Hard as it may be to imagine, at the dawn of the ‘90s, Prince was at a make-or-break point in his career, at least as a chart-busting superstar. He was one of the biggest artists in the world, but it had been several years since he’d had a real hit, and his image and public statements had been confusing, to say the least. He’d had a No. 1 single in 1989 with “Batdance,” but it consisted mostly of soundbites from the blockbuster “Batman” film, and his accompanying soundtrack disc was largely a collection of castoff songs, some of them years old, grafted into scenes from the movie. His most recent effort, the “Graffiti Bridge” album and self-directed, shockingly dreadful film, were uncontested duds. He needed a hit, stat.
Related Stories
VIP+Hollywood’s Next Superhero: Purpose-Led Branding
‘Saturday Night Live’: Weekend Update Takes Aim at Diddy's Legal Troubles, Daniel Day-Lewis' New Acting Role and More
So for the first time in years, he took a strategic look at the pop landscape — a dire place in 1990 — and dramatically overhauled his look and sound with “Diamonds and Pearls.” Gone were the experimentation, psychedelia, flowers and long hair from his late ‘80s incarnations, replaced with a harder-hitting, more pop-oriented sound — and, surprisingly, rapping, a genre he’d previously disparaged (calling rappers “tone-deaf” in his song “Dead on It”).
Popular on Variety
It was a glossier form of R&B than anything he’d done since his first two albums, and significantly more radio-friendly. The new rhythm section of jazz drummer Michael Bland and veteran bassist Sonny T. brought a heavier, harder-hitting bottom end; keyboardist-singer Rosie Gaines was a sparring partner he’d previously only had with guest vocalists; the keyboards and samples got a lot shinier; and not only was Prince himself rapping, but he had a full-time MC in the new group, dubbed New Power Generation (aka NPG), a title he’d use for many things in the coming years. The new musicians brought a slicker, jazz-fusion-inflected sound, and Sonny T in shook things up with a booming low end that propels a lot of the harder funk songs.
Be all of that as it may, it worked: The resulting album, “Diamonds and Pearls,” sold millions of copies and brought Prince back in a big way, spawning five singles and ubiquitous companion videos in the U.S. alone, with “Cream” reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the title track No. 3, and two others in the Top 25. With a new, curly-haired, yellow-and-purple-themed look, Prince was back on top: The album’s sound brought not only the pop audience, but also the older R&B fans who’d first embraced him in the late ‘70s and may have lost interest amid the rock sounds of “Purple Rain” and the ensuing experimentation.
So how does “Diamonds and Pearls” sound, with 30 years of hindsight and the latest in his estate’s series of massive boxed sets, filled with dozens of unreleased songs from Prince’s vaunted Vault — some of which have long been available on bootlegs, but a lot that haven’t — and a full concert from 1992? (See the full tracklist below.) Well, fresh in some cases and painfully dated in others.
“Cream” and the title track remain two of his classic singles, and they’ll never grow old. On the other hand, the rapping was sub-par even for the era; there are a number of effects and synthesizer and drums sounds that carbon-date certain songs to 1991; and the lyrics are filled with clunky sexual innuendos and a dismaying number of references to plus-sized or underaged female people (Jesus references in the lyrics to one song, soft-core porn in the next — such was the duality of Prince in those days). Also, the lean into a sort of George Benson-esque jazz-pop direction on songs like “Strollin’,” “Willing and Able” and “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night” feels prematurely old; Prince was only 33 when he made this album.
In retrospect, the most innovative song here is the lead single, “Gett Off,” which suffers from some of the above-mentioned issues but is actually an imaginative fusion of hip-hop and house music, with a grinding, bottom-heavy rhythm and a recurring digital scream, somehow throwing in a flute hook, a blazing guitar solo and even some imported vinyl scratches during the mini-James Brown tribute in the middle. While it’s featured on most of his greatest-hits albums, “Gett Off” is a surprisingly overlooked jewel in the Prince canon.
But above all, it’s Prince in all his glory, if nearing the tail end of the fireball of creativity that began with “Dirty Mind” and pretty much began fading here. His stacked, multi-tracked harmonies had taken on a gospel flavor that he’d begun exploring on “Graffiti Bridge,” and he unleashes his R&B falsetto on “Insatiable,” a classic Prince bedroom ballad from the “Do Me Baby” school. And his musical genius is on full display: The songs have deeply imaginative arrangements and chord and key changes, and although there’s nowhere near enough guitar IMO, some of the most sumptuous instrumental work here was played by the man himself, who was a virtuoso on guitar, keyboards and bass and was no slouch as a drummer either.
