Every paying patron of Prince's 2004 concert tour in support of this album got a copy of the self-released CD free at the door. It was part of Prince's continued war against the record industry--bypassing the middleman & literally putting the product in the hands of his consumers. I was lucky enough to attend that tour (at what was then known as the MCI Center in Washington, DC) & that CD remains one of my favorite music-related possessions.
Musicology was Prince's return to mainstream prominence & critics dubbed it a return to form. They were right to the extent that the album is more focused than anything he'd done in a decade (I'm thinking of 1993's canceled The Undertaker album), but Prince was an artist of such insatiable creativity that there are gems scattered all over his enormous discography. Musicology's focus is on groove, & the album can roughly be divided into 2 halves: 1 part deeply strutting funk workouts like the opening title track, "Life 'O' the Party" (a multi-part composition where he raps a little bit & takes shots at his perennial rival Michael Jackson) & "Dear Mr. Man"; 1 part guitar-driven rock numbers. There are a few tracks that fall outside these categories, like the 6/8 blues shuffle of "On the Couch," or the Marvin Gaye-flavored "Call My Name," which I recall getting plenty of radio play on hiphop & R&B stations despite not being released as a single. The song floats along on top of delicate piano with well thought-out lyrics peppered with sociopolitical remarks. Prince's social justice mindset is apparent all over the album, from "Cinnamon Girl" to "Dear Mr. Man," which reminds me a lot of Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'."
The rock half of the album is generally more musically diverse than the funk one. There's "A Million Days," one of my favorites on the album, which starts as an '80s-styled power ballad before turning into a huge, discordant instrumental meltdown in the back half. Then there's the new wave sounds of "Cinnamon Girl," another explicitly sociopolitical song with a reliably fiery guitar solo. "The Marrying Kind" might be the closest Prince ever got to stoner sludge, with its heavily distorted rhythm guitars & psychedelic organ.
The album features seemingly endless fun twists & turns. "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?" is a laid-back combo of jazz-fusion guitar, skittering funk bass & analog drum machine. The interplay between the bass, guitar & electric piano keeps the song lively despite a sedate vocal. "If Eye Was the Man In Ur Life" turns into a crazy jazz jam at the end. Prince's genius as a songwriter was his ability to fit complex arrangements into deceptively simple pop songs. Catchy & accessible, but never basic.
Prince's stunning lead guitar shows up on a few tracks in addition to "Cinnamon Girl," but if there's any nitpick I can put on this album, it's that I would've enjoyed just a bit more guitar fireworks. That wasn't where his head was when making this album, though, & the focused, concise series of hard-hitting songs we got is pretty damn near flawless. I'm glad I've managed to hold onto that CD for damn near 20 years.
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