Prince - "3121"

Fan since 1984... he went off in the 1990s... "Emancipation" was unforgivable... still great live but not as good on vinyl... blah blah blah.

All true. But... "3121" isn't bad at all.

Granted, the title track is a bit dull (the bassline is nicked from his own, unreleased "Days of Wild"); there is far too much Tamar (female singer he keeps going on about but isn't actually that fantastic) on it; "Fury" isn't as good on record as it is live (but we all knew that would be the case anyway); "Incense and Candles" features that awful Cher "Believe" vocoder thing; but...

"Lolita" sounds like something from the very early 1980s (shades of "Soft and Wet" are clear to hear); "Love" is irresistable dance-pop-funk that sounds a tiny bit like "Scream" by Michael and Janet Jackson in places; "Te Amo Corazon" finally sounds alright; "The Dance" - an old NPG Music Club track from a few years ago - has been given the mother of all makeovers and is now awesome in comparison; "The Word" has some lovely acoustic guitar; "Satisfied" is actually a really good ballad; "Get On The Boat" is just mad and makes you smile; and "Black Sweat" is stark and funky and right back to the 80s again.

Truly, there is some good stuff to be found here, and I'm pleasantly surprised. I've only listened to it twice but I'd say that at the moment I'd give it 7 out of 10. Not a classic by any means, but his most enjoyable album in years.

Oh, and I also bought "Now Here Is Nowhere" by The Secret Machines yesterday too. Felt like buying it after they were very good on "Top of the Pops" on Sunday. And jolly good the album is too - fantastic drumming for one thing, and I'm a sucker for drums.

Voice update: it is coming back, slowly but surely. Still feel like my throat has been stamped on, and I still sound very quiet and crackly, but it is slowly coming back. Hurrah.