fourth time I've listened to this in three days...

the jams don't sweat, the music doesn't bite, the lyrics evaporate like thin air, the rockers don't punch nor roll, the ballads sound forced, this is Emancipation meets Planet Earth at best...

best track and only semi-classic: Way Back Home, which coud have been a nice companion to Walk in Sand and Sea of Everything

I pity those who claim this is his best album SINCE (!) the late '80s...

I guess LoveSymbol, Come and The Gold Experience (or even TRC) are just as bad as 20Ten, right?

and I still think the 3rd eye girl album is at least fun and energetic, a decent successor to LotusFlow3r...

[Edited 9/30/14 8:40am]

livewire said:

After reading a handful of U.S. reviews, I'm calling it now: AOA is going to go through the same re-evaluation in the coming few years that Parade did in the decade that followed its release. Many reviewers (in America) gave Parade middling praise and with the exception of Kiss (and to a far lesser extent Mountains), the pop singles were DOA, which only furthered the notion of disappointment. Hell, the lukewarm response drove Prince himself to comment that he didn't have enough good material ready at the time of recording. Time has taken care of all of that foolishness, though, and today Parade is rightfully considered a masterwork.

.

I sincerely believe that AOA is going to follow the same trajectory. Once the critics have lived with it for a time and mined all of its many treasures, there's going to be a shift in the way it's talked about. Critics who rated the album 2.5 stars out of 4 will, for example, start writing lines like "New album X doesn't meet the high standard Prince achieved on 2014's funktastic AOA..." and you'll know the transformation has begun. I truly expect that AOA will be considered a Prince classic when all is said and done.

Actually, AOA has been getting some of his best reviews in years....The critics seem to be rocking with this more than any of his stuff since the '90s....I don't know about "classic" Prince...But this album is def. getting the critics on board....

JoeTyler said:

fourth time I've listened to this in three days...

the jams don't sweat, the music doesn't bite, the lyrics evaporate like thin air, the rockers don't punch nor roll, the ballads sound forced, this is Emancipation meets Planet Earth at best...

best track and only semi-classic: Way Back Home, which coud have been a nice companion to Walk in Sand and Sea of Everything

I pity those who claim this is his best album SINCE (!) the late '80s...

I guess LoveSymbol, Come and The Gold Experience (or even TRC) are just as bad as 20Ten, right?

and I still think the 3rd eye girl album is at least fun and energetic, a decent successor to LotusFlow3r...

[Edited 9/30/14 8:40am]

I pity those who cant assess an album without brining up other albums.

JoeTyler said:

fourth time I've listened to this in three days...

the jams don't sweat, the music doesn't bite, the lyrics evaporate like thin air, the rockers don't punch nor roll, the ballads sound forced, this is Emancipation meets Planet Earth at best...

best track and only semi-classic: Way Back Home, which coud have been a nice companion to Walk in Sand and Sea of Everything

I pity those who claim this is his best album SINCE (!) the late '80s...

I guess LoveSymbol, Come and The Gold Experience (or even TRC) are just as bad as 20Ten, right?

and I still think the 3rd eye girl album is at least fun and energetic, a decent successor to LotusFlow3r...

[Edited 9/30/14 8:40am]

Keep up the good fight homie....BTW, I haven't read a lot of folks saying this was his best album since the late 80s...What people are saying though is this feels like a real "Prince" album even with its flaws...But again, we all see things differently, right?

murph said:

livewire said:

After reading a handful of U.S. reviews, I'm calling it now: AOA is going to go through the same re-evaluation in the coming few years that Parade did in the decade that followed its release. Many reviewers (in America) gave Parade middling praise and with the exception of Kiss (and to a far lesser extent Mountains), the pop singles were DOA, which only furthered the notion of disappointment. Hell, the lukewarm response drove Prince himself to comment that he didn't have enough good material ready at the time of recording. Time has taken care of all of that foolishness, though, and today Parade is rightfully considered a masterwork.

