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PrintableByron said: Wall said: Whatever you need to tell yourself to make it a good record. It's more like a Cliffnotes version of Musicology or Rave to me. I don't hear anything in terms of muscianship on this record that was dominant on TRC. As preachy as that album was, the musicianship and passion were undeniable. All of course, imho. Whatever you need to tell yourself--and the rest of us incessantly--to convince yourself that it's not worthy of a second listen... You're right, Incense and Candles is classic. Better than that Parade filler material he was churning out in 86. No hard feelings. | |
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jone70 said: Damn! What the hell happened on the other thread. A flame war over music?! Yikes.
Anyway, I have only listened to about half the "unreleased" tracks (3121, Love, Fury, The Word, GOTB). I'm diggin it. It's not as funky as I'd like, but I think it will grow on me. The biggest let down was Fury. I didn't expect it to be as bad ass as SNL, but like someone on the 1st thread said, it sounds like a demo/outtake. Hopefully the non MP3 version will be better. Also, sounds a little bit slower in tempo. More importantly though--when will my purple ticket arrive??  I really believe that the CD version will sound great. Gotta be hopeful.  I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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purplecam said: jone70 said: Damn! What the hell happened on the other thread. A flame war over music?! Yikes.
Anyway, I have only listened to about half the "unreleased" tracks (3121, Love, Fury, The Word, GOTB). I'm diggin it. It's not as funky as I'd like, but I think it will grow on me. The biggest let down was Fury. I didn't expect it to be as bad ass as SNL, but like someone on the 1st thread said, it sounds like a demo/outtake. Hopefully the non MP3 version will be better. Also, sounds a little bit slower in tempo. More importantly though--when will my purple ticket arrive?? I really believe that the CD version will sound great. Gotta be hopeful. Are you mocking me?  The check. The string he dropped. The Mona Lisa. The musical notes taken out of a hat. The glass. The toy shotgun painting. The things he found. Therefore, everything seen–every object, that is, plus the process of looking at it–is a Duchamp. | |
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BSK3601 said: C'mon now you know that's gotta be the funniest shit about this...
For the past 6 years +, all I've seen is "I'm sick of that Dat Gum Horn Section  "
The man adds synths on top of synths and even samples a fuckin saxophone, plays it on a keyboard patch and all of a sudden it's overwhelming and cheesy.  I find that amusing too. 
I love those cheesey synths though. That's 80's music and god bless it! When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading. | |
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jone70 said: purplecam said: I really believe that the CD version will sound great. Gotta be hopeful. Are you mocking me? Not at all. I was thinking the same thing eariler but I just decided to be optimistic. I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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loudawg said: No matter how many songs Prince sings about unity, god, the truth, getting on the boat, etc, it's never going to happen. It can't, Because as humans we're built to want what we don't have. There is no god, or supreme being overseeing us all. People "believe" so they don't feel so empty, but sooner or later, the end will come and you'll be unconscious for all enternity. now let me tell you why i think you don't believe... nah, nevermind just know this -- some have tasted and known -- some have seen and heard that's why it brings people like Prince such joy to tell others what he's found we're not all empty mindless zombies | |
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fairmoan said: review stuff
Most spot-on review so far 
Though the album is revealing nice touches the more I listen (and the bottom line for me is that there are still few artists I'll do that much listening work for) |
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purplecam said: jone70 said: Are you mocking me? Not at all. I was thinking the same thing eariler but I just decided to be optimistic.  The check. The string he dropped. The Mona Lisa. The musical notes taken out of a hat. The glass. The toy shotgun painting. The things he found. Therefore, everything seen–every object, that is, plus the process of looking at it–is a Duchamp. | |
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Snap said: loudawg said: No matter how many songs Prince sings about unity, god, the truth, getting on the boat, etc, it's never going to happen. It can't, Because as humans we're built to want what we don't have. There is no god, or supreme being overseeing us all. People "believe" so they don't feel so empty, but sooner or later, the end will come and you'll be unconscious for all enternity. now let me tell you why i think you don't believe... nah, nevermind just know this -- some have tasted and known -- some have seen and heard that's why it brings people like Prince such joy to tell others what he's found we're not all empty mindless zombies Some have tasted and known? I don't buy that. People process information in different ways, and what you are focusing on right now is most real to you. It's all in the mind. Religion, feelings, it's all man made. I'm sure of one thing... there is no God. It was all made up to keep people in line. "You don't exist again. It's all taken away from you. Even for the richest, happiest and most beautiful people, they move into later life and get old where things start to break apart. They don't exist anymore and they will never exist again." Woody Allen | |
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loudawg said: Some have tasted and known? I don't buy that. People process information in different ways, and what you are focusing on right now is most real to you. It's all in the mind. Religion, feelings, it's all man made. I'm sure of one thing... there is no God. It was all made up to keep people in line. you need to quit telling other people what they know and don't know for starters whenever you get the infilling of the Holy Spirit and start operating in spiritual gifts, then we can talk Dez, Sheila, Denise, and Prince seem to "know" something as well -- for him who has an ear, hear [Edited 3/7/06 20:51pm] | |
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alrighty sorry so longwinded... here are my 3121 thoughts, for what they're worth hehe.
