Anxiety said:

so i finally got a chance to check this out today, and what most folks have been saying is right: the sharon jones track is hot, and the rest of it is fair to partly cloudy at best.

the cover of "let's go crazy" reminds me of a bad touring company of "hedwig & the angry inch". really bad wanna-be glam rock. ouch.

i love the sharon jones cover of "take me with u", though it doesn't really SOUND like the original at all, does it? it sounds more like "kiss" with the words to "take me with u" crammed in there. but that's what all her stuff sounds like - her cover of "what have you done for me lately" is the same way. i don't mind. it sounds real and it's got great energy. i love sharon.

the rest of the comp didn't really leave too much of an effect on me...some interesting studio geekery but overall kinda unmemorable. i agree with contrapposto - the of montreal cover of "computer blue" was uncharacteristically vanilla. also, even though i didn't think the cover of "when doves cry" was all that great, i don't think there was anything wrong at all with apples' vocals. it's not like she knocked out some amazing diva shit or anything, but who expects her to? she sounded fine to me.

squirrelgrease said:

Anxiety said:

so i finally got a chance to check this out today, and what most folks have been saying is right: the sharon jones track is hot, and the rest of it is fair to partly cloudy at best.

the cover of "let's go crazy" reminds me of a bad touring company of "hedwig & the angry inch". really bad wanna-be glam rock. ouch.

i love the sharon jones cover of "take me with u", though it doesn't really SOUND like the original at all, does it? it sounds more like "kiss" with the words to "take me with u" crammed in there. but that's what all her stuff sounds like - her cover of "what have you done for me lately" is the same way. i don't mind. it sounds real and it's got great energy. i love sharon.

the rest of the comp didn't really leave too much of an effect on me...some interesting studio geekery but overall kinda unmemorable. i agree with contrapposto - the of montreal cover of "computer blue" was uncharacteristically vanilla. also, even though i didn't think the cover of "when doves cry" was all that great, i don't think there was anything wrong at all with apples' vocals. it's not like she knocked out some amazing diva shit or anything, but who expects her to? she sounded fine to me.

Agreed. I really like to hear other's takes on Prince songs, but except for a song or two, this set won't get many repeated listens.

"Take Me With U" and "Beautiful ones" were very nice..the rest were mediocre at best..did not live up the hype that was created..

FWIW, I live in the UK and was able to download the album, so it isn't a US-only thing.

I've not listened to it yet.

For the record, the CD is FREE, and NOT just to subscribers. Subscribers might have gotten a physical CD (I am not sure, since I am not a subscriber), but the magazine on the stands clearly says "FREE! EXCLUSIVE TRIBUTE ALBUM" It directs you to www.spin.com/prince tells you to find the next to last word on a certain page, which anyone can do by going to a book store and looking. Then you enter that word on the site and get the FREE album for ALL readers. There's no stealing involved.
[Edited 6/27/09 14:24pm]

very nice, just too bad the music sucks, only Take Me With U is good.

Hello... I'm Come funkateer 'Danceelectric'
from Housequake.com

thedance said:

very nice, just too bad the music sucks, only Take Me With U is good.

Really njoyed this album... refreshing 2 hear some different takes on the man's classic album... only a couple that I didn't care 4, but 4 the most part, I really dug it. Sue me.

Musze said:

HI
is there an orger who can send me two copies of this issue of the spin magazine to austria?

PLEASE!!

Fol Chen and Sharon Jones are the best tracks on this disk. The other are nice, with the exception of the shitty cover of "Let's Go Crazy" which sounds like some mediocre high school band.

I could totally see Prince stealing the arrangement for 'Take Me With U' for live shows, it's really good.

