The Black Album. Easily.

Lovesexy because it's my morning soundtrack when I'm running for the bus in the morning lmaoo

The Black album, for Dead on it and Bob George alone

Lovesex.. thats my jam!

Both !!!

Total apples and oranges discussion. Yes, they're attached at the hip because of the reasons and stories of Prince catching a great buzz (and eventual bad trip) on Ecstacy that all of us know and love, but those 2 records are simply worlds apart. One is a mean-spirited, dark, and fucking lyrically-hilarious album that made sure to not take itself too seriously. The other one is an airy, excessive, near-unapproachable concept album with outstanding songs in which they all intertwined to make sure it's message went over your head as best as it could. I love both of these albums as much as the next person here, but I find myself listening to Lovesexy on my own time more and TBA when I'm with friends and they ask me to put on the darker side of Prince's stuff. TBA is an easier album for those that arent major fans like us to jam out to, whereas with Lovesexy it pretty much scares those same people off and proves their argument is accurate when they say Prince is a total out to lunch weirdo. But to end on a good note: Rock Hard in a Funky Place could possibly be pound for pound my favorite song of his if I had to choose and the 1-2-3 punch of When 2 R In Love, Eye Wish U Heaven and Positivity is just simply untouchable in their combined power together.

[Edited 4/13/15 18:04pm]

Lovesexy

They're very different, both great, but at the end of the day I am a Black Album kinda guy.

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

BOTH!!!

But if forced at gun point, I'd say Lovesexy!

Even at gun point, I wouldn't budge.
It's a double album.
You may draw your weapons.

Doalwa said:

The Black album, for Dead on it and Bob George alone

At last, I see more and more orgers confessing their love for "Dead On It".
I was so surprised hearing MC from the Peach & Black Podcast praising it.
The Black Album is full of humour, a stage for Prince the comedian.
"Dead On It" is a mofo masterpiece.
Never understood people considering it a serious thing.
It's up there with "Movie Star".

"My bed's a coffin, Dracula ain't got shit on me
My nickname's Hell's-a-Poppin', I'm badder than the Wicked Witch
I got a gold tooth, costs more than your house
I got a diamond ring on four fingers, each one the size of a mouse".

[Edited 4/14/15 17:55pm]

OldFriends4Sale said:

Lovesexy

but I just have all kinds of ideals of what the Black era would have looked like

There wouldn't have been any such thing as a Black era or Black Tour, as TBA was envisioned as a side project. Whatever it'd have been, another Prince album woulda popped-up in 1988 as the proper follow-up to SOTT.

To be honest....I like The Black Album,but I totally agree with Prince's decision to shelve it.

It's a fun,party record but at that point in his career (1987-88),Prince was above doing music like that.It would have been weird for that album to be the follow-up to the brilliant 'SOTT'.

databank said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Lovesexy

but I just have all kinds of ideals of what the Black era would have looked like

There wouldn't have been any such thing as a Black era or Black Tour, as TBA was envisioned as a side project. Whatever it'd have been, another Prince album woulda popped-up in 1988 as the proper follow-up to SOTT.

Advance copies to DJs? 400,000 copies sitting on loading docks waiting to be distributed? Doesn't sound like a side project to me.

peege43 said:

databank said:

There wouldn't have been any such thing as a Black era or Black Tour, as TBA was envisioned as a side project. Whatever it'd have been, another Prince album woulda popped-up in 1988 as the proper follow-up to SOTT.

Advance copies to DJs? 400,000 copies sitting on loading docks waiting to be distributed? Doesn't sound like a side project to me.

I'm not making this up, u should know better than assuming I make things up. The record was not even a Prince album by name, it was credited as "Something" by "Somebody" on order catalogues. It was definitely not intended as the official follow-up to SOTT, more something people were supposed to dig up, find and talk about, a hype artefact.

+ at the time all side projects enjoyed lots of copies, records sales were high. IDK about the sales figures for Paisley Park projects but IIRC the Time and Sheila E. album went gold if not to the million, and to give u an idea of the situation in 86-87, Jesse's Shockadelica sold 400,000 (meaning more were printed), and Jesse wasn't exactly a major act.

databank said:

peege43 said:

Advance copies to DJs? 400,000 copies sitting on loading docks waiting to be distributed? Doesn't sound like a side project to me.

I'm not making this up, u should know better than assuming I make things up. The record was not even a Prince album by name, it was credited as "Something" by "Somebody" on order catalogues. It was definitely not intended as the official follow-up to SOTT, more something people were supposed to dig up, find and talk about, a hype artefact.

+ at the time all side projects enjoyed lots of copies, records sales were high. IDK about the sales figures for Paisley Park projects but IIRC the Time and Sheila E. album went gold if not to the million, and to give u an idea of the situation in 86-87, Jesse's Shockadelica sold 400,000 (meaning more were printed), and Jesse wasn't exactly a major act.

