Electric Chair vs. Be My Wife - Live

Song:  Electric Chair
Album:  Batman
Year:  1989

I never gave Prince's Batman album much respect.  Using Prince to provide the soundtrack for a superhero film seemed like an odd move in 1989 and it didn't help that the movie itself was rather dull and drab looking.  The movie hasn't aged well as the franchise has taken a decidedly more artistically dark anti-hero path.  The soundtrack may have aged somewhat better . . . hard to say since I seem to have written this album off and never play it.  I may have to change that stance.  This silly rock/soul battle of mine has already exposed me to Arms of Orion, which I gave a 3/5 stars to BECAUSE it is a cheesy guilty pleasure.  This track is similar in it's mediocrity.  A decent enough Prince groove with not a lot to say and not a lot of staying power, but not subpar enough to switch away from either.  It has all the Prince-y elements - synthesized 80s drum grooves, blistering guitar solos and a very Prince-esque chord progression/outro.  It reminds me of Prince . . . which I guess is the whole point.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  It's just not interesting enough for that honor.

Song:  Be My Wife - Live
Album:  Stage
Year:  1978

Allmusic claims that this tune, originally on the album Low, is well loved by his fan base.  Personally, I've never really thought much of it.  This live version is sped up a bit, lacks the intro ragtime-y piano riff and though it has some decent guitar work it is not quite up to par with the studio version.  Or maybe I'm just not a big fan of the song structure, which replaces a typical, verse-verse-chorus arrangement with more of a verse 1-verse 2-verse1-verse 2 repeat ad nauseum structure.  Also, Bowie chooses to pronounce lonely as "lahwn-lee" which just seems like an affectation.   Not into it.

Verdict:  2/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Nope.

Winner:  Electric Chair

Running Score:  Bowie 32, Prince 22

Palate Cleanser . . .

For cheap sentimentality done right, it doesn't get much better than this video by the Plain White T's.  It also happens to be a number that I sang for the first time last night at karaoke.  Enjoy.

The Other Side of the Pillow vs. Love You Till Tuesday

Song:  The Other Side of the Pillow
Album:  The Truth
Year:  1998

A fantastic, stripped-down Prince tune featuring, mostly, just Prince and acoustic guitar.  Prince is credited with performing all instruments and vocals on this track, which means the background vocals, harmony and whistling was overdubbed later.  It's a pleasant mid-tempo song and refreshing to hear the restraint.  If Prince were ever to be found sitting around a campfire strumming a guitar this would be the go-to song.  The opening wind noise is unnecessary but doesn't really detract from enjoying this one.  Well done!

Verdict:  5/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  No.  But I'd provide the guitar for the campfire performance.

Song:  Love You Till Tuesday
Album:  David Bowie
Year:  1967

A career-starting single that evidently flopped upon release.  And for good reason.  This is not a David Bowie that I particularly enjoy.  His voice is unpolished and he seems to either have difficulty hitting some of the higher notes or is simply singing them poorly on purpose.  The melody is outdated and poppy, featuring very non-rock-n-roll xylophone and strings.  It ends with a dumb spoken throw-off line followed by an instrumental punch that gives the whole thing a novelty feel.  The whole thing is, in the words of it's own chorus "da da da dumb".

Verdict:  1/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  I'd be embarrassed to!

Winner:  The Other Side of the Pillow

Running Score:  Bowie 32, Prince 21

Incense and Candles vs. When I Live My Dream

Song:  Incense and Candles
Album:  3121
Year:  2006

Auto-tuned Prince is unnecessary but somehow works here.  Dirty sexy OG Prince has been updated for the 00's giving us a more mature seduction jam, though with the familiar material tropes (incense, candles, diamonds, etc.).  This shouldn't work, but it does.  Well done Prince.

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Only if I could auto-tune myself.

Song:  When I Live My Dream
Album:  David Bowie
Year:  1967

This early Bowie stuff is always difficult for me to get into.  The musical arrangements are SO not rock & roll and the lyrics are sometimes difficult to unpack.  If only these lyrics had more depth to them.  I don't need to hear this again.

Verdict:  1/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Good lord no.

Winner:  Incense and Candles

Running Score:  Bowie 32, Prince 20


Bonus . . . 

Was thrilled to find a new release by La Santa Cecilia amidst the pop dreck of a typical new music Friday.