3121 - Sounds both nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. It’s a mix of a SOTT-era b-side and the dark funk of Come. Very funky mid-tempo shuffle, a little “Vicky Waiting” feel. GREAT opener. Some nice guitar. This track is the “Christopher Tracy’s Parade” of this album. Lolita - Love it! “Lolita” is “Sarah’s” badder older sister. Has a slight “When U were Mine” vibe, but with a cool and funky update on the 1999-era synth sound. Has a little of “Stand Back” in it. Definitely a retro feel to the song. The rhythm reminds me a bit of a simplified “Dance On.” It’s P having fun in the studio and creating a fun pop song along the lines of “Play in the Sunshine” or “Partyman.” Te Amo Corazon – A solemn and devotional ballad with real feeling. The production is warm. I like the melody – it’s a little somber and mysterious, and not showy. There is an nice elegance to this song. It’s an odd choice for first single, now that its in the context of the full album. The closest equivalent to how it “feels” on the album compared to another 1st single is probably “Betcha By Golly Wow”, or maybe even the dour “Thieves in the Temple.” Black Sweat – Stripped down and lithe funk; a “Kiss” for 2006 - - yet lacking that classic’s fierce wit. “Black Sweat” is a distillation of his Slaughterhouse/Chocolate Invasion phase. “The Daisy Chain” would have been better in this spot on the album. I don’t think “Black Sweat” holds up to the scrutiny of being such a key single from this album. To me, it’s one of the weaker tracks. It seems like its trying to hard to be a hit, and the hook isn’t catchy enough. Still…. It’s undeniably funky. I would have put it on a b-side. (But then, if he had done that, I’d probably wonder why it wasn’t included!!) Incense and Candles – This one is very contemporary sounding. Very much influenced by modern-era R&B. Prince has always been influenced by what he likes, and he clearly is infatuated with a lot of current R&B. How is this any less valid than his love for and influence by Joni Mitchell or Stevie Wonder? It always puzzles me that people accuse Prince so easily as trying to sound current or “relevant”, but they always seem to overlook the most obvious answer – he is genuinely inspired by some current R&B. Anyways, off soapbox. “Incense” is a dense and interesting song – a lot of things going on in it. It feels like he meant it to be a key track, and it sounds like he spent a lot of time on this one. It’s delicately and cleverly arranged. I think it’s a grower. Needs more attention 
Love - I can’t listen to this song and not groove… probably the tightest song on the album. It’s just wicked. Has something of a Pheromone vibe at times during the verse, and then into a more traditional R&B feel during the chorus. This song begs for a 10 minute remix. It’s going to be a classic Prince tune. Satisfied – I always used to dread the slow, languid R&B tune on each new Prince album. I would skip over “Scandalous” or “Insatiable” every time. Eventually I grew to love them (well…except for “Scandalous”.) This one is more along the lines of “Slow Love” and “On the Couch”, but it’s definitely a cousin to those classic ballads like “International Lover” and “Do Me Baby”. Nice little guitar runs and horn parts, and another great arrangement. Probably my favorite big P ballad since “ManOWar” (which remains perhaps his most underrated ballad.) Fury - Somebody woke up the Endorphine Machine. Prince apparently feels that there are certain songs he MUST put on an album these days. Straight-rocker (Fury, Million Days), Big-Ballad (Satisfied, On the Couch), stripped down funky track (“Musicology”, “Black Sweat”). That’s why Fury is harder for me to enjoy. It seems contrived.. That said, I like the sound of it, and it is certainly a catchy song. It completely blew me away on SNL; the studio version is tidier and crisper. I think the track benefited from the rawness of live performance. As it is, it’s more “Damned if I Do” than “Let’s Go Crazy”. The Word – Prince seems to structure his albums in a similar way sometimes. He will put a more thoughtful, “serious” track