bet
      et
      te
      eee?
      ay
      ies
     
    
   
   
    
     
      many
      Prince
      classics,
      including
      the
      Curtis
     
     
      Mayticld
      styled
      title
      track,
      **U
      Got
      the
      Look,
     
     
      “TCould
      Never
      Take
      the
      Place
      of
      Your
      Man,”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bes
      CM
      Ae
      Melee
      itapta
      (Gn
      Mma
      TnCOn
      OnCOK
      aii
      (0)
      comme
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (10)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lovesexv
      (1988)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Released
      after
      the
      ultra-rare
      Black
      Album
      was
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pulled,
      Prince’s
      music
      lost
      something
      after
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this;never
      since
      has
      he
      captured
      the
      freshness,
      |
     
     
      Vitality
      and
      exuberance
      ofthis
      recording.
      Con-
      |
     
     
      lains
      two
      tremendous
      songsin**Eye
      No”
      and
      |
     
     
      “Alphabet
      Street’
      and
      the
      rest
      has
      lots
      of
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ae
      despite
      some
      paste.
     
     
      (8)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Batman
      (1989)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PSEA
      TEI
      emer
      UTR
      eam
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Purple
      Rain,the
      crassly
      commercial
      Batman
     
     
      soundtrack
      is
      largely
      filler,
      redeemed
      only
      by
     
     
      three
      very
      good
      songs
      (**The
      Future,’
      **Elec-
     
     
      (OHV
      omar
      ae
      HICH
      COMME
      OTT
      Te
      OTe
     
     
      hit).
      The
      Sheena
      Easton
      duct
      is
      casily
      the
     
     
      UTS
      S
      TT
      ema
      Cam
      eect
      ete
     
    

    
     
      (5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Graffiti
      Bridge
      (1990)
     
     
      BCU
      a
      an
      era
      e
      nie
      MT
      Tet
     
     
      Tack
      to
      the
      truly
      horrible
      movie
      is
      muddled
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cameos
      from
      the
      Time,
      Tevin
      Campbell
      and
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      uy
      embarrassing
      Mavis
      Staples.
      It
      also
      fea-
     
     
      WETS
      atl
      amountofjunk,
      like
      the
      bathetic
     
     
      litle
      track.
      This
      is
      his
      most
      successful
      work
     
     
      Utilizing
      rap
      rhythms
      and
      is
      generally
      pretty
     
     
      brilliant,
      but
      it
      also
      marks
      the
      beginning
      of
      a
     
     
      lack
      oftunesand
      heart
      that
      hasmarked
      his
      work
     
     
      Sailer
     
    

    
     
      (9)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ic.
      ae
     
    
   
   
    
     
      e
      ‘
     
     
      e**
      PRINCE
      |
     
     
      .°
      Raa
      ene
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Diamonds
      and
      Pearls
      (1991)
     
    

    
     
      This
      one’s
      plenty
      of
      fun
      and
      contains
      the
      rib-
     
     
      shaking,
      bass
      monster
      ‘“Gett
      Off,”
      but
      the
     
     
      balladsare
      vacuous,
      ‘Push’?
      isan
      **It’s
      Gonna
     
     
      be
      a
      Beautiful
      Night”
      retread,
      and
      the
      rap
      s
     
     
      belong
      onsomeone
      clse’salbum.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (7)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PO
      Pe
      ae
      ee”
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘*The
      message
      is
      clear:
      Prince
      does
     
     
      ita
      lot
      and
      he
      would
      like
      to
      do
      it
      with
     
     
      you,
      please.’’
     
    

    
     
      David
      Sinclair
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Symbols
     
     
      Prince
     
     
      (Warner
      Bros.)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Prince’s
      latest,
      Symbols
      (5),
      contin-
     
     
      ues
      in
      the
      same
      vein
      as
      Diamonds
     
     
      and
      Pearls,
      but
      is
      an
      even
      weaker
     
     
      album
      than
      its
      predecessor.
      Spiked
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      funky
      grooves,
      some
      jazzy
      big
     
     
      band
      arrangements
      and
      his
      usual
     
     
      unidentifiable
      rhythmic
      devices,
     
     
      Symbols
      weakness
      is
      in
      the
     
     
      songwriting.
      Prince’s
      work
      is
      al-
     
     
      ways
      fascinating
      if
      only
      to
      listen
      to
     
     
      the
      complexity
      and
      depth
      ofhis
      crea-
     
     
      tions.
      Still,
      there’s
      loads
      of
      filler
     
     
      here:
      ‘‘Three
      Chains
      of
      Gold’’
      is
     
     
      horrible
      and
      can’t
      hide
      its
      Queen
     
     
      influences,
      lots
      of
      chants
      like
      ‘*Sexy
     
     
      motherfucker,
      shakin’
      that
      ass’’
      or
     
     
      ‘**More
      fuck
      for
      your
      buck,’’
      and
      the
     
     
      ballads
      are
      vapid
      --
      songs
      like
      ‘‘When
     
     
      DovesCry’’
      and‘‘
      If
      IWas
      Your
     
     
      Girlfriend’’
      were
      crucial
      to
      adding
     
     
      another
      dimension
      to
      these
      adoles-
     
     
      cent
      sex
      fantasies.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      His
      worst
      album
      since
      the
      Batman
     
     
      soundtrack,
      Symbols
      degenerates
     
     
      further
      into
      the
      hyperactive
      sonic
     
     
      cuts
      that
      mark
      his
      recent
      work.
      At
     
     
      long
      last,
      Prince
      is
      the
      machine
      his
     
     
      critics
      have
      always
      claimed
      he
      was.