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Printablemurph said: But to say that this album is on the level of Rave or Musicology is a little kneejerk in my humble opinion...3121 is flat-out a better album; I would advise everyone to listen to the album on its own terms...
Translation: it's a decent album if you ignore that Prince is (*) capable of much better. (*) Hmmm, perhaps "was" would be a better choice of words, considering he hasn't released anything in post-1995 that I'd consider better than average, and most of it actually falls in the category "I'll never listen to this again". The only reason so many people here like 3121 now is because it's "fresh" and "new". The same thing happened back when Rave came out, Musicology, etc. Yet ask the same people six months later and they'll rank 3121 along all those other albums that they got tired of pretty fast. I'm just ahead of the curve -- those that were around in 1999 will remember me being the lone voice pointing out that Rave was gonna bomb and that the infamous "positive" Uptown preview of that album actually tried really hard to avoid admitting it was yet another major disappointment (something Uptown admitted months later). Of course so much of this album sounds familiar, for the past couple of years Prince seems to be incapable of doing anything beyond recycling his own music, plenty of times in an attempt to have something similar to an old but now off-limits tune (because of "bad words"). And then the tour starts and before you know it all that "new" music gets ditched and setlists once again consist of 80+% old material -- shows you how much faith Prince has in his new music. Anyone who claims that current Prince is anywhere near classic Prince is blind and deaf, all you need to do is take a dvd of a 1980s gig and compare it to a recent one: it's almost like they're different artists. Cue usual "growth/getting older" excuse, whereas I'll point out that Johnny Cash made some of his best work at the end of his career. If 3121 rocks your world, fine -- but don't pretend that it is worthy of access to the list of "great Prince albums". This is yet another one from the bland manufacturing line, yet another "will this do" effort, yet another utterly misguided attempt at making a return to the charts. Prince can do this in his sleep, and 3121 actually sounds like he recorded it in his sleep. I'm always surprised when I glimpse at tracklists for recent Prince albums and can't even imagine what most of the songs sound like, whereas I know most of his 1980s output by heart. Instead of spending so much time and energy on these mediocre efforts, Prince should concentrate on what's in his vault. Seriously, what's the point of releasing Lolita, which is Time-lite at best, when great songs like I Wonder, Possessed, Rebirth Of The Flesh, Large Room With No Light, All My Dreams, Moonbeam Levels,... are gathering dust in a tape vault. And how about all those extended versions from 12 inches that remain unreleased on CD? Or all those full-length versions of released tracks (Computer Blue for instance)? [Edited 3/21/06 7:05am] © Bart Van Hemelen
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ArtVandelay said: murph said: And yes, it crushes Musicology...
I hope it does - economically speaking... That too...and musically speaking... | |
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Edit x 2 [Edited 3/21/06 8:52am] | |
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3121 – What a corker of a tune! Best song on the album. It is fresh, different and oozes with genius. Some have said it’s a bit like Days of Wild, others have mentioned the Camille voice. But to be honest, there may be a few sounds that hail from past glories but the truth is Prince has never done anything like this before. Its kinda low-fi experimental funk with the juice turned up. Crazy guitar picking, odd chords and wicked voice effects. Best song he has done in a long long time. Genius.
Lolita – Cool, melodic synth line over a barely audible funky guitar. The lyrics to this tune are quite abysmal but the music is funky. I like the song but I don’t think it will have a lasting appeal and may soon become boring. Anyone hear the synth break pulled straight out of Willing and Able? TAC – At first I thought this tune was dull and lifeless if not brilliantly produced and constructed. But over time it has grown on me. Like most Prince songs, the ones that take their time to appeal are the ones that have a longer life. A nice chilled Latin number – a great song to shag to! Black Sweat – I wasn’t impressed with this when I first heard it and I am still not overly keen on it. First single? Theres better than this! I don’t know what it is – maybe it’s the dullness of the verses or maybe it’s the awful high-pitched synth. But whatever it is, the song misses something. The verses are ok and I like the underlying riff (arpeggio of some sort?). Incense & Candles – Well, take away the terrible (Cher-ified) vocoder, the perfect production and the shitty rap and there may be a decent song in there somewhere. It has a catchy chorus and some nice underlying strings in places. There is a distant guitar in there too which if brought forward in the mix would have an Anastasia feel to it. For some reason I am reminded of TLC with this. Not my favourite but not the worst song on the album. Love – Sorry to all you Love lovers. I just cant hear it. Weakest song on the album only rescued by the last 30 seconds. Nothing about this song stands out to me. Dull beat, dull bass and keyboard “effects”. Dull and tuneless verses and choruses. Satisfied – Ok tune. Im sure he did this in his sleep. And for an album which does by and large sound fresh, this song sounds… er… well… old I guess. Been there done it, got the tshirt. But, despite that, a cool little number which serves as a good stopgap before a strong second half. Fury – Brilliant. It has grown on me. It took its time mind you. I never really bought into the “brilliance” of the SNL show and wasn’t overly impressed with Fury back then. After hearing the studio version I felt even less towards