Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic [Purple Vinyl 2LP]

Prince closes out the '90s in grand style on JOY FANTASTIC. His trademark mix of funk, R&B, and rock is at its grandest and most ambitious here. As usual, the multi-talented artist produced the album and provides most of the instrumentation himself. The elegantly unfolding sonic tapestry is marked by lush multitracked vocal harmonies, hard-grooving rhythms, and a kaleidoscope of keyboard colors and thick guitar tones.
In keeping with the rest of the artist's discography, the reigning sentiment here is sensuality. A classic moment occurs on "Hot Wit U," where guest artist Eve offers a randy, explicit rap to which Prince responds by rhapsodizing about "the astral plane." It's this combination of high-minded spirituality and pure physicality that lies at the heart of JOY FANTASTIC's artistic tension and its ultimate aesthetic success. Delicate ballads like "Tangerine" share space with straight-up 4/4 rockers like "So Far, So Pleased" and the slow-jam R&B of the romantic "The Sun, the Moon and Stars." In a rare drop of the monolithic uber-artist mantle, the artist offers a deliciously funked-up cover of Sheryl Crow's "Everyday Is a Winding Road." Crow herself makes a guest appearance on the broken-hearted R&B lament "Man'O'War."