Nov 9, 1999 - Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic album released.

I'm listening to it as I type - it's not as bad as I remember - just very plastic in parts. I remember liking it at the time. I was excited to be able to buy a new Prince album in the stores (ah, remember those days?), and for it to be a 'real' single-disc album rather than a collection of outtakes. I was pleased to hear a track like Tangerine, which would not have been on Emancipation or NPS. Tangerine actually acted as the bridge to some of his more recent work, thankfully. If his music had continued in the KAJ vein, I don't know if I'd still be a club member and excited about what's next.

I'm just listening to the end of The Sun, The Moon And Stars - Has Prince worked with Claire Fisher since Rave?

With Santana's Shaman out now, I'm reminded that Rave was really intended as Prince's Supernatural, ie. tons of collaborations. Thankfully, Prince didn't go that route again, and we'll get collaborations because they work, not because the record company thinks they will boost sales.

In retrospect, what are your thoughts on Rave?
[This message was edited Sat Nov 9 9:05:13 PST 2002 by booyah]

didn't realise the 3rd anniversary was here, but i've been listening to it and loving it lately!
i can't help but thinking that people liked the CD when it was issued 3 yrs ago, but then when it didn't perform as well as expected, they started to re-assess it. unfortunately, now it seems to be almost universally trashed. even UPTOWN did this: check out their review of RAVE immediately upon release, and then their 'in-depth' analysis of 'what went wrong'. like night and day.
i say it's about time to give the album its propers. so much of RAVE is classic prince. what was he hearing on 'undisputed'? i can only imagine, 'cause that arrangement is off the hook.
tangerine - love it, sounds like the bass is being played backward. that element really keeps you on your toes whilst listening.
title song is insane! those guitars, and prince's raw vocal, right out of 'scandalous'.
'strange but true' is probably the most personal song we've had from prince in years. and once again, the music is out there.
i actually think RAVE was ahead of its time for most listeners. just because it didn't click with radio and retail does not make it any less visionary and exciting. RAVE is an overlooked beauty: re-assess people!

I adore this album.

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic
Undisputed
The Greatest Romance Ever Sold
Tangerine
Man'O'War
Baby Knows
Strange But True
Prettyman

...they're my fave tunes, it's not a classic album but sure, it's not all that bad.
[This message was edited Sat Nov 9 11:47:42 PST 2002 by Cloudbuster]

Wow, it's been 3 years already. I brought this album the day it came out and 2 hours before I got all my Wisdom teeth pulled out. While I recovered, I listened to this album over and over again. It was great fun in the middle of great pain. Looking back, it wasn't the greatest thing he ever did but it wasn't NPS either. Also, if Arista had done it's part and given it proper promotion like it should've gotten, it would have been a big album. There were hit songs on there like Baby Knows, I Love U but... So Far, So Pleased and The Greatest Romance Ever Sold but Arista gave up on it so Prince did the same. But it still sounded better than everything that came out in 1999.

purplecam said:

Whoa there...

Cloudbuster said:

Let me rephrase that one, when comparing it with Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and everything Pop it was great.

The thing with RAVE UN2 THE JOY FANTASTIC is, INDIVIDUALLY, the songwriting is pretty GOOD.

THE SONGS JUST DON'T HANG TOGETHER WELL TO CREATE A SATISFYING WHOLE!

In retrospect, it's hard to be too critical of Prince for RAVE, when you think he put all THAT together while dealing with ruin of a marriage and all that involves, a fundamental religious shift,meaning a whole different outlook on,life, etc. I don't care about his personal life, but most artists would have taken the year off to get it together. So RAVE documents an interesting time,plus it's public response also documents that Prince is no longer "mainstream" or a brand name for instant sales-which you couldn't really see with "Crystal Ball", or "Newpower Soul" because of how they were managed, or Vault contract-ob discs, cause Warner didn't even care about those!

Historical Prespective=Rave is interesting
Up against his overall Discography=kind of DULL.