Satisfied - Live vs. Bring Me the Disco King - Live

Song:  Satisfied - Live
Album:  Indigo Nights / Live Sessions
Year:  2008

A live track from an album of live after-show performances from 2007, this particular track from Prince's 2006 album 3121.  It's typical of live Prince tracks, which I am finding are somewhat rambling and self-indulgent.  I don't necessarily have a problem with rambling, self-indulgent live tracks but a steady diet of them tends to wear thin.  This one starts as a slow burn for 2 1/2 minutes with some banter to the audience before the main lyrics kick in.  Another couple minutes in the saxophone rages into a solo and everything stays at a crescendo until the song ends.  Vocals are strong and the keyboards provide a solid foundation (though I would have liked to have heard a keyboard solo too).  I'm of mixed opinion on this one.  I like it well enough but it tends to get lost in the overall volume of live tracks that have suddenly been made available to the casual Spotify listener.  That being said, if I were to make a playlist of the best live Prince tracks I would likely include this one.

Verdict:  3.5/5 stars

Would  I sing it at karaoke?  I simply don't have the vocal prowess for such an undertaking.

Song:  Bring Me the Disco King - Live
Album:  A Reality Tour
Year:  2004

This live recording from Bowie's 2003 release Reality, like the Prince track above, is a slow burn.  Unlike the Prince track, it maintains that slow burn and showcases an excellent jazz piano performance by Mike Garson who, unsurprisingly once you listen closely, was the pianist on Bowie's 1973 song Aladdin Sane.  I like this track quite a bit and appreciate how it fits into the larger scale and pace of a live performance.  Not every number needs to be a powerhouse on the part of the main performer, and this one allows Bowie to provide some vocals which I'd guess are less challenging and allow his voice to recover a bit while allowing the other talent in the band to shine through.  His restraint is an excellent counterpoint to the bravado that Prince brings to his live tracks.  I say counterpoint because both approaches are valid and have their merit; Bowie's approach to this track works perfectly for this track.  I could see including this number in a jazz playlist, also strategically  placed to slow the tempo after something  more frantic.

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  You know, I just might!

Winner:  Bring Me The Disco King

Running Score:  Bowie 32, Prince 19


And speaking of live performance, restraint and power . . . I offer this incredible throwback as my next karaoke undertaking.  (OK, so Lou Rawls is lip synching this one, but Soul Train from the 1970s is always worth watching).

Nagoya vs. Right

Song:  Nagoya
Album:  C-Note
Year:  2004

Princevault explains that "C-Note is the third live album released by Prince from the One Nite Alone... Tour. This album contains recordings from the soundchecks prior to the show (open to NPG Music Club members), and is the third compilation album of NPG Music Club downloads (covering tracks released in early 2003); the album was released on the same day as The Chocolate Invasion and The Slaughterhouse, two other compilation albums."

So this is a soundcheck track.  It sounds like a soundcheck track.  There's no thought to it and while it's fine background music (I suppose) there's really nothing that stands out as a major accomplishment.  The playing is competent for sure, but not all that interesting.  It's just kind of there.

Verdict:  2/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Being an instrumental, nope.

Song:  Right
Album:  Young Americans
Year:  1975

This is a fantastic soul groove off of one of my favorite Bowie albums, with backing vocals by Luther Vandross no less!  Though essentially a two chord jam, the track demonstrates intricacies that reveal themselves on subsequent listenings and showcase the artistry needed to create such a piece.  It's a lovely song best explained by Bowie himself:

‘Right’ is putting a positive drone over. People forget what the sound of Man’s instinct is—it’s a drone, a mantra. And people, say: ‘Why are so many things popular that just drone on and on’. But that’s the point really.

According to the internet this song was never performed live.  That's a shame.

Verdict:  5/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  I'd love to!

Running score:  Bowie 31, Prince 19

ANOTHERLOVE vs. Nothing to Be Desired

Song:  ANOTHERLOVE
Album:  PLECTRUMELECTRUM
Year:  2014

A cover song!  Not even a cover of a song originally written by Prince but bequeathed to another artist.  A cover song actually written and performed by Alice Smith on her 2013 album She.  Prince's version pumps things up a bit with some blistering guitar and the classic Prince technique of arrangement style of every instrumentalist tightly playing quick staccato bursts (there's got to be a more technical term for this).  It's a pleasant enough song and had me nodding my head by the end.  I give Alice Smith mad props for her version as well:

And just for the hell of it, here's another Alice Smith song off her debut album.  Definitely worth trying out:

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Doubtful, but not because I don't like it.

Song:  Nothing to Be Desired
Album:  1. Outside
Year:  1995

A short, hectic interlude most likely never meant to stand on it's own as a single.  It may work in the context of the album but it doesn't do much for me as a stand-alone.  Lyrics are just words repeated over and over.  The song both fades in and fades out with no real change or progression.  It's just kinda blah.

Verdict:  2/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Never.

