As an album I've always considered it to be among his worst five. I think it has its moment and there are some charming ideas even on some of the weaker tracks (like the synth parts on Silly Game, for example). Some of the songs put me in a calm and melancholic mood and I still there's a good album buried under the lousy beats, unnecessary chants and other bollocks. Prince just couldn't keep it all together at the time (TRC was a huge improvement over it in terms of production and overall style).

What I've never understood is all the hatred for "Baby Knows".

I love the greatest romance, so far so pleased and strange but true,

this album is way better than 20Ten to me

My introduction to Prince' world after Chaka's Come 2 My House, I could never hate this album. Plus, I love some of the songs

Any album with "Pretty Man" and "Strange but True" on it can't be all bad. There's a few other songs on there I really like and a few songs that I skip everytime (Undisputed especially). But I don't think it deserves half of the hate it gets.

toejam said:

I love Rave because it was the first "new" Prince album I bought after becoming a fan in c.1998. It was the first Prince album I anticipated, the first time I'd heard new, fresh Prince music. Looking back now, I can see many of the flaws that some people complain about, but it's still got that "fresh" sound to me. It's a nostalgic thing for me.

Plus, "Strange But True" is the sugar!

I think you may have hit on why I dislike the album so much. I became a fan in the summer of 1996 and Emancipation was the first "new" Prince album that I bought. I absolutely loved it. Crystal Ball was an album of outtakes so I didn't think of it as a proper new album. The Truth was nice but rather low-key and it didn't feel like a real album. Then there was Newpower Soul, a Prince album in all but name but it was credited to the NPG. For me Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic was the first "real" Prince album since Emancipation and I had very high expectations for it which were not met. From 1996-1999 I filled in the gaps in my Prince collection and had been heavily listening to his music so maybe my expectations were too high but compared to almost everything that came before the album was a huge letdown.

I wasn't knocked out by The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (which was released a couple of months earlier) but I gave it many more spins than Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic.

I have grown to like the album much more than I initially did but it will always be a bit disappointing to me.

One of my least favorite albums.

I like some songs on this album though. I really love, ''So Far, So Pleased'' I love it because it's a song with Gwen Stefani. and I also love ''The Greatest Romance Ever Sold'', the title track, ''I Love U But I Don't Trust U Anymore'' ,& ''Undisputed'' are the only songs that I like from this album. the rest I don't like very much, not really bad, but also not good.

I don't think the album is terrible but it doesn't sound very inspired.It was around this time (late 90s) when I began to wonder if Prince had finally run out of ideas.He seemed to be on autopilot for several years.

I do like several tracks."So Far,So Pleased" would have done well as a single."Baby Knows" is alot of fun."Silly Game" is a good R&B ballad.

why you screamin'?

Love several songs but I wish Rave had different production. It reminds me of Emancipation disc 4

[Edited 1/10/12 6:51am]

rdhull said:

why you screamin'?

Love several songs but I wish Rave had different production. It reminds me of Emancipation disc 4

Emancipation, Newpower Soul, Rave, and a lot of the 2001 NPGMC songs all had similar production, and I also don't really care for it.

rdhull said:

why you screamin'?

I don't think I've ever got past that line, as soon as I hear that intro and "why you screamin', you know I'm not a man o' war", I just shrivel up and press 'next' - I hate that style of drippy, cookie-cutter r&b.

NouveauDance said:

rdhull said:

why you screamin'?

I don't think I've ever got past that line, as soon as I hear that intro and "why you screamin', you know I'm not a man o' war", I just shrivel up and press 'next' - I hate that style of drippy, cookie-cutter r&b.

It's easily one of his worst ballads. It was fairly obvious he was trying to fit in with the dreck that was on R&B radio at the time.

imago said:

Overall, I don't get the hate for this album.

JediMaster said:

NouveauDance said:

I don't think I've ever got past that line, as soon as I hear that intro and "why you screamin', you know I'm not a man o' war", I just shrivel up and press 'next' - I hate that style of drippy, cookie-cutter r&b.

It's easily one of his worst ballads. It was fairly obvious he was trying to fit in with the dreck that was on R&B radio at the time.

not with a guitar solo right smack dab in the middle of it, he wasn't.

wow I forgot about man o' war, I really like that song

This is the most uneven album in Prince's library imo. There are some really great tunes, a lot of ok ones, and some real crap. I absoluetly LOVE the title track. It gets better with each listen. It's in my top 20 fave Prince tunes. It's one of those I really didn't dig the first few times, but it really aged well.

Man o War, Strange But True, Wherever U go, I Love U, But Don't Trust U, and Prettyman are WAY up there too on all time faves.

Hot Wit U & Everyday is a Winding Road are cringeworthy. They make me mad and depressed at the same time. Prince-By-Numbers. I hear them and just wonder how the best artist of my time can make something so bad.

The rest is just eh...whatever.

Combining the best from Un2 and In2 tho makes a pretty solid album.

its in my cd player in the car now ..

just a junky for the sound

I'm loving that people are lovin Strange But True. That is a great song

totally dig the album scratches on everyday..

been wonderin' if all the things I've ever seen
were ever real