I am doing a deep dive into the work of the musical artist Prince. Each week until December I will post my thoughts on albums released by Prince (and his bands and side projects) focusing on one year of his career.
This week I’m focusing on the soundtrack for Graffiti Bridge from 1990.
Album: Graffiti Bridge
Artist: Prince
Release Date: August 20, 1990
Label: Paisley Park | Warner Bros.
Favorite Tracks:
- Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got
- Release It
- The Question of U
- Round and Round
- Shake
- Thieves in the Temple
- Melody Cool
- Graffiti Bridge
Thoughts:
A new decade, new band, new movie, and new soundtrack. Is it also a new sound for Prince? Kind of. Prince embraces the New Jack Swing popular at the time but flavors it with his own brand of funk and rock. The album is spangled with guest artists including the Time, Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Elisa Fiorillo, and Mavis Staples, not to mention Prince’s new band New Power Generation.
I’m not sure what it says that I like the songs from Prince’s guest artists more than the Prince tracks. The positive interpretation is that Prince is still excelling as a producer and a songwriter, and the man who so long worked as a one-band is becoming more comfortable as a collaborationist. This sprawling album looks backward more than forwards, channeling the sound of Prince’s earlier works as well as soul/funk/rock classic of the 60s & 70s. But this album also sounds like a transitional work. What exactly Prince is transitioning to I will discover in the upcoming weeks.
Rating: ***1/2
For You | 1978 | *** | |
Prince | 1979 | ***1/2 | |
Dirty Mind | 1980 | **** | |
Controversy | 1981 | **** | |
1999 | 1982 | Prince and the Revolution | ***** |
Purple Rain | 1984 | Prince and the Revolution | ***** |
Around the World in a Day | 1985 | Prince and the Revolution | **** |
Parade | 1986 | Prince and the Revolution | **** |
Sign “☮︎” the Times | 1987 | ****1/2 | |
8 | 1987 | Madhouse | *** |
16 | 1987 | Madhouse | ***1/2 |
Lovesexy | 1988 | ***1/2 | |
Batman | 1989 | *** | |
Graffiti Bridge | 1990 | ***1/2 | |
Diamonds and Pearls | 1991 | Prince and the New Power Generation | |
Love Symbol | 1992 | Prince and the New Power Generation | |
Goldnigga | 1993 | The New Power Generation | |
Come | 1994 | ||
The Black Symbol | 1994 | ||
The Gold Experience | 1995 | ||
Exodus | 1995 | The New Power Generation | |
Chaos and Disorder | 1996 | ||
Emancipation | 1996 | ||
Kamasutra | 1997 | The NPG Orchestra | |
Crystal Ball | 1998 | ||
The Truth | 1998 | ||
Newpower Soul | 1998 | The New Power Generation | |
The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale | 1999 | ||
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic | 1999 | ||
The Rainbow Children | 2001 | ||
One Nite Alone… | 2002 | ||
One Nite Alone… Live! | 2002 | ||
Xpectation | 2003 | ||
N-E-W-S | 2003 | ||
Musicology | 2004 | ||
The Chocolate Invasion | 2004 | ||
The Slaughterhouse | 2004 | ||
C-Note | 2004 | ||
3121 | 2006 | ||
Planet Earth | 2007 | ||
Indigo Nights | 2008 | ||
Lotusflow3r/MPLSound | 2009 | ||
20Ten | 2010 | ||
Plectrumelectrum | 2014 | with 3rdeyegirl | |
Art Official Age | 2014 | with 3rdeyegirl | |
HITnRun Phase One | 2015 | ||
HITnRun Phase Two | 2015 |