midway thru the 2nd side. “The Cross”, anyone? “Dear Mr. Man”? “Money Don’t Matter 2Night”? “Shy”? “The Word” has a lighter feel than any of those, though. Maybe “Shy” is its closest relative stylistically and melodically. But “The Word” also has a killer guitar solo that would do Carlos Santana proud. I like the long instrumental percussion ending. It’s one of the more subtle ones, but those usually end up being the favorites in the long run. Beautiful, Loved and Blessed – A fluid R&B ballad as commercial and appealing as anything that’s currently on the charts. Tamar is a genuinely talented vocalist – perhaps the most talented of any protégé he’s worked with. (I love Jill Jones, but come on… she don’t compare.) The song fits on this album; it has a breezy gentle groove. There’s a joy about it that’s is present in some of P’s best pop songs (“The Most Beautiful Girl in the World”, for example). I like it, but I think it would have benefited from brevity. The melody just isn’t interesting enough to sustain it over 5, nearly 6 minutes. I like the ending, though. Cut out of some of the middle, keep the long ending
The Dance - Interesting re-working of the earlier version. I think this is the first time P has released 2 versions of the same song in this way, isn’t it? Anyways. Dark and bitter. The melody at the beginning sounds like a darker, more pissed-off version of “Te Amo Corazon.” Definitely one of the stronger tracks on 3121. I love the David Garson-esque piano. P was definitely listening to “Aladdin Sane” when he recorded this. That’s a recurring theme on 3121. there are interesting bits of color that were mostly lacking in the early-2000’s material. I think The Rainbow Children was a wonderful diversion that brought back a lot of creativity into his work. The songs on Musicology and moreso on 3121 are a reflection of this, I think. Anyways. This track builds in intensity as it goes along, and has a nice powerful ending… much less restrained than P has been on tracks like this in recent years. He finally breaks out. I was always so frustrated on “The Love We Make” - - - it was so restrained. At the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder how contrived it was. It seems so much more real on “The Beautiful Ones.” But hey… I was young then. Maybe my cynicism derived from everyday life has hurt my ability to really be effected by music.
Get On The Boat – Nice closer. Fulfils the same function that “Baby I’m a Star” did in the 2nd half of Purple Rain, or “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night” did on SOTT. We are just missing that killer epic ballad to close the album! “Boat” is funky and tight, more about a jam and groove and feel than the lyrics. It’s got a bit of a latin vibe to it, which is cool. The ending is clever and really different than anything he has done in the past. I would love it if the song went on for about 9 minutes…. A really audacious jam would have been great. Still, I think it’s a strong track. So. All in all, I find it much better and more accomplished than a lot of the early reviews indicate. 3121 is a varied album, no doubt with an eye toward commercial success, but also with a great deal of fresh and interesting material. I was a fan of Musicology, and I believe it was a bit more commercial overall. But 3121 is a bit edgier and funkier, and I think it holds together better as a coherent album. But Musicology and 3121 share a lot in common – they both tie together his post-Emancipation period with his more introspective turns on Rainbow Children, NEWS and C-Note. I think ultimately it will always be paired with Musicology, much the same way as D&P and Love Symbol are siblings. Is 3121 his strongest work? No. But it’s thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. It seems like a near miss, though. I think it was *almost* a Prince-Top-5-classic. As it is… a solid A- | |
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Good review, NorthernLad. I agree that 3121 is like an admirable near-miss. It's really close to being a great pop album to me, but it just doesn't quite qualify.
