oh man! they are playin When Doves Cry! DAMN!

A well produced cut, but I'd definitely not put it in the 'classic' rankings, not by any stretch. Sounds a by the numbers soul ballad to me, nothing new here. I'd even rank Call My Name ahead of this one. Someone said it sounds like it belongs on NPS, and save for the Linn, I'd say that's most apt.

Wall said:

So are we working with extremes here? Not a classic song so it's by-the-numbers, huh?...Some of these comments are very interesting...Keep 'em coming... (BTW, it's def. better than Call My Name...)

Wall said:

I wouldn't call it a classic either. But it's a little more atmospheric and interesting than we've gotten since... probably Beautiful Strange.

murph said:

Someone said it was a classic, I'm stating this song, imho, is far from a Prince classic. Sounds like any number of soul ballads from him, circa 1996-2006. It's splitting hairs and subjective but I'd rank Call My Name ahead of this one if only because I prefer the chorus in that song, but I've no desire to queue either of them up in my playlist at the moment. I played Future Baby Mama three times and I think that'll hold me until I'm away from my player, perhaps washing a pot in the kitchen, and am unable hit the 'skip' button when I play the new album. I'll say this much though, it's not so mundane that it will force me to turn off the water and rush in to change to the next track.

murph said:

It's a thousand times better than Call My Name.

murph said:

Call My Name didn't speak to most people, I mean this song is a lover's song. Guys are going to start telling woman they want them to be their FBM.

This song is produced way better than Call My Name. This was an instant "ear worm" as they'd say in Germany and it's also a grower..

Hell, I was getting nervous about some of the reviews. The germans totally missed the power of this song. But then, I lived there 9 years and speak the language, I'm not at all surprised. This is a song for US R&B radio, more AC, but it will get massive play there.

Wall said:

Cute...lol

As far as I can tell, and I haven't listened to the lyrics very closely at all, but it's got one thing going for it that Call My Name doesn't: no verse about the Department of Homeland Security


But I think I prefer Call My Name at the moment. But I do like both. They're both pretty solid r&b slow jam offerings of the past decade.

Raze said:

It also doesn't have John Blackwell.

The Linn served its purpose in the 80's, time to stop trying to recpature his signature sound and move on. I take back what I said about this sounding like it belongs on NPS, Rave is more like it.

Wall said:

He "moved on" for two decades. I've said it before, I would love about ten more albums of him "recapturing his classic sound". It's lightning in a bottle!

MarcelJ said:

Well it certainly didn't help Rave or any of his latest Linn efforts. They just sound tired and desperate to me. More like partly-cloudy-with-a-20%-chance-of-showers in a bottle.

Wall said:

This is like talking to a wall! oh,,, wait,,,

Hey, I just noticed, there are 70 members logged in, but over 4,600 guests on the org right now. So, 70 of us are doing the heavy lifting, while 4600 people watch..
[Edited 6/26/07 22:59pm]

Wall said:

it's hit or miss, really, when he gets out the Linn. on the one hand, What Do U Want Me 2 Do is pretty nice. Undisputed, on the other hand, is fucking atrocious.

Raze said:

I agree with you on What Do U Want Me To Do, that's a great pop song. But, and I know you've not suggested such, this is a general statement, using the Linn in an otherwise vanilla, melody lacking adult contemporary r n'b ballad seems pretty schlocky from where I stand, which is about 6 foot and beneath a ceiling with some developing water damage.

Wall said:

I agree that he seems to use it these days to put some spark into otherwise forgettable stuff. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Y is this station doing this 2 me!!!!! I want 2 hear the new song, not more P classics like I wanna b ur lover. Though I love this song, I want 2 hear the new one that everybody is talking about.

skywalker said:

Did someone call this song a "classic" or did they say it was "classic Prince". I think there's a difference. This does sound like the "classic Prince sound" moreso than any of the songs mentioned, of the past few years. It does bring me back to the early 80's stuff. I can't at all call it a classic song yet, so I'm with you on that one. But, I do like the sound, which is "vintage" Prince, if not "classic" Prince.

