After the high of the Prince Diamonds & Pearls tour and the hysteria that swept through Australia right along with it, it seemed straight away the album was released. Our first taste was hearing Sexy MF live and the cd single got rush released. By this stage I was working at the record store that had been my Prince mecca growing up and for the first time I was getting unpacking a new Prince album and placing it on the shelves… not to mention blasting it every chance I got.

Thankfully, I got an advance copy and took it home to listen to it. With the CD primed, the speakers buzzing, I pressed play and got hit with the rough funk that is My Name Is Prince (I always found it ironic that such a song would lead an album that featured the symbol that would be his moniker for the next few years). Spitting out the lyrics like venom, Prince in all his cockiness preens as he state’s his credentials. I always laughed at the amount of what I was hearing as Michael Jackson knocks – even down to the MJ dah at the end of every line and of course the “you must be a prince before you are king anyway” (shame that in 1982 MJ was touted as the Prince of Pop, lol – but that’s another story). While a mix of ego stroking and maybe a fact of peer pressure – I mean he was backed by the “we the $hit” NPG posse – Prince hits this track hard and fast.

What can you say about Sexy MF? Sounding as tight as it did live, the song struts along with a cool that makes the cussing almost acceptable. The kind of song you could hear Samuel L. Jackson get into, the semi-rap lyrics and 1,2,3 hit ending the verses that made this song a guilty pleasure for many.

Ohhhhhhh! Love 2 the 9s was an instant classic in my books, with its smooth verse and continuous lyrical chorus this was the perfect antidote to the whole grunge formula of pensive verse and explosive chewed out chorus. Upon hearing it I knew I would be hitting my drums as soon as the album finished and drumming along with this track. There is a sweetness in this song that is contagious, and the witty questionnaire replies always make me smile. And how cool is the line “would you hug me on a crowded street”!!! It should have been a single.

Speaking of singles, The Morning Papers was an interesting choice. Pop appeal aside, it was a song that when I first heard the album I didn’t really get into. It wasn’t until seeing the video that I got a new appreciation for the complexity in the arrangement and the layering of sounds I must have missed the first, second and 7^th time around.

First time I heard The Max it seemed like a bit of a mandatory, to match the housey dance grooves that were floating around at the time. Not a great song in my opinion, thought I did like all the little samples littered throughout the track even the fax machine on speed sound. There were better songs on the album so often I would find myself reaching for the >> button. Ooops it happened again.

Originally designed as a rock opera with many many more segues to detail the reporter, illusive star pursuit, several were cut to make space for more music. Personally, cut the Max and give me more segues.

Blue Light with its reggae Jamaica blue crystal waves vibe is a sweet summery song. Not one that immediately grabbed me but a track that has revealed it’s beauty over time. Countering Prince’s reputation as a hypersexed lady killer, BL gives a tongue in cheek perspective of a guy wanting a hypersexed relationship rather than living it. But I’m sure one flick of the blue light and everything would be alright. My fave line – “double heart attack couple both die in a fight”. Prince humour at his best.

With it’s techno bass line and inviting “I’ve got seven hours baby so what you wanna do” I wanna melt with U got me from the first beat. Even now listening to it, it seduces you in with its hard beats and flowing vocals. Put on the strobe and watch the colours burst forth, and I loved the sneak peak of 7 included in here (2:35), something you didn’t notice it until you listened to the CD for a second time.

Sweet Baby unfortunately shook the faith I had in Prince being able to write a sublime ballad. After when 2 r in love, scandalous, and insatiable, I had come to expect more from Prince than this simple ballad. Another song I would find myself skipping over and over.

Thankfully Prince followed SB with the killer groove of The Continental. With it’s two killer hooks for the price of one offering, TC is one of the stand out tracks on the album. I love how Prince plays your typical dance bass line of the “white lines” ilk on the guitar instead and seems to reinvent this classic groove. And just as all of Prince’s arrogant posing seems too much he breaks it down with “how you wanna be done” at 3:09 with all the smoothness of Prince’s finest funk grooves – with it’s sweet as sugar vocal delivery and teasing guitar lick everything is just too cool, especially the build up and pause of “til you tell me to stop…”, it’s just infectious. Also note the second allusion to 7 with the sing song ABCDEFG.

Damn U – a sweet enough song, but like Sweet Baby I just wasn’t feeling the ballads on .

Cocksure to boot, Arrogance is a hurricane of funk. Hyper and bursting at the seams, I love the confusion inspired breakdowns that reminded me of The Revolutions cacophony end to epic funk grooves.

