Edited By Mike Breen

· Prince and the Revolution -- 1999 The New Master (NPG).Prince has had people calling him both a genius and a madman in his time, his prolific and (usually) brilliant musical output occasionally clouded by his unusual business approach (from showing his desire to leave his label by writing "slave" on his face to releasing multi-disc albums mostly available only on the Internet and through an 800 number). Prince has gone from being one of the world's biggest superstars to underdog martyr, a tag he seems to enjoy more anyway.

Probably Prince's smartest post-Warner Brothers days move is the release of this remix maxi-single of his pre-Millennial cash cow "1999" (originally released in '83). Warner owns the masters to the original, meaning they reap all of the benefits from the massive airplay the song is sure to receive this year, so Prince (with guests Doug E. Fresh, actress Rosarrio Dawson doing a spoken word version, singer Rosie Gaines and legendary Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham) is trying to outdo them with seven stylistically-different versions that -- while not necessarily guaranteeing more spins -- will certainly have a higher profile in the marketplace. While the spoken version and the A Cappella (?) version are fairly pointless (what, no Country rendition?), the Dance and House treatments will be favored by serious club DJs, and the single-edit version is a more-than-able substitution for radio DJs. The more nostalgic fans may find the interwoven raps a little distracting on the main track, but ultimately the record's original spirit is intact and creatively refurbished. (www.1800newfunk.com)
CityBeat grade: B.

· Various Artists -- Dublin to Dakar: A Celtic Odyssey (Putamayo).Putamayo Records' World music releases have the feel of historic documentation that, while not on the level of Alan Lomax's field recordings, could certainly be consummate time capsules of global sounds. Not that the records are like staid museum pieces: they are usually bursting with contemporary vitality. Along with numerous compilations of Celtic, African, Reggae and Latin music, the label also has a captivating series of releases that show the intermingling of different genres. On the heels of the superb Memphis to Mali collection (which showed other culture's connection to the Blues) comes Dublin to Dakar, which features numerous Celtic-influenced artists who integrate their sound with everything from Reggae and African rhythms to English Folk Rock and Eastern European "Gypsy" mystique. The extensive, insightful liner notes explain how Celtic culture has migrated all over Europe and how individual artists came to their cultural explorations, but this is far more spirited and enjoyable than any world history class. (888-PUTAMAYO; www.putamayo.com)
CityBeat grade: B.

· Fun Lovin' Criminals -- 100% Colombian (Capitol).Bizzarely, this Rap/Rock trio of NYC homeboys is huge overseas, but in their home country, they've been relegated to novelty act. Not surprisingly. With their latest, the group keeps up the clever, street-wise lyrical commentary, but for some reason, they've seen fit to soak it in a light disco batter. Save a few so-so tracks like the Bo Diddley beat down "Korean Bodega," the metallic riff-fest "Southside" and the Punkabilly scorcher "10th Street," the majority of the album sounds like a bunch of watered-down Barry White without the sex appeal. All of the raps, meant to sound laid-back and stoned, just come off plain lazy. It's hard to imagine the thought behind 100% Colombian -- "Hey, guys, we've got too many male fans, let's do something for the ladies!" Neither a bold new direction nor an exact retread of their old style, the Criminals only crime here is being woefully boring.
CityBeat grade: D.

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