Publication: Guitarist [US]
Date: February, 1997
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Title: Guitarist Review
Reviewed By: Nick Serre

Finally freed from his contractual obligations with Warners, the little purple one has stopped whingeing, and as a result "Emancipation" is eclectically effervescent. The album O(+> was "born to make". The debut single "BBGW" is a masterpiece of energetic rawk 'n' roll, whereas "Dreamin' About U" is one of the most emotive ballads O(+> has penned in years. We all know he's ludicrously prolific, but a triple CD at exactly an hour each, with only one or two dodgy tracks ("The Holy River" is hackneyed dross and "One Kiss At A Time" is simply nauseating) is quite a feat, even for the man who allegedly has over 500 unreleased songs stashed away in a vault at Paisley Park. All the old influences are here in abundance; the Clinton and Sly Stone funk, the Marvin Gaye soul inflections and Hendrix rock are all exquisitely incorporated along with O(+>'s own inimitable genius style. Although the talented one frequently performs cover versions live, they've never made it onto his albums until now. Three covers are fantastically re-worked: the aforementioned single, "One Of Us" and The Delfonics' "La La La Means Love You" from 1971, which is a gorgeously arranged version of the Philly classic. "Emancipation" is the work of a devilishly diggable genius. Go and buy it before I turn nasty.

***** (5 stars out of 5)