The Flow with its Public Enemy inspired groove and rap still gives the thrill. And it seems every time I listen it I hear another sample I had missed last time, like the “Minneapolis Minneapolis” call outs.

If The Flow was the NPG, then 7 is pure Prince. The vocal layered intro is too beautiful for words, the eastern influenced groove and sitar like guitar melody harkens back to the Around the World in a Day era complete with finger cymbals. With its 7 signs of the apocalypse lyrical allusion, it’s one of Prince’s finest moments on record. A worthy single that still sounds as fresh today as it did the first time I heard.

With its bass line from heaven opening (accompanied by Rhodes piano) God Created Woman is without a doubt the most underrated track on here. This should have been a single in my opinion. A beautifully crafted song with those to die for Prince backing vocals (“shall we touch”) this is one of the songs I would have loved to have heard live. If people ever ask about Prince’s skills as a songwriter, I present this song as Exhibit A.

With it’s rock opera feel Three Chains of Gold initially struck me as Prince does Queen – a royal meeting of the minds if you will. Grandiose in it’s arrangement the song sweeps from powerful rock to light and airy melodious verses to hurried almost panicked midsection to return to the power of the main song and then builds and builds and builds to that wondrous solo at the climax. Self-indulgent? Maybe. Killer? Oh yes.

What is sacrifice? With its gett off inspired groove, The Sacrifice of Victor is more spiritual than sexual. With many critics reading waaaaaaay too much into this song, many felt that Victor was the new moniker of Prince, when actually the answer was staring them in the face whenever they looked at the cover.

And as the choir sang Amen, I sat back and reflected on what I had just heard. A more musically adventurous album than Diamonds and Pearls, held up under my heavy expectations. And sure enough I went downstairs to where my drum kit was, and loaded up Love 2 the 9s and Sexy MF. Years later those songs still do it for me.

And as far as the debate goes whether to call it the Love Symbol album, I always thought of it as the Prince Symbol which when said allowed sounds a lot like Principle – something Prince would stand on in his dispute with Warner Bros. In fact, after this album the Hits/B-Sides came out and when a new Prince album arrived it would elude to the death of Prince (1958 – 1993) and the birth of .

Ambitious...certainly.

Over The Top...probably.

I find this album still very much a pleasure to listen to, i think that in contrast to Diamonds & Pearls the album has aged nicely.

The accompanying tour was for me quite a downer (the Edinburgh show was not the best Prince gig i have attended) but the album shone very bright for me, and continues to do so, albeit slightly dimmed.

Nice videos too, and nice to have them collected together on 3 Chains...

I find myself playing this CD more than any other of the 90s, with The Gold Experience and Come not far behind. He was definitely thinking of the clubs when he made this. Many great dance tunes, I know that's not what everybody likes, but it worked for me. The videos were awesome and the tour was awesome. I caught the preview show, 2 main shows, and one aftershow (the last 3 all being within 36 hours). I had been listening to many of those songs since Jan 92, and was very excited to have the release!

MikeyB71 said:

Ambitious...certainly.

Over The Top...probably.

I find this album still very much a pleasure to listen to, i think that in contrast to Diamonds & Pearls the album has aged nicely.

The accompanying tour was for me quite a downer (the Edinburgh show was not the best Prince gig i have attended) but the album shone very bright for me, and continues to do so, albeit slightly dimmed.

Nice videos too, and nice to have them collected together on 3 Chains...

That's too bad. The Act I and The Act II tours were very different, many of the songs from the CD had been dropped for The Act II tour.

I LOVE this cd. I just can't find a bad song on it, I love how they all flow together. If only he could be so inspired again. If only

IF....

Love love love this album ... I was 13 when it came out and this is the album that made me discover Prince beyond the hits like PR and Kiss.

I disagree about the ballads Sweet Baby and Damn you ... I think that they're brilliant, and it's their simplicity which makes them stand out.

Love every single song on this album.

My all time favorite Prince album...The album that converted me into a Prince fan...

And I do love the ballads...Sweet baby and Damn U are among my all time Prince favorites

On my first listen of this CD, during "My Name Is Prince", when he said "Funky fresh for the 90s!" I turned it off.

So so so disappointed. Again...the hip hop

Love 2 the 9's (until the "dance girl lemme see the booty boom!"), Morning Papers, Blue Light, Damn U, 7, Sacrifice of Victor

The rest was so utterly bad I rarely listened.

I must admit that it was awesome live on the Act I tour...even the rap moments were ok.

I love this album. Listening to this album is like reading a love story. I'm not saying every track is excellent or great, but the album itself is great. So many of my favorite P songs from the 90s are included on this album.

ksujithkarun said:

My all time favorite Prince album...The album that converted me into a Prince fan...

