Sex in the Summer...White Mansion...Somebody's Somebody...The Love We Make...My Computer

Damn, y'all! I'm doing this from memory...damn! Some of this album was pretty good!

Sleep Around and Joint 2 Joint were on this album too. Shit!!!!!!!!!!

I even liked Emale. He was on a musical high, on this one!!!!!!!!

I love the way he sung these jams. It sounded familiar, because we know what hits are supposed to sound like but it was fresh and new at the same time.

I really love the funk breakdown in My Computer. One of the reasons I like Prince music is the intensity of it. Prince is really into music...he doesn't bullshit to make hits. He does what God tells him to musically; if you like it, cool! If you don't, that's cool too. You're bound to find something that you like when you listen to his music.

Thoughts on these gems and other ones I may have missed!!

Yeah, My Computer is divine, but I like a lot more of the music on disc 2, the Holy River is by far the best most heartfelt track, a lot of other pretty gems on 2. Also enjoy the covers, Betcha by Golly Wow, La La La Means I Love U, and Cant Make U Love Me, though it is no better than Raitts version. Dont feel Email or Somebodys somebody or Jam of the year much. White Mansion aint bad, but disc 1 pretty crummy and generic by Prince standards, disc 3 is quite good

This is absolutely my favorite album especially disc 2

Emancipation! Nearly all of it, and even the excessive numbers possess a brand of charm.

>

These 3 discs' songs are a musical cornucopia, all rendered with high sympathy. You have slick jams; pop romps; genre-spanning cover tunes par excellence; a profound love tale; heartbreak; humor; defiance; funk & soul.

>

I don't get the criticism raised for the sound production done on this project; it's too smooth for some people's taste, yet it has a true style, like the song itself.

>

Emancipation is an opus of self-determination.

Misleading headline... about too many Hits,



if I recall correctly Emancipation did not even have just 1 hit...

the leading single Betcha By Gollw Wow!, was close but did not make it to the top 40, iirc?

I could be wrong, but Face Down and Somebody's Somebode were not hits, neither.... both released as promo singles but did not make an impact at all.

After the superior and brilliant masterpiece The Gold Experience, I was truly disappointed with Emancipation.

The life-less production and the sugary sound on many songs was just too much for me, I could not stand the sound on Emancipation for many years.

I have come to live with it -today- after many listenings, but to me this projct was my first major disappointment by Prince, album wise..

Sure thers some good songs in The Holy River, Joint 2 Joint, The Love We Make, My Computer...

Today I will rate this album: 8/10 which is rather high after all, Emancipation is in my Prince top-20 albums but definately not into top-10.

Not among the classics, imo.

As I said in a similar thread some times ago, I think "Emancipation" is the worst aged P album.

Strictly talkin' of "hits" I don't think there is a genuine "hit" inside.
There is one masterpiece that it is obviously not a hit ("The Love We Make"), there is one real good song also not obvious hit ("My Computer") and there are 4 good songs missin' something to be a real hit ("Sex In The Summer", The Holy River", "Somebody's Somebody" and "Right Here Back In My Arms"), "SITS" being the only one that for me could receive a good airplay and maybe some kind of mainstream success.

On a side note, the bad choices of singles (How can a Stylistics cover be the first single of a re-launch career statement album?!?!?!?) show how P tried too hard and was not equilibrate on the Emancipation project.

Emancipation is in no way a great album.

.

I actually like it more than some people do, but recently I've come to the conclusion that it's fairly disposable. There are exactly two songs out of 36 that I would consider essential Prince: 'The Holy River' and 'White Mansion'. Despite the dated production, there's otherwise no faulting those two cuts -- the arrangements, composition, melodies, lyrics are perfect. Couldn't be better. (Slightly edited for time, those really should have been the two singles.) Actually, I wish Prince would do more songs like those two. 'The Holy River' is him baring his soul and taking a big step into relationship 'maturity', while 'White Mansion' is nostalgic, heartwarming, and funny. People want more of those things from Prince, not more nonsense about Egyptian pyramids and protégé girl-bands.

.

'Somebody's Somebody' is also a really good song, not quite essential but very good. Likewise, 'Soul Sanctuary'.

.

The rest of the album is mostly pleasant and quite listenable, but 32 tracks of 'competent' music is not really what I want from a staggering genius like Prince.

.

I do think a few other songs are good -- 'Sex in the Summer', 'Jam of the Year', 'The Love We Make', and 'My Computer' are good. The remaining 28 tracks can pretty much reside in the garbage bin as far as I'm concerned.

.

