I put this in my car this past weekend and listened to it for the first time in about a year. I still love this album as much as I did the first time I heard it. To me, it's the last truly adventurous album that Prince made that didn't sound like he was "trying to sound like Prince", if that makes sense. There's an energy in these recordings that was captured perfectly, and spilled over to the excellent ONA tour. Of course, I can respect those who don't like this album. I feel that Lovesexy is highly overrated and just as much of a sprawling mess as many feel that The Rainbow Children is - it's all a matter of taste.

And for the life of me, I just don't hear "Erotic City" in "1+1+1=3". While there may be similarities, I don't hear nearly enough to consider this to be a ripoff or rewrite.

OH HELL YES! LOL

Erotic City..... 10/10
1+1+1=3..... 6/10

Erotic City is great, a classic, I have never liked 1+1+1=3 that much, it's an okay song but it sounds weak compared to Erotic City....

ps.I love those lyrics to Erotic City, including the f-word, "we can f*ck untill the dawn...."



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[Edited 4/14/09 15:17pm]

Hmm... I get to play the role of the hater in this thread.

1+1+1=3 is one of the FEW tracks on this album I actually like. As a whole... The Rainbow Children bores me to no end. I'm not going to repeat what I've said in the past to describe my feelings for this album... but lets just say i only own it because its by Prince.

I remember really liking this album when it came out... but I have to say it
hasn't held my attention over time. In fact, now it's settled into the great
'back catalogue' I barely listen to it... and when I do, I find it a bit boring
and pedestrian. It's certainly not the groundbreaking or adventurous
album that people make it out to be.

If Prince was Spinal Tap, then this is 'Jazz Odyssey'! 'Pop' artists making
'Jazz' records because they're getting older and want their art to be taken
seriously is a kinda industry joke. And for me, The Rainbow Children
sails dangerously close to this. It's all just a bit too safe and dull to me now.

And I agree, 1+1+1=3 is one of the few tracks on the album with a bit of life to it.

I went through my jazz & fussion kick about 15 years ago, catching up with Chick Corea, Miles, Monk, Herbie Hancock even The Yellow Jackets and Hiroshima, I ate it all up.

So when i listen to TRC, I think Spinal Tap is as good a comparison i have heard to date.

To me its nothing more than an extension on what he has been doing all through the 90's, its his MNPLSOUND & NewPowersoul version 70' & 80's jazz fusion.

BorisFishpaw said:

I barely listen to it either, but for different reasons. This album is like the unabridged version of a classic novel. It's not something I pop in while I'm folding my clothes or driving to the supermarket. I certainly don't fault the album for what it isn't-- I seriously doubt he set out to make a jazz record.

I don't know how safe he was trying to play it. He knew he was running the risk of alienating his fanbase. Why do you think he was so fan-friendly with the listening parties/ celebrations around that time? As for pedestrian... well, I know you didn't really mean that because that would imply that anybody could do it. I can only think of one person that could pull a project like that off.

love it all cept for the wedding track ..

it's not the fact of the style that i like it's just that it sounds good to me. in the same way that 'mplsound' doesn't sound good to me, even though it's declared style is something i like. 'trc' has that extra oomph.

BorisFishpaw said:

I see what your saying, and there is nothing wrong with the track per se. It is just so derivative- a poor artistic statement. The only way I can reconcile it is as someone else said, it is an apology to the JWs for writing "Erotic City".

HismajestysSecondComing said:

it's prince taunting people who like that old sound. if you listen to what he's saying in the lyrics, he's saying 'nyah nyah' to those who have been banished.