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
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