European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 24, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Music rows up by John Rockwell new York times Prince became a big Star with the 1984 release of his first film purple ruin and its attendant soundtrack up and hit singles. But it s sometimes easy to forget that he s Only 25 years  though he s a practice pop music Veteran having released an album a year since 1978, he s still coalescing As an artist. Unlike a student or a Garret dwelling Bohemian however his maturation is taking place in the Glare of modern celebrity publicity an exposure Likely to distort As much As it reveals. Now we have the 1986 Prince release Parade. It comes in the Wake of his guardedly received 1985 album around the world in a Day which was widely criticized for a false and Over ornate 1960s psychedelic feeling. But More than a corrective for any stylistic misstep there is plenty of 60s atmosphere in Parade too the new album is an attempt to recoup ground lost by the negative publicity surrounding Prince personally. It is Likely to succeed in that aim for three unrelated reasons. One it s very Good. Two As the soundtrack for Prince s forthcoming second film under the Cherry Moon it May win a wider audience in the same Way As the purple rain soundtrack. Three Given the increasing volatility of the pop music Star making and Star breaking apparatus it s about time for Public taste to swing Back in Prince s favor. Stars today Are rapidly almost instantaneously inflated into mass Phenomena sell millions of records and appear on every Magazine cover. Then suddenly grievous character flaws Are discovered that May or May not exist or May exist in lesser measure than eager exposes imply and the Public mood swings into dismiss Veness. The Public perception of Prince swung from a sly charmer to surly misogynist paranoid Between 1984 and 1985 just As the year before Michael Jackson had fallen from boy Genius to androgynous eccentric. In Prince s Case a few lucidly reported incidents of snooty Public behaviour combined with overzealous bodyguards certainly fuelled the backlash. He hardly helped his cause with last year s around the world album in which a not very convincing approximation of Mccartney esque beatles innocence clashed egregiously with his own image of defensive arrogance. The irony was that his entire Early reputation was of an aggressive kid obsessed with explicit sexuality typical song themes included incest fellatio onanism and bondage. Purple rain aside from being a musically More diverse and assured album than most of his earlier efforts also represented a softening of that image. Thus the uglier behaviour that provoked last year s backlash might be seen As a reassertion of the real Prince. But reality in this Case seems considerably More interesting and Complex Prince is a talented still evolving musician capable of far More challenging work than a Mere facile pop trickster with a dirty mind the title of his 1980 album and one of his Best. When he signed with Warner Bros records at the age of 17, Prince was a prodigiously gifted provincial loner who created most of his albums by Prince performed in Minneapolis last month in preparation for an upcoming tour. Himself in his Minneapolis studio overdubbing All the instruments. This is a situation conducive to self aggrandizing fantasies. And the Mere presence of striking musical gifts for composing singing instrumental playing and studio manipulation can cover up an unsure half formed sense of artistic direction. With Prince sexuality seems to have been both a publicity ploy one hardly unprecedented in the Raunchy world of Rock v Roll and a genuine reflection of his adolescent interests or so he s said in interviews. This sexuality coupled with a less than sure gift for Lyric writing his texts Are often prosaic and naive made his other themes like god the apocalypse and stars today Are rapidly almost instantaneously inflated into mass Phenomena sell millions of records and appear on every Magazine cover. Then suddenly grievous character flaws Are discovered which May or May not exist or May exist in lesser measure than eager exposes imply and the Public mood swings into dismiss Veness. Political injustice seem hollow. And yet the outrageousness did serve a musical purpose aside from its positive and negative marketing aspects. As with David Bowie with his glitter image and constant changes Prince s arresting Persona enabled his Public to accept until around the world at least his restless stylistic experimentation his often Brilliant attempts to blend Black and White musical influences and every manner of Rock soul and disco. Indeed Prince s Success in overcoming musical and racial boundaries has not just directly through his Many proteges and indirectly through those he influenced affected 1980s popular music. He has also done much to Lessen the de Facto segregation of Black artists that had Arisen in the Early 80s on radio and in the televising of music videos. Under the Cherry Moon Prince s second feature film and the first he s directed himself is scheduled for release july 2, and until then certain aspects of the lyrics will remain obscure. The new soundtrack album begins with Christopher Tracy s Parade and ends with sometimes it snows in april a Ballad with a Lovely chromatic chorus maudlin verses and sincere acoustic instrumentation in which Prince seems to be lamenting the death of Tracy in an overtly homoerotic manner. When one learns that Prince s character in the film is Tracy himself however homoeroticism turns into narcissism with Prince lovingly crooning his own valedictory. The film is also set on the Cote d Azur with a French female Star which explains the occasional French lyrics moaning French female love talk and accordion Flavoured Chanson arrangements. Apart from the Chanson flavourings there is psychedelia Here too most overtly in the sgt. Pepper like opening of Christopher Tracy s Parade As Well As continued examples of Prince s tendency toward Busy studio clutter overlaying a dance beat. There Are also two songs co written with his father John l. Nelson a musician who once performed under the name Prince Rogers Prince s full name is Prince Rogers Nelson and he has apparently had a Complex relationship with his father depicted in part in purple rain. The two co written songs Are the most psychedelic ones suggesting that Nelson who also co wrote two songs on around the world May have helped Point Prince in that direction. But the most striking songs Here Are the tougher ones those in which Prince chooses to play up the Black Side of his Multi faceted musical sensibility. There s the Catchy new position and the single kiss with its stripped Down instrumentation and falsetto vocal. But above All there Are two songs the Clear highlights of this album.  has an irresistible chorus As sexy and kinetic and ingratiating As anything in purple rain. Girls and boys is even better full of delicious instrumental touches capped by a grunting honking baritone saxophone Solo. In the future such songs May conceivably slip into the minority of Prince s output. From the first sentimental ballads have seemed closer to his True spirit than the up Tempo dance numbers. Prince May turn out to be a latter Day Elvis in More ways than one renouncing the sexual flamboyance that won him his first Success. No doubt he will take More false Steps there can be no experimentation without them and no doubt he will continue to annoy people who could in the Short run help him along. Sometimes like Stevie wonder hell put out second rate music and sometimes hell seem sentimental and Dopey. But As a source of vernacular musical invention and deserving pop hits he s As Good As we have. And Parade certainly succeeds in another of its intentions it makes one eager to see the movie. 20 stripes Magazine april 24,1986