Prince, 3121
Mar. 22nd, 2006 08:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancerjodiI picked up the man's new album yesterday. I'm enjoying it, and as with any recent Prince album, I'm sure I'll get into it more with more listening.
The title refers to (per the interweb) "the address of his home in the Hollywood Hills, where he regularly entertains celebrity guests and hosts all-night jam sessions". Makes sense. The photos within the CD booklet are taken in a home - presumably his. What a pretty place! Alas, I didn't get the golden ticket, so I won't be one of the seven lucky people to see a private show there.
There is a good mix of Prince styles in this album. He's got the more modern funk inspired stuff ala Musicology in here. There are some bubblegum popish sounds with synths that make me think of the Purple Rain Era and some of the sounds that The Time had in their music. Its got some of the perversion of Love Sexy and classic standards of Parade (from "Under the Cherry Moon"). All in all, its an album that gets the booty moving.
What's new for this album is the amount of religious references (Prince is a Jehovah's Witness). There are a couple of songs that seem entirely religion based (the word, get on the boat), while a couple of others have fleeting comments here and there.
I think my favorite on this album is "Love" (my favorite on Musicology was "Cinnamon Girl"). There's usually one that grabs me both for its musicality, ability to make me groove, and the message of the song). Lyrics cut for your pleasure:
Stop telling me what U want me 2 hear
Stop telling me what U want me 2 fear
Stop trippin' on something U overheard
Love is winning without a word.
Stop giving me Ur "wish list"
Love is free from all of this
Like a bird flyin' over the hilltops
Love is like the sky
U know it never stops
From the abundance of the love the mouth speaks
Love is whatever, whatever U want it 2 b
Love is not a game U can play on the floor
U gotta stop keepin' score
If U want 2 play me like U did b4
U better stop and walk out the door
U can skate around the issue if U like
But who's gonna get U high in the middle of the night?
Like a bird flyin' over the hilltops
Love is in the sky
U know, it never stops
From the abundance of the love the mouth speaks
Love is whatever, whatever U want it 2 b
What's the point of giving me ultimatums?
Smiling at my friends when U really hate em'
Trying 2 convince me that I should 2
What's the point?
Stop worryin' about what people say
When it ain't gonna stop them anyway
Love can do anything if U try
Come on, spread Ur wings
Lets fly, so high
Like a bird flyin' over the hilltops
Love is like the sky
U know, it never stops
From the abundance of the love the mouth speaks
Love is whatever, whatever U want it 2 b
The title refers to (per the interweb) "the address of his home in the Hollywood Hills, where he regularly entertains celebrity guests and hosts all-night jam sessions". Makes sense. The photos within the CD booklet are taken in a home - presumably his. What a pretty place! Alas, I didn't get the golden ticket, so I won't be one of the seven lucky people to see a private show there.
There is a good mix of Prince styles in this album. He's got the more modern funk inspired stuff ala Musicology in here. There are some bubblegum popish sounds with synths that make me think of the Purple Rain Era and some of the sounds that The Time had in their music. Its got some of the perversion of Love Sexy and classic standards of Parade (from "Under the Cherry Moon"). All in all, its an album that gets the booty moving.
What's new for this album is the amount of religious references (Prince is a Jehovah's Witness). There are a couple of songs that seem entirely religion based (the word, get on the boat), while a couple of others have fleeting comments here and there.
I think my favorite on this album is "Love" (my favorite on Musicology was "Cinnamon Girl"). There's usually one that grabs me both for its musicality, ability to make me groove, and the message of the song). Lyrics cut for your pleasure:
Stop telling me what U want me 2 hear
Stop telling me what U want me 2 fear
Stop trippin' on something U overheard
Love is winning without a word.
Stop giving me Ur "wish list"
Love is free from all of this
Like a bird flyin' over the hilltops
Love is like the sky
U know it never stops
From the abundance of the love the mouth speaks
Love is whatever, whatever U want it 2 b
Love is not a game U can play on the floor
U gotta stop keepin' score
If U want 2 play me like U did b4
U better stop and walk out the door
U can skate around the issue if U like
But who's gonna get U high in the middle of the night?
Like a bird flyin' over the hilltops
Love is in the sky
U know, it never stops
From the abundance of the love the mouth speaks
Love is whatever, whatever U want it 2 b
What's the point of giving me ultimatums?
Smiling at my friends when U really hate em'
Trying 2 convince me that I should 2
What's the point?
Stop worryin' about what people say
When it ain't gonna stop them anyway
Love can do anything if U try
Come on, spread Ur wings
Lets fly, so high
Like a bird flyin' over the hilltops
Love is like the sky
U know, it never stops
From the abundance of the love the mouth speaks
Love is whatever, whatever U want it 2 b
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no subject
Date: 2006-03-22 03:25 pm (UTC)But its all just a cheat no? I mean, you just suddenly 'convert' and you're ok. Too easy to be real, too simple to be the answer.
Or so says I. :-)
Prince
Date: 2006-03-22 03:40 pm (UTC)Iirc, Prince has been a JW (i.e. didn't later convert) his whole life. I'm not sure he's ever hit rock bottom professionally . . . he's been making music this whole time and has a pretty dedicated following (albeit, he hasn't been in the mainstream). In his personal life I knew he had some recent-ish issues - his baby daughter died and then he and his wife divorced a few years back (but I think this was all post religion, as I mentioned). Its always been there, he just seems much more vocal about it now (so I wonder, why?).
Its funny, knowing a JW and learning a bit more of their religion, though I don't agree with a lot of it, in many ways its much less restrictive than the Catholic church on some things (more restrictive in others). Prince seems to be a serial monogamist, and though he likes the sex (a lot), it seems like sex isn't such a bad thing for JWs (as it is for the Catholics).
Definitely interesting things to think about! :)
Linda Lovelace on the other hand, ew. I'm right there with you on that one! :)
Re: Prince
Date: 2006-03-22 11:08 pm (UTC)I don't remember if it was the Boston Phoenix or a music magazine that did the article, but it explained a lot about how his religious beliefs influenced his lyrics or specific songs and song titles.
Prince has also talked about his older songs and allusions to god and the devil that the listener wouldn't normally pick up on. The "elevator" in "Let's Go Crazy", represents the devil to Prince as one example. MTV had Scary Spice from the Spice Girls(!) interview Prince in the late 90's, and overall, it was one of the best interviews with him that I have heard or read.