I also think Prince has worked to ease his way back into his sound by regaining his control of the studio, which doesn't happen so quickly. All the synths are different, the effects, mics, preamps, the entire way of recording has changed. It doesn't take much to get behind. Even subtle differences make it hard to "recapture" the sound of 25 years ago in a way that's relevent now. Only time will tell if he's done it, but since TRC and specifically "The Everlasting Now" it's sounded to me like he's been trying to get his sound back and it's taken some work. I know he's been recording the whole time, so maybe saying "get behind" isn't so accurate, but he has avoided technology in his quest for "real music by real musicians", but his early work employed both technology and musicianship and that's what seems to come through on FBM. An example of where he missed the mark in my mind, was the high synth part on Black Sweat. Otherwise, that track was really close to his "vintage" sound.

For something to be classic or just simply a great cut, I like to hear something unexpected, a new twist, a tune of the guitar, a new idea in the production. Prince's Baby Mama is as bland and safe as anything I've heard. But, as I said, it's subjective, because I love the synth in Black Sweat, so we've obviously got different points of view on Princey's music.

And I will give the song this, the lyrics, while pretty cliche', at least aren't as hamfisted as some of his clunkers over 3121 and Musicology. I've met 14 year olds who've written tastier verse than Million Days.
[Edited 6/26/07 23:49pm]

Wall said:

I do see what you're saying, but the melodies work for me and everything sounds so tight and in the pocket that it seems to work. The lyrics stunned me, actually, because I thought he had just gotten old enough that he just couldn't flow like he used to and I just began to look past it and try to enjoy the songs as much as I could. I don't think there's an out of place word on FBM. He either just got locked in, or spent the time doing rewrites until it was right on this one. I can't say the same for "Guitar", which he rhymes with "car" TWICE, for bad effect, in my view.

MarcelJ said:

I think a huge problem for why it's taken him so long to "get back" his sound is that he relied on Ricky P. and Kirky J. so often in the mid-90's to finish off or outright produce his work. I think he was rusty. And in those years, trends sort of passed him by.

Raze said:

Yes, yes and all those lame loops on Emancipation. I still can't play anything on that 3 cd set. Now, on this point, we're on the same page. I record myself, sell studio gear and work with some big LA studios. I have been listening closely to his mixes for years and the past few, he's finally gotten closer to doing the productions like he used to. Hopefully this album will be another step in the right direction. I dont expect another PR or 1999, but something close to TGE would be nice (actually, it has some lame stuff too, but a few gems).
[Edited 6/27/07 0:04am]

The first thought that came to mind was, "This could have been on Emancipation disc II." It's a smooth, sexy little ditty with a nice melody. I'm diggin the drum machine. It's strange how something he used so long ago can make his new material sound fresh. The song probably only took him 5 minutes to write, but it's enjoyable, and takes me all the way back to '97.

Ok, I am all set-up to record.

PLAY IT AGAIN!!! PLEASE!!

UCantHavaDaMango said:[quote]The first thought that came to mind was, "This could have been on Emancipation disc II." It's a smooth, sexy little ditty with a nice melody. I'm diggin the drum machine. It's strange how something he used so long ago can make his new material sound fresh. The song probably only took him 5 minutes to write, but it's enjoyable, and takes me all the way back to '97.

This sounds not good for me! I'm not a great friend of the emancipation cd set.

Shhh747 said:

I just recogonized some of these lyrics...

Prince was speaking some of these lines when I was at the March 24th Vegas show.

Oh too cool!

PekeKeki said:

someone on housequake said it's something that had another title (I don't remember what, maybe "Eye Wanna Take Care Of U" or something), and that it was usually incorporated into Pink Cashmere.


that ring a bell?

I heard a very short sample of it,and I don't think the sound quality I heard was very good. I can't understand the lyrics in the sample and it's just not grabbing me yet. Possibly when I hear the full song,lyrics and sound not distorted I will get into it.

HerrLenz said:

Yeah, me either. I loathe most of the sounds on that album. I only heard this FBM song once so far and I'm not feeling it. Now granted, I don't really like Prince ballads anyway but my first impression was

The title is just so corny that I'm having trouble getting past it. I guess is that using the phrase "baby mama" is Prince's way of trying to be relevent for todays music (younger audiences), but I feel like he's 1) trying a bit too hard by using that phrase & 2) a little too late (like when he had Tony M. rapping all over D&P.) And isn't that phrase a little played out anyway?

Of course, I'll play the song a few more times before my final decision, but for now I am pretty underwhelmed by it.