| Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic | ||||
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| Studio album by Prince | ||||
| Released | November 9, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1998–1999 (title song, 1988) | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock, funk | |||
| Length | 73:50 | |||
| Label | NPG, Arista | |||
| Producer | Prince | |||
| Prince chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic | ||||
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Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic is the twenty-third studio album by Prince (his stage name at the time being the love symbol he created). Featuring a radio-friendly sound, the album was conceived as a return to commercial success after several years without significant public attention. However, the album received only modest sales, mixed reviews, and is generally viewed by fans as one of Prince's weakest efforts.
Part of a one-album deal with Arista Records, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic was intended by Arista president Clive Davis as a comeback album featuring guest star collaborations, similar to Carlos Santana's Supernatural. To this end, the album features guest performances from Sheryl Crow (on "Baby Knows"), Gwen Stefani (a duet on "So Far, So Pleased"), Chuck D ("Undisputed"), Maceo Parker ("Pretty Man"), Eve ("Hot Wit U"), and Ani DiFranco ("I Love U, but I Don't Trust U Anymore").
The album's first single, "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold", achieved modest success, peaking at number 63 on the Hot 100. Though Prince's duet with Gwen Stefani, "So Far So Pleased", was considered to be a single, plans were halted when No Doubt's label refused to grant permission (fearing it would confuse fans since the band's album, Return of Saturn, was about to be released).
Contents |
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| The A.V. Club | (favorable)[2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B-)[3] |
| NME | (2/10)[4] |
| Q | [5] |
| Robert Christgau | [6] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
| Village Voice | (mixed)[8] |
| Yahoo! Music | (favorable)[9] |
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic received mixed reviews with both critics and fans, and though the album went gold, it was widely considered a disappointment. Frustrated by what Prince felt as Arista's failure to adequately promote and support the album, no further one-album contracts were signed and the project quietly faded.
The following year, a remix version of the album, entitled Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic, was released through Prince's Internet subscription service, receiving a much better reaction from fans. Prince's frustration with the Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic episode can be heard at the end of this album with the sound of a CD being smashed.
Named after Anna Garcia (aka Anna Fantastic), a muse of Prince's during the Lovesexy sessions, "Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic" was originally written in mid-1988 and considered for inclusion, but ultimately rejected, on several albums. Initially intended for an album of the same name, which was shelved when Prince started working on the Batman soundtrack, the song was altered and presented to Tim Burton to use in the Batman movie. Burton rejected the song and Prince presented "Partyman" instead, which Burton used in the film. Prince didn't let the song totally die though; he sampled it heavily in the "Batmix" remix of the "Batdance" single, and also its B-side, "200 Balloons".
"Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic" was seen as part of a number of song titles in the Graffiti Bridge movie, and was updated again with The New Power Generation, (garnering a mention in the song "Love 2 the 9s" and a musical interlude in "The Max" from the Love Symbol Album) but ended up not seeing the light of day for a decade until finally released (slightly altered) in 1999. Justifying its release after many years, Prince remarked that in 1988 the track had sounded too similar to his 1986 hit "Kiss" to be released at the time, but that he had always wanted to release an album with that title.
The song was performed live shortly after it was written in a few Lovesexy World Tour aftershows. One particular performance during an aftershow at The Hague in the Netherlands was later preserved on audio as part of Small Club, long considered one of the greatest live bootleg recordings of all time.
"Undisputed" is a funk-rock number featuring a rap by Chuck D. The song answers critics who said that Prince is out of touch with current trends in music. The ballad "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold" takes its title from The Greatest Story Ever Told and contains some biblical references to Adam and Eve. Following this is a 5 second silent segue, which Prince stated was a moment of silence for Miles Davis. "So Far, So Pleased" is the first true rock number on the album and is a duet with Gwen Stefani. "The Sun, the Moon and Stars" is sung in falsetto and features a bossa nova drum machine pattern. Prince adds a rap in a Jamaican accent. The cover of Sheryl Crow's "Everyday Is a Winding Road" is performed in a disco vein and includes chanting by bassist Larry Graham. An 18-second orchestral instrumental follows, segueing into the ballad "Man'O'War". The song "Baby Knows" is a duet with Sheryl Crow, who also provides harmonica. Prince sings in his Camille vocals. "I Love U, but I Don't Trust U Anymore" is another ballad. "Silly Game" is an ode to The Chi-Lites. "Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do" is the final rock number, and uses the Linn drum machine which Prince used a lot on his early albums. The first "hidden track" is a segue with is basically a commercial for Prince's phone order line, "1-800-NEW-FUNK". It is followed by the humorous "Prettyman", which is an ode to The Time member Morris Day.