Winner:  ANOTHERLOVE

Running Score:  Bowie 30, Prince 19

Round and Round vs. I'd Rather Be High

Song:  Round and Round
Album:  Graffiti Bridge
Year:  1990

1990 marked my move to Chicago and subsequent immersion in the goth/punk/industrial scene, so I really never gave Graffiti Bridge much of a chance.  Still, I do remember secretly listening to this one track, appreciative off the backing instrumentals and drum track with designs on using it as inspiration for some keyboard pieces I was working on.  Sung by Tevin Campbell, this is a pure pop track punctuated, unfortunately, by an attempt at old-school Tommy-Boy era rap that comes off more like an uninteresting, clean limerick.  Prince's voice is clearly audible in the background chorus and he shows some nice restraint in letting this be a Tevin Campbell track.  It's a nice song that perhaps hasn't aged all that well.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  No, if only to avoid the dumb rap

Song:  I'd Rather be High
Album:  The Next Day
Year:  2013

An anti-war track, this song is best understood by reading Chris O'Leary's excellent writeup here.  I don't have much more insight to add and can only say that while I found this track just OK upon initial listen I am growing to like it more and more upon repeated plays.  The military-style snare drum drives the tempo and works nicely within the context of the song.  The initial chord progression reminded me vaguely of the Police song "Darkness" and I feel like there are other influences in there from Bowie's Man Who Sold the World tracks, but I just can't put my finger on it.  Perhaps it's just the subject matter.

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Not at the top of my list, but sure.

Winner:  I'd Rather be High

Running Score:  Bowie 30, Prince 18

P. Control vs. Sex and the Church

Song:  P. Control
Album:  The Gold Experience
Year:  1995

I remember the moment I first heard this song.  It was on the dance floor of a small Chicago club.  The crowd was sweaty and the floor was already packed.  There may have been mixed drinks involved.  I'd like to say that the crowd went wild; that they were stirred into a dance frenzy that took the evening to new heights.  But that didn't happen.  The song played, folks danced and then we moved on to the next track.  I recall thinking "Well that was a song" and that's kinda how I feel today, 24 years later taking another listen.  A bit of internet probing revealed that this funky shout-out found Prince embracing the rap that, for many years, he resisted.  He should have resisted longer.  He truly doesn't do it well.  He does it fine, don't get me wrong, but it's not his strongest thing.  What it ends up doing is making a song that could have been exciting in the hands of a more competent rapper sound more like a bachelorette party drunkenly muddling their way through Shoop at karaoke night.  OK, it's not THAT bad, but it is to Prince's best what the bachelorette Shoop version is to the best Amy Winehouse rendition you've seen at your local karaoke bar.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Nah

Song:  Sex and the Church
Album:  The Buddha of Suburbia
Year:  1993

A bit of electronica set to a shuffle beat with synthesized voice and a few NIN-inspired sample hits.  It's Laurie Anderson meets an Enigma deep cut.  [drops mic]

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Nope.

Winner:  Sex and the Church

Running Score:  Bowie 29, Prince 18

Fury vs. The Secret Life of Arabia

Song:  Fury
Album:  3121
Year:  2006

Prince brings a hard-driving guitar-led energy to this song that seems to really be about nothing other than a reference to the saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".  It's a good enough sound but not all that good enough to play again.

I feel like either Prince was rushing things in the late 2000s or I just wasn't paying attention.  I seem to recall that Musicology ('04), 3121 ('06) and Planet Earth ('07) all received positive reviews and I know that I listened to them when they were released, but nothing stuck.  There was nothing exciting there that would make me want to choose that over, oh, I don't know, Chumbawumba.  I need something that either makes me want to roll down the windows in my car and sing loudly or keep the windows up and sing poorly.  Nothing on any of these three albums has ever struck me in that way.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  No.

Song:  The Secret Life of Arabia
Album:  Heroes
Year:  1977

Somehow, given my moderate familiarity with the Heroes album, I am not all that familiar with this song.  Maybe it's because it's the final cut on the album, arriving after three brooding instrumentals (Sense of Doubt, Moss Garden and Neukoln); I can imagine myself switching gears in that time and never getting to the final track.  I'm sure there was a measure of artistry in sequencing the album in this manner and given the right combination of substances I'll bet it all comes very clear.  That being said, sometimes the most artistic and/or most critically acclaimed works are not always the easiest to digest.  That's not to say that I dislike anything about this track or the album,  just that it's not my go-to Bowie despite it being heralded as one of his best albums.

As for the track in question, the guitar is jangly, the beat hypnotic, even somewhat reminiscent of disco.  All it needs is a string section and maybe some cowbell.  The tempo makes me want to bob my head; in fact, I'm kinda dancing in my seat as I write this.  Bowie's vocal are strong and soaring.  Now that I listen more closely, this is clearly the inspiration for Herb Alpert's 1980 hit Rise!

I like it!  And I get why others may not.  It's out of character for the album.  It's a bit too bouncy for something rooted in a Berlin residency.  But it's also the wonderfully playful side of Bowie that I love so much.

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Given the right circumstances, sure.