But looking at this massive package as a whole — which has 33 previously unreleased songs, along with the concert (and accompanying video) and a disc of single edits and remixes — some of the most interesting material is the pile of stray tracks toward the end of the studio segment, which the producers have done a masterful job of presenting. The songs are stylistically diverse and offer an expanded view of what this band and this musician were capable of.
Some of the best tracks feel like they required the least effort — just Prince being Prince. “Alice Through the Looking Glass” has a rollicking bassline and some “1999”-esque keyboards, stacked vocals and a loose feel that’s at odds with the rest of the album. “Standing at the Altar” is a sprightly ‘80s-style R&B ballad (think “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”) with Prince’s finest R&B singing and sumptuous backing vocals. “I Pledge Allegiance to Your Love” is a soulful R&B-flavored blues, and the instrumental “Letter 4 Miles” is a straight-up jazz number where the band shows off its chops — and is also completely at odds with the rest of the material here. While fans will no doubt appreciate the complete-ism that went into this curation, “Hey U” sounds like it was written on the spot — complete with a turnaround lifted directly from Archie Bell & the Drells’ 1968 hit “Tighten Up.”
But we saved the best for last: The live set consists mostly of songs from the “Diamonds and Pearls” album, but it finds the band in peak form and stretching out as they roar through a 90-minute set. There are lots of rearrangements and vamps, tempo changes — “Cream” is played much faster than than album version — and loads of vocal ad-libbing. Prince sounds like he’s having the time of his life — “We’re just jamming,” he says at one point — and there’s a looseness and sense of fun that isn’t really present on the album or on many of the ones that followed.
Indeed, the next dozen years were not easy ones for the man or the band. The following “Symbol” album and tour were overblown and lacked major hits, and it was all downhill from there, as Prince feuded with Warner Bros., his longtime label, ushering in his “Slave” era and a pile of mediocre albums (excepting parts of “The Gold Experience”) and a long refusal to play the hits at his concerts. But he changed that policy with his 2004 tour and accompanying “Musicology” album, which put him back on top, where he stayed for more or less the rest of his career — hits were few and far between, but he remained one of the most dazzling live performers in the world.
“Diamonds and Pearls” may have been the last hurrah for platinum Prince, but it was hardly the last we’d hear of his brilliance.
CD1 / LP1&2: DIAMONDS AND PEARLS (REMASTERED)
1. Thunder
2. Daddy Pop
3. Diamonds And Pearls
4. Cream
5. Strollin’
6. Willing And Able
7. Gett Off
8. Walk Don’t Walk
9. Jughead
10. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night
11. Push
12. Insatiable
13. Live 4 Love
CD2 / LP3&4: SINGLE MIXES & EDITS (REMASTERED)
1. Gett Off (Damn Near 10 Min.)
2. Gett Off (Houstyle)
3. Violet The Organ Grinder
4. Gangster Glam
5. Horny Pony
6. Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
7. Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M Rap)
8. Do Your Dance (KC’s Remix)
9. Insatiable (Edit)
10. Diamonds And Pearls (Edit)
11. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night (Edit)
