audio review : Last Call ( album ) … Morris Day

audio review : Last Call ( album ) ... Morris Day

Morris Day concludes his supposed final album like Billy Joel concluded his; with a song about it being the end. The metaphor of that title song has him in a club, at the bar, as it’s about to close for what’s left of the night. The Time frontman takes the opportunity to say thanks, and goodbye, to his longtime fans.

Last Call, the setting of which conflicts with the “morning” song before it, is probably the best cut here, but nothing jams like Babylove. The album, which features a surprising amount of guest rappers, stays Funkin; Girls will like dancing to these beats; but leaves much to be desired in the way of vocal melody.

my rating : 3 of 5

2022

video review : Purple Rain

video review : Purple Rain

This could’ve been a good concert video. Instead the stage bits are repeatedly interrupted by what’s supposed to be a movie. The acting is porn bad; the only two real actors are Clarence Williams and Olga Karlatos as Prince’s dysfunctional parents; but the girls are pretty; Jill is my Apollonia; and the music rocks.

Of course the music rocks. This is a Prince movie and Purple Rain is his best album. The fictionalization of it is off-putting; for some inexcusable reason, his name is changed to The Kid; but its songs shine. Some are poignant enough to leave the ladies in tears. Perhaps the title is a metaphor for running mascara.

my rating : 3 of 5

1984

audio review : Purple Rain ( album ) … Prince And The Revolution

audio review : Condensation ( album ) … The Original Seven

audio review : Condensation ( album ) ... The Original Seven

This is The Time. Make no mistake about it. It’s the original seven members reunited on album for the first in a long. What’s disappointing is the new name, which they apparently had to adopt because Prince, who created the band in 1981; this is their first album he has no artistic involvement in; owns the original name and doesn’t want to let them use it anymore. Now they’re The Original Seven, a change that wouldn’t be nearly as atrocious if it weren’t for the way they decided to stylize the word “Seven”. “7ven”, which to me looks like Seven Ven, makes no sense.

If, however, you can ignore that fatal flaw, the band is still cool. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have become perhaps my favorite music duo, thanks mainly to all the impressive songs they’ve made with Janet Jackson over the years, and Morris Day is as funny and charismatic as he ever was. He’s 54 years old now, but his girls don’t seem to age, so when the playboy partakes in a Role Play session to a funky dance beat, the voice of the girl he’s doing it with adds to the song a pretty and sexy allure. It’s no wonder he, like me, has a problem being Faithful to just one.

One of the few songs not to or about girls is Trendin, though it is off-putting hearing these old-schoolers, who, at one point, suggest splitting the album into two sides like a cassette tape, latch on to such a right now Twitter term. The title, as they put it, even begins with a hashtag. I guess that kind of stylization, like the spelling of the new name, comes from their quirky Prince roots, but they need to give it up and focus on making better songs. This set is fun, even the mediocre songs are funked-up with dazzling highlights, but it isn’t as hot as the title suggests.

my rating : 3 of 5

2011