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
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