Raspberry Beret

That groove is so nasty, Prince can smell it!

One of the things about the entertainment business that really sticks in my craw, besides the devaluation of what qualifies someone as a 'celebrity', is the tendency over the last decade or so to refer to any musician who makes recordings as an artist, as though the latter term had replaced the former. I contend that they are not the same, nor are they interchangeable. There is a distinct difference. I feel that musicians, or the majority of them, tend to seek a signature sound that will make them successful; one that they can stick with in order to remain successful for as long as possible. Conversely, an artist is constantly evolving, whether they become widely popular or not; whether what they try next works or not, they are constantly exploring every conceivable facet of their craft through a variety of media and becoming masters of their instrument or even multiple instruments along the way. Such is the case with Prince, who is most definitely an artist.

Album cover fold out of "Around The World In A Day"

Following up his blockbuster 1982 album "1999" with the explosive success of his 1984 feature film, "Purple Rain" and its accompanying soundtrack, Prince demonstrated that he was just beginning to stretch out. Come 1985, Prince delivered "Around The World In A Day", a neo-psychedelic, paisley decorated workout blending funk and pop as only Prince could. He had retained his band, The Revolution, but only in name, as his band members had been in flux since before "1999". The album was tepidly received upon release, as the public was looking for "Purple Rain, Part 2" and possibly read too much into the Sgt. Pepper-esque cover art. But in retrospect, the public had already been given plenty of clues that this was no ordinary talent they were dealing with. Prince would provide them with plenty of further surprises in the years to come. Here's one of the singles from that album, "Raspberry Beret". Bet you haven't given this one a good listen in quite a while.

     

Peter Buck, Bill Berry, Mike Mills, Warren Zevon, 1987

So, here's a question. "What do you get when you combine 3/4 of R.E.M. with Warren Zevon?" The answer is, of course, Warren's great 1987 album "Sentimental Hygiene". However, when asked "What do you get when you combine 3/4 of R.E.M. with Warren Zevon, unused studio time, no specific songs to work on and some booze for those still drinking?" The answer is "Hindu Love Gods", an indirect descendant of The Rolling Stones' one-off, "Jamming With Edward". Just like that album, it's loose to the point of being sloppy. It's also loud, fun and arguably disposable. There's no pretense to artistry here. The recordings weren't even meant for release, though Zevon's label at the time chose to put it out anyway, 3 years later. We're glad they did. Even if they hadn't released it back then, can you imagine what a find it would have made for a deluxe reissue of "Sentimental Hygiene"? 

Here's Hindu Love Gods taking the piss out of "Raspberry Beret", which actually reached #23 on the Modern Rock charts back in 1990. You'll notice they omitted the entire bridge of the song, which would have been a kick to hear, but since alcohol doesn't mix well with more than four chords, it's best to just crank it up and enjoy it. 

Almost everything released by Prince is available at Amazon. Most of his catalog is affordably priced, but not all, due to some of his albums becoming collectible over the years and they're not the ones you might think would be. Go with a good anthology if you're on the fence, but you ought to have at least some of His Purple Badness in your collection.

Even the 2008 Rhino reissue of the Hindu Love Gods is now a pricey collectible, never mind a 1990 original, so if you want a copy that's affordable, I'd recommend digging in the used CD bins. You never know when one will turn up.