Winner:  The Secret Life of Arabia

Running Score:  Bowie 28, Prince 18

Past, Present, Future - Can't You Hear Me Calling

Just recently happened upon the band Crooked Still, a group out of Boston that takes the bluegrass formula and tweaks it ever so slightly to make it something uniquely fresh.  The opening track on their Shaken by a Low Sound album is a Bill Monroe oldie, and one that I thought sounded somewhat familiar to a Ricky Skaggs song that I've loved for some time.


Here's Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys from 1961

And the Crooked Still version from 2006

And finally, the song Another Night from Ricky Skaggs' Bluegrass Rules album released in 1997

While Crooked Still has kept the song largely intact but somehow made it more intimately yearning, Ricky Skaggs has altered the melody, tempo and lyrics to create something hauntingly similar yet very different.

Or at least that's what I thought until I dove into the writing credits and discovered that it was written by someone named Hobo Jack.

Isn't this fun?

So the two songs, Can't You Hear Me Calling and Another Night, are not so much derived one from the other as they are parallel extensions of a fairly common bluegrass chord progression.  That the sentiment of longing and loneliness is the theme of both may be happenstance or may be the nature of bluegrass music.  I don't know and I don't care.  They are both brilliant songs and I welcome further interpretations.

Past, Present, Future - Ruby Soho

Watched Dazed & Confused for probably the hundredth time this past weekend and am only now recognizing  that each Senior Year character seems to have a corresponding Freshman Year character.  This theory need some development.  What I can say for sure though is that the scene with Pink, Wooderson and Mitch walking into The Emporium is a clear representation of past (Wooderson), present (Pink) and future (Mitch).  This idea was rumbling around my head when I happened upon the following:

Past:  Ruby Soho by Jimmy Cliff

Present:  Ruby Soho by Rancid

Future:  Ruby Soho by Vampire Weekend

Set aside the fact that the Jimmy Cliff version, though it sounds like older reggae, was recorded in 2012, a full 17 years AFTER the 1995 original by Rancid.  Quite a compliment for a veteran reggae star to give to a bygone punk band!  And the Vampire Weekend version, regardless of whether you love it or hate it, was recorded in 2010.

You might argue that I have the past present and future mixed up.  Strictly speaking it should be Rancid, Vampire Weekend and Jimmy Cliff, which kinda flips the present-day reality on it's ear.  I'd argue that Vampire Weekend is far more relevant today (which doesn't imply they are more vital) than either Jimmy Cliff or Rancid.  And while Rancid is not exactly "present" with a 24 year old song, their sound is still far more energetic than 90% of what you will find on the radio.  They sounded good then and they sound good now, making their Ruby Soho the definitive version.

And what does this have to do with Prince and/or Bowie?  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

Get Loose vs. Queen Bitch - Live

Song:  Get Loose
Album:  Crystal Ball
Year: 1998

A re-imagined, extended version of the track Loose! from the 1994 Prince release Come.  It's a late 90s club banger which on it's own is a capable jam but which I'd imagine a capable DJ might mix, rearrange and transform into something transcendent.  Meant to be played loudly, preferably with dedicated speakers for the bass track.  Lyrics are practically non-existent and frankly unnecessary.  I like this one.  It's a nice surprise!

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at . . . oh never mind

Song:  Queen Bitch - Live
Album:  Live Santa Monica '72
Year:  Ummmm . . . 1972?

As far as I can tell this particular live version is a faithful rendition of the album cut.  You can read my take on the album version here.  I gave it 4/5 stars in that post but given the poorer audio quality of the live version I am going to have to bump it down a notch to . . .

Verdict:  3.5/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Still a yes.

Winner:  Get Loose

Running Score:  Bowie 27, Prince 18

Calhoun Square vs. Sister Midnight - Live

Song:  Calhoun Square

Album:  Crystal Ball

Year:  1998

Named after a shopping district in Minneapolis, this track starts out with a nice funky bass line with some organ hits and a fairly straight-forward drum track.  The lead guitar cuts in to transform the chorus into more of rock jam a la Living Colour and then back to the funk-tinged verse.  It would have been groundbreaking in the late 80s and perhaps still was when recorded in 1993.  Twenty-one years after it's release, however, it's just meh.  But at least it's an elongated and hopeful meeeeeeeh rather than a blunt, dismissive, MEH!  

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Doubtful

Song:  Sister Midnight - Live

Album:  A Reality Tour

Year:  2004

Written by David Bowie waaaaaay back in 1977 for Iggy Pop's inaugural solo album The Idiot, Sister Midnight is a tune that seems to be about an oedipal complex but is in reality about drug addiction.  (For what it's worth, the song China Girl, also an oldie from The Idiot, is not really about a girl from China).  Oh the complex and wonderful masquerade that is metaphor!  I am quite familiar with this song and have always loved Iggy Pop's dark, droning and gritty take on it.  This version retains the killer bass line but adds in some excellent hi-hat percussion work and some raging guitar licks that turn it into a rocker.  It's no less gritty . . . just wonderfully loud.

