Publication: The Orange County Register [US]
Date: August 17, 1990
Section: Show
Page Number(S): P38
Length: 1204 Words
Title: "Prince's 'Graffiti' Doesn't Leave Much Of A Mark"
Written By: Cary Darling; Jay Roebuck and Noel Davis

POP ALBUMS Prince.
"Graffiti Bridge." Warner Bros. /Paisley Park.

Uh-oh. The latest project from Prince, "Graffiti Bridge" (to be released Tuesday), is a soundtrack. His last film credit was for the funky but lightweight "Batman" album and his previous dabbling in movies hatched the regrettable movie, "Under the Cherry Moon," which spawned a less-than-satisfying aural companion, "Parade."

Not only that but "Graffiti Bridge" isn't entirely a Prince album as the vocal spotlight is shared with the Time, George Clinton, Mavis Staples and Elisa Fiorillo. Double uh-oh.

But, oddly, this "Bridge" neither collapses under its own weight nor takes Prince to breathtaking new heights. "Graffiti Bridge" merely keeps Prince firmly in place, stretched between his far-reaching and dazzlingly stylish ambitions and the tendency to fritter away his talents on the mediocre and the mundane.

Like his superior 1987 album "Sign o' the Times" and the never released but captivating "Black Album," "Graffiti" puts the emphasis on funk and a back-to-basic earthiness. The first two of the 17 tracks -- the sweetly optimistic but invigorating "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got" and the fist-pumping "New Power Generation" set the tone.

But, by the third track, "Release It," a smart-mouthed Time retread, the album's flaws begin to show. On so many of the songs -- "Round & Round," "Love Machine," "Elephants & Flowers," "The Latest Fashion," "Tick Tick Bang," "Shake" -- Prince and crew are spinning their creative wheels. While the collaboration with funk master George Clinton, "We Can Funk," lays down an irresistible groove, it falls far short in comparison to the best work by either Clinton or Prince.

Still, as with nearly all of Prince's releases, there's enough of substance to enjoy and the strong tracks are persuasive. From the laid-back Latin groove of "Joy in Repetition," the love gone nearly wrong lyrics of "Thieves in the Temple," and Mavis Staples' sultry gospel-inflected singing on the crunching "Melody Cool," to the graceful melodies of the gospel ballad "Still Would Stand All Time" and the title track, "Graffiti Bridge" has its share of smartly executed moments.

But, on such past albums as "Sign o' the Times," "Purple Rain" and "1999," Prince has shown he's capable of much more than sporadic pleasures. After "Batman" and "Graffiti Bridge," maybe it's time for Prince to take his eyes off the silver screen and concentrate on his music.