The Black Album [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

Prince

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 22, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1987
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000008JLN
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34,484 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Grind

2. Cindy C.

3. Dead on It

4. When 2 R in Love

5. Bob George

6. Superfunkycalifragisexy

7. 2 Nigs United 4 West Compton

8. Rockhard in a Funky Place

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The legendary Black album.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legendary and controversial album by Prince, September 10, 2005

By	Jon Marin "Jon" (Elmwood Park, NJ) - See all my reviews

What is there to say about the Black Album that hasn't already been said. This album was supposed to be the follow-up to the 1987 masterpiece Sign o' The Times. The album was made but weeks before it's release Prince refused to put it out there and went to work on another album. The album released instead was Lovesexy, which (if you've heard the Black Album) proves to be great in its own way but the exact opposite of the Black Album. For Prince this was a spiritual thing. He said that something told him not to put out the Black Album. But what Prince didn't know is that while WB destroyed most copies, some of the promotional LPs were sent out. That's when the bootlegging began. The Black Album was one of the most bootlegged albums in history. The Black Album was still alive when Prince began performing some songs on stage during his Lovesexy Tour.

Years went by and in 1994 Prince had to fufill his contract with WB and did something he didn't want to do back in '88. Release the Black Album to the mass public. For years he'd been warning people not to buy the Black Album and now it was available but with a catch, it was limited. The Black Album's shocking lyrics and overt sexuality threw many people off. Here was the guy that sang "Little Red Corvette" talking in this pimped out voice calling a woman something besides her name. But even with all the controversy it was well praised.

Prince's The Black Album is an all out funk fest. With jams like "Le Grind", "Cindy C." and "Superfunkycalifragisexy". The only ballad on the album that was also featured on Lovesexy, "When 2 R In Love" is great and among the greatest Prince songs. "Dead On It" is a cool parody of rappers with an addictive yet simple beat that's sure to having you bobbing your head. "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton" is mostly an instrumental but has a little intro at beginning that has a conversation between Prince and Cat behind the drums of his song "Housequake". But listen closely and you'll hear a slew of voices chattering spewing curse words and conversations of their own. "Rockhard In A Funky Place" is a cool song too, with Prince ripping the guitar while Shiela, Cat and anothers yell "Rock!". But the infamous and controversial "Bob George" takes the crown for the best cut on the album. It is Prince in rare form. A deep voice and a pimp attitude. He's even making suggestions to using a gun, something that shocked critics and even made them come to the conclusion that Prince pioneered "gangsta rap".

To those that love Purple Rain and the legendary status of the man will find this album and "Bob George" in particular somewhat different and very disturbing. But to those that can enjoy Lovesexy and all of his work that the albums that weren't lighting up the pop charts, this is a masterpiece. Enough said.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A CLASSIC THAT WAS OVERHYPED THEN, AND UNDERRATED NOW, April 15, 2004

By	Giacomo Holdini (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This album could have been titled "Controversy," mainly because most Prince fans seem to be unable to agree on whether or not it is a good disc. I side with the camp that sees this as a Prince classic. As the intended follow-up to the vaunted Sign 'o' the Times, 1987's Black Album comes straight out of one Prince's most inspired periods. Although the brilliant patchwork of Sign 'o' the Times ultimately yields the finer album, Black Album is Prince's ode to funk, and, as such, is more cohesive, much more of a piece with itself. It is also much more focused and enjoyable than Lovesexy, the album Prince released in place of Black Album, in 1988. Whereas on Lovesexy, Prince obscures his funk with swirls of quasi-religious philosophizing, on Black Album he stays true to one vision: getting it on to the groove.

Here, the Purple One conjures an unrelenting world of joyously insane, black-strap, butt-bumping, booty-grinding funk that struts in with "Le Grind" and doesn't let up until "Rock Hard in a Funky Place" swaggers off into silence. On every track in between, Prince keeps up the pace, refusing to let listeners catch their breath. (One exception to this is the only ballad on the disc, "When 2 R in Love," the one Black Album track to make it onto Lovesexy, where it makes much more sense thematically. On Black Album, it simply doesn't fit in, and is the album's one weakness.) This is not listener-friendly Prince; he is much too hardcore here for casual fans, which could explain why this disc still gets mixed reviews. However, for those who revel in this artist's unique, inspired forays into the fun and unusual, Black Album is just the ticket.

* * *

Officially, this album was not released until 1994, when Warner Bros. put out a limited edition CD. Prior to that, it had been available only on bootleg LPs and cassettes. To my knowledge, this album is now out of print officially, and all forms of it will take some work to find. If you can track down a copy, either official or bootleg, snap it up. It's worth it.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Legendary but underwhelming bootleg, November 26, 2003

By	Greekfreak (Pusan Korea (South)) - See all my reviews

The history of this album is well-documented, but in a nutshell (for those not in the know), Prince wrote and recorded it for Sheila E.'s birthday one night, and eventually decided not to release it due to religious reasons. The acetate got out, however, and the rest is history. This version is the Warner Brothers 1994 re-issue, and it contains no liner notes. The songs are merely listed on the disc itself.

It's unfortunate that the hype machine got ahold of this album before it could be properly reviewed. It contains exactly HALF an album worth of good material, and the rest is experimental at best.

The gems? "2 Nigs United For West Compton"; a funk/fusion classic that probably belonged in a live set somewhere. "Rock Hard In A Funky Place", a low-key funkfest that's similar to "Housequake", but way more minimalistic. "Superfunkicalifragisexy", a rave-up that surely belonged on "Parade".