As everyone knows, putting out a triple-CD of 36 songs was a cool idea but career-suicide. But 'career suicide' is sort of the general theme of 1990s' Prince... I mean, 'The Artist'... I mean, 'Love Symbol'... I mean... ah, f*** it.

"Sex In The Summer" is a disaster. Same annoying intro as "Baltimore" and "Rave Unto". Pretty sure there is some 'tis and 'twases in the lyrics and then the line about 'waiting for the gust/just to bust that butt out please'. The whole album sounds like he was having bored sex with Mayte.

ThePanther said:

Emancipation is in no way a great album.

.

I actually like it more than some people do, but recently I've come to the conclusion that it's fairly disposable. There are exactly two songs out of 36 that I would consider essential Prince: 'The Holy River' and 'White Mansion'. Despite the dated production, there's otherwise no faulting those two cuts -- the arrangements, composition, melodies, lyrics are perfect. Couldn't be better. (Slightly edited for time, those really should have been the two singles.) Actually, I wish Prince would do more songs like those two. 'The Holy River' is him baring his soul and taking a big step into relationship 'maturity', while 'White Mansion' is nostalgic, heartwarming, and funny. People want more of those things from Prince, not more nonsense about Egyptian pyramids and protégé girl-bands.

.

'Somebody's Somebody' is also a really good song, not quite essential but very good. Likewise, 'Soul Sanctuary'.

.

The rest of the album is mostly pleasant and quite listenable, but 32 tracks of 'competent' music is not really what I want from a staggering genius like Prince.

.

I do think a few other songs are good -- 'Sex in the Summer', 'Jam of the Year', 'The Love We Make', and 'My Computer' are good. The remaining 28 tracks can pretty much reside in the garbage bin as far as I'm concerned.

.

As everyone knows, putting out a triple-CD of 36 songs was a cool idea but career-suicide. But 'career suicide' is sort of the general theme of 1990s' Prince... I mean, 'The Artist'... I mean, 'Love Symbol'... I mean... ah, f*** it.

I'd largely agree with your post, I like most of the album but wouldn't be playing it for a new fan, but i'd say In this Bed Eye Scream is fairly essential Prince...

more than White Mansion imho

Face Down is great as well, but within the context of "oh god, prince is rapping again".

was no hits on emancipation.

a couple good songs, overshadowed by more average one's.

overall not a memorable Prince album, not a strong Prince album..

so many new threads this month praising average to below average albums...

I certainly didn't expect this album after TGE, but there are several great songs on this set imo. I love how some think their opinions are superior to others for various reasons. Can't people just like different types of music? There are a few songs I don't particularly care for, but overall I was & still am quite pleased with this album. I would have never expected P to ever release a song such as New World, yet, there it is.

I agree that disc 2 stands out as the better of the three, but I still enjoy music from all of them.

thedance said:

After the superior and brilliant masterpiece The Gold Experience, I was truly disappointed with Emancipation.

The life-less production and the sugary sound on many songs was just too much for me, I could not stand the sound on Emancipation for many years.

I have come to live with it -today- after many listenings, but to me this projct was my first major disappointment by Prince, album wise..

Sure thers some good songs in The Holy River, Joint 2 Joint, The Love We Make, My Computer...

Today I will rate this album: 8/10 which is rather high after all, Emancipation is in my Prince top-20 albums but definately not into top-10.

Not among the classics, imo.

Pretty much how I felt. Following on from the shit hot Gold era, Emancipation was a big disappointment for me and the start of a mini plastic era.

.

The only tracks that I'd say I really rated today would be:

.

Somebody's Somebody

Right Back Here In My Arms

White Mansion

Dreamin About U

Joint 2 Joint

The Holy River

Saviour

My Computer

The Love We Make

There is some real cream on this album. On my album rating system I gave all the following songs high marks.

.

10/10 Gems

The Holy River - I just love this song, so spiritual and so powerful, his vocals and then that guitar solo!!

One of us - I know its the cover, but again his guitar and voice and he sings it with such conviction!

The Love we make - I just love it, his voice and his conviction, the passion and he sang it.

.

9/10 Excellent

Right back here in my arms - Catchy and poppy love ballad

Somebody's somebody - Love it, the sexual lyrics and the rain sounds

In this bed eye scream - Great

.

8/10 Very Good

Betcha by golly wow

White mansion

Damned if I do

I can't make u love me

Sex in the summer

One kiss at a time

Saviour

My computer

.

Had Emancipation just had these songs, it would have been a bigger smash than it was.

RJOrion said:

no love for "One Kiss At A Time" ??.. wow...

Well, I really like "One Kiss At A Time" as a song........

.... but we are talking of P and to me, nice as it is, "One Kiss At A Time" simply sounds like a less-inspired "When 2 R In Love"'s cousin.

