Prince Loves His Guitar More Than You

Prince is a genius. Prince is a freak.

As a music person you have to love Prince. He’s on my Musical Mt. Rushmore of best all-time live performers along with U2, Bruce, and Green Day. Anyone who can do the splits in heels on top of a grand piano and still shred guitar is all right by me. If you’ve been lucky enough to see Prince live, you know a Prince show is the most choreographed live experience today-short of Circ de Soleil. The music is put together like one giant medley where the “best parts” of every Prince co-mingle into one long build. He keeps you up the entire time. He’s a true maestro.

I picked up the new Prince record out of curiosity more than anything. The man has turned out some crazy music over the years, and I must say he was old reliable when I was a drunk college kid mixing CDs under the stairwell at our tailgate parties. It’s tough to beat Prince “7” or “I wanna to be your lover”—maybe the Jackson 5 can get more on the dance floor, but Prince holds his own.

Prince is also my favorite male musician who wears scarves. But that’s the thing about Prince, being prolific can be a curse in some ways. There’s a lot of Prince’s recent work that just sounds like an eccentric guy playing a Casio keyboard while reading horoscopes aloud. Prince has made a lot of not memorable astrology rock as of late. But at his best, Prince can still captivate. And as an ax man he still crushes. Deep down you know in every Prince song he’s capable of opening that purple trench coat and showing you the 6-String Tommy Gun. Dude can play guitar, flat out.

Big surprise, Planet Earth is an interesting one. The marketing of the album has been fascinating, as Prince has found every available outlet to bundle the record sales. Buy a ticket to his concert, get the album. But his cologne, get the album. Verizon commercials, Etc. Marketing innovation all in the name of getting the music in peoples’ hands. His unorthodox approach has ruffled the feathers of many brick and mortar retailers, forcing one British record store to refuse to stock Planet Earth.

Prince gets his Al Gore on for the title track, a cosmic gospel about our responsibility to the planet. Timely, but not memorable.

Then comes song 2 “Guitar.” Wow. Let me tell you it sounds real, real good when Prince brings in the famous guitar lick. A straight ahead wave the white flag rock lick hasn’t sounded this fresh and unexpected since Timberlake got his Coldplay on for “LoveStoned/I think she knows (Interlude).” Like JT, Prince has the flashing lights going on this one. “Guitar” would be an unreal concert opener with its majestic riff reminiscent of “I Will Follow.” It’s important to note that on a love song penned for his guitar, Prince is true to his word and precious with the riff. Guitar is the hero on this track, and after hearing “Guitar” you truly believe the instrument is the Artist’s first love. A must buy. Very cool. What Velvet Revolver missed on “American Man,” Prince nails on “Guitar” by giving the riff center stage, not to mention the multiple solos.

After “Guitar” Prince goes purple blouse on us with a weird slow one “Somewhere Here on Earth.” He gets a little more party on the more upbeat “The One U Wanna C,” but it doesn’t reach the heights of similar Prince fare like “Jam of the Year.”

I even love the weird writing, the Prince alphabet. “The One U Wanna C” –you have to love that. I for one want my rock starts certifiably insane, and Prince is doing his best to be the new media Little Richard. Awesome. And “Guitar” shows he can still do whatever the hell he damn pleases.