Well from eBay I finally got a Prince album I've been meaning to get for awhile: The Black Album.

Originally planned for release in 1988, half a million Vinyl LPs were pressed before Warner Bros. recalled them all a week before release. The legend goes that Prince demanded the recall because God told him the record was too evil, a vision which came to him allegedly after popping ectasy. It was finally officially limited released in 1994, after being heavily bootlegged and even published reviews by the critics. Prince would quickly record a new album (Lovesexy) to fill up his vacated '88 release slot. (Both albums incidentally included the cut "When 2 R in Love.")

Without evidence, I'm more certain the truth was alot more mundane. BA is alot more a total party record, quite arguably his most danceable record from the 80s, definately his most R&B-oriented effort since Prince in the late 70s. A damn good record in that regard.

It's like when he was producing "Housequake" for Sign O The Times and thought well shit, why don't I go produce a whole record like this? A total logical progression from SOTT.

And that in itself is why I wonder it got shelved. the rock/funk mainstream-friendly hybrid that Prince had been producing for several years beforehand. The Black Album would've been released with a total Spinal Tap-friendly black cover with no track information or any info on the spine that would tell you what this is or who produced it. No plans for singles either. But the album title is very appropriate, because I wonder if someone at W.B. (and later Prince agreed) thought that with Prince having made good money from his mainstream rock/funk fusion music, maybe the BA was too R&B or worse, "too black" for his white casual fans? I can picture them thinking it.

A real shame honestly if they thought that, because he might've screwed himself for looking backwards instead of forwards. Lovesexy is a decent record, but it's nowhere as musically concise or packed as the BA. (Plus BA didn't have that hideous nude cover which raped countless eyes.) Maybe BA wouldn't have sold well immediately as his previous records, but I'm certain it would've had a good shelf life and the critics would've loved it. (One forgets that while never a single, "Housequake" was a hit on radio.) Prince definately would've shocked people with the BA album cut "Bob George," which now comes off as quaint, but for 1988 his dark tale of a murdering cursing pimp would've raised a few eyebrows.

My favorite BA track might actually be "Superfunkycalifragisexy," but I can't find a clear version of it on YT.