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The holidays are a time of good cheer and gratitude, where we all (in theory) come together to share in a common joy. There has not been a lot of common joy if you're a Prince fan; we don't need to re-litigate it more than we did this summer, but it's worth noting that the quest to make intriguing, posthumous Prince projects under the current estate organization has maybe gotten worse than when we published our editorial.

But there have been celebrations of The Purple One that honor his restless creative spirit. One is Prince and Purple Rain: 40 Years, a might-as-well-be-official celebration of Prince's biggest hit album by Minneapolis author Andrea Swensson (who's assembled great work for the estate in the past through their official podcast and various liner notes). The other is more of an out-of-nowhere surprise - an album that might seem inconceivable on today's music release schedule, but exists to remind old and new fans of Prince's influence and impact across generations. I'm talking, of course, about Dearly Beloved: A Prince Songbook (Cherry Red CD3BRED908), a Crystal Ball-sized triple album of notable and unusual Prince covers and compositions. It's a terrific set - one that offers a new high watermark for compilations of its kind and a convincing case for offering much-needed context around even the most iconic musicians to ever strut on stage.

Across its 52 tracks, Dearly Beloved offers a great alternative look at Prince's career that stretches deeper and fuller than a cursory glance at the track list might show. The mega-hit songs released in some form under Prince's name are quite few: a version of "Purple Rain" by Amanda Palmer and Jherek Bischoff; "I Feel for You" in a Pointer Sisters version that preceded Chaka Khan's by a few years; a late '90s slow spin on "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" by New Kids on the Block's Jordan Knight. A trio of hits represented on 2019's demo collection Originals are offered in more familiar versions: Martika's joyous "Love...Thy Will Be Done," The Bangles' superb "Manic Monday" (in its original 12" length) and Kenny Rogers' surprising "You're My Love." Prince himself appears, ghostlike, throughout the album's first disc of written hits and giveaways, playing and producing cuts like "The Dance Electric" for childhood friend and former bandmate André Cymone, "U" for Paula Abdul, the rollicking "The Sex of It" for Kid Creole and The Coconuts and "I Want U" for former New Power Generation foil Rosie Gaines.

The result of these jagged puzzle pieces is a Prince portrait with more shade and nuance than most. The myth of Prince as hip-hop hater is offset by the slinky Monie Love cut "In a Word or 2" (offering his signature backing vocals on the chorus and a sumptuous orchestral wave from longtime collaborator Clare Fischer) or a slick read of 1999-era B-side "Irresistible Bitch" recorded in 1999 by Mellow Man Ace. The knock-on effect of the Minneapolis sound on R&B albums with less pop crossover appeal is investigated in detail on versions of early album cuts and B-sides like "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" (taken to No. 12 on the R&B survey by Stephanie Mills' distinctive timbre), "Gotta Broken Heart Again" (performed by late, underrated one-album wonder Debra Hurd, produced by Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders) and "It's Gonna Be Lonely" by Atlanta funk combo Princess & Starbreeze. And Prince's unmistakable freak flag tradition is reflected in off-the-wall covers like a bizarre, jaunty "Jack U Off" (sounding little like what you expect from synth-dance queen Robyn), an Eastern-inspired late '90s read on "Pop Life" by Dead or Alive, jazz and swing detours (Joe Stilgoe's read on Batman single "Partyman," a horn-suffused "Sign O' the Times" from Scottish duo Hue & Cry) and even a detour into fado on "Dream of Fire," a track Prince co-wrote with Portuguese singer Ana Moura. (His credit was only revealed posthumously.)

If you're a collector, the discs and the music only tell part of the story, and Dearly Beloved shines not only in execution but assemblage. Compilation producer Adam Mattera has not only selected a stellar line-up of songs, but offers a neat, scene-setting two-page essay in the accompanying booklet along with a trove of technical information: track-by-track credits (sourced from original albums and occasionally filled in with anecdotal additions by purple trove PrinceVault), chart positions and, most ambitious of all, a mix of old and new quotes from nearly every artist featured in the package, or an explanatory blurb in the few cases without quotes. Such effort makes Prince, eight years after his tragic passing, feel wondrously present, offering teachings through his songs as interpreted here. (All the information is offered neatly in the booklet, with nice thumbnails of each album set against a light-relief floral background that's easy to read against. Turning the Cherry Red logo purple is a nice touch, too!)

In a time where it wasn't clear what magic could be drummed up around the work of Prince in 2024, Dearly Beloved is all fans could want and more. Putting together a set like this is no small task, but enjoying it is all too easy - and you'll be digging it for a mighty long time.