it. I thought the synth hook was plain boring – 3 chord blandness. But what do I know. This song is fucking brilliant! Great timing, nice beat to it, the synth’s simplicity is actually its strength. Sure, coulda cranked the guitar up more, but I like it anyway. The Word – Wow! The acoustic guitar over a beat that starts out as one thing and ends up being something completely different with toms, congas and anything else that rattles it seems. The lyrics aint so in your face as some of his more recent preachy songs and the harmonies are brilliant. There is a wicked keyboard sax in there too. A fantastic song which should really be a single. BL&B – I fell in love with this song when it first came out. Slick production, excellent vocals and harmonies. Love the mellow tempo of the beat which in some respects reminds me a little of Space (Universal Love Remix), and in contrast to what a lot of people have said, it isn’t too long either. Tamar is good on it but when Prince kicks in on the second verse he really brings the song up to another level. Excellent tune and most definitely SHOULD be on the album. The Dance – I don’t know the first incarnation of this song, but I sincerely love this version. I don’t know how to describe it really. It has an old school Prince sound to it but I cant really pigeon-hole which school of old it might be. Crystal ball-ish maybe? Maybe a touch of Temptation (with extra acid)? I dunno. But what I do know is that it is a work of art, a serious song well crafted. Dare I say it? – Genius. Get on the Boat – Well well well. What more can I say. A funked up party song with touches of Latin influence. Great solos throughout, piano, trumpet, sax by you-know-who. It sounds tight too although I don’t know if it is a live studio take. Starts off Musicology/Prettyman-esq but then just carries on partying where the other two ended. The first couple of days or so I would have given the album 6/10. But after many more listens I feel inclined to give it 8/10. However, because the title track is so fucking awesome im gonna give this sucker 9/10. I would have given Musicology 1/10 so as far as im concerned 3121 gives me a huge sigh of relief that Prince hasn’t left me behind. Only time will tell whether 9/10 will still apply in, say, a year or whether it will do a Rave which got me all exited for about two weeks before I packed it in its case and haven’t bothered with it since. |
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BartVanHemelen said: murph said: But to say that this album is on the level of Rave or Musicology is a little kneejerk in my humble opinion...3121 is flat-out a better album; I would advise everyone to listen to the album on its own terms...
Translation: it's a decent album if you ignore that Prince is (*) capable of much better. (*) Hmmm, perhaps "was" would be a better choice of words, considering he hasn't released anything in post-1995 that I'd consider better than average, and most of it actually falls in the category "I'll never listen to this again". The only reason so many people here like 3121 now is because it's "fresh" and "new". The same thing happened back when Rave came out, Musicology, etc. Yet ask the same people six months later and they'll rank 3121 along all those other albums that they got tired of pretty fast. I'm just ahead of the curve -- those that were around in 1999 will remember me being the lone voice pointing out that Rave was gonna bomb and that the infamous "positive" Uptown preview of that album actually tried really hard to avoid admitting it was yet another major disappointment (something Uptown admitted months later). Of course so much of this album sounds familiar, for the past couple of years Prince seems to be incapable of doing anything beyond recycling his own music, plenty of times in an attempt to have something similar to an old but now off-limits tune (because of "bad words"). And then the tour starts and before you know it all that "new" music gets ditched and setlists once again consist of 80+% old material -- shows you how much faith Prince has in his new music. Anyone who claims that current Prince is anywhere near classic Prince is blind and deaf, all you need to do is take a dvd of a 1980s gig and compare it to a recent one: it's almost like they're different artists. Cue usual "growth/getting older" excuse, whereas I'll point out that Johnny Cash made some of his best work at the end of his career. If 3121 rocks your world, fine -- but don't pretend that it is worthy of access to the list of "great Prince albums". This is yet another one from the bland manufacturing line, yet another "will this do" effort, yet another utterly misguided attempt at making a return to the charts. Prince can do this in his sleep, and 3121 actually sounds like he recorded it in his sleep. I'm always surprised when I glimpse at tracklists for recent Prince albums and can't even imagine what most of the songs sound like, whereas I know most of his 1980s output by heart. Instead of spending so much time and energy on these mediocre efforts, Prince should concentrate on what's in his vault. Seriously, what's the point of releasing Lolita, which is Time-lite at best, when great songs like I Wonder, Possessed, Rebirth Of The Flesh, Large Room With No Light, All My Dreams, Moonbeam Levels,... are gathering dust in a tape vault. And how about all those extended versions from 12 inches that remain unreleased on CD? Or all those full-length versions of released tracks (Computer Blue for instance)? [Edited 3/21/06 7:05am] I have to respectfully disagree. I was luke warm to Rave from the beginning no matter how much I tried. I found Musicology better, but never warmed up to half the tracks. 3121 has been on repeat for days now and I love every song. The only other album that I did not skip tunes on was Purple Rain. By no means am I putting this album in that category, but I am more bullish on this album than anything since SOTT. | |
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I want to give a brief review...I saw Prince 4 times in Detroit for the Purple Rain tour so I am a long time fan...