"Greatest Romance Ever Sold" is a really INTERESTING listen and has a VERY original structure;

"Hot Wit U": Listen to that BACK-TO-BACK with "Hot Thing" from SOTT, and you'll HEAR how UNTRUSTING and CAREFUL Prince had become in the studio by 1999, and a loss of fun, experimentalism, and creativity.

"Everyday's a Winding Road" was a mistake: did he lack confidence in his own creations, or was he to eager to show the world how he could utterly funk up any top 40 crap?

RAVE the album really just kind of lays there limp. That's unusual for Prince.

purplecam said:

Ok, i can deal with that...lol!

Cloudbuster said:

Cool, LOL!

This would have been a great CD if only the production and arrangements had been more like "The Rainbow Children." I think there are some great pop songs here, unfortunately they are wasted on plastic production.

I don't get you guys. Rave is not a good album - period.
There are basically two reasons why this album failed:

a) I believe Prince was very uninspired when he recorded the album, even without the "plastic production", the songwriting is simply mediocre - with one or two exceptions (Tangerine, I Love U But..., to a lesser extent Greatest Romance). Might have something to do with his personal problems at the time - compare: Two years later, with a new wife and some kind of new spiritual thing going on being a JW, he wrote the songs on TRC. Anyway,

b) Arista convinced Prince that he should show off by having all kinds of musical styles on the album. Hence, no real flow, no coherence.

Had he released "So far, so good" as a single though, it might have a hit. Not that the song is particularly good, but it would've been good for the charts. And with Gwen Stefani on co-lead vox...

After buying "The Hits 1" in late 1998, just for the sake of listening to something, I liked what I heard and wondered what he was actually doing (not having any knowledge of Prince other than that CD). When Rave came out, that's when I realised that this boy had some serious talent, and now, 3 years on, I am an obsessed Prince fan with all his albums and almost everything else. "Rave" is not my favorite by any means now that I've heard his complete catalogue, but it will always have a special place in my heart as being the album that got me to notice that there was something out there...
"Strange But True", remains as one of my all time favorite tracks by any artist.

Wonderful Albulm!

Rave is a good album!!!...It may not have been as "challenging" as some Prince stuff, but I really enjoy it...I listened to it for over a year, and then put it away for awhile...I like the CD cover and inlay too...The shiny blue suit etc...The whole package was definitely suited for "commercial" success, unfortunately that didn't happen. It would have been very successful if not for Clive's departure from Arista, because Clive was VERY behind the album at the time. All the tunes are hooky, melodic, and well produced...Good times man...I will slap that baby on again soon!!...Peace

IMHO Rave is much more satisfying than TRC because it has no freakin Darth Vader VOICES! Also considering I downloaded it off kazaa helps a lot too. it seems if you didn't spend your cash on something it sounds a lot better too you:) Personally I think the greatest romance ever sold is a cool tune...

Happy Birthday baby..there aint a damn thing wrong with you..for what you are supposed to be.

you are a pop album for the masses and you do it well--(lickkk)

you have stale production but your writing is not bad --(stroke your back)

you have a solid bluesy bar song in Baby Knows (kisses neck)

you have a classic she doen me wrong song in Eye Love Ya But Dont Trust Ya (grabs breasts and starts sucking)

you have something unknown and odd in Undisputed (kisses Rave down there..where it counts)

you have Man O War with a clasic line 'why you screamin?" ( gives a few strokes an lets rave get on top and control it)

you end beautifully with Whatever You Do--so plaintive and sad..some of your best work that makes me feel sad
(Rave cums with me and then after makes me a sandwich)

Cloudbuster said:

My copy of Rave doesn't have Strange But True, Everyday is a Winding Road or Prettyman!! What's going on?!

rdhull said:

She's underage!

Moonbeam said:

Not in cd years and the subject matter that she,Rave, covers. (Phew!). No further questions your honor..your witness. (try to get ME on some R Kelly shit ...uh UH!!)