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Absolutely.  I can't wait to!

Winner:  Sister Midnight - Live

Running Score:  Bowie 27, Prince 17

Deconstruction vs. Alabama Song (Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny)

Song:  Deconstruction
Album:  The Rainbow Children
Year:  2001

From the top of his game in my last post to the deepest depths of his lows in this one, I give to you the utter mess that is Deconstruction from the album that seems specifically designed to turn you off of Prince forever.  This track leads off with that stupid electronically slowed-down and deepened voice.  I don't know if this is supposed to be referencing the fall from grace or the literal destruction of the world, and frankly I don't care.  The solo guitar work in the latter half of the track is decent, but overall this is just a hot mess.

Verdict:  1/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  I hope to never mention it again, much less sing it!

Song:  Alabama Song (Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny)
Album:  Stage
Year:  1978

Egad!  The tale of this song is so convoluted and boring that I don't even want to get into it.  Alabama Song is an English translation of a 1925 song by German playwright/poet Bertolt Brecht.  The Doors recorded a version in 1966 and Bowie started incorporating the song on tour in 1978.  It was released as a single a year later, presumably only selling due to the stripped-down B-Side of Space Oddity.  The song itself is far too theater-y for my tastes.  Jarring with odd key and tempo changes, I imagine Bowie must have had a good time singing it but it sure isn't anything I want to hear.  Simply not his strongest moment.

Verdict:  1/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Not a chance.

Winner:  I dislike both of these songs but am giving it to Alabama Song simply because the subject matter is not as blatantly discriminatory as the pseudo-religion upon which Deconstruction is based.

Running Score:  Bowie 26, Prince 17




Palate cleanser . . .

It's not what you think.

When Doves Cry vs. Rubber Band

Song:  When Doves Cry
Album:  Purple Rain
Year:  1984

What is there to say about When Doves Cry that hasn't been said before?  It's a masterpiece.  The intro guitar is amazing.  The substitution of Prince's weird vocal track in lieu of a bass line is inspired.  The overlapping vocals are genius.  The little keyboard riff is instantly recognizable.  What's not to like?

Well, if you're a Bruce Springsteen fan, you may not like the fact that this was Prince's first number one hit, charting on July 7, 1984 and remaining at #1 for 5 straight weeks, resulting in The Boss' "Dancing in the Dark" being held at #2.  This is the closest Springsteen has come to having a #1 hit.

Verdict:  5/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  I believe I have.  Not well . . .

Song:  Rubber Band
Album:  David Bowie
Year:  1967

It would have taken a stellar Bowie song to go up against When Doves Cry, and Rubber Band is not that song.  It's somewhat of a novelty song, best described by the blog Pushing Ahead of the Dame.

Seriously . . . follow the link and read the blog.  I'll wait.

Back already?  Well, I have no more to add.  I'm not enthralled with this song.  I don't need to hear it again.  The Spinners, yes; this mess, no.

Verdict:  Bowie's Rubber Band 1/5 stars.  (The Spinners' Rubber Band Man 5/5 stars).

Would I sing it at karaoke?  No.  Neither version.  Bowie's because it's not good and the Spinners because I'm not worthy.

Winner:  When Doves Cry, of course.

Running Score:  Bowie 25, Prince 17

Walk Don't Walk vs. God Only Knows

Song:  Walk Don't Walk
Album:  Diamonds and Pearls
Year:  1991

A capable but unremarkable track from Prince's first album with the New Power Generation.  This track fits in nicely with the mélange of styles exhibited on the album and, like most of the tracks, doesn't detract from the album but doesn't shine  either.  I do like the inclusion of the brief car horn riff, though it does feel like someone was just playing with their new sampling keyboard.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  I wouldn't NOT sing it!

Song:  God Only Knows
Album:  Tonight
Year:  1984

Though this is a cover of a Beach Boys song, I did not know that when I bought the Tonight album in 1984.  Teenage me wasn't necessarily into slower romance songs at that time but I appreciated the vocals and thought it was a nice tune back in the day.  It's grown on me over time and I very much prefer it over the poppy, boppy Beach Boys version (though to be fair I have never liked the Beach Boys despite trying to listen to Pet Sounds several times . . . I just don't get it).

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  I'd have to practice quite a bit but sure.