3121--Black Album type track...original and really cool opener...Camille mixed with lower harmony...I love it...wife hates it because it's not When Doves Cry but she likes Neil Diamond... Lolita--Grows like crazy after a few listens...I had the album Saturday so I've had a couples extra days. TC--like other have said...this track alone isn't my favorite but in the context of the album it suddenly seems really good... Black Sweat...b- type track but if I heard at a party or in a club I'm sure I'd dance. Incense and Candles--great rip on really generic R&B pop songs but secretly I like it. Could be a single if it were any other pop artist. Love--It's really catchy with the keyboard hook and then the chorus...probably could be a single... Satified--just be satisfied with it. Yes there's one like it one every Prince album but there all good. And if you can't get some action with this playing then it's your fault. Fury--After a few listens u forget about SNL and really end up liking this The Word--Best song on the album. BLAB--I've agreed with all of you on this track but back to my wife (who isn't a died hard Prince fan but likes him once in awhile) It's her favorite track on the album. The Dancep--My Second favorite. Very pretty. Very mysterious yet very accessable. Got on the Boat--The album could have ended with the Dance and been great. This is a song that I feel I've heard Prince do and will be good live but It doesn't grab me...I didn't like Party Man, and I didn't like Musicology...but I love this album and I love Prince. 8 out of 10 | |
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I'm all Princetastic and famlicious today. So the Virgin Megastore in Boston is open till 12:30AM on Mondays, just for the freaks who must have the Tuesday new releases as soon as humanly possible. After waiting and waiting, what with the bugs under my skin and the hives on my elbows and such, I was finally going to get my hands on this CD!! I purposely avoided listening to the leaked tracks because I wanted to experience the album "virgin." My oldest daughter, who's nine, is a closet Prince fan and insisted on going with me. But it was a school night!! On second thought, though, this is an experience she's likely to remember for a long time. What the hell, right? So we went to sleep in our clothes at 9:30PM and set the alarm for 11:45. My cousin is staying with us, so we left the five-year-old sleeping. Dragged the big girl out of bed and drove like mad to the wrecka stow. The whole way there, I'm geeked to the fucking gills, do you hear me? "We're almost there, we're about to get it, we're almost there!!" The daughter is in the backseat with a blanket, grumbling, "yeah, yeah, I'm just coming with you to make sure you don't freak out and forget how to get home, Ma." Uh, 'kay. Found a parking spot right across the street and positively bounced into the store. There were no other customers, just a couple of bored-looking employees. I'm all crazed and shit, my smile splitting my face and my eyes glowing with a fanatically fammy glaze. "3121!!" I yelled at the first guy I saw. "Please!" I barked. Clearly I was losing my grip on the English language at this point. He kind of stared at me blankly and I feared the worst for a second. don'ttellmeyoudon'thaveitmotherfuckerrrrridon'twanttohavetobombthefuckingplacegoddammit Then another employee stepped in with a smile and led me to where the album was. "Don't look at me like that, dammit, you scared the shit out of me!" I yelled at Blank-Stare Man. But I still had the crazy smile on my face so I think it was kind of confusing. Anyway, I grabbed the daughter's hand and followed my new best friend. He was humoring me with an "oh aren't you just cute you psycho" smile, and held out an armful of CDs very grandly. "Make sure you pick the right one!" he said slyly. I don't remember paying for it, I just remember jumping up and down like a speed freak. (Those who were with me in line for the Tamar show in Chicago know exactly what I'm talking about. But this time I had just rolled out of bed so yeah, even scarier.) Stopped at a gas station to get my daughter a chocolate milk and sped home. Threw her in bed and sat next to her with my new pair of headphones (purchased specially for the occasion, yes, we've firmly established my terminal state of fam-itis, leave me alone  ) and listened to the whole thing through twice.
Did I say ?
I dreamed of sweaty black candles on a boat all night long. Very satisfying. Word.  The Normal Whores Club | |
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I love this new cd. The tracks all fit together, such that Te Amo Corazon makes sense..
The Boat will be a concert favorite. How about his piano playing on it...? Amazing | |
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BartVanHemelen said: murph said: But to say that this album is on the level of Rave or Musicology is a little kneejerk in my humble opinion...3121 is flat-out a better album; I would advise everyone to listen to the album on its own terms...