Adorecream said:

10/10 Gems

One of us - I know its the cover, but again his guitar and voice and he sings it with such conviction!

I can agree it is the best of the 4 covers, but to me it isn't that great.

As a cover it doesn't rely on the same league of the Joan Osborne's original, and even musically talkin' it sounds like a rehash (nice, but rehash) of "Love Thy Will Be Done".

I've been listening to Emancipation alot lately and I'm really appreciating it much more now. It's a great album.

jaawwnn said:

I'd say In this Bed Eye Scream is fairly essential Prince...

You're right, when I listed the best tracks above I forgot it.

Still not a possible hit.

"Emancipation" has some great tunes. I liked how some of the songs would end, and out of nowhere a new groove would start...He hadn't pulled moves like that since "S.O.T.T"...but it also has some horribile songs too. I didn't care for the plastic sounding drum production either..it was pretty much "drum loop city". "Emancipation" is the only studio recording by him (with the exception of the "symbol" record) that I can recall seeing a TV ad for...(greatest hits and comps don't count).

Think of it this way: If Emancipation was a 1-disk, 80 minute spread of songs, all the other songs left over would be b-sides, or outtakes.

If Emancipation was remastered with outtakes & b-sides (the way we want all the 80s albums to be repackaged), then that's what we have today as it exists. A good set of strong songs, surrounded by ...stuff.

Disk 1 is great on its own. Many times I've hit shuffle on that disc, and let it play in whatever order, and it works. It's a solid set.

Disk 2 has some good stuff on it, and some not great stuff on it.

Disk 3 is a hodge podge, and more unbalanced. However, there are little gems on there.

You could probably, at least, whittle it all down to a nice 2-disc set. Hell, if you even followed the model of SOTT, you could come up with a good play list (moody starter, upbeat 2nd, funky 3rd, mid-tempo 4th, etc)

I can appreciate Prince unloading on the album, but it's a stark contrast to the bright & crisp and band-oriented production of something like The Gold Experience or even some tracks on Chaos and Disorder. Prince always suffers, a tiny bit - sometimes, when he's a one-man show, opposed to using the band. But then again - he was one-man band a lot in the 80s, and that was great stuff. In the 90s, the difference was more glaring.

SOTT was incredible, but imagine those tracks recorded with a live band like Lovesexy was recorded, or how was recorded. Stuff like "The Morning Papers" wouldn't have been as great as a one-man show.

TrivialPursuit said:

Think of it this way: If Emancipation was a 1-disk, 80 minute spread of songs, all the other songs left over would be b-sides, or outtakes.

If Emancipation was remastered with outtakes & b-sides (the way we want all the 80s albums to be repackaged), then that's what we have today as it exists. A good set of strong songs, surrounded by ...stuff.

Disk 1 is great on its own. Many times I've hit shuffle on that disc, and let it play in whatever order, and it works. It's a solid set.

Disk 2 has some good stuff on it, and some not great stuff on it.

Disk 3 is a hodge podge, and more unbalanced. However, there are little gems on there.

You could probably, at least, whittle it all down to a nice 2-disc set. Hell, if you even followed the model of SOTT, you could come up with a good play list (moody starter, upbeat 2nd, funky 3rd, mid-tempo 4th, etc)

I can appreciate Prince unloading on the album, but it's a stark contrast to the bright & crisp and band-oriented production of something like The Gold Experience or even some tracks on Chaos and Disorder. Prince always suffers, a tiny bit - sometimes, when he's a one-man show, opposed to using the band. But then again - he was one-man band a lot in the 80s, and that was great stuff. In the 90s, the difference was more glaring.

SOTT was incredible, but imagine those tracks recorded with a live band like Lovesexy was recorded, or how was recorded. Stuff like "The Morning Papers" wouldn't have been as great as a one-man show.

NO THANK YOU.

Such is the beauty of Prince fandom, takes all sorts.

jaawwnn said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Think of it this way: If Emancipation was a 1-disk, 80 minute spread of songs, all the other songs left over would be b-sides, or outtakes.

If Emancipation was remastered with outtakes & b-sides (the way we want all the 80s albums to be repackaged), then that's what we have today as it exists. A good set of strong songs, surrounded by ...stuff.

Disk 1 is great on its own. Many times I've hit shuffle on that disc, and let it play in whatever order, and it works. It's a solid set.

Disk 2 has some good stuff on it, and some not great stuff on it.

Disk 3 is a hodge podge, and more unbalanced. However, there are little gems on there.

