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
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