Translation: it's a decent album if you ignore that Prince is (*) capable of much better. (*) Hmmm, perhaps "was" would be a better choice of words, considering he hasn't released anything in post-1995 that I'd consider better than average, and most of it actually falls in the category "I'll never listen to this again". The only reason so many people here like 3121 now is because it's "fresh" and "new". The same thing happened back when Rave came out, Musicology, etc. Yet ask the same people six months later and they'll rank 3121 along all those other albums that they got tired of pretty fast. I'm just ahead of the curve -- those that were around in 1999 will remember me being the lone voice pointing out that Rave was gonna bomb and that the infamous "positive" Uptown preview of that album actually tried really hard to avoid admitting it was yet another major disappointment (something Uptown admitted months later). Of course so much of this album sounds familiar, for the past couple of years Prince seems to be incapable of doing anything beyond recycling his own music, plenty of times in an attempt to have something similar to an old but now off-limits tune (because of "bad words"). And then the tour starts and before you know it all that "new" music gets ditched and setlists once again consist of 80+% old material -- shows you how much faith Prince has in his new music. Anyone who claims that current Prince is anywhere near classic Prince is blind and deaf, all you need to do is take a dvd of a 1980s gig and compare it to a recent one: it's almost like they're different artists. Cue usual "growth/getting older" excuse, whereas I'll point out that Johnny Cash made some of his best work at the end of his career. If 3121 rocks your world, fine -- but don't pretend that it is worthy of access to the list of "great Prince albums". This is yet another one from the bland manufacturing line, yet another "will this do" effort, yet another utterly misguided attempt at making a return to the charts. Prince can do this in his sleep, and 3121 actually sounds like he recorded it in his sleep. I'm always surprised when I glimpse at tracklists for recent Prince albums and can't even imagine what most of the songs sound like, whereas I know most of his 1980s output by heart. Instead of spending so much time and energy on these mediocre efforts, Prince should concentrate on what's in his vault. Seriously, what's the point of releasing Lolita, which is Time-lite at best, when great songs like I Wonder, Possessed, Rebirth Of The Flesh, Large Room With No Light, All My Dreams, Moonbeam Levels,... are gathering dust in a tape vault. And how about all those extended versions from 12 inches that remain unreleased on CD? Or all those full-length versions of released tracks (Computer Blue for instance)? [Edited 3/21/06 7:05am] Nah, don't need the translation homie...I'm speaking perfect english...If you think that 3121 is on the level of the tepid Rave, then I can't do nothing for you...The thing is the fans are always gonna want different things...But you do realize that the Prince of the '80s was the best thing going on in that decade, right? Saying that the man has made his best album in 15 years is not a stretch by any means...You can pine away for the Vault and the unreleased classics all you want....I'll just enjoy listening to an album that's fun, unpretentious, and infectious; 3121 has some shit on it that I can't get with...It aint adventurous...Yeah, I get it...But this is the first album in a long time that makes a brother smile and that's something his most ambitious albums in the '90s have never induced me to do...The old man did pretty good with this one...But the proverbial different strokes, right? Yes, if you hear any fan saying that 3121 is on the level of his best work, chances are they are blind or deeaf or clinically dead (LOL)...But it doesn't take away from it being a solid effort... [Edited 3/21/06 9:11am] | |
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mapaul said: ahhh bask in the purple hype . . . . .
suckas! You need a hug. The Normal Whores Club | |
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I just got my copy at Target today. I'm sorry I wasted $10. I already had it downloaded on my computer. Maybe these songs will sound fresh to a non-Prince fan, who hasn't already heard tons of his stuff, but I feel like I've heard it all before from him (mainly in the last 7-8 years).
I, for one, am not going to be brainwashed by the propoganda that NPGMC puts out, raving about how "brilliant" this album is. Truth be told, I was excited reading all the emails about the cd listening parties, claiming that this was the best thing Prince has put out since Purple Rain or 1999. Not even close!!! Don't get me wrong, I still love Prince. I've been a huge fan since 1984. It would be a dream come true to win a ticket to his house party. I will still be getting my 3121 tour tickets the second they go on sale. But I'm not afraid to admit it, I just really don't like most of his new songs anymore. Oh, and that line at the end of 3121, "it's going down, people. Like the wall of Berlin" makes me cringe. [Edited 3/21/06 9:15am] | |
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FunkMistress said:
