Star Tribune review: Two new CDs are a welcome end to Princes longest-ever recording drought Beyoncé released her new album last year without any advance notice. U2 did the same this month — but gave away its record free to iTunes account holders. Prince has decided to go old school with his brand new project. Make that projects. Like Bruce Springsteen and Guns ’N Roses in the early ’90s, he is issuing two new albums on a single day Tuesday. But of course Prince takes a slightly different approach — one is with his new band, 3rdEyeGirl, the other is pretty much a one-man-band effort. “Art Official Age,” the Prince record, and “PlectrumElectrum,” with 3rdEyeGirl, are his first U.S. albums since 2009’s “LotusFlow3r/MPLSound,” a triple-CD that was a Target exclusive. The following year, he offered “20Ten” only in Europe, distributing it via newspapers and magazines. The two new discs are his first for Warner Bros. since 1996, when he acrimoniously left the label that signed him as a teenager and was his home for 19 years. “Plectrum” is the more fully realized and satisfying disc. It’s more energetic, emotional and exciting. It helps that Prince and 3rdEyeGirl — guitarist Donna Grantis, bassist Ida Nielsen and drummer Hannah Ford Welton — have been performing most of these songs in concert for a good year and a half. There are palpable sparks from working with a new band — one that seems more creatively collaborative than any Prince group since the Revolution. Read more: startribune/entertainment/music/277473101.html
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 06:52:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015