Search - Prince :: Musicology

You long for "BACK IN THE DAY"? He's BACK!

Brett D. Cullum | Houston, TX United States | 04/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At the 20 year anniversary of when Prince took over the world with PURPLE RAIN comes MUSICOLOGY -- his return to light hearted straight ahead funk ... with a couple of songs that cut a little deeper. There aren't any more anti-war messages than the typical Prince album, and none of them seem directed at anyone in particular ... simply the world at large. Prince is at the top of his form right now, and poised to jog your memory of why he belongs in the Hall Of Fame. But here's the catch -- almost every PRINCE recording has a concept behind it. RAINBOW CHILDREN was a Jehovah's Witness jazz experiment, NEWS was instrumental noodlings, and here we have Prince paying homage to James Brown and other artists like Sly Stone that influenced him. He even pays tribute to his old persona by working out some old school 80s Minneapolis sound tracks complete with some help from SHEILA E and CANDY DULFER. At the end of the title track we hear samples of some 80s Prince ("Little Red Corvette", "17 DAYS" and others) and it sets the stage for a look back with an artist who the world never seems to catch up with. My favorite new track is A MILLION DAYS which laments a lover leaving and reminds me of the days when Prince was pop. CALL MY NAME will go down as one of his great slow jams! DEAR MR MAN gives you the most blatant "the world is troubled message". LIFE OF THE PARTY is his latest "Housequake" or party tune like "DMSR". The CD is totally clean and has escaped any lyrical or content warning, so it's safe to listen with kids or parents present! So put on your purple paisley and get ready to party like its 1999! MUSICOLOGY is a funky return to form for one of music's biggest talents. Will it be big and huge like PURPLE RAIN or 1999? Nothing could top that era. But this one will please the hardcore fan and the casual listener."

Back from never away

erikjj | Bergschenhoek, The Netherlands | 04/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Musicology is one of the most accessible prince albums of the last years, no real tricks or treats, just old fashioned funk and soul. The title song really is a killer, also nice is that a video of the song is added to the CD which you can view on your PC. Some highlights: "Life O the party" is a solid party jam with a nice role for Candy Dulfer (which i like as a dutch citizen:), "Call my name" is in my view destined to become a classic prince song, "Dear Mr. Man" is a nice political song in the funk tradition of sly stone. If there is any criticism to make i would like to say that the last few tracks of the CD seem to be less brilliant than let's say the first six songs, however I am not complaining about the quality in general.
Maybe this album can put Prince back in the spotlight, a place he deserves if you look at the quality of his work and his undeniable influence on many other artists. If you ever liked prince, but didn't appreciate his latest albums, don't hesitate, buy it, you won't be disappointed."

Musicology is a great funk album!

erikjj | 07/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Look, this album was a great way for Prince to enter the new Millenium! This album has a lot of good songs on it like Musicoloy, Life O' the Party, Cinnamon Girl, A Million Days, Illusion Coma Pimp and Circumstance, and On the Couch. These songs are just good funk material! They have a lot of nice grooves and beats. But, you will have to listen to it more than once to like it. Especially if you are used to the Prince that did "1999", "Controversy", and "Dirty Mind". It's a great album. But if you find yourself asking the question "Is this Prince?" you should calm down and listen to it again. It really is a fabulous album that will grow on you."