I'm all Princetastic and famlicious today. So the Virgin Megastore in Boston is open till 12:30AM on Mondays, just for the freaks who must have the Tuesday new releases as soon as humanly possible. After waiting and waiting, what with the bugs under my skin and the hives on my elbows and such, I was finally going to get my hands on this CD!! I purposely avoided listening to the leaked tracks because I wanted to experience the album "virgin." My oldest daughter, who's nine, is a closet Prince fan and insisted on going with me. But it was a school night!! On second thought, though, this is an experience she's likely to remember for a long time. What the hell, right? So we went to sleep in our clothes at 9:30PM and set the alarm for 11:45. My cousin is staying with us, so we left the five-year-old sleeping. Dragged the big girl out of bed and drove like mad to the wrecka stow. The whole way there, I'm geeked to the fucking gills, do you hear me? "We're almost there, we're about to get it, we're almost there!!" The daughter is in the backseat with a blanket, grumbling, "yeah, yeah, I'm just coming with you to make sure you don't freak out and forget how to get home, Ma." Uh, 'kay. Found a parking spot right across the street and positively bounced into the store. There were no other customers, just a couple of bored-looking employees. I'm all crazed and shit, my smile splitting my face and my eyes glowing with a fanatically fammy glaze. "3121!!" I yelled at the first guy I saw. "Please!" I barked. Clearly I was losing my grip on the English language at this point. He kind of stared at me blankly and I feared the worst for a second. don'ttellmeyoudon'thaveitmotherfuckerrrrridon'twanttohavetobombthefuckingplacegoddammit Then another employee stepped in with a smile and led me to where the album was. "Don't look at me like that, dammit, you scared the shit out of me!" I yelled at Blank-Stare Man. But I still had the crazy smile on my face so I think it was kind of confusing. Anyway, I grabbed the daughter's hand and followed my new best friend. He was humoring me with an "oh aren't you just cute you psycho" smile, and held out an armful of CDs very grandly. "Make sure you pick the right one!" he said slyly. I don't remember paying for it, I just remember jumping up and down like a speed freak. (Those who were with me in line for the Tamar show in Chicago know exactly what I'm talking about. But this time I had just rolled out of bed so yeah, even scarier.) Stopped at a gas station to get my daughter a chocolate milk and sped home. Threw her in bed and sat next to her with my new pair of headphones (purchased specially for the occasion, yes, we've firmly established my terminal state of fam-itis, leave me alone ) and listened to the whole thing through twice.
Did I say ?
I dreamed of sweaty black candles on a boat all night long. Very satisfying. Word.  | |
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not going to bother reading elaborate curatorial writings on the album
and im not going to post any my reaction:  . And that's that.
 i'll be @ the tour. | |
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FunkMistress said:
I'm all Princetastic and famlicious today. So the Virgin Megastore in Boston is open till 12:30AM on Mondays, just for the freaks who must have the Tuesday new releases as soon as humanly possible. After waiting and waiting, what with the bugs under my skin and the hives on my elbows and such, I was finally going to get my hands on this CD!! I purposely avoided listening to the leaked tracks because I wanted to experience the album "virgin." My oldest daughter, who's nine, is a closet Prince fan and insisted on going with me. But it was a school night!! On second thought, though, this is an experience she's likely to remember for a long time. What the hell, right? So we went to sleep in our clothes at 9:30PM and set the alarm for 11:45. My cousin is staying with us, so we left the five-year-old sleeping. Dragged the big girl out of bed and drove like mad to the wrecka stow. The whole way there, I'm geeked to the fucking gills, do you hear me? "We're almost there, we're about to get it, we're almost there!!" The daughter is in the backseat with a blanket, grumbling, "yeah, yeah, I'm just coming with you to make sure you don't freak out and forget how to get home, Ma." Uh, 'kay. Found a parking spot right across the street and positively bounced into the store. There were no other customers, just a couple of bored-looking employees. I'm all crazed and shit, my smile splitting my face and my eyes glowing with a fanatically fammy glaze. "3121!!" I yelled at the first guy I saw. "Please!" I barked. Clearly I was losing my grip on the English language at this point. He kind of stared at me blankly and I feared the worst for a second. don'ttellmeyoudon'thaveitmotherfuckerrrrridon'twanttohavetobombthefuckingplacegoddammit Then another employee stepped in with a smile and led me to where the album was. "Don't look at me like that, dammit, you scared the shit out of me!" I yelled at Blank-Stare Man. But I still had the crazy smile on my face so I think it was kind of confusing. Anyway, I grabbed the daughter's hand and followed my new best friend. He was humoring me with an "oh aren't you just cute you psycho" smile, and held out an armful of CDs very grandly. "Make sure you pick the right one!" he said slyly. I don't remember paying for it, I just remember jumping up and down like a speed freak. (Those who were with me in line for the Tamar show in Chicago know exactly what I'm talking about. But this time I had just rolled out of bed so yeah, even scarier.) Stopped at a gas station to get my daughter a chocolate milk and sped home. Threw her in bed and sat next to her with my new pair of headphones (purchased specially for the occasion, yes, we've firmly established my terminal state of fam-itis, leave me alone ) and listened to the whole thing through twice.
Did I say ?
I dreamed of sweaty black candles on a boat all night long. Very satisfying. Word. SWEET! thanx for that! I love it when you get all fammy fammish! hehe..I'm off like a giddy school girl meself to get my copy! woo hoo! "not a fan"  yeah...ok | |
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dustysgirl said: I just got my copy at Target today. I'm sorry I wasted $10. I already had it downloaded on my computer. Maybe these songs will sound fresh to a non-Prince fan, who hasn't already heard tons of his stuff, but I feel like I've heard it all before from him (mainly in the last 7-8 years).
