LotusFlow3r (2009)
1. From the Lotus...
2. Boom
3. Crimson and Clover
4. 4Ever
5. Colonized Mind
6. Feel Good, Feel Better, Feel Wonderful
7. Love Like Jazz
8. 77 Beverly Park
9. Wall of Berlin
10.$
11.Dreamer
12....Back to the Lotus
With latter-day Prince, the music was often only half the story. Rarely was a release simply an album in the traditional sense; it was instead part of a wider scheme, a layered presentation that blurred the lines between art, commerce, and performance. In the case of LotusFlow3r, the album was issued as part of a curious triple-disc package—available, in the U.S. at least, exclusively through Target—alongside MPLSound and a third album by protégé Bria Valente. The packaging, the exclusivity, and the quasi-promotional intentions somewhat clouded what was, at its core, a singular artistic statement.
Alone, LotusFlow3r presents itself as one of Prince’s more curious offerings. From the outset, it is clear that this is a guitarist’s album. Prince, always known for his instrumental prowess, uses this record to reassert his place among the greats. The tone is deliberate. The distortion is thick. The solos are unrestrained. In fact, he hadn’t embraced this level of guitar-centric bombast since 1996’s Chaos and Disorder. That album felt like an exorcism. LotusFlow3r feels more like an exhibition.
But while the guitar playing is frequently superb, the songwriting is less so. There’s a looseness to the structure that borders on abstraction. Many of the tracks sound more like extended vamps or studio exercises than fully realised songs. Crimson and Clover, the only real contender for radio play, is a psychedelic cover that leans heavily into Hendrix territory—so much so that the entire album seems steeped in that era’s sonic vocabulary. The wah pedals, the swirling effects, the existential overtones—it all points back to 1969, a time of lava lamps and sonic experimentation.
Repeated listens do, however, reveal a handful of overlooked gems. Colonized Mind is a standout, offering one of Prince’s most direct political commentaries in years. Its slow-burning riff and pointed lyrics carry more urgency than anything else on the record. Wall of Berlin, equally forceful, is pure power-trio swagger—a thick slab of low-end groove underscored by biting solos. Then, almost without warning, he turns to acoustic elegance with 77 Beverly Park, a Mediterranean-tinged instrumental of disarming beauty. At just over two minutes, it feels more like a sketch than a statement, but its melodic clarity lingers.
The great frustration of LotusFlow3r is that these moments—individually compelling—never quite congeal into a coherent whole. The album plays more like a portfolio of musical ideas than a unified project. One can’t help but imagine how much stronger it might have been had Prince applied the editorial discipline of his earlier career.
Still, as a showcase for Prince the guitarist—an identity often overshadowed by his showmanship and persona—LotusFlow3r is invaluable. It’s not a polished gem, but a diamond in the rough. Uneven, unpredictable, and at times undercooked, it nevertheless captures the sound of an artist still restless, still searching, still capable of brilliance—if only in flashes.
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