That is not to say that Prince is not deserving of his success. He is one of the greats. To this day, his recordings of When Doves Cry, U Got the Look, Sign of the Times, Controversy, 1999 and Purple Rain remain landmarks of the ’80s. That was the time when thanks to innovations he introduced, synthesizers acquired symphonic qualities and electronica got heart. Still, whenever I think of his work, I longed for something I could hum along to without thinking. Not to mention the fact that I also didn’t like the themes or titles and even names that he imposed on his public that invited discussion. Remember that Greek symbol for the male sex that he wanted to call himself?
With the recently released 3121 though, I am happy to announce that Prince has finally unloaded whatever emotional baggage he had to simply have fun. Produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince, the album is flirty, sentimental, danceable, filled with commercial hooks and even invites a few chuckles. Why, this must be the first time in his career when he didn’t get into sexual depravities, urban blight and the perils of religion in his songs.
I know that without those topics, 3121 does not sound like something by Prince. After all, he has made it a point to explore such themes many times over in his past works. But that must also be the reason why this album went to No. 1 the week it was released. 3121 attracted a wider market. It was a must for his die-hard fans and also an enjoyable discovery for people like me. Hey, this guy can also create funky music that is superbly done and also lots of fun.
The ballads, Satisfied, which he performs in his gorgeous falsetto, the Latin-inspired Te Amo Corazon and the soaring Beautiful Loved and Blessed featuring Tamar also of the gorgeous vocals, are the best of the lot and will most likely prove the most enduring. For a taste of early Prince, there are 3121 and Black Sweat. Lolita is an amusing tweak at seduction by a young girl and Fury rocks the hardest of all. There are also Incense and Candles, The Word, The Dance and Get on the Boat which, like everything else, showcase pieces of Prince’s capabilities as a genius at the studio.
And since we are on the subject of a studio genius, may I present another musician and producer whose creative output is also worthy of admiration. This is Toby McKeehan who is better known as Toby Mac. I know, his name is not as readily recognizable as Prince. I do not think too that his album is flying off the shelves in the local shops. But if you will take time to listen to his work in the album Welcome to Diverse City, you will find a talented artist who rocks, raps, grooves with the right beat and has an important message to put across. Toby Mac is on a mission to tell people about God and he does this with well-executed pop music.
Like Prince, Toby Mac presents a variety of rhythms in the album. There is the danceable Hey Now, the infectious Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy), the hardrocking The Slam and TruDog, the funky Diverse City, the mellow Poetically Correct and so on to other beats in Atmosphere, Gone, The Return, Stories (Down to the Bottom), Getaway Car, Burn for You, Fresher Than a Night at the W, Ill-M-I, Phenomenon, Gotta Go and Atmosphere (Remix) which features his group dc talk.
Welcome to Diverse City is Toby Mac’s second solo album. His first one Momentum was also very well received.