Prince

[sal]

I understand that copies of Prince's new album were distributed in the UK inside a newspaper. Have any of our friends across the pond gotten the chance to hear it yet? I've heard that there's lots of guitar on this new album...can never be a bad thing! I've enjoyed his two previous releases quite a bit and am looking forward to hearing this.

[zen archer]

i just downloaded "Planet Earth' (Princes new cd not the planet ) and i was pleasantly

surprised . I thought his last release 3121 was awful but the new one has some great songs on it.

"The one u wanna c" is great and "Chelsea Rodgers" is a full blown Disco track.

There are tracks that have guitar but it's pretty much like all his albums a few ballads , rock songs etc.

[Aggie87]

Is it a free download somewhere? Normally I wouldn't expect that, but since it's being given away free in the U.K, figured it was worth asking.

[Alexander Hawkins]

This was attached to The Mail on Sunday. A disgusting Tory rag of a paper. Peculiar choice for Prince/his people to put it out on!

[JSngry]

I thought that Musicology was a stone gem, but found 3121 suspiciously similar to going through the motions.

If this one is really good, I'll pop for it. But it's gonna have to be really good.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

found it ... and ... SOStuff. where oh where is that Sexy MFer!? (the best Prince track you can't play for the masses)

zen archer picked the cherries plus some nice "jazz" falsetto work in there on "Somewhere Here..." complete with a Milesy nod, noh wait, a Bottti nod.

[Rosco]

Was going to start a thread on this before it came out and forgot about it...

Yep, I sprang for £1.20 to get Prince's new album... and got a free Tory newspaper. Had to take a shower after.

Listened to it a few times now and here are some thoughts....

Planet Earth: Rock ballad with a 'what-are-doing-to-the-world?' lyric and an anti-war sentiment. Pretty good song but as a piece of social commentary, it's no 'Sign O The Times'. Gets better the longer it's on. Sorta reminds me of 'Anna Stasia' from Lovesexy or 'Free' from 1999

Guitar: Terrific, catchy guitar pop with a great riff and a typically Princey tongue in cheek lyric ('I love you baby.... but not like I love my guitar') Think 'Peach'

Somewhere Here On Earth: Very mellow, atmospheric ballad, with flutes, muted trumpet, synth washes and piano with Prince doing his best Delfonics falsetto. Very pretty but more of a mood piece than a memorable song.

The One U Wanna See: Pop/ rock tune. Not bad but you've heard him do this kind of thing better. Think 'Take Me With U'.

Future Baby Mama: Slinky mid-tempo 'R&B' tune with a nice melody and an amusing lyric. His sly humour lets him get away with it. If R. Kelly was singing it, this would just be creepy.

Mr Good Night: Sort of a continuation of the previous track, like an old school lurve-rap tune. Ok.

All the Midnights In the World: Pleasant little rock tune with a hint of his pop-psychedleic Around the World in A Day era.

Chelsea Rodgers: 70s disco throwback, with a bouncy bass line, choppy guitar and stabbing horns. Very catchy and the kind of thing I can imagine turning into an extended jam in concert.

Lion of Judah: Dull, plodding rock track. Pince at his most bombastic. Skip.

Resolution: Breezy pop with a not particularly insightful 'isn't war terrible?' lyric. (Interesting that the album is bookended with anti-war songs, though) Didn't stike me at first but has grown on me with repeated plays. Still, it feels like filler.

I'd give it a 6/10. If you're a Prince die-hard (or you get it free with a newspaper! ) it's worth having. The merely curious needn't feel they're missing out.

[catesta]

Giving it away is probably the only way most people are ever going to hear this one.

I understand the distributor for the U.K. was pissed and has now decided to pass on the deal.

[zen archer]

The title track is cool with that middle part that sounds like it's straight out of a Free Design LP very

sunshine pop sounding .

[Rosco]

Apparently, he'll also be giving away copies at his shows over here.