As it is, it's just good. But really good. The world is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel.
"You still wanna take me to prison...just because I won't trade humanity for patriotism." | |
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PurpleKnight said: Good review, NorthernLad. I agree that 3121 is like an admirable near-miss. It's really close to being a great pop album to me, but it just doesn't quite qualify.
As it is, it's just good. But really good. I agree..it ain't classic as some of the fams have been saying, but it's a B+ album with some strong moments....Much fresher than Musicology... [Edited 3/7/06 21:56pm] | |
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fairmoan said: First impressions:
3121:A great kicking, stomping funky opening with a touch of swagger, but it grinds along in such a narrow range rhythmically and melodically that when you've heard it once you've heard it all. It's funny that others have mentioned tracks from the Camille era, because it's precisely the wild creativity and experimentation from that time that I think is missing here. Everything is just so controlled and one-dimensional. It’s a long way from ‘Crystal Ball’. Lolita: This sort of reminds me of the cuteness that crept into Prince's music at the end of his golden run, about the time of "Graffiti Bridge". Despite the hint of the risqué in the title, it's as adolescent as the Backstreet Boys and, again, just really repetitive. The call-and-response might have worked in the late 80s, but Prince is in his 40s now and there’s not a strong enough whiff of irony for my liking. Te Amo Corazon: I liked this when it was first released, but he needs to loosen his control over the arrangement. Everything sounds so drained of emotion and spontaneity, so produced, and I think that detracts from the song's strongest feature, which is its spacious, floating quality. It could be longer. Needless to say, it doesn't quite fit stylistically. Black Sweat: Prince's falsetto has rarely sounded better scratching against the minimalist thud of the Linn. I like the way that the song never really fully releases the momentum and energy that it accumulates- the chorus is just a tantalising shift of gears, working it up but never fully releasing it. I think this is his most satisfying minimalist electro-funk number in many years. Incense and Candles: Oh God. This could have been released by any number of contemporary R&B acts. Love: I don't care much for the aggressive early-90s attitude in the verse (is it too much to expect a more mature lyrical slant?), but this is incredibly tight and catchy with a very memorable synth hook. If Prince insists on working within these stylistic and lyrical confines, this is probably the best that we can hope for. Satisfied: This just has emotionally hollow pastiche written all over it. On the Couch Pt II. Prince nailed this perfectly the first time with 'Dark' more than ten years ago, but now it just sounds by-the-numbers, formulaic and boring. Fury: A classic composition, a potential Prince staple. I wonder how I would've felt about this had he not first performed it on SNL, but it beggars belief that he can reduce such an incendiary song into a limp pop-rock number. Push the guitar up in the mix. Give Tamar the microphone and let her sing her lungs out. Just let go a little bit. The Word: Let's just say that the JW creed is far more palatable in the form of a crazy rainbow narrative than a mid-90s r&b groove. This a pleasant, head-bobbing composition, but I just feel like there's nothing in the vocals, the production or the melody that will send me into a spin like his best music always does. The guitar solo at the end is nice. BL&B: Once again, this reminds me of Graffiti Bridge-era Prince. This is no great revelation, but Prince just doesn't let the song breathe: he doesn't let Tamar use her voice for starters, and on the whole I just feel this is a great melody completely suffocated by Prince's authoritarian production ethos. I thought the SNL performance of this had some real guts and power because Prince let Tamar off her leash and allowed her to invest something of herself, something human, in the song. The Dance: A real standout. There is space in this song. It doesn't just bludgeon the listener with its hooks. The piano interlude is exceptional. The vocal, for the first time, has not been completely drained of emotion and humanity by overbearing production. Hell, the vocal effect- used more sparingly than in I&C- even works. Get on the Boat: This would've been better if it didn't sound so pristine and produced, but it's one of the stronger cuts all the same. I still don't like the feeling, though, that Prince is trying to cover all the bases, as if every album he makes should be a little lolly bag containing the whole array of his stylistic riches. He's been doing that for far too long. Great review! This is the most on the money review of the download I have yet seen. I'm still hoping we haven't got the full story yet 'till the 20th... a man can dream because I unfortunately agree with your conclusions, mostly! | |
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NorthernLad said: alrighty sorry so longwinded... here are my 3121 thoughts, for what they're worth hehe.