I, for one, am not going to be brainwashed by the propoganda that NPGMC puts out, raving about how "brilliant" this album is. Truth be told, I was excited reading all the emails about the cd listening parties, claiming that this was the best thing Prince has put out since Purple Rain or 1999. Not even close!!! Don't get me wrong, I still love Prince. I've been a huge fan since 1984. It would be a dream come true to win a ticket to his house party. I will still be getting my 3121 tour tickets the second they go on sale. But I'm not afraid to admit it, I just really don't like most of his new songs anymore. You also need a hug. The Normal Whores Club | |
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Romera said: That was beautiful baby.
You mean the part where the voices in my head threatened to bomb the record store, right? The Normal Whores Club | |
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BartVanHemelen said: The only reason so many people here like 3121 now is because it's "fresh" and "new". The same thing happened back when Rave came out, Musicology, etc. Yet ask the same people six months later and they'll rank 3121 along all those other albums that they got tired of pretty fast. WRONG mate. When I got Rave, I thought it was crap at the first listen. Second listen, still crap. A month later, even crappier. I would rate Musicology a bit higher but really it did not take me 2 days to find it average. 3121 is a complete different story cuz this cd is simply great. Commercial but great, funky and fun. " Je serai toujours de retour bande de mods à la con de mes deux " Moi - 2007 | |
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Lovelovelovelove
I really like 'Get On The Boat' because I can picture it being played live. Yum. Love wins. (Seen on bumpersticker) | |
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FunkMistress said: dustysgirl said: I just got my copy at Target today. I'm sorry I wasted $10. I already had it downloaded on my computer. Maybe these songs will sound fresh to a non-Prince fan, who hasn't already heard tons of his stuff, but I feel like I've heard it all before from him (mainly in the last 7-8 years).
I, for one, am not going to be brainwashed by the propoganda that NPGMC puts out, raving about how "brilliant" this album is. Truth be told, I was excited reading all the emails about the cd listening parties, claiming that this was the best thing Prince has put out since Purple Rain or 1999. Not even close!!! Don't get me wrong, I still love Prince. I've been a huge fan since 1984. It would be a dream come true to win a ticket to his house party. I will still be getting my 3121 tour tickets the second they go on sale. But I'm not afraid to admit it, I just really don't like most of his new songs anymore. You also need a hug.  | |
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3121 (the song) is an incredible-sounding tune, and one of the best title tracks the Purple One has ever produced. It gripped me from the first listen, and then just got better and better the more I listened to it. The verses make it. Prince has rarely sounded cooler. The slickest and most Prince-ly cut on the album. The best, and funkiest, we could hope for in '06.
Lolita is cool, and works well as the second song. It does verge on becoming cheesy at times - and the lyrics leave a lot to be desired - but who cares? The song serves a purpose, the synths work nicely, and there's a wicked vibe to it. Take it for what it is. A quality up-tempo song, which is easily accessible. Te Amo Corazon was boring at first, but buries its appeal in the structure of the song. It's the polar-opposite of Lolita - in that it is hard to grasp straight away - but is still a classy tune. It's probably much better live, though. The album version just strolls along without ever taking off. Black Sweat is one of the best cuts on the album. Slick, aggressive and overpowering. It's bringing the Prince of the 80's to the year 2006. Way too short, and stops abruptly at the end, but still a decent little tune. Incense and Candles is one I could do without. It's just plain old R 'n B, with a few Prince trimmings here and there. If anything, the Prince rap (which I was dreading) helps the song and prevents it from becoming a formulaic R 'n B workout. The song picks up a little after that. Still, it doesn't do anything for me. Love is a catchy MF'er with a tremendous chorus and some interlocking styles which work brilliantly (funk, techno, dance, pop, R 'n B). Gives off a kind of 'Mountains' vibe as the chorus kicks in. Very upbeat, and a feel-good song. The merging of styles makes the song far more complex/appealing than many might imagine. Satisfied is the token old-school ballad. Only it ends up being a lot better than some of the other attempts Prince has gone through the motions with in recent years. It starts slowly, but then kicks into gear when The Man starts talking about 'sinking this thing like a buried treasure'. From that point on, the song is elevated above the likes of 'On The Couch', and really picks up. Much better than expected. Fury, likewise, is better than expected. I anticipated the synths draining the song of any raw emotion or passion, but it doesn't really. The song is still a cracking tune - no matter whether it's wrapped up as a rock hit or a synth-tinged new-wave effort. I prefer the rockier edge, but the song still works and is highly listenable. The Word is another catchy one. The groove really takes you along on a journey. Religious overtones and what not fail to prevent the 'coolness' of the song, and moreover it's another accessible effort that would captivate a wider audience. I don't get the 'spider' shit, but it all works in the context. Beautiful, Loved and Blessed is better than people give it credit for. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it's catchy, harmless, and hits all the right spots. The chorus sticks in your head, and the one-two of Prince and Tamar adds a little touch of difference to the album. The funk workout towards the end heightens the appeal also. The Dance will probably truly hit home after numerous repeated listens. I love the Latino vibe, the building tension, and the eventual crescendo - not to mention the gorgeous piano interlude - but the rest is forgettable, at the moment. Songs like this often taken weeks, and months to really connect, though. Still undecided on this one. Get On The Boat does its thing and wraps up the album nicely. It doesn't pull up any new ground, it doesn't surprise or shock, and it doesn't tell us anything new about Prince. Nevertheless, it IS more than just a James-Brown-style workout, with meandering verses. There's a solid structure to it, and the chipping in of guests adds to the song's quality. Overall, if you're expecting something ground-breaking and never-seen-before from 3121, look elsewhere. Take it for what it is. The work of a 48-year-old genius who was once groundbreaking but isolated, but is now tipping his hat and becoming more connectable. You can't have it all. [Edited 3/21/06 9:55am] | |
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BartVanHemelen said: murph said: But to say that this album is on the level of Rave or Musicology is a little kneejerk in my humble opinion...3121 is flat-out a better album; I would advise everyone to listen to the album on its own terms...
