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Celebrating 29 years of
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Prince album reviews

Goldie’s reviews of Prince’s albums issued in his post Warner Brothers career, as an independent and emancipated artist. When leaving Warner Brothers in 1996 and initially entering single album deals with EMI (1996), BMG (1998), Arista Records (1999), he struck deals with virtually every major label, expanding to Columbia (2004 and 2007) and Universal (2006), to distribute his music.

In 1993, Prince also set up his own label NPG Records to do the legwork himself and cut out the cost of the industry middleman. It started successfully and after a highly successful distribution of Crystal Ball (1998), his financial situation improved as an independent artist. Prince would continue to distribute his future work largely under his own label. Rebuilding lost confidence in majors, In 2004 Prince rediscovered commercial success and this ‘comeback’ injected new impetus to his later career that continued through to 2016.

Emancipation (1996), Prince

Emancipation

EMI-Capitol Music (1996)

US #11  UK #18

The chains are broken and Prince ( Prince love symbol) celebrates his departure from Warner Brothers in typically abundant style: a critically acclaimed triple album which, for trivia lovers is the longest pop album in history (its 60/60/60 minute running times are entirely intentional). The quantity of music on Emancipation is owed to Prince refusing to give his new material to Warner, stockpiling songs for this album and his first of many under different labels. Once free the floodgates opened, doing what record execs feared most – the triple album. Emancipation became one of the most successful triple LPs of all time. Case and point for the value of creative freedom.

Emancipation album full review

Crystal Ball (1998), Prince

Crystal Ball

NPG Records (1998)

US #62  UK —

After clearing out his new stuff with Emancipation, Prince began to look back into his vault and dust down the less commercial material he could upload to his NPG Music Club subscription platform. Rather than offer B-sides and music owned by Warner Brothers, Prince cobbled together a triple album chocked full of unreleased tracks, versions and demos all previously the preserve of bootleggers.

Crystal Ball album full review

The Truth (1998), Prince

The Truth

NPG Records (1998)

US #64  UK —

Fans had been longing for Prince to make an acoustic album. Out of the back of the Emancipation recording sessions of 1996 their wishes were answered, albeit rooted in the tragic aftermath of Prince’s son’s death. The Truth is cherished by all who hear it. Easily considered one of his best albums, the painful Comeback reveals Prince in all his majesty.

The Truth album full review

Newpower Soul (1998), Prince

Newpower Soul

RCA / BMG (1998)

US #22  UK #38

Prince had not been this funky since Dirty Mind. Albeit technically Newpower Soul is credited to the New Power Generation it’s Prince/ Prince love symbol whose photo is on the cover and make no mistake he is all over every track. Perhaps this is one of music’s worst kept secrets, but we all know whose LP Newpower Soul is. And it kicks ass.

Newpower Soul album full review

The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale (1999), Prince

The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale

Warner Bros. Records (1999)

US #85  UK #47

With all the stuff in Prince’s vault, these tracks may not be the first to jump to mind. The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale owes its existence to Prince expediting his departure from Warner. Mostly recently vaulted tracks at the time of release, there are real highlights, namely the effortlessly intoxicating When The Lights Go Down.

The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale album full review

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (1999), Prince

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic

Arista Records (1999)

US #18  UK #145

Every artist does a collaboration record at some point in their career, and Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic is Prince’s. Employing the talents of Gwen Stefani, Chuck D, Ruff Ryder, Sheryl Crow and the arty Ani DiFranco, it remains abundantly clear that Prince ( Prince love symbol) is the one occupying the driving seat in this highly varied project where all the collaborators are reduced to walk-on appearances.

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic album full review

Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic (2001), Prince

Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic

NPG Records (2001)

US —  UK —

The remix album to Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic is for all intents and purposes Prince’s (this being his final release under the name of Prince love symbol) preferred configuration for the commercial release. This version is sharper and far superior and would have fared far better in the charts. The answer why Arista Records received only one album deal is right here.

Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic album full review

The Very Best Of Prince (2001), Prince

The Very Best Of Prince

Warner Bros. Records (2001)

US #1  UK #2

Warner Brothers appear to believe Prince’s career had ended in 1993 when his contract with them expired. But lets face it, this album showcases his remarkable career with that label. The Very Best Of proved Prince’s point: record labels can and do release music against the wishes of the artists who created it. One minute Warner Brothers were wanting to limit the volume of output Prince put on the market, and in the next they are rushing to the master tapes to squeeze as much as could at the time Prince’s purple reign was thought to be running out of steam.

