to unpronounceable symbols, feuds with record companies, self-released material and a long stretch of anonymity.

And how about the fact that he's suddenly everywhere? Electrifying the audience at the Grammys with a stunning version of "Purple Rain" with Beyonce, or stealing the show from his peers after being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And magazine covers and a world tour to boot. To be more of a comeback, those Andy Kaufman rumors would have to be true.

Unfortunately, taken in that light, Musicology can only be seen as something of a letdown. Aside from a few works of sustained excellence such as Sign o' the Times and Purple Rain, Prince albums have generally been unsteady affairs, and here Prince proves himself to be consistent in his inconsistency.

Now married, domesticated (if that word could ever be used to describe Prince), and a Jehovah's Witness, his act is cleaned up, but the music is still salacious.

Handling almost all the instruments and vocals himself, Prince too often settles for perfunctory funk, albeit with his classy touch and panache. The title track, "Life 'o' the Party" and "The Marrying Kind" would be filler on a great Prince album, but after years of hearing his sound absconded with and built upon by others, there's nothing fresh left.

There are signs of hope. "A Million Days" is a juicy slice of Seventies twin-guitar pop - like a thick wedge of rich cake that you know is no good for you, but can't resist. And "Cinnamon Girl" takes off where the bouncy psychedelia of "Raspberry Beret" let off, with both tracks demonstrating that Prince can still write a hit at will.

"Call My Name" isn't a bad slow R&B burner, and "Dear Mr. Man" tries to address current affairs in the vein of "Sign o' the Times," but in a much more muted and less effective manner.

It's good to see Prince back, and I'm sure his live show will reestablish his reputation as one of the performing all-time greats. But aside from proving that he hasn't slowed down a bit during his downtime, Musicology doesn't exactly propel Prince's legend forward.

PATTI SMITH
Trampin'
(NMC)

Trampin' isn't Patti Smith's comeback, but the fourth installment of her Career Part II since returning to making music in 1996 after a long lull which saw the death of her husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith. And it could be the strongest disc of the quartet.

At 57, Smith is still the street poet/punk rabble rouser. And her long-time band featuring guitarist Lenny Kaye still worships at the garage rock temple - best exemplified by the sinewy grooves of the anthem "Jubilee" and the roar of the punky "Cartwheels." But it seems like at times Smith and the band are too lazy to come up with convincing melodies, and prefer to rock out in unfair compensation.

Luckily, Trampin's best tracks veer away from three-chord rockers and focus on a more melodic singer/songwriter bent, which suits a more mature Smith like an oversized thrift-shop suit.

Songs such as the wistful, acoustic "Trespasses," the mid-tempo rocker "My Blakean Year" (is there another artist out there who could write a song with that title?), and a yearning, subdued "Peaceable Kingdom" are some of the best songs of Smith's heralded career. She's still urging her audience to make the world a better place - a hippie message that sounds totally sincere coming from her.

And then there's the charming title track that closes the disc - a duet featuring Smith and her son Jesse on piano - which has a hint of one of those southern, mythical Randy Newman tunes. It makes up for the 12-minute-long "Radio Baghdad," in which the band's political, poetic and musical indulgences are left unchecked.

Like Musicology, Trampin' may find Smith resorting to old tricks, but they're tricks that can still teach us a thing or two.

P is not trying 2 live up 2 his legend bcuz there is nothing left 4 him 2 prove. That's 4 the newjacks 2 do! P is in perpetual motion he don't stop and won't stop. He was ahead of his time but the cool thing is that he's still here in another phase that still bests every1 else. P has created a Model of genius that will not b duplicated 4 a very long time. Example: An ARTIST who is totally adaptable 2 any musical situation! U've heard of the phrase the perfect fighting machine when describing Bruce Lee. P is his twin when it comes 2 music! His work ethic and passion 4 what he does is unmatched by any other ARTIST that i can think of when it comes 2 recording volume of work,Live performance(Concert/Aftershows). He can rock the roof off a concert playing an instrument or not,or simply by himself, or just jamming with the band or any band as witnessed on the RRHOF show! Prince and Bruce Lee are like water they can change in2 any shape or form when it comes 2 their perspective craft! When Prince sang "My name is Prince and i am funky! My name is Prince the 1 and only! He's not boasting at all he is simply stating the TRUTH!

I think some of these "critics" try to make a name for themselves by disagreeing with everyone else. Obviously, this guy doesn't know jack about P so take it for what it's worth.