Publication: The Louisville Courier-Journal [US]
Date: September 1, 1990
Section: Scene
Page Number(S): 10S
Length: 1987 Words
Title: "Tune In Louisville"
Written By: Mark Clark and Dave Larsen

"MUSIC FROM GRAFFITI BRIDGE"
Prince (Paisley Park)
Formats: LP, cassette, CD

"Here we go, y'all, pumpin' big noise in the '90s . . ."

With that warning, Prince rips into "New Power Generation," the centerpiece of his new double album. It's a fiery, fist-pumping, fanny- shaking dance number, built around one of the best grooves the purple funkmeister has ever penned and featuring his most pointed lyrics since "Controversy" 10 years ago:

"We are the new power generation, we wanna change the world/The only thing that's in our way is you/Your old-fashioned music, your old ideas/We're sick and tired of your tellin' us what to do," and later: "I hope they bury your old ideas when they bury you."

That's pretty tough talk from a guy who just turned 33. But throughout "Graffiti Bridge" you get the impression that Prince -- despite his status as the 1980s' best and, arguably, most influential artist -- feels he has something to prove. He seems to be digging for a toehold at the top of the charts, to ensure that he'll remain a major player on the pop-music scene in the new decade.

The album is the soundtrack from his as-yet-unreleased film of the same name, originally planned to reach theaters Aug. 10 but now scheduled for Nov. 19. The 17-song collection includes not only music by Prince, but also from the Time, Mavis Staples and newcomer Tevin Campbell, all of whom appear in the film.

The movie is a sequel to 1984's surprise hit, "Purple Rain," with Prince reprising his semi-autobiographical role as a troubled singer known as The Kid. It's tough to get an overall picture of the album without seeing how the music operates in the film. But the songs sound as if they could have progressed naturally from the music in "Purple Rain" -- more so than the music from "Around the World in a Day," the album that immediately followed the "Rain" soundtrack.

This album is full of stripped-down, drum- and keyboard-powered dance numbers, spiked with Hendrix-ian guitar licks and Prince's one-of-a-kind, screeching, moaning, hiccuping vocals. He wrote most of the 17 songs and performs nine of them. Not surprisingly, he saves most of the best numbers for himself.

Besides "New Power Generation," "Graffiti Bridge" boasts four other top-flight Prince tunes: "The Question of U," a brokenhearted piano ballad and sort-of sequel to "The Beautiful Ones" from "Purple Rain"; the funky, psychedelic "Elephants and Flowers"; the hypnotic "Joy in Repetition," which features his best (and longest) recorded guitar solo since the "Purple Rain" title cut; and the album's first single, "Thieves in the Temple."

His other contributions range from a pair of pleasant throwaways he might have relegated to B sides if this were pared down to a single album ("Can't Stop This Feeling I Got" and "Tick, Tick, Bang") to a disappointing duet with the king of '70s funk, George Clinton ("We Can Funk"). It's an interesting pairing but will be just a footnote in both artists' catalogs.

The lesser songs are bad, really, but you have to think Prince could have filled the entire album with material as good as the record's best cuts if he had just given himself more time. But then, Prince's projects often have a rushed feel. Since 1980, he's recorded 11 albums (counting the unreleased but extensively bootlegged "Black Album"), three of them double- sets, and starred in four movies -- not to mention several world tours.

The Time makes the most of its four songs, one of which, "The Latest Fashion," features co-lead vocals by Prince. The hip-hop-styled "Release It" ranks among the most irresistible tracks Morris Day and friends have ever done. Their contributions here, coupled with their impressive new album, "Pandemonium" (named after a club featured in the movie), adds up to a major comeback. The group, which broke up six years ago, reunited for the film.

Prince's two songs with gospel veteran Staples show the same warmth that came through when the two worked together on her last album, "Time Waits for No One." "Melody Cool" is a saucy, upbeat number. The album's title track is another of Prince's well-intended but sometimes dopey attempts at religious symbolism. It's better than "The Ladder," from "Around the World in a Day," but not as effective as "The Cross," from "Sign O the Times." Give it a 5 on the 10-point "Funk for God" scale.

Campbell's "Round and Round" is a likable, summery dance number, but it sounds a little thin amid the dense fare that surrounds it.

"Graffiti Bridge" won't go down as Prince's finest hour. It doesn't break ground like "Dirty Mind," "1999" and "Purple Rain" did, and it lacks the intricate, layered beauty of "Sign O the Times" and "LoveSexy," along with their thematic complexity. But it's as good as or better than the rest of his albums, far superior to last year's spotty "Batman" soundtrack, and that's enough to make it one of the year's best records.