When Price died in 2016, he was estimated to have left behind 8,000 unreleased songs. This doesn't mean he ever meant for most of them to see the light of day, however. One might assume that he would have released them himself if he thought they were great.
But what we do know is that the legend was constantly tinkering in his epic recording studio, and what he created there is almost certainly better than most tracks that any other musical artist will ever make. Fans want to hear the unreleased tracks for good reason.
Only a bit over 100 songs have been put out for public consumption so far, and the latest is "With This Tear." The track was mastered and mixed by Chris Jarnes, who previously worked with Prince on the icon's albums, HITnRUN Phase Two, Art Official Age, and Plectrumelectrum.
Prince's new single from his vault is a bit of a mixed bag
If one could understand what Prince might want to do with a song, it is Jarnes. That's the good part. As for the new song? How good is it? And does it sound different from the version that Celine Dion performed on her self-titled album in 1992?
First, the listener should not expect a single that is going to get them out of the seat and dancing around. The tune is mellow and somber, just like the Dion version. The issue with Dion's rendition isn't the singer herself, but the production, which is very much of its time.
The instrumentation on the early-1990s track is very similar to the music played in the scene from Purple Rain when Prince's character first has Apollonia in his room. That's not good as the sound is far too plastic.
Thankfully, Prince's recently released version is more bare-bones and piano-driven. The legend is in fine voice and pure falsetto that is unmistakably him.
The lush strings are a bit too much, however. The track would have been better left with just Prince at his piano, delivering lyrics of aching sadness. His romantic interest dies, after all, or at least that appears to have happened.
Is this going to rival Prince's best work? Of course, not. Maybe no track from the unreleased songs will do that. The tune is still worth a listen or two, but just understand that while the piano and vocals are beautiful, the lyrics will not be easy for one's emotions.
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