How many people here don't like that album? The singing is a weak version of Prince, and the music is interesting, but doesn't add anything to the Prince catalogue.

There are some good songs on there, but for the most part, it is a weak album. It trys to hard to be complex, but sounds muddled. Even the symphony stuff goes over the top.

Paul Peterson just doesn't have the vocal chops. It would have been much better with a powerful black singer.

The Family is just a good album to me. Not great, but not bad either. Just good.

St. Paul has some decent vocals, and Susannah too. But yeah, they do try a lil' too hard to be Prince. That's because Prince was instructing them to sound like him (which Paul found quite exhausting.)

The music is awesome. It was the sign of things that would come to be in Prince's sound. Heavily orchestrated melodies, and Jazz-Funk flourishes.

Overall, it's not a bad effort.

Best things on there are Mutiny, High Fashion, Yes and Suzy's PJ's

I think The Family is a great record, one of the best non Prince releases on Paisley Park. It's also important as it introduced Eric Leeds to the fold and was the first time Clare Fischer contributed to a Prince project. St Pauls vocals aren't fantastic but the arrangements and songwriting throughout make up for that.

The Family was my least favorite Prince project.

so thats his name paul huh....well i've only heard screams of passion and i must say...paul sounds like hot shit on a plate on that song...i don't get it...how could prince think that sounds good? susannahs vocals r cool..but pauls r just bleh! but then again for some freaky ass strange reason it seems 2 work u kno? like if it was someone else who sang better or even prince himself it woulda been i dunno i don't think it woulda worked.

I think the whole fricking album is brilliant. May not be to someone who showed up to the party 19 years late though.

Hmmm...

I think it's THE best protege project. Not counting any of the Time's stuff...they stand on their own. I mean what..are you going to compare it to:

Three O'Clock?
Jill Jones?
Martika?

S3V3N said:

Martika is THE SHIT (home girl need to release another album!) and she isn't a protege.

S3V3N said:

(Sarcasm alert!) Right. The Family is nowhere near as good as albums by:

T.C. Ellis
Carmen Electra
Dale Bozzio
Apollonia 6
Ingrid Chavez

sextonseven said:

Oh god...Ingrid. "Elephant Box"...that's like what, all grey wrinkled and huge?!?! What. Was. She. Thinking? That's just not right...
[This message was edited Mon Aug 16 21:55:00 2004 by S3V3N]

I honestly feel that The Family was Prince's best protege project (this does not include The Time, which I think of as a separate entity). I love that album!

"Yes" and "Susannah's Pajamas" laid the foundation for the Madhouse albums to come (which, IMO, offered nothing as good as these two tracks). Songs like "Screams of Passion" and "High Fashion" were funky and well-orchestrated (we have Clare Fischer to thank for that). "Desire", "River Run Dry" (the Bobby Z. effort) -- the only weak track on the album is their version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" which was later done much better by Prince and Rosie Gaines (and even better still by Sinead O'Connor).

I don't know what some y'all consider "good vocals"..... but the Family is the BEST protege album IMO.... with the possible exception of Sheila's "Glamorous Life" (which is my personal favorite) and "What Time is It".

The entire album works great as a complete whole. You can't just go by Screams of Passion which I think is the "worst" song on there (and I mean in comparison, it's a great song).

As others mentioned it was revolutionary at the time in terms of introducing Eric, Jazz, Clare Fischer, etc.

But I really dont' get people who criticize Paul's vocals. Again, I'm discounting the Screams cuz he's just trying to do the whole "sceaming thing" like Prince.

But his vocals on Mutiny, High Fashion, and NC2U blow Prince out of the water!!!
Prince may be a more talented singer in terms of his delivery style/technique, but I think Paul was blessed with a more beautiful sounding resonance to the qulaity of his voice. It's deep, lush, and just sounds great. To be honest I don't think Prince's tone is anything to speak of; he just really knows how to use what he got.

I HATED this album for years, and completey agreed with your assessment. And seeing the Family perform live is what changed it for me. I still don't hold it as high as other protegee projects, but it's a brilliant Prince record. The vocals still leave quite a lot to be desired, but it works for me.

GaryMF said:

WHAT, ARE U KIDDING ME?????

I VIOLENTLY AND VEHEMENTLY DISAGREE.

madartista said:

MAJOR MAJOR CO-SIGN!!!!! Couldn't agree with you more there madartista!!

EverlastingNow said:

Thanks, Mister.

See u at the Pepsi Center?

madartista said:

But of course!!! What the HELL is taking it so long???

EverlastingNow said:

Yeah, this selling tickets 4 months is advance es no bueno!

EverlastingNow said:

What are y'all listening too??? the unreleased versions of High Fashion and Mutiny sound awful..... and whenver Prince sang Mutiny live his vocals were EMBARASSING!

St. Paul has a beautiful voice.

soulyacolia said:

GaryMF said:

We'll have to disagree. I LOVE Prince's live versions of Mutiny and NC2U. And I'm not saying that as a slight to Paul. What I mostly disagree with is the idea that Paul's vocals "blow Prince out of the water." In my ears, not a chance. Different tastes for sure.

I guess we're going to have to.

But of out curiousity, what versions are you referring to? Cuz on the parade tour boots with Mutiny P is usually is off key..... and the NC2U on The Hits is kinda annoying to me.

And the unreleased demos of High Fashion/Mutiny sound awful...they were P scratch vocals anyway.

So maybe there is some good version that I have not heard yet.

In general I just think Paul's vocal tone and resonance is really nice..... deeper, richer. than Prince's. although Prince is a better techhnical singer and his falsetto is really nice.

I adore The Family album."The Screams of Passion"nasty groove!!!"Mutiny" is oh so funky.When Prince and The Revolution performed this track at the Under The Cherry Moon party,it was off the chain."Nothing Compares 2 U" is one of the greatest love songs he has ever written(check out the Prince and Rosie version on the The Hits and B-sides compilation).The combination of funk,jazz,and classical music is brilliant!!That's all I have to say about that.

vainandy said:

cosign.

EverlastingNow said:

Gary must be deaf

you're not so fucking bright are you?

SquarePeg said:

Actually, y'all are the ones that need to clean out yo' ears!

If you think about it, Prince agrees with me cuz he's the one that heard Paul singing in the dressing room during Purple Rain and thought his voice was so good.... and lo and behold, he decided to let Paul sing those songs on the Family album rather than recording them himself.

So there!

(and I'm still waiting for someone to identify an actual recording or peformance of Mutiny/High Fashion etc. where P actually sounds good...as opposed to just blindly gushing over his voice in general).
[Edited 9/1/04 18:33pm]