3121 - Prince
Even though he’s been producing music continuously for nearly three decades, Prince’s self-proclaimed “comeback” has reached its second installment with the release of 3121. And he’s succeeding. While his solid 2004 release, Musicology, played like a big middle finger to current musical trends, the government, and everybody in the audience that ever claimed that the man could no longer bring it sonically; Prince’s latest effort does something that he has not accomplished since 1996’s Emancipation, and that’s have fun with the music, confidently and without trying too hard to do anything but make music.
This freedom is evident on the title track, which is not only the funkiest cut on the album, but also the triumphant return of Prince’s curious Camille persona, who hasn’t come out to play like this since the 80s. The lead single, "Te Amo Corazon" is ultra smooth and infused with Latin vibes and some nice tricks on the guitar, while its follow-up, "Black Sweat", is a certifiable club banger with a minimalist drum loop and studio effects that Pharrell Williams dreams about. In contrast, "Get on the Boat" closes the record with a joyous jam session featuring stellar performances by percussionist Sheila E. and the NPG horn section.
Even his missteps on this album hold merit. "Lolita" contains some of Prince’s more banal lyrics and a backing track that sounds like a midi from an early Megaman game, but it’s undeniably smile-inducing and simple fun. "Fury", meanwhile, hardly treads any new ground in the world of rock, but Prince’s brilliant performance of the song on Saturday Night Live will leave fans salivating at the recorded track in anticipation of the coming tour this summer. "Satisfied" is a decent enough ballad and would be attention-grabbing if done by any other artist, but Prince has done so much better with the genre that it’s not even worth mentioning.
Other songs such as "Incense and Candles" and "The Word" are a little overproduced, but the former remains a seductive slow-jam regardless, and the latter benefits from the extra studio time, producing a dreamy aural landscape for a Gospel track that is rather subtle by Prince’s normally heavy evangelical standards. "Beautiful, Love and Blessed" on the other hand is unapologetically devout and hopeful, as Prince intentionally steps down his performance in order to showcase his newest protégé, Tamar, who unfortunately does not do much to promote herself on this uplifting song. For a fleeting moment on "Get on the Boat" however, her backing vocals soar even higher than Maceo Parker’s saxophone in an amazing display that offers a glimmer of hope for Prince’s latest pet project.
Overall, 3121 is a very good album, a better record than Musicology, and will ultimately keep Prince relevant in today’s musical environment with strong grooves and clever song-writing. It is not, however, groundbreaking in any way, and will not be remembered as one of the best in Prince’s discography, or anybody’s list of favorite records. It may be unfair to continuously compare the man today with his 28 year career, but that’s the downside of being a musical legend.
This freedom is evident on the title track, which is not only the funkiest cut on the album, but also the triumphant return of Prince’s curious Camille persona, who hasn’t come out to play like this since the 80s. The lead single, "Te Amo Corazon" is ultra smooth and infused with Latin vibes and some nice tricks on the guitar, while its follow-up, "Black Sweat", is a certifiable club banger with a minimalist drum loop and studio effects that Pharrell Williams dreams about. In contrast, "Get on the Boat" closes the record with a joyous jam session featuring stellar performances by percussionist Sheila E. and the NPG horn section.
Even his missteps on this album hold merit. "Lolita" contains some of Prince’s more banal lyrics and a backing track that sounds like a midi from an early Megaman game, but it’s undeniably smile-inducing and simple fun. "Fury", meanwhile, hardly treads any new ground in the world of rock, but Prince’s brilliant performance of the song on Saturday Night Live will leave fans salivating at the recorded track in anticipation of the coming tour this summer. "Satisfied" is a decent enough ballad and would be attention-grabbing if done by any other artist, but Prince has done so much better with the genre that it’s not even worth mentioning.
Other songs such as "Incense and Candles" and "The Word" are a little overproduced, but the former remains a seductive slow-jam regardless, and the latter benefits from the extra studio time, producing a dreamy aural landscape for a Gospel track that is rather subtle by Prince’s normally heavy evangelical standards. "Beautiful, Love and Blessed" on the other hand is unapologetically devout and hopeful, as Prince intentionally steps down his performance in order to showcase his newest protégé, Tamar, who unfortunately does not do much to promote herself on this uplifting song. For a fleeting moment on "Get on the Boat" however, her backing vocals soar even higher than Maceo Parker’s saxophone in an amazing display that offers a glimmer of hope for Prince’s latest pet project.
Overall, 3121 is a very good album, a better record than Musicology, and will ultimately keep Prince relevant in today’s musical environment with strong grooves and clever song-writing. It is not, however, groundbreaking in any way, and will not be remembered as one of the best in Prince’s discography, or anybody’s list of favorite records. It may be unfair to continuously compare the man today with his 28 year career, but that’s the downside of being a musical legend.
Top Track: 3121, Get on the Boat
Reason to Buy: Prince is still great at what he does.
Reasons Not to Buy this Album: You're stuck in the 80s and have unreasonably high expectations.
posted by clavin at 12:07 AM
2 Comments:
I had no idea Prince had new record out.
It must have been a cold winter in Minneapolis.
2:05 PM
As I was telling Ben over Jabber, 3121 is the #2 album on Amazon right now, and Neko Case's "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" is #3, so I'm bitter.
But I'll have to listen to this and see what all the fuss is about.
7:54 PM
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