0-+>
[Edited 3/16/10 8:40am]

Love the album but my GOD he looked awful. I'm talkin' crazy crackwhore awful. The shiney blue catsuit thing, the red monk robe, the pigtails? to think he was in his 40's as well... forshame!

OldFriends4Sale said:

I adore this song....I Love these photo's 2.

from the same shoot:

interesting time.

I was at that listening party.

Rave may have been a "better" trying to be a "pop" album than Musicology but thats not saying much as they both stink as a whole. Probably Prince's most cynical album but I wonder what would have happened to this if Clive hadnt been forced out of Arista.

I still think "I love but dont trust you" is one of his most honest songs ever and a video (with Gwen of course) and release of So Far So Pleased would have done pretty well.
[Edited 2/2/10 12:39pm]

OldFriends4Sale said:

Arent these looks NPS eras?

ThrillUorKillU said:

I think NPS look morphed in2 the Rave era, those pics I believe are Rave though

I definitely like his look this era, even if the ones with the jacket and bunches look more like Bjork than Prince.

I like the album enough...my favourite is actually Strange But True! (Strange but true, eh? ha ha etc) I just love the pared back sound of it, the fact it's spoken (I love spoken word) and the beat etc.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Oh, I just remember Prince performimg with this Pig tailed and coat look on Leno in 1998 I think performing Come On . And Rave he was rockin a beard..but your probaly right..

hate the look and the rave dvd, but the greatest romance... video is pretty decent and the album (although FAR from my favorite) has its moments . the vault... is my shit though

Not the greatest era by any means, but I'll always have a soft spot for it as it was around the time I really started to discover P. And like all eras, there are some diamonds in the rough:

The Greatest Romance
Strange But True
I Love U But I Don't Trust U Anymore

... up there with his best material

The only thing I like from that period is The Vault - I really dig that album.

vivid said:

the images are clearly not from the Rave era but from the 0-+> Come

I rushed out an bought this one, just for Old Friends 4 Sale and was seriously disappointed.




Old Friends 4 Sale

The sun set in my heart this evenin'
Cuz an old friend of mine got lost in the jive
Little did she know, when U're stuck in the snow
Nobody gets out alive

Tears fall gently in my garden
As I wait in vain 4 my sweet baby 2 call
I guess what my own brother told me was true
He had been with my sweet baby and she never really loved me at all

Night fell so dark this evenin'
The moon wasn't shinin' nowhere
Sometimes that old light in the alley would light up this old heart of mine
But now I'm wonderin' if there's someone up there who really cares

The night fell darkest in Persia
What used 2 flow blue is now flowin' black
Many a doctor can try, but only heaven knows why
When it comes 2 love, why do some men, why do some men turn their backs?
Can't somebody please tell me?

Maybe the morning air will make me feel better
Oh, I hope better than I feel right now
Last night a stranger took my picture and then he, uh..
He asked if I'd buy it, huh
I said, "I guess I don't know how"

Old, old friends 4 sale
Get'em while the gettin' is hot
But U better watch out, they'll kiss U until they get what U got
And they'll show U the friends that they're not
Old friends 4 sale
(Yeah, hey, yeah, ooh)

© 1999 Controversy Music — ASCAP

OldFriends4Sale said:

I really like the first part of the vid:
Let's go crazy
always in my hair
you got the look.

has the vibe of a real concert: the man comes on stage and he just blows you away. Too bad the rest of the video is all cut and mixed up. There are some good parts, but i just cant seem to watch it all, just pickin' tracks.


BTW, talking about the CD: am i the only one liking Every day is a winding road?

Strange era. Was kinda disappointed after hearing the album for the first time, nothing really 'grabbed' me like previous albums but it has actually grown on me over time. My main problem is it was an album by design that was intended to appeal to people in the same way Santana's 'Supernatural' album did. Another bid at commercial success. It wasn't really Prince's style of music, it was Prince doing other people's styles of music which didn't work imo.

Also, the live shows from this era didn't really appeal. The band was his worst imo and there was way too many covers and not enough new material. His set lists were kinda hits heavy. Other than the blue suit, his image at this time was pretty awful too. I think he lacked direction at this point until 'The Rainbow Children' in 2001.

