CD Review

Those who want to chronicle Prince’s music career may want to divide it in two segments: before emancipation and after emancipation. Before Prince broke off with Warner Brothers - a relationship that spanned three decades - the charismatic artist continuously made highly influential (and highly marketable) R&B music, original enough to create his own genre. After his split, he went in a different direction, further mixing styles and creating his own genre yet again. He continues down that pioneering path with Musicology.

The genres are not the only difference, of course. You'll no longer find those signature, dirty sexual references (see "Darling Nikki") in his music. No, Prince now does “grown folks music,” the best example being the jazz/fusion title track, “Musicology.” It may be tame, but Prince is still at his best when he mixes styles within the same song. Those best examples include the jazz/funk, hip-hop feel of “Illusion, Coma, Pimp, and Circumstance” and the jazz/ trip-hop jam, “What do you want me 2 do.”

Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t your father’s Prince — no blockbuster songs, no dirty lyrics, no humping the stage. But whether you're a long time fan, or finally interested in learning more about one of the most talented, musical geniuses of rock history, Musicology is yet another Prince album well worth your time.