Observations on the original 3-disc version of "Crystal Ball" from 1986.

So I've been listening to this nice bootleg of the original configuration of "Crystal Ball" that I downloaded. I had all of it already, and have made my own versions of it, but not since so much of the "remastering" has been done on outtakes in the last several years.

I've been listening to this a lot lately. I've got a few observations...


First, isn't it weird that "Rebirth Of The Flesh" was used as the opening track to kickoff two consecutive unreleased albums, and then never released? It's such an awesome song. It's one of my all-time favorites. (And yes, I know a rehearsal from '88 was released on NPGMC, but it isn't very good, and doesn't make up for the fact that the original goes unreleased).

Second, "It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night" closing the album, and being preceded by "Adore" just sounds WRONG to me. Probably because we're all used to it being the other way around, but still.... the final sequencing that made it to disc works perfectly. I'm glad it turned out that way in the end.

Third, "The Ball" is kind of weak, isn't it? I mean, it's an okay track. But I think if CB had been released as intended, we'd probably all agree that "The Ball" is the clunker of the set. It just kind of lays there and doesn't acheive what it sets out to do. I think being reworked into "Eye No" was good for it. It has that extra punch that the original is lacking. Probably has something to do with the sonic density of "Eye No" being so busy and coming at you from a lot of different directions. "The Ball," in comparison, just sounds a little .... eh. (But finally having a flawless segue between it and "Joy In Repetition in superb sound quality makes me wet.)

Fourth, I'm not really sure that the quantity of Camille tracks works for this album. They sound incredible isolated on their own project (and that's perhaps my favorite Prince album ever, released or unreleased), but things tend to get a bit schizo on CB with all of them included, despite the fact that they're all pretty top-notch.

I'll probably have more, but those are the major ones for now.

and before anyone asks, this is the original tracklist:

Side 1
"Rebirth of the Flesh"
"Play in the Sunshine"
"Housequake"
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker"

Side 2
"It"
"Starfish and Coffee"
"Slow Love"
"Hot Thing"

Side 3
"Crystal Ball"
"If I Was Your Girlfriend"
"Rock Hard in a Funky Place"

Side 4
"The Ball"
"Joy in Repetition"
"Strange Relationship"
"I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man"

Side 5
"Shockadelica"
"Good Love"
"Forever in My Life"
"Sign "☮" the Times"

Side 6
"The Cross"
"Adore"
"It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night"

Thanks! I'd never seen the original track list.

I don't agree with you about the title track though...at least not it it's the same version that was on the subsequently-released Crystal Ball CD. I like it alot.

On the other had, I can't imagine "Good Love" being in there with all those other great songs.

BTW - does this represent a final set list? Why would you only have 3 or 4 songs on one side of a disc?

PurpleJedi said:

Thanks! I'd never seen the original track list.

I don't agree with you about the title track though...at least not it it's the same version that was on the subsequently-released Crystal Ball CD. I like it alot.

On the other had, I can't imagine "Good Love" being in there with all those other great songs.

BTW - does this represent a final set list? Why would you only have 3 or 4 songs on one side of a disc?

errant said:

PurpleJedi said:

Thanks! I'd never seen the original track list.

I don't agree with you about the title track though...at least not it it's the same version that was on the subsequently-released Crystal Ball CD. I like it alot.

On the other had, I can't imagine "Good Love" being in there with all those other great songs.

BTW - does this represent a final set list? Why would you only have 3 or 4 songs on one side of a disc?

I didn't say anything about the title track. I was talking about the song "The Ball"...

and yes, this is the final tracklist (before it was trimmed to two discs, re-titled, and had "U Got The Look" added).

and you'd only have 3 or 4 songs per side because of the length of the songs. we're talking about vinyl here....

and "Good Love" is a slice of pop nirvana!

errant said:

and "Good Love" is a slice of pop nirvana!

PurpleJedi said:

errant said:

and "Good Love" is a slice of pop nirvana!

I remember going out and buying the soundtrack to The Secret Of My Success when I found out that there was a Prince song in it (at Woolworth's I think).

Didn't think it was good then, and I still don't now.

errant said:

PurpleJedi said:

I remember going out and buying the soundtrack to The Secret Of My Success when I found out that there was a Prince song in it (at Woolworth's I think).

Didn't think it was good then, and I still don't now.

Bright Lights, Big City

i love good love,especially the outro

PurpleJedi said:

errant said:

Bright Lights, Big City

Man...I'm batting a thousand today!

Nobody else?

I should have asked what color outfit Prince looks best in

I find it curious that Prince would include the Wendy and Lisa speech (sisters and brothers of the purple underground...) on the original configuration from 1986. Seeing that he was trying to distance himself from their contributions, it's likely that he would have cut it out the way he did in 1998 (when he was also trying to distance himself somewhat from W&L).
So I suspect that if we were to really hear the real thing from 1986 (not a fanmade collection) the W&L parts might be excised.

IAintTheOne said:

PurpleJedi said:

Man...I'm batting a thousand today!

Woolworth's Oh Gawd...Back in NY I can only think of 4 stores.. Main street in hempstead,The one on Grand ave in Baldwin, One in Green acres mall and Roosevelt field mall.

ditto here. i think it's a great song. such a feel good track.

Patrick1985 said:

If EVER, Prince should have stuck to his guns, this was the time, how awsome is that original config.
Its looks timeless as originally planed, as much as i love SOTT, it hasnt aged as well as PR, it doesnt have any of the rougher Edges that the original CB had.
I want a WB shrink wraped copy of the original CB damit, and Camille too!
I dont care that of most of the tracks have been released already, i want a original shrink wraped version of each with the orginal artwork hot off the press that i can tear the palstic apart smell the vinyl, look at the pretty groves and put in a one of those old fashioned hi fi record players, and look at the sleeve art and lyrics while i lay on my bed and listen to it!
just like when i was a kid
[Edited 9/13/08 20:41pm]

fms said:

thanks errant... nice 2 c and hear the original experience... SOTT is a fave album of mine... enjoy others such as Camille and Dream Factory which remain unreleased...
C'mon Prince... "Release It!"

Peace
P4TM

PRINC3 / "43V3R"

P3AC3
P4TM

fms said:

not quite - where's Soul Psychodelocide in the list? It was included in the original songlist.

errant said:

eaglebear4839 said:

errant said:

errant said:

Ummm, yes it was. Per Nilsen's '93 documentary about Prince (p. 73, under the heading July 1986 2nd paragraph), it is written, "He cut 'Soul Psychodelocide', 'The Ball' (often titled Crystal Ball), 'Joy In Repetition' (which references the song its beginning), and 'Crystal Ball' (also known as Expert Lover).

BorisFishpaw said:

"cut" meaning "recorded," though, right?

eaglebear4839 said:

Interesting thread. Thanks.

Also, why is one of the guys yelling “Purple Rain” like it’s fricking “Freebird”?

eaglebear4839 said:

errant said:

Nobody else?

I should have asked what color outfit Prince looks best in

Christopher said:

errant said:

Nobody else?

I should have asked what color outfit Prince looks best in

he looks really pretty in white.it makes him look like a young virgin if you ask me. blue is always a good color for him.sometimes if the shade of purple is too deep it wont look right on him.lawd and his hair is best with brown undertones that leather emoscene black he uses these days really washes his tone out.