Musicology [ECD] - Prince (CD 2004)

Here's the review I'd love to write for this album:

GO.
NOW.
BUY.
LISTEN & BE AMAZED.
RESPECT THE TRUE FUNK SOLDIERS.

That won't get me a passing grade in this class, so I'm turning in this somewhat longer essay to try to explain the genius that is Prince - Professor of Musicology. Let's just be honest about this from the beginning - explaining this level of funk is impossible; it must be heard to be believed.

Prince's newest album Musicology is a course in which many of today's stars need to enroll. Some of the industry's brightest stars mask their level of talent with studio smoke and mirrors, impenetrable walls of sound, using samples of REAL musician's earlier works, and hiding behind a talented production team that makes them appear to be much better than they actually are. Musicology shows what REAL musical talent is - original music and lyrics, played on REAL instruments, completely bare of any studio camouflage tricks, and absolutely soaked with the artist's blood, sweat and tears, or in this case, with The Artist's funk, sweat and love.

Musicology is all about the funk - this album is a loving homage to the true funk soldiers who went before him - James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Earth Wind and Fire, and many others. It's all about The One - if you don't know what that means, then you still need to take the pre-requisite course on Elementary Funk taught by Professor J. Brown. Prince is a true master of The One, and he excels at extending the groove across an entire album. In Musicology, he makes it all seem so effortless to transport the listener back to a simpler, but so much more funky sound than anything heard in years. This record goes back all the way to the start>, back to the OLD days of Prince and Dirty Mind, mining the sounds of that era and melting them down with elements from Purple Rain, Sign O' The Times and other classic Prince releases, to produce an strong album of solid funk and smooth soul. Prince's New Power Generation now includes two saxophones and a trombone to provide real funk flavor, and these musicians know how to bring it.

In the title track, Prince gives props to early funk artists, presenting his thesis for the rest of the album - you got to keep the party movin' just like they toldja.... It's amazing how little is actually going on in this song - it's bass and percussion touches in perfect synch on The One, minimal rhythm on electric guitar, horn hits, and the signature organ sound of The Revolution. The dance party continues in other songs Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance, and Life 'O' The Party - just like the first track, the funk rules and the party never ends. Musicology has a few slower funk jams, songs that depend more on thoughtful lyrics, wailing horns, and Prince's stellar guitar work, here grounded firmly in the sounds of the seventies - in Dear Mr. Man, Prince lays into the President's policies and other social ills, recalling the political fervor of What's Going On?. In Call My Name, Prince is in full soul mode - I just can't stop writin' songs aboutcha, I love you so much.

My favorite song of the album is the gospel/blues On The Couch, with Prince wailing in his singular falsetto about how bad he wants to be with his woman (you know what I'm talkin' about), who is kicking him to the curb, sentenced to spending the night on the couch. Prince shows his vocal range on this song, showing off a little of the devastatingly fabulous screaming he commands with his voice, but he also shows some maturity by keeping it under control. It works to great effect, and it's also one of the highlights of his live show.

And that's the real genius of Prince - what he records here, he can mutate and expand upon in a live concert setting. He isn't restrained by the original recording, needing to use samples, lip-synched tracks or other tricks to reproduce the sounds of the album. These songs are completely flexible because they are so musical, so malleable to whatever direction he wishes to take them. The songs are simple yet so very effective, and so very addictive - this is the real deal, played by one of the true funk soldiers. Musicology is a solid soulful performance from one of the greatest artists in modern music history, and those who would excel as REAL musicians would benefit from this master class in classic funk performance. Give it up - respect the funk - it's name is Prince.

----------

Prince - Musicology
Released April 20, 2004 by Sony Records (review of pre-release copy received at concert)
All lyrics quoted are copyright 2004 by Prince/NPG Records
Tracks:
Musicology / Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance / A Million Days / Life 'O' The Party / Call My Name / Cinammon Girl / What Do U Want Me 2 Do? / The Marrying Kind / If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life / On The Couch / Dear Mr. Man / Reflection


Here's my concert review from the Indianapolis show on April 12th