.

I sincerely believe that AOA is going to follow the same trajectory. Once the critics have lived with it for a time and mined all of its many treasures, there's going to be a shift in the way it's talked about. Critics who rated the album 2.5 stars out of 4 will, for example, start writing lines like "New album X doesn't meet the high standard Prince achieved on 2014's funktastic AOA..." and you'll know the transformation has begun. I truly expect that AOA will be considered a Prince classic when all is said and done.

Actually, AOA has been getting some of his best reviews in years....The critics seem to be rocking with this more than any of his stuff since the '90s....I don't know about "classic" Prince...But this album is def. getting the critics on board....

It's not a classic or ground breaking album, but it has a nice vibe to it.

murph said:

JoeTyler said:

fourth time I've listened to this in three days...

the jams don't sweat, the music doesn't bite, the lyrics evaporate like thin air, the rockers don't punch nor roll, the ballads sound forced, this is Emancipation meets Planet Earth at best...

best track and only semi-classic: Way Back Home, which coud have been a nice companion to Walk in Sand and Sea of Everything

I pity those who claim this is his best album SINCE (!) the late '80s...

I guess LoveSymbol, Come and The Gold Experience (or even TRC) are just as bad as 20Ten, right?

and I still think the 3rd eye girl album is at least fun and energetic, a decent successor to LotusFlow3r...

[Edited 9/30/14 8:40am]

Keep up the good fight homie....BTW, I haven't read a lot of folks saying this was his best album since the late 80s...What people are saying though is this feels like a real "Prince" album even with its flaws...But again, we all see things differently, right?

please, define how a REAL Prince album is supposed to sound like

[Edited 9/30/14 8:54am]

Future Soul Song is like 10000000000000 times better than Breakdown

[Edited 9/30/14 9:01am]

JoeTyler said:

JoeTyler said:

fourth time I've listened to this in three days...

the jams don't sweat, the music doesn't bite, the lyrics evaporate like thin air, the rockers don't punch nor roll, the ballads sound forced, this is Emancipation meets Planet Earth at best...

best track and only semi-classic: Way Back Home, which coud have been a nice companion to Walk in Sand and Sea of Everything

I pity those who claim this is his best album SINCE (!) the late '80s...

I guess LoveSymbol, Come and The Gold Experience (or even TRC) are just as bad as 20Ten, right?

and I still think the 3rd eye girl album is at least fun and energetic, a decent successor to LotusFlow3r...

[Edited 9/30/14 8:40am]

There aren't any Rock tracks on this album.

Noodled24 said:

JoeTyler said:

fourth time I've listened to this in three days...

the jams don't sweat, the music doesn't bite, the lyrics evaporate like thin air, the rockers don't punch nor roll, the ballads sound forced, this is Emancipation meets Planet Earth at best...

best track and only semi-classic: Way Back Home, which coud have been a nice companion to Walk in Sand and Sea of Everything

I pity those who claim this is his best album SINCE (!) the late '80s...

I guess LoveSymbol, Come and The Gold Experience (or even TRC) are just as bad as 20Ten, right?

and I still think the 3rd eye girl album is at least fun and energetic, a decent successor to LotusFlow3r...

[Edited 9/30/14 8:40am]

There aren't any Rock tracks on this album.

of course not, because FUNKROLL is a bossanova song...

KingSausage said:

JoeTyler said:

Future Soul Song is like 10000000000000 times better than Breakdown

[Edited 9/30/14 9:01am]

I love AOA but I agree with this statement. Future Soul Song is underrated.

Future Soul Song is underrated, but it is one of only three standout tracks on 20TEN, and still lacks the potency and raw emotion of Breakdown. Overall, AOA is a far superior, better produced album. The only album in the last 20 years that comes anywhere close to its quality and cohesion is The Gold Experience.

JoeTyler said:

Noodled24 said:

There aren't any Rock tracks on this album.

of course not, because FUNKROLL is a bossanova song...