The Very Best Of Prince album full review

The Rainbow Children (2001), Prince

The Rainbow Children

Redline Entertainment (2001)

US #109  UK —

This is the moment Prince discovered his creative peak. Although it is his least accessible album to date The Rainbow Children is a masterclass of music making. The live band makes it earthy, honest and totally absorbing. NPG Music Club subscribers first faced this as a single MP3 download, an act of dedication for the dial-up age, but boy was the wait rewarded. Thank God for broadband and Prince’s courage to also to give this LP a proper commercial release. His best cover art too.

The Rainbow Children album full review

One Nite Alone… (2002), Prince

One Nite Alone…

NPG Records (2002)

US —  UK —

Prince treated fans to an acoustic set with The Truth in 1998, it set an astonishingly high bar. In that vein came 2002’s followed up with this piano showpiece, One Nite Alone… Easy listening Prince style, you will do no better than chill out to this album in which he channels his favourite artist, Joni Mitchell. In headphones it’s deep, personal and above all others, the reminder of the musical giant the world lost in 2016.

One Nite Alone… album full review

One Nite Alone… Live! (2002), Prince

One Nite Alone… Live!

Big Daddy Music (2002)

US —  UK —

Forever and fervently opposed to releasing a live album, Prince finally gave fans what they had been begging for since 1978: An officially released live album. Prince once said if he ever released a live album it would have to be his definitive show, and being that his shows are always so varied there was no such a thing as the ‘definitive show’ and fans turned to bootlegs instead. In 2002, along came the One Nite Alone Tour and the long awaited definitive show.

One Nite Alone… Live! album full review

Xpectation (2003), Prince

Xpectation

NPG Records (2003)

US —  UK —

Prince had not only isolated himself but also his fans with this completely inaccessible and dare it be said, undesirable music. Even Prince could not be convinced to put this to CD, releasing it instead via his website as New Years giveaway MP3 album, destined to be burned to a cheap CD-R bearing your handwritten sleeve. Some music is best left in the vault.

Xpectation album full review

N.E.W.S (2003), Prince

N.E.W.S

Big Daddy Music (2003)

US —  UK —

N.E.W.S is without a doubt one of those albums that best come at you at the right time in life, and probably the most overlooked release of Prince’s catalogue. And somewhat unfairly so. Although this is the hardest Prince album to get into, once N.E.W.S is let in does the majesty of Prince’s genius shine through. This is a smart album of four equal length instrumentals, and bear this one in mind that the performers are arguably Prince’s best ever bandmembers.

N.E.W.S album full review

The Chocolate Invasion (2004), Prince

The Chocolate Invasion

NPG Records (2004)

US —  UK —

Volume one of what was supposed to be a seven disk set of songs from NPG Music Club, only The Chocolate Invasion and volume two’s The Slaughterhouse would ultimately materialise. Many of the tracks are from Prince’s aborted High album shelved to clear way for the lofty The Rainbow Children.

The Chocolate Invasion album full review

The Slaughterhouse (2004), Prince

The Slaughterhouse

NPG Records (2004)

US —  UK —

Volume two of an album’s worth of material previously available as MP3s through Prince’s pioneering NPG Music Club. Repackaged into vols 1 and 2 at a time when the club was in need of a reboot, The Slaughterhouse makes eclectic if not eclectic listening from Prince’s turn of the Millennium un-homed catalogue.

The Slaughterhouse album full review

Musicology (2004), Prince

Musicology

Columbia Records (2004)

US #3  UK #3

Musicology came as a pleasant surprise, a return to familiar form after his nice but lacklustre instrumental albums. Fans longed for the Prince who once led the face of music, not simmer in the background. So can be no coincidence Musicology turned out to be his most successful release since Diamonds And Pearls of 1991. It brought his long awaited post Warner Brothers commercial comeback and best performing album of the decade. “Music comes before the ‘ology” tells Prince. The album is intended as an education in music – old school funk for new funk soldiers. Consider you schooled.

Musicology album full review

3121 (2006), Prince

3121

Universal Music Group (2006)

US #1  UK #9

3121 became Prince’s first album to chart number one since Batman of 1989. With new the lease of life given with Musicology the previous year, 3121 was the second of these back to back albums to peak high in the charts for many a Prince year. Commercial success, after a whole decade without it was a surprising return to older times, chiefly because Prince too rekindled the style of music forged in his pre 1993 success.

