The biggest musical force since The Beatles, Prince is a funky little knot — of race, noise, God, and sex. Good or bad (or both), he grabs you. He’s funny, and he uses space more creatively than almost any other musician. Parade is the cat’s meow. The tone of “naked funk” cools the tropical weight on top. Sure, it maunders off before it can stay on “concept,” but that’s beside the point. Prince is the concept — that, and how much of a bad ass he can be in topping himself. The driven nature, and the cold snap of his porn (e.g., “Head”), would show that he’s a kid from a broken home looking for mass adoption in a world gone pop. His music is about the search for love. Ain’t that a groove?
Rating: A-