3121 - Sounds both nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. It’s a mix of a SOTT-era b-side and the dark funk of Come. Very funky mid-tempo shuffle, a little “Vicky Waiting” feel. GREAT opener. Some nice guitar. This track is the “Christopher Tracy’s Parade” of this album. Lolita - Love it! “Lolita” is “Sarah’s” badder older sister. Has a slight “When U were Mine” vibe, but with a cool and funky update on the 1999-era synth sound. Has a little of “Stand Back” in it. Definitely a retro feel to the song. The rhythm reminds me a bit of a simplified “Dance On.” It’s P having fun in the studio and creating a fun pop song along the lines of “Play in the Sunshine” or “Partyman.” Te Amo Corazon – A solemn and devotional ballad with real feeling. The production is warm. I like the melody – it’s a little somber and mysterious, and not showy. There is an nice elegance to this song. It’s an odd choice for first single, now that its in the context of the full album. The closest equivalent to how it “feels” on the album compared to another 1st single is probably “Betcha By Golly Wow”, or maybe even the dour “Thieves in the Temple.” Black Sweat – Stripped down and lithe funk; a “Kiss” for 2006 - - yet lacking that classic’s fierce wit. “Black Sweat” is a distillation of his Slaughterhouse/Chocolate Invasion phase. “The Daisy Chain” would have been better in this spot on the album. I don’t think “Black Sweat” holds up to the scrutiny of being such a key single from this album. To me, it’s one of the weaker tracks. It seems like its trying to hard to be a hit, and the hook isn’t catchy enough. Still…. It’s undeniably funky. I would have put it on a b-side. (But then, if he had done that, I’d probably wonder why it wasn’t included!!) Incense and Candles – This one is very contemporary sounding. Very much influenced by modern-era R&B. Prince has always been influenced by what he likes, and he clearly is infatuated with a lot of current R&B. How is this any less valid than his love for and influence by Joni Mitchell or Stevie Wonder? It always puzzles me that people accuse Prince so easily as trying to sound current or “relevant”, but they always seem to overlook the most obvious answer – he is genuinely inspired by some current R&B. Anyways, off soapbox. “Incense” is a dense and interesting song – a lot of things going on in it. It feels like he meant it to be a key track, and it sounds like he spent a lot of time on this one. It’s delicately and cleverly arranged. I think it’s a grower. Needs more attention
Love - I can’t listen to this song and not groove… probably the tightest song on the album. It’s just wicked. Has something of a Pheromone vibe at times during the verse, and then into a more traditional R&B feel during the chorus. This song begs for a 10 minute remix. It’s going to be a classic Prince tune. Satisfied – I always used to dread the slow, languid R&B tune on each new Prince album. I would skip over “Scandalous” or “Insatiable” every time. Eventually I grew to love them (well…except for “Scandalous”.) This one is more along the lines of “Slow Love” and “On the Couch”, but it’s definitely a cousin to those classic ballads like “International Lover” and “Do Me Baby”. Nice little guitar runs and horn parts, and another great arrangement. Probably my favorite big P ballad since “ManOWar” (which remains perhaps his most underrated ballad.) Fury - Somebody woke up the Endorphine Machine. Prince apparently feels that there are certain songs he MUST put on an album these days. Straight-rocker (Fury, Million Days), Big-Ballad (Satisfied, On the Couch), stripped down funky track (“Musicology”, “Black Sweat”). That’s why Fury is harder for me to enjoy. It seems contrived.. That said, I like the sound of it, and it is certainly a catchy song. It completely blew me away on SNL; the studio version is tidier and crisper. I think the track benefited from the rawness of live performance. As it is, it’s more “Damned if I Do” than “Let’s Go Crazy”. The Word – Prince seems to structure his albums in a similar way sometimes. He will put a more thoughtful, “serious” track midway thru the 2nd side. “The Cross”, anyone? “Dear Mr. Man”? “Money Don’t Matter 2Night”? “Shy”? “The Word” has a lighter feel than any of those, though. Maybe “Shy” is its closest relative stylistically and melodically. But “The Word” also has a killer guitar solo that would do Carlos Santana proud. I like the long instrumental percussion ending. It’s one of the more subtle ones, but those usually end up being the favorites in the long run. Beautiful, Loved and Blessed – A fluid R&B ballad as commercial and appealing as anything that’s currently on the charts. Tamar is a genuinely talented vocalist – perhaps the most talented of any protégé he’s worked with. (I love Jill Jones, but come on… she don’t compare.) The song fits on this album; it has a breezy gentle groove. There’s a joy about it that’s is present in some of P’s best pop songs (“The Most Beautiful Girl in the World”, for example). I like it, but I think it would have benefited from brevity. The melody just isn’t interesting enough to sustain it over 5, nearly 6 minutes. I like the ending, though. Cut out of some of the middle, keep the long ending