Translation: it's a decent album if you ignore that Prince is (*) capable of much better. (*) Hmmm, perhaps "was" would be a better choice of words, considering he hasn't released anything in post-1995 that I'd consider better than average, and most of it actually falls in the category "I'll never listen to this again". The only reason so many people here like 3121 now is because it's "fresh" and "new". The same thing happened back when Rave came out, Musicology, etc. Yet ask the same people six months later and they'll rank 3121 along all those other albums that they got tired of pretty fast. I'm just ahead of the curve -- those that were around in 1999 will remember me being the lone voice pointing out that Rave was gonna bomb and that the infamous "positive" Uptown preview of that album actually tried really hard to avoid admitting it was yet another major disappointment (something Uptown admitted months later). Of course so much of this album sounds familiar, for the past couple of years Prince seems to be incapable of doing anything beyond recycling his own music, plenty of times in an attempt to have something similar to an old but now off-limits tune (because of "bad words"). And then the tour starts and before you know it all that "new" music gets ditched and setlists once again consist of 80+% old material -- shows you how much faith Prince has in his new music. Anyone who claims that current Prince is anywhere near classic Prince is blind and deaf, all you need to do is take a dvd of a 1980s gig and compare it to a recent one: it's almost like they're different artists. Cue usual "growth/getting older" excuse, whereas I'll point out that Johnny Cash made some of his best work at the end of his career. If 3121 rocks your world, fine -- but don't pretend that it is worthy of access to the list of "great Prince albums". This is yet another one from the bland manufacturing line, yet another "will this do" effort, yet another utterly misguided attempt at making a return to the charts. Prince can do this in his sleep, and 3121 actually sounds like he recorded it in his sleep. I'm always surprised when I glimpse at tracklists for recent Prince albums and can't even imagine what most of the songs sound like, whereas I know most of his 1980s output by heart. Instead of spending so much time and energy on these mediocre efforts, Prince should concentrate on what's in his vault. Seriously, what's the point of releasing Lolita, which is Time-lite at best, when great songs like I Wonder, Possessed, Rebirth Of The Flesh, Large Room With No Light, All My Dreams, Moonbeam Levels,... are gathering dust in a tape vault. And how about all those extended versions from 12 inches that remain unreleased on CD? Or all those full-length versions of released tracks (Computer Blue for instance)? [Edited 3/21/06 7:05am] what i don't understand is if you haven't liked much/any of prince's music since 1995, why are you still here? i don't mean this maliciously, really. it's just something i can't figure out. you obviously don't dig the guy's sound so why sit around pissing on someone elses parade. why try to convince folks that this record isn't as good as they think it is? why not stick with the old stuff and forget about prince ever making a record that you think is as good as the early days? again, i want to stress that i'm not trying to be rude, i'm just curious. these are not rhetorical questions, lol. you think its been over ten years since he's released "above average" work. you've said you don't think he is capable of better work. you don't like prince's music, at least not what he makes now (and for the past ten years, apparantly). you aren't into him anymore. i guess i'm just wondering why you're trying to make yourself be into his new stuff and in the process getting sour about the fact that you don't. i'm sorry for the rambling, i just want to "get" it. | |
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sallysassalot said: BartVanHemelen said: Translation: it's a decent album if you ignore that Prince is (*) capable of much better. (*) Hmmm, perhaps "was" would be a better choice of words, considering he hasn't released anything in post-1995 that I'd consider better than average, and most of it actually falls in the category "I'll never listen to this again". The only reason so many people here like 3121 now is because it's "fresh" and "new". The same thing happened back when Rave came out, Musicology, etc. Yet ask the same people six months later and they'll rank 3121 along all those other albums that they got tired of pretty fast. I'm just ahead of the curve -- those that were around in 1999 will remember me being the lone voice pointing out that Rave was gonna bomb and that the infamous "positive" Uptown preview of that album actually tried really hard to avoid admitting it was yet another major disappointment (something Uptown admitted months later). Of course so much of this album sounds familiar, for the past couple of years Prince seems to be incapable of doing anything beyond recycling his own music, plenty of times in an attempt to have something similar to an old but now off-limits tune (because of "bad words"). And then the tour starts and before you know it all that "new" music gets ditched and setlists once again consist of 80+% old material -- shows you how much faith Prince has in his new music. Anyone who claims that current Prince is anywhere near classic Prince is