PRINCE & 3RDEYEGIRL - PLECTRUMELECTRUM

"Plectrumelectrum" was the second of two discs Prince released in 2014.  The first was a solo record and this album is supposed to be a band collaboration between him and his dream band, 3rdeyegirl.  Although between the two, I prefer "Art Official Age", the solo record, this disc is also exciting.  Some of the material is a bit standard fare for Prince.  Especially when it comes to rock numbers.  Still, I enjoy the disc and usually let it play through without skipping; except for one track.

The disc starts off with 'Wow' and I have to comment on this song because I think it's such a unique and interesting idea.  About a year before this record was released, NPG backup singer, Liv Warfield released a solo record called, "The Unexpected".  The title track was written by Prince and there's a line in the chorus that goes, "U can call it the Unexpected...  Or u can call it: Wow!"  And he meant that literally.  'The Unexpected' from the Liv Warfield album is the same song as the one you hear here except Prince performs it instead of Warfield.  And he calls it 'Wow'.  I love this track!  Of the two versions, I prefer this one.  Still, Warfield's version is also full of soul and rocks like crazy!

Now this isn't the only song that appears in a couple different places.  In fact, there are actually four songs on this record that are "covers" because they didn't originate here.  One of them is the title track 'Plectrumelectrum'.  This is the one song on the record I find completely skippable.  Written by Donna Grantis and previously released on one of her solo records as 'Elektra', it's a bluesy rock instrumental.  It's ok, but in my mind, it doesn't fit the rest of the album and I don't like it mixed in with this batch of songs.  I think it would've been better suited to an instrumental album.

Another one of the covers is from a singer named Alice Smith.  She released a song called 'Another Love'.  It's a strange piece.  It's certainly innovative and you gotta give her credit for her unusual style and approach to music.  However, in this case, I think what Prince does with the song is so much better than the original version.  Prince remakes her song, changes the lyrics and completely redoes it his own way.  And it sounds phenomenal.  I absolutely love it.  It could very well be my favorite track.  This one is tricky because Prince didn't write the song, but his interpretation of it is such that he could merit a writing credit for the additional music and lyrics.  Yeah, this track is conflicting for me.

The final cover track is 'Funknroll'.  I know what you're going to say...  It was simultaneously on "Art Official Age" at the same time.  And though that is true, I consider the "Art Official Age" to be the first release by Prince and this to be the second.  But I might be wrong.  Anyway, even if it's not a cover, it's appearing on two records like the other tracks.  This version is more band oriented and believe it or not, I actually like it more than the "Art Official Age" version.  The song by its nature is a band song.  It's written for parts and sounds more authentic and genuine played as such.

Band members also take over vocals on a couple tracks.  Hannah steps in and sings 'Whitecaps'.  It's a lovely tune and I enjoy it a lot.

Let's get right to the nitty-gritty...  There's a lot of songs I really love on this record.  Starting with 'Fixurlifeup'!  I first heard a live version of this song and the raw energy I felt for it was incredible.  The studio version doesn't disappoint.  It still sounds like a band performance and the energy is still present.  Both 'Stopthistrain' and 'Tictactoe' are smaller songs that seem to get lost in the hugeness of the record and yet, on their own, both are very insightful, charming and wonderful.   I think 'Boytrouble' is a cute song, but to me, it's also a throwaway tune and hardly worth the effort.

'Marz' is the only other track I haven't discussed and I like it, but like 'Boytrouble', it's a bit of a throwaway for me.  I lump it into the same rock oriented category I throw tunes like 'Peach' and 'Guitar' into.  He could write these all day and not break a sweat.

In the end, I really like the record.  I never got on board with the whole 3rdeyegirl idea.  I remember him saying in an interview that one day he wanted an all girl band and with this group, he achieved that.  But he also makes the same mistake with this band he often makes with others.  Prince mistakenly believes the musicians he surrounds himself with are as interesting and exciting as he is.  And that's just not true.  Back with The Revolution it might have been true because we had "Purple Rain" the movie and other ways of knowing the band that allowed the fans access to them.  The mythology he was creating around himself and his music strongly involved those he was working with.  It stayed strong through the Lovesexy band at which point I think most people started ignoring the hype.  His success in creating celebrity for his band members afterward is hard to measure.  In some cases, he did it...  But in most, he didn't.

I think over time they might have evolved 3rdeyegirl into something else, but from where it stands today, I don't really see it as more than a hyped up back up band.  I have little interest in them beyond the work they did with him.

Still, you never know.  3rdeyegirl shared vocals and there might be enough material in the vault that they could release and tour as a band.  Maybe I'll like them then.  Who can say.  My final words:  ANOTHER STRONG RECORD FROM THE MAGICAL MIND OF PRINCE!

PRINCE & 3RDEYEGIRL - PLECTRUMELECTRUM
01. Wow
02. Pretzelbodylogic
03. Aintturninaround
04. Plectrumelectrum
05. Whitecaps
06. Fixurlifeup
07. Boytrouble
08. Stopthistrain
09. Anotherlove
10. Tictactoe
11. Marz
12. Funknroll

THE FAMILY - THE FAMILY

Not many people may remember this short lived band from the 80's. They were a band on Prince's new label, Paisley Park. Members were culled from various side projects. Jerome Benton, Paul Peterson and Jellybean Johnson were all members of The Time. Susannah Melvoin is the twin sister of Revolution member, Wendy Melvoin, and Eric Leeds was a standby Revolution member in his own right. It was an interesting blending of characters. But this disc is important for more than just the performers.