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic 6/10
Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic 7/10

remko said:

lol I actually really like it, I forget it's a Prince songs, but I like how it rides out. The opening chords sound cheap though

About Rave...
I remember being very excited when the album was about to come out. I nabbed the single as soon as it was out, and I liked it alot. But my first impression was it was lazy day r&b.. good but not something that would put him back in the limelight. But I had the same feeling about Janet Jackson's "That's The Way Love Goes" and I was wrong it was a huge hit.
When the album came out.. I instantly loved the title track. "All I need is a good book and a brand new position" is one of my favorite lines he ever wrote. The longer version of "Greatest Romance" was nice too. "Undisputed".. I wanted to love because of my love of Chuck D. But otherwise it was so-so. The standout tracks to me were the subtle ones like 'I Love U But I Don't Trust U.." and "So Far So Pleased". The calculated move of the Clive Davis guest filled "Santana-Style" comeback left a bad taste in my mouth. And to be clear I usually was not a fan of Larry graham's guest appearances. No disrespect.. I like the old Sly & Family Stone stuff but his low voice never fit the mix well to my ears. "Every day Is A Winding Road" sounded too messy to me. "Hot Wit U" I didnt care for despite loving Eve. A lot of the mixes on the album had too much going on. It made me long for the simplicity of something like "Dorothy Parker". Prettyman was a hot jam though. Did love that.
The look.. I dunno the blue suit was cool but I've never been a fan of Prince's long hair looks. Especially with the ribbons. I thought the cover was a weird pose.. later I'd realize the full picture is him on his knees.. would have been a better cover. The Master P style case also made me think "Ugghhh.. is Prince now a No Limit soldier Make Em Say Uhhhh" style.. it made the cd look cheap.
By comparison, as much as he wanted us not to get it.. I am a huge fan of "The Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale". For being a pasted together project.. it was jazzy and laid back. Very good rainy day music. I still play it alot. Warner exploitation or not, the jams were great. "She Spoke 2 Me" and "5 Women" are definite favorites of mine. And it was a nice precursor to the feel of The Rainbow Children later.
1999 The New Master... I have played all the way through maybe twice. What a travesty. I understand the principal. But what a warmed over mess the end result sounded like.. despite Rosie ganes being on it. I remember his talk of re-releasing all the albums re-recorded and thought EWWWWW... I didnt want Doug E Fresh raps on "I Wanna B Ur Lover" or god forbid.. Rosie Ganes singing on "Head".. or Larry Graham singing on "Private Joy" or "Automatic".. nooooo. Thank goodness he got bored with it and it didnt happen.

June 9. 1999 Versace Fashion Show London. England
Prince meets Prince Charles




July 17. 1999
Versace Fashion Show Paris, France


[Edited 2/11/10 11:41am]

Yeah i kinda feel that this was his lost years too....and its strange because it was followed by 2001-2002 which i feel was his best yet, the one nite alone tour and approach, album and musicianship, everything was firing on all cylinders at this point, including the touring band with Rhonda,Renato and John B

Always loved this era. I played the shit out of this album when it dropped.

I think it would be remembered very different today if the comeback had been more successful. TGRES had huge hit potential and could've been massive if they hadn't messed up the promotional campaign. WUGWUD also has "hit" written all over it (ask Lenny Kravtiz).

I think the only reason this album is shit on is because it was a failed comeback attempt. I honestly think Prince delivered the goods but Arista failed to do their job. From what I understand there were a lot of record company politics going on at the time, hardly any of the people who were around when Prince signed the deal with Arista were still at the company by the time the record was getting released.

dont' hate me because i'm beautiful



not a big fan of the album but i like a few songs and the look during that era was cool.

The album has some redeeming qualities to it. As patchy and messy as it is production-wise, I don't think his later, more pop-oriented records managed to capture the same type of quirkiness anymore. Some of the cuts also have a distinctive mood of their own, it's hard to put it into words.

Strangely enough, my favourite song on the record is "Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do". It just clicks with me for some odd reason. Artistically speaking, the highlights to me are the title track, "The Sun, The Moon And Stars", "I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore" and "Pretty Man". The weakest aspect is obviously Kirky J.'s drum programming. the LM-1 stuff is fine as it is, the R&B-ish stuff on the other hand is not.

novabrkr said:

To me it was Prince searching for things, coming out of NPS this was his first venture on a major, which was a disaster from the start with Clive Davis, his marriage was ending, for undisclosed issues, but things have been rumoured that he basically grew tired of Mayte and she didnt intentify with his beliefs, and with Prince beliefs are stronger than love. But this on top of the stuff that didnt make the album and the shelved "HIGH" record was some of his weakest material, ironically it led to his strongest period with One Nite Alone.

Tangerine

Some days I feel tangerine
Some days I feel blue
Some days I just wanna black out everything I felt 4 U
Even though I take your picture everywhere I go
I use it 4 a coaster and drink the overflow
Some days I make a lot of money and give it all away
2 take my mind off the tangerine color of your negligee'
Beggars can't be choosy if they don't know how 2 serve
U got a different phone number and a lot of nerve

Some days I feel tangerine
Some days I miss U, 2

© 1999 Emancipated Music — ASCAP

Prince & Geneva during the Darling Nikki performance Hit n Run tour