Prince (August 17 1994) – “When Prince Is Good, He’s Very, Very Good” Album Review – The Miami Herald
This Miami Herald review by Leonard Pitts Jr., published in August 1994, examines Prince’s album Come and its accompanying single Letitgo. The critic explores Prince’s creative transition following his “retirement” from Warner Bros., praising his brilliance while noting uneven moments across the record.
Publication: The Miami Herald Date: August 17 1994 Country: United States
Under the headline “When Prince Is Good, He’s Very, Very Good,” Pitts Jr. opens by recounting Prince’s announcement two years earlier that he was retiring from active recording, leaving Warner Bros. with a vault of hundreds of unreleased songs. The review explains that Come is the first album released under this unusual arrangement, following Prince’s shift to Bellmark Records and his success with The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.
The critic describes Come as “startlingly good in spots,” though occasionally weighed down by filler. Tracks such as Letitgo, Loose, and Pheromone are dismissed as derivative, while Orgasm is called “a gimmick that was old 20 years ago.” Yet Pitts Jr. finds brilliance in Papa, Race, and Solo, highlighting their emotional depth and lyrical daring. He singles out the title track Come as the album’s standout — “a lusty boot‑knocker of a rocker punctuated with James Brown horn riffs and jazzy brass excursions.” The review concludes that, despite Prince’s eccentricities and shifting persona, his talent remains undeniable: “When Prince is good, he’s very, very good.”
CONTEXT AND NOTES
Released in August 1994, Come marked Prince’s final album for Warner Bros. before fully embracing his identity as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” The record’s darker, sensual tone and experimental production reflected his frustration with label constraints and his desire for artistic freedom.
This Miami Herald review captures the tension between Prince’s genius and unpredictability — a hallmark of his mid‑1990s output.
Pitts Jr.’s balanced critique situates Come within the broader narrative of Prince’s career reinvention, acknowledging both its flaws and its flashes of brilliance.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Release of Come album and Letitgo single
Era: 1994 – Symbol Period / Post‑Warner Bros. Transition
Tone: Analytical, candid, and appreciative Photography: Black‑and‑white image of Prince’s Letitgo CD single, showing him in a dynamic pose with raised arms
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
Miami Herald review of Prince’s Come album and Letitgo single
Critique of standout and weaker tracks
Commentary on Prince’s evolving identity and artistic independence
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