Track Listing

1. Planet Earth
2. Guitar
3. Somewhere Here On Earth
4. The One U Wanna C
5. Future Baby Mama
6. Mr. Goodnight
7. All The Midnights In The World
8. Chelsea Rodgers
9. Lion Of Judah
10. Resolution

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9058 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2007-07-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .15 pounds

Album Description
Simply put, Planet Earth is the album longtime Prince fans have been waiting for. Several cuts on this album revisit some of the classic Prince sound the captured fans all over the world and helped deem him an incomparable music icon. Superstar and legendary musician prince kicked off 2007 with a show stopping Super Bowls Half-time performance. Prince pulled out all the stops during the second most-watched super bowl broadcast ever. With an estimated 93.2 million viewers to entertain, Prince wasted no time showing off his stages powers and irrefutable guitar skills. He masterfully captured the attention and respect of music fans in general, while sending a message to long time Prince fans that he was ready to once again reign supreme.

Amazon.com
Because it would be un-Prince-like to release a new studio album without kicking up a little controversy first, the Artist Formerly Known As a Cool-Looking Symbol gave away copies of Planet Earth with a British news tabloid weeks before its U.S. release. Among the reasons he shouldn't have: nobody who catches wind of the peerless funk-rock-soul he lays out on these 10 tracks--least of all longtime fans--would think twice about shelling out for it. A big chunk of the appeal is that Prince finds his way back to his guitar here. The title track, a politically right-on-time environmental rant, steers him back toward "Purple Rain" territory, as does "Lion of Judah" ("Guitar," oddly, doesn't--it's more of a straight-up, shout-it-out modern rocker). And the flirty numbers are seriously flammable: "Somewhere Here on Earth" seduces with a crackly jazz vibe, while "Mr. Goodnight" gets friendly with a refined slip of rap. Coolest of all are two tracks at cross purposes-- "Chelsea Rodgers" fuses funk with disco until it's so far off the hook it's in a heap on the floor, and "All the Midnights in the World" paints a picture of artistic maturity through piano and lyrics that lean hard on positivity. There's an elegance to it that Prince fans, no strangers to pop music that's truly sublime, won't fail to appreciate. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

Prince Is "The One U Wanna C"
Coming off the heels of two of his most accessible albums in years, Prince continues his steady and consistent stream of releasing some solid material for the masses to hear.

Planet Earth - This title track opens to an eerie piano intro that eventually progresses into a grandiose production of heavy drums, spirited guitar playing and passionate vocal work. For some Prince fans, it may echo shades of the "Empty Room" and "Gold." A dramatic way to open the album - almost daunting to here the first time around. (5/5)

Guitar - Prince's most mainstream approach - a light pop/rock track with lyrics that almost anybody could write. It's a throwaway track, but it's got some spunk. Fun, nonetheless. (3.5/5)

Somewhere Here on Earth - A ballad track that taps into the jazz portion of Prince's varied forte. Renato's keyboard and piano contributions are a welcome change to this track, adding to the wonderful muted horns and trumpets with provoking lyrics. One of the more inspired ballads Prince has had in a while. (4/5)

The One U Wanna C - A very catchy track that dips into the country-rock category, but this maybe one of the few tracks that loses its appeal after a while. Plenty of fast guitar work, with thumping drums, a cool bassline and an energetic vocal delivery. But I think the country-twang attached to it gives the song its own charm. (3.5/5)

Future Baby Mama - An R&B melody that would fit comfortably on an Urban radio playlist. Touches of the old Linn-drum machine are scattered throughout, giving off the slight retro vibe that you would associate with Prince's sound. Cool and sensual are pretty much the words I'd use to describe this little ballad. Cool and sensual. (4/5)

Mr. Goodnight - Some Prince fans will have a problem with this track, since he brings out his dreaded "rap" skills on this one. In my opinion, it sounds more like spoken verse, so I had no problem with it, but that doesn't go without saying it won't give you a chuckle - it's slightly cheesy. This bassline reminds me of something you would hear out of the West Coast in 1994, but to the Prince fan that's familiar with more material, the overall track might remind them of "Player." I don't mind this track. It's a laidback R&B cut - nothing more. The guy's 49 years old, he's gotta chill every now and then. (4/5)

