Extraordinary vs. Rock 'N' Roll With Me

 

Song:  Extraordinary
Album:  The Vault . . . Old Friends 4 Sale
Year:  1999

Princevault.com indicates that although there is no exact recording date known for this single, basic tracks were recorded in 1992.  It seems this song was originally intended for the Rosie Gaines solo album Concrete Jungle.  I hadn't previously heard of Rosie Gaines (the early 90s were my industrial/goth/Wax Trax days) so took a cursory listen to this album.  Initial impressions are generally favorable in a Paula Abdul sort of way, though I question whether the title track, a remake Bob Marley's powerful and brooding opener to Catch a Fire, needed to be remade as a dance jam.

The song itself is a decent Prince slow jam though at a running time of 2:28 it definitely feels like a snippet that might have been developed into something more with some instrumental solos and the vocal improvs that only Prince can pull off.

Verdict:  3/5 stars.

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Only after a few drinks and only as an intentional train wreck.

Song:  Rock 'N' Roll With Me

Album:  Diamond Dogs

Year:  1974

Ziggy Stardust's love letter to his fans from the last album of his glam rock phase.  You can hear the blue-eyed soul that would mark his next album, 1975's Young Americans, start to emerge, though it's still steeped in the urban chaos proto-punk theme of this album.  The track starts slow with crooning Bowie and builds to desperately expressive Bowie throughout the choruses.  You can almost see the Bic lighters held aloft and the audience singing along near the end.

Diamond Dogs was never a prominent fixture on my turntable, though I have listened to the entire album more than a few times so was already very familiar with this track.  Still, I haven't gone back to it in recent years and am delighted that it made an appearance.

Verdict:  4.5/5 stars.

Would I sing it at karaoke?  Absolutely!  This one will be in heavy rotation for a while.

Winner:  David Bowie - Rock 'N' Roll With Me

Running Score:  David Bowie 1, Prince 0