Prince: Musicology

If anyone else uses the G word next to the purple pretender, Einstein should sue.

'Prince is a true genius,' trumpets Don Ienner, Sony's president, as the world shrugs and gets on with the grouting. Naturally, there's more revelatory hype where that came from, including a recent quote from the tiddler himself: 'I am really an artist and musician' (as opposed to the politician-stroke-unicyclist we all thought he was). Such huff-puffery screams THIS LP IS A DOG, which it is, sadly; but what's really tragic is how close to brilliance Musicology comes.

There are some fantastic songs that, under the right producer's fingers, could have flipped, soared and sparkled. But they're ruined by musaky instruments, pedestrian funk-outs, lyrics that go clonk in the night.

And we know why. The tracks are almost entirely self-performed: aside from horns and the odd backing singer, each instrument and voice is provided by Our Purplish Hero. (Sheila E is listed, insultingly, as playing the shaker on one track.) Prince has worn down every collaborator until he's left staring at his reflection in the studio glass.

No problem with that, when he lets the song do the work. 'Musicology', the single, is ace, an ice-cool slice of space-funk; 'Life O The Party' likewise, with a brilliantly bonkers Missy-like middle section. There are two gorgeous love songs: 'On The Couch' and 'Reflections', both funny-sexy in the way only Prince can be. And 'Call My Name' isn't entirely bad.

'Cinnamon Girl' is, though: not only does it nick its verse-tune from 'When Doves Cry', but it adds Howard Jones' synth noises, plus - save us - anti-war lyrics that make George Michael seem like Chomsky. 'The Marrying Kind' is lift music for pervs. 'A Million Days' takes every criminal Eighties production cliche and stretches it until it snaps. We could go on: and of course, Prince does, descending into jazz-funk noodle as though hip hop never happened.

Under half of this LP is worth releasing, which is, of course, well over 50 per cent more than most. But from Prince, after a decade and half, four and a bit songs out of 11 just ain't musicology enough. Shame.