After years of trying to funk his way to stardom, Rick James finally broke through in 1978 on the back of a pair of dynamite singles: “You and I,” an eight-minute dance-floor workout that includes a lovely, soaring falsetto kiss-off (“they all can go to hell”), and “Mary Jane,” the …
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In the early 1990s, Stuart Matthewman, the writer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his work in Sade, heard a remarkable demo: a ballad that stretched out over nearly seven minutes, making room for daredevil falsetto and a bass line as elegant as a spiral staircase, building to a description of …
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This piece is part of our ongoing coverage of Rolling Stone’s newly updated 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. Prince‘s Purple Rain topped El-P‘s personal ballot and landed at number eight on the overall list. Here, the Run the Jewels rapper reflects on how the album changed him as …
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“The world is crumbling and I don’t have much to say,” sings Greta Kline, leader of the band Frankie Cosmos, on the band’s new album. It’s a striking admission in a time when everyone else seems to be playing pundit in their own teapot echo chamber. And despite specializing in …
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The Prince estate is reissuing three mid-Nineties Prince albums — The VERSACE Experience (PRELUDE 2 GOLD), Chaos and Disorder and Emancipation — on September 13th via Sony’s Legacy Recordings. The three titles will be available individually and in bundled CD+LP formats via the late artist’s website. Chaos and Disorder and …
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