(Symbol) [PA] - Prince (CD 1992)

The problem with long concept albums is that few artists are able to deliver 14 and more top-notch songs at a stretch. In spite of that every decade has seen those who had aspired. We all remember those who did great (Led Zeppelin s Physical Graffiti, Bruce s The River, Prince s Sign O the Times), we equally remember the ones that made us want to stop our ears (Genesis The Lamb lies down on Broadway - brrrr!). However, most of concept albums in the history of popular music, now decorating your local music store shelves, are just good, with certain ups and inevitable downs, and for the most part ups outweighing the downs. So Cure s Kiss me, Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie, Counting Crows Recovering the Satellites also Prince s Prince and the N.P.G., a.k.a. The love symbol album .


The reason why one of Prince s most ambitious (1992) projects wound up being just good, and not everything it without a doubt aspired to be, was our kid who simply didn t have enough groundbreaking material this time. You see he decided to create an opera of sorts, a funk opera. And out of 16 songs he wrote for the album, ten were absolutely astounding, including the four opening and four closing shall I call them acts ? But even though there is some good stuff in the middle as well, some songs also seriously drag there, making me regularly skip at least four, which, of course, spoils the flow of the intended opera.


In other words, had he made it shorter, it would have been another masterpiece. What it winds up being, is just a very good album and, since the good stuff here is brilliant, a highlight of Prince s career and a hearty recommended .




Recommended
Yes










In the beginning God made the sea
But one the 7th day He made me
He was trying to rest y all when He heard the sound
Sound like a guitar cold getting down
I tried 2 bust a high note but I bust a string
My God was worried till He heard me sing
My name is Prince and I am funky


The good stuff


The opener My name is Prince sets the pace for the entire record. Prince may have created many wonderful grooves on his countless albums, but this one s genuinely special. It is so cool it s infectious. Add the funny lyrics and you get one of Prince s best openers.


Sexy MF is a jazzy jam, and the band gets to show off for the first time on the record. NPG is indeed the best of all bands Prince has ever fronted, and be it horns, keyboards, or basses, these guys shine. They mostly go for a party sound here so Prince doesn t play his guitar much, which is the only disillusionment. However, with the music as wonderful as on Love 2 the 9 s you might really forgive him that. And then, track 4 Morning papers does feature a guitar solo by the Man two, actually, and they are both awesome.




The bad stuff


It s four songs that follow. The max is okay, but I wanna melt with U needs to go. The grooves are repetitive and both songs do nothing for me. A reggae attempt Blue light is not a bad song per se, but it certainly doesn t benefit from being placed between the two. Lastly, Sweet baby is the kind of a pop ballad that virtually anyone could write, it might even do if it didn t follow the above three songs thus managing to spoil the initial good impression completely.




The good stuff


We re back into highlights territory. The continental starts as another funky jam, and the opening chords of Damn U may bear a resemblance to old-fashioned lounge jazz bits. However, after four filler songs it s finally Prince s way again so expect a pair of surprises and something really beautiful.




The great stuff


The album closes with four songs that, along with the opener, belong to Prince s best. First comes 7 - a half-gospel, half-acoustic song like the kind you want to play at a campfire. Add the lyrics based on the book of Revelation, about love prevailing in the end, and you have Prince surpass himself:


And we will see a plague and a river of blood
And every evil soul will surely die in spite of
Their 7 tears but do not fear
4 in the distance 12 souls from now
U and me will still be here


Two things I love about this song the most Prince s vocals, absolutely rock steady, and the opera feel, beginning with the creepy laughs after the first chorus, basically painting what the lyrics sing about. Now imagine it all set to another funkiest groove ever.


Albeit hard to believe, it does get better than that And God created woman is one of Prince s best tributes to the opposite sex. With a total of 5 verses it s another small pop miracle, playing with yet doing justice to the first three chapters of the Old Testament.


You may think it doesn t get better than THAT, well, it does in fact. Do not, however, expect to like 3 chains of gold on the first listen. Took me three or four, because let me tell you, this song is WEIRD. As our very own cdm72 (the guy who reviewed ALL Prince albums at Eps) pointed out, the song positively resembles Queen s Bohemian Rhapsody , at the same time it s Prince at his own game so it s something altogether different. Once again our kid goes for the opera feel, this time rock opera style, and takes it to a crescendo, with a series of epic choruses and one of the shortest yet most breathtaking guitar solos you ll ever hear. If this is not a masterpiece, what is?


Yes, what is a masterpiece? The sacrifice of Victor would make a nice pick. Closing the album on the same funky note it opened to, the song reveals some secrets about Prince and, actually, tells you what this crazy thing you ve just spent over one hour listening to was all about. In two words... oh, but I'll leave that for you to discover.


I know joy lives round the corner
One day I ll visit her I m gonna
When she tell me everything
That s when the angels sing
That s when the victory is sho nuff

My feet might get tired but I m gonna keep on
Walking down this road and when I reach my destination
That s when I ll know
That s when my name will be Victor

Amen





Final thoughts


Prince and the N.P.G. may not be on par with the kid s best albums. And it may not even be his best album of the 90s (that so far goes out to The Gold Experience, and you thought I got all his albums?). However, it is eclectic, weird and fun enough to justify a purchase. No guarantees, but those 10 highlights you ll be spinning over and over. Which brings us back to where we took off. Prince stands for a recommended . You should give some of his best works a shot.


Thanks for reading.