You could probably, at least, whittle it all down to a nice 2-disc set. Hell, if you even followed the model of SOTT, you could come up with a good play list (moody starter, upbeat 2nd, funky 3rd, mid-tempo 4th, etc)

I can appreciate Prince unloading on the album, but it's a stark contrast to the bright & crisp and band-oriented production of something like The Gold Experience or even some tracks on Chaos and Disorder. Prince always suffers, a tiny bit - sometimes, when he's a one-man show, opposed to using the band. But then again - he was one-man band a lot in the 80s, and that was great stuff. In the 90s, the difference was more glaring.

SOTT was incredible, but imagine those tracks recorded with a live band like Lovesexy was recorded, or how was recorded. Stuff like "The Morning Papers" wouldn't have been as great as a one-man show.

NO THANK YOU.

Such is the beauty of Prince fandom, takes all sorts.

Think about it. The SOTT songs were mostly just him, but how great was the live versions on the tour, and in the SOTT movie? I loved "Play In The Sunshine" live so much more than on the album (I don't hate the album version by any means). Same with "Hot Thing" or "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man". While there's genius fun in listening to him on record as a one man band, there's just as much magic in that SOTT/Lovesexy band playing those songs live.

I think my favorite version of "Strange Relationship" (as if there's a bad verison?) is the preview show at First Avenue, where he just sorta vamps on it at first, then gradually slides into the song. (I forget the bootleg name.) And "Forever In My Life" in the SOTT movie - puh-leeze. Those guitar licks here and there....tasty!

Don't get me wrong. I honestly wouldn't change SOTT at all on record. It's a fan favorite for a reason.

TrivialPursuit said:

Think of it this way: If Emancipation was a 1-disk, 80 minute spread of songs, all the other songs left over would be b-sides, or outtakes.

If Emancipation was remastered with outtakes & b-sides (the way we want all the 80s albums to be repackaged), then that's what we have today as it exists. A good set of strong songs, surrounded by ...stuff.

I like this way to see it.

Now I have to see this way also HnR Phase 1.

If it was a single CD it would be 3 tracks.

But we already have the remastered/expanded edition with 7 more outtaked added.

A good set of strong songs, surrounded by.... "stuff".

ThePanther said:

Emancipation is in no way a great album.

.

I actually like it more than some people do, but recently I've come to the conclusion that it's fairly disposable. There are exactly two songs out of 36 that I would consider essential Prince: 'The Holy River' and 'White Mansion'. Despite the dated production, there's otherwise no faulting those two cuts -- the arrangements, composition, melodies, lyrics are perfect. Couldn't be better. (Slightly edited for time, those really should have been the two singles.) Actually, I wish Prince would do more songs like those two. 'The Holy River' is him baring his soul and taking a big step into relationship 'maturity', while 'White Mansion' is nostalgic, heartwarming, and funny. People want more of those things from Prince, not more nonsense about Egyptian pyramids and protégé girl-bands.

.

'Somebody's Somebody' is also a really good song, not quite essential but very good. Likewise, 'Soul Sanctuary'.

.

The rest of the album is mostly pleasant and quite listenable, but 32 tracks of 'competent' music is not really what I want from a staggering genius like Prince.

.

I do think a few other songs are good -- 'Sex in the Summer', 'Jam of the Year', 'The Love We Make', and 'My Computer' are good. The remaining 28 tracks can pretty much reside in the garbage bin as far as I'm concerned.

.

As everyone knows, putting out a triple-CD of 36 songs was a cool idea but career-suicide. But 'career suicide' is sort of the general theme of 1990s' Prince... I mean, 'The Artist'... I mean, 'Love Symbol'... I mean... ah, f*** it.

I'd have to disagree with most of what you said, but it's the ballads that really stand out for me.

One Kiss at a Time

Soul Sanctuary

I Can't Make U Love Me

Friend, Love, Sister, Mother/Wife

Dreamin' About U

Curious Child

Let's Have a Baby

La La La

Betcha By Golly Wow

Some of those stand up with his best work.

Why isn't "Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife" ranked among the best song on this album or the 90's??? His vocal performance on this track alone is worth the price of admission. I cannot believe this is not a fan favourite yet. "If I ever held a hand!!!!!!!" scream is maybe his best falsetto piece in a long time.

Wolfie87 said:

Why isn't "Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife" ranked among the best song on this album or the 90's??? His vocal performance on this track alone is worth the price of admission. I cannot believe this is not a fan favourite yet. "If I ever held a hand!!!!!!!" scream is maybe his best falsetto piece in a long time.

I agree, "Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife" is absolutely incredible, it's one of my most listened songs from the album. There's probably alot of fans who love it also, but we don't see it given a ton of props compared to others...