Graffiti Bridge (1990)
At the risk of sounding obscurist the best version of Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got is not the one that saw the (everlasting) light of day. Prince’s earlier unreleased recordings sound a lot less cluttered, especially the Revolution-backed 1986 version which has an unbridled immediacy about it. This is something lacking in the slower official release which is more experimental but can be accused of trying to carry too many bags. The intro pre-echoes 1993’s Papa, the lyrics are retrofitted to give it a cinematic, spiritual air and in the latter half the song gets distracted by acid flashbacks of Purple Rain. These disparate additions don’t always pull in the same direction, yet underneath the gumbo the reliable bassline does its joyful, buoyant shuffle and throws you straight into the never-sedentary action of Graffiti Bridge. As an album opener it’s ballsy and does its job with gusto.
