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Prince - 3121
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AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Musicology was a self-conscious comeback, a record designed to return Prince
to the spotlight and
the charts, and it worked: even if it spawned no big hits, the 2004 LP became
his first album to crack the Billboard Top Ten since 1995's The Gold
Experience, get a fair amount of radio play, and get a bunch of positive
press, along with a well-received tour. Prince no longer seemed like an
eccentric consigned to the fringes: he seemed like a savvy pro, reclaiming a
reputation and respect that he'd lost. That he did it with an album that
sounded uncannily like a deliberate return to classic Prince as performed by
the New Power Generation was almost beside the point: it was enough that
he sounded engaged, and that he made a focused, purposeful album. Its
quickly delivered 2006 follow-up, 3121, proves that Musicology was no fluke.
Like its predecessor, 3121 is tight and concise, offering 12 songs in 53
minutes, and it's classically structured, emphasizing shifting moods and
textures between songs. It is an album, not a collection of songs, and you
could even call it old-fashioned, but it feels fresher than Musicology, as if
Prince had listened to enough Neptunes productions to understand how
they've absorbed his music. That acknowledgement doesn't come often -- it's
evident in the sly, sexy grooves of "Black Sweat" and the squealing synths of
"Lolita" -- but since it's paired with an emphasis on dance tunes and a retreat
from the enjoyable but endless NPG-styled vamping that characterized a good
portion of Musicology, 3121 winds up sounding lively, varied, and, at its best,
exciting. And at the beginning of the album, 3121 is quite exciting, as Prince
revives his high-pitched alter ego Camille on the title track and dives head first
into the electro-funk of "Lolita" and "Black Sweat," songs that recall such mid-
period masterpieces as "Kiss" or "Sign 'O' the Times" without being rewrites.
Nevertheless, the fact that the freshest sounding music here still has a direct
line back to records Prince made 20 years prior is a good indication that the
album, like Prince himself in the wake of hip-hop, is a little bit conservative,
emphasizing funk of both the James Brown and George Clinton varieties,
late-night slow jams, classic dance, and soul, instead of wrestling with modern
music. While that may disappoint some listeners who yearn for the return of
the trailblazing Prince of the '80s, when he reinvented himself with each
record, it's hardly surprising that a 47-year-old musician is spending more time
refining his palette than expanding it. What is a surprise is that Prince is in top
form as both a writer and record-maker; perhaps the one-man-band nature of
its recording doesn't mean the album is as gritty or raw as his reliably thrilling
live performances, but 3121 crackles with excitement, filled with different
sounds and styles. Best of all, this is filled with songs that hold their own as
individual tunes, yet gel into a cohesive record that is thankfully devoid of an
overarching concept, a problem that plagued his albums after Diamonds and
Pearls. 3121 does fall short from being perfect -- there may be no bad songs,
but the momentum slows ever so slightly on the second half -- yet it's
something more valuable than being a one-off classic: it's proof that Prince
has indeed returned as a vital, serious recording artist on his own terms.
Maybe he's no longer breaking new ground, but his eccentricities are now an
attribute, not a curse, which goes a long way in making his trademark blend of
funk, pop, soul, and rock sound nearly as dazzling as it did at his popular and
creative peak in the '80s.
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Artist...............: Prince
Album................: 3121
Genre................: Electronic, Latin, Funk / Soul
Source...............: CD
Year.................: 2006
Ripper...............: EAC (Secure mode) / LAME 3.92 & Asus CD-S520
Codec................: LAME 3.82
Version..............: MPEG 1 Layer III
Quality..............: Insane, (avg. bitrate: 320kbps)
Channels.............: Stereo / 44100 hz
Tags.................: ID3 v1.1, ID3 v2.3
Information..........: http://www.allmusic.com/album/3121-mw0000351494
Ripped by............: Grad58 on 9/23/2016
Posted by............: Grad58 on 9/23/2016
Included.............: NFO
Covers...............: Front Back
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Tracklisting
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1. Prince - 3121 [04:29]
2. Prince - Beautiful, Loved And Blessed [05:41]
3. Prince - Black Sweat [03:08]
4. Prince - Fury [03:59]
5. Prince - Get On The Boat [06:16]
6. Prince - Incense And Candles [04:02]
7. Prince - Lolita [04:03]
8. Prince - Love [05:43]
9. Prince - Satisfied [02:48]
10. Prince - Te Amo Corazon [03:32]
11. Prince - The Dance [05:18]
12. Prince - The Word [04:09]
Playing Time.........: 53:14
Total Size...........: 124.03 MB
NFO generated on.....: 9/23/2016 10:18:33 AM
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Generated by Music NFO Builder v1.21b - www.nfobuilder.com
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