PRINCE - 4EVER

My biggest fear after Prince died was that major record companies would do what they've done with artists like Elvis Presley or Jimi Hendrix.  Anytime they come up with a previously unreleased outtake, demo or live recording, they package it along with previously released material to make a greatest hits package they can sell for a cool profit.

I hoped, with the amount of music Prince left behind, there would be the motivation to release entire albums of previously unreleased material.  However, in its rush to capitalize on Prince's passing, Warner Bros. put together this hasty compilation.  The packaging is lovely, but at the same time, a bit disappointing.  They use photos from his previous greatest hits package, Paisley Park's "The Hits/B-Sides".

In order to make the set more appealing, they also list edits of certain songs as previously unreleased on CD.  We all know that's not the case.  With most of these tracks, you can find the edits on CD singles or promotional CD releases.  There's no real value here.

There is one, and let me be specific here, one singular unreleased track included.  'Moonbeam Levels'.  And this is exactly what I feared would happen.  For the rest of our lives, we'll get a new Prince greatest hits compilation once a year with one or two new songs.  They'll charge us the price of a double disc set for a single song or two.  Not even at his most anti-establishment, "artists should profit from their legacies" moments would Prince imagine screwing over his fams like this.

Most die-hard fans already have copies of this song.  Either downloaded or purchased on bootlegs.  It's not new to the community.  So now, you're asking me...  If you have all of this material, why did you invest in the set?  

The answer is simple...  I've always said and I wrote this in a chat with Prince himself once, that even if I owned a bootleg, if he released music in an official capacity, I would purchase it legally.  And I have.  However, I'm disappointed with what's happened here.

Prince is not an artist you can parse out over time.  He has work that needs to be put together and sold as a complete package.  Anything else is a betrayal of his legacy.

I'm not going to get into this release much more.  I find it somewhat sad and not worth the price tag.  I'll leave it at that.  My final words:  A SKIP UNLESS YOU'RE A COMPLETIST.

PRINCE - 4EVER
CD1
01. 1999
02. Little Red Corvette
03. When Doves Cry
04. Let's Go Crazy
05. Raspberry Beret
06. I Wanna Be Your Lover
07. Soft And Wet
08. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?
09. Uptown
10. When You Were Mine
11. Head
12. Gotta Stop (Messin' About)
13. Controversy
14. Let's Work
15. Delirious
16. I Would Die 4 U
17. Take Me With U
18. Paisley Park
19. Pop Life
20. Purple Rain
CD 2
01. Kiss
02. Sign 'O' The Times
03. Alphabet St.
04. Batdance
05. Thieves In The Temple
06. Cream
07. Mountains
08. Girls & Boys
09. If I Was Your Girlfriend
10. U Got The Look
11. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
12. Glam Slam
13. Moonbeam Levels
14. Diamonds And Pearls
15. Gett Off
16. Sexy MF
17. My Name Is Prince
18. 7 (Album Edit)
19. Peach
20. Nothing Compares 2 U

ERASURE - OTHER PEOPLE'S SONGS

Ok, this one is complicated.  I'm not a huge fan of covers and Erasure made an entire album FULL of them.  I might've skipped the disc entirely, but I was invited to this tour and it was the first time I was seeing them in concert.  So, I picked up the CD in preparation for the show.

Musically, the sound is typical Vince Clarke circa that time period.  He makes the songs much more exciting than the original versions.  But he's not a miracle worker and even though Vince and Andy may like these songs, I'm not partial to most of them.  Not even Erasure versions make them worth hearing.  At least in my opinion.

'Solsbury Hill' is a Peter Gabriel cover and this is probably my favorite track on the whole disc.  I like his version and I like theirs.  It's followed by 'Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime'.  The original version is by a group called The Korgis.  I'm not familiar with this group.  I don't know anything about them, but I have heard other versions of this song.  Erasure's is subdued and rather quiet.  I'm not sure it brings anything to the album.  I don't hate it, but I'm not rushing to play it either.  'Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)' actually sounds like something Erasure would write themselves and Andy's vocals make the track his.  It's not a bad tune.  In fact, it's quite enjoyable.

Buddy Holly is represented twice on this disc and 'Everyday' is the first of these two tracks.  Although Erasure have covered some classic rock tunes in the past; and done so quite successfully, this one seems a bit lackluster and never moves beyond a light shake and maybe a toe tap or two.  Next up is a cover of The Three Degrees big hit, 'When Will I See You Again'.  The music is upbeat and Andy delivers a credible version of this classic.  It's followed by The Ronettes 'Walking In The Rain'.  This is the third Phil Spector composition they've covered.  I've always thought it was a rather strange song and the version here does nothing to change my mind.

