Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic

Leave it to Prince to put the best music of Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, his return to major-label status, on a hidden track. That would be No. 18, a.k.a. "Pretty Man." A deep-fried groove and sax by guest Maceo Parker underpin a hilarious mock self-celebration ("I write a check and the bank bounce") that proves the Artist can flow at full power any time he wants to. And whether Rave will prove as durable as 1995's vastly underrated Gold Experience, it's a fine Prince album. Despite his current affiliation with Clive Davis, who returned Carlos Santana to Billboard's No. 1 slot by pairing him prominently with a number of guest stars, Prince employs the likes of Sheryl Crow, Ani DiFranco, and Eve to season his own blend, not to run off with the whole steaming pot. (Just to show who's boss, he includes a funky re-creation of Crow's hit "Everyday Is a Winding Road" that renders the song nearly unrecognizable.) The sounds here, from the Parade-style balladry of "[Eye] Love U, But [Eye] Don't Trust U Anymore" to the frenetic title track, won't surprise longtime followers, but they won't find a lot of reasons to complain, either. --Rickey Wright