No it isnt.

The version on PE - you could call that a rock song I guess. But to reiterate what I said before. There are no rock songs on AOA.

i was initially a little disappointed in this album. more a product of a 4 year wait than a testament to the quality of the music itself...

that said, i've had it on repeat for the past 2 days. it might not be a classic, but undeniably solid. i can't recall the last album that didn't contain at least one track that i would skip every time. art official age is satisfying start to finish. i'll go to this one regulary, a la lovesexy, parade, controversy, new power soul...not to compare it to those albums (which i think is a futile exercise).

i will say this to the naysayers denigrating the production...this thing is ear candy. if your not giving it a thorough listening via a high quality headphone or hi-fi exposure, i can't help but think you're missing out. this has all the things that've made me a fan of prince's producer hat.

i'm just sad that now we have to wait who knows how long for another new album.

JoeTyler said:

murph said:

Keep up the good fight homie....BTW, I haven't read a lot of folks saying this was his best album since the late 80s...What people are saying though is this feels like a real "Prince" album even with its flaws...But again, we all see things differently, right?

please, define how a REAL Prince album is supposed to sound like

[Edited 9/30/14 8:54am]

I think a REAL Prince album at the heart of it all is that quirky feel that has seemed to be missing from his work throughout the '00....We heard that quirkiness in an album like the Rainbow Children, but while instrumental wise it went to some new places, that release at times was a little indulgent in terms of concept...

The thing that's cool about AOA is that it actually sounds fresh...The old Prince tropes are there, but it's blended with some new sounds that make it a "now" statement...

But Prince is naturally being "Prince"...There are no, "OH LOOK, IT'S A PRINCE SONG BECAUSE HE USES THE LINN DRUM!!!" moments. To me the REAL Prince has always been a bit of a weirdo, forward-thinking, and fun....

Again...u can disagree with my view and the myriad of other reviews being given by the press, but of course your opinion would be valid as well.

See how that works?

Noodled24 said:

JoeTyler said:

of course not, because FUNKROLL is a bossanova song...

No it isnt.

The version on PE - you could call that a rock song I guess. But to reiterate what I said before. There are no rock songs on AOA.

well, to each his own, I consider FUNKROLL to be the (bad) rock number of AOA

JoeTyler said:

Noodled24 said:

No it isnt.

The version on PE - you could call that a rock song I guess. But to reiterate what I said before. There are no rock songs on AOA.

well, to each his own, I consider FUNKROLL to be the (bad) rock number of AOA

Just a question, do you like 'pussy control'?

JoeTyler said:

Noodled24 said:

No it isnt.

The version on PE - you could call that a rock song I guess. But to reiterate what I said before. There are no rock songs on AOA.

well, to each his own, I consider FUNKROLL to be the (bad) rock number of AOA

Well you're wrong, because it's not a rock track. Thats blatently obvious to anyone thats heard it.

.

The post I originally replied to you said "rockers" - as in plural. What other rock tracks are on AOA?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

herb4 said:

What's your problem with the music? I can understand why some folks might not dig it or find it up their alley but to call it "uninteresting" and "bland", "boring" and "uninspired", as some are saying, just boggles my fucking mind. Becuase, say what you will about the new stuff, it's hardly boring. When I think "boring", I think of NEWS and Planet Earth. AOA has layers of weirdness and ear candy happening all over the place. The songwriting is even back to a large extent. What's uniinteresting about it? The last 4 or 5 tracks are among the greatest opus Prince has ever done. Christ, he even managed this time to make segues listenable and bearable.

.

Plectrum Electrum even manages to capture the aftershow/jam/rock n roll side of Prince that most of the world has never heard and that was frustratingly absent on "It Aint Over". I'm not sure what some people's problems are with these albums

To be honest, I haven't heard the albums in full, just individual cuts and they aren't spectacular.