Winner:  God Only Knows

Running Score:  Bowie 25, Prince 16


Postscript:

Every once in a while my Spotify will hit me with a cool tune when I reach the end of my Prince v. Bowie playlist.  This one popped up today and I thought it worthy of sharing:

Interlude

U KNOW vs. 1984 - Live

Song:  U KNOW
Album:  Art Official Age
Year:  2014

The teaser on Spin.com reads thusly:

It’s Labor Day, and Prince knows the importance of letting loose. That’s why the rock legend’s new single, “U Know,” taken from his upcoming album Art Official Age (September 30) is a perfectly playful robotic trip through his Purple world with a little help from 3RDEYEGIRL. It’s smooth and sexy in all the right places, with the musician’s vocals transformed into a steady digi-drawl for the verses, before picking up steam and soul for those billowing choruses. It’s the kind of futuristic R&B that Prince prodigy Janelle Monáe has been letting loose for the past few years. 

They got one thing right(ish), it IS (one day after) Labor Day!  Coincidence or divine providence?  I'm going with coincidence given that this track is not all that strong and the Spin write-up not all that accurate.  The voice is auto-tuned, not "robotic".  The song never really picks up steam.  The "help" from 3RDEYEGIRL is little more than "uh-huhs" and "yeahs"  And referring to Janelle Monae as a Prince prodigy, though technically correct, is a bit insulting in this context if you are making the argument that Prince is following in HER footsteps on this one and not vice versa.

For all that it's not an especially BAD track, it's just not an especially memorable one.  I think the auto-tune is killing it for me.  It's an over-used trope and not at all needed from an accomplished vocalist such as Prince.  I don't dig the couple instances of back-masking . . . Prince did enough of this in the 80s and should have laid it to rest by now.  And there are no outstanding flourishes or memorable moments.  It just sits there and exists.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  No.  Too boring.

Song:  1984 - Live
Album:  David Live
Year:  1974

A capable rendition of a song that may be considered a minor hit in the Bowie catalog.  The live performance doesn't stray far from the studio version though the starting (clarinet?  oboe?) lends it an eerie touch.  I've always liked the wah-wah guitar work that makes this one start off as if it's going to be a disco number and maybe that's what keeps it oddly relevant; it's a 45 year old song that still breaks the mold of other "classic rock" hits with which it might be bundled in an afternoon rock block.  I've always liked this one and still do.

I should note that the video above is from the Dick Cavett Show and not from the David Live album, though both were recorded in 1974.

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Yes!!!

Winner:  1984 - Live

Running Score:  Bowie 24, Prince 16

18 & Over vs. Sense of Doubt - Live

Song:  18 & Over
Album:  Crystal Ball
Year:  1998

Let me start by pointing out that this song was recorded in 1994, which would put Prince at 36 years of age at the time of recording.  Bear that in mind as you read on . . .

Coming from an artist who has proven himself capable of artistic displays of sexuality, sometimes very graphically, this particular offering is abhorrent.  Prince may be trying for some double entendres here, but he barely manages single entendres with lines such as "18 & over, I wants to bone ya" and referring to himself as a "Kemosabe Bone Ranger".  I haven't witnessed such a blind spot in music since Robin Thicke thought himself so clever with "what rhymes with hug me?"  The rapping is poor, the sentiment is merely sexual, not sexy, and the beat is simplistic.

Back to the whole age thing.  WTF Prince!!!!!  Who do you think you are?  R. Kelly?  Not someone to aspire to!!!  Do you want to know when most guys move on from 18 year olds?  At the age of 19!  Even employing the "half your age plus 7" rule you'd be off by seven years.  I'm disappointed in you sir.  I'll accept Do Me Baby, Head and International Lover, but this is crap.

Verdict:  0/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Good God no!!!!

Song:  Sense of Doubt - Live
Album:  Stage
Year:  1978

A live version of an instrumental track from his Heroes album, this is a moody synth piece clearly meant to be a bridge (and a vocal respite) between songs in his live set.  It's a fine piece for what it is, but not necessarily what I'm seeking when I want to  hear some Bowie.  It works far better in the context of the full studio album, though I'm sure the crowd appreciated it live too.

Song facts offers this:

Producer, Brian Eno, devised a set of "Oblique Strategies" cards that contained cryptic "instructions" to help with the recording of the Heroes album. Eno and Bowie would select a card at random, keeping it a secret from the other. Bowie selected "Emphasise differences" while Eno selected "Try to make everything as similar as possible" and it was this paradox which formed the basis for this dark but ambient instrumental piece. Eno said: "It was like a game. We took turns working on it; he'd do one overdub and I'd do the next, and he'd do the next…I was trying to smooth it out and make it into one continuum [while] he was trying to do the opposite."

