Prince

I always pray that Prince will blow my mind like he did with Purple Rain or Parade or (insert your favorite release here). On 3121, he gives us the good stuff—from albums past. The title track could be “Gett Off” with different lyrics. “Lolita” sounds like “Soft and Wet,” and “Black Sweat”? I swear, I thought it was “Bob George” from The Black Album. I don’t mind Prince mining his past brilliance so long as it yields present brilliance, which 3121 doesn’t. He’s done it all much better before. At least there’s great guitar on “Fury,” which matches the knife-in-a-cat sound last heard on “Batdance.” The only tracks that sound contemporary all feature the artist’s newest protégé, Tamar. Uh, Prince? There’s a reason we don’t remember Apollonia, Vanity or Sheena Easton. They suck too.