The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale - Prince (CD 1999)

This album is not my favorite from Prince - not even close. But there is still an incredible show of musicianship in the set of songs presented. Perhaps the greatest drawback to the album is its lack of cohesiveness.

The Vault... was put together as a compilation of songs he recorded under the ownership of Warner Brothers. As far as I know he had no part in the putting together of the album. The album lacks a flow because the songs were created at different times in his career and lack any central theme or style.

Depending on the style of music you like, or maybe even your mood at a given moment, individual songs stick out for their varied quality and complexity or lack thereof.

Several of the songs were actually recorded for the movie I'LL DO ANYTHING, starring Nick Nolte. It was filmed as a musical and test audiences hated the movie as it was, so they cut out all the music and released it - it was still pretty bad. Anyway, knowing that several were for the movie, as a musical, might give some perspective to their point-of-view. The songs for the movie were MY LITTLE PILL, THERE IS LONELY, and I believe, THE REST OF MY LIFE.

THERE IS LONELY - one of the more notable songs on the album - is a beautiful lament of depression. The lyrics describe a degree of unhappiness and sorrow very poetically and the acoustic guitar adds a hollowness and complements the rolling piano to create a true sense that the song was written sincerely during a time of sadness.

IT'S ABOUT THAT WALK, SHE SPOKE TO ME, and WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN are a trio of songs that would be enough to prove Prince as a jazz musician if he hadn't already done so on his Madhouse releases and other random numbers throughout his eclectic career. SHE SPOKE TO ME is actually from the Spike Lee movie GIRL 6, but this extended version includes an almost traditional jazz rotation for the last few minutes of the song, and is a lot of fun to hear.

5 WOMEN is my favorite song on the album. This song is evidence that many of the songs Prince gives away are better than efforts many artists keep for themselves - he gave 5 WOMEN to Joe Cocker years ago. I have never heard Cocker's version, but Prince puts it together as a driving blues exercise with witty, clever lyrics.

OLD FRIENDS FOR SALE is a pretty good song, although I consider other of his songs with a similar style much better. It's significance on the album and probably the reason it is in the title of the album is that for years that song was listed on fan newsgroups and polls as their favorite unreleased (bootlegged) song. It just doesn't do a huge amount for me - well but even as I write this, I am listening to it and it does have some nice orchestral instrumentation backing his strong vocals.

Both SARAH and EXTRAORDINARY fall in genres of his music that include much better examples than these two.

With the range of styles on the album, it isn't something most people will just stick on their CD players and let play straight through. It is more the type of album that you will pull out for one of the several songs that might be calling out to you at a given time, then place back on the CD rack.

Fans of Prince's music, even casual fans, need to have this album for its several additional examples of the man's genius. Non-fans won't be converted by the album or feel compelled to listen to it much.

I am rating The Vault with four stars because it is still much better a set of music than much of the drivel released these days.