This explanation gives the song a bit more depth.  I like the concept and would love to try it myself sometime.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Silly question

Winner:  Sense of Doubt - Live

Running Score - Bowie 23, Prince 16

I Wonder U vs. Let Me Sleep Beside You

Song:  I Wonder U
Album:  Parade
Year:  1986

Clocking in at 1:39, this track probably shines brightest when the album tracks are experienced sequentially.  It works well as a segue between the more up tempo New Position and the slower Under the Cherry Moon.  Taken on it's own it's interesting but too short.  This is an album I'm very familiar with and as many times as I've listened to this track I've only just noticed that there seems to be a very slight, almost imperceptible, tempo increase as the track progresses.  The lyrics are vague, though they may make more sense in the context of  the movie (Under the Cherry Moon), which I've never seen.

As a side note, the lead vocals on this track are sung by Wendy Melvoin and mark the first time Prince did not provide the lead vocals on a Prince album track.

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  No.  Too short and too few words

Song:  Let Me Sleep Beside You
Album:  David Bowie
Year:  1967

Nothing I can write here will better describe this song than Chris O'Leary's Pushing Ahead of the Dame blog:

“Let Me Sleep Beside You” is a rake’s come-on in the well-worn style of Andrew Marvell and Robert Herrick—the singer frames his seduction as being empowering, the rake merely serving as a means of liberation. He appeals to youth’s vanity; he flatters his conquest with the promise of her alleged maturity: “Brush the dust of youth from off your shoulder/because the years of threading daisies lie behind you now,” Bowie murmurs, keeping a straight face. “Lock away your childhood…child, you’re a woman now/your heart and soul are free.”

Of Bowie's earliest works, this is not a track of which I was familiar.  Having now had a few listens, I can confidently say that it's OK.  The lyrics are more accessible than some of his other early works, though it's definitely missing the odd subject matter of tracks such as Silly Boy Blue or Please Mr. Gravedigger.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Doubtful

Winner:  I Wonder U

Running Score:  Bowie 22, Prince 16

Sleep Around vs. Moonage Daydream - Live

Song:  Sleep Around
Album:  Emancipation
Year:  1996

A decent up-tempo groove influenced by late 90s club music with a touch of Miami Sound Machine.  Prince seems to be having fun with the mix and soloing on this track and while the drum beat seems very mechanical, the other instrumentation is more dense and interesting.  At just over 7 minutes, it feels like an extended dance mix, and perhaps this is an example of his newfound artistic freedom.  There may not be a lot of substance lyrically but that's made up for by enough variance in the mix to make for a nice listen.

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Not necessarily the right fit for such a venue

Song:  Moonage Daydream - Live
Album:  1982
Year:  Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (The Motion Picture Soundtrack)

I went into this one dreading it.  This soundtrack is of notoriously muddy quality and not known to be representative of his best live recordings.  The slight vocal ch-ch-changes that Bowie makes early into the song didn't help.  They were OK but definitely felt as if he were holding back slightly, though that's understandable for a live performance.  This all changed when Mick Ronson's guitar took over.  It's a soaring, wobbly, spinny sensation, evoking a sense of interstellar travel with just the right use of some pedal effects.  I can imagine being in the audience and just soaking it in.

Verdict:  4/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  I believe I have!

Pointless rambling:
This is a tough pairing for me.  I was surprised by both of these tracks and love them both for very different reasons.  So  I have to ask myself which track will I intentionally seek out to listen to again?  And I still can't decide, because that question hinges on setting.  I may throw Sleep Around into a Spotify playlist intended for a social  gathering but go to Moonage Daydream for a drive with the windows down and the volume turned up to eleven.  So then which song sticks in the head better?  Well that would be Moonage Daydream by a long shot, but that may be because I know it well enough to sing at karaoke.  That being said, I think that is going to be my criteria on this one.  As much as I liked Sleep Around I am going to have to proclaim this battle's winner . . .

Winner:  Moonage Daydream - Live

Running Score:  Bowie 22,  Prince 15

STOPTHISTRAIN vs. Hallo Spaceboy - Live

Song:  STOPTHISTRAIN
Album:  PlectrumElectrum
Year:  2014

Another Prince project, 3rdEyeGirl, with Hannah Welton-Ford on vocals.  This is a pleasant mid-tempo pop song with vocals that manage to fit with the pop sounds of the day.  It rolls along at an easy pace and makes me want to listen to more of the album.  Billboard describes this album as "more dessert than side dish" (to the album "Art Official Age" which was released at the same time) and calls out this track as one of the stronger numbers.  It's an apt description

Verdict:  3.5/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Not my style.

Song:  Hallo Spaceboy - Live
Album:  A Reality Tour
Year:  2004

A nice noise track and one that I'm sure got the crowd going when performed live.  It's not a track that would be a showstopper or highlight, but sure would rev a concert-goer up in preparation for some off the bigger numbers.  I don't have a lot to say about this one.  Good enough but nothing very special.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  No

Winner:  STOPTHISTRAIN

Running Score:  Bowie 21, Prince 15

Let's Work vs. Diamond Dogs - Live

Song:  Let's Work
Album:  Controversy
Year:  1981

Follow me here . . . Waaaaaaaay back in 1979 it seems Prince took his backing band to Boulder, Colorado to record an album under the band name The Rebels.  They recorded nine tracks, none of which have ever been released.  One of those tracks, titled Let's Rock, derived it's name from a popular dance at the time called, what else, The Rock, which itself was influenced by an Edwin Starr song titled "It's Called the Rock".  (I was unable to find a video of the dance itself, though if you'd like to see videos of Dwayne Johnson dancing those are readily available).

