Maps of Music

PLECTRUMELECTRUM (2014)

Where the lyrics of PLECTRUMELECTRUM take you, and where it was really made.

Prince's thirty-sixth studio album is the only one to feature his backing band 3rdeyegirl, and it came out on the same day as another album of his.

Key places

Paisley Park, Chanhassen (2014)

Recording site Paisley Park Studios — Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota is listed as a studio where this album was recorded. The point marks the studio's building coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Studio One, London (2014)

Recording site Studio One — Studio One in London is listed as a studio where this album was recorded, alongside Paisley Park in Minnesota. The point marks the studio's building coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• PLECTRUMELECTRUM: thirty-sixth studio album by American recording artist Prince
• Stylized in all uppercase
• The only album by Prince to feature his backing band 3rdeyegirl
• Released 26 September 2014 by NPG Records under a renewed license to Warner Bros. Records
• Described by Los Angeles Times critic Randall Roberts as a rock album with lyrics and sound effects characteristic of Prince's noble weirdness and sense of humor
• Described by Rolling Stone reviewer Jon Dolan as a set of exploratory funk-rock jams

Background

• Released at the same time as the album Art Official Age
• Backing band 3rdeyegirl appears on this album only
• The album came out under NPG Records, with Warner Bros. Records holding a renewed license

Recording

• Studios listed for the album: Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, US, and Studio One in London, UK

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Prince Rogers Nelson, born June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; died April 21, 2016 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
• Signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1977 at age 18; first album For You released April 7, 1978.
• Career spanned funk, rock, R&B and pop, with estimated sales over 100 million records.

Career

• Breakthrough with Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981) and 1999 (1982).
• Purple Rain (1984) made him the first singer to hold the number-one film, album and single in the US at the same time.
• Sign o' the Times (1987) is widely considered his greatest work.
• Changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993, becoming known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince; reverted to Prince in 2000.
• Won seven Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times called it a rock album with lyrics and sound effects typical of Prince's noble weirdness and sense of humor
• Abigail Covington of The A.V. Club said it takes a no-nonsense approach to funk and mostly stays near the shallow shores of rock 'n' roll
• Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone described the record as a set of exploratory funk-rock jams
• Q magazine said that hearing Prince work with a lean combo was refreshing and a welcome first in his catalogue
• Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly felt its hooks and band dynamic made it a better album than Art Official Age
• Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph wrote that the rock format seemed to concentrate Prince on songwriting basics
• Jon Pareles of The New York Times was less enthusiastic and said the album was limited by its rigorous, deliberately retro back-to-basics mandate
• Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that the album tries nothing new but was a quiet thrill to hear Prince sparring with worthy partners

Reappraisal

• Critical reception was generally positive
• Metacritic average score: 61, based on 18 reviews

Records

• Debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200
• Sold 26,000 copies in its first week
• Fell to number 47 in its second week, selling 7,000 copies
• Total sales reached 33,000 copies after the second week

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album was released at the same time as Art Official Age
• It is the only Prince album to feature the backing band 3rdeyegirl
• The title is stylized in all uppercase
• The album dropped from number eight to number 47 on the Billboard 200 in its second week
• Its Metacritic average of 61 comes from 18 reviews

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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