The Dance - Interesting re-working of the earlier version. I think this is the first time P has released 2 versions of the same song in this way, isn’t it? Anyways. Dark and bitter. The melody at the beginning sounds like a darker, more pissed-off version of “Te Amo Corazon.” Definitely one of the stronger tracks on 3121. I love the David Garson-esque piano. P was definitely listening to “Aladdin Sane” when he recorded this. That’s a recurring theme on 3121. there are interesting bits of color that were mostly lacking in the early-2000’s material. I think The Rainbow Children was a wonderful diversion that brought back a lot of creativity into his work. The songs on Musicology and moreso on 3121 are a reflection of this, I think. Anyways. This track builds in intensity as it goes along, and has a nice powerful ending… much less restrained than P has been on tracks like this in recent years. He finally breaks out. I was always so frustrated on “The Love We Make” - - - it was so restrained. At the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder how contrived it was. It seems so much more real on “The Beautiful Ones.” But hey… I was young then. Maybe my cynicism derived from everyday life has hurt my ability to really be effected by music.
Get On The Boat – Nice closer. Fulfils the same function that “Baby I’m a Star” did in the 2nd half of Purple Rain, or “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night” did on SOTT. We are just missing that killer epic ballad to close the album! “Boat” is funky and tight, more about a jam and groove and feel than the lyrics. It’s got a bit of a latin vibe to it, which is cool. The ending is clever and really different than anything he has done in the past. I would love it if the song went on for about 9 minutes…. A really audacious jam would have been great. Still, I think it’s a strong track. So. All in all, I find it much better and more accomplished than a lot of the early reviews indicate. 3121 is a varied album, no doubt with an eye toward commercial success, but also with a great deal of fresh and interesting material. I was a fan of Musicology, and I believe it was a bit more commercial overall. But 3121 is a bit edgier and funkier, and I think it holds together better as a coherent album. But Musicology and 3121 share a lot in common – they both tie together his post-Emancipation period with his more introspective turns on Rainbow Children, NEWS and C-Note. I think ultimately it will always be paired with Musicology, much the same way as D&P and Love Symbol are siblings. Is 3121 his strongest work? No. But it’s thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. It seems like a near miss, though. I think it was *almost* a Prince-Top-5-classic. As it is… a solid A- Great review NorthernLad. I enoyed reading that. I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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Sdldawn said: BSK3601 said: Or could it be that they reviewed it the way they would review any other popular music cd? You see when Madonna does this shit she "re-invents" herself. True.. those are very overhyped quotes.. They are not overhyped at all. 3121 is a classic album by any artist's standard. We Can Funk | |
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Sdldawn said: loudawg said: Nah. Prince has been producing his own records for 30 years. Now he needs a producer? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Like I said.. Taking an artist out of his element can sometimes create some of his most impressive work. I know he can make music without one. his 80's material shows that.. but what about his 90's and 00's music.. Trust me, brotha needs a producer.. and and editor at that.. I simply believe that an artist needs for someone to show him the outside view of their creativity.. its not "letting the producer decide on how the music should sound".. thats not why he needs one.. He needs someone to structure these songs.. I know thats a blow to his ego. but its the truth. A great example is Paul McCartney... He dropped the ego and let nigel godrich, who wasn't afraid to say "hey, thats crap..work harder, try something differnt here" and what did he get? A great, well produced album.. of songs that are in my opinion.. some of his best solo work since the beatles.. The producer should pull out the best in an artist.. showing him the capabilites.. That is what a producer can do for you.. [Edited 3/7/06 16:28pm] The McCartney's album you are talking about was one of the worst albums I Had heard in a long time. Funnily enough, I thought the producer needed to have his head (and ears) checked. It seems our tastes in music are too different to comply at all... [Edited 3/7/06 23:18pm] We Can Funk | |
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nevermind [Edited 3/8/06 5:27am] | |
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BananaCologne said: I never thought i'd live to see the day where two whole pages would be given over to discuss Prince's rimming.
