Publication: Stereophile [?]
Date: October 1996
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Title: Stereophile Review
Reviewed By: Carl Baugher

As the Wizard of Oz said, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain." Likewise, ignore what Prince Rogers Nelson (TAFKAP, Symbol Man, whatever) says on the back of this CD booklet (ie, "Originally intended 4 private use only, this compilation serves as the last original material recorded by Prince 4 Warner Bros. Records."). Perhaps Prince is seeking to reduce expectations, or he's just playing games with the label he loves to hate, and with the record-buying public. In any case, there's nothing casual about this album, nor does it have the feel of private demos or studio leftovers. Chaos and Disorder is a tight programmed, carefully constructed conceptual album obviously intended to extend and expand the social commentary of Sign O' The Times. Whether it's Prince's last album for his current record company is quite irrelevant - it's the songs that matter. And this collection of strong, rock-oriented compositions is as good as (and in many ways better than) anything Prince has released since the aforementioned Sign.

The title track is a warning shot fired across American popular music's often vacuous horizon. Prince's observation in the song that chaos and disorder rule the day can hardly be disputed. To make the point emphatic, he wraps the message in the kind of rock/funk/hip-hop hybrid we've come to expect from the diminutive genius. On a similar thematic wavelength, "Right the Wrong" takes on a familiar nemesis: injustice. One of the most compelling tunes, however, is the manifesto "I Rock, Therefore I Am." Staking his claim to both vocation and philosophical rationale, Prince has seldom been more literal, pointed, or on target: "I rock, therefore I am / I don't need you to tell me I'm in the band / I rock, therefore I am / Right or wrong, I sing my song the best I can." Elsewhere he slams the wannabe's with particular vehemence, especially those who dare to compare themselves to the Kid: "They can put you on the field / But you won't get in the game / How may suckers knew that / When they came?"

In a collection of consistenly strong songs, other standouts include the beautifully arranged and tenderly performed ballad, "Into the Light," which furthers Prince's spiritual philosophy, and the urgent funk groove of "Dig U Better Dead." The latter could be seen as a sly, modern commentary on a messiah (Christ or otherwise) whose sacrifice is not only repeatedly misunderstood but often made for the wrong reasons. In any case, the lyrics are thought-provoking, the groove relentless.

Sonics are very good - tight, subterranean bass and clean, revealing detail. It's somewhat warmer than garden-variety digital too. Some of the tracks were recorded in Florida as well as Prince's usual Paisley Park, Minnesota studio. While I haven't run across any yet, I'm sure import vinyl will be available, if only for a limited time. And considering the brevity of the album's total timing, it should fit nicely on a single LP.

Considering that Prince doesn't seem to know how to make a truly poor album, it's no surprise that this one is at least good. But Chaos and Disorder is way better than good - it easily ranks in the best half-dozen of PRN's career. Given this guy's track record, that's saying something.