Prince Album Review | Planet Earth
Prince is American, always has been, always will be, I know this, you don’t need to tell me. So why then am I reviewing his new album Planet Earth on a British Music blog? Well, although I’ll be mainly covering British bands and singers, I reserve the right to occasionally review or talk about bands from other countries, especially if something they are doing has had a big impact on the British Music Scene. That is exactly what this album has done, causing debate around the world about the free give away of it with a Sunday newspaper. So let’s see if it’s actually worth paying for or is actually only fit as a freebie.
I’ve never really been a fan Of Prince although I respect him as a musician immensely. I thought the decision to break with the normal record business and give his album away free with a newspaper was a brave and bold move, which could result in a evolution of the music industry. I certianly don’t think he’ll be the last artist to do such a thing.
I sat down and listened to this album with a completely open mind. I did want to like it I suppose, and luckily it turned out to be better than I’d imagined it would. It seems as though Prince decided to experiment his way through the album, with half a dozen musical genres used and abused throughout. The great thing is it actually succeeds, with none of the songs feeling false or strained to fit in with a particular pigeon hole.
Hearing this album has actually made me want to get hold of some of Prince’s recent material and listen to it again, so the decision to give Planet Earth away may prove to be a stroke of genius.
Let’s take a look at each track:-
1. ‘Planet Earth’. This is a beautiful and evocative piano ballad about planet earth. His voice fits the song perfectly and it’s unlike anything I’ve heard from Prince before and works because of that. The song finishes with a top draw guitar solo.
2. ‘Guitar’. This is the album’s first single and is much more of a song I’d associate with Prince. It’s a great and catchy pop song with the main pulse of the lyrics being “I love you baby/But not like I love my guitar.”
3. ‘Somewhere Here On Earth’. Jazz enters the album on this slowed down subtle track. It has a crackling vinyl sound in the background which though used numerous times before, does work here. I don’t like Prince’s voice on this track, though I’m sure hardened fans will do. The piano on this song is great, immediately transporting you to 1950s New York.
4. ‘The One U Wanna C’. This sounds like classic Prince, with a strong funky bassline and a catchy tune to die for. It also pecularily has a slight country feel, but even that works superbly. This should be a future single and will do very well.
5. ‘Future Baby Mamma’. Yet another musical genre gets put in the mix, as Prince now covers R&B, with this slow and funky ballad. The bass is again strong and it’s instantly recognisable as a Prince track.
6. ‘Mr Goodnight’. This has a R&B/pop vibe about it, and sees Prince rapping as he reveals himself to be Mr. Goodnight. It seems Prince is determined to cover every single genre through this album and this is another tick on his musical resume.
7. ‘All The Midnights In The World’. The album’s shortest track, and one of it’s weakest. It’s another jangly piano ballad, which reminded me of a Disney film rather oddly.
8. ‘Chelsea Rodgers’. Prince’s backing singer Shelby J takes over the lead vocal duties on this, with Prince relegated to backing her up. It makes a nice diversion on the album, and changes the pace at exactly the right moment.
9. ‘Lion Of Judah’. A slow power ballad where Prince questions his and his lover’s actions. The chorus contains the threatening line “Like the Lion Of Judah I strike my enemies down,” which is sung over some powerful yet funky guitar riffs.
10. ‘Resolution’. A good title for an album closer, with Prince using the opportunity to express his views on world affairs and war in particular. A strong song to finish with, and a track which sums up the feel of the album well.
Artist - Prince
Album - Planet Earth
Tracks - 10
Running time - 45:00
Release Date - July 15th 2007
BMS Rating - 7/10
I am holding a contest all this week, where one lucky reader will win the new album. See this post for details.
Tags: album, America, British, Planet-Earth, Prince, review, UK
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Jul 23, 2007 at 1:01 am
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