| Release Date: | 022324 |
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February 23rd 2024. The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale is a collection of previously unreleased songs from Prince’s legendary vault that was released by Warner Bros. Records in 1999, shortly before the release of his studio album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic with the brief liner note: "The enclosed material was written during the period beginning 1/23/1985 and ending 6/18/1994 and was originally intended 4 private use only."
TRACKLIST:
How to describe this album? Part soundtrack to a musical movie that never came to be. Part contractual obligation fulfillment by an artist racing to get out of his record contract. And finally, a grab bag of leftover tracks that fit the theme musically. Yet, I return to it often. If you don’t know the legacy of James L Brooks’ disastrous film I’ll Do Anything, I can’t recap it in the space here. But many of the tracks here are the result of Prince writing songs for Brooks’ musical that were cut after disastrous screenings.
What’s left over, however, is a very lovely Sunday afternoon spin. This is Prince in the early 90s, light jazzing it up. Highlights include She Spoke 2 Me, Extraordinary, and 5 Women (which was penned for Joe Cocker’s 1991 Night Moves album).
The standout track is the title song “Old Friends 4 Sale,” which while still very good, pales in comparison to the much better unreleased original 1985 version that had clearly more personal lyrics.
I can’t speak to the quality of the vinyl version, but I’m looking forward to having a listen soon.