Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Enhanced CD-ROM
Genre: Rock
Review
Prince's star faded not long after he won emancipation from Warner Brothers in 1995, as he abandoned the mainstream so he could follow his whims however he liked. Which meant that he effectively started making records for nobody but himself, whether that meant triple-disc collections of new material or an all-instrumental smooth jazz album, and in short order, his fans started dwindling away to nothing but the hardcore, who themselves had their patience tried by such antics as Prince suing his own fanzine in the late '90s. It seemed that he was fated to permanently wander in the wilderness, making music for an ever more selective audience, until he suddenly decided in 2004 that he wanted to be back in the game, returning to the spotlight with acclaimed performances at the Grammys and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, announcing an all-hits tour, and releasing Musicology, his first major-label distributed album in five years. This flurry of activity suggests that Prince is treating this as an opportunity for a full-fledged comeback and, thankfully, he's seized this moment and delivered a vastly entertaining record. Unlike everything he's done since leaving Warner, Musicology doesn't alienate listeners; it's tight and lean, weighing in at 12 tracks and 47 minutes, yet that's still enough room for Prince to showcase his virtuoso versatility. He tries a little everything -- down and dirty funk jams, slow sensual grooves, and, happily, he revives the psychedelic pop of the mid-'80s with the deliriously catchy "Cinnamon Girl" -- but unlike on such overworked albums as Emancipation and Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, it never feels like an attempt to dazzle or a series of stylistic exercises. That's because there's a clarity to his production -- dense, but never busy, proving once again that he's about the only musician who can make a one-man band sound as vibrant as a live nine-piece group -- and a focus to his writing that hasn't been heard in a long, long time. At its core, Musicology is essentially classicist Prince, as he makes a deliberate decision to play to all of his greatest strengths, but because it's been so long that he's made a record this confident and concise, it doesn't sound like a retreat. It sounds as if he's rediscovered his muse, which is quite a bit different than simply following his whims. Make no mistake, this isn't the second coming of Purple Rain or Sign 'o' the Times or even Parade -- in other words, it's not a masterpiece, more like a more confident and consistent Diamonds and Pearls without the hip-hop fixation -- but it's a strong album, one that impresses on the first listen and gets better with repeated plays. In short, it's the comeback that it was meant to be. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Musicology is the thirtieth studio album by Prince, released on April 20, 2004, which proved to be his most successful in years, reaching the Top 5 of the album charts in the U.S, UK, Germany, and many other countries.
Musicology was the first album in five years that Prince released through a major label (Sony Music) and, being partially recorded in Mississauga, Ontario, was his first to be recorded outside Minneapolis in many years. Musicology is R&B themed as well.[11]
Musicology quickly proved to be Prince's most successful album since Diamonds and Pearls, reaching the Top 5 in the US, UK and Germany and making a significant impression on charts around the world. It also proved to be well-received by music critics. The title track was only released as a single in Australia, where it enjoyed moderate chart success and airplay. However it was also a hit on the US R&B charts through airplay. The album was certified platinum by Billboard in June 2004[13] and was certified double platinum in late January 2005.[14][15]
Part of the album's chart success is due to concertgoers receiving a copy of Musicology, with the album cost included in the ticket price for the Musicology Tour. This prompted Billboard magazine and Nielsen SoundScan to change its chart data methodology: For future album releases, Billboard says that customers "must be given an option to either add the CD to the ticket purchase or forgo the CD for a reduced ticket-only price."[16]
Awards
Prince won two Grammy Awards, for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("Musicology") and Best R&B Vocal Performance—Male ("Call My Name"), and was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance—Male ("Cinnamon Girl"), Best R&B Song (awarded to the songwriter) ("Call My Name"), and Best R&B Album (Musicology). Prince was chosen by Rolling Stone magazine's readers as the best male performer and most welcome comeback.[17][18]
Tour
Prince toured North America from 27 March - 9 September to promote Musicology. The tour was often billed as the Musicology Live2004ever Tour, or more commonly, the Musicology Tour. The tour earned 87.4 million dollars and was attended by 1.47 million fans[19] Although the tour promoted Musicology, only a select few tracks from the album were played during the concerts. The title track, "Musicology," and the two singles, "Call My Name" and "Cinnamon Girl", were among them. The tour featured many of Prince's more famous tracks, such as "Little Red Corvette," "Raspberry Beret," "Kiss," and "Purple Rain." A copy of Musicology was included with every concert ticket sold.
Prince- all vocals and instruments except as indicated[11]
Candy Dulfer- vocals on "Life 'O' the Party" and "Cinnamon Girl", saxphone on "Life 'O' the Party", horns on "The Marrying Kind", "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life", and "On the Couch"
Chance Howard- vocals on "Life 'O' the Party", "Call My Name", and "Cinnamon Girl"
Stokley- vocals on "Call My Name"
Kip Blackshire- vocals on "Call My Name"
Clare Fischer- strings on "Call My Name"
Rhonda Smith- vocals on "Cinnamon Girl", bass on "Dear Mr. Man"
John Blackwell- drums on "The Marrying Kind", "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life", "On the Couch", and "Dear Mr. Man"
Maceo Parker- horns on "The Marrying Kind", "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life", and "On the Couch"
Greg Boyer- horns on "The Marrying Kind", "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life", and "On the Couch"
Ornella Bonaccorsi- Italian speech on "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?"
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