3121 album full review

Ultimate (2006), Prince

Ultimate

Warner Bros. Records (2006)

US #6  UK #3

Ultimate is Prince’s third greatest hits package with Warner Brothers. Like The Hits / The B-Sides of 1993, the label knew how to target the core fan-base, opposed to the lazy The Very Best Of Prince catering to the casual interested hit-and-run crowd-pleasing listener, Ultimate publishes lots of lost to vinyl extended cuts.

Ultimate album full review

Planet Earth (2007), Prince

Planet Earth

Columbia Records (2007)

US #3  UK —

Given away totally free in the UK, no other Prince album had received as much press attention in Britain since Purple Rain. Planet Earth spawned a new first in the music industry, in that it was an album that supported the tour. His “Best in years!” the critics hailed; the tour it supported set a 21 date single-venue record.

Planet Earth album full review

Indigo Nights (2008), Prince

Indigo Nights

Simon & Schuster Ltd (2008)

US —  UK —

Indigo Nights is Prince’s third live album, arriving like buses after a long drought. He thankfully does not let up on attitude. Named after the club where it was recorded IndigO2 during his iconic 21 night stint at London’s O2 Arena, a record not since beaten, the CD superbly captures the Prince aftershow phenomenon.

Indigo Nights album full review

LotusFlow3r (2009), Prince

LotusFlow3r

NPG Records (2009)

US #2  UK —

Kicking off with a dreamy instrumental LotusFlow3r really does start with a bang, LotusFlow3r is as close to Prince’s Jimi Hendrix tribute album you’re likely to get. Released as an exclusivity license to Target stores this sharp album was robbed of a worldwide release and found only in aisle 5. For Prince fans, navigating another hoop to get his music was just path of the course.

LotusFlow3r album full review

MPLSound (2009), Prince

MPLSound

NPG Records / Because Music (2009)

US #2  UK —

Let’s sum it up: Minneapolis Sound. Released as a companion album to LotusFlow3r, MPLSound actually is the more accomplished of the two. Faced with expectations of a collaborative, eclectic Madhouse-style album, MPLSound does not only surprise but delivers ten fold and with serious Ol’ skool kool.

MPLSound album full review

20TEN (2010), Prince

20TEN

The Daily Mirror (2010)

US —  UK —

Prince was never going to blaze any trails with 20Ten but it did show Prince honing his sound in this homage to the Linn LM-1 drum machine of bolder days. 20Ten is heavy on technology, low on guitar, with flavourings of vocals and the trusty old hornz, there are a couple of gems but with its astounding hidden track all its shortcomings are forgiven.

20TEN album full review

Plectrumelectrum (2014), Prince

Plectrumelectrum

Warner Bros. Records (2014)

US #8  UK #11

For over a year Prince fans lived in continuous fear Plectrumelectrum would never see the light of day, then along came two albums in the same day, ending what was a tortuously dull four-year wait since 20Ten. This first (and sadly only) outing for Prince’s new backing band 3rdEyeGirl shares also writing credit. 3rdEyeGirl’s freshness injected into the music is palpable throughout.

Plectrumelectrum album full review

Art Official Age (2014), Prince

Art Official Age

Warner Bros. Records (2014)

US #5  UK #8

Prince was given new lease of life when returning to the studio to work on his first solo LP since 2010. It is worth noting this is Prince’s return to Warner Bros. since leaving the label back in 1996. Fan pre-release anxiety was immediately blown aside when Art Official Age revealed it was packed full of energy, style and a hell of a lot of substance to boot. Fitting then this is arguably Prince’s best album since WB’s The Gold Experience of ’95. And that’s saying something.

Art Official Age album full review

HITNRUN Phase One (2015), Prince

HITNRUN Phase One

NPG Records (2015)

US #70  UK #50

What is palpable from the outset is Prince’s hands off approach with HITNRUN Phase One, since it is, judging by its almost total departure in style, more the baby of co-producer Joshua Welton. Yet that’s more of a plus than negative, since that partnership delivered Prince’s most accessible release this side of 1993. Electric and reinventing.

HITNRUN Phase One album full review

HITNRUN Phase Two (2015), Prince

HITNRUN Phase Two

NPG Records (2015)

US #40  UK #21

While it may not boast the urgency of recent albums, and half of HITNRUN Phase Two may have been heard years before, that won’t detract from a collection of astounding quality. A more chilled out affair over recent outings Prince does not miss a beat even right at the end of his 4 decade career. The listening experience is quite the Revelation.

HITNRUN Phase Two album full review

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