12. Call The Law
13. Willing And Able (Edit)
14. Willing And Able (Video Version)
15. Thunder (DJ Fade)
CD3-5 / LP5-9: VAULT I, II, III
VAULT I
1. Schoolyard
2. My Tender Heart
3. Pain
4. Streetwalker
5. Lauriann
6. Darkside
7. Insatiable (Early Mix – Full Version)
8. Glam Slam ’91
9. Live 4 Love (Early Version)
10. Cream (Take 2)
11. Skip To My You My Darling
12. Diamonds And Pearls (Long Version)
All tracks previously unreleased
VAULT II
1. Daddy Pop (12″ Version)
2. Martika’s Kitchen
3. Spirit
4. Open Book
5. Work That Fat
6. Horny Pony (Version 2)
7. Something Funky (This House Comes) (Band Version)
8. Hold Me
9. Blood On The Sheets
10. The Last Dance (Bang Pow Zoom And The Whole Nine)
11. Don’t Say U Love Me
All tracks previously unreleased
VAULT III
1. Get Blue
2. Tip O’ My Tongue
3. The Voice
4. Trouble
5. Alice Through The Looking Glass
6. Standing At The Altar
7. Hey U
8. Letter 4 Miles
9. I Pledge Allegiance To Your Love
10. Thunder Ballet
All tracks previously unreleased
CD6&7 / LP10-12: LIVE AT GLAM SLAM, 1992
1. Thunder
2. Daddy Pop
3. Diamonds And Pearls
4. Willing And Able
5. Jughead
6. The Sacrifice Of Victor
7. Nothing Compares 2 U
8. Thieves In The Temple
9. Sexy M.F.
10. Insatiable
11. Cream/Well Done/I Want U/In The Socket (Medley)
12. 1999/Baby I’m A Star/Push (Medley)
13. Gett Off
14. Gett Off (Houstyle)
All tracks previously unreleased
BLU-RAY
LIVE AT GLAM SLAM, 1992
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, JANUARY 11, 1992
1. Thunder
2. Daddy Pop
3. Diamonds And Pearls
4. Willing And Able
5. Jughead
6. The Sacrifice Of Victor
7. Nothing Compares 2 U
8. Thieves In The Temple
9. Sexy M.F.
10. Insatiable
11. Cream/Well Done/I Want U/In The Socket (Medley)
12. 1999/Baby I’m A Star/Push (Medley)
13. Gett Off
14. Gett Off (Houstyle)
All tracks previously unreleased
SPECIAL OLYMPICS, METRODOME, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, JULY 1991
SOUNDCHECK – JULY 19, 1991:
1. Let’s Go Crazy/Baby I’m A Star/Push (Medley)
All tracks previously unreleased
SHOW – JULY 20, 1991:
1. Diamonds And Pearls
2. Let’s Go Crazy/Baby I’m A Star/Push (Medley)
All tracks previously unreleased
DIAMONDS AND PEARLS VIDEO COLLECTION
1. Introduction
2. Thunder (Live)
3. Gett Off
4. Cream
5. Diamonds And Pearls
6. Dr. Feelgood (Live)
7. Call The Law
8. Willing And Able
9. Jughead (Live)
10. Insatiable
11. Strollin’
12. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night
13. Live 4 Love (Live)
Blu-ray is presented in: Stereo, 5.1 Dolby True HD (Special Olympics show and Glam Slam only) and Dolby ATMOS (Special Olympics show and Glam Slam only).
* N.B. video content is exclusive to the physical Blu-ray and will not appear on digital download or streaming versions of the Super Deluxe Edition set.
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety
The Best Prime Day Deals to Shop Today: Dyson, Apple, Bose, Breville and More
Generative AI & Licensing: A Special Report
How Uber Leveraged 3000 Rides Per Taylor Swift Show, e.l.f.’s Roblox Beauty Squad and Learning to ‘Hustle Like You’re Broke’ – The Biggest Takeaways From Variety’s Executive Studio at Advertising Week
Luminate Streaming Ratings: ‘Nobody Wants This’ and Menendez Brothers Series Tie With 1.7 Billion Minutes Watched September 27-October 3
Late-Night TV vs. YouTube: Data-Driven Tips on Which Is Better for Celebs Promoting Films
‘The Night Agent’ Renewed for Season 3 at Netflix — Months Before Season 2 Debut
Most Popular
Inside the 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Debacle: Todd Phillips ‘Wanted Nothing to Do’ With DC on the $200 Million Misfire
‘Kaos’ Canceled After One Season at Netflix
‘Menendez Brothers’ Netflix Doc Reveals Erik’s Drawings of His Abuse and Lyle Saying ‘I Would Much Rather Lose the Murder Trial Than Talk About Our…
Kathy Bates Won an Oscar and Her Mom Told Her: ‘You Didn't Discover the Cure for Cancer,’ So ‘I Don't Know What All the Excitement Is About…
Saoirse Ronan Says Losing Luna Lovegood Role in ‘Harry Potter’ Has ‘Stayed With Me Over the Years’: ‘I Was Too Young’ and ‘Knew I Wasn't Going to Get…
‘Joker 2’ Director Says Arthur Fleck Was Never Joker: ‘He's an Unwitting Icon’ and Joker Is ‘This Idea That Gotham People Put on Him…
‘Joker 2’ Axed Scene of Lady Gaga’s Lee Kissing a Woman at the Courthouse Because ‘It Had Dialogue in It’ and ‘Got in the Way’ of a Music…
Andrew Garfield Says Sex Scene With Florence Pugh in ‘We Live in Time’ Went a ‘Little Bit Further’ Than Intended: ‘We Never Heard Cut…
‘Skyfall’ Director Sam Mendes Says James Bond Studio Prefers Filmmakers ‘Who Are More Controllable’: ‘I Would Doubt’ I’d…
Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried to Star in ‘The Housemaid’ Adaptation From Director Paul Feig, Lionsgate
Must Read
- Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 3 weeks
- TV
Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…
- TV
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut
- TV
50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)
- Shopping
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXN%2FjqasrKGTZL%2BmwsierqxnoKe2r6%2FEZpuimZ2ku6W%2FjJqlnWWgmq6zuNJmm56kpa2ybrHDoquip55ir7DEjKycrWWRoa%2B2uYyrnK%2Bhlax6cn6Sbm5vcWhugXA%3D