Rainbow Children

by Prince

Product Description:

Personnel: Prince (vocals, various instruments, percussion, sound effects); Najee (soprano saxophone, flute); Hornheadz (horns); Larry Graham, Jr. (bass); John Blackwell (drums); Milenia, Kip Blackshire, Mr. Hayes, Femi Jiya (background vocals).

Recorded at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, Minnesota.

Personnel: Larry Graham Jr., Najee.

In the much-anticipated follow-up to 1999's RAVE UN 2 THE JOY FANTASTIC, Prince (who's now reclaimed his name) presents fans with RAINBOW CHILDREN. Dubbed in marketing campaigns as "controversial, " the album suggests a common lyrical theme of a utopian world inhabited by "rainbow children," first introduced in the jazzy benediction of the title track. The musical undercurrent connecting the 14 cuts is a decidedly more laid-back approach compared with past efforts. The interlude "Wedding Feast" may leave some scratching their heads; the vocally theatrical track sounds as if it could be part of a larger concept piece His Royal Badness plans to unveil in the near future. "She Loves Me 4 Me" is all that you would expect from a romantic Prince ballad. No stranger to social commentary, "Family Name" finds the Purple One taking a radical look at race and the hypocrisy of "racial purity." There's no shortage of funk here; especially in "The Everlasting Now" and Prince's most obvious tribute to James Brown, "The Work Pt. 1." More focused than the overflowing sets of EMANCIPATION and CRYSTAL BALL, RAINBOW CHILDREN sets a new standard for what Princeheads can expect in this newest phase of his musical evolution.