Undderrated, exciting and utterly danceable, this CD was an example of Prince trying new things. It's a fascinating bridge between his megahit albums of the '80s and his safer, mellower tunes of recent years.
May 15, 2008 |  | Uninspired - glad I got it cheap. |  |
The biggest problem with Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, other than its ridiculous title, is its pure length. There are eighteen songs here, and they take up exactly seventy minutes of space. You're probably wondering what's up with this, since I've constantly said that Emancipation, a thirty-six track triple-album that has twice as many songs as this one and runs almost three times longer, is a masterpiece and my favorite Prince album. Well, here's my justification: Emancipation worked because, quite simply, it's packed with fantastic, eclectic, songs with lots of creativity and lots of the Prince persona. Nothing on that album is standard-issue. But here, only the acoustic pop song "Tangerine" displays Prince's true colors; it doesn't help that there aren't enough good songs here to fill a 20-minute EP, let alone a 70-minute album. Prince rounded up a few famous guest stars, supposedly to celebrate the upcoming millennium (and, of course, party like it's 1999, since this album came out in 1999), but none of them have anything to add: No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani adds her trademark breathy, throaty, awful vocals to the dull funk "So Far, So Pleased"; Chuck D. adds a forgettable rap to the NPG advertisement "Undisputed"; Eve's rap on "Hot Wit U" does nothing for the song other than reestablish all the points Prince made about his own sexiness (By the way, "Hot Wit U" is bad); Sheryl Crow comes along to duet on "Baby Knows", but can't save it from being more mediocre funk. Then again, most of the blame here can be placed on Prince himself: he rips off his arrangement of "(What if God Was) One of Us" on "Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do"; his sampling of "Controversy" on "Strange But True" only leaves me longing for more of the old-school Prince, or the Emancipation-era Prince, back when he was really inspired; bedroom ballads like "The Sun, the Moon, and Stars"; "I Love You, But I Don't Trust U Anymore" (the guy's falsetto has been ruthlessly killed, I'm afraid) and "Silly Game" walk a long, rocky, excruciating path to nowhere; and the funk-rock is getting blander and less entertaining by the second (title song; "Man `O' War"). There are a few examples of prime Prince here - take a look at the mellow funk ballad "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold"; the aforementioned "Tangerine"; the fun, danceable "Everyday is a Winding Road"; and the saxapalooza hidden track "Prettyman". Especially "Prettyman", with a sax solo from Maceo Parker - by the way, Maceo's got quite an impressive resume. James Brown, P-Funk, and Prince? Impressive! I wonder if he's ever sat in for the Ohio Players or Sly & the Family Stone?
December 9, 2007"Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic" finds Prince continuing the slick R&B sound that he first utlized with "Diamonds & Pearls" and continued with the "Emancipation" collection. It's smooth and easy to digest, but lacks the raw, experimental quality that Prince had back when he was with the Revolution. Once again on a major label, Prince (or maybe his new record company) appears to be hoping to reclaim a mainstream audience, which might explain both the pop-oriented material and the array of guest appearances by other artists. The collaborations do create some of the better material ... the best one probably being "So Far, So Pleased" with Gwen Stafani. Prince and Gwen's voices meld well together, and create a sexy sound similar to when Prince produced No Doubt's "The Waiting Room" from their "Rock Steady" album. Cheryl Crow's signature guitar pop infiltrates "Baby Knows", but then Prince transforms Crow's own "Everyday Is A Winding Road" into a completely different song on another track. Rap cameos by Chuck D and Eve add spice to two other tracks, but that's about it. Other highlights of the album are the title track, which hints at electronica, and "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold", a slinky ballad peppered with middle eastern sounds.
"Rave" could be categorized the same way that "Diamonds and Pearls" could ... as "Prince Lite". Not bad, but doesn't compare to his earlier work. The sad truth is that Prince partied like it was 1999 better when it was 1983.
April 19, 2006 | | Great album, but worth it, even if you only buy it for one song... | |
If you only buy this album for one song, you should buy it to hear why this proves Prince is such an uniquely talented artist...he takes Sheryl Crow's "Every Day is a Winding Road", and turns it into the rousing, funk-fest with a gospel/rap that is impossible to listen to without getting up out of your chair to dance. Besides, once you own it, you'll see the rest of the CD is pretty cool too. I've owned this CD for years, and every time I hear a track from it, I love it all over again!
February 12, 2006 | | Very Good, And Consistent | |
This album is such a relief after that crappy New Power Soul. I thought Prince had lost everything with that album. He comes roaring back with a solid, underrated, album. No, it's not amazing, but damn it, it's diverse, features tons of great playing and songs, an interesting cover song, and brings back the Prince who used his mind to write songs, not machines. A return to form that has continued with all his albums.
April 13, 2005More reviews at Amazon.com ...
