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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great showcase of musical diversity, April 9, 2009
Prince has never been the kind of artist who you can force into one genre. One constant about him is that he is always changing and trying something new whether mainstream audiences or even his most hardcore fans like it or not. His body of work is so vast that I am always leery of people who try to compare everything to his 1980's work. He has tried so many different styles since then that it seems foolish to continue to compare new efforts to work from more than two decades ago. It would be different if he hadn't consistently released music since the 1980s. However, he's been steadily releasing albums every one to two years for his entire career. People who can just listen to Prince's music as music and stop comparing it to 25 years ago tend to enjoy his new stuff. The others just seem to be stuck in the past waiting for Raspberry Beret 2009.
Fans who like diverse music styles will love the two Prince albums that are part of this 3-CD set. The LotusFlow3r CD is the centerpiece of this hat trick. It offers blazing rock, whimsical jazz, funk and soul. The musicianship and production on this disc are top notch. The sound is organic and real. The standout tracks include "Colonized Mind," "Dreamer," "Love Like Jazz," "Boom," "Wall of Berlin," and the cover "Crimson and Clover." However, there really aren't any bad tracks. This is a spirited album that experiments, yet its creativity is accessible. The energy of it grabs you more and more each time you listen to it. As a solo disc, I would give LotusFlow3r 5 stars.
The second disc, Mplsound, has more of a back to the future feel to it. It mixes some of today's styles and production techniques with those of the past. There is some up-tempo R&B and Funk here as well as some ballads. Some of the attempts at the modern Pop/R&B sound like "Chocolate Box" and "There'll Never Be Another" miss the mark for me. However, the standouts are the infectious party cut "Dance 4 Me;" the catchy R&B track "Valentina,", the retro P-funk inspired "Old Skool Company," and the beautiful ballads "U're Gonna C Me" and "Better with Time." As a solo effort, I would give Mplsound 3.5 stars.
Elixer, the final disc, is by Prince's latest protégé Bria Valente. Overall, this disc is somewhat languid. Valente's vocals aren't very dynamic or interesting. Most of the tracks do benefit from great musicianship and production. However, unless you are in an easy listening mood, this one might put you to sleep. There are some up-tempo offerings but they never really take off. The standouts are the sultry ballads "Here Eye Come," "Something U Already Know" and "Elixer," which is a duet with Prince whose vocals are exquisite but also highlight the limitations of Valente's vocals. Another standout is "Immersion," which is an interesting song that might have really hit the mark if performed by a singer who was a better fit for the dreamy style. While Prince is a master at genre bending, Valente's attempts at it seem forced. She comes off more like an artist who lacks identity. As a solo effort I would give Elixer 2 stars.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible Album!!!, April 1, 2009
Prince has made an album that could possibly contain some of his best music ever. His 2 solo CD's contain music from almost all categories. His guitar playing is magnificent. The music is just as good as it was back in the Sign O' The Times, Controversy and Purple Rain days. You can put these CDs on your player and listen to them from beginning to end. Prince is back and he is awesome! His new protege, Bria Valente, has a smooth and sultry vibe that reminds me of Chante Moore and Sade combined. The songs are nice and smooth and should flow easily for anybody who likes the sexy, grown-up, quiet storm flavor.
Prince has maintained his label as a musical genius with this album.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rock Funky vs Funky Groove : Music and Prince WIN !, April 25, 2009
This is the best Gift from Prince since...well I can't remember !
The Lotus Flower cd (cd 1) is more Rock than Funk and ususally it's not the Prince I like but I admit that it's very well done. It's a grower with terrific tracks like Boom or Colonized Minds. There's no real weak or annoying track on it...
The MPLS Cd (cd 2) is funky groove and it's the Prince I used to like. It contains 4 absolute HITS to me ( dance 4 me, Chocolote box, another like me and Vanlentina) and only one weak track : the last one (no candy for you but with this title, i think it was predictable lol).
The third cd is sang by a woman and contains some relaxing acid jazz tracks. Not bad, but not fantastic too.
Overall on the 2 cd from Prince, 22 songs...only one or 2 weak tracks.
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