For those with a pop-culture vernacular, Prince’s name is synonymous with symbols, high-waisted velvet pants and purple rain. But with Planet Earth, Prince’s latest offering, the Artist Formerly Known As follows the tack of recent albums such as 3121 and Musicology, juggling elements of jazz and rock to produce a perfectly safe, perfectly commercial pop album.
A mix of slower ballads and solo-laden rock tracks, Planet Earth already stirred up controversy July 15 when Prince distributed copies of the album for free within the folds of UK national newspaper The Mail on Sunday. Columbia Records, Prince’s distributor, was so furious it will no longer distribute Planet Earth in UK stores. But even without that revenue, Prince couldn’t be bothered – “He’s made his millions, so all he cares about now is getting his music out to as many people as possible,” said Stuart Williams, managing director of Q Magazine, of the controversy.
And what music it is – despite only consisting of 10 songs, Planet Earth is packed with collaborations between Prince and former New Power Generation (Prince’s current backing band) members Marva King, Sonny T and Michael Bland; former Revolution members Lisa and Wendy (Even 20 years later, “Computer Blue” is still the best faux-lesbian-dominatrix song ever); and drummer Sheila E., who was around during Prince’s Purple Rain recording sessions and joined him during his Lovesexy world tour. In fact, it was Sheila E. who was the musical director and drummer for the NPG; this album just further tangles Prince’s incestuously intricate, amazingly complex inner circle.
While 3121 and Musicology took a more R&B-esque, Spanish-tinged route, Planet Earth stays solidly in rock mode, even when it comes to ballads (and there are quite a few of them). Nevertheless, even strong songs such as “Guitar” (do you think Prince plays Guitar Hero? He would probably be righteous) can’t deny one thing – Prince has pulled these same tricks before, and he’s pulled them better. Though the album is enjoyable, it’s also somewhat expected – the guitar solos are exciting but slightly stale; the entire thing seems mired in late Purple Rain-era musical tendencies. Where’s Apollonia when you need her?
Nevertheless, there are gems hidden amongst the Revolution-like jams. “Planet Earth,” for starters, begins with an intro of tinkling piano keys and Prince’s soft-spoken, molasses-smooth voice. But the song isn’t as mellow as it may seem – instead, the lyrics are a harsh criticism of global warming, coupled with a warning, “Do we want to judge another/ Lest we be judged too?/ Careful now … The next one might be you.”
Similarly Nostradamus-like is “Resolution,” the album’s closer. The song criticizes the war in Iraq and violence in general, with lyrics such as, “The main problem with war/ Is that nobody ever wins/ The next generation grows up/ And learns how to do it all over again.” Prince, it seems, is a peace-loving man, indeed.
With tracks such as “Planet Earth” and “Resolution,” it’s not easy to ignore Prince’s warnings, nor his Jehovah’s Witness status – his somewhat recent faith (he converted in 2001, and since then, hasn’t performed deliciously nasty songs such as “Darling Nikki” and “Sugar Walls” in concert) is splashed all over Planet Earth, especially in tracks like “Lion of Judah.” The religiousness isn’t a bad thing – lyrics such as “Like the lion of Judah/ I’ll strike my enemies down/ As my God is living/ Surely the trumpet will sound” aren’t great, but they’re tolerable – but coupled with the peppy brightness of the instrumentation, “Lion of Judah” is a little much.
Prince returns to form, though, with the ballad “Mr. Midnight,” the superfunkalicious “Chelsea Rodgers” and the simple rock of “Guitar.”
In contrast, “Chelsea Rodgers” is almost six minutes of bass-heavy funk, punctuated with horns and scene-stealing back-up vocals from Shelby J. (for once, Prince is overshadowed, and it’s a welcome change). The song tells the tale of Chelsea Rodgers, a former model who now wants to “save her soul” – in other words, an overt message to “of everything, make the most,” as Prince sings. And although “Chelsea” gets repetitive, it is a fantastically enjoyable disco-funk hybrid as headnod-worthy as Rick James’ “Superfreak.”
But Prince delivers his best – and safest – track with “Guitar,” Planet Earth’s first single. The song is pretty straightforward – “I love you, baby, but not like I love this guitar” – but features one of the signature guitar solos that made Prince so noteworthy in the first place. Strangely, the guitar work sounds almost like that of U2’s Edge, but shines with Prince’s ferociously frantic, meticulously perfect touch.
Overall, Planet Earth is a short, albeit solid, album to add to Prince’s discography. It’s no Purple Rain (nothing is, honestly), but Prince follows in the footsteps of 3121 and throws rock, funk and jazz together to great effect on his 23rd studio offering. It may be safe, but it’s no Graffiti Bridge – and this is definitely a good thing.
Contact reporter Roxana Hadadi at roxanadbk@gmail.com.
