Publication: USA Today [US]
Date: August 20, 1990
Section: Life
Length: 307 Words
Title: "Prince's High-Spirited 'Bridge'"
Written By: Edna Gundersen and David Patrick Stearns

Normally a musical nomad, Prince tours his own back yard on Graffiti Bridge, out Tuesday.

He doesn't break new ground on this uplifting collection of danceable soul, but Prince easily reclaims a vast turf, much trampled by artistic trespassers and land-grabbers.

Tied to his upcoming same-named film, Bridge could also be a soundtrack of Prince's career, revisited but not rehashed. As one lyric says: ''There's joy in repetition.''

Can't Stop This Feeling I Got is this year's Let's Go Crazy. The spiritual communion of the title track recalls Purple Rain. Love Machine, Tick Tick Bang and We Can Funk, a George Clinton duet that wastes a hot groove on juvenile word play, revive the erotic robotics of Dirty Mind.

While retaining his experimental edge and flair for surprise, Prince doesn't take Bridge too far from solid R&B. The funk foundation is a jumping- off point for bungee-cord dips into Beatlesque pop, rock, psychedelia, blues and tender serenades.

Prince, who produced, arranged and composed (with some assists) all 17 songs, dazzles on every level: from grinding guitars and baroque instrumentation to emotive vocals that soar to a shimmering falsetto.

Bridge's lyrics avoid the bleak realism of Sign o' the Times and the caprice of Parade. Though less cryptic or personal than Lovesexy, Bridge still explores, and entwines, that album's themes of sex and religion. (And he still can't spell, U know?)

Aside from the weighty paranoia of Thieves in the Temple, his mood is buoyant. Animated co-stars lend to a party atmosphere, especially Mavis Staples' soulful wallop on Melody Cool and the itchy rhythms of the Time on Release It and Shake!

Prince, the godchild of soul, says it best on New Power Generation: ''If U didn't come 2 party, child/I think U better get up offa my block.''

Take that, new kids.