Harman Patil (Editor)

Musicology (album)

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Released
  
April 20, 2004

Length
  
47:26

Producer
  
Prince

Release date
  
20 April 2004

Recorded
  
2001–04

Label
  
NPG, Columbia

Artist
  
Prince

Musicology (album) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaen884Mus

Studio
  
Metalworks Studios, Mississauga, ON, Canada and Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, US

Nominations
  
Grammy Award for Best R&B Album

Awards
  
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album

Genres
  
Funk, Rock music, Pop music, Jazz, Rhythm and blues, Psychedelic pop

Similar
  
Prince albums, Funk albums

Musicology is the twenty-eighth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on April 20, 2004 by NPG Records and distributed by Columbia Records. The album proved to be his most successful in years, reaching the Top 5 of the album charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and many other countries.

Contents

Musicology was the first album in five years that Prince released through a major label (Sony Music) and, being partially recorded in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, was his first to be recorded outside Minneapolis in many years. Musicology is R&B themed.

At the end of the song "Musicology" snippets of "Kiss", "Little Red Corvette", "Sign o' the Times", "17 Days", "If I Was Your Girlfriend", as well as "Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance" can be heard. At the time of release Prince was quoted as saying he wished the album to provide musical education to listeners.

Prince call my name musicology 2004 bass


Commercial performance

Musicology quickly proved to be Prince's most successful album since Diamonds and Pearls, reaching the Top 5 in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany and making a significant impression on charts around the world. It also proved to be well received by music critics. The title track was only released as a single in Australia, where it enjoyed moderate chart success and airplay. However it was also a hit on the US R&B charts through airplay. The album was certified platinum by The RIAA in June 2004 and was certified double platinum in late January 2005.

Part of the album's chart success is due to concertgoers receiving a copy of Musicology, with the album cost included in the ticket price for the Musicology Tour. This prompted Billboard magazine and Nielsen SoundScan to change its chart data methodology: For future album releases, Billboard says that customers "must be given an option to either add the CD to the ticket purchase or forgo the CD for a reduced ticket-only price."

Critical reception

Musicology received generally positive reviews from music critics. In his review for The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau said that after the album's opening uptempo songs, "pleasant shocks lurk near the surface and go against the flow of the quality material, and almost everything packs payback". In a less enthusiastic review, Mojo magazine found it better produced and performed than it was written.

Accolades

Prince won two Grammy Awards, for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("Musicology") and Best R&B Vocal Performance—Male ("Call My Name"), and was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance—Male ("Cinnamon Girl"), Best R&B Song (awarded to the songwriter) ("Call My Name"), and Best R&B Album (Musicology). Prince was chosen by Rolling Stone magazine's readers as the best male performer and most welcome comeback.

Tour

Prince toured North America from March 27 to September 9, 2004 to promote Musicology. The tour was often billed as the Musicology Live 2004ever, or more commonly, the Musicology Tour. The tour earned 87.4 million dollars and was attended by 1.47 million fans Although the tour promoted Musicology, only a select few tracks from the album were played during the concerts. The title track, "Musicology", and the two singles, "Call My Name" and "Cinnamon Girl", were among them. The tour featured many of Prince's more famous tracks, such as "Little Red Corvette", "Raspberry Beret", "Kiss", and "Purple Rain". A copy of Musicology was included with every concert ticket sold.

Track listing

All tracks written by Prince.

  1. "Musicology" – 4:26
  2. "Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance" – 4:46
  3. "A Million Days" – 3:50
  4. "Life 'o' the Party" – 4:29
  5. "Call My Name" – 5:15
  6. "Cinnamon Girl" – 3:56
  7. "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?" – 4:15
  8. "The Marrying Kind" – 2:49
  9. "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life" – 3:09
  10. "On the Couch" – 3:33
  11. "Dear Mr. Man" – 4:14
  12. "Reflection" – 3:04

Personnel

  • Prince – all vocals and instruments except as indicated
  • Candy Dulfer – vocals on "Life 'o' the Party" and "Cinnamon Girl", saxophone on "Life 'o' the Party", horns on "The Marrying Kind", "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life" and "On the Couch"
  • Chance Howard – vocals on "Life 'o' the Party", "Call My Name" and "Cinnamon Girl"
  • Stokley – vocals on "Call My Name"
  • Kip Blackshire – vocals on "Call My Name"
  • Clare Fischer – strings on "Call My Name"
  • Rhonda Smith – vocals on "Cinnamon Girl", bass on "Dear Mr. Man"
  • John Blackwell – drums on "The Marrying Kind", "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life", "On the Couch" and "Dear Mr. Man"
  • Maceo Parker – horns on "The Marrying Kind", "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life" and "On the Couch"
  • Greg Boyer – horns on "The Marrying Kind", "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life" and "On the Couch"
  • Ornella Bonaccorsi – Italian speech on "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?"
  • Sheila E. – shaker on "Dear Mr. Man"
  • Renato Neto – Fender Rhodes on "Dear Mr. Man"

    • Singles

  • "Musicology" (#25 US Bubbling Under, #3 US R&B)
  • "Call My Name" (#75 US)
  • "Cinnamon Girl" (UK)

    • Songs

    1Musicology4:27
    2Illusion - Coma - Pimp & Circumstance4:48
    3A Million Days3:52

    References

    Musicology (album) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA