If you have to ask this question you should be listening to the likes of Justin Bieber.

as Robert Christgau said, its very creative. The irrestible saxophone and french like chorus in "Girls and Boys". "Anotherloveonyohead" is so funky, it gave me goosebumps. "Mountains" is revolution at their peak with musical contributions from Prince, Wendy, Lisa as well as the rest of the revolution. The drumming on "New Position" and the atmosphere of songs like "Under the cherry Moon". Not to mention "Kiss" which still gets alot of recoginition. "Sometimes it snows in april" is a great way to end the record. Its not perfect but IMO the album is atleast a 9/10.

ParanoidAndroid said:

Kiss is not the best part of Parade

It's actually close to my least favourite song on the album.

erik319 said:

Step 1: if you've got the cd, rip it to iTunes/mediaplayer.

Step 2: replace Kiss with Love or Money

Step 3: Enjoy

^ what?

"Love Or Money" is cool... but..... I wouldn't do that....

Y the suddenly hate towards "Kiss" ?

Like WDC and PR, "Kiss" is Prince's most known "trademark" song,

I have heard "Kiss" a billion times, I will never be tired of this timeless classic (the studio version),

Live, in concerets it has never been played that good, even the latest versions are better than some.

Ps.

I have "Kiss" (the intro guitar with then the instrumental part) as my ringtone on my cellphone...

The guitar bit in the beginning sounds really perfect... as a ringtone, everytime the phone rings I jumps up to the sound of Prince.

[Edited 3/9/11 23:51pm]

dyvrdown said:

i think its an ok album, and i dont see why some people put it above all his others. i know everybodys gonna say the best part about it is kiss... but id like to know what else everyone loves about it so much? its just such an odd sounding album to me. maybe thats whats so appealing to everyone?

and kiss makes me cringe

but then again, lots of my favorites seem to be the ones that everyone dislikes the most. so maybe im just weird? is there anybody who actually doesnt like parade? or dare i ask (again..) kiss?

Not me, it is probably my least favorite on the album, it's a great song, but after 20 odd years of it, and it being played live endlessly, i could do without it for a while.

That said, i like the way Prince seems to change the arrangement of it every time it IS played live.

As for the album, i love it because it sounds different, i like the sounds, the instruments used, the songs, the feeling i get from listening to it, everything.

I actually very rarely listen to the album now, i prefer to listen to the "Music From Under The Cherry Moon" bootleg, which is basically the Parade album with all the extended versions on it, plus some extra stuff in there, all blended nicely to make it the definitive version of Parade.

[Edited 3/10/11 5:30am]

For a long time (7-8 years maybe) I thought this was his worst 80's album, so I understand not really getting it, it's a weird sounding album. But these days it's one of my favourties.

PurpleKnight said:

Aside from incredibly funky songs, a breezy atmosphere throughout, fun and othertimes thoughtful lyrical writing, and wonderful pacing and consistency, I have no idea.

Totally co-sign.

And, by the way, I´m very happy to see you back on the org.

I once watched him play Anotherlover a new arrangement with guitar and it was amazing. Such a strange track stands out in an album of very fine work.

Even "do you lie?" was nothing like I'd ever heard at the time.
The album blew my mind. Prince at play and at the top of his game.

We'll never hear the likes of this album again.

Kiss, though as overplayed as LRC is amazing. I'd love to hear it with fresh ears again.

thedance said:

Live, in concerets it has never been played that good, even the latest versions are better than some.

A lot of people seem to think this here on the org. I disagre. My favourite Prince song is even better with the funky horns.

dyvrdown said:

..most people would be lying if they said that the first song they think of isnt kiss when they think of parade. thats what i meant. i cant think of the album without being reminded of that song.

Honestly, honestly.... Kiss is the track on the album I skip. I'm sick of the hits, it's rare that I listen to them, and Kiss is a Mazarati construction that was tacked onto the album because Prince saw the hit potential. When I think of Parade, I think of every track BUT Kiss.

I'm not saying I don't like Kiss or that it's not a great track - I just don't think it defines Parade in any way.

[Edited 3/10/11 2:19am]

Kiss is not my favorite song on that album and I think it´s been played to death by now (but I like the song, especially the 12" version). I like the album because it has a certain vibe, a cohesive sound even though the songs are so different in their structure. I also like its elegance, the album cover artwork, the great tour that came with it, the soulful renditions of the songs and the lyrics. I´m not really a fan of songs like "Do You Lie?" but other than that, the album is a masterpiece. I just love its airy, breezy atmosphere and the uplifting mood througout the album.

KoolEaze said:

I just love its airy, breezy atmosphere and the uplifting mood througout the album.

Mmmmm-hmmmm. It comes from such a good place.

thedance said:

erik319 said:

Step 1: if you've got the cd, rip it to iTunes/mediaplayer.

Step 2: replace Kiss with Love or Money

Step 3: Enjoy

^ what?

"Love Or Money" is cool... but..... I wouldn't do that....

