Publication: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [US]
Date: February 2, 1999
Section: News
Page Number(S): 6
Length: 425 Words
Title: "Prince's Ode To The Ages Artist's New '1999' Tracks Will Keep Us Partying Until 'Two Thousand Zero Zero'"
Written By: Gemma Tarlach

Just what are you supposed to do with a discful of variations on Prince and the Revolution's funkalicious classic "1999"? Drop the CD into your player, crank the stereo and party like it's 1999, or party like it's 1999! Fast forward to the last track and party like it's 1999!

Fans of The Artist Formerly Known As The Guy Who Wrote "1999" know better. Minneapolis' sexiest son wasn't about to attach his name even his old, outmoded name to a second-rate project aimed solely at slicing o ff a piece of the pre-millennial profit pie.

"1999 The New Master," a seven-track extended CD single on The Artist's own NPG label, arrives in stores today, as the soundtrack for dancin' fools facing the millennium with mixed emotions.

If dancing your life away really is all you wanna do, the title track gives you a seven-minute head start. Sampling heavily from the 1982 original, The Artist recasts "1999" with a fresh, funky urgency and extra electronica pop.

Simply putting out the original in glossy new packaging wasn't an option for the diminutive dynamo. Warner, The Artist's old label, still owns most of his catalog including the original master of "1999." While his legal wrangling to win it back contin ues, he wasn't about to cool his stiletto heels waiting to release some version of "1999" this year.

After all, in eleven months, it really will be "two thousand zero zero, party over, oops, out of time" for the dance-floor anthem. The new disc also gives The Artist a chance to play. Tracks deconstruct the song in novel ways that result in something for everyone.

So you'd like a trippy beat skittering and twittering in the speakers? Try "1999 (Rosie and Doug E. in a Deep House)," which features the formidable lungs of Rosie Gaines and guest-rapping by Doug E. Fresh.

For those who don't believe "life is just a party," there's even a socially conscious, spoken-word take on the single. Actress Rosario Dawson reminds listeners why not everyone feels like dancing on "Rosario (1999)."

The cut is a far cry from the original's pro-party pop, but it's also the new disc's most stirring 60 seconds.

The hip-hop heavy "1999 (Keepsteppin ')" opens with an ominous chant: "Armageddon is headin', you better start checkin' " and then lays out a litany of end-of-century pop culture references, even borrowing a couple of lines from "Schoolhouse Rock."

The disc ends on a surprising ly subdued note with "1999 (Acapella)." Then it really is party over, out of time. Until you hit "play" again.