Please excuse the length of my album review. Prince just has that effect on me. Just like he plays a song until he feels it needs to end, I write my posts the same way.

The title track didn't tickle my fancy until a minute in, after I heard the lyrics "take your pick from the Japanese robes and sandals", I found something I could relate to. The door opened and I walked into the experience the album had waiting for me. Sure, it wasn't the same 80's Prince I was digging for, but his music here is not as far gone as many people seem to think. It doesn't have the same poppy, happy beats of Let's Go Crazy, 1999 and Little Red Corvette, but it took on a different, more mature version of the Prince I was getting to know thru his more recent appearances/interviews.

I've heard a lot of the songs already and it was very familiar and welcoming to my weary, Prince-digging soul. And every song had a vibe that was definitely needed, nearly every one fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. Prince did a wonderful job judging where each song should go in sequence and where it begins and (more importantly) where it ends. At times, I could picture him recording the song or playing piano or guitar and it made me feel like he was trying to show my ears a good time.

The overall vibe was very mature, but it showed off Prince's age and wisdom in the best possible way. It reminded me of the person he has become and what he's like these days. Over the past week, I've been lost in the past and this album helped me get back into the future, which is actually the present.
Some of the lyrics were so beautiful that I had to read along and the music carries the words across really well (Te Amo Corazon did just that). Other songs like Lolita and Fury (I was very familiar with those) made me want to dance along with a few others. There was a good mix of genres, Black Sweat I wouldnt like under anyone else's influence, its a genre I wouldnt touch if Prince didnt use it, but I'm crazy about it.

The only song I didn't feel connected to was "Satisfied", which I found overall boring, but I guess because the subject matter goes completely over my head. It was something only Prince himself could understand the way I saw it. The music lagged behind and felt dragged out, but luckily, it wasn't too long. Whatever Prince felt when he wrote it, I'm sure it was a very special feeling for him personally and I gotta respect that.Luckily, he picks the perfect song to follow it, Fury... a little less elaborate than his live performances of it (SNL, Brit Awards '06), but still a great song to dance to.

And the last song he did was well done. I didn't want it to end, at least not for a while, and he dragged it on as much as he could. It was like he could read my mind and didn't end the song until I was ready to "get off the ride". The length of his songs showed me how spontaneous he is or at least reminded me of that... and that's one of the qualities I really like about him.

Compared to his previous albums, it's definitely more mature, but I like the overall wisdom and at times, the spirit it has. I wouldn't say its better or worse than Purple Rain because it tickles my fancy in other ways.
However, I'll say that it's a superior album to Musicology, which I was less impressed with. Musicology's tracks, i feel, need to work harder to win me over. Then again, the songs are still overall new to me, so it'll take some getting used to.

3121 was special to me for a number of reasons. a) a lot of the songs I was already familiar with and although they don't sound the same as they do when they're played live, I liked the way they sounded. b) there was a huge number of variety of styles, which he always pulls off well.

c) is probably the hugest reason why I fell in love with it: Prince's mind and mine connected with one another. I felt the album catered to my needs, what I want to hear and such. I didn't like the very start of 3121, but then he mentioned "Japanese robes and sandals", something I could relate to and we connected. Every song was placed well, seeming to read my mind like a book, giving me a style of music I wanted to hear one after another. Each style came in when it was needed and altered so I wouldn't "dance" endlessly or fell completely asleep with the lulling of another tune (in a good way).

One of the hugest things was the rebound factor. Satisifed, I couldn't relate to at all, and overall found it boring, but I appreciate it. Prince's mind and mine fell out of synch during that, but that was ok, he gave me a little break and told me something he wanted to share regardless of whether I understood it or not. Then, subconsicously, I wanted Fury to be the next track and I got my wish. I wanted a tune I could enjoy.

What impressed me the most was the fact that he extended his songs as I willed him to. I wanted a couple of songs to go on and on and he gave me a longer performance until I was ready to move on. The very last track might have lost me a little in terms of the meaning behidn it, but I didn't want the album to end so soon, so I asked him to play his music a little bit longer and I got my wish.

I hope everyone can get through the ridiculous length of this post and find a way to agree/disagree with my opinion.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Well, I will say this.....I've appreciated how candid you've been in describing your new found joy in Prince's music. As an "old-schooler", it always makes me happy to see younger people just now discovering him and obviously enjoying the trip. thanks for sharing!

Regarding your comment above in bold, here's my take on that. Since you weren't around to see/feel/hear the so called "decline" from his 80's material, it's easier for you to see/feel/hear the quality of what he's doing now. Some of us feel it's taking a long time to see the best of him again and are therefore more critical. That being said, I'm hardcore, I will buy everything he puts out. When a new album comes out, I buy it ASAP and spend at least a week with it non-stop, to learn it and digest it. The only albums I never went back to after that week were Rave and The Vault (well, not never, but very rarely). Luckily, for me, what constituted his "off period" coincided with a time in my life where is was easier to let him go. For me, the comeback began with Musicology and is continuing with 3121. And now, with all that has gone on of late, Superbowl, etc., I think I'm not alone in long term fans for feeling like he's due to keep moving up again. Not only with appearances and putting himself back out there, but also with what he records and releases. That however, is yet to be seen. The end of the Vegas stint is near and I think I am one of many holding their breath to see what he has for us next. I can't wait! I hope you are still around for that

paisley16 said:

Thanx for your comments. I was beginning to think that this thread was gonna die like my review of TGE did... I'll come back to that album whenever I feel the time is right, when I'm not distracted by his past accomplishments and such.