1. Let’s Go Crazy - In a word, AWESOME! When the verses started, I was a little "weirded out" by the lead singer’s punk rock-style phrasing, but that feeling quickly passed and I really started digging this song. The arrangement is brilliant; it’s true enough to the original while displaying a rough punk edge. The guitar does not match P’s greatness (no surprise there), but is still extremely impressive. The spoken improv ending (Vanity vs. Apollonia) is absolutely classic! This is one of--if not THE--best Prince covers I’ve ever heard, and it really sets the stage for a worthy tribute album.
2. Take Me With U - The groove is uber-funky, and Ms. Jones has incredible pipes, but the song strays too far from the original melody to even be classified as a cover, IMO. It could have at least beared some resemblance to the Prince tune...identical lyrics aren’t quite enough.
3. The Beautiful Ones - This is actually a really cool, original, quirky take on Prince’s version. The vibe, which sounds like a hybrid of Soft Cell and Nine Inch Nails, really conveys the dark intensity of the song’s B section in a whole new (but still effective) way. The MIDI-like keyboard which sustains the A section is eerily hypnotic, in a way. This is a bold, ambitious cover that works shockingly well.
4. Computer Blue - Hearing this, I was instantly reminded of the song "Cars" by Gary Numan, as well as (again) Soft Cell. At first, I found the vibe a bit odd, but then it dawned on me that the song is, after all, about a computer (at least metaphorically). So, I actually found the arrangement remarkably fitting! The "Father’s Song" breakdown and the lead singer’s screaming are both brilliantly done here. 
5. Darling Nikki - Just...ODD. I hear elements of Nine Inch Nails, R. Kelly, and Robbie Neville ("C’est La Vie") here. It sounds like the song is on morphine or something; as if the vocals weren’t slurring awkwardly enough, they added auto-tune! UGH. This really lacks the primal energy that the original has...where the is the guitar??? Next.
6. When Doves Cry - It sounds like a third-rate U2 cover band is doing this song. They didn’t even get the iconic keyboard hook right! One of the only positives here is Apples’ background singing (yeah, I said it ), which meshes rather well with the lead vocal. This is a horrendous cover; still, it makes me curious to hear how the real U2 (a great band) would interpret this song. I think Bono and the Edge could really do it justice, unlike the Twilight Singers.
7. I Would Die 4 U - ¡Ay, ay, ay! A fun, festive mariachi version that puts a smile on my face and makes me want to dance. It’s not really all that special or unique and the arrangement doesn’t fit well with the song’s lyrical message, but so what? It’s a nice contrast to the brooding, morose mess that precedes it.
8. Baby I’m A Star - The vocals are reminiscent of Robbie Neville (again); they sound awkward and often a bit forced. What really interests me about this song is the arrangement: the music really smacks of the quirky, experimental vibe of ATWIAD/Parade. There’s some elusive element there (perhaps the violin-like synths?) that takes me right back to the ‘85/’86 Prince era. Very, very cool.
9. Purple Rain - Highly impressive, trippy-yet-understated take on my all-time favorite Prince song. I can already tell I will be coming back to listen to this track again and again. The vocals are simplistic, subtle, and haunting; their echoey sound combined with the psychedelic, reverberating piano melody remind me a great deal of the Beatles’ "A Day in the Life," which I absolutely love. My only wish is that it was much longer, with a guitar solo thrown in! A superb cover and an excellent way to close out the set.

Overall, I thought this was a very solid effort and much, much better than I had originally thought it would be!
[Edited 7/8/09 16:56pm]

I just got the free download. I'm glad I didn't pay. It is awful, especially "Take me with u"
[Edited 7/18/09 13:08pm]

Got this now from Borders in the UK. Looking forward to reading it.

check

Here's the link to the official download section:


http://www.spin.com/artic...ce-tribute

All you have to do is answer the question from p56 of the magazine!!!!!

HUR HUR.

I just downloaded it today. (I'm a late bloomer) I spotted the mag while grocery shopping at Wegmans. Anywho.. I also have an album called "Do Me Baby! Austin Does Prince". I love it when other artists do Prince songs, it gives great opportunity to present our Dearly Beloved in a different genre that other people can enjoy. There are only 3 Purple Rain songs on that album. When Doves Cry, Kris McKay (sounds like a slow sultry country classic); The Beautiful Ones, El Flaco (sounds like a polished punk frat party); Take Me With You, Monte Warden (git yer boowts on, weez goin 2 steppin).
As for the SPIN album, my least favorite so far is the Twilight Singers version of When Doves Cry. I was surprisingly pleased with the Mariachi El Bronx band's take on I Would Die 4U. Still have to hear it a couple times, but that's how I feel at the moment!