And I do love the ballads...Sweet baby and Damn U are among my all time Prince favorites

Always good to know what started people on their journey. And for it to be your all time fave - wow, big call but respect it.

I just discovered I have the promo version of the limited edition release, the one in the gold box with the purple on the front. Anyone have a pic of what the normal release cd looks like and the gold box version looks like (non promo)?

This is my favorite Prince album! I can easily listen to it all the way through and find something to like about each track. The succession of , Come and TGE is like the holy trinity of Prince albums, imo.

... this was my 1st Prince ... Erp ... album. I didn't appreciate R&B until this album came out. 'The Slow Jam', yep, this was the album that had me recognize there was more than East Coast Hip Hop

5 [img:$uid]http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/79.gif[/img:$uid] album

i absolutely love this album =)

Blue Light is one of my all time favs

PurpleLove7 said:

... this was my 1st Prince ... Erp ... album. I didn't appreciate R&B until this album came out. 'The Slow Jam', yep, this was the album that had me recognize there was more than East Coast Hip Hop

5 [img:$uid]http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/79.gif[/img:$uid] album

Actually he was still going by Prince when this came out.

motherfunka said:

PurpleLove7 said:

... this was my 1st Prince ... Erp ... album. I didn't appreciate R&B until this album came out. 'The Slow Jam', yep, this was the album that had me recognize there was more than East Coast Hip Hop

5 [img:$uid]http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/79.gif[/img:$uid] album

Actually he was still going by Prince when this came out.

You're right ...

& ...

ON THIS DAY

13 October

• 1992 – Release of Prince's 14th album , the second to be credited to Prince and the New Power Generation.

... was released

I also find this album stunning!
Full of surprises. he seemed to have something loose on this album that in his last few albums have been kept locked up.
Although I like the statement of the 2nd song i don't like to listen to it, but apart from that I love the whole album - the frantics and the smoothies.

If i were to nam but 1 fave, I'd go for DAMN YOU.

Great series. Thanks again to SWA!

Absolutely wonderful album. Just as good as TGE and almost as good as his classic albums of the 80s...

This album immediately brings you back to the sound and feel of the early-90s: rave, dance, new jack swing, hip/hop and some traces of modern rock.

I love how the ballads and the dance jams flow together until the epic ending: 7, God Created Woman, 3 Chains of Gold and The Sacrifice of Victor.

God, the original NPG was great, and for once, Tony M's raps added something to the songs...

This album is the SOTT of the early-90s

I'm glad so many like the album coz it shows how varied our tastes our. SWA if you like drums then probably this heavier cd meets your desires. Also you mentioned "housey" in your review which drives home how culturally, "housey" must differ from country to continent. I kept up with Prince until D&P and only got this cd until a year ago. I think the title track put me off back then.

My name is Prince – There are not enough words to describe how much I dislike this passionately! I only listened the whole way thru, this once, to give an honest review. The title, the lyrics, Prince’s voice and the screaming and the rap to complete the disaster. The mix is good though into,

Sexy MF – Freed from the previous din, this is doable. Funky chorus, beat, tune and lyrics are okay, but the delivery is too hard. Overall I can only listen for 2 minutes before I flick.

Love 2 the 9s. Starts off promising then it goes to hell imo. The female voice is nice but I don’t like the way the song elements mix at all.

The morning papers – Nice track. Smooth flow. Final outro is nice, but I think the ending could be improved further.

The max – Lovely intro, a few spoken parts and the piano. There’s an MJ sounding part at around 2.30. However, if I want a lecture (which most hard rap sounds like to me) I’ll read a book.

Blue light – I don’t like the album version but the live version is lovely. Not a reggae fan personally, but there are a few numbers worth listening to.

I wanna melt with you – The thread on this made me get out the cd coz I didn’t know the song. Not bad at first, could grow on me, but it missed something, which I couldn't put my finger on; then I read the lyrics to find out what it was. tch tch…het kan gewoon niet.

Sweet baby – At this stage of listening, I was feeling sorry for myself, it was almost painful. And then sweet baby comes with its rose petals to make the boogie man go away and wipe the tears.

The continental –

Damn u – There is a God after all.

Arrogance –

The flow –

7 – How on earth did this little gem find its way to this album? I’ve never understood the lyric “one day we’ll smoke them all.” But, the lyrics, harmonies and slow but engaging beat always make listening to this song a treat. I often put the 3.52 part on repeat. Wish it went on longer and that Prince would incorporate this into his sets. It's a tune.