Exactly. I remember meeting with the WB Rep for UK South East (who I knew quite well) and seeing the stock sheet. "Something" from "Somebody". The Reps were only going to get two copies per store drop (if it hadn't been pulled), Vs a case of weekly Prince stock. He told me they were expressly instructed that they were not allowed to mention its Prince.

I can't remember the stock arrangements exactly, but I think they hoping on a max 100,000 run, with no reprint, even if it took off. The plan was an early attempt at viral marketing.

SquirrelMeat said:

databank said:

I'm not making this up, u should know better than assuming I make things up. The record was not even a Prince album by name, it was credited as "Something" by "Somebody" on order catalogues. It was definitely not intended as the official follow-up to SOTT, more something people were supposed to dig up, find and talk about, a hype artefact.

+ at the time all side projects enjoyed lots of copies, records sales were high. IDK about the sales figures for Paisley Park projects but IIRC the Time and Sheila E. album went gold if not to the million, and to give u an idea of the situation in 86-87, Jesse's Shockadelica sold 400,000 (meaning more were printed), and Jesse wasn't exactly a major act.

Exactly. I remember meeting with the WB Rep for UK South East (who I knew quite well) and seeing the stock sheet. "Something" from "Somebody". The Reps were only going to get two copies per store drop (if it hadn't been pulled), Vs a case of weekly Prince stock. He told me they were expressly instructed that they were not allowed to mention its Prince.

I can't remember the stock arrangements exactly, but I think they hoping on a max 100,000 run, with no reprint, even if it took off. The plan was an early attempt at viral marketing.

Right. It was a pure marketing move. He knew there was no way to keep his name out of it, just as he didn't keep Jamie Starr anonymous. Create the demand by limiting the number per store, word would leak out that it was Prince, and boom, you have a hit.

For all the bonehead marketing moves he's made during his career, he was sometimes pretty adept at it (see Purple Rain).

He also was not working on any other solo album at the time. Prince was always working on something, which makes me think that this was not just a side project, especially when he rushed into the studio afterwards to create Lovesexy (and "borrowed" When 2 R In Love).

peege43 said:

SquirrelMeat said:

Exactly. I remember meeting with the WB Rep for UK South East (who I knew quite well) and seeing the stock sheet. "Something" from "Somebody". The Reps were only going to get two copies per store drop (if it hadn't been pulled), Vs a case of weekly Prince stock. He told me they were expressly instructed that they were not allowed to mention its Prince.

I can't remember the stock arrangements exactly, but I think they hoping on a max 100,000 run, with no reprint, even if it took off. The plan was an early attempt at viral marketing.

Right. It was a pure marketing move. He knew there was no way to keep his name out of it, just as he didn't keep Jamie Starr anonymous. Create the demand by limiting the number per store, word would leak out that it was Prince, and boom, you have a hit.

For all the bonehead marketing moves he's made during his career, he was sometimes pretty adept at it (see Purple Rain).

He also was not working on any other solo album at the time. Prince was always working on something, which makes me think that this was not just a side project, especially when he rushed into the studio afterwards to create Lovesexy (and "borrowed" When 2 R In Love).

And it sure wasn't an album officially credited to "Prince", there would have been no supporting single or music video, no tour, no TV appearance or interviews (not that P was doing those last 2 a lot anyway). This is factual, it wasn't by any means planned to be a proper album in the usual sense (see what Squirrel just said). OF COURSE people would have found out it was Prince the same way they knew he was Madhouse and Jaimie Starr, but still it's not quite the same as a "new Prince album" with all the PR work.

As u say P is in a continuous recording process so he certainly would have come up with a proper new album by Summer of 1988, that would have enjoyed the usual singles-music videos-tour stuff. He was already working on a draft for GB (the film) at that time so it's possible he planned it to be the next big thing as he didn't know the Lovesexy and Batman projects would happen in between and delay GB up to 90.

Basically what I was saying to OldFriends4Sale was that there wouldn't have been a "Black era" with all that implies (singles and videos and b-sides and tour and even a new dress code since each album enjoyed a new dress code at the time). The album woulda been released, it would have made more or less of a hype, but it would not have been supported by anything more than this word of mouth hype (that was the fundamental idea behind the whole project), then P would have moved on to the next "proper" album/project.

Does anyone remember the video for "When 2 R In Love" when the Black Album was officially released in the 90s? It was just the song lyrics scrolling across a black screen. I remember seeing it on TV a few times and may have actually recorded it onto a VHS tape. That's how much of a fam I was back then that I recorded a Prince video of a black screen.

Black Album. Shit is hard as hell, hilarious, fun, funky. I guess I agree that you need the two of them together to understand Prince, if you only are exposed to one you aren't getting the full picture. Lovesexy becomes annoyingly preachy without the Black Album to balance it out.