A couple years later Prince decided to re-record and re-title Let's Rock as Let's Work for his fourth album Controversy, an album which Allmusic rightly claims tries to bring funk to a rock audience and vice versa.  This track does just that.  To say it rocks would be a misnomer.  To say it funks would be more appropriate, but that's just not a thing.  To say it works is probably most accurate, though it seems like a vast understatement.

Having listened to this album, and both the album and extended recordings of  this particular track, for 38 years now, I can definitively say that this is the Prince that I prefer.  The one that drew me into his music to begin with.  A hard driving funk/rock/soul beat, sweaty lyrics, cool synthesizer backing . . . it's all there.  It expands the sound of his previous release Dirty Mind and sets the stage for the masterpiece that is 1999.  (For what it's work, Dirty Mind and Controversy are also masterpieces).  This is Prince at his best.

Verdict:  5/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Oh hell yeah!

Song:  Diamond Dogs
Album:  David Live
Year:  1974

While a fan of the Diamond Dogs album, both as a collection of songs and as a concept, I've never been that fond of this title track.  It's OK.  It just doesn't do much for me.  It's a natural inclusion on the David Live album as Diamond Dogs was released the same year.  It's fast-paced and rocking, but rather TOO much of a straight-forward rock song for it to spark any interest.  The live performance doesn't try to alter or improve on the studio recording in any way.  It's just meh.

Verdict:  3/5 stars

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Meh

Winner:  Let's Work

Running Score:  Bowie 21, Prince 14

Emancipation vs. Dollar Days

Song:  Emancipation
Album:  Emancipation
Year:  1996

Emancipation (the song) is the final track from the staggering 3-CD, 3 hour album of the same name.  It starts as if it's going to be a slower song but quickly switches to an midtempo dance/funk jam.  As the final track, it's a fitting celebration of Prince's newly found freedom from his Warner Bros. contract.  Ironically, his glee in being free to chart new musical ground and experiment with new sounds does not play out on this track; it would actually fit well within the oeuvre of his Purple Rain output.  Still, it's an enjoyable song that had my toe tapping and my head bobbing.

For what it's worth, this rather dumb poem, also titled Emancipation, was distributed to the audience of his 9/9/95 show at Paisley Park Studios.

Is it reality or just a dream?

2 your spirit say ♥ U in spite of my slavery

We're both 2 blame 4 this lesson in life

cuz this is the path we choose

'm sure knew U long ago

Look into your soul – it knows

And would never claim more righteous

Dare Napoleon and Hitler see

It depends on who U ask my friend

love U, do U love me?

How will history sing, my brother

What song will our children teach?

The Emancipation Proclamation is well within our reach

Tear down the walls that make us bicker

4 many years fought your war

One stroke of your pen could conquer

Every sin our actions bore

implore the goodness that's in all of us

An example we now must set

4 when this life is over

What U be is what U get

The Dawn is coming!

The Dawn is coming!

Acknowledge and save us all

Free my people 2 bring the message

Heed the call! Heed the call!

And this song from every mountain top

Every child will surely teach

The Emancipation Proclamation

Is well within our reach

love U, love U – Do U love me?

I'm not convinced that Prince's emancipation from his record label carries the same weight as the Emancipation Proclamation, and if the pictures from this time with the word "slave" emblazoned on Prince's cheek weren't enough to evoke that tie, this poem dispels any doubt.

Verdict:  3.5/5 stars for the song.  1/5 stars for the poem.

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Nah . . . vocals are too sparse

Song:  Dollar Days
Album:  Blackstar
Year:  2016

The Blackstar album is Bowie's final, poignant gift to his fans.  He recorded it while he knew he was dying and passed away just days after it's release.  The album differs from anything he's done previously due to  the inclusion of some jazz musicians; specifically, on this track, saxophonist Donny McCaslin.  The track is moody and beautiful.  Though Bowie's voice is not at it's strongest, it is still a beautiful and haunting presence in this lament on the futility of the human condition.  I can't possibly know what was going through Bowie's head at the time.  Though I'm sure he despaired of things left undone and the continued overall shittiness of humanity, I do hope he took satisfaction in the global pleasure of his enduring work.

Verdict:  3.5/5 stars

Winner:  Emancipation

Running Score:  Bowie 21, Prince 13