And God created women – Another gem. Clever title, inviting music and lyrics fitting. Pity there are not more lyrics.

3 chains of gold – a dramatic song that’s initially happy go lucky. The interlude at 50 secs to 1.32 is exquisite. Probably good for a musical because the story line changes frequently. But the intensity at the end puts me off getting into this song.

The sacrifice of Victor – Saw the video on the lotusflower website but couldn’t get past 5 minutes. This song, pretty much sums up the main vibe on this album for me. Not my thing really. The outro though is nice.

Definitely not my dance or "rave" style of music.

I this brilliant album a lot.....

My Name Is Prince

Sexy MF

Love 2 The 9s

The Morning Papers

I Wanna Melt With U

The Continental

7

And God Created Woman

The Sacrifice Of Victor

these are all excellent and strong tracks imo.

I the music videos too, MNIP, Sexy MF and 7..... just wow.

I rate this fine album 9 out of 10,

the album is just outside my Prince fave top 10:

01. Purple Rain (10)
02. Sign "O" The Times (10)
03. 1999 (10)
04. Lovesexy (10)
05. Parade (10)
06. Around The World In A Day (10)
07. The Gold Experience (10)
08. Dirty Mind (10)
09. Controversy (9)
10. Diamonds & Pearls (9)
11. Love Symbol Album (9)

^ I still have big for this funky album.

I remember the day I got this album. Picked it out of the discount bin at the mall, walked over to my dad, said 'can you buy this for me' and put it on the counter and somehow that worked because I walked out with a parental advisory stickered Prince album at the age of 13. I still don't think my dad really knew what it was because there's no name on the disc just a big gold symbol. It was only $2 so that's probably all he saw...haha sucka. Love this album from beginning to end. My favorites songs are:

'Blue Light'

'Love 2 the 9s'

'Damn U'

'7'

'The Morning Papers'

'Damn U'

Outstanding album even though the video compilation '3 Chains 'O' Gold' left a little to be desired...hilarious as hell, but was it really necessary? I watch it every time I need a good laugh. Hell, I'm going to go and watch it now.

Swa said:

After the high of the Prince Diamonds & Pearls tour and the hysteria that swept through Australia right along with it, it seemed straight away the album was released. Our first taste was hearing Sexy MF live and the cd single got rush released. By this stage I was working at the record store that had been my Prince mecca growing up and for the first time I was getting unpacking a new Prince album and placing it on the shelves… not to mention blasting it every chance I got.

Thankfully, I got an advance copy and took it home to listen to it. With the CD primed, the speakers buzzing, I pressed play and got hit with the rough funk that is My Name Is Prince (I always found it ironic that such a song would lead an album that featured the symbol that would be his moniker for the next few years). Spitting out the lyrics like venom, Prince in all his cockiness preens as he state’s his credentials. I always laughed at the amount of what I was hearing as Michael Jackson knocks – even down to the MJ dah at the end of every line and of course the “you must be a prince before you are king anyway” (shame that in 1982 MJ was touted as the Prince of Pop, lol – but that’s another story). While a mix of ego stroking and maybe a fact of peer pressure – I mean he was backed by the “we the $hit” NPG posse – Prince hits this track hard and fast.

What can you say about Sexy MF? Sounding as tight as it did live, the song struts along with a cool that makes the cussing almost acceptable. The kind of song you could hear Samuel L. Jackson get into, the semi-rap lyrics and 1,2,3 hit ending the verses that made this song a guilty pleasure for many.

Ohhhhhhh! Love 2 the 9s was an instant classic in my books, with its smooth verse and continuous lyrical chorus this was the perfect antidote to the whole grunge formula of pensive verse and explosive chewed out chorus. Upon hearing it I knew I would be hitting my drums as soon as the album finished and drumming along with this track. There is a sweetness in this song that is contagious, and the witty questionnaire replies always make me smile. And how cool is the line “would you hug me on a crowded street”!!! It should have been a single.

Speaking of singles, The Morning Papers was an interesting choice. Pop appeal aside, it was a song that when I first heard the album I didn’t really get into. It wasn’t until seeing the video that I got a new appreciation for the complexity in the arrangement and the layering of sounds I must have missed the first, second and 7^th time around.

First time I heard The Max it seemed like a bit of a mandatory, to match the housey dance grooves that were floating around at the time. Not a great song in my opinion, thought I did like all the little samples littered throughout the track even the fax machine on speed sound. There were better songs on the album so often I would find myself reaching for the >> button. Ooops it happened again.

Originally designed as a rock opera with many many more segues to detail the reporter, illusive star pursuit, several were cut to make space for more music. Personally, cut the Max and give me more segues.