Go do that (listen to the album in full). Don't skip one track. I felt the same way as you did about the new stuff from AOA until I heard it all together and in context. There's no "Days of Wild" or "Housequake' on it, but there's lots of "If I Was your Girlfriend", "Superfunkcalifragissexy", "The Beautiful Ones" , "Space", "Come On", "Wasted Kisses", "Loose"...hints of Parade...and even a few surprises that don't quite sound like anything he's done before. "Way Back Home" is modern masterpiece. He's challenged me for the first time in a while with this release and has even managed to make the segues and theme interesting and unobtrusive for a change. I wonder how much of that has to do with working with WB again and a dedicated producer?

.

It's really good but I get it may not be for everyone. It's not as thick, bottom heavy and rich like Exodus or even the Black Album. It's not as subtle and straight forward as 1999 or Purple Rain, where the effects and the production take a back seat to the song structure. It's not even as funky as 3121 or MPLSound but it all fits somehow. A lot of the tracks are growers, and in a good way. There are LAYERS here for the first time in a long time and that's what drew me to Prince in the first place back in the 1999 days. The kind of shit that makes you wanna listen to the WHOLE CD again.

.

PE is good too but for different reasons. It's gonna catch a lot of undeserved shit but it's pretty banging overall. It's one of those records that you put on at a cookout or a party when you have friends over who don't know or like Prince but like rock and funk. Then they'll ask "who's this?" I finally picked up theses discs today and gave them a proper spin on a decent sound system and tehy sound great. I love me some Prince rock/funk and am happy he finally gave us a proper rock album that's about as organic and garage band/aftershow sounding as we're ever liable to get from him. There's one or two tracks that don't fit but there's a shit ton of guitar on the entire record for once which is something I've always wanted him to do. There's even a punk rock song on it that harkens back to Dirty Mind and Controversy.

Lastly: finally an album with no ballads (Plectrum Electrum).

.

^^^(I guess I should have posted that last graph in the PE thread but oh well).^^^

.

It's all really good stuff, both records, even if all of it's not up everyone's particular alley. Don't believe the haters who call it "bland" and "garbage".

First full listen, and I am loving what I'm hearing. I was admittedly a little hesitatant to push play for fear that I would feel the same way after the first run for Planet Earth, 3121, 20Ten, but damn, AOA is tight. It's Prince, but it's like he found another Prince outside of what we've been expecting, i.e., another SOTT, Lovesexy, Parade, etc. Everything since TRC, with the exception of AOA, has seem somewhat forced and contrived. I have to admit, I tried to force myself to like what I heard, but in the end, I rarely listened to anything since TRC with any regularity.

One standout besides the music; his voice. It's fuckng excellent throught the entire CD. If this doesn't do well with the general music-listening population, it's their loss entirely this time.

Noodled24 said:

JoeTyler said:

well, to each his own, I consider FUNKROLL to be the (bad) rock number of AOA

Well you're wrong, because it's not a rock track. Thats blatently obvious to anyone thats heard it.

.

The post I originally replied to you said "rockers" - as in plural. What other rock tracks are on AOA?

well, that's your opinion, if you CAN NOT detect Prince's TRADEMARK ROCK-FUNK sound, then that's your problem, not mine

or perhaps you think ROCK MUST sound like Hendrix or Zeppelin, then again, that's your problem, not mine

what other rock tracks? I didn't necessarily mean tracks, more like PARTS

[Edited 9/30/14 10:34am]

If someone had told me 4 years ago that Prince's next album will be produced by the 24-yr-old husband of the drummer in his all girl rock band, I would have said they're effing high.

Polo1026 said:

JoeTyler said:

well, to each his own, I consider FUNKROLL to be the (bad) rock number of AOA

Just a question, do you like 'pussy control'?

I friggin' love that track, but I can understand why some folks find it irritating

murph said:

JoeTyler said:

please, define how a REAL Prince album is supposed to sound like

[Edited 9/30/14 8:54am]

I think a REAL Prince album at the heart of it all is that quirky feel that has seemed to be missing from his work throughout the '00....We heard that quirkiness in an album like the Rainbow Children, but while instrumental wise it went to some new places, that release at times was a little indulgent in terms of concept...

