Publication: The Boston Herald [US]
Date: August 16, 1994
Section: Features
Page Number(s): 041
Length: 611 Words
Title: "Sounds Symbol Guy's 'Come' Is Some Real Prince-Ly Funk"
Written By: Larry Katz

Prince is dead.

Long live Unpronounceable Symbol Guy.

With today's release of 'Come,' the artist formerly known as Prince once again proclaims his abandonment of his name. But not so fast. 'Come' is not an Unpronounceable Symbol Guy album. It's credited to 'Prince 1958-1993.'

'Come,' is the last studio album Prince made before he officially changed his name to a symbol June 7, 1993. It's a sex-and-funk-charged romp recorded last year with his band, the New Power Generation.

But it won't be the last Prince album. Prince - and not Unpronounceable Symbol Guy - is still under contract to his current record label, Warner Brothers. In the future, Warner will release more Prince albums, presumably taken from the immense stash of material Prince recorded before his name change.

Meanwhile, Unpronounceable Symbol Guy will release albums on another label, most likely his own NPG Records. According to a recent interview, he wants to put out three or four albums a year, not the paltry one per year Warner wanted to limit him to. So even though he told us Prince was dead a year ago, his old persona continues to linger - with his help.

In addition to 'Come,' Mr. Split Personality's Paisley Park Books has just published 'Prince Presents the Sacrifice of Victor,' a collection of black-and-white photos by Minneapolis photographer Terry Gydesen shot during last year's final Prince tour.

There's also '1-800 New Funk,' a sizzling new compilation on NPG Records with songs by such Prince-ly pals as George Clinton, Mavis Staples, Mayte and Nona Gaye. The liner notes credit both Prince and Unpronounceable Symbol Guy for writing and arranging the music.

Tell us, Prince How can we say goodbye when you just won't go away?

-- Unfortunately, this name game only serves as a distraction from what is truly significant about

whatever-he-wants-to-call-himself his music. 'Come' performed by any other name would still be a terrific album. It's fun, funky and a further demonstration of Prince's outsize talent and mastery of roots styles rhythm and blues, soul and rock 'n' roll. What's more, it's refreshingly direct lyrically; the self-indulgent babble of other recent Prince albums is largely absent.

'Come' begins and ends with Prince's favorite subject s-e-x. The lengthy opening title cut is an unrestrained celebration of carnal delight. The trip gets freakier with 'Pheromone,' a driving blues-rocker sung from a voyeur's point of view. But just when you think 'Come' will stick obsessively to funk grooves and sexual subjects, Prince cuts loose on the 'Lets Go Crazy'-like 'Loose' and begins a dazzling display of pop virtuosity. 'Papa' is an appropriately moody take on child abuse. 'Race' unleashes its powerful and straightforward anti-racist message to a wicked James Brown beat. The bitter love song 'Dark' is a triumphant display of Prince's devastating falsetto. 'Solo' offers another kind of vocal display. Accompanied by little more than harp on a song co-written with playwright David Henry Hwang ('M. Butterfly'), Prince explores a realm where opera and gospel meet.

'Come' ends with Prince, his guitar and an unidentified female sharing an 'Orgasm.' But before this, Prince can't resist addressing his change of name with 'Letitgo,' the infectious first single from 'Come.'

Prince, it seems, has been laboring under unspecified constraints throughout his career. If he's now free of whatever has been holding him back, maybe we'll get to hear the songs he's 'longed to sing' on his forthcoming albums as Unpronounceable Symbol Guy. If they improve on 'Come,' they'll be spectacular.