Diamonds And Pearls

For the first time in over a decade, Prince has identified himself as a band member rather than a solo artist. This time out, the record sleeve isn't covered in narcissistic photos either - in fact there's just one pic of the man himself (in which only his eyes and guitar are visible), while there are solo photos of every other member of the group, all eight of them.

All songs are credited to Prince and The New Power Generation, reinforcing the suggestion that this album is a team effort. So what does this mean? Well for one thing, Diamonds And Pearls is the most consistent record Prince has produced in years, his best since Sign O' The Times. It also sounds fresher and more coherent with the unique drum sound an especially innovative turn.

Diamonds And Pearls opens with 'Thunder', an upbeat track with some very catchy effects in the background - the beginning actually sounds like a Turkish folk song with a dance beat! 'Daddy Pop' boasts a rap, capably executed by Tony M. - an ironic twist given that Prince went so far as to include a song on the infamous Black Album ('Dead On It') which appeared to deride the genre.

The standout cut, however is, 'Money Don't Matter 2 Night', a smooth, brooding ditty which is sad on the surface but reveals on underlying strength. 'Strollin' is the closest Prince will ever come to writing a jazz song, all George Benson guitars and layer-upon-layer of Prince vocals, dubbed and redubbed in gothic glory. 'Push' is a throwback to the Black Album days with its raw funk sound and hard-hitting lead vocals. On, and 'Insatiable' is proof that Prince is writing decent ballads once more.

Presumably most fans know what 'Gett Off' and 'Cream' sound like by now, thanks to MTV and radio, so all I'm going to add is that they were worthy choices for singles, 'Gett Off' in particular.

The title track, 'Diamonds And Pearls' is one of the album's highlights thanks to some incredibly soulful backing vocals, courtesy of Rosie Gaines. 'Live 4 Love' closes the album, and strangely enough it sounds more like fellow-Minneapolans The Time (with whom Prince collaborated on the Graffiti Bridge LP and film) than Prince And The New Power Generation, an odd end to a powerful record.

Not quite a diamond but a pearl of some value, this one sees Prince back on the frontline. Next time out he might even rekindle former glories.