The thing that's cool about AOA is that it actually sounds fresh...The old Prince tropes are there, but it's blended with some new sounds that make it a "now" statement...

But Prince is naturally being "Prince"...There are no, "OH LOOK, IT'S A PRINCE SONG BECAUSE HE USES THE LINN DRUM!!!" moments. To me the REAL Prince has always been a bit of a weirdo, forward-thinking, and fun....

Again...u can disagree with my view and the myriad of other reviews being given by the press, but of course your opinion would be valid as well.

See how that works?

Well said Murph

2020 said:

murph said:

I think a REAL Prince album at the heart of it all is that quirky feel that has seemed to be missing from his work throughout the '00....We heard that quirkiness in an album like the Rainbow Children, but while instrumental wise it went to some new places, that release at times was a little indulgent in terms of concept...

The thing that's cool about AOA is that it actually sounds fresh...The old Prince tropes are there, but it's blended with some new sounds that make it a "now" statement...

But Prince is naturally being "Prince"...There are no, "OH LOOK, IT'S A PRINCE SONG BECAUSE HE USES THE LINN DRUM!!!" moments. To me the REAL Prince has always been a bit of a weirdo, forward-thinking, and fun....

Again...u can disagree with my view and the myriad of other reviews being given by the press, but of course your opinion would be valid as well.

See how that works?

Well said Murph

[snip - unnecessary flaming - M]

dadeepop said:

If someone had told me 4 years ago that Prince's next album will be produced by the 24-yr-old husband of the drummer in his all girl rock band, I would have said they're effing high.

do you like the result?

Happy to know I'm not a big giant nostalgic pussy who's gotten too old for breaking out into gooseflesh and welling up with tears listening to "Way Back Home". That track is just fucking beautiful. I've never heard him write a song like that. The closest thing I can think of is "Wasted Kisses".

.

It's weird listening to Prince open up like this and almost acknowledge his age and vulnerability. I love even more that he revisits it in "Affirmation 3", and "Time" is a great bridge. That's the other thing about AOA. The track sequencing is on point for a fucking change. I picked up the discs today and listened to them in the car, wanted to skip to "my jams", but found myself just letting it play. I drove out of my way and circled the block just to let it keep going and not skip ONE SONG.

.

Bravo, Prince.

JoeTyler said:

dadeepop said:

If someone had told me 4 years ago that Prince's next album will be produced by the 24-yr-old husband of the drummer in his all girl rock band, I would have said they're effing high.

do you like the result?

Absolutely. I was just saying how out-of-left-field that would have sounded back then.

JoeTyler said:

Noodled24 said:

Well you're wrong, because it's not a rock track. Thats blatently obvious to anyone thats heard it.

.

The post I originally replied to you said "rockers" - as in plural. What other rock tracks are on AOA?

well, that's your opinion, if you CAN NOT detect Prince's TRADEMARK ROCK-FUNK sound, then that's your problem, not mine

Specifically what elements here do you believe to be Princes trademark rock-funk? Specifically.

.

There are songs on AOA "where Prince didn't play an instrument" - Given the lyrics in this track are lifted direct from the PE version. I'd be willing to bet this is one of those tracks.

In other words - Princes TRADEMARK FUNK-ROCK that you hear in this song... is Josh.

or perhaps you think ROCK MUST sound like Hendrix or Zeppelin, then again, that's your problem, not mine

what other rock tracks? I didn't necessarily mean tracks, more like PARTS

[Edited 9/30/14 10:34am]

No, Rock doesn't need to sound like Hendrix or Zepplin. But there are 2 main "parts" to this song. The hiphop elements and a very EDM dance outro... Neither are rock music.

dadeepop said:

JoeTyler said:

do you like the result?

Absolutely. I was just saying how out-of-left-field that would have sounded back then.

oh