blind and deaf, all you need to do is take a dvd of a 1980s gig and compare it to a recent one: it's almost like they're different artists. Cue usual "growth/getting older" excuse, whereas I'll point out that Johnny Cash made some of his best work at the end of his career. If 3121 rocks your world, fine -- but don't pretend that it is worthy of access to the list of "great Prince albums". This is yet another one from the bland manufacturing line, yet another "will this do" effort, yet another utterly misguided attempt at making a return to the charts. Prince can do this in his sleep, and 3121 actually sounds like he recorded it in his sleep. I'm always surprised when I glimpse at tracklists for recent Prince albums and can't even imagine what most of the songs sound like, whereas I know most of his 1980s output by heart. Instead of spending so much time and energy on these mediocre efforts, Prince should concentrate on what's in his vault. Seriously, what's the point of releasing Lolita, which is Time-lite at best, when great songs like I Wonder, Possessed, Rebirth Of The Flesh, Large Room With No Light, All My Dreams, Moonbeam Levels,... are gathering dust in a tape vault. And how about all those extended versions from 12 inches that remain unreleased on CD? Or all those full-length versions of released tracks (Computer Blue for instance)? [Edited 3/21/06 7:05am] what i don't understand is if you haven't liked much/any of prince's music since 1995, why are you still here? i don't mean this maliciously, really. it's just something i can't figure out. you obviously don't dig the guy's sound so why sit around pissing on someone elses parade. why try to convince folks that this record isn't as good as they think it is? why not stick with the old stuff and forget about prince ever making a record that you think is as good as the early days? again, i want to stress that i'm not trying to be rude, i'm just curious. these are not rhetorical questions, lol. you think its been over ten years since he's released "above average" work. you've said you don't think he is capable of better work. you don't like prince's music, at least not what he makes now (and for the past ten years, apparantly). you aren't into him anymore. i guess i'm just wondering why you're trying to make yourself be into his new stuff and in the process getting sour about the fact that you don't. i'm sorry for the rambling, i just want to "get" it. 
I really can't get into people who think there is something wrong with mebecause I love this album or that one or that I'm forcing myslef ot like something, etc. There really isn't anything anyone can say to me that is going to ruin this experience for me. I absolutely adore this album but I can take any Prince album and dig at east one song from them. | |
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I Got It 2 Day  This Is a realy good album..It lived up 2 my expectations. Mutch better than "Musicology".. My favorite songs from 3121 is : 3121 (soo good), Lolita, Te Amo Corazon, Incense & Candels, Love, The World & The Dance (strong great Ballad). 3121 got 4/5 from me!  | |
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wendyrachel said: Norwayman said: The best track is the title track. This is Prince to me. Funky, exiting, different. The Dance is not very impressive. The rest is good I think, not outstanding but I`m pleased with the album.
I totally agree - 3121 is one of the best songs Ive heard in a long time!  Oh Hell yea!!! it dont mean Ure wrecked jus cause me tallywackin sucking is all U want. all it means is that the one that come b4 me never made U come. | |
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Say wha....??? it dont mean Ure wrecked jus cause me tallywackin sucking is all U want. all it means is that the one that come b4 me never made U come. | |
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Wow Wow Wow...love it all. | |
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Dated sounds, uninspired, but I'm sure it will grow on me this month, then it's on the shelf, by June, I'm sure..
Where's the F'ING LIVE ALBUM?? He is so much better live than on wax these days... ______________________________________________
onedayimgonnabesomebody | |
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BartVanHemelen said:[quote] murph said: Anyone who claims that current Prince is anywhere near classic Prince is blind and deaf, all you need to do is take a dvd of a 1980s gig and compare it to a recent one: it's almost like they're different artists. Thankfully he's a much, much better live singer nowadays, though. I love those old shows as much as the next one, but he couldn't handle his voice yet back then. Just being a little nit-picky.  | |
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I love this album... another Diamonds & Pearls for me.
In particular I love 'The Word', Incense and Candles, Lolita when it gets going, Black Sweat, Fury, Get on the Boat and Love... Infact.. the only 2 i kinda dont like are 3121 and The Dance.. The Word is The Shit though lol Once is entertainment, twice is education | |
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There is no fury in 'FUry'. I can't believe what he did with it...I mean, I felt the same when I heard 'endorphin' on the gold exp album. What he did to Fury is really bad.
But - I loved the Dance...the screamign was great! | |
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