The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale is a peculiar entry in Prince’s catalog. Released in 1999, it collects ten tracks recorded over a span of years, most of which sat in his legendary vault until this release. This is not a cohesive studio album. It is a scrapbook, a clearing of the shelves, a document of what one of pop’s most restless geniuses did when no one was watching.
The record is trying to do something simple: show Prince at ease. There is no grand concept, no social thesis, no chart-chasing single. These are relaxed, jazzy funk grooves, often mid-tempo, often smoky. It sounds like a man in a studio at 3 a.m., playing for the tape machine rather than the arena. That is both its charm and its limitation.
Because the material is archival, it lacks the fire of his best work. Sign o’ the Times this is not. But it also lacks the desperation of his mid-90s contract obligations. The record feels unhurried, even casual. It is a side of Prince that fans rarely saw in the 90s, when he was fighting with Warner Bros. over his name and his output.
The title track sets the tone. “Old Friends 4 Sale” is a slow, mournful meditation on friendship and betrayal. It is one of the best songs here, a quiet ache that builds into a gentle funk strut. The lyric is sharp, the delivery world-weary. It earns its place as the anchor of the collection.
Opening With Fragments
“The Rest of My Life” opens the album as a brief snippet. It is a sketch, a fragment of a ballad that never quite gets going. It works as a curtain-raiser, a whisper before the band steps in. On its own, it is slight. As an introduction, it is effective.
“It’s About That Walk” follows, and this is where the record finds its footing. A funky, swaggering number with a tight bassline and a playful vocal. Prince is in full command here, teasing the rhythm, snapping the groove. It is the kind of track that reminds you why he was the best live performer of his generation. The song is about a woman’s walk, but really it is about rhythm itself.
“She Spoke 2 Me” is the longest cut on the record. This is the deep cut that rewards patience. A slow, hypnotic jam that builds from a simple piano figure into a full-band immersion. Prince’s guitar work here is understated but precise.
The Longest Cut
She Spoke 2 Me does not hurry. It breathes. It is the closest thing on the record to a jazz suite, and it is a highlight. The song stretches out, letting each musician take a turn, letting the groove settle deep into the listener’s bones.
“5 Women” is a clever, bluesy number that lists five women and the trouble they bring. It is loose, almost throwaway, but the playing is sharp. The horn stabs are clean, the vocal is a snarl. It is a song that could have been a B-side in 1987 and would have been a treasure. Here, it sits nicely in the running order.
“When the Lights Go Down” is the other long track. It is a ballad, slow and sensual, with Prince singing about the intimacy that comes after the show. The arrangement is sparse, mostly piano and voice, with a subtle bass pulse. It is one of the most emotionally direct performances on the record.
Short Songs, Short Shrift
“My Little Pill” is a brief oddity. It is a drug-reference sketch, a quick, almost throwaway vocal over a minimal beat. It is not a great song. It is barely a song at all.
“There Is Lonely” is a short, somber piece that leans into the melancholy of the title. It is a couple of minutes of quiet piano and a lonely vocal. It does not resolve. It just sits there, heavy. It is a mood piece, and it works.
“Sarah” is a strange one. It is a ballad about a woman named Sarah, and it has a delicate, almost fragile quality. The melody is pretty, the vocal is restrained. It feels like a demo, a sketch of a song that could have been something more. It is pleasant but forgettable.
Closing Bright
“Extraordinary” closes the album on a higher note. It is a bright, upbeat funk track that feels like a sigh of relief after the heavier material. The bass is funky, the vocal is joyful. It is the most immediate song on the record, the one most likely to get a casual listener to hit repeat. It is a good ending, a reminder that Prince could turn on the charm whenever he wanted.
Not everything earns its place. “My Little Pill” is a throwaway. “The Rest of My Life” is a fragment. “Sarah” is a demo. These tracks are not bad, but they are not essential. They are the reason this album is a vault release rather than a proper studio statement. They are the filler that keeps this from being a front-to-back triumph.
But even filler from Prince has a certain level of craft. The man could not play badly if he tried. The basslines are always locked, the drums are always crisp, the vocals are always committed. Even the lesser tracks have a warmth that is hard to fake.
The Sound of the Vault
The production is clean and dry. There is no 80s reverb wash, no 90s digital sheen. The record sounds like a band in a room. That is a compliment. It gives the album a timeless quality, a sense that these songs could have been recorded last week or twenty years ago.
The jazz influence is strong throughout. Prince was always a jazz player at heart, and this record lets that side breathe. The chord changes are sophisticated, the solos are tasteful, the rhythms are syncopated. It is the sound of a virtuoso relaxing into his own skill.
The record runs about thirty-nine minutes total. It never overstays its welcome. The high points are high, the low points are short, and the whole thing moves at a relaxed, unhurried pace that suits the material.
What Sticks
The best tracks here are the ones that let Prince stretch out:
- “Old Friends 4 Sale” — a mournful meditation with a sharp lyric
- “When the Lights Go Down” — a sparse, sensual ballad
- “She Spoke 2 Me” — a long jazz-funk immersion
- “It’s About That Walk” — a swaggering, playful groove
- “5 Women” — a bluesy, horn-stabbed romp
These are the tracks that hold up best on repeated listens. They show Prince at ease, playing for the love of it, without the pressure of a label or a chart position.
The lesser tracks are short and forgettable, but they are not offensive. They are the sound of a genius clearing his desk, and even that has a certain charm.
The Bottom Line
This is a 7 out of 10. It is not essential Prince. If you are new to his work, do not start here. Start with Sign o’ the Times or Purple Rain. But if you already love him, if you have worn out the classics and want to hear him breathe, this is a rewarding listen.
It is a vault record, and it sounds like one. It is loose, uneven, and occasionally brilliant. It is the sound of a genius in a room with his instruments, playing for the love of it. That is worth something. That is worth seven out of ten.
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- The Rest of My Life1:40
- It's About That Walk4:26
- She Spoke 2 Me8:20
- 5 Women5:13
- When the Lights Go Down7:11
- My Little Pill1:09
- There Is Lonely2:29
- Old Friends 4 Sale3:28
- Sarah2:53
- Extraordinary2:28
