independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > Prince: Music and More > What do you think is Prince's best sounding record?
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Page 1 of 2 12>
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 12/14/16 8:10pm

dandan

What do you think is Prince's best sounding record?

Prince's records really don't sound that great from a technical stand point. It's well known that he never let the techincal side of recording get in the way of his creative process and speedy workflow. On that note what record do you think sounds the best on a purely sonic front? My vote goes for Prince (1979)

I got two sides... and they're both friends.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 12/14/16 8:37pm

Doozer

avatar

It's between Lotusflow3r and the Rainbow Children for me.
Check out The Mountains and the Sea, a Prince podcast by yours truly and my wife. More info at https://www.facebook.com/TMATSPodcast/
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #2 posted 12/14/16 8:37pm

ufoclub

avatar

Rainbow Children had some extra care taken in mixing. More than Prince even knew accoding to Femi.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #3 posted 12/14/16 9:12pm

databank

avatar

I know some will disagree and I certainly ain't no audiophile but CB sounds exceptionally good to me, always have nod

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #4 posted 12/14/16 9:17pm

TheGloved1

avatar

Parade sounds very nice in my opinion. It's a fantasic sounding record, probably his best as far as the mix is concerned.

[Edited 12/14/16 21:37pm]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #5 posted 12/14/16 9:22pm

runningbear

Clear and crisp is Controversy, my choice

merf
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #6 posted 12/14/16 9:22pm

trax

symbol album for me

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #7 posted 12/14/16 9:32pm

purpleemotions

Emancipation

:Pop Life live in Detroit: music
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #8 posted 12/15/16 5:10am

donnyenglish

Purely sound would be Plectrum Electrum.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #9 posted 12/15/16 5:24am

novabrkr

From the technical point of view - TRC, although some parts of it clip due to the record being a bit too loud. Lotusflow3r is rather similar in sound and approach, I think.

However, that type of detailed, "three-dimensional" sound sometimes works against the "drive" of the music. I think one of the reasons why Prince liked his funk tracks with very narrow stereo images was that it just sounds tighter. Most contemporary music sounds completely different in that regard.

I really prefer the overall sound of Purple Rain over the later "more expensive sounding stuff". Something about the mix of it just translates well over just about any decent speakers.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #10 posted 12/15/16 7:12am

ForbiddenFruit

Prince (1979)

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #11 posted 12/15/16 7:32am

DarkKnight1

avatar

prince

(Insert something clever here)
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #12 posted 12/15/16 9:06am

databank

avatar

Very interesting how many different replies we get here biggrin

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #13 posted 12/15/16 9:11am

lynx

The Hit N Run albums both sound great

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #14 posted 12/15/16 9:32am

SOMEBODYSSOMEB
ODY

My vinyl copy of Dirty Mind Sounds Amazing, the Symbol album and Diamonds and Pears sound pretty good on vinyl as well. It would be nice to here high quaility MP3 or wave files of his releases but most are not.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #15 posted 12/15/16 10:05am

RJOrion

Prince
Purple Rain
Around The World In A Day
Symbol Album


any of those
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #16 posted 12/15/16 10:59am

NorthC

Very difficult question to answer because we're dealing with different formats. One would have to compare the original LP, the remastered LP, the CD, the download and the Tidal version of an album to really know for sure. I don't know... I only know that my original vinyls of Prince's albums sound fantastic.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #17 posted 12/15/16 1:09pm

bsprout

TheGloved1 said:

Parade sounds very nice in my opinion. It's a fantasic sounding record, probably his best as far as the mix is concerned.

[Edited 12/14/16 21:37pm]



Ah, one of my favorites, too.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #18 posted 12/16/16 3:28am

dandan

donnyenglish said:

Purely sound would be Plectrum Electrum.

That album is horribly mixed and mastered in my opinion! Squashed dynamics, smashed by compression, too loud, distorted.

I got two sides... and they're both friends.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #19 posted 02/01/17 3:59pm

PurpleBrainInc

Definitely Prince ('79) and 3121 for me.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #20 posted 02/01/17 4:30pm

stpaisios

1st place is 4 sure that smashing minneapolis sound of 1999 album.

2nd is tasty Symbol album.

& 3rd goes to The Rainbow Children.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #21 posted 02/01/17 4:31pm

stpaisios

purpleemotions said:

Emancipation

uuh, that snares are... confused

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #22 posted 02/01/17 4:39pm

rudeboynpg

avatar

Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999 and Purple Rain - the 4 that made me a life long Prince fan in the first place.

Goodnight, sweet Prince.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #23 posted 02/01/17 6:20pm

luvsexy4all

Crystal Ball sounds the clearest and loudest

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #24 posted 02/01/17 7:30pm

AlgeriaTouchsh
reek

It's got to be Around The World In A Day. Like yawning after a really dark dream.

i wish i'd never kissed your lips, bearded lady
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #25 posted 02/01/17 7:37pm

diapsid

Prince (second best snares in his discography)

Dirty Mind (best sounding snares in his discography)

Purple Rain era stuff recorded at Sunset (WDC, 17 Days, etc)

Parade

Lovesexy

Come

The Rainbow Children

Worst: Emancipation, most of the songs sound like someone found half of the track recordings and had to fill in the missing pieces on a deadline.

Honorable mention: Gold Experience, not the most pleasing sound or anything, but definitely the last one for a while where a lot of care is audible.

[Edited 2/1/17 19:37pm]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #26 posted 02/01/17 7:37pm

Iamtheorg

avatar

3121

crisp and clean with no caffeine

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #27 posted 02/01/17 8:36pm

ufoclub

avatar

Iamtheorg said:

crisp and clean with no caffeine

I used to say that all the time!

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #28 posted 02/01/17 8:43pm

SmiggyG

avatar

Wow this is a tough one for me. It's interesting that many say TRC is one of the best. For me it's not the worst but I felt as soon as the drums kicked in on the opening track they sounded muddy and overcompressed and too loud. The rest of the album was ok though. I've noticed that not every songs sound is consistant with his whole albums. Like the example I gave with TRC. Lady Cab Driver on 1999 sounds way better than the rest of the album to me as well.

Anyways here's my overall picks (no paticular order)

Controversy

Both HitNRun albums

Crystal Ball

Prince

3121

Nod to Lovesexy (volume is so low but on my best system turned up it sounds great to me.)

Worst to me would be

1999

The Gold Experience (sounds ok at low volume but not an album that sounds good loud to me)

Non album tracks

Cybersingle

LOL-Live Out Loud (Has to be the worst of the worst)

"Hey, I got the butta 4 ya muffin, honey.. I'm just 2 old 2 hold the knife!"
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #29 posted 02/02/17 12:25am

mediumdry

best sounding is of course, far from best record. Also, it is very subjective. In my opinion, most of his records do not sound very good, but he has some extraordinary songs and keep things interesting (although after lovesexy, he tried often to "stay with the times" to the detriment of his records, imo)

As far as best sounding:

-The Rainbow Children

-For You

-Dirty Mind

Paisley Park is in your heart - Love Is Here!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Page 1 of 2 12>
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > Prince: Music and More > What do you think is Prince's best sounding record?