Prince
Piano & a microphone 1983

THE REVIEW

In 1983, Prince was already an established artist: albums like Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982) had achieved good commercial success and, more importantly, had demonstrated his incredible musical qualities, positioning him in the soul-funky genre that made him the natural heir of James Brown.

However, Prince was more than what the great albums such as those mentioned and those that followed (1984 was the year of Purple Rain) could represent: he was a complete musician and played exceptionally well.

This is a home recording, a bootleg, with imperfect sound, but it's more than good enough as is.

When I listen to Cold Coffee & Cocaine, for example, a completely unreleased track (I, who possess many unreleased/bootleg recordings of the fairy, had never heard this piece!), I literally jump: hearing how Prince manages to connect an incredible voice, between highs, falsettos, and baritone tones, to the rapid notes of the piano, perfectly interwoven with vocal acrobatics, is truly good for the heart and ears. The piece is a splendid, fast R&B, decisive with piano flights with a Jazz flavor: practically in five minutes, that's all there is, the best of music.

Why the Butterflies is another unreleased track (I had never heard this one either) of excellent quality: Prince plays the piano and keeps time with the tap of his foot on the floor, crafting a piece strongly inspired by jazz-blues. A tormented voice, between highs and lows interrupted by very hypnotic piano notes that give the track a vaguely psychedelic flavor. I think if Prince had tackled this piece on the guitar, it would have produced some genius akin to Syd Barrett, who, I don't know how, I hear echoing in this song.

Wednesday is the other unreleased track, less complete, seems more like an introduction, but it is noteworthy for the sweetness of Prince's piano and voice.

The other pieces are remakes or covers.

I'll highlight A Case of You by Joni Mitchell: the original is a wonderful piece, a folk gem; here, in Prince's hands, with the piano in place of the acoustic guitar, it becomes a gem with an almost gospel flavor and reveals the inspiration for Purple Rain that comes directly from this melodic line.

Among the remakes, we hear the same Purple Rain in an embryonic version (it will be released about a year later): a minute and twenty-five seconds of pure musical joy.

17 Days (B-side of When Doves Cry), sounds fast, to my mind a soul/R&B better than the quality pop of the original.

Strange Relationship will be published many years later (Sign o' the Times, 1987) in a pop form with Prince's guitar standing out as much as it is brilliantly kept behind the other instruments. Here, the piece sounds very blues and sounds good.

International Lover was published in the beautiful 1999 and was, in my opinion, the masterpiece of that album, with its jazz and almost prog digressions at times. It is presented as a beautiful piano ballad, much less ambitious than the original, but very enjoyable.

The album finally contains Mary Don't You Weep, an old traditional spiritual, in execution, both vocally and pianistically, in line with the exceptional nature of this album.

If you don't know Prince, this album is not suitable to get to know him.

To those who know him, however, I highly recommend it, as further proof of the brilliance of one of the greatest musicians of the last century and certainly, given the poor health of music nowadays, of the current century.