Y the suddenly hate towards "Kiss" ?

No hate from me, I love the song. Just solving her problem for her.

I've got all my Prince CD's nicely stored away as they should be. But when it comes to those that I listen to on my ipod, any tracks I dislike on an album are removed or replaced. simples.

I'm always stunned PARADE is so much better when I play it, than it is in my head. When I think of the tracks, I sing the choruses in my head and it's nothing special.

When I actually hear the songs, they're so much more.

Even though I don't like all the songs on it it sure is one of my favourite Prince albums with a special vibe and the tour was awesome too !

[Edited 3/10/11 3:24am]

I Wonder U. That's what.

dyvrdown said:

..most people would be lying if they said that the first song they think of isnt kiss when they think of parade. thats what i meant. i cant think of the album without being reminded of that song.

and i was just giving examples, replace tge with d&p then. whatever, it makes no difference.

actually, I barely think of Kiss at all when I think of Parade. it's kind of the odd-man-out on that album. not that it's bad, I love it, but when I think of Parade, I don't think of Kiss, because it's not really representative. I think of Mountains, Christopher Tracy's Parade, New Position, Girls & Boys, Sometimes It Snows In April, Life Can Be So Nice, etc.

dyvrdown said:

i think its an ok album, and i dont see why some people put it above all his others. i know everybodys gonna say the best part about it is kiss... but id like to know what else everyone loves about it so much? its just such an odd sounding album to me. maybe thats whats so appealing to everyone?

and kiss makes me cringe

but then again, lots of my favorites seem to be the ones that everyone dislikes the most. so maybe im just weird? is there anybody who actually doesnt like parade? or dare i ask (again..) kiss?

Kiss has always been my least favorite song on that album so I'll give you that

Parade for me is one of his near perfect albums - his vision was clear regarding what he wanted the band to convey with music, image etc....

Every song IMO is a masterpiece Kiss less so but as the video made my teenage heart melt I gave it a pass

Its hard to pick a favorite but these are my top 4 from the album

Mountains

Anotherlover

Sometimes in Snows in April

Christopher tracy's parade..

Prince & the Revolution was just different to the other artists at that time (1986) which is saying something as the UK charts were filled with quality acts like Madonna, Wham pre gay George, Dire Straights, Aha, Full force, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklyn, James Brown, Bangles, Band Aid, David Bowie....

You had to be there, Parade the album ruled then and now.

2funkE said:

One thing I have come to understand over the years is that much of Prince's best material is not easily appreciated.

Some of his commercial hits are likeable upon first listening - funky as all heck, beautifully melodic etc. but many

other releases take a mature ear, and lots of listens before you "get it".

All of Prince's 80's material sounded like it came from another planet when originally released. Nobody was putting out anything like it and it took a while to get your head around it.

Certainly worth the investment in time.

THIS

PurpleKnight said:

Aside from incredibly funky songs, a breezy atmosphere throughout, fun and othertimes thoughtful lyrical writing, and wonderful pacing and consistency, I have no idea.

firstly, kiss has been over played .. he still cant pull it off live, but it is an awesome studio track for sure. the singing, at the end, is some of his best, the production is amazing, a simple 3 chord blues structure turned funky with lyrics that qualify for recognition as a "standard".

prince made the mistake 2 times of opening his records with very challenging songs. even with hits like kiss and raspberry beret, around the world and christopher tracy are both challenging openers and the weakest tracks on the record. choices like these are what keeps great records from purple rain like sales.

the real appeal for me is that PARADE is by far the most organic band orientated record PRINCE has EVER released. even tho he still plays a lot of the instrumentation PARADE feels like a REVOLUTION record. and it sounds like a real band too. more real sounding instruments and less drum machines and synthesizers. the band is in full swing on songs like MOUNTAINS and even the most princely songs have more REVOLUTION than ever before.

PARADE felt like prince finally achieved with a band, the sound he was going for in the studio without all the gadgets to make it sound like he had a full band.

then there is the songs .. aside from the opener the record is pure gold songwriting . from the twisting harmonies of anotherlover to the grinding jazz dirge of life can be so nice, laced with his princely lyrics which are his least cringeworthy in his catalog .. no temptation, darling nikki, it here, all solid poetry.

for what it is, it is PRINCE most all around best record that isnt super sad and depressing, like say purple rain is. sign has some better songs but a lot of filler like fluff pieces as well as a somewhat sterile sound without the revolution on board.

it takes a bit to get into because the lead song is hard to get past .. if ur in it for kiss u have to wait till side 2 and the quirky new position and i wonder u, as great as they are, arent strong enough to pull in the casual listener after having to endure chris tracy parade opener. girls and boys is the first real casual listeners calling card. so point is that it takes a bit of getting used to before u can appreciate how great it is

Firstly for me it is Prince's only complete album. I have only 3 complete albums in my record collection. Parade , Kate Bush-The Hounds of Love and The Cocteau Twins-Heaven or Las Vegas. Obviously my opinion

Furthermore the genius with it is how it works on so many levels-it is Definitively Funky but also incredibly clean and fresh sounding. Also it is so layered and yet manages to sound poppy and classical at the same time.