Did you totally miss out on klhk and the booty straw back in the day? | |
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Papaj said: Sdldawn said: Like I said.. Taking an artist out of his element can sometimes create some of his most impressive work. I know he can make music without one. his 80's material shows that.. but what about his 90's and 00's music.. Trust me, brotha needs a producer.. and and editor at that.. I simply believe that an artist needs for someone to show him the outside view of their creativity.. its not "letting the producer decide on how the music should sound".. thats not why he needs one.. He needs someone to structure these songs.. I know thats a blow to his ego. but its the truth. A great example is Paul McCartney... He dropped the ego and let nigel godrich, who wasn't afraid to say "hey, thats crap..work harder, try something differnt here" and what did he get? A great, well produced album.. of songs that are in my opinion.. some of his best solo work since the beatles.. The producer should pull out the best in an artist.. showing him the capabilites.. That is what a producer can do for you.. [Edited 3/7/06 16:28pm] The McCartney's album you are talking about was one of the worst albums I Had heard in a long time. Funnily enough, I thought the producer needed to have his head (and ears) checked. It seems our tastes in music are too different to comply at all... [Edited 3/7/06 23:18pm] I think your exactly right about taste, if u thought that album was the "worst you have heard in a long time".. we definantly have different taste.. it makes me actually feel good to know that I am not enjoying this new 3121.. and i'm sure using choas and creation was a bad example.. especially due to the fact that in my mind i can replace prince's voice with britney spears on a few tracks of 3121....never thought i'd say that in my lifetime.. but he cut it short on this one.. for me at least and regarding Nigel Godrich, I shouldn't have compared that man with anything of this stuff.. he is a very different producer.. and if u enjoy this 3121 rubbish, odds are u wouldn't enjoy his production at all... . [Edited 3/7/06 23:41pm] | |
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Papaj said: Sdldawn said: True.. those are very overhyped quotes.. 3121 is a classic album by any artist's standard. 
Someone add this to the overhyped ad above...
. [Edited 3/7/06 23:45pm] | |
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lspear76 said: You know, BL&B sounds like it would fit perfectly in an album from the 1-800 New Funk era/album. For some reason it reminds me of "1000 Hugs & Kisses". | |
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Wall said: Brendan said: Musically “3121” sounds like a more studied and accomplished "New Power Soul" party record. Thematically it sounds like a loosely based concept album; a kind of Cliff Notes version of "The Rainbow Children".
