Musicology was a self-conscious comeback, a record designed to return Prince to the spotlight and the charts, and it worked: even if it spawned no big hits, the 2004 LP became his first album to crack the Billboard Top Ten since 1995's The Gold Experience, get a fair amount of radio play, and get a bunch of positive press, along with a well-received tour. Prince no longer seemed like an eccentric consigned to the fringes: he seemed like a savvy pro, reclaiming a reputation and respect that he'd lost. That he did it with an album that sounded uncannily like a deliberate return to classic Prince as performed by the New Power Generation was almost beside the point: it was enough that he sounded engaged, and that he made a focused, purposeful album. Its quickly delivered 2006 follow-up, 3121, proves that Musicology was no fluke. Like its predecessor, 3121 is tight and concise, offering 12 songs in 53 minutes, and it's classically structured, emphasizing shifting moods and textures between songs. It is an album, not a collection of songs, and you could even call it old-fashioned, but it feels fresher than Musicology, as if Prince had listened to enough Neptunes productions to understand how they've absorbed his music. That acknowledgement doesn't come often -- it's evident in the sly, sexy grooves of "Black Sweat" and the squealing synths of "Lolita" -- but since it's paired with an emphasis on dance tunes and a retreat from the enjoyable but endless NPG-styled vamping that characterized a good portion of Musicology, 3121 winds up sounding lively, varied, and, at its best, exciting. And at the beginning of the album, 3121 is quite exciting, as Prince revives his high-pitched alter ego Camille on the title track and dives head first into the electro-funk of "Lolita" and "Black Sweat," songs that recall such mid-period masterpieces as "Kiss" or "Sign 'O' the Times" without being rewrites. Nevertheless, the fact that the freshest sounding music here still has a direct line back to records Prince made 20 years prior is a good indication that the album, like Prince himself in the wake of hip-hop, is a little bit conservative, emphasizing funk of both the James Brown and George Clinton varieties, late-night slow jams, classic dance, and soul, instead of wrestling with modern music. While that may disappoint some listeners who yearn for the return of the trailblazing Prince of the '80s, when he reinvented himself with each record, it's hardly surprising that a 47-year-old musician is spending more time refining his palette than expanding it. What is a surprise is that Prince is in top form as both a writer and record-maker; perhaps the one-man-band nature of its recording doesn't mean the album is as gritty or raw as his reliably thrilling live performances, but 3121 crackles with excitement, filled with different sounds and styles. Best of all, this is filled with songs that hold their own as individual tunes, yet gel into a cohesive record that is thankfully devoid of an overarching concept, a problem that plagued his albums after Diamonds and Pearls. 3121 does fall short from being perfect -- there may be no bad songs, but the momentum slows ever so slightly on the second half -- yet it's something more valuable than being a one-off classic: it's proof that Prince has indeed returned as a vital, serious recording artist on his own terms. Maybe he's no longer breaking new ground, but his eccentricities are now an attribute, not a curse, which goes a long way in making his trademark blend of funk, pop, soul, and ock sound nearly as dazzling as it did at his popular and creative peak in the '80s.
This just goes to show that Prince still has it and, in fact, will never lose it. And by "it", I mean the funk. You know, the funky ball of tits from outer space. The Sea Funk..Ok that was random, but it's true. If anything he's gotten better, and certainly better looking.
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this is about as cool as it gets:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/16/arts/music/16prince.web.html?8dpc=&_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=login&adxnnlx=1150492838-KXCdrvEqaPxZlCL5WWJl9gi especially like this part:"Then came the artist himself, sharply attired in a white suit, a black shirt and sunglasses, and clutching a hollow-bodied Ibanez guitar. He played just one number: “Get on the Boat,” ... Prince sa
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U can come if U want to, but U can never leave.
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Prince fans have banned together to fight for justice against the artist and his league of lawyers. Allegedly, Prince's representatives have contacted the three biggest Prince fansites, asking them to remove all visual likeness to the artist from their websites. This includes artwork, photos of Prince merch, and even photos of tattoos in the artist's likeness! WTF? Otherwise, these reps wan...
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As previously reported, Prince will be releasing a new scent on the market called 3121. To celebrate, he will be playing a special show at the MACY's store in his hometown of MINNEAPOLIS!!! July 7th (07/07/07), the day that the fragrance is introduced to the public, Prince will be funk-ta-fying the 8th floor of the downtown Minne department store. Believe it or not, he will also be playing a...
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Will Prince be next on Starbucks' new record label, Hear Music? It remains to be seen, but the label's CEO announced that Prince would make an ideal candidate. According to Giant Step news:Ken Lombard, CEO of Starbucks' record label Hear Music, spoke at the MusicMeetsBrand conference on Wednesday (7/18), stating that Prince is an ideal candidate for the company's next signing, proceeding the ...
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Prince, on the heels of announcing a summer UK tour, has revealed the launch of his own perfume, 3121. The perfume, also the title of his 2006 Number One record will hit store shelves on July 7th. The artist known formally as the artist will join the leagues of Jessica Simpson (Dessert), Hilary Duff (With Love) and Christina Augilera who recently announced her venture in the stank industry with...
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It was announced that Prince will make a home coming to his birthplace of Minneapolis to perform a concert that will debut his new fragrance, "3121," according to Yahoo news.The event is being dubbed as the "Ultimate Prince Xperience." Fans will get the opportunity to purchase the package which includes one ticket to the private show on the eighth floor of Macy's downtown department store, one ...
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This just goes to show that Prince still has it and, in fact, will never lose it. And by "it", I mean the funk. You know, the funky ball of tits from outer space. The Sea Funk..Ok that was random, but it's true. If anything he's gotten better, and certainly better looking.
More >
this is about as cool as it gets:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/16/arts/music/16prince.web.html?8dpc=&_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=login&adxnnlx=1150492838-KXCdrvEqaPxZlCL5WWJl9gi especially like this part:"Then came the artist himself, sharply attired in a white suit, a black shirt and sunglasses, and clutching a hollow-bodied Ibanez guitar. He played just one number: “Get on the Boat,” ... Prince sa
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Prince has found himself at the center of a lawsuit brought against him by perfume maker, Revelations . Revelations is suing the singer for failure to help promote their fragrance, '3121 ', which was named after Prince ' 2006 album.The perfume maker filed the suit, asking for damages of $100,000 for breach of contract, at the New York State Supreme Court and also named the singer's publisher,...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 3121 |
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| 2 Lolita |
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| 3 Te Amo Corazón |
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| 4 Black Sweat |
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| 5 Incense and Candles |
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| 6 Love |
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| 7 Satisfied |
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| 8 Fury |
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| 9 The Word |
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| 10 Beautiful, Loved and Blessed |
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| 11 The Dance |
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| 12 Get on the Boat |
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 "3121")