'True Love Ways' is the second Buddy Holly track and it has a simple rocking swing that's delicate and sweet.  The arrangement is quiet and showcases Andy's vocals.  He's right on target here, folks.  Those crooning ballads of the 50's sound wonderful under Andy's careful renditions.  Despite originally thinking this was a waste of time, I actually love this number and I've pulled the disc out a few times just to hear it.  Probably because I enjoy hearing Andy sing it.  The Righteous Brothers get a nod with 'Ebb Tide'.  I've never liked their sound, but this track sounds like it would fit on "Loveboat" and the deeper drum track saves it from slipping into complete obscurity.

What classic covers album would be complete without an Elvis Presley tune?  'I Can't Help Falling In Love' is a Presley staple.  Vince and Andy offer a passable version.  But it's nothing to get excited about.  'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'' has the distinction of being a doubleheader.  It's the second Phil Spector track and the second Righteous Brothers cover.  It's a boring song and it goes nowhere here.

If I had some input on this disc, I might've switched the last two tracks and put 'Goodnight' at the end.  It is, after all, a parting of sorts.  I've never heard it before and I don't even know the artist it's taken from.  It's similar to other tracks Erasure have done in the past and it has the distinct feel of a "Chorus" outtake.  It wouldn't surprise me if it was recorded during those sessions.  The final number is a Buggles cover.  'Video Killed The Radio Star' was a huge MTV hit and it's a great 80's song.  Erasure pay homage in grand form.  They're a product of the 80's and I think Clarke's musical quirks, beeps, blips and burps are perfect for this delightful number.  It's performed in a more reserved manner than the original; but it's bubbly fun from start to finish.

This really is a complex album to review because I can't rant and rave about it as much as I'd love to.  I have great respect for both Andy Bell and Vince Clarke.  As a musician, I think Vince Clarke is a singular vision.  He understands the binary code of modern music more than any other artist out there.  He's completely ahead of his time.  And Andy has the soulful voice of a Diva!  But the quality of the music they've selected to cover isn't nearly as interesting or accomplished as they are.  

I feel a little disappointed.  I CAN say the show was absolutely amazing and I'm so grateful I got the chance to go.  It was a magical evening and it happened during a time in my life when I was very happy.

My final words today are:  A SKIP-ABLE DISC FROM A LEGENDARY DUO.  :-(

ERASURE - OTHER PEOPLE'S SONGS
01. Solsbury Hill
02. Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime
03. Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)
04. Everyday
05. When Will I See You Again
06. Walking In The Rain
07. True Love Ways
08. Ebb Tide
09. Can't Help Falling In Love
10. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
11. Goodnight
12. Video Killed The Radio Star 

HAPPY FEET - MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE

Aside from being an animated feature targeting children...  Happy Feet is nothing if not a lobby pushing an agenda.  I hate it when people try to push a political agenda under the guise of something innocent and sweet.  But that's beside the point when you consider the soundtrack.

So let's be honest, the entire reason I bought this disc was because of the first track...  Prince wrote and performs the number.  And this is the only release containing the track.  It's an uplifting and interesting number far superior to most of the rest of the disc and well worth the investment.  It's not a stretch to think Prince's track is one of the (if not the actual) best on the disc.  He's mastered the ability to write popular music and this catchy ditty is no exception.  It's dripping with little surprises and interesting twists.

What follows is a collection of movie mashups and character performances mixed in with original material written for the movie.  Prince turns up again when Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman join forces to deliver a mashup of Prince's 'Kiss' and Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel'.  It's not as exciting or interesting as the original track in both cases, but it's serviceable and enjoyable when you see it in the film.

There are a string of enjoyable songs throughout the disc, but for the most part, it's uneventful and somewhat unremarkable.  k.d. lang appears on the disc performing a song called, 'Golden Slumbers/The End'.  Her performance is stunning and also one of the better tracks on the disc.  Gia Farrell delivers a decent track along with The Brand New Heavies and the song 'I Wish' performed by Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams and Fantasia Barrino.  Pink's performance of 'Tell Me Something Good' leaves a lot to be desired and many of the mashups are confusing and complicated enough to drive the listener insane.

All in all, it's a soundtrack.  And you can't really look for a real blockbuster hit with a soundtrack.  That's not what they're there for.  So my final words:  SKIP IT AND DOWNLOAD INDIVIDUAL TRACKS!

HAPPY FEET - MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE

01. The Song Of The Heart - Prince

02. Hit Me Up - Gia Farrell

03. Tell Me Something Good - Pink

04. Somebody To Love - Brittany Murphy

05. I Wish - Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams And Fantasia Barrino

06. Jump N' Move - The Brand New Heavies (Featuring Jamalski)

07. Do It Again - The Beach Boys

08. The Joker/Everything I Own - Jason Mraz Mash-Up With Chrissie Hynde

09. My Way (A Mi Manera) - Robin Williams

10. Kiss/Heartbreak Hotel - Nicole Kidman Mash-Up With Hugh Jackman

11. Boogie Wonderland - Brittany Murphy

12. Golden Slumbers/The End - K.D. Lang

13. The Story Of Mumble Happyfeet - John Powell