Blue Light with its reggae Jamaica blue crystal waves vibe is a sweet summery song. Not one that immediately grabbed me but a track that has revealed it’s beauty over time. Countering Prince’s reputation as a hypersexed lady killer, BL gives a tongue in cheek perspective of a guy wanting a hypersexed relationship rather than living it. But I’m sure one flick of the blue light and everything would be alright. My fave line – “double heart attack couple both die in a fight”. Prince humour at his best.

With it’s techno bass line and inviting “I’ve got seven hours baby so what you wanna do” I wanna melt with U got me from the first beat. Even now listening to it, it seduces you in with its hard beats and flowing vocals. Put on the strobe and watch the colours burst forth, and I loved the sneak peak of 7 included in here (2:35), something you didn’t notice it until you listened to the CD for a second time.

Sweet Baby unfortunately shook the faith I had in Prince being able to write a sublime ballad. After when 2 r in love, scandalous, and insatiable, I had come to expect more from Prince than this simple ballad. Another song I would find myself skipping over and over.

Thankfully Prince followed SB with the killer groove of The Continental. With it’s two killer hooks for the price of one offering, TC is one of the stand out tracks on the album. I love how Prince plays your typical dance bass line of the “white lines” ilk on the guitar instead and seems to reinvent this classic groove. And just as all of Prince’s arrogant posing seems too much he breaks it down with “how you wanna be done” at 3:09 with all the smoothness of Prince’s finest funk grooves – with it’s sweet as sugar vocal delivery and teasing guitar lick everything is just too cool, especially the build up and pause of “til you tell me to stop…”, it’s just infectious. Also note the second allusion to 7 with the sing song ABCDEFG.

Damn U – a sweet enough song, but like Sweet Baby I just wasn’t feeling the ballads on .

Cocksure to boot, Arrogance is a hurricane of funk. Hyper and bursting at the seams, I love the confusion inspired breakdowns that reminded me of The Revolutions cacophony end to epic funk grooves.

The Flow with its Public Enemy inspired groove and rap still gives the thrill. And it seems every time I listen it I hear another sample I had missed last time, like the “Minneapolis Minneapolis” call outs.

If The Flow was the NPG, then 7 is pure Prince. The vocal layered intro is too beautiful for words, the eastern influenced groove and sitar like guitar melody harkens back to the Around the World in a Day era complete with finger cymbals. With its 7 signs of the apocalypse lyrical allusion, it’s one of Prince’s finest moments on record. A worthy single that still sounds as fresh today as it did the first time I heard.

With its bass line from heaven opening (accompanied by Rhodes piano) God Created Woman is without a doubt the most underrated track on here. This should have been a single in my opinion. A beautifully crafted song with those to die for Prince backing vocals (“shall we touch”) this is one of the songs I would have loved to have heard live. If people ever ask about Prince’s skills as a songwriter, I present this song as Exhibit A.

With it’s rock opera feel Three Chains of Gold initially struck me as Prince does Queen – a royal meeting of the minds if you will. Grandiose in it’s arrangement the song sweeps from powerful rock to light and airy melodious verses to hurried almost panicked midsection to return to the power of the main song and then builds and builds and builds to that wondrous solo at the climax. Self-indulgent? Maybe. Killer? Oh yes.

What is sacrifice? With its gett off inspired groove, The Sacrifice of Victor is more spiritual than sexual. With many critics reading waaaaaaay too much into this song, many felt that Victor was the new moniker of Prince, when actually the answer was staring them in the face whenever they looked at the cover.

And as the choir sang Amen, I sat back and reflected on what I had just heard. A more musically adventurous album than Diamonds and Pearls, held up under my heavy expectations. And sure enough I went downstairs to where my drum kit was, and loaded up Love 2 the 9s and Sexy MF. Years later those songs still do it for me.

And as far as the debate goes whether to call it the Love Symbol album, I always thought of it as the Prince Symbol which when said allowed sounds a lot like Principle – something Prince would stand on in his dispute with Warner Bros. In fact, after this album the Hits/B-Sides came out and when a new Prince album arrived it would elude to the death of Prince (1958 – 1993) and the birth of .

is the sound good or bad

do you have a studio for me

i can run only short distances

i am really starting to enjoy blue light. Prince should try more reggae

wasn't keen at all on 1st few listens-a few great moments but...i will admit his look was a big put off for me at that time.

then

iheard the stuff live

WOW

these tracks work sooooooooooooo much better live than an album

I absolutely love this album!

My fave album. P and the NPG couldn't do no wrong for me at this time.

'91-'94 is my fave era for ol Princey.