433: Comeback

The Truth (1998)
In 2001 a flatmate requested to listen to all my Prince albums. He wasn’t a fan but wanted to see what the (or rather my) fuss was about. Eager to convert, over the course of several weeks I sent them to his room, five at a time, loaded up in my clear plastic Crystal Ball CD tray to listen to at his leisure. There were a few songs here and there he liked, the rockier ones, but only one album consistently did it for him: The Truth. And it’s easy to see why. If you’re not a fan of Prince’s studio theatrics you’d have to have a hard soul to not be felled by his songwriting prowess laid bare on this very-close-to-unplugged album. It’s unfortunate more people didn’t get to hear it, piggybacking as it did on an expensive multi-CD package, putting off newcomers and fair-weather fans alike. I believe the Purple Army would have seen a flood of conscripts if The Truth was given its own individual spotlight but hidden gems shine brightest. Comeback is one of the gentler tracks on this acoustic album and certainly the most spiritual, with lyrics concerning the afterlife and returning spirits. Written in the aftermath of his son’s death, it later acquired renewed resonances with Prince’s passing. Not many could reach the end of the song’s two heartrending minutes on April 21, 2016. Tears go here.