Musicology (album)

Musicology
Studio album by Prince
Released	April 20, 2004
Recorded	Metalworks Studios, Mississauga, ON
Genre	Funk, psychedelic pop[1]
Length	47:26
Label	NPG, Columbia
Producer	Prince
Prince chronology
N.E.W.S (2003) Musicology (2004) The Chocolate Invasion (2004)
Singles from Musicology
"Musicology" Released: April 3, 2004 "Call My Name" Released: June 22, 2004 (promo) "Cinnamon Girl" Released: September 7, 2004

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.

Musicology was the first album in five years that Prince released through a major label (Sony Music) and, being partially recorded in Mississauga, Ontario, was his first to be recorded outside Minneapolis in many years. Musicology is R&B themed.^[2]

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.^[3]

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 Billboard in June 2004^[4] and was certified double platinum in late January 2005.^[5][6]

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."^[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	72/100[8]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[9]
Chicago Sun-Times	[10]
Entertainment Weekly	B−[11]
The Guardian	[12]
Mojo	[13]
NME	(6/10)[14]
Pitchfork Media	(5.8/10)[15]
Q	[16]
Rolling Stone	[17]
Slant Magazine	[18]

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".^[19] In a less enthusiastic review, Mojo magazine found it better produced and performed than it was written.^[13]

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.^[20][21]

Tour

Prince toured North America from 27 March - 9 September 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^[22] 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^[2]
• Candy Dulfer — vocals on "Life 'O' the Party" and "Cinnamon Girl", saxphone 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"

Certifications

Hot 100 positions

• "Musicology" (#125 Bubbling Under, #3 R&B)
• "Call My Name" (#75)
• "Cinnamon Girl" (UK)

References

External links

• Album review at New York
• Musicology at Metacritic