Newpower Soul (1998)
The beat may be pedestrian, the live chants overdone, but what better terrain to witness the power of a fully armed and operational brass section? The Hornheadz are on fine form as they break curfew and run riot all over Freaks on This Side like gremlins fed after midnight. Apocalyptic trumpets sound the charge of the undead and inhuman. The lyrics are further dispatches from Prince’s Book of Revelation and repeat Anna Stasia’s ‘God is love, love is God’ refrain but the effect on the vocals is more revolutionary than the content. They sound like a vortex of demons fighting for power and are the reason why I included this song on my Lovespooky Halloween mix. Who else could create a song that sounds like the Ghostbusters’ containment unit getting its funk on? There’s others here with us and they’re freaking their non-corporeal heads to this.
The worst song on Prince’s worst album (excluding Hitnrun Phase 1). The repetitive “freaks on this side” chant is a David Lynchian earworm….
I’m non-plussed about the chant but you gotta admit: thems some fonky horns!
I like those chants! They definitely sound spooky. The song wouldn’t be the same without them.
Then again, I like David Lynch. And I’ve always thought that even the looping ending chants in “Hey Jude” sounded malevolent and voodoo-ish. I guess I have a weakness for extreme repetition creating an uneasy and nightmarish feeling.
#63 of my Mountain 100.