Having stated that, Prince appears to be playing a character at points, such as when he's the "featured rapper" on his own track "Incense and Candles". When he's rapping about shiny rims, I don't hear this as Prince speaking in the first person, but rather Prince taking on the role of the stereotypical seducer/player. The female reaction, as played by Tamar and written by Prince, is “gross and gross”. That’s the Prince viewpoint I think that should be up for criticism. I don’t think Prince even cares much about cars, much less making people think he cares about their rims or trying to be hip or cool by talking about them. Quite the opposite it would seem. He’s actually playing the role of “featured fool” and then critiquing it through Tamar. But I haven’t studied the lyrics in detail yet and I might change my tune after I do. Whatever you need to tell yourself to make it a good record. It's more like a Cliffnotes version of Musicology or Rave to me. I don't hear anything in terms of muscianship on this record that was dominant on TRC. As preachy as that album was, the musicianship and passion were undeniable. All of course, imho. Based on what little I've written, I don't know how you could conclude much of anything other than that I think this album is better than “New Power Soul”. And I wasn’t comparing the musical themes of “TRC” to this record but the lyrical ones. It’s an easier digestible, less fundamental way of saying much of the same things that were being said on “TRC”. The ironic thing is that my opinion of this album the last 3 days was probably a lot harsher than yours. -- [Edited 3/8/06 1:53am] | |
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Sdldawn said: Papaj said: The McCartney's album you are talking about was one of the worst albums I Had heard in a long time. Funnily enough, I thought the producer needed to have his head (and ears) checked. It seems our tastes in music are too different to comply at all... [Edited 3/7/06 23:18pm] I think your exactly right about taste, if u thought that album was the "worst you have heard in a long time".. we definantly have different taste.. it makes me actually feel good to know that I am not enjoying this new 3121.. and i'm sure using choas and creation was a bad example.. especially due to the fact that in my mind i can replace prince's voice with britney spears on a few tracks of 3121....never thought i'd say that in my lifetime.. but he cut it short on this one.. for me at least and regarding Nigel Godrich, I shouldn't have compared that man with anything of this stuff.. he is a very different producer.. and if u enjoy this 3121 rubbish, odds are u wouldn't enjoy his production at all... . [Edited 3/7/06 23:41pm] But I do dig Hail to the Thief, mind you We Can Funk | |
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Papaj said: Sdldawn said: I think your exactly right about taste, if u thought that album was the "worst you have heard in a long time".. we definantly have different taste.. it makes me actually feel good to know that I am not enjoying this new 3121.. and i'm sure using choas and creation was a bad example.. especially due to the fact that in my mind i can replace prince's voice with britney spears on a few tracks of 3121....never thought i'd say that in my lifetime.. but he cut it short on this one.. for me at least and regarding Nigel Godrich, I shouldn't have compared that man with anything of this stuff.. he is a very different producer.. and if u enjoy this 3121 rubbish, odds are u wouldn't enjoy his production at all... . [Edited 3/7/06 23:41pm] But I do dig Hail to the Thief, mind you I agree..although, out of all the nigel productions.. this one is the worst in my opinion... but considering I enjoy it so much.. that isn't a bad thing.. | |
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I am liking Love and the Dance so far. I don't know about the last track, Get on the Boat. I like the drums but it just...I am not totally feeling it. And I listened to Fury again and I do like the song although I wished there was some more hardcore guitar to it like the one we all saw on SNL. But I will plan to listen to the rest of the songs later on today and I will be back with my review. We need some reviews from the ladies perspective. No offense fellas | |
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bkw said: From all reports Fury was the last song added to the album, at the expense of a song called "Streets of Panama". I'm sort of hoping that it was added late and the leaked version isn't the final mix of the album that is released (if it was me I'd release the SNL live version -- but this wont happen).
What more can you tell me about this. | |
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Almost heard every track now and I just love it!
When Purpleknight and others said it was a good album,I believed them and I knew it would love it, because they aren't that easy 2 please
It must feel bad if U don't like this one,I mean after all the waiting and excitement after the tv appearences...I hope the next one will please U more.Though I don't think it will ever happen again if U don't like Musicology and 3121. At least there is still a great backcatalogue 4 those... Love4oneanother | |
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NorthernLad said: alrighty sorry so longwinded... here are my 3121 thoughts, for what they're worth hehe.
The "longwinded"-ness as you say is exactly what makes your review so great. This is the most thoughtful, thorough and interesting one yet. Good work!  | |
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GangstaFam said: NorthernLad said: alrighty sorry so longwinded... here are my 3121 thoughts, for what they're worth hehe.
The "longwinded"-ness as you say is exactly what makes your review so great. This is the most thoughtful, thorough and interesting one yet. Good work! Same here!Great review Love4oneanother | |
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