Exodus (1995)
If I was a music-critic, I’d never make the gauche error of sticking my neck out and suggesting this slab of gospel p-funk was on a par with Prince’s greatest material. That’s far too off-script. Safer instead to stick with the agreed narrative that Prince lost his mojo in the 90s after losing a battle with hip-hop and was unable to ever reach his 80s peaks again. However, I’m not a critic. I’m a fan writing about the music that moves me and therefore unburdened by the baggage of general consensus. This is love, not lore, so I’m saying it: I think The Exodus Has Begun funks as hard as any of his big hitters. ALL OF THEM. 1999, DMSR, Controversy – it’s on that level. Fight me!
I offer no qualifying statement to redeem myself in your rolling eyes. No personal memory as alibi to dam my draining reserves of kudos. I genuinely think the song, on its own terms, deserves to be a classic and seeing it gather dust, only available on an obscure deleted release that no-one mentions nor seems to care about, is a travesty.
Out of my top 50 or so Prince songs, The Exodus Has Begun is the only one I don’t own on vinyl, and the only one unavailable on Spotify or Apple Music. Most of my CDs have long been retired to an attic I no longer live under, but (ironically, given its name) the Exodus CD is one of the few that never left. A back-up because ripped mp3s are too ephemeral to rely on. If I accidentally wipe my computer I don’t want to be hunting down lo-fi YouTube rips to get my weekly fix. Shudder.
Although I’d sell off family members to get the Exodus album repressed on vinyl, I don’t mind the gaping void on streaming services. That’s because, although I listen to Spotify, I find myself flailing in the vastness. The psychological gear-shift needed to go from tending a record collection to having immediate access to NEAR EVERYTHING is one a Digital Native couldn’t understand. Yes, the limits of choice have expanded beyond comprehension but those limits defined me. Cultivating a record collection went hand in hand with cultivating a self. You can’t sculpt an identity with a playlist, and yet spending money on music now feels like an indulgence. I’m cursed with an antiquated mindset that desires possession of music in a culture that wants only to lease it. A monogamist in an era of free love.
Soon, having a music collection will be as eccentric as owning a loom. Throw another Shellac on the mangle grandad! But at least I get to hear non-licensed epic p-funk bastards like this, without waiting in vain (sorry, wrong Exodus album) for distant board rooms to agree on licensing deals that will never arrive.
Exodus was Prince smuggling new music out to his fans, free from the confines of his contract which he intended to only fulfil with old vault material. He had done it before with NPG Records’ debut release Goldnigga, but on that album he was careful to hide his involvement. He took more liberties on Exodus, a title which, as Mayte told the press, represented “an exit from a way of thinking and a way of doing… something new”. He promoted it behind a thin pseudonym and an even thinner face-covering, and sung lead vocals on a couple of tracks, including the song we’re discussing now which ends with Sonny T eulogising over the death of the Prince persona. Who knows what legal ambiguities need to be cleared up, what pieces of cut Gordian red tape need reknotting, before this album can grace the streaming world. It’s not like there’s much public demand. Most people don’t even seem to know this Europe-only release exists so don’t expect to see it on Spotify anytime soon. 20th Century Archivists 1 – 21st Century Streamers 0.
Oh. It’s on Tidal. Fine! You win this round young folk. But the Cloud won’t be around forever. When the sky turns purple and the servers go down, I’ll be in my bunker blasting out The Exodus Has Begun while you’re scrabbling down the backs of digital sofas for long-forgotten mp3s to block out the sirens and screams. I just hope it’s reissued on vinyl before then. CDs don’t chime well with my Apocalypse aesthetic.
(Stares puzzled at his computer screen). It’s not April 1st…..:)
Ow Man!
With all this vinyl proselytism going on you forget to quote “Polyvinyl acetate, New Power Soul”?
Seven years hard labour!
Yes, MF, yes.
“The Exodus” stands mighty high.