I felt that Musicology wasn't quite as impressive, but I guess I was comparing it to the mix of 80's songs that I've heard over the past month. I had some preconceived expectations of it to be, as Prince said, a pop album that brings back old-school music. I realized after listening to it that we are on two different wavelengths in tastes of music.

I really felt that we were on the same wavelength while listening to 3121. Of course, a lot of the material on it was familiar to me, and it was among the first material of his that I watched him perform (via "American Idol" and GMA's Summer Concert Series), but I don't think I appreciated it the way I do now. When I watched him perform, I just liked seeing him perform, I could care less about the music. Really listening to it helped me fall in love with it.

I guess I could say that Prince always had this mystifying hold on me and 3121 did that for me at a time when I really needed it. I've listened to a mix of Prince material all week and it felt good grounding myself with this album. I honestly can't wait to listen to it again.

With that said, I still love his songs from the 80's, but they're still vastly different from the hits of 3121. For the time being, I think it'll be better to just stick with one album at a time, defining my opinion of it as a whole before comparing it to his other albums.

What Prince albums do U have so far?

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

don't feel bad, very long threads seem to rarely do well around here...

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

I agree that's a good way to do it.

estelle81 said:

Musicology, Purple Rain, TGE and 3121.

I also have The Very Best of...

Despite the fact that everyone says that it's a bad idea. In the case of the "Purple Rain" tracks, which are stripped down. I hated what they did to "Doves", but at least "Purple Rain" stayed intact.
I kinda gave myself a taste of Prince from 78 (very briefly) to 93 with that investment. And I gotta say I have mixed feelings about it.

a) I love having 1999 and Little Red Corvette at the press of a button
b) my previous point about the tracks in Purple Rain
c) "I wanna be your lover" sticks out like a sore thumb
d) Many of the tracks from "Diamonds and Pearls" are tempting me to get the album in case the other music it has is just as impressive.

A lot of inner conflict erupted after I listened to TGE and attempted to watch "Purple Rain". It's hard to get into something if your mind is somewhere else. I found it a little difficult to get out of the TGE state of mind and revert back to the past. Which convinces me that I'll save TGE for a day when I have no preconceived notions about Prince and can enjoy it on its own. The style is so different that I can't compare it with anything else until I spend more time with it.

Musicology, as I mentioned, wasn't as impressive probably because I expected it to have "pop" hits and it'd be Prince doing old-school music I could relate to. Not so much.

Purple Rain, I like a lot and 3121 I find very impressive (but that's just me). But to be completely fair, I want to give each album individual attention. Meaning I'll have to view it as an album on itself, not as a set of Prince material compared to another set of his material. Comparisons can only come when I have enough knowledge about the opposing sides.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Well, don't forget, his version of old-school and yours are probably quite different. Listen to Reflection, he's thinking of his old school and he is 20+ years older than you. What was your favorite track on that?

You should get The Hits/B-Sides, album, and Sign O The Times next. I think you'll like these three. "The Hits/B-Sides" and "Ultimate Prince" are much better then that "The Best of" album. I bought the majority of my Prince albums from secondspin.com. They are very reasonable with the pricing and they have a good selection.

estelle81 said:

I told her to get the Hits/Bsides and/or Ultimate when she asked what to buy first but she didn't listen...Best Of is useless imo. (best to buy those albums)

paisley16 said:

Yeah, I don't own Best of. I refuse to buy it, because the Hits/B-Sides is sooo much better. Ultimate is even better because of the second disc. I don't even count Best Of as a Prince album. Yep, it's that useless to me.

paisley16 said:

I'll have to give the album for more listens to be absolutely sure of my favorite. But a few ones I did included were:
* Musicology (of course)
* A Million Days (I didn't like the way Prince just did the chorus once and played instrumentally for the rest of it... but I respect his choice cuz it probably suited him better)
* Cinnamon Girl (very dance-worthy)
and yeah,
I did like Reflections too.

And you're right. Our ideas of "old-school" are on two diff. wavelengths. Since Prince takes so much time to put his songs and albums together, I'll be sure to give all of them an equal chance to make an impression on me. I feel he deserves it.

Heh, regarding "The Very Best Of"... it has its good and bad points, that's true. But I definitely felt like it helped me. I listened to pieces of it previous to jumping into "The Gold Experience" and it helped clear my mind and get me set for the journey. Too bad the same doesn't work in reverse...

Cream, Diamonds & Pearls, and Money Don't Matter 2Night I all found to be good songs, especially the last one I mentioned, which has me curious about the other tracks on D&P.

Anyway, I felt that 3121 did a lot for me yesterday, but the biggest thing was that it reminded me of Prince at present and some of the great things about him. I felt like our minds connected and he catered to my every need, giving me a style to suit my mood and extending some of his songs until I wanted them to end. I felt like he truly reached me with it and I'm glad that he did.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Aww, "Insatiable" LOVE IT!!!

proceed as follows:

1999
sign o the times
parade
lovesexy
the black album
dirty mind

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

GET DIAMONDS AND PEARLS, you will love it. Live for love, Insatiable, Daddy Pop, Thunder, Gett off - all awesome songs..

Diamonds and Pearls definitely looks very appealing because of those 3 songs I mentioned.

I saw ATWIAD at FYE, and it has me a little curious. The only song I've heard off of it was "Raspberry Beret", which I am crazy for.

I've heard a lot about Paisley Park, so maybe I'll check out the video on Housequake, I saw it listed.

I got some interesting comments on 3121 when I posted about it on housequake.com. I'll send the thread

http://www.housequake.com...adid=82945

I'm open to everyone else's opinions on 3121, good and bad. I know that it wasn't a hit with many hardcore fans who've been and done things I haven't, but I'd like to know.