Love Symbol - Prince

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money

Advantages:	Great music; inspired writing; kept up with the times nicely
Disadvantages:	Couple of stinking ballads  -  he didn't wanna do that !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

WHO'S THIS THEN?
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It's Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson, in Minneapolis 46 years ago is a very talented singer/multi-instrumentalist (with the emphasis on "mentalist"). A master of rock, funk, pop and soul, his most famous record is probably "Kiss".

Between 1983 and 1993 he released one album every year until his record company took more control of his work and asked him to slow down his work-rate and spend more time on promotion.

He responded by changing his name to an unintelligible symbol, writing the word "slave" on his cheek and actively not promoting his work.

He returned this year with the fine Musicology album.

WHAT'S THIS ALBUM ALL ABOUT?
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This was released in 1992 at the beginning of Prince's decline. As above, he'd released one album ever year from 1983 to 1993 and this was the album that spawned the actual name-change and declaration that he was a slave to his record company. 1992 was a time when rap and dance were rife in the charts and this is Prince's attempt to ride the bandwagon. It's not as embarrasing as you'd expect from a - then - 32 year old star of the 80's.

TRACKS
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1. My Name Is Prince
Strange. I thought you'd changed your name. Anyway, this is a fantastic start to a fantastic album. Epic choral vocals soar away in the background whilst guitars squeal over a speeded up hip hop beat. This is Prince's attempt to reach the kids on the street. I was 20 when this album was released and it certainly reached me! Wisely, he defers the rapping later in the track to someone else, but his gut-wrenching vocals and frenzied instrumentation ensure that this is an incediary start to the album. After funk, soul, rock and metal and ballads, Prince could now add hip hop to his cannon. Released as a single.
Mark: 5/5

2. Sexy MF
Or Sexy Muthafucker as I still delight in calling it. This was another single release from the album and is a million miles away from the last track. It's slow, sassy, jazzy, funky and enticing all at the same time. It's got that intriguing 70's rare groove feel to it and, if I remember rightly, is very handy for grinding on the dancefloor to.
Mark: 4/5

3. Love 2 The 9s
I love this track. It wasn't a single but is a great track that deserves more expsure than it's received. It has a stop/start rhythm going on and has a real MOR 70's feel. The drums are soft and almost sensual and a lovely little piano riff tinkles away in the background. The vocals are falsetto and the backing voices are sweetly jazzy. A triumph.
Mark: 5/5

4. The Morning Papers
What Prince has alway been best at is telling stories. He did it to great effect on ...Dorothy Parker from the Sign O The Times album, and he's back doing it again here about a woman addicted to sex with strangers who returns home at dawn "in time for the morning papers". It's a ballad of sorts but has much more depth than the ballads of today with their vocal gymnastics.
Mark: 4/5

5. The Max
Prince does try to cover a lot of genres on this album. With some he's successful and with others he fails miserably. In the early 90's, soul mixed with rap was called swingbeat and he tries his at that here. The chorus is sung in a falsetto and a lot of the song relies on the talent of a guest rapper. It's OK, but with a lot going on, it can get a bit messy.
Mark: 3/5

6. Blue Light
And then Prince had a crack at reggae. I'm a bit of a reggae afficianado and don't like to see this style of music handled by the uninitiated. I'm afraid with uninspired lines like "blue light/everything will be alright", this isn't Prince's best offering. And when a cod-blues guitar solo comes in at the end, my advice is to put it down to experience and move on.
Mark: 2/5

7. I Wanna Melt With U
The title suggest a ballad, but it's actually a catchy little funk workout. Like Love 2 The 9s it's another underrated track on the album and one that I've ripped for my MP3 player for the gym because the midtempo beat matches my lethargic running pace! A great song, lots of horns having a squeal everywhere and the sentiment is outshone for the funkiness of it all.
Mark: 4/5

8. Sweet Baby
Uh-oh. A ballad. Slow drums, sickly sweet vocals and annoying pianos. Not my thing. Lovers of late night local radio programmes, however, will love it!
Mark: 1/5

9. The Continental
If anyone remembers his 80's anthem entitled U Got The Look with Sheena Easton, this has exactly the same beat. The vocals are more falsetto this time and the music is full on: industrial keyboards, more squealing guitars and mumbled backing vocals, it's all going on here at a frenetic pace. Great stuff.
Mark: 4/5

10. Damn U
Another piece of slop, it's a ballad. I dislike 99% of ballads and this is not exception. Again, slow unsubtle drums, falsetto appealing vocals and noodling jazzy piano with overstated sweeping strings. Best heard in a hotel bar at 3:40am.
Mark: 2/5

11. Arrogance
Another kitchen sink funk out. Every style of music and class of instruments and way of singing in thrown into this 90 second track. Bizarre yet accessible is how the posh music mags would describe this.
Mark: 3/5

12. The Flow
That rapper's back and this time he's virtually taken over the track with the help of a very James Brown saxophone. At little over two minutes and without Prince singing on this track, there's little to report here.
Mark: 3/5

13. "7"
Some acapella vocals kick off this five minute long track. The beats are more subtle than earlier on the album and Prince's singing soars and swoops from verse to chorus and back again. Halfway through, there's some great picked guitar and a DJ does some serious scratching in a bid to up Prince's "street" profile. He needn't have bothered. Prince will always be cool.
Mark: 4/5

14. And God Created Woman
A ballad. Euuuugh.
Mark: 2/5

15. 3 Chains O' Gold
Another epic as we the end of an eventful album. This could almost be described as a ballad, but there's too much depth and originality going on to label it as balladic dirge. And with the changes in tempo and styles over the ensuing 6 minutes, this could almost be Prince's Bohemian Rhapsody!
Mark: 3/5

16. The Sacrifice Of Victor
A great way to end the album. Funky, upbeat and with plenty of life. The unsubtle hip hop beats are back and the backing vocalists are earning their salaries big time! This mid paced, James Brown, mid-70's pastiche alone can almost make up for the two awful ballads and fake reggae track of earlier.
Mark: 4/5

PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY
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Prince May 1980
Dirty Mind Apr 1981
1999 May 1983
Purple Rain (OST) Jul 1984
1999 Sep 1984
Around The World In A Day May 1985
Parade Apr 1986
Sign 'O' The Times Apr 1987
Lovesexy May 1988
Batman (OST) Jul 1989
Graffiti Bridge Sep 1990
Gett Off Aug 1991
Diamonds And Pearls Oct 1991
Symbol Oct 1992
Hits 1 Sep 1993
Hits 2 Sep 1993
The B-Sides Sep 1993
Come Aug 1994
The Black Album Dec 1994
The Gold Experience Oct 1995
Chaos And Disorder Jul 1996
Emancipation Nov 1996
Rainbow Children Jul 1999
The Very Best Of Aug 2001
Musicology Mar 2004

OVERALL
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Not the album to start with for non-Prince fans. Get Purple Rain or one of his hits compilations instead. I love it, it reminds me of a time and place that was unique and engaging: like Prince himself.

Thanks for reading!

Wayne