23 spots remaining, and 28 songs that would be on some people’s lists to fill them:
– With You [the only song off his self-titled album not on the list so far (or at all???), though I wouldn’t be completely surprised if it’s missed]
– Controversy [implied by this entry to be in an upcoming spot]
– 1999 [implied by this entry to be in an upcoming spot]
– Little Red Corvette [all but guaranteed since not including it at all would likely tank any respect this list has garnered]
– All the Critics Love You in New York [frankly, given its reputation among both fans and critics, I’d be shocked if anything off “1999” failed to make the list]
– How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? [considered one of his very best b-sides, so likely yet to come]
– Let’s Go Crazy [an earlier entry implied that all “Purple Rain” songs are on the list, so expected to come up eventually]
– The Beautiful Ones [see “Let’s Go Crazy”]
– Darling Nikki [ditto]
– When Doves Cry [ditto]
– I Would Die 4 U [ditto]
– 17 Days [also considered one of his very best b-sides]
– Erotic City [ditto]
– 4 the Tears in Your Eyes [I could see this one going either way… I’d be surprised if it missed the list entirely, but I’d also be surprised to see it in the top 25]
– Crystal Ball [generally considered a top 10 Prince song, so I’d be shocked if it wasn’t yet to come]
– Housequake [take what I said about “1999” and repeat it for “Sign ‘o’ the Times”]
– The Ballad of Dorothy Parker [see “Housequake”]
– It [ditto]
– If I Was Your Girlfriend [ditto]
– Adore [ditto]
– Anna Stesia [seems to be one of, if not the most beloved “Lovesexy” songs, so I’m not totally surprised it hasn’t come up yet, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t make it at all]
– Joy in Repetition [seems to be one of the most beloved songs on “Graffiti Bridge,” so what I said about “Anna Stesia” counts here as well]
– Gett Off [the only hit off “Diamonds and Pearls” not yet included, so I suspect it’s going to come up at some point… another one I’d be really surprised if it didn’t make the cut]
– The Morning Papers [like “4 the Tears in Your Eyes” I could really see this going either way… I wouldn’t personally put it even in the top 50, but I’d be really surprised if it wasn’t in the top 500]
– Dinner with Delores [I’m not expecting this one… probably at 525 or something, but since it was a single, it’s worth mentioning]
– The Holy River [again, like with “Dinner with Delores,” this one would be much lower down the list, but I know it was one of the few singles off “Emancipation,” so it at least needs to be mentioned]
– Black Sweat [I’d be shocked if this one is nowhere on the list]
– Jungle Love [one of the Time’s most popular songs… I’d be really surprised to see it this high up, but I’d be equally surprised to not see it on the list at all]
…which made the cut? I know we’ll have to wait and see, but whatever you chose, it’s gonna be fascinating and controversial!
Also, I hope that when you finally do get to the #1 song, you also include a list of where the other “Welcome 2 America” songs would fit into the revised list.
Also, I’d love to see just a numbered list of many of the songs that didn’t make the cut. Again, it would have to be after you reveal the top spot to avoid spoilers, but…
Impressive working out!
I’m writing #23 now and there’s a line that will instantly rule out three of your suggestions – I now thinking of removing it lest it be viewed as a spoiler 🙂
The order is the most interesting thing, and I’m sure most don’t bother to check the comments for potential spoilers anyway. I say, keep the line unless it makes you uncomfortable to do so.
Interesting 28 songs – i have to think there are some DEFINITE no ways on this 28 song list. WITH YOU is a skipped song for me. All the Critics, 4 the tears in your eyes (absolutely no way), crystal ball, IT, The morning Papers, Dinner with Delores, Black Sweat and Jungle Love….i’d be shocked if any of these in the top 25. Not that i don’t like or even love some of those songs – but top 25???? heck no.
Not all of them are on _my_ personal list (and frankly, some much lower down on this list would be in my Top 25), I just listed notable leftovers. “With You” is mostly on there because it _might_ end up being the only album track from Prince’s first ten albums not to make it into the top 500.
And yeah, even if some songs aren’t in _your_ personal “Top 25,” would you not even have them in the Top 500???
This is all the blogger’s opinion, but I just thought it would be interesting to look at what now falls into the “all-or-nothing” category that might easily be on a different person’s “Top 500” list. *shrug*
Completely Agree with the sentiment. Nothing signifies this more than the current song we’re commenting under. I don’t think this would make my Top 500 Prince songs. Admittedly, i haven’t created such a list – but none of the NPG album songs would make that list. So many factors roll into one’s preferences (much of it being nostalgia) and my top twenty would probably raise eyebrows since it would be 35% SOTT songs (SOTT, Housequake, Ballad of DP, Forever in my Life, If I Was Your GF, I can Never Take Place, Adore) with Top 5 being 80% SOTT (i’ll leave you to guess which).
At this point, it is either top 25 or not even in the top 500. You think it would be more shocking to have Crystal Ball, It, and Black Sweat in the top 25 than outside the top 500?
I was going to say that I would rather you leave the line, since I’m here more for what you have to say about the songs than the specific order – so ‘spoiler’ doesn’t really matter to me. But if my guess is correct about #23, the spoiler, and the 3 songs it eliminates – then I can see how some people might not want to know yet.
I have no opinion on whether or not you leave the line. You could reveal the rest of the list today and I would still check back daily looking for what you have to say about the next song.