It is unique and it was this that absolutely consolidated my belief in Prince as the best-no matter what came after this he had done more than enough by this point in his career

erik319 said:

thedance said:

^ what?

Y the suddenly hate towards "Kiss" ?

No hate from me, I love the song. Just solving her problem for her.

I've got all my Prince CD's nicely stored away as they should be. But when it comes to those that I listen to on my ipod, any tracks I dislike on an album are removed or replaced. simples.

nursev said:

Well for starters this ain't too bad and the cd was cool too

[img:$uid]http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr337/val34prince/jzp6zf5riii9fzrz.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr337/val34prince/princekiss.gif[/img:$uid]

See NURSEV.....

I was scrolling and thinking a bunch of stuff about the album and why I KILL it so much....

But I kept coming to one of the most important things about this album.......

then all of the sudden BAM you go ahead and post THAT..........the album cover

Was he the definition of FINE with that shot?????

I'm obsessed with that picture along with the Hits/Bside cover. Well let me stop playing there is a few other obsessions but you know what I'm getting at...cough...cough....

I LOVE this album especially MOUNTAINS...which I have yet hear him play this live .....the album was most definately out the box thinking like SOTT...A miss mosh of great music.

To me it is the most sophisticated Prince album. To me it comes off as the "high end" Prince Album.

Experimental, funky, and sophisticated. Like "fine art" of pop music.

And it's not just just the music and production that feels like something special, but everything about it. The fonts, the photography, the art direction.

And I agree about "do you lie" being underrated. I have always imagined someone doing that song minus the camp. The camp cheapens the song a little, but fits perfectly within the album.

"I Wonder U" to this day sounds as awesome and sophisticated today as the day it came out. Any mere artist would put that on their resumé as the peak of their career. On Parade, for Prince it is just another great track on another great album.

[Edited 3/10/11 8:16am]

1.) the Photography that the music inspired

2.) the videos (the best of his career) that the music inspired

3.) the creative energy surrounding the project:the Family, Sheila E. Mazarati, the B-sides & Outtakes that the music inspired

4.) "Love God" - Prince & the Revolution - '86 that inspired the music

5.) Special thanks 2 Clare Fischer 4 making brighter the colors Black & White

6.) This album is Purple Paisley Chic, the album & era is very similar 2 Purple Rain ... and could have been just as big. The music is very 'mature'. It's the music of someone opened up to a piece of the world. You can visualize the colors of the music... it's a very colorful album. All the sounds of Christopher Tracey's Parade, the depth of the music on this album with new sounds... I Wonder U, the crispness of it, Mountains, AnotherLoverHolenYourHead with similar Middle Eastern instrumentation 2 Strange Relationships... it being cool that ALHYH incorporates Middle Eastern sounds similar 2 France having a prominate Middle Eastern population, Life Can Be So Nice with it's wild quirkiness similar 2 In A Large Room With No Lights. the airy sounds of Venus de Milo & the B side:Alexis de Paris with it very similar feel 2 God the Love Theme...it's an album that takes you places.

Produced, Composed, Arranged & Performed by Prince & the Revolution
Orchestra composed & arranged by Clare Fischer

Christopher Tracy's Parade & Under the Cherry Moon
were composed by John L. Nelson & Prince
Kiss arranged by David Z
background voice by Mazarati
Girls & Boys background voices by Sheila E & Lisa on the left Susannah & Wendy on the right
the French seduction on Girls & Boys is performed by Marie France
Eric Leeds plays the horn on Girls & Boys & Mountains
Trumpet by Atlanta Bliss
Mico -rhythm guitar on Mountains
Little Gypsy girl on Do U Lie? is played by Sandra Francisco
Do U Lie? - the Drums are played by Jonathan Melvoin
Sheila also plays cowbells on Life Can Be So Nice and Drums on Venus De Milo
All background voices on Anotherloverholenyohead by Susannah & Prine

Additional background vocals 4 Parade by Susannah

Orchestral Players:
Violins: Isabelle Daskoff, Francine Walsh, Mari Botnik, Pam Gates, Janice Gower, Karen Jones, Betty Moor, Irma Neumann, Assa Drori, Billy Hymanson, Oscar Chasow, Ron Clark, Henry Ferber

^ nice post OldFriends, I love the Parade pics too,

especially the one for "Kiss".

[img:$uid]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9519/kissom.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1903/kissfullpic2.jpg[/img:$uid]

^

Do this:

Arrange to be in Wisconsin on the first perfectly warm, totally sunny, just-slightly-breezy day in the spring. At noon, get in your car, open the sunroof, slip Parade into the CD player, and drive Highway 23 between Dodgeville and Spring Green. (The prettiest drive in the state - one that takes you past the home of Frank Lloyd Wright.)

I have done this every spring for the last 15 years. It never gets old - and it has solidified Parade as my favorite Prince album ever.