All the Midnights of the World - The shortest track on the album, with some pretty interesting arrangements. It's on the sugary side, but it has its charm. Its vibe is almost reminiscent to "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" and "Starfish and Coffee," but I wouldn't put it in that league. It's more of a segue than anything. A decent segue, at that. (3/5)

Chelsea Rodgers - Finally, some FUNK! A fun disco-funk number with Prince bringing in the whole band to contribute - lots of bass, lots of horns and trumpets, and assisting vocals. Prince's vocals are turned down a bit to mix in with Shelby's soulful singing, reminiscent of the arrangements Earth, Wind and Fire brought to the game. Prince sounds like he's having a lot of fun - full of energy and spirit. Definitely a standout track, especially for the funk lovers. (4.5/5)

Lion of Judah - A nice pop/rock number that sounds like a cross between "Cinnamon Girl" and "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" - could have fit easily onto the Musicology album. Prince's vocals sound sincere, with nice guitar work and effects to boot. (4/5)

Resolution - Another light pop/rock number that could have fit easily on Musicology. It's simple and to the point, not too much to elaborate on here. Another nice production, in terms of arrangement, once again. (4/5)


Prince obviously isn't out to reinvigorate the music industry, he just wants to make music in his own quirky way. No shame in that, considering he's got a 30 year legacy and doesn't have to prove anything to anybody. He just wants to hang around and make music for as long as he wants, when he wants. Compared to Musicology and 3121, Prince doesn't sound like he's being forced to do anything - it seems like he made some of these tracks effortlessly. He's definitely more vibrant and energetic on Planet Earth than he was on his previous two albums, which helps it out in the end. Solid stuff.

For true Prince Fans
...because we're the only ones that will put up with such mediocre tripe from a man who knows better. First let me say that I love Prince, even when I chunk money down for stuff that should have never had a price tag on it. Not everything that pops in your head needs to be set to music. Overall, I like three songs on this: Guitar, Somewhere here on earth and Mr. Goodnight. Lyric wise: I could have written The one U want to C-probably like in the Junior High. Prince is very good writing senusal lyrics, but whenever he starts his political agenda stuff, it suddenly sounds juvenile and campy. Like: Planet Earth and Resolutions. He truely could have kept : All the midnights in the world. It's only tolerable because it's so short. While he's waxing proses about the problem with wars and people, I think the problem with telling certain people that they are musical geniuses is that they start slacking off and start pasting weak lyrics on recycled beats. Sorry, but some of these songs sound eerily familar. Still, I'm a sucker for my 80s icon and I'll continue to follow his music journey. Overall, get for your collection, but try to get yourself one of those free copies if you can.

Don't believe the hype- it's just "OK"
With every album Prince unveils, comes the hope that he will serve up another classic like Purple Rain or Sign O' the Times- albums loaded with raw, sexy funk music, racy lyrics, catchy choruses, and at least a handful of potential hit singles that would leave a permanent mark on pop culture. Well, apart from last year's 3121, that hasn't happened since the early nineties. 3121 brought back the Prince of the 80's- at least a little bit, with songs like Black Sweat & Lolita. So with the arrival of Planet Earth and all the critical praise that has surrounded it, I had high hopes. Reuniting with Purple Rain-era bandmates Wendy & Lisa, not to mention Sheila E., almost guaranteed a return to his 80's glory, right? Sadly, no.

Planet Earth is watered-down, mediocre Prince. It's not that it's bad. It's just not great. The highlights here are the 3 (yes, only 3) uptempo cuts. "Guitar" is fun, but too lightweight. "The 1 U Wanna C" is breezy guitar pop but its country-rock flavor will be lost on some fans. "Chelsea" is the only dance-able funk song here, but its lead vocals are by New Power Generation member Marva King. The rest of the 10 tracks here are slow to midtempo R&B ballads, none of which stand out. I like to think these songs will grow on me with time, but I remember the good ol' days when a new Prince album would be so addictive, it wouldn't leave my stereo for months! So come on, Prince! You're headed in the right direction- just give us something spicier to chew on!

One last thing- this CD has NO booklet or lyrics on the inside. Save yourself a trip to the store & just download it from I-tunes.