All of the tracks, barring 'River Run Dry'; which was written by Bobby Z., are Prince compositions. And they're important Prince compositions. In typical Prince fashion, in order to distance himself from the project and also help the band members come into their own, he gives songwriting credit to the various members and takes credit for only one track, 'Nothing Compares 2 U'. That song later became a huge hit for Sinead O'Connor.

The music represents a transition of sorts for Prince. On the heels of 'Purple Rain', Prince released the unprecedented 'Around The World In A Day'. This album was the first disc on Paisley Park. It was also seen as a slap in the face as Prince did the unthinkable... Instead of trying to recapture the success of his previous records, he moved into new territory. Not always a smart move. The Family record showed us even more the direction he was going in. It laid the foundation for projects spanning the next few years and impacted Prince's writing to this very day.

Two songs, 'Yes' and 'Susannah's Pajamas' are Prince's first attempts at writing jazz. With his future long time jazz partner, Eric Leeds, he crafted two tunes that later spawned albums worth of instrumental jazz mostly under the Madhouse moniker. 'The Screams Of Passion' and 'Desire' both include instrumentation and orchestration by Clare Fisher. Fisher became incredibly influential on Prince during 'Parade' and his work continued to filter down through new projects for years.

Prince was experimenting with more continental styles of songwriting and expanding his horizons through exposure to different genres of music.

The tragedy of The Family is that the group didn't last. The potential for more great music and future collaborations were all laid out. But lack of promotion caused St. Paul to leave and the band quickly became defunk sans it's lead vocalist. Shortly afterward, Prince ended his relationship with Susannah Melvoin and she moved on as well.

There's another reoccurring Prince theme happening here... The Family name was created to suggest the band was a family of sorts. All of the pictures and artwork were created to stress that relationship. It's important to note Prince created a band that crossed gender and color lines and called them a family. The significance shouldn't be ignored. Granted, you can say it's a knock off of Sly & The Family Stone, but I think Prince was looking at something more apt for a time when black artists were finally being accepted and played right along white bands on the music charts.

This disc has wonderful funk, exciting rhythms, beautiful orchestration, tongue-n-cheek lyrics and an overall laid back, feel good vibe. It's an extremely positive disc. It represents hope.

It's long out of print and difficult to find. But if you can find it, I suggest picking it up. Even today the music has an appeal. Years later. Give it a try and see if you don't agree. My final words: AMBITIOUS, BEAUTIFUL & ENDURING.

THE FAMILY - THE FAMILY
01. High Fashion
02. Mutiny
03. The Screams Of Passion
04. Yes
05. River Run Dry
06. Nothing Compares 2 U
07. Susannah's Pajamas
08. Desire

PRINCE - THE HITS/THE B-SIDES

This particular version of the compilation contains the added bonus of 'The B-Sides' disc. This item collects many of Prince's single b-sides (many of which for the first time on cd), together. The first two discs are identical to their single disc counterparts so I'm not gonna go into them or list them. Instead, I'll focus on the material on the bonus disc.

Sometimes I wonder what Prince is thinking when you hear some of his b-sides. Not because they're bad, but exactly the opposite. Many of them are stronger than songs that actually make it on the albums and some of them are strong enough to stand as singles on their own. 'Erotic City' seems to be one of the most obvious of these. The song is absolutely brilliant and even as a b-side got excellent radio airplay. Many of these tracks have also garnered attention on their own. 'How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?' has been covered by different artists. Both Stephanie Mills and Alicia Keyes have released versions of the song. 'She's Always In My Hair' was another track covered by D'Angelo in the film "Scream 2".

I could literally spend hours discussing this amazing material but suffice it to say, it's well worth the investment. Prince's b-sides have always complimented the music they've accompanied. It's like listening to your favorite disc and then getting just a little bit more. Very satisfying.

I can't close this out without pointing out what an awesome track 'Power Fantastic' is. It's history is rather controversial as Prince borrowed the music from a song Lisa & Wendy wrote called, 'Carousel'... The fact I've had this song for a few years before it saw it's release on this disc is also somewhat scandalous. But don't be fooled, nothing can compare to an official version. The sound quality alone makes it worth it. What a lovely tune. A must for Revolution fans as this track was recorded with the Revolution before they disbanded. My final word: AWAITED.

PRINCE - THE HITS/THE B-SIDES
01. Hello
02. 200 Balloons
03. Escape
04. Gotta Stop (Messin' About)
05. Horny Toad
06. Feel U Up
07. Girl
08. I Love U In Me
09. Erotic City
10. Shockadelica
11. Irresistible Bitch
12. Scarlet Pussy
13. La, La, La, He, He, Hee
14. She's Always In My Hair
15. 17 Days
16. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?
17. Another Lonely Christmas
18. God
19. 4 The Tears In Your Eyes
20. Power Fantastic