Prince gets a lot of play on here already, so I should probably be promoting someone else, but I still don't think Prince gets the respect he deserves (nor probably as much disrespect as he deserves when he releases a single as silly as "Guitar," the lead single from Planet Earth). That being said, Prince is an amazing musician, but people often write him off before giving him a fair listen, scared of his androgyny and not wanting to admit that his music can speak for them too. Even top critics are divisive when it comes to Prince's work.
The fact is the man plays 46 instruments, has an 11-octave range (he's not always in falsetto) and, fan-club only internet releases included, may be the most prolific musician around. Supposedly, he has four -- yes, four -- full length albums scheduled for release this year. Unfortunately, none of them will be the original version of Crystal Ball, the three disc concept album Prince trimmed down to the two-disc Sign O' the Times, his best album.
Stylistically, Prince is all over the musical map. "Starfish and Coffee" could have been an outtake from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "Sometimes It Snows In April" is a piano ballad up with Joni Mitchell's work. "Dear Mr. Man" is a James Brown-like feast of bass, horns and political commentary. "The Beautiful Ones" one-ups Jim Steinman's epic ballads, and in half the time. "Power Fantastic" could be some avant-garde classical composition. Then Prince has his own style: a blend of George-Harrison riffs, scintillating drum tracks, and lyrics that vascillate between engaging the wider world and describing dirty bedroom exploits. What makes all the music his, though, is that his voice allows him to sound vulnerable, while still seething with contempt. You can hear the look he gives in the picture above.
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