DEEP DIVES – Album Reviews: Chaos and Disorder and Emancipation by “The Artist”

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 takes us to 1996 for the releases of  Chaos and Disorder and Emancipation by  .

Album: Chaos and Disorder
Artist:
Release Date: July 9, 1996
Label: Warner Bros.
Favorite Tracks:

• Chaos and Disorder
• I Like It There
• Zannalee
• Dig U Better Dead

Thoughts:

The final album of Prince’s contractual obligation to Warner Bros. features a collection of hastily recorded tracks and some outtakes from earlier albums.  Oddly, or perhaps appropriately, this is the least funky album of Prince’s career to date.  Instead it is focused around hard guitar rock sounds including ventures into grunge, power pop, Blues, and even a country twang. Under the circumstances of its creation, this is a far better album than expected.  That being said, it is also not a great, lost Prince album.  As in previous recordings he seems to be following trends and retreading his own earlier work rather than innovating. It’s definitely the end of an era and one that should’ve ended 3-4 years earlier.

Rating: **1/2

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Album: Emancipation
Artist:
Release Date: November 19, 1996
Label: NPG | EMI
Favorite Tracks:

• Courtin’ Time
• Betch By Golly Wow!
• One Kiss at a Time
• The Holy River
• Saviour
• The Human Body
• Sleep Around

Thoughts:

Freed from the Warner Bros. contract that made him miserable, Prince expresses himself on this sprawling 3-album, 36-track collection. Thematically, in addition to his ongoing grudge with Warner Bros., Prince is celebrating his marriage to Mayte Garcia which he explores through an exploration of spirituality, a desire for children, and his typical horniness.  Musically, this sounds like basic R&B music of the 90s with retro 70s vibes.  The album even includes covers of songs by The Stylistics and The Delfonics as well as interpretations of more contemporary pop songs, Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and Joan Osbourne’s “One of Us.”  There are a few musical deviations of note such as an old-timey jazz on “Courtin Time,” gospel on “The Holy River,” and house on “Sleep Around.” It’s not a bad collection of music, but Prince has always been something more than “basic.”  One can’t help but wonder if this could’ve been pared down to one disc with a greater focus.  As the second release of the year (not too mention a FIVE ALBUM set I’ll be reviewing next week), it feels like quantity over quality in Prince music!

Rating:. ***

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	***1/2
[Love Symbol]	1992	Prince and the New Power Generation	***1/2
Goldnigga	1993	The New Power Generation	**1/2
Come	1994		**1/2
The Black Album	1994		***1/2
The Gold Experience	1995		**1/2
Exodus	1995	The New Power Generation	***
Chaos and Disorder	1996		**1/2
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