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Album Review Prince
- 3121 His resurgence couldn't be happening at a better time, as I've grown weary of today's artists and producers who have carefully mined his discography and copied so many of his vocal styles, drum patterns, horn segments, suggestive lyricism and multi-track vocals with such precision that it unapologetically crosses the line by which influence and theft are separated. And I'm not just talking about Rap and R&B artists, Mr. Reznor. Lolita and Black Sweat are two standout tracks on this album. The former, true to its title, sounds like something Prince wrote for Lindsey Lohan as a birthday gift. Backed by muffled drums and too-cool synths, he chastises a young floozy, telling her "you're much too young to peep my stash/you try to write checks your body can't cash." Its vibe is unabashedly young, fun and completely vacant. It's aural cotton candy, delicious and easily digested. I wish he would make more songs like this one. Conversely, Black Sweat is all grown up. Built entirely from a drum machine, synths and Prince's trusty falsetto, the song is a clearly a rip-off of his 1986 masterpiece, Kiss, but it doesn't matter. The groove is undeniable. While Prince claims he won't displease Jehova with explicit lyrics anymore, Black Sweat's music quite possibly sounds freakier than anything he's ever done, Nasty Girl included. The lyrics just don't do this song justice, as Prince tells us "I don't wanna take my clothes off, but I do." Well, 20 years ago, there wouldn't have been any question about who's clothes were coming off, because he would've demanded everyone to take off their clothes. Remember, this is a man who told all the women to "work youbody like whore" and that we can "do whatever we want/wear lingerie to a restaurant/police ain't go no gun/you don't have to run." While 3121 isn't better than anything he did before the name change, it does remind you of what the big deal was about the guy in the first place, and why he will forever suffer from the comparisons to his younger and hungrier self. The title track is the kind of twisted mix of funk, rock and psychadelia that only he could make and not get tongues. It's not that the song isn't good (it's actually fantastic), but it's just not better than D.M.S.R. or Alphabet St., songs that did get every tongue wagging, prompting people to ask, "How does he come up with this stuff?" If Andre 3000 makes 3121, he would more than likely get such a response, because he hasn't already made a half dozen of songs in the same vein, all of which are superior to the latest version. It's unfair, yes, but so is being born with more raw musical talent than any else of the Rock & Roll era. It's the world's way of leveling the playing field, Prince. Don't take it personally.
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From
1978 to 1988, Prince Rogers Nelson had such a severe
outpouring of musical creativity, arguably greater than individual
artist before or since, that it has apparently taken
him nearly two decades to replenish himself. Legend has
it that he produced songs at such a superhuman rate that there
are dozens of whole albums locked away in vaults, because
Warner Brothers, the label that signed him right out of high
school, refused to release all of the material, much of
which is rumored to be his best work. With